outpost

Well it's been an absolutely gorgeous and fun-filled day around here. There's been an invitation in our Yahoo LMAO group to post pictures of our mailboxes. Since I live in an apartment and our boxes are battleship grey rows and I've never done anything to spruce it up, I figured now was a perfect time to do just that! (it helps to click on the pics, to enlarge a bit)









I thought the boxes were made of metal I could stick a magnet to - I even tried it with some weak magnet strips and I thought it was working, but no, alas and alack. So I duct taped the 'children of free will' plaque on, put all my names and aliases in the slot (I had left it empty for YEARS...another story, I had good reason to be as anonymous as possible but I'm feeling quite safe these days), and added Gordon as sentinal. Below you see Gordon and his little pal lounging around before I put him out to work. I made him a year? two? ago. (click to enlarge pics)











I am willing to lose this artwork - it is in a public space, not too heavily trafficked, but I do live on a busy street and who knows what-all goes on in the wee hours around here. Someone could make off with some or all of it. I had a blast doing it up though....the plackard was an evolvement (natch):

For some reason I decided to photocopy some of my drawings on saturday before I left work. For some reason today I started thinking about gel transfers. So I played alllll afternoon with just that!!

You can see how it's done on these webpagesby a very crafty and helpful bloke. I must figure out how to contact him and thank him. I tried transfers several weeks ago with minimal luck. I kept at it today and am thrilled with the results.

The plackard is a piece of wood, about 4 x 5". My friend Jacque works in a woodshop called Trebuchet. They do all sorts of things...Jacque is an awesome artist...and she brings me all manner of useful scraps from her shop. So today I thought about using the wood as a backing for the transfers. The Children Of Free Will (magnets I picked up from a job site - when I painted houses - the tenants didn't want their collection of fridge magnets) is first painted with tempura (wait a second..isn't that japanese food?)...tempera paints. Oh hang on. Yeah, tempera. Then I used acrylic gel medium over that, and then did the transfer and then smeared on more gel medium for a glossy finish. The transfer is a drawing I did for an ATC swap and had, for some reason, made photocopies of on saturday before sending the ATCs off in the mail. I had no idea I was going to do transfers any time in the near future!

I see many transfers in my future.

bus stop crow

Last friday on the way to the bus stop to catch the number 13 to work, I was followed by this crow. I had, almost as an afterthought, tucked my camera inside my backpack as I rushed out the door. Glad I did. I managed to catch a bit of the action. Ang, this one's for you too.








The crows have been exceptionally vociferous the last few days. I was awakened this morning by a murder of 'em. How many make a murder? Sounded like a whole mob the way they were yakking it up. I actually went back to sleep.

thursday on the way home

This is stenciled on the bridge that spans the Willamette River. I'm glad I got a shot of it before they wipe it clean.




This is a nutrea on the other side of the river....I'd never seen (or heard of) them until moving here. They are scary cute.

This is some of the Willamette...yes, there really is a river, I know I keep talking about it and here are some views from the pedestrian and bike bridge: up here, it's Another World, don'tcha know.

(click for larger pics!)



(I think you can see a great blue heron in the lower right!)











GORGEOUS, isn't it?? I love living here.

Ang's Crow

You must turn up the volume very a lot. Then you can hear the crow call. The crow card leaning against the wall is authored by Ang, and her story is hers to tell, but this short is for her.

Even with the volume full blast I can barely hear the crow, but it's there, they were talking a lot earlier...earlier being around 9:15. The video quality drops too, looks much better on my desktop. It may be better if you go to YouTube and view it (to do that, just click in the video window, middle, instead of the play button at the lower left).

si si si!

I'm sitting at the drawing table, carving some stamps for printing and since it's now warmer outside, the sliding glass doors in the kitchen (aka 'studio') are open. There are two little spanish girls who live next door, and across the courtyard is another little one. They are calling back and forth (we are all on the top floors, I suspect they're out on their balconeys though I can't really see for all the glorious foliage). You probably need to turn your volume up quite a bit to hear the girls chirping. I love it.

the loo

yah okay like I said over on Thousand Faces...it's kinda strange, but the bathroom is exceptionally commodious and also it's bright in these sunny months (understand, it rains here...a lot...sunshine is something to be documented!). I don't think the quality of light is adequately captured here, but at least next winter when the rains come again and the sky drops down, I can look back and say It Really Did Happen.













This guy - I bought at the smoke shop back in the day. Years ago. I love him. I call him the benevolent bovine, although...I think he's more of a deer type fellow. He hangs above the toilet.

magnetic

I started to make some magnets for a swap over at Swap Bot. I was only marginally interested in doing it...thinking about making some Sculpey faces but...eh...I dunno...then the magnets did their cool repelling each other thing and I got on a tangent with more goofy weirdness:



And some more:



And yet another...last one (for now), promise. I carved the face for another project, 'twas fun (have I mentioned that I luuuurve my new Speedball carving set?! makes life SO much easier):

.

with a little help from my friends

I just love that I live in a place with warm running water. I've never really lived without it. I just love it though. Went for a real nice bike ride along the Willamette (River) this afternoon, it was so nice to come home and be able to get all nice and clean...and with the help of Josie, too! She helps dry you off after showers. She likes to drink bath water, too. Jacque (Josie lives with Jacque) says that Josie likes 'Human Soup'.