I could not get my painting finished in time for Nibblefest last Tuesday, so I had to settle for a 3-day auction. It went up on Saturday and ends tomorrow night. It's a little painting this time, 6x6" on canvas board, but since the theme was coffee, I thought something like that would look nice in a kitchen.

As of tonight, I have no bids, though I have a few watchers. I sure hope they come out of the woodwork tomorrow. If this doesn't sell, it's going on Etsy, and it won't be 99¢...

This is Evening Shadows, 12x16" acrylic on canvas board, my entry in the October Nibble Fest Art Contest on eBay. This month's theme is Shadows. Here is the link to my auction, which explains how it works.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180171743816&ssPageName=STRK:MESC:IT&ih=008

It will go live at 4 p.m. today PST. and run till Oct. 27th. This is a great way to buy original art at rock-bottom prices. Check it out!

Last Sunday, the Pahrump Arts Council organized a paint-in-the-park day at Terrible's Lakeside, a beautiful RV park right down the street from my house. Last year was the first one, and a big success; it had taken place on a Saturday. This time, I could not get down there before 11 even though it started at 9am, and I was surprised to find out I was the only one there. I did get a painting done, and had several pleasant conversations with RVers. I received many compliments on the picture, which always feels good... :-)) I do hope they have it again on a Saturday next year; I don't know what this was about; too many people spending the day in church, or something... it was a gorgeous day out, too.</p>

Anyway, here's the painting I did in about 3 hours. It was fun to do and was well received on the EBSQ forums, yay.

My Nibble for September, Welcome to Las Vegas, made it to the auction page eventually, and did quite well. The delay I experienced in indexing my auction is apparently not uncommon. But it sure is annoying. Serves me right for not having my painting done early, I guess. I really do need to make myself some kind of schedule, and then follow it.

My friend and fellow EBSqer Donna won the auction. Thanks, Donna!

The Nibblefest theme for October is Shadows, which sounds promising. There should be some very interesting work to look at! Watch this space in a couple of weeks. If all goes well, I will have a work in progress to show. If you don't know what Nibblefest is, just go to eBay between the 20th and the 27th of each month, search for NFAC, and you will discover the easiest possible way to get original art at unbelievable prices. Each auction starts at 99¢!

I made a new 11x14 acrylic painting last week as a companion piece to my Waterlily. EBSQ had a show honoring Dr. Seuss in September, and this is the painting I entered. I called it One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish after the first Seuss book I ever bought my granddaughters. I chose to portray koi fish since we have them in our pond and they make a beautiful subject. I still have to paint the sides of the canvas and spray it for protection, but it will be available in my Etsy shop very soon. http://toucanne.etsy.com

This is my entry in this month's Nibblefest. Bid on it on eBay, starting at 99 cents! It's an acrylic on canvas board, 16x20", and is of the famous sign that welcomes people to the Strip.

eBay, in their wisdom, haven't seen fit to index my auction yet, 3 hours and counting after posting. It is there, though, and you can go to http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180161785112&_trksid=p3907.m32&_trkparms=tab%3DSelling
to view and bid.
Hope it shows up eventually. eBay Live was useless.

The Beatles

My mother always used to say, give'em an inch and they'll want a yard...
Last Christmas season, the cashiers at Wal-Mart were all wishing people a merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays like the year before. This was apparently to appease the religious right who felt there was a war on Christmas. Fine, I don't care. Wish me whatever, I'm happy. It's a free country. Well. Today I went to Wal-Mart for a few things; after checking me out, the cashier says, "Have a blessed day". It really took me by surprise, as I was putting my debit card away, and I asked, "Have a what, day?" "Have a blessed day", she repeats. I said, "That's what I thought I heard, wow, looks like Wal-Mart really got religion." "That's what I believe", she said. "I go to church". I was dumbfounded, and muttered, "Well, I don't". But she was already helping the next person.
It was a first. On the drive home, I started wondering why it bothered me so much. After all, I live in rural America, and I know there are lots of Christians here. The first amendment was still in effect last time I checked, so I guess she can wish me whatever kind of day she damn well pleases. Even though when she's at work, she represents Wal-Mart. Again, no suprise there. We all know where Wal-Mart stands. She's confident that she can utter whatever Christianity-inspired phrase she wants, her employer won't have a problem with it.
So what is it? It feels like she's assuming I'm going to agree with her, that I'm going to love being told to have a blessed day and tell her to have one too. As an agnostic, I'm automatically a bad person in her eyes. Not that I care what she thinks, but what arrogance, to think everyone believes the same way you do! Anybody who tells me to have a blessed day probably thinks I don't belong in this country if I have a problem with it. These are the same good Christians who stand on the corner of Hwys 160 and 372 on Saturday mornings waving flags and urging motorists to kick all the Mexicans out of town. Ask any of them, and they'll tell you America is a Christian country. No, it's not.
That's not the way I understand America. Freedom means freedom of expression, first and foremost. For everyone. For every religious belief, or none at all. To use freedom of expression to try and deny others that very freedom is to turn the principle on its head. These people want a theocracy. Maybe it wasn't an accident when George Bush called the war in Iraq a crusade in 2003. If I am filled with awe and wonder watching a sunset at Zabriskie Point or watching the sun rise over Mount Charleston or looking over the Grand Canyon instead of sitting in a strip mall reading some fairy tales written by a bunch of middle-eastern males 2,000 years ago, that's my prerogative. I'm always open to discussion, but I'll never tell anybody they shouldn't believe in God. It's none of my business, and my beliefs are none of theirs. Telling someone to have a blessed day is almost like some kind of test, a way to recognize one's own people. How repugnant, and how un-American, to borrow their own word. They feel they won the Christmas thing, and now they want more. What they want is establishment of religion. Thomas Jefferson must be doing the macarena in his grave.

