Paper, Scissors, Rocks

The game itself might be rock, paper, scissors..but when you’re making intergalactic rocks…it starts with the paper cut into strips with scissors… and with a little mache’ and paint…it ends up a rock. Earlier pics show Cody, Bella and I making the mache’ rocks (after I cut my hands up with the chicken wire). Since then the rocks were painted grey and then insulation foam was added for a touch of “creepy”.

Once the foam dried, I used both a matte and very shiny silver spray paint to cover the entire thing. I now have one very silver pointer finger. Then I did just a touch of black for shading to get the effect you see here. I’m not done but you get the idea.

While the rocks were drying, I switched gears and Micheal and I started on the alien pods (or capsules) made from yes… more tubes. First they were cut for the desired opening and then sanded before being painted. As you can see, Micheal could barely conceal his glee over this project. 😉

Once Fred and Ethel saw them…well of course they wanted to see how they fit…so I obliged them for a moment… They’ll actually free-hang inside when this project is completed. For those of you that can’t tell, Ethel is on the right.

Then the pods were painted silver inside and out

And various pieces of metal were added at the top and bottom to make it more spacey looking. The two headed baby is part of the “Human Cloning Gone Wrong” area. Lots more work tomorrow!

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Party Time

I took a few shots early on as people started arriving for our opening…and then had to put my camera down to eliminate bodily harm in the mayhem. A few people picked it up towards the end and took some of me and my fat cheeks. I wish I had more to show you just how many beautiful people came to see and enjoy the Studio. We had such a great time. Everyone…

Anuvue Reception

Shiela (i before e)

Jamie (Anuvue’s Art Teacher) and I traveled tonight to Burbank, one of the cutest little sleepy towns in Southern California. Burbank has Jay Leno and the Disney Studios…but more important, it has Shiela. Now Shiela and I go back…way back…oh just forget about how far back people! What’s important here is that Shiela has more talent in her baby toe than most people have in their whole family…say 4 generations back. She’s a sculptor, painter, illustrator, author, admirable Mother and I believe she still may even remember how to play the clarinet (though I don’t ask for fear she’d break it out). Sheila is also one of the most wonderful people God ever set on the planet, one of the few people in the world to know all my hidden secrets and still love me and I am astoundingly proud of her and so glad to have her work at the gallery.

Currently she is working on a large Golfing figure (in her driveway, where else?) for a local golf course and a Tycho drummer for an award winning Architect. I have featured her large sculpture that sits in front of the Burbank Police and Fire Station and has been on TV many times, especially after 9-11 on the West Coast. I remember going to the unveiling celebration of “The Guardians”. “No big deal” she said. When I saw the “fly over” I had the sneaking suspicion it was just a little more. I sat teary-eyed on my folding chair, along with the rest of our lifelong schoolmates, thinking about how far her work had come. I still have my graphite sketch from high school that she did of my beloved (back then) Paul McCartney. I think even he would have approved.

Shiela studied art at Long Beach State, met and married fellow Artist Ray, who is amazing in his own creativity and the nicest guy on the planet. I think the best part of the match was that she finally got her big Italian last name to go with her French Italian heritage. The woman cooks a mean pot of meat sauce people! They have 2 beautiful children…and lets just say… all that talent…well it all got passed on. It gives me the greatest, proudest pleasure to have you meet Shiela… one of my 3 dearest, lovely, lifelong friends.

As side note, I should say (because it’s important to her) that the angel below is a study (re-creation) of an early Master (I’m guessing Botticelli) and it’s not an original idea…although…take a look…would you care? It’s beautiful. Also a reminder, as in all the Artist’s portfolios, these shots do not do begin to her work justice.

The Towers

I live across the street from the State Beach and each year I see the life guard towers towed in for another winter. They sit huddled together until close to summer and that’s when they get their yearly makeover. This year I saw some new kids in town…sitting off to the side…all fiberglass, modern sleek and shiny new. I fear for these elderly statesmen.

The maintenance is costly…all that sanding and painting…but I can’t help but be saddened by the thought of them finally gone. I woke up real early today with a bad case of Asthma which I’ve been fighting for a while. I threw on my baggy jeans, grabbed my trusty 5D, hopped in Mangie Rangie and rode over to the beach. The poor booth attendant couldn’t understand a word I was saying…all that wheezing and arm waving. He finally looked me in the eye and said…”Ahh…Just go on in Lady”. I smiled to myself…

I wasn’t about to pay for parking that early in the morning. I wasn’t there to surf. I came to visit…to breath freely…and to capture a moment in time. The old towers all stood at attention, patient and willing to be my subjects…while off in the wings, the new kids on the block took notice of my neglect. Good. I hope they were jealous…

The hand of man IV

A workin’ day

1. Home Depot arrives with door and tatoo’s 6:45 AM

2. Jose arrives 7:30 AM to paint. The Pacific Ocean is just over those trees. Check out that termite damage!

3. Another glorious California Day

4. Mitch and Steve arrive 9am to demo slider

5. A simple plan

6. thru 8 The Halloween Team re-unites for a day of drywalling

9. Bugging Jose with my camera

10. gettin’ dark in that room

11. A balcony trying to be one color

12. Reflecting on the day

Downstairs is the local pizza parlor. I eat pizza once every 3 to 5 years. I don’t even like Pizza. I have eaten vegetarian pizza every night for the last 3 days…Tomorrow… more walls…less windows…and probably more pizza 😦