Arts in the Family: 2011-04-24

Friday, April 29, 2011

Friday Roundup

Cast of the 131st Edition of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Baily Circus.

The week went by quickly despite the fact that I had no performances scheduled. When you're home there's always work to be done day and night. So after a week of spring cleaning the house looks great. I forgot to mention that a head cold made the rounds here at Rancho Ramirez. It not bad enough to keep you in bed; it's just annoys the heck out of you.

Tomorrow I'll be at the Mission Branch Library for their grand opening where I'll gab about illustrating the book "Milagro de Monterrey". I think I'll get there early so I can look around and check out the other presenters and entertainment that's scheduled for the day.

I missed the circus today. I was reading Steve Copeland's blog and the Mudshow Diaries and just started to miss it. They're having a tough time right now encountering bad weather on their route and Steve has been sick...and yet despite the misery of illness and foul weather they were experiencing I really felt homesick for it. It just gets under your skin.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Dia de los Ninos

This Saturday I'll be on the southside of town for the grand opening of the Mission Branch Library on the site of the former Mission Drive-In Theater (How I miss it.) reading from the book "Milagro de Monterrey", as well as talk about how I went about illustrating the book. If you'd like to purchase a copy or two or three even of the book below is a link to the Raining Popcorn Media website.

http://www.rainingpopcorn.com/

Below is the schedule of events for the day. I'm on deck from 12:30p.m. to 1p.m. As always click on the images for a magnified view.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

File vs. File

This has turned out to be a quiet week for me here at Rancho Ramirez. I've no Doc Ed presentations scheduled till next week and no illustration deadlines to meet so my attention has turned to spring cleaning. It's all about sweeping, dusting and mopping for the next few days. While taking a break from my domestic duties, I decided it was a good time to clean out my file cabinet. Yes, I still have one of those and will continue to have one because going through computer files isn't fun at all.

Take the caricatures pictured above, which I found while looking through a folder I had forgotten about. It had a number of caricatures I had drawn back when I was intent on being a caricature artist despite the fact that I don't enjoy drawing or painting portraits all that much. Its not just finding the long lost illustrations that puts a smile on my face but it's also feeling the paper, noticing the stains and creases on the sheet and how it's yellowed since I last looked at it. The senses take over and then the memories kick in. I remember the stack of Rolling Stone and Starlog magazines I used for finding the right subjects to draw. I still have those magazines too. Naturally, I start looking through them as well bringing back more memories, some of which are a little more faded than others but more or less still intact. You can't get that kind of experience with a computer. I'll post some more of those caricatures later.

Through the Congressional Looking Glass

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Friends Without Benefits - 9/11 Responders
www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

The Daily Show on Facebook

Thank you Mr. Stewart for spelling it out so beautifully.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Monday Rush

I just wanted to show off a photo I took of some Primroses out front.

I try to make the beginning of my work week as productive as possible whittling away at my to do list as best I can. I generally begin with the most unpleasant tasks so I can get them out of the way as soon as possible.

Today started off with tedious computer work sending off emails and updating the good folks at the Edwards Aquifer Authority on what's going in my neck of the woods when I'm not donning the Doc Ed khakis.

Soon I'll be working in the yard trying to get it in halfway decent shape despite our lack of rain. I'll also be applying some organic pest control stuff to combat any unwanted pests. Oh, the fun I'll be having.