I really need to get a second set of batteries for my camera... Anyway, here it is. I like to keep things a little rough. If I attempt to do something really realistic, it ends up muddy and blah. I have painted so little in the past 20 years that I really don't know. I'd like to try landscapes and people in oils, or maybe pet portraits? Maybe I can make a few bucks with pet portraits? LOL.
Let's see how people like this little painting when I put it up on EBSQ and when I show the canvas here in Pahrump.

I took this silly tarot thing everyone seems to have on their blog this week.

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Whoop dee doo. I guess I do enjoy a little dissipation now and then...
Let me see if those batteries are charged yet.

Yay! I'm calling it done, even though I could probably tweak forever. Of course, I went to take a picture of it to post it on EBSQ, and my batteries are dead... But don't forget to go on EBSQ see the show! www.ebsqart.com/ArtShows/cmd_119_Exhibition_Entries_3_1_T.htm My piece will be there shortly! Maybe you'll even like the painting enough to vote for me... I have pieces in all 3 shows this month, whoooo.
Also, I will be showing the waterlily at the Winery's gallery in Pahrump. The Arts Council asked me to show something, so why not.
I'll add the picture when the camera's batteries are recharged. Speaking of which, I think I'll have a glass of wine... :-))

Between unexpected visitors this morning, plumbing issues and the men's semi-finals in Australia, I haven't achieved much today. But what a joy that tennis match was! And how gorgeous can two guys be! Twenty-eight year-old Tommy Haas of Germany and 26 year-old Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, ah, yum! I've always liked Gonzalez, and his game has improved hugely. I think I'm going to have to stay up for the final tomorrow night.

Other than that, Tuesday is coming fast, and I have to finish that waterlily. The local arts council is putting up a show on the 2nd, so I'll enter it since it'll be done. It WILL be done! I need to enter it in the EBSQ waterlily show before Wednesday.
So, without further ado, let me go paint.

Why is it that when you think you need to give up on something, it comes back and asks you to come out and play?
I finally threw away my graphic designer cards and decided to paint. So I make myself some cute "artist" business cards on my computer with a bit of one of my big abstracts on it; I give a few out, and would you believe the phone rings... and someone needs graphic work!
I guess Pahrump is growing; this is a mobile home community with golf and clubhouse. They need mailers, ads and the whole nine yards, and their existing look is actually quite nice. I met with the manager on an hour's notice (I was starving! but ya gotta do what you gotta do!) and he was sooo nice. So, fingers crossed, I hope this works out.
Needless to say, I haven't done anything on the waterlily today. Hey, there's always tomorrow.

I started painting again the other day. The excursion out to Lakeside in October doesn't count, because the resulting painting still sits there, unfinished. I joined EBSQ to give myself a kick in the ass by entering the shows, and it seems to work. If all goes well, I'll have pieces in every show this month, whoooo!
So here it is, after 11, I am in my painting clothes, but have only stepped foot in my studio to put on the heater. Tennis is on at noon, and I'm going to get hungry... so I'd better paint now. I did get all my mail checked, posted a couple of things on craig'slist so the morning wasn't all waste. I'll be back with pictures. Hell, I might as well post the WIP pic I posted on EBSQ forums yesterday. It doesn't look like that anymore, but it was a decent start.

Yesterday, I was too busy watching tennis (James Blake lost, boo hoo...) uploading more art to EBSQ, and just vegging out trying to get rid of this cold... and spending time on the EBSQ forums trying to get to know people. All of which serves a purpose, and is going well.
I have to go work out today, maybe I'll feel better. Maybe I feel crappy because I haven't exercised in so long. Kind of a vicious circle, really.
I still have art to photograph and upload; I'll do that this afternoon.
Of course, although I feel like I am making progress, here we are almost at Thanksgiving and I still haven't made a cent since May 2005... I should count the days...

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Not sure what happened here, hmmm.

I have come a long way towards establishing a presence on the web these past few days. I have joined EBSQ, (go look, http://www.ebsqart.com) I lurked on its forums and found this free blog! It looks good, and you can't beat the price. There's a profusion of smileys to choose from; I liked this little person, despite the "goth" in her name. Nothing goth about me (at my age, that wouldn't be a pretty sight), but she does look kinda like me first thing in the morning, so I'll keep her.
I have yet to do a profile; you can look at the one I have up at EBSQ, and look at my work, too. More about that tomorrow.