I'm Back

Been over on FaceBook for awhile. Here is a painting mounted behind a
window frame. The frame was supplied by the client.

Mt. Tallac

Did this seriagraph years ago as part of a commissioned series, then forgot about them. Recently brought them out for reconsideration and have sold several. Think I might get back to the "old-school" seriagraphs. The commissioned ones are framed and found in several lake side lodging units on Lake Tahoe. I made the edition large enough for many extras.

Burning Man 2009

Back from another Burning Man. Lots of great art, crazy people and good times. Painted some breasts, also a bald spot on a guy, consumed a lot of beer. Wednesday was a beautiful day, the other days had their moments of sand and wind. Still worth it.

Bright Art

Did this landscape on the iPhone while flying between Houston and
Charlotte. I was thinking of an old friend, Elton Bennett, an artist
from Hoquiam, WA. This is similar to his style from the 60's and early
70's.

iPhone Art Nude

I started with a photo of one of my pastel nudes, then added the other
elements. Fun to modify your art without actually touching it. Guess
you can also do it in Photoshop, but easier and quicker on the phone.

More Tech Art

This piece I am send straight from the iPhone without an additional
computer involved. Love this tech s--t.

Another Little Picture

This one was also done on the iPhone, but I started with a photo of the rooster that was on canvas (see: Rt. 66 art), then added the sketchy stuff (new art term).

Art on The Go

Just did this little painting using my finger and the Brushes app on the iPhone. Fun. I call it "Lake Tahoe at My Fingertip". What?

Rooster

Kinda fun by himself.

New Painting

Just finished this painting I started last weekend during the open
studio tour. This particular canvas was one of two that was on the
back of my truck as a temporary tonneau cover for a couple of months.
Seemed only fitting to continue the "road" theme.

This painting depicts the automobile, the rural life (rooster), the
deteriorating road, the roadhouses (neon), and the highway itself. Was
fun to paint. Reminds me of the graphic paintings of the 60's. This is
also a summary of my recent Rt. 66 trip.

Outside the studio

More Open Studio shots

Open Studio Tour

So I finally opened my studio to the general public. Seems most of the
visitors are visiting artists. Fun, not profitable (wasn't expecting
it to be). Still two more days, plus the rest of today (Friday).

Time To Post

I know, I know, it's way past time to get something on the boards
here. Here's a quickie I did yesterday in 1.5 hours. About a third of
that was setting up and taking down. Cute little Tuscan scene above
the sink.

Been feeling poorly lately. Down last week for about four days with
something, then got back to work only to get a sore throat last night.
Have to keep working, though. I will try to take it easy.

Have a studio tour scheduled for next month. Been cleaning and
straightening for the occasion. Hard to part with some stuff.

Route 66: Retrospective

It was a great trip! Pulling the Airstream was a breeze, despite several days of wind. Mountain passes were a challenge as well. All in all, it was an informative, adventurous trip.

Retracing Route 66 is also a bit of a challenge today, as much of it has either been replaced by the interstate highway system, or renamed and renumbered by subsequent state highways. However, much of the old "Mother Road" is still out there. Many states and communities have once again embraced the importance of this highway. Our trip was a combination of Route 66 and the various interstates, especially when Route 66 paralleled the faster interstate and was visible from the faster highway. But when going through the little towns along the way, getting off the interstates was the only way.

Watching videos and reading books in advance, as well as having Susanne read as we went through a section of the highway and towns, made the discovery more enjoyable. Looking for the significant landmarks along the way made the trip complete. Sometimes it meant backtracking when you got lost (not fun with a trailer behind you). We did not go through St. Louis (at rush hour) so we missed Ted Dewe's Frozen Custard. However, our friends in Missouri treated us to Randy's Frozen Custard in Lake Ozark. Actually, we went there twice, both for the Ozark Turtle. Fantastic. Now I'm on a search for local frozen custard stands. If you have never tried frozen custard, you're missing out on an experience. It makes ice cream pale by comparison.

