Feeling like a slug!

Me standing on a block behind my tall daughter in her prom dress
Me and Girl2 on prom night

First, check out Girl2 in her prom dress. This picture was taken on her very last day of high school! She will graduate cum laude, with a cosmetology degree, an associates degree in science and math, and VERY close to completing Eagle Scout. I can’t manage to change my socks daily. This is why, as happy as I am for her and as proud, I feel like a slug.

I  had all of these great plans for 2023. I was going to do a fair every month. I was going to complete a large painting every week, a couple of small paintings, and sketch every day.

With the exception of a couple of small watercolors, I haven’t managed to complete a single painting. I have done a small handful of sketches, but nothing near the volume I wanted to do.

So what’s wrong me? Why can’t I manage to follow through? It’s so easy to get down on myself and think about how terrible I am. But doing nothing is the norm. That is the standard that the human body wants to maintain. Inertia. A body at rest will remain at rest until acted upon by a force, right?

So the real question is what happened before that motivated me to do something? How did I manage to get up and do anything before? We typically throw around words like “discipline” and “plan” without really understanding how those words become actions.

I don’t have an answer to that. I know that routine is the best way for me to get things accomplished. If I manage to sit at a drawing table with my pens and paper, I will draw something. So I have to set the routine to have my pens and paper out, maybe at a specific time or at least convenient place every day. Like the saying goes, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” If my space is prepared and my materials available, it’s a whole lot easier for me to actually sit down and get some work done. The current state of the studio is not conducive to that effort, to say the least

Garage studio is trashed

I did manage to take some supplies with me to the mall while the wife and kids explored the shops. I didn’t get a whole lot of sketches in, but something is a brazillian times more than nothing, right?

Boy2 enjoying some Chinese food at the food court

Video Tech 20JAN2017

Image of my video editing station

Video editing

This week’s Video Quiche (it’s pronounced “quickie”) is online at the YouTube. That’s the 3 minute version of a 90 minutes webcast. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWl1ctdUOzc

The full info and steps about this process, and even the show in real time can be found on Sunday’s blog post here: The Artistic Biker Does A Complementary Sunset

Since the post on Sunday night already gave all the information about this video, I thought I would use Tuesday’s posts to talk about the tech I use to create, edit, and produce The Artistic Biker Live!

Let’s start with the software I use to create the raw footage. Continue reading

Video Tech 16JAN2017

Image of my video editing station

Video editing

This week’s Video Quiche (it’s pronounced “quickie”) is online at the YouTube. That’s the 3 minute version of a 90 minutes webcast. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM8r9Ib9eoQ

The full info and steps about this process, and even the show in real time can be found on Sunday’s blog post here: The Artistic Biker Does Strawberries

Since the post on Sunday night already gave all the information about this video, I thought I would use Tuesday’s posts to talk about the tech I use to create, edit, and produce The Artistic Biker Live!

Let’s start with the software I use to create the raw footage. Continue reading

What this is all about Jan 2014

What happens with the money when you donate or buy t-shirts and lessons?
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On the first Saturday of every month we host a free art experience for the community children.  This month, Sue was helping the children make collages.
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We had 12 registered this month and a few siblings sat in as well.  After watching how much fun the kids were having, the parents approached us for a grown up version.  Some day, we hope to make that happen.

Studio Update 01AUG2013

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This Saturday I will be teaching an outdoor sketching class for the Chickasha Area Art Council’s First Saturday Kids Club.  I have been stressing a bit about where to get inexpensive sketchbooks. It wasn’t going to be a big deal. I was going to just fold over some 11″x17″ paper and loan them a clipboard.  YESTERDAY, however, I stumbled across a school supply warehouse that was open to the public. They have apparently been around for 100 years.  When I  asked about student sketchbooks, she led me down a dusty old Aisle and showed me a stack of 12″x18″ sketchbooks that had been on that shelf for over 15 years. They sold them to me for 25¢ each so I bought all of them. Then I brought them to my day job and put them on the shear to cut them in half. Now I have 74 9″x12″ sketchpads that cost 12.5¢ each. I love finding bargains like that!

Where do YOU find your best art supply savings?