Honey Wine and Dogwood!

Hello All!
Hope you have been well!
I see that time has gotten away from me....yet again.
Haven't done a 'normal' post in....wow...almost 3 weeks. Damn, how did I manage that?
Guess I better get busy with one, hadn't I? :)

Well, the deck extension is all done except the handrails. Not sure if I'm going to buy them or make them. I'm leaning towards making my own. I have also been doing some research for the top deck's cover. Still undecided as of this moment. Seen several things that I really like just haven't picked one yet. No huge rush...not like I'm going anywhere soon.

single step (flower pots on either side when ready)

it was at this point that I realized my deck was crooked,

the top one, not mine  :)

can you see it? BLAH!!

I finally got to crack open a bottle of my Black and Blue Mead! That was my first batch...so long ago. :) It was made with blackberries and blueberries (hence the name) in case you forgot. It's a dry mead (not sweet) and has a very nice color. It was yummy! Can't wait to taste the new batch!

delicious!

Speaking of...still have no 'bubbles' in the new batch. The pressure is still there - the water in the airlock is still pushed to one side. I opened it and gave it a good stir after I checked it with the hydrometer. The alcohol level is already at 7.47%. I forgot to take a ready on the first batch, so I have no idea what the alcohol content is on the first bottles. I had a 'good feeling' from the couple of glasses I had. :P

 I watched a couple of movies since my last post. I watched The Hobbit, which I really enjoyed. And I watched The Hunger Games. It did not live up to the hype that it got. It was ok, but nothing to write home about. The Hobbit was nothing short of what I expected. My only complaint was the way it ended. I know it's part of a trilogy, but to build things up to that point and then just drop it...ANTI-CLIMATIC!!

Who else saw these movies? What did you think about them?

I've been working on updating my website as well in the past week. It's becoming a chore. Why? do you ask. Well, the one that is in place now was created with Microsoft Frontpage. Unfortunately, my web host is trying to get away from frontpage. So, I am trying to recreate my entire website in their program. It's like stumbling around in the dark. On top of not knowing where everything is, I have discovered that each page has to be loaded separately  Not looking forward to that. I'm sure it will work out in the end, it's just more than I had realized was necessary to accomplish. If you haven't been to my website, you can check it out here.

I'm sure you saw my last post, but it bears repeating....I have new paintings in my ETSY Shop! If you haven't already stop by to see them - do it now! :) You can also use the link in the upper right had corner of my blog. Thanks for all the support! I really appreciate it!

We made a trip to Atlanta this weekend to see the Dogwood Festival in Piedmont Park. It's an annual art festival in downtown Atlanta. My daughter came with us too! Had a really good time. Haven't been in few years due to the fact that the organizers bring in the same artists and the same 'type' of work each year. This year was much better! New artists and artwork. They even broke down things into groups...local artists and genres. The colors were much more vibrant this time around as well. Lots of bright reds, oranges, greens and blues. They still had the muted colors but that only made the others pop out even more. The brightly colored artwork seemed to be pulling a lot of the crowds. Gave me some hope for my art, since I don't do muted, toned down work. Apparently, sometime recently, Atlanta passed a 'no smoking in the park' law. Annoying, but doable. And then they decided that you couldn't bring you dogs to the park for the festival. I think this is hilarious, since part of the festival is a 'dog show'. Frisbee catching and all. After tripping and being run over by strollers, I think that is what they should ban from the festival. Yuppies and their lazy children. Why on Earth would you bring a stroller to a crowded walking venue? And it wasn't even really the strollers. It was the snotty attitudes you get after they run into you. I practically bit my tongue off after this woman and her anorexic husband ran their stroller into me twice. It's ok though, the little old lady behind me jumped them both and promptly told them how rude and obnoxious they were. I met some amazing artist. No photos though. Most of the tents had 'no pictures please' signs posted. I'm guessing they had problems with it in the past couple of years. I got cards from a half dozen of the ones that I really liked. I won't go into explanations, but I will list the ones that caught my attention so that you can check them out for yourselves. There was a lady there that really deserves my attention. Her name is Marjorie Bowers. She does some amazing Pen & Ink work! She was also very helpful with information on the festival. She told me about the rules and costs. She informed me of what she was expecting to bring in for the weekend (which blew my mind considering they shut down on Friday because of the weather and that she doesn't sell anything on Saturdays). She even told me about a gallery that was looking for new artists (they have an opening for digital work). And then she insisted that I call her (several times) if I have any questions or need help with anything about the festival. I was really amazed at her openness and willingness to help. Most of the artists (in the past) treat it like it's a big secret. I guess they figure they had to struggle with it so every other artist should. Anyway, check out the sites and let me know what you think.

MARJORIE BOWERS ~ Pen and Ink. Amazing drawings. Mostly black and white, some with a splash of color. Wonderful lady, a joy to speak with.
BRUCE HOLWERDA ~ Figurative, paintings. Beautiful, vibrant, motion filled paintings. Had myself convinced to buy a painting until acted like he was too busy to speak to me. Shame, really.
GRACE KISA ~ Figurative, sculpture. Wonderful, whimsical sculptures. Lovely lady, we had a discussion on 'messy studios'.
TRENT MANNING ~ Figurative, sculpture. Stunning multi technique sculptures.
LIN MARTINIQUE ~ Figurative, painting. Colorful paintings with a touch of 3D.
JENNIFER IVORY ~ Insect, sculpture. Amazing sculptures that appear to be real until you get up close.
TAI ~ Illustrations. Truly outstanding drawings.

Well, I guess that's all for this time around. My daughter's baby is doing fine, she's getting impatient though. :) I'm filled with new vigor for my artwork. Who knows maybe next year I'll be telling you about my booth! First I have to straighten out my studio...looks like a tornado came through.

til next time....
Be Good, Be Safe, Be Happy!!


TTFN