The food along this trip has also been a treat. The Big Texan in Amarillo, TX has the best steak we have ever had. This place has been feeding locals and tourists for decades. It has been featured on food and travel programs on television, as well as in magazines. Noted for it's FREE 72 oz. steak (if you can finish it and the side dishes in 30 minutes), it is a steak mecca. The Chicago style hot dogs were a treat, as well as the deep dish, corn meal crusted Chicago pizza. We had buffalo burgers, elk burgers, fried chicken and many meals in the Airstream. Susanne bought maple sirup (spelled right) in Funk Grove.

Aside from the food and landmarks were the people. The people we met along the way were the best. The vendors were, for the most part, friendly and courteous. Our fellow travelers were also the best. In particular was Re. Met her at the campground in Carlock (near Bloomington, IL). She had also just recently purchased an RV and was experiencing similar events as we were. She was from the Chicago area, so gave us some pointers on what to do in the city. In Amarillo I was talking with a workcamper (Steve) who was soon heading for a summer gig in Hill City, SD. He told me about the campground he was going to, and as it turned out, Re was also going to the same campground at about the same time as we were. She first had to go to WI and MN. We kept in touch after leaving Carlock, and reconnected at the campground in Hill City (near Mt. Rushmore). We camped together in SD, and toured Custer State Park together. Great gal! She is now workcamping in Casper, WY. Also ran into Steve again on our last day in Hill City.

Workcamping is an interested alternative to just running around in your RV. In exchange for a certain number of hours of work per week, the workcamper has a free hookup in a great area for exploring. After the trade hours, the workcamper is eligible to receive pay for additional hours. It's a vagabond type lifestyle, but very intriquing. In fact, most full-time RV'ers we talked with were workcampers. Some would return to certain campgrounds for the season, others sought new experiences.

The dogs were exceptional during this experience. Always stayed near the trailer when not on leash (probably afraid they would be left behind). Traveled well in the car. Got to learn how to run on leash while we were on the bikes. They were great travel companions. Barking at other dogs walking by outside the trailer was annoying, but all dogs do that.

Pulling a travel trailer requires a lot of quick decisions on where and when to pull into a driveway. This is a problem with just about any RV. Will I be able to get out of here with out having to back up? It requires circling through parking lots, being sure not to turn to sharp. A couple of times I ended up in a driveway without an outlet. Not a good idea. Fortunately, Susanne would jump out to make sure I didn't wipe out any parked cars.

Setting up in a campground for the night became quicker and easier as time went by. Level side to side, disconnect from hitch (receiver), level fore and aft, drop the corner jacks, hook up water, electricity and the sewer hose, open up the tank valves, connect the tv cable (when available) or raise the antenna and autoprogram the tv for the available channels are the chores of hookup. Then repeat all this when leaving. Not as tedious as it sounds, but necessary for "wet camping". However, "dry camping" requires just parking, as we did the one night in the noisy Walmart parking lot in Chandler, OK. Talked with other people and found out most Walmart parking lots are the same. You get what you pay for.

Regretted dead-heading it back to Tahoe from Hill City, but had to get back to work. Would like to see more of Colorado and Utah. Think southern Utah might be the next trip. Park at one location and venture out in the truck for day trips, coming back to base camp at night. All in all, it was worth the time and expense. Try it yourself sometime.

Hwy. 50: Day 26

Home At Last

Finished Hwy. 50 through Nevada today. Actually, it's known as "The
Lonliest Road", not highway as previously mentioned. It's only "The
Lonliest Road" in Nevada. That way commercialization is easier, as in
T-Shirts, bumper stickers, etc.

The lonliest road is certainly not a flat road as I had imagined.
Between Ely and Fallon, there are at least eight mountain passes.
Normally not an issue, but when you're pulling an extra 7000 plus
pounds, it's a bit trying. Then going downhill with 7000 plus pounds
pushing you...well, you get the picture.

