Well, it's been quite a while since my last post.

I'm in the process of re-organizing my creative process.

Just at the moment, I'm working on my TARDIS prop and after hearing Adam Savage's amazing obsession with dodo birds and the Maltese Falcon, I'm starting my own Dingus.

My TARDIS is remarkably close to being finished.



I'm still working on computerizing her lights and sound effects.














While my Maltese Falcon is still pretty primative.




















I'll try to post more pictures as I go along.

"Genevieve"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord













Today's long pose was a bit of a surprise for me. I was told we had a male model and so far, all the models at the long pose have been nude.

Well, Genevieve was neither, but she sure was interesting to paint.

"Red Rocks at Abiquiu"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord











"Red Rocks at Abiquiu II"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord








"Perdinal III"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord








Day two at Abquiu.

If you come here, don't stay at the Abiquiu Inn. Had a pretty wretched night for $80

And the other annoying thing about here is the blank, blank, blank noseeums/gnats.

I don't remember O'Keeffe ever bitching about the bugs, but boy howdy, they're out and armed for bear.

Deet doesn't do anything but make them giggle.

But dozens of them drowned my my Gamsol.

Bwhahahahaha.

The painting was pretty good out at what I'm calling 'The Red Place'.

Saw 'The White Place' yesterday but didn't get a chance to paint out there. They've blocked off the road leading down to the wash so it would be a several hundred yard hike over rough terrain carrying my painting gear.

Not this trip, thanks.

Even though David offered to lug my gear.

He's such a nice guy.

David also offered to drive me out to 'The Black Place' but I declined and pointed out it was 180 miles due West of here.

He agreed that would have to be another trip.

Down to Santa Fe and then Albuquerque to see David off to Austin again.

Sigh.

"Box Canyon at Ghost Ranch"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord








"Perdinal I"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord













"Perdinal II"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord









Sorry I've been gone so long. Long story.

But right now I'm out at Abiquiu painting where Georgia O'Keefe painted.

It's damn cool.

These three are from Ghost Ranch. More to follow.

"Christie"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord













"Christie II"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord













Today for the Portrait group, we had Christie, a lovely dark haired, light eyed girl with an odd wistfulness about her.

I enjoyed painting her and hope to paint her again.

"Danea"
3" by 4"
Oil on Masonite







Today in the long pose session we got to paint Danea, who, as you've probably guessed, is seven months pregnant.

The sculpture group set her up on a improvised chaise lounge and we circled her and made art.

"Sunset on the Tucson Tiki Man"
3" by 4"
Oil on Gessobord












I read on BoingBoing this week that an old friend of mine was scheduled for demolition.

Magic Carpet Golf on Speedway in Tucson Arizona was one of my favorite Tucson hangouts as a child.

I was eight years old in 1976 and the 'Tiki Man', a three-story-tall concrete Easter Island Moa with glowing red eyes and a green-lit spiral staircase leading to a caged observation platform, loomed huge in my imagination.

That's what we always called it. The Tiki Man. That's what everyone called it.

I spent many a happy hour there.

And then I nearly caused a car wreck some twenty years later when my Husband and I visited Tucson and I suddenly saw my old friend looming over the road.

I started screaming 'Tiki Man! Tiki Man! Tiki Man!'

I'd had this immediate and intense rush of childhood memories.

I had totally forgotten the Tiki Man until that moment.

Now, Magic Carpet Golf has been sold to a car dealership and they don't hold my deep love for kitch. They want the property swept clean.

But thank all the gods, the Tiki Man will escape that fate.

I just got word that he's been purchased by a downtown Tiki-themed bar.

Saves me the trouble of renting a U-Haul and committing grand larceny.

But I'll have to go back to Tucson and visit him in his new digs.

I'm so relieved he won't be bulldozed.

I painted this before I got the news of his reprieve. I'm all better now.