It was 2:00 on Saturday, and the gallery owner who is driving up from Charlotte to see my studio and take a few pieces back, called to let me know she had stopped off to get a Subway sandwich and would be about 15 minutes late. Our appointment was for 2:00. I decided to go ahead and get down to my studio to meet her. I went to get my keys which, funny, weren't in the usual spot. I told Shannon with a laugh "wouldn't that be just my luck" and of course it was just my luck. My keys were no where to be found. I began to panic; you see, my keys are the only way for me to get into my studio on the weekend. No one is in the building, the office is not open, and picking the lock is a no go (believe me, I've tried).

So now it's 2:11, said gallery owner has driven two hours and is expected any minute, and I have no way into my studio. What's worse is I figured out that my keys were actually inside the studio locked up tight - the night before, I took Shannon to drop off a few pieces and inadvertently set my keys down, a great mistake, and left them.

In a state of deer-in-headlights panic I raced the whole way down to the water district where the studio is because maybe, just maybe, someone was there who could HELP ME. The doors were locked, as I knew they wood be, the office is closed as expected. I had Shannon call another artist who works in the building...On vacation! The graphics office one floor under mine was open and an artist who works there was in. I asked if they had a key by chance to the third floor. He said no but maybe I could ride the freight elevator up and get into the third floor...if it wasn't locked...which it was...and now the gallery owner was, luckily, 10 minutes past expected time of meeting. Meanwhile I called Shannon to call another artist and then call me back. The graphics guy called the owner and was on the phone looking under every can of ink on a shelf saying" I'm not seeing it...Which can...On the left...No...The grey rack...Third shelf which can...Oh here it is.

HALLELUJAH!!!! Spare key!! And right as the gallery owner drove up, I kid you not.

I have a vision for all that land we are buying. I know I haven't even begun remodeling the new house and all, and I know that my new studio will be slightly bigger than the one I now have but...
As soon as we get settled into the new house I want to begin building a large post and beam studio. I can begin by drawing up plans, and then I can slowly build it up one post at a time.

I have begun a new style of framing. It is quite a bit more involved than previous frames, but the finished product makes it well worth the extra effort. The painting floats inside the frame which is attached via a few wood screws drilled through pilot holes in the back of the piece. The frames are not merely decorative, they also add a bit of stability to the painting itself. A few of my pieces have come back from shows with a slight warp in the canvas, which will absolutely not do at all, in any form whatsoever. I am a stickler for pristine canvas and stretchers. I will FREAK OUT if my canvas gets a wrinkle or if the painting is not completely straight. My new frame system is like a straight jacket, keeping my paintings in line and me sane.

Some things that have happened...

I am a bouncing baby uncle again. My sister had a girl named Jordan. I was lucky enough to have the day off while Julie was still in the hospital and drove up to Knoxville to visit the little tyke, very cute.

I was at work on Friday, shipping some tools, and looked out the window to see a very large black bear walking down the driveway. At first I thought to myself, dang, that's a big dog, then I ran in the back to tell Bob. By the time I got back, we heard the screech of car tires and saw the back of the bear running up the hill.

This hasn't quite happened yet, but Christie Taylor from Hodges Taylor Gallery is visiting my studio this weekend. I couldn't sleep last night because I was stressed out about how I was going to give her directions. That's the kind of stuff I stress about.

Ferrin Gallery sold a collage painting last week. They want to get some more work from me but I don't have any pieces available; I also am out of paper. I collect interesting scraps of paper and old childrens' books which I work into these pieces. Shannon and I spent Sunday morning at Smiley's Fleamarket. Smiley's is a great place to find interesting things to make into art. A large percentage of people shopping are Mexican, It makes me feel as though I were in another country, which I enjoy. It's like going on a mini vacation to Cancun. I found some really great books for my collage work including, a perfect little book from 1912 about a group of toys that come to life and escape from their owners. The illustrations are well worth the five bucks I paid. It will be a shame to have to cut it up. I also found a great book that has diverted me from my work called Tricks and Magic. I have been Wowing Shannon with my amazing magic tricks.

Shannon and I spend a lot of time driving around in the country. We like to see where little southern roads lead. Lately we have been driving out in the direction of the new house. Last weekend we drove out to the house and spent the next couple of hours getting lost in the hills. I always follow the old signs to small churchs that have been around for who knows how long. Shannon enjoys exploring very old grave sites. I guess you could say we both are drawn to southern history. We found some really neat looking old buildings beyond our house. I followed one road for about an hour and ended up in the small town of Marshall. Marshall is halfway between Asheville and Hotsprings. There is a rail road track that runs through it. At one time it must have been a hotspot for train travelers because some of the architecture is beautiful, its a hidden jewel in the mountains. I love back roads.

I started working on the collage series, five out of eight are worthy of framing. Unless I get a commission for a large piece before the move, I don't think I will make anymore big paintings until the new house is done. Did I mention that there is the possibility that I may get a large commission? I won't say anymore about it until something more solid develops. In the meantime the commission for Sterling is finished except for framing and drying time. Last night I picked up a book published by Lark called 500 Broaches, it made me want to make some jewelry. I am always looking for neat rings and such for Shannon, this weekend I found a great old mood ring at a flea market. I have some fanciful idea that I could make nice stuff and sell it. I have a history of taking simple ideas and making them so big as to become overwhelming, like chair making, pants making, box making, and too many more to name. That said, I am going to make a broach and see what comes of it.

One of the benefits of living in larger cities is the ability to visit museums and see great art first hand. When I lived in Chicago I visited museums weekly, I knew where all my favorite works were located and could zoom right through studying one or two pieces per visit. In Seattle I went to more galleries than museums. There were a few good museums, but because I knew so many artists I spent most of my time going to openings. I grew up in Charlotte, and most weekends I visited galleries downtown. Although I lived on a gravel road deep in a wooded area, I could easily get downtown for a quick art fix. I enjoy looking at art almost as much as I enjoy making the stuff.