Lost and Found

Millions of people claim to have found him.

Millions more are asking, ‘Have you found him?’

You have to wonder what’s wrong with this guy, why he keeps getting lost over and over.  I’m guessing he’s illiterate, can’t read a map or road signs.  In fact, he’s most likely developmentally challenged in some way or he’d have picked up on the basics long since – like the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west.

You also have to wonder what’s wrong with all those folks who claim to have found him.  Why the hell did they let him get away?  They knew darn well he’d wander off and get lost again.  How stupid can you be?

But: we shouldn’t rule out another possibility.  Could be, he’s not really lost at all.  Could be, he’s extremely clever and sneaky, slips away at the first opportunity, goes and hides somewhere, and waits to be found again.  Yeah, I’m thinking that’s a more realistic scenario.  He’s just doing his thing, just playing a game that he obviously enjoys very much.

If that’s what’s really going on, you have to wonder why those millions of people haven’t caught on.  You’d think the dime would have dropped long since.  It’s okay though.  The people seem quite pleased making their ‘I Found’ claims and posing their ‘Have You Found’ questions.  It makes them happy and that’s a good thing.

Pours 3

Here are more examples of acrylic paint pours. 

The top 2 are 'tree ring' technique. 

The one below is called a 'puddle pour'.

Pour Me Another

A few posts back (Ribbit!), I displayed my first dirty pour acrylic painting.  

Here are my latest experiments.

Two small river rocks above.

8" by 10" canvas below.

Part of the attraction of this technique is the mystery element.  Although you have a specific 'look' in mind, it seldom (never?) turns out that way.  Another attraction is the short lead time, only takes about 45 minutes to prep the surface, mix the paints, pour, move the paint around by tilting the canvas - or rock.  That's it, all done except for adding clear topcoat after two days drying time.

Willow Beach, AZ

Willow Beach Campground with a sliver of the Colorado River showing in upper right.

Pictures above and below were taken 180 degrees from each other.  I climbed up to and onto the outcropping to take the shot above.  The outcropping on which I was standing is the narrow mesa-like finger in the center of the picture below.  The steps in the foreground, below, lead up to tent camping sites.



We were here 2 years ago at Christmas time with David and Elaine.  This time, Tom & Louise joined the group.  They all kayaked while I went to Costco and Total Wine in Henderson.  Next day we rented a boat and headed upriver as far as we could.  Was hoping to get views of Hoover Dam but that wasn't possible: hazardous waters and security barriers pulled us up a few miles short.

Just short of mile marker 60 (number of miles upriver from Davis Dam) we went ashore to see the hot springs.  David and I hiked up a narrow slot canyon to view the springs but didn't get very far.  The stream of warm water flowing from the springs came down through a sharp vee carved into the rock.  Needed waterproof boots to continue.

Below is where we had to stop, no place to walk except in the stream itself.

Third Bash

Two years ago, while on our annual summer RV trek, our neighbor called to inform us that someone had demolished our stucco mailbox.  She had a friend take the picture below.

Our mail was being forwarded to a private mail handling service so immediate replacement of the box was not an issue.  We had a handyman haul off the remains.  Shortly after we returned home, the mail carrier stopped by, told us she did it, gave us a claim form.  The USPS honored the claim, paid enough to replace the box in kind.

We decided to do a gabion column instead of stucco.  I took a jackhammer to the remains of the stucco box, and ordered the gabion parts, a locking mailbox and a set of metal house numbers.  Assembly was fairly easy but hauling the rocks was another matter.  We made numerous trips to a local rock place, hand picking the rocks and hauling them home in 5-gallon buckets.  Over a ton of rocks!

When the project was completed, we congratulated ourselves, and I said, "If they hit that, they'll know they really hit something!"

Sure enough, 3 weeks ago, it got bashed again.  Ruined.  And yes, whoever did the dirty deed bloody well knew it.  Couldn't prove it, but given the angle and height of impact, we're 99% sure it was the mail carrier.  Again.  The local post office 'investigated' but the alleged perp didn't confess (had already done a hit and run, so no surprise) and the vehicle's heavy duty rubber bumper appeared to be undamaged.  As they say in Russia, tough shit-ski.

I ordered new gabion parts and we built it all over again, much quicker this time cuz the rocks were already there.  I positioned the new box further back from the road, hopefully making it less vulnerable to dipstick mail carriers and demolition derby wannabees. 

That covers the 2 most recent bashes.  The first bash occurred several years ago.  Neighbor lady hit the old stucco box, causing cosmetic damage.  She paid for the repair. 

Wanna place a bet on how long it will be before it gets bashed again?  Given the history, I'm not betting.

Ribbit!

Ribbit!

Dirty Pour Acrylic Collage

12" Clay Pot

This is my first 'dirty pour' and first use of metallic acrylics.  When 2 or more colors are placed in the same container and then poured onto canvas, board, paper, whatever, it's called a dirty pour.  I used 4 colors on this flower pot.  A dirty pour is a total crapshoot.  The paint is in control rather than the painter.

Did it come out the way I wanted?  Uh, uh!  Not even close, much darker than I intended.  I like it though.  The frog was an afterthought, was on the cover of an old National Geographic sitting on the corner of my work table.  Froggie had been staring at me for 2 years: okay, froggie, got a whole new gig for you.  The green-dominant surface seemed a likely frog habitat.

It was a fun project, will definitely do more pours.

Many thanks to my good - and very creative - friend Lisa for giving me the idea.

Green Yuk

Cilantro.  Am I the only person in the world that absolutely hates the stuff?  Where the devil did it come from anyway*?  Never even heard of it until a few years ago.  Now, it's everywhere: salsa, salad dressing, coffee, tea, every other entree on restaurant menus.  It's even in some ales!  Now, that's going too far, a crime against humanity if ever there was one.

And then there's arugula, not quite as repulsive as cilantro but a very close second .  Would rather wash my mouth out with soap.  The aftertaste would certainly be better.  Less long-lasting, too.  It's been a while since I've indulged in mouth soaping, but the memory remains.  This will come as no surprise to those who know me: I was a wise ass kid, got the soap 'cure' several times.  Sadly - or gladly, depending on your point of view - the cure didn't take.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love salads!  Chef's salads especially.  Happily, Trish makes fantastic salads, both delicious and attractive ("First you eat with your eyes," she says).  Never, ever do they include the two maggot-gaggers named above.  There are lots of other edible salad makings.

Roughage.  That's what Mom called salads, a true roughage believer.  Ahead of her time, actually.  Never hear the term roughage anymore.  Now it's fiber.  A comedian on one of the SeriusXM channels has a routine about fiber.  He complains that his daughter, a nurse, is always pushing him to eat more fiber.  "Eat fiber, Daddy, lots and lots of fiber."  He goes on, "Fiber, fiber, fiber!  Twigs and leaves and bran!  Ate so much fiber I started passing wicker furniture."

*Cilantro has been in use for 5000 years or more, probably originated in India, thought to be an aphrodisiac, especially in Asia.  What's with the Asians and their weird aphrodisiacs?  Can't get it up?  There are more people of the Asian persuasion than any other ethnic group, so getting it up doesn't seem to be a major issue.