Positive Developments

 

                                  snippet of a painting.

Well beyond the Covid stuff, I am still enjoying time with my husband. I always say to him, "I'm glad we had each other during this crazy stuff." Today, we went to the library and got a cheap but tasty sandwich to eat. Most of our restaurants are closed here but there's a few we can find. He has enjoyed his contract job, the work had meaning to him. My art show will go well too in the spring.. I have more than 16 paintings, I'm not sure if everything will fit, but will put in the best of the best. Some hours were spent in thrift stores, getting frames to match paintings with a would up measuring tape. I like thrift stores so this was an enjoyable activity. There's more work to be done.

I'm pricing the art to sell. Trying to think of names for art work is weird, I'm naming some secretly after the strange things I like to study. Maybe you can guess some of my painting names.  I wish I could show some of the complete art here, but don't want to be doxxed. Whatever doesn't sell in the show, I will put up here later, it will be framed and wired for you. There's a tomato and lettuce still-life painting I'm working on now.  Many paintings are based on photos I took.  The theme is mostly plant based and gardening stuff does show in it. Maybe someone will want to put that one in a kitchen. Another painting is of a small town scene with a sun-set. Some of the paintings are a few years old but there's new stuff too. 

After this art show is done, I may go into more experimental directions with art but I did focus on beautiful things. Peep needs some lightness among the darkness. Probably most here think I am painting apocalpytical landscapes but the opposite is true. My art did get "lighter" as I got older but then I discovered the joys of professional grade paint, which has far brighter pigments. The last batch was bought on ebay for 25 dollars. I'm good at finding the art deals usually. One painting, I want 300 bucks for, I like it so much, so it either sells for a lot, or I'm keeping it. That happened with my old mountain painting, where I told someone 700 bucks or no sale. I'm usually not greedy when it comes to art pricing, I've sold some paintings for 45-75 dollars, but there are those exceptions.

The zine, is still being worked on, yes it is taking me forever. It will eventually be done. I read parts of this book to local people and they seemed to like it. I have to brighten it up so it's not just a doom and gloom tale of child-abuse and obesity horrors. I did write a section where the character gets a hole in one while golfing which is a true story. To have the right tone to such a tale, is not easy.  Its at 220 something pages. It's all in there. 

I'm working on a new illustration project, with the art show, it got pushed back, but part of art show will be displaying a few story illustrations I did for local authors. Tomorrow I have to work on it. I did become more skilled at Paint 3-D which is one reason I am still trying to add to the zine. Simple art programs are better. With the illustrations, they were hand drawn but then altered on the computer. I did learn some news skills these past few years and learned Publisher more to the point I've set up two-three zines for my husband. I do have to work around a lot of physical problems and fatigue, but when there is a little energy, work can be done on these projects. 

My studies of alternative medicine continue, and I want to join some new Zoom groups. My Aspie group has gone well, it's entered it's second year. I have a friend in there I message on Facebook that at least lives in my state and want to go visit when I am able. I do have a lot of commonalities. Most are younger then me but there's a few as old me who joined and even one older lady. I like discussions with fellow Aspies. The disability group wants to start a chronic pain disability group but not sure what is coming of that.

I like gardening, and well, while the garden failed this last year, I think it failed because some very tall flowers were sharing the box, I need to put in a barrier.  Experiments were done trying to grow heirloom which is not bred for productivity. More experienced gardeners with land can handle heirloom but when I made that leap the plants were too stunted and small. Some did turn out like small bokchoys. I'm going back to traditional seeds if I can garden this next year. Physically it is not easy, but I go slow, and sit on my walker while doing it. Soon it will be time to order or obtain seeds.

Recently I read a book by Bono called Surrender. I used to love U2. Bono annoys me sucking up to the elite, like Bill Gates and presidents, but his story was interesting. He seemed earnest and like he had good intentions so maybe just didn't figure these creeps out. His Irish memories of his mother Iris, and his father Bob appear in the book as well as recollections about The Edge, Larry, and Adam. He also talks about different celebrities he met and was friends with and I didn't realize his ties and work with Johnny Cash. I liked Johnny Cash a lot.  Unlike most celebrities he stuck with his wife of 40 years and seemed to treat his now adult children well. In my 20s I was obsessed with U2 and even saw them in concert, the one where Bono handed out pizzas to the people but I was too far back. I can still hear some music on headphones and went down memory lane listening to U2 songs while reading these books. My favorite U2 song was always "With or Without You" but there's a lot of lesser known ones I like off Rattle and Hum and other albums.

Another venture has been reading James T. Ferrell books from the 1930s. Warning they are not politically correct, but I read the Studs Lonigan series and Chicago Stories recently. Seeing how very different life was, Studs had many friends die very young, but how more social and connected life was, was kind of a learning lesson. Most of these books take place in Chicago so I was familiar with all the scenery and where they were at.