I love cows. Yeah. I said it. Don’t know how or why. Always have, always will. I think they’re beautiful peaceful animals that deserve love and respect.
My grandfather owned a dairy farm that I would spend my summers at as a kid. I think those times shaped and taught me many things. Many amazing memories, and others a little less easy. Farming is a very cruel and tough occupation for everything involved and even though it wasn’t a ‘factory farm‘ I still know animals suffered and had less than normal lives. It was probably this view more than anything else that enlightened me about animal rights. It started when I was young. I’d let the calves suck on my hand. It was funny and cute. But I always wondered why the calves didn’t grow up with their families. They where placed in small pens away from the herd. I remember walking around trying to pet the cows in the field or in the barn and seeing the fear in their eyes. Why would a huge cow be scared of little old me? I just wanted to pet them and say hello. A particularly tough memory was seeing a downed calve left dead in the back lot. It was just rotting on a pile. Tough stuff. Harsh lessons at twelve years old.
A few years ago, Angelique and I had the amazing fortune to be able to go to Farm Sanctuary. Suddenly I knew that there where millions of people that felt exactly as we did. It’s not just that animal rights is an issue that we as humans need to embrace but also that farm animals are amazing, smart and beautiful creatures that deserve all the luck and good fortune afforded to cats and dogs. It’s an amazing place.
When Angelique and I decided to get married at Farm Sanctuary I knew it would be special. So perfect for both of us. I’ll never forget that day. I’ll never forget the tour and being able to hang with the cows and not seeing fear in there eyes like I did twenty years earlier. Maya and Opie where a big part of that ceremony, that moment. So this goes out to Maya. Thanks for teaching all of those humans that came to see you. Thanks for making May 26th, 2007 one of the most amazing moments in my life! You’ll be missed.
Not much to blog about. So I’ll post some ridiculous stuff instead.
Good parenting:
Bad grand-parenting:
Good technique:
Bad technique:
Enjoy your day.
1. This is my current favorite bird.
The beautiful Hooded Crow! Awesome looking dude. I stole the image from here.
2. I’m starting a new apprenticeship this weekend with Billy Hill at Envy Skin Gallery. Can’t wait.
Yesterday I was fixated on the Knitters vs. Crocheters debate. This mystifies Andy. He’s like, why does that issue even exist? I’m like, I dunno, ASK THE KNITTERS. Heh heh.
I remember when I first learned how to knit. I took a class at the awesome Wholly Craft. I do not remember the name of the instructor…she was really nice and a good teacher. I didn’t notice it at the time (or rather, I was unaware of it) but she definitely turned up her nose at crochet. Here I am, naively, thinking, hey, I’ll jibber jabber with this lady about crochet…it’s a yarn craft, so we’ll have that in common! Oh, how clueless I was. I asked her, “What’s easier? Knitting or crochet?” And you would have thought I asked her if she ever thought about cutting her arm off.
So this idea of a “crochet friendly local yarn store” is very interesting to me. The fact that such a thing needs to exist is so crazy. There are horror about crocheters being mistreated or insulted when they visit the local yarn shop just because they crochet. Allow me to get defensive for a few minutes:
1. Yes, acrylic yarn has been fashioned into some darn ugly granny squares over the past 30 years, but you can’t hold that against us.
2. Toilet paper cozies are awesome in their own kitschy way. No one is saying it’s high art.
3. Cheap yarn has its place. Right now I’m making a bunch of Snuggles to donate to some animal shelters, and Red Heart Super Saver is perfect for it. I’m not going to use handspun handpainted suri alpaca yarn for that.
4. Ripping out stitches is a breeze in crochet. Make a mistake when you’re knitting and it’s all complicated and stuff.
5. Amigurumi. You can knit amigurumi but it’s way better crocheted and it rules!
So I might try to learn how to knit again. But I’m a crocheter. I’m a crocheter!
I’ve got a couple studies to show today. Nothing polished up or nice looking. Just practice.
A preliminary drawing of a dragon. Don’t know if anything will come of it. Not real crazy about the flow. I was try to play with that more but it didn’t turn out well. And those claws on the right are outta wack! right? This is about 7×10.
Then here’s a little script work also…
Practice makes perfect, and I know I need some. I learned a few things doing this. I must have done 5-6 versions.
Other news and links:
What a bunch of assholes. I can’t believe this happened.
relive the past
Stay tuned possible exciting news to come. Have a good weekend.
Just finished this over the weekend.
8×10 watercolor.
My craft room can be awesome. As Andy mentioned before, he had carved out a nice space in the loft to do his painting. He took all my unsightly tubs full of yarn and craft supplies and put it in the spare bedroom. Now the door barely opens. I swear I am going to organize all that crap and make a space that I want to go to.
On a semi-related note, Orla Kiely has come to Target! OMG! Let it be known that my revamped craft room is going to contain some of these pieces. Let it be known!
Well, maybe if you believed in him. That is, it seemed like the end of the world on the drive home yesterday. Crazy 50 mph wind and rain, almost black out and then the sun pops out and it’s the brightest I’ve ever seen it. Like it was landing. Here’s some photos, unedited from the phone.
and another at the Kroger traffic light.
We had a perfect rainbow right in front of our house when I got home. It was perfect I say.
Just an art update for anyone wondering what’s been happening. I setup a great art space up in the loft area. It’s perfect I can hop in there and work for 20 minutes or 3-4 hours, it’s always setup. Like it should be. Very nice. So yeah, I’m drawing and painting but I have a few failures lately but also some bigger projects that will take time to complete. The first was a bad koi fish. Then I attempted a painting of my dad’s eye, which is really a neat one, but I butchered it. And then the I just started a new painting that you can see on the end. That’s the first wash. Oh, the left image is the preliminary design for the background of the last painting. A little 16th century Italian DeMedici inspired. So yeah, things are happening. I swear…
It was a good weekend. Lets go in reverse.
This actually happened last night. Carlos was napping like this as I was painting. Nice belly dude!
Sunday was pretty busy. We finished the day with a horrible meal. I ‘cooked’ stuffing, mushroom gravy, canned cabbage (gross) and ‘chik’ nuggets. Worst meal I’ve ever cooked! But that’s cuz I was lazy and wanted to chill…
(exciting photo as proof that we actually went to the flea market)
Angelique dragged me all over Columbus. We went to the Westland Flea Market. That was a sight. She found some amazing 70’s craft books. A scary tattoo studio. Lots of swords for sale. But they have good french fries and an 8 year old girl that is fluent in chinese, spanish and english. I was impressed.
Before that we went to Park your Paws for their animal rescue benefit. Angelique got a picture of her and Bob Nunnally. I had to ask, she was to embarrassed.Seemed like a really nice guy.
Here’s the ‘clown’ putting ketchup on my head.
And before that we stopped by Greta’s to almost pick up a sweet art table but it didn’t fit in the FIT.
Started the day off with our favorite meal. Big Vegan Breakfast at Whole World.
Saturday was spent drawing for a few hours before heading down to Scioto Trail for some dirt road action with Nate and Mason. Weather was nice about 50. Felt good. Two hours on the bike, most I’ve spent on it in a long time. Nice.
(I got fat! haha. Fuck it.)
Friday was supposed to be game night but I got a wicked nose bleed from trying to blow my nose as hard as possible. So instead we watched Tim and Eric reruns on dvr. Yau’s, Nate and Jen where also included in the festivities.
And there you have it. A play by play in reverse order of our weekend. Entertaining right?