What time is that you ask? Time to think about "Christians standard Christmas gift." For those that don't know what I'm talking about, "Christians standard Christmas gift" is just that, a standard Christmas gift, something I can make in quantity and give to all my peps. I use this as a design project, something to have fun with, not some Christmas thing, I make something that can be used or appreciated all year around and tends to have nothing to do with Christmas.

If your lucky, you just might get one.

Whatever it is.

I've been noticing more and more people talking about typewriters, asking about antique typewriters and where to find them and so on. I am thinking this is some sort of passive rebellion in regards to our ever-increasing dependency on technology. And yes understand the irony of reading this on a computer, it comes with the territory.

I happen to own six typewriters at the moment, I barely use them except for certain things, such as book projects, cards and illustration projects. I like them; they have a quality that is lost when working or "typing" on a computer. It's that tactile feeling of finger pressing key, striker against paper, the noise, putting the font down yourself, as opposed to clicking the print button.

I sit and watch people working on laptops and wonder what they would think if I brought out a vintage Royal portable and started to clack away. Would I just get strange looks? People telling me to stop? Or would people look in awe at this ancient technology in there midst.

As I said, I own six typewriters, three desktops (an Oliver #5, Underwood #5 and a L.C. Smith) and three portables (Royal, Remmington and Smith Corona.) some of these were gifts, some I bought, all are different. Some function better than others, but that's what you get. The bulk of my typing is done on my Royal portable, the cards mostly; it just works for me. I guess it is all about the font, I like the look of a limited font, something you have to use as opposed to the unlimited range of fonts on a computer, the typewriter has it's flaws, the font has it's flaws, the ribbon has flaws.

So I guess I should have a point to this, I like flaws. I like typewriters. I like stuff. It's nice to know that I am not the only one who thinks this way, many of the people that I've run into and talked about typewriters have the same feelings. It's good to know that.

I walked in and looked up. I saw her looking at me and I thought I saw a smile in passing. I looked again to be sure or maybe just because, and as I looked, she did as well, and I saw the smile again and her eyes. I began to wonder, did she know me? Do I know her? As quickly as this began, it was over. I doubt I will ever see her again, a glance in passing.

Thanks to all that came out to see me at the DIY trunk show this weekend. I had a great time and sold some stuff to people who like stuff, I also got some good feedback regarding my paintings so that helps out tremendously.

Thanks to all that helped me set up and run my booth.

I hope to be in some stores sometime soon, I have a few contacts and I will be calling them, so you can get you cards and such in the real world as well as online.

Again, thank you all.

Over the weekend I happened to find myself at target, not a big deal mind you, happens to everyone I suppose. I was walking around looking for the standard items one looks for at a target, hair care stuff and what not. I found myself in the toy department, looking at action figures and such. Of course I find not one, not two but three figures that are so cool I could hardly contain myself. Most people would assume the figures in question would be some kind of monkey kung fu grip gi Joe with twenty points of articulation.

Nope.

I found the Princess Kashmir figure from the Simpson's (the striper that Homer was dancing with and someone took a picture of and it was posted all over Bart's school), Janice from the Muppet Show band, and the girl elf from Rudolph & the Island of Misfit Toys. Now, the smart money would be on Princess Kashmir or Janice, but I had to get the girl elf. Why you ask did I get this girly action figure, I have no clue, it was an impulse buy. It's just too cute, it might be the Christmas time stuff or that she has a cute smile. I guess I know that I will never see this figure again so I snagged it, it was only 4.99, and now all I need to do is find the boy elf with the shades and the elf that wanted to be a dentist. Then my collection of junk that I don't need will be closer to something.

I have reworked the painting "of blood and blue fish" for lack of a better name, it hasn't changed much, just the way the image is laid down, the original paint bugged me, the enamel looked like whiteout. I'm happy with this "finished" painting, but who knows what I might do to it.

I never really title anything I make, I tend to call everything untitled (make up something.) Titles tend to just come out of the paintings, a scribbled phrase that has nothing to do with the painting or sculpture, like "of blood and blue fish" it's just something that was written on the paper, crossed out. The painting in question is a profile of a woman with a swan, nothing to do with the title or the implied title.

Many of my paintings and sculptures tend to do this; one titled "alibi" may or may not be about an alibi, it might be about a target, I'm not really sure. Another painting, tentatively called "chapter II (together)" is something that I've just started work on, the imagery not even decided upon yet, it is almost like working on two paintings, one the paper painting and the next something to cover it.

I still need to start the "rider" painting; the one derived from a thread less submission. I'm going to paint it on steel, maybe with a little rust with a wood or plastic frame, something to offset the steel.

As for my weekend of work, I accomplished some of the things I set out to do; I did laundry, mostly blacks, started some paintings, acquired a typewriter and dropped off the displays. Somewhat of a productive weekend, know I just need to work on cards and my own displays and I will be set for this weekend.

Things to do this weekend.

Finish some paintings, three or four
Laundry, mostly blacks.
Get cards ready for the DIY show.
Fix my car doors.
Acquire typewriter and research if necessary.
Drop off displays for Amy C.
Decide which photos and sculptures to bring to said DIY show.

I looked at one of my old paintings today and decided that it didn't look right. Something about the paint didn't sit with me so I am reworking it.

The paintings I have been doing of late are of a stenciled variety, spray paint on paper and canvas with pencil work and such. This old painting was one of the first, the stencil never looked right, it bleed too much. I covered the offending paint with paper, held it up to light and drew the image back, now it looks more integrated. I'm becoming happy with it. I will take a picture of it when "done."

This brings me to a point. Is it right too change a painting after it has been "finished?" I guess I considered this particular painting finished a long time ago but recently looked upon it with dissatisfaction. I don't make a habit of reworking paintings, most of the time I consider them done when done. I have reworked a sculpture or two, evolving them to a final form because the original didn't have any soul to me. Sometimes change is for the better, changing the painting in my mind makes it a better painting, a finished painting.