Not much going on out there except the occasional coyote, but a pretty
road nonetheless. Some traffic, but not much. Tried listening to an
audio book by John Grisham about a washed up NFL quarterback playing
with the Parma Panthers in Parma, Italy. Lot of commentary about
Italian food and wine. Boring story that was making us very hungry.

Brought the trailer up to my studio in Tahoe for cleaning and
straightening tomorrow, then will take it back to Carson City for
storage until the next adventure.

Tomorrow's blog will be a retrospective about the trip. Be sure to
tune in.

Hwy. 50: The Lonliest Highway

The Return Trip

Thought I would change the title since we are on another significant
roadway. After leaving Grand Junction this morning, we were on both
I-70 and Hwy. 50 through Utah. We left the interstate at Sidalia, UT,
and followed Hwy. 50 across the rest of Utah and in to Nevada. We are
spending the night in Ely, NV.

South of Ely, way back in the foothills, are the Ward Charcoal Kilns,
a series of six kilns used to produce charcoal for the nearby iron ore
smelters. They were built in 1870, and are the finest of their type.
Italian masons built them, and the artistry is beautiful. Each kiln
held 6 to 8 acres of trees. Needless to say, there was not many trees
left by the time they swithed to coke brought out by the railroad. The
doorway is about 6 feet tall.

Saw a gorgeous elk near the highway coming up the pass into Ely, so
for dinner we ate at a local restaurant and had an elk burger. What?

Tomorrow is the final leg back to Tahoe along the Lonliest Highway
some more.

Route 66: Day 24

The Return Trip

Travelled through Colorado today. Stopped in Georgetown to taste some
wine from a vineyard in Palisades, near the Utah border. Seems the
owner has homes in both places. Georgetown is in a windy gorge, not a
place for wine grapes. In fact, one of the other customers was a
couple from Napa.

The picture is from Glenwood Canyon. The highway goes through this
12.5 mile gorge along with the Colorado River, train tracks and a
paved bike trail that is part of the highway (I-70) system. Quite an
engineering marvel, and a beautiful place.

Spent the night in Grand Junction. Had a bit of a problem finding a
park to stay in. Seems there are a rodeo, car show and dog show in
town this weekend. Busy place.

Route 66: Day 23

The Return Trip

Not much going on today but driving. We left Hill City, SD this
morning and headed south.

Last night was dinner at the Alpine Cafe in Hill City. Unique place as
they only serve filet mignon dinner, either 6 oz. or 10 oz. Forget
anything else. Was very good, by the way.

Took this picture today with the iPhone. It is in Colorado, just
across the border from Cheyenne, WY. The object on the hill top is a
large cut-out of a buffalo. We are at a KOA near Ft. Collins for the
evening. Been windy all day, but really bad here in northern Colorado.
Got tired of fighting it, so taking a break for the night.

Route 66: Day 22

The Return Trip
Spent the day driving through Custer State Park. Beautiful place, and
large. There is a wildlife loop that is over 30 miles long and
includes buffalo roaming free, as well as burros and deer. Before the
park is the Needle Highway with many great granite spires reaching
into the sky.

After the park we stopped by the Crazy Horse statue, still very much a
work in progress.

Spent some time in the afternoon biking on the Mickelson trail which
goes by the rv park. All so very gorgeous here.

Planning on pulling out in the morning and heading south towards
Colorado by way of Wyoming.

Route 66: Day 21

The Return Trip
This is a shot of Mt. Rushmore at night. We also came during the day.
Starting on Memorial Day, they have a ceremony for the lighting of the
monument, which is suppose to be very emotional. Fantastic work of art.

Visited the Praire Berry Winery during the day and bought a variety of
vino. Fun place with some unique names for their wines.

A friend of ours, Re, who we met at an RV park near Bloomington, IL,
hooked up with us again yesterday. We're all going to check out more
of this area today.

Route 66: Day 20

The Return Trip

This is Susanne's butt framing a scene in an old west town in the
middle of South Dakota. It is an 1880 scene, frozen in time. Fun place
with many props used from the film, "Dancing With Wolves".

