Behind the scenes - Making of the Lord of the Rings Props

AGH! I wish I could have worked in this art department!!!!

My step daughter's Etsy shop!

Check out my step daughter's new Etsy shop.
http://byotekiboutique.etsy.com

I mean c'mon....

their heaven has a BEER VOLCANO!
You might like it, there's pirate gear involved!
Find out more about Pastafarianism:
http://www.venganza.org/flash/guidetopastafarianismpreloaded.swf

I have heard the word......

And the word is FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER!
I have been touched, nay moved!

go here to find out how:
http://www.venganza.org/

The Avett Brothers sing

YES!!!!

Enough Fear.org

interesting...
"This website will collect and display photos of people from the US and Iran (and other countries as well) holding up a hand in the universal symbol for "stop!" These photos are the first step in what we hope will become an international campaign in which people from both sides will work together to prevent any attack. These are the people who will suffer if war breaks out."

Dig this Blog!

Country French Antiques

Oh what a great blog!
Such yummy imagery, and she talks about French antiques, cake and Absinthe!!! mmmmmm

http://euroantiquemarket.blogspot.com/

Copper Chameleon

Go here now! My friend Brittany's jewelry design website will allow you to design your own enamelled jewelry that she then custom makes for you. Check out the great designs and luscious pattern!
http://www.copperchameleon.com/designyourown.html

recycle

no explanation needed.

The Commission

SO! before Christmas this interesting gentleman emailed me about a commission. He wanted a cover for his pool table light that would have a House of Blues look to it. This is what I did over the next two weeks. Oh.... He also wanted references to BBQ and primitive turkeys and pigs.
The two bottom pictures are of the piece in progress. I had a blast working on this and listened to alot of Lucinda Williams to get in the Delta mood. I am working on another commission for the same person. It's a mirror with old pieces of wood tin and copper all around it. Then if he's happy with the mirror I may do some enamelled light sconces for him.

"Nothing is Lost"

Loved the Noel Coward poem on the Writer's Almanac this morning on public radio.
check it out
http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/
Breathtakingly beautiful....

Mine Enemy Grows Older

check out my buddy and former studio mate Rick Mobb's blog:
http://rickmobbs.wordpress.com/
Some fantastic writing. I had no idea the extent of his talents a fabulous painter yes!
and a poet as well.

Affirmation by Donald Hall

When listening to Fresh Air with Terry Gross tonight, I was introduced to the poetry of Donald Hall.
This one particularly struck me, thought I'd share:

Affirmation
by Donald Hall

To grow old is to lose everything.
Aging, everybody knows it.
Even when we are young,
we glimpse it sometimes, and nod our heads
when a grandfather dies.
Then we row for years on the midsummer
pond, ignorant and content. But a marriage,
that began without harm, scatters
into debris on the shore,
and a friend from school drops
cold on a rocky strand.
If a new love carries us
past middle age, our wife will die
at her strongest and most beautiful.
New women come and go. All go.
The pretty lover who announces
that she is temporary
is temporary. The bold woman,
middle-aged against our old age,
sinks under an anxiety she cannot withstand.
Another friend of decades estranges himself
in words that pollute thirty years.
Let us stifle under mud at the pond's edge
and affirm that it is fitting
and delicious to lose everything.

Joy!

As you get older its harder to make new friends and even harder to keep them. I am blessed with a core group of compadres from grad school that are the most amazing folks. Its fabulous to see when they have happy endings, or should I say beginnings!

For Aan

Sigor Ros is for Aan who passed on thursday I think of her as my Obi Wan. I am forever changed by her light.

Sigor Ros - Saeglopur (the fountain mix) SPOILERS

YEEEEEESSSSS! Ah....so beautiful. what a great flim too. not for everybody i am sure.

Sigur Rós - Glósóli

makes me want to cry am I happy? sad? beautiful

Cool! Recycled Gold!

check this out...
Go to Greenkarat to recycle your old and broken gold jewelry. You can recycle it through GreenKarat and receive a store credit, or GreenKarat suggests that you consider the Basel Action Network (www.ban.org) for your contribution. BAN is working to eliminate global trade in mercury, which has an intimate bond with gold.
You can also designate any charity to recieve your contribution through GreenKarat. Very cool way to utilize that icky wide 80's chain that's all mangled, or any old gold junk in the bottom of the jewelry box. The gold you recycle eliminates mining more.
Hey, could be tax deductable too!
Gotta love it!

Making a Difference

Watoto Wa Kwetu Trust and Children's Art Center













Don't we all want to make a difference somehow? It feels great to contribute in some small way. Here's your chance!
A friend of mine is helping the Watoto Wa Kwetu Trust and Children's Art Center in Kenya by selling screensavers of his photography at his site:http://www.brimmages.com/ksv1.htm
To learn more here is the Watoto Wa Kwetu Trust's homepage:
http://www.myspace.com/watoto_wa_kwetu_trust

Farin Greer, an artist who used to live here in Wilmington and run a wonderful gallery is involved with the trust. She writes that recently one of their new volunteers- "wrote to say that many of her friends and family have been asking questions about our choice to support programs that provide creative arts, when it seems obvious to assume that most of these children probably struggle just to get their basic necessities met, be in need of food, water and shelter. Well here is what I advised her to consider and share with people who ask this question; There are in fact many new and established organizations that specifically work to assist the children(some of whom are orphaned) to have the basics.There still remains so very much to be done in all these areas.Though I will never argue that one must have the basics for the body to survive, the soul is more complex. With nurture, by means of food, water and shelter there is still the need to nurture the soul by means of expression. We desire to offer a vehicle for the children to dream beyond the moment. We believe...if you can dream it you canf ind a way to make it happen, but if there is no dream, one may just fell a victim of their environment with no hope of something better. Creativity is a doorway to hope. I hope this helps. As the sayings go: Each One Teach One and Active Spirituality Supports Reality... Please take a minute, visit our page and consider making a donation, no gift is too small. There is great power in a collective force of love and support."
If you are interested here is Farin's artwork: www.fineartamerica.com/profiles/farin-greer.html

Trash! Glorious Trash!

Wasn't that an Oscar the Grouch song?
Thought I'd share... My buddy Steve Brimm http://www.brimmages.com gave me the heads up on Ira Glass' interview with sailor and researcher Captain Charles Moore. Captain Moore's website is fantastic http://www.algalita.org/
They offer resources and information, as well as handouts for teachers to print out about plastics. Thought I share some depressing photos from their research of dead albatross whose guts were full of plastic non-biodegradable trash.


Awareness- that's one thing all of us can do raise awareness. Then you can make small change. Just pay attention to how much plastic you use and how you dispose of it. Then start using less!




On a more positive note, a couple of great uplifting quotes:
"Always use the word impossible with the greatest caution" -Werner Von Braun
"The peope who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them" -George Bernard Shaw