Calm Before The Event...

Like "Max" here lounging, I am trying to have a nice calm day before the big event at Wally Workman Gallery tonight. Those who know me well know that usually I bolt out the door when the crowd at the gallery gets to be too much...it's my first instinct. I don't know why, because usually, if I am persuaded to stay, I have a nice time hanging out and meeting folks. But tonight I am going to throw off that tendency to run and just take it all in. It's about the book tonight, which is about dogs after all, not me. I can do this. And really, ultimately, I would be very sad and disappointed if no one came out to see the book and art (and me) tonight.  Here we go.....

Little Houses, Purple Hearts

I just finished this little house. It was a birthday gift for a very good friend. This was a tough project. She gave me a shoebox full of things that belonged to her father. He was sent over to fight in WW2 and died July 4, 1944. She was in her mother's womb when he died, and he didn't know he had a child on the way when he was shipped out. Well, he never knew he had a child period, and his child never got to know him.
Originally she said I could glue the purple heart on it and paint it black.  I couldn't do that, so instead I rebuild the original box it came in (because it was falling apart) and turned it into a door.  Some of the objects glued on are from my collection since she didn't have enough to cover the house. The roof lifts up and inside are some items I couldn't embed, like the official letter from the government and a card he had made for her mother. The chimney is his brass lighter, the roof is a feather hat that belonged to her aunt. I built all of this, the house and the stand. It was an honor to be entrusted with these items, but honestly I've got to say, the purple hearts our government gives out should be solid gold for the price paid in order to receive one. They are really kind of cheap looking. Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for those who go and fight and get injured or killed, I just don't agree with all of our endless wars.
The title of this is: "Daddy Johnny Comes Home."

Makin' New Animals

I'm busy, busy, busy. Cutting up old books full of animals, Oprah and Vanity Fair magazines, and any other pictures of animals I can find.  Getting ready for a 45 minute workshop that I'll be giving at the Texas Art Educators Conference in San Antonio next month. I'll be there teaching and selling Ampersand Art products.  I put if off long enough. It was much easier just coming up with the idea, now I have to put it together. This is one of my first finished pieces that I'll use to illustrate the process. Let's hope I can write a good lesson plan and present it in a understandable way. Just another "performance". This is either a Prairie Dog or some other rodent with a sweet little Doe head. Red tie and Red Fez!! I'll also be doing a scratchboard workshop called "Scratch Happy." That one is a piece of cake for me!
Meanwhile, I'm taking Dog Scratchin' books tonight to the For Pets' Sake meeting and to Petco on Saturday during adoptions event, to sell a few. So far I've raised about $100.00 each for the above group and the Fayetteville Animal Shelter.  I'll give them both a check at the end of the month. I hope I can bump them up by having more sales. If you are interested in one or two or more, you can contact me or just send a check (I'm old skool) to PO Box 8963 Fayetteville, Arkansas 72703.  Books are $25.00 each and I'm donating $2.00 of every sale to animal rescue groups.
Ok, that's it for now. The show at the Anne Kittrell Gallery on the campus of the University of Arkansas until the end of October. Open M-F 10am-6pm
Next dog event will be in Austin, TX Nov. 13th at Wally Workman Gallery from 6-8pm.