Earlier we visited the Corn Palace in Mitchell. It is a building with
many murals going all around two sides. The murals are changed every
year in the summer. A local art teacher at the college will do a
sketch based on ideas from a selection committee. They are outlined on
black roofing paper, attached to the walls and ears of corn are nailed
to the wall. They are cut in half first, and come in a variety of
hues. This process has been going on since 1892.

Made it to Hill City where we are in a campground south of town. I'm
amazed at the terrian, as it look like it could be part of Tahoe. Not
at all what I expected. I was thinking it would look more like a beige
Sedona. Going to check out Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse tomorrow.

Route 66: Day 19 (2nd picture)

The pets seem to be travelling well and adapting to a constantly
changing environment.

Route 66: Day 19

The Return Trip
Made it to Souix Falls, SD today. Easy drive today. We're about 6 to 8
hours from the Mt. Rushmore area. Got in early to do some laundry this
evening.

The rolling hills through Wisconsin and Minnesota are really
beautiful. The pristine farms with their silos are seen everywhere.
Suprisingly, there are also tall hills and valleys, unlike the
Mississippi Valley which is as flat as a board. Going to be
interesting to see how South Dakota changes my previous conception
(misconception). I have always thought of it as a dry, barren state.
However, the tourist guide book I picked up from the office here is
showing a lot of trees in the state.

Hoping to check out the Corn Palace in Mitchell tomorrow as we drive
to Hill City. Understand the Black Hills are because of the dense
forest. I always thought it was from lava or some other geological
event. Fun to learn.

Route 66: Day 18

Left Chicago after a leisure morning at Leisure Lake resort and hit
the road. Headed west on I-80, then north on I-39 until we hooked up
with I-90 in northern Illinois. Then through Wisconsin with stop in
Madison at Camping World for a few things.

After crossing the Mississippi River in La Crosse, WI, we started
looking for a place to stay for the night. The interstate directory
said there was a Money Creek Haven park at an exit up ahead. It didn't
say it was 8 miles south, but what the heck. Cute place, office
closed, so we found a site for the night (see pic) and settled in.
Took care of the money matters in the morning.

Route 66: Day 17

Okay, didn't make it to the Hancock Center yesterday, but did today.
This is a view from the Signature Lounge on the 95th floor. Stunning.

Had another Chicago hot dog at a different place (Mr. J's). Couldn't
tell the difference though I think they used the Vienna Beef Brand
frank. Suppose to be the best, but the bun was not a poppyseed. Two
hot dogs in two days is pretty much our limit for the year.

Continuing with the gastronomical theme, dinner will be at the White
Fence Farm for the world's greatest chicken (their claim). Tomorrow
will be a day of dieting.

We are leaving in the morning for Wisconsin and Minnesota. Hope to
make it to Hill City, SD by Monday evening for Mt. Rushmore. More on
that later.

Route 66: Day 16

End of the road (or the beginning). Visited Jackson Blvd. and Lake
Shore Drive where the old Route 66 started. Went to Navy Pier and took
an architectural boat tour of the city. Great buildings. Had a Chicago
style hot dog (see pic). Waiting for a Chicago Deep Dish pizza at
Gino's East. Going over to the Hancock Building for a scenic drink
after pizza.

Route 66: Day 15

Finally made it to the Chicago area. We are camped near Joliet at the
intersection of I-55 and I-80. Thlnking about going into Chicago
tonight to get the lay of the land. Really windy today while driving.
Want to go to the corner of Jackson Blvd. and Lakeshore Drive. This
was the end (or beginning) of Route 66. It will mark the end of the
segment of the trip. Will visit the "Windy City" for a few days, then
start the return segment.

The restored gas station in the photo is in Dwight, IL. It is one of
several that have been restored along Route 66 in Illinois.

Route 66: Day 14

Spent the morning biking over the Mississippi River on the Chain of
Rocks bridge. Kind of fun biking over the river.

