Is it me or is there a Paul McCartney "musical genius" parade going on over his latest album? Maybe it's just local Los Angeles TV and radio hype.
I don't want to rain on this parade. I'm a fan....
I will argue till my forehead veins swell and my head implodes with anyone that does not think every single song recorded by the Beatles is a classic. I will be the first to hold up early Wings albums as musical milestones.
His old music might be musical genius.
But...
I can't shake the feeling John Lennon was a big part of it. I point out this later "post John" classic by Paul...
A Door for Dad
So when my Dad says something like
"Have you seen one of those blah, blah, blah?"...
it basically means he's quietly announcing he's going to get whatever the blah, blah, blah is. It is the start of a countdown clock. From then on the blah, blah, blah is brought up in random quiet moments, this could go on for months.
You know he is about 3 weeks away from buying it when he asks your opinion and thoughts on blah, blah, blah every other day (working it into the conversation). He's really just talking himself into it and your opinion is unneeded.
If you happen to be with him and he says come look at this blah, blah, blah with me...it's about a week from being bought. He never says I'm buying one.
The best part is, when he does buy the blah, blah, blah, he says he just happened to be at the store that day and thought "what the heck" and got it as if on some whim.
A few years back, one such blah, blah, blah were heavy faux antique spanish styled doors at Arte de Mexico. At the time they had a selection of random doors for any design use (wall hanging, table tops, room dividers, etc.). He thought one would look good on his patio garden just as a decoration.
I knew the countdown had begun. I had always wanted to try making one and this gave me a reason. I thought I'd surprise him with it, if it turned out OK. My budget was low, so I used stuff I had around. The main body was an old panel door. I framed it with 1" x 3" boards. The raised centers are wooden craft plaques from Micheal's. The nails are rust painted large wood plugs. I beat the heck out of it with a hammer and chain. Then stained, painted, sanded and beat it again to look old.
I wanted to add more details (like hardware, ornate moulding etc) but afraid to take it too far and I liked it simple. Besides, I knew Dad was now just a few weeks away from buying one. I figured if he liked it and wanted some extra detail I could add it later. He liked it as it was. The added plus is as the years go by it gets more weathered and looks better.
"Have you seen one of those blah, blah, blah?"...
it basically means he's quietly announcing he's going to get whatever the blah, blah, blah is. It is the start of a countdown clock. From then on the blah, blah, blah is brought up in random quiet moments, this could go on for months.
You know he is about 3 weeks away from buying it when he asks your opinion and thoughts on blah, blah, blah every other day (working it into the conversation). He's really just talking himself into it and your opinion is unneeded.
If you happen to be with him and he says come look at this blah, blah, blah with me...it's about a week from being bought. He never says I'm buying one.
The best part is, when he does buy the blah, blah, blah, he says he just happened to be at the store that day and thought "what the heck" and got it as if on some whim.
A few years back, one such blah, blah, blah were heavy faux antique spanish styled doors at Arte de Mexico. At the time they had a selection of random doors for any design use (wall hanging, table tops, room dividers, etc.). He thought one would look good on his patio garden just as a decoration.
I knew the countdown had begun. I had always wanted to try making one and this gave me a reason. I thought I'd surprise him with it, if it turned out OK. My budget was low, so I used stuff I had around. The main body was an old panel door. I framed it with 1" x 3" boards. The raised centers are wooden craft plaques from Micheal's. The nails are rust painted large wood plugs. I beat the heck out of it with a hammer and chain. Then stained, painted, sanded and beat it again to look old.
I wanted to add more details (like hardware, ornate moulding etc) but afraid to take it too far and I liked it simple. Besides, I knew Dad was now just a few weeks away from buying one. I figured if he liked it and wanted some extra detail I could add it later. He liked it as it was. The added plus is as the years go by it gets more weathered and looks better.
The Dodger Stadium Police Concert
Last Saturday... my brother Ted, his girlfriend Leia, my sister Megan, her husband Paul, my future sister in law Stefania and I went to the Police reunion show at Dodger Stadium.
We left early expecting crowds. Ted knew a super secret back roads quick route. Sure enough we got there fast. So fast and early... the parking lot entrance guy looked surprised to see us.
Leia had secured the tickets through her work along with good parking...
This made Ted happy...
Our small "tailgate" party started along with old stories from Paul...
Ted's girlfriend Leia is great but young. I often discover she is in need of "pop culture" education before N'Sync.
Group picture time. Stefania, always the activist...
There was a moment of panic finding the tickets....
Just before we went inside... a group photo. I wore my RISD shirt in honor of the Police concert Ted and I last saw in Providence, RI 84'...
I'm now a good law abiding citizen and left my camera behind (according to the "no cameras" warning on the ticