Artwork: UWS Fall 2009 Show

The Utah Watercolor Society presents the 2009 Fall Member Juried Exhibition October 8 - November 7, 2009 at Patrick Moore Gallery, 2233 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, Utah. This year's theme: "Inspired by a Book". My submission, which was accepted into the show, is pictured above. It is titled "Untangling Thoughts" and was inspired by local Utah author Jana Richman's novel The Last Cowgirl . Patrick Moore Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. -6 p.m.

Wonder & Good Food: The Heirlooms are coming...

They're coming and they are big and juicy and sweeti-licious! I had to cut one off the vine this weekend because, as it was resting on the ground, it was at risk of being dined upon by the snails. It was beginning to look jack-o-lantern size, too---just a little scary for a tomato. I made four meals out of it---starting with a big fat Greek salad! This plant was a gift from friends and the label seems to have disappeared. So I can't say what the proper name is for this variety with its gargantuan speciman. The tomato in the photo is from the same plant, but just not as big. I also had sweet corn for lunch and dessert yesterday.

Artwork: Encaustic Paintings - Sweat Equity...

Above: Spring Rain

Above: Lake Effect

These paintings are encaustic works I've done in between demolition and dumpster-filling episodes for the old back room of the house to make way for the improved backroom. The first three paintings compose a triptych entitled Sweat Equity, and are inspired by my labor towards the room remodel---the first contains actual nails pulled during demolition; the second contains strips cut from my checkbook register; the third is made from imprints of the nails (infilled with black) and strips from my checkbook register.

Spring Rain and Lake Effect are meditations on the beauty of my local natural environment.

Dumpsters and Dragons...

Tricky Dumpster Drop-off from the Alley

Don't be fooled by the "Welcome" mat...

A Tall Step for Mankind!

Old Habits die hard in spite of signs!

Upstairs Southern Bedroom

Design: Two to Tango and Room for More

 SOLD

The little table for two and the tango-ing chairs in this photo were completed (reconditioned and seats recovered) last week and are ready for a new home. The style is in the realm of Louie #? (maybe Louie-Squared---Louie, Louie), but turned out quite sweet. I have inventory of four more dining tables to re-do.

A larger scale re-do project is the backroom addition off the kitchen of my circa 1912 house.This "room" was never really a room, as it was poorly constructed by previous homeowners and not completed when I purchased the house. I recently did the interior demo work of tearing out a closet and top layer of sub-floor. Yesterday, my contractor (new "best friend" because he is helping to keep me tight to my mini-construction budget) knocked off the decomposing composite exterior siding. After assessing the condition of the base subfloor and overall structure and roof, we have pretty much determined that it needs to be a teardown to the foundation and a complete rebuild. The construction is poor and there is much rotting from weather infiltration---and it smells bad, too. The end goal for the space is use as a sunroom/breakfastroom/TVroom/doggie dining room/mudroom, etc. with lots of windows to take advantage of the Southern and Eastern exposures and an expansive view into the back garden.