Stopped at the "Lady of the Highway" statue in Raymond. This was
installed by a Catholic Youth Group in 1962 on Frances Marten's farm
on Rt. 66. He and his wife maintained the property, and his offsprings
continue today. The statue is visible from I-55 as well.

Later we stopped at Funk's Grove Maple Sirup farm (spelling in
intentional). Great sirup (syrup).

Needless to say, our side excursions put us further south that
intended. We are camping in a park in Carlock, IL. Yes, Carlock. Guess
it was some guy's name.

Tomorrow hoping to get to Joliet, then downtown to Chicago.

Route 66: Day 13

Finally back on the road. Visited the Meramec Caverns in Stanton, MO
(west of St. Louis). Very impressive place. Privately owned since the
'30's after Route 66 opened. Lots of stalagmites and stalactites.
Remember, the "tites" are "tightly holding on to the ceiling", and the
"mites" "might be on the floor. Or is it the other way around. No, I'm
right.

I'll post some other pics when I get online again in the morning with
a new code from the KOA here in Granite City, IL.

We're going to head towards Chicago in the morning after we bike over
to the old Chain of Rocks Bridge from the RV park. The bridge was the
original way across the Mississippi River, later replaced by I-270.
Probably going into Chicago on Thursday.

Route 66: Day 12

Severe weather warnings this morning caused us to hold up for another
day before hitting the road, though later I realized we probably would
have been fine. The Weather Channel said 58 mph winds with 3/4" hail
and thunder showers, but we didn't see any of that here. In
retrospect, I think the worst weather was down in Texas. Of course, it
will probably be up here tomorrow.

The beautiful dogwood trees are very common around these parts. There
are both white and pink varieties. This whole area is very pretty, but
the shoreline seems to be mostly private ownership. Not a lot of
public access. There is about 1200 miles of shoreline since the lake
has many "finger" inlets lining it. The lake itself is serpentine
shaped.

Route 66: Day 11

Getting ready to get back on the road tomorrow. Very relaxing day.
Wind has been blowing out of the south since we've been here. Weather
shows overcast skies ahead, maybe some rain.

Route 66: Day 10

Still in Missouri visiting and relaxing. Picture of a local eatery.
We're heading to a frozen custard shop after having a great dinner at
a country club. The specialty at the custard shop is an Ozark Turtle:
frozen custard with hot fudge, caramel, pecans and whipped cream. Yummy.

Route 66: Day 9

Left Joplin this morning and continued on the trip. Turned off the
route at Lebanon, MO to visit with some friends living next to the
Lake of the Ozarks. We'll hang out here for a few days before getting
back on the trip. They have a washing machine and dryer. It's that time.

Route 66: Day 8

The photo is of the famous Blue Whale north east of Tulsa, half way to
the Kansas line.

Left WalMart in Chandler, OK this morning. Stay in their parking lot
was okay, but it seems the locals have a lot of pickups with modified
mufflers, so of course they had to use them during the evening to
entertain us.

Stayed on Historic 66 all day to visit the little towns. Went through
Kansas for about 15 miles in the south east corner of the state
(Baxter Springs, Riverton and Galena). Then through Joplin, MO. We're
now east of Joplin at a campground. Tomorrow we go to Lebanon, MO,
then north to the Lake of the Ozarks to visit some friends for a few
days. Probably back on the Sunday.

Gas! Filled up back in Needles, CA, for $2.48 per gallon. Filled up
today in OK for $1.78 per gallon. What gives? Keeps getting cheaper as
we drive along.

Back to the Blue Whale. It was built right before they closed Route
66, and had fallen into disrepair. Some folks fixed it up a while
back, but it has not come back as a tourist destination. The dogs went
in for a swim and came out covered with mud. It is stocked with some
fish ( perch, bass and catfish).

Route 66: Day 7 (second post)

Route 66: Day 7

Tonight is in the WalMart parking lot in Chandler, OK right on Route
66. Hopefully a quite Route 66 later tonight. Visited the "Devil's
Rope" museum in Maclean, TX this morning. Never knew much about barbed
wire before.

