Heeellllooo out there! Thought I would drop a line and get everyone caught up on what has been going on...which has been lots by the way! I have been spending a lot of quality time at the easel in Studio 8...so here are a few things I have to show for it.

Not a very good picture, but...you will get the idea. Besides, you all know by now that to REALLY see things...you need to drop by Studio 8 and see them in person! I'll work at getting a better picture up for the gallery as this one just won't do. This is "Roman Remains." It is a multi-weight graphite drawing and oil painting done on a piece of 24x24" marble. I just loved working the oil paint and graphite on the marble. It was very tedious as you had to be extremely careful and methodical with the drawing as not to smear anything...kind of intense really...but I loved the sensation and the whole process. It is now complete, and ready for you to come and visit!

This little ditty is called - "Safe at Home." It is an encaustic and mixed media painting on wood panel. I have recently been back at dabbling in the encaustic realm and really enjoying it. So much so...I wonder now why I set it all aside. Perhaps just not in the right frame of mind, but at any rate...I am happy with how this painting turned out. My favorite part about encaustic painting (besides the set-up and process...not to mention the blow torch!) is the touchability of the finished pieces. You can handle them and really enjoy them up close. I enjoyed working on this so much...that I am excited to try some different mixed media ideas that I have!

As this Friday is 2nd Friday - which means that The Artists Upstairs Studio Group will be having our monthly open studio night, I hope those that can, will stop by and see the works in person!

That also means that my monthly radio show will be tomorrow AM - Bright and damn early...and I have a GREAT interview that i did with the Indianapolis Anti-Art School Dr. Sketchy's chapter founder. It is awesome! For those out of the listening area...I will do my best to post the interview on this here blog for you to enjoy.

What's next on the easel you ask? Well...I am still working away at the unfinished series that everyone voted on (don't worry...I'm still doing that too! Haven't forgot) So I am working right now on "Keep it Clean" and "Jump Anatomy." I am also working on some other graphite and painting projects, as well as my encaustic journey. Just not enough hours in the day! Let alone easels for me!

As usual...keep the comments and e-mails a-comin' I LOVE IT!

By the way - Lots of e-mails and inquiries about Sugar...so here is a little Sugar update. She is doing fine...still very skittish and seems to waver between calming down and then freaking the hell out...but, it is that whole patience thing. We went shopping last Saturday for art supplies and she seemed very happy to have a girls shopping day out and did really well...but then proceeded to go back to freak out mode when we got home...so It is a very slow process...but I am still hopeful that she will give up the struggle, learn to trust and enjoy her little life. She sends her very best to everyone though, as I do share your wishes and e-mails with her!

OK...Whew! Until next time...Rock on everybody!

Yep! For all of you who know me…I am still a scrooge this time of year…relax, nothing has changed. However, the opportunity presented itself to sit on Santa’s lap…and since Mrs. Clause was right there to supervise I figured it might be OK…this time. Even after I explained to him that I don’t understand why everyone has to have a special time of year to pretend to be extra nice and show love to people that they wouldn’t ordinarily care more than an elf about. OH well…since I was there, I figured I would ask him a few questions that have been on my mind. Like…why people couldn’t carry that loving spirit with them year round? Why does a fat man in a red suit excite these feelings in the first place? Exactly how closely was he related to clowns? And just how does he think it is at all fair to those tiny little reindeer to be strapped with his weight in that sleigh to be expected to pull his butt all across the world? Doesn’t he feel at all bad about not even considering the lap band?…well, with his ever reddening cheeks and growing eyes, he just shook his head, gently lifted me off of his knee and asked me if I would like a free ornament for my tree…Huh. The event was a United Way fundraising report gala and others were waiting their turn, so I figured I would just wait and ask him again next time I saw him at the mall or ringing one of those damn bells at Hobby Lobby.

And now to another subject…which I guess in a way I could consider my Christmas miracle. I adopted a rescue Chihuahua. Her name is Sugar. Sugar was abused and in a puppy mill that was shut down in Missouri. She was transported by rescue teams to Ft. Wayne and then to foster rescue homes in Indianapolis where I came across her. She is 4.5# and 2 years old and the sweetest thing…it is just that in her two years she has never been given any reason to trust people. So she is considered a ‘special needs’ dog, and requires a lot of patience…a lot! Did I mention she requires a lot of patience? I have had her for three weeks, which is a miracle in and of itself, since last week she dug out under the fence and ran away. My heart was broken. I had already fallen head over heels in love with her, and couldn’t understand why she would choose a cold death over my love. It never got above freezing the whole time she was gone, and given her size I just knew she would never survive. Not to mention the coyotes and angry deer that roam about. I spent two days and nights looking for her in the back fields and woods. Nearly suffering frost bite myself, if it weren’t for my ‘serial killer’ suit as I call it, which is an old hunting suit that I wear to snow blow the driveway. I was an emotional mess! I put up over 70 flyers in my neighborhood and in town and at animal controls in the county. I had nearly given up until I got a call from a neighbor that she had Sugar. Sugar had sought out her dogs for comfort and they kept her from freezing to death by harboring in the breezeway of her home. Hungry, dirty and scared to death, I brought her back home where she is safe and warm today. It is beyond me how people can be so cruel as to instill fear and hurt into something so small and precious, let alone each other. Life is life, and all life deserves love and nurturing. Not abuse and disregard. So, now she is home with me, and the suitcase of patience has been opened once again. I am slowly making progress getting her to trust me and to know that I will never hurt her, and that I just want to use her as a target for what love I do have left in my heart. Hopefully, she will one day accept it (and my own skepticism and cynicism) and truly want to stay with me and love me for who I am. Alas, for now, as I continue to work with her to gain her trust and let her know it is OK to allow love into her life, I will also think of her as a reminder of how precious love is in our own lives, and…how quickly it can be gone.

Merry Christmas, and remember to love each other.

Until next time…Rock on!