Plans are Coming Together

Let’s see….my Flag Expedition page should be live soon over at Artists for Conservation. I have confirmed that the weather is likely to be hot, hot, hot. Unless it rains, in which case it could be cold enough that I’ll want my down bag.
I spent three hours on the phone last night with Gana Wingard, [...]

Read Full Post »

“Flipped” Out and Got a Flip UltraHD

I’ve gone back and forth over whether to add some way of shooting video on the upcoming trip to Mongolia. I looked at “real” camcorders and finally decided that another $600 and hauling a third thing that is bigger than a Nikon just wasn’t in the cards. But I was very skeptical of the little [...]

Read Full Post »

Packing for Mongolia And….How’s the Weather?

Here’s the deal. Mongolia is a land-locked country where there is no/none/zero marine influence to moderate the weather. I am from a coastal Mediterranean climate (the north coast of California) where the average temperature swing is from an average of 55F in January all the way up to  65F in August. Are we weather weenies [...]

Read Full Post »

One Open Studio Weekend Down and One To Go + Photos!

I’m doing both weekends of North Coast Open Studios this year. People were very interested both in my upcoming trip to Mongolia and hearing about what the country is like. I had my computer going and was able to show people pictures of the takhi, domestic horses, gers, camels, Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar with the [...]

Read Full Post »

Memorial Day Miscellany

First, I want to honor and express my appreciation for all the men and women who serve and have served in our armed forces.  I’ve read a lot of history and it’s true- Freedom isn’t free. But, America should never go to war except as a last resort and should never risk our soldiers lives [...]

Read Full Post »

Gearing Up For Mongolia, Part 1

After awhile one starts to get a feeling for what little comforts make a big difference when one is traveling, especially when it’s a somewhat “adventurous” destination like Mongolia. The basic accomodation in the countryside is at ger camps, where visitors stay in the same kind of gers that the Mongols use. I love them! [...]

Read Full Post »

Lost and Found, Cont.- Two Demonstrations

It’s one thing to see and appreciate how other artists use techniques like “lost and found” when viewing their finished work. But I thought it might be useful to show a couple of step-by-step demonstrations of how I go about it. First, one in charcoal and then a second in oil paint.
Here’s a selection of [...]

Read Full Post »

Gallimauphry

A great old French word that I picked up many years ago when I was active in the Society for Creative Anachronism. It means “a jumble or hodgepodge”. Which is kind of what today’s post is.
SOFTWARE THAT I USE to keep things moving and, with luck organized. FWIW.
I switched to Apple at the end of [...]

Read Full Post »

New Paintings and Equipment Review

I’m just finishing a second productive week in the studio after my return and, boy, does it feel good. As did getting out yesterday afternoon and planting some new roses and spring bulbs.
HEAVY LIES THE HEAD
I’ve got a number of pieces in progress, but wanted to share this one that was completed before I left. [...]

Read Full Post »

Here’s the Gear; Reviews When I’m Back

To conclude my postings about fieldwork, here’s a partial list of the gear that I’m taking to Mongolia next week. Everything has to meet certain requirements of function, weight and cost. This isn’t extreme travel (read anything by Tim Cahill for that), but we will need to be self-sufficient and ready for dramatic swings in [...]

Read Full Post »