Saw the largest cross in the Western Hemishere in Groom, TX this
morning. Pictures of it have appreared on the Internet many times.
I'll put a photo on after this posting (can only do one pic at a time
on the iPhone).

Coming in towards OK City the temperature was 93 degrees. We're
heading towards Tulsa in the morning.
The stretch between Oklahoma City and Tulsa is supposed to be the best
representation of Route 66.

Route 66: Day 6

Am spending the night outside of Amarillo. A limo will pick us up for
dinner at the Big Texan, famous for the free 72 oz. steak (if you eat
it and the fixin's in one half an hour. I'm not even going to try.

Picture is of the Cadillac Ranch west of Amarillo. Celebrates Route 66
in a very symbolic way. Visited Tucumcari, NM on the way.

Route 66: Day 5

Still at the rally. The photo shows about 10% of the participants.
Tons of RV's. After seeing a lot of the drivers of those big ass rigs,
I'm now a little weary about them. Lot of these folks have one foot in
the grave. Be careful when you pass.

Route 66: Day 4

Started the morning off with a guided tour of Acoma, the City in the
Sky. The oldest village in the US, Acoma is occupied only by Puebla
indians. Very interesting tour.

This evening will be entertainment by the Osmond Brothers.

We're on a bus heading back to Albuquerque right now. Probably be
naptime when we get back.

Route 66:Day 3

Finally got a regular spot this morning, then went to the fairgrounds
and registered. Then the rv show and buying stuff.

Rita Coolidge performed tonight. Still looking and sounding great for
a 63 year old woman.

After the performance, there was seven ballons that lit up the sky
with their enormity. Fantastic scene. Would be fun to come back for
the ballon races and watch 700 to 800 of them.

Tomorrow is the "Sky City" tour to the west.

Route 66: Day 2

Camped last night in Williams, AZ, the gateway to the Grand Canyon.
Nice, new RV park operated by the Grand Canyon Railway. Froze during
the night, so we had some issues. Stopped in Winslow, AZ to check out
the mural. Great looking mural. Almost ran out of gas as we approached
New Mexico, but made it on fumes tons gas station. Best part was that
the gas was $1.99 per gallon, the cheapest yet.

After we entered NM, Susanne read some of the Rally literature. Seems
we had to check in before 5pm. We arrived at 5:30 pm, so we are not
checked in, but dry camping in a vacant lot at the site. Will check in
tomorrow morning and finish the procedure.

Neil Sadaka is suppose to be performing tonight in a nearby tent, so
will see if we can get in. We will be here at the Rally until Tuesday
morning.

Route 66: Day 1

Made it down to Lone Pine for the night. The view from down the road
in the RV park is of Mt. Whitney, at over 14,000 feet it is the
highest point of the contiguous states. Was hoping to make it to
Barstow yesterday, but the logistics of the trip required a stay in
Lone Pine instead. Today we should go through most of Arizona to stay
on schedule. The back of the truck was full of all the "stuff" for the
trailer which we reorganized last night. Later today, in Barstow, we
will officially be on Route 66.

Mini-Mural

Finished and delivered a small mural painted on Masonite today that is
installed behind the stove and under the microwave. Came out pretty
nice.

The '49ers

On the road today for business and decided to spend the night enroute
since it's raining and I won't be through with my appointment until
after 8pm. Staying in a Gold Rush era hotel (1851) in a little town
off the main road. Very quaint with a sign down the street that says
"parking for Harley-Davidson's only. Back to Lake Tahoe tomorrow. This
town really feels old. Makes me feel young. No shopping centers or
Statbucks. Bathroom is across the hall from the room. Will find out
about ghosts tonight.

Fantasy Fireplace

Finished another fireplace in Ell Dorado Hills yesterday. Came out pretty nice. The tile on the hearth is real, everything else is "faux-ny". They will be hanging a picture back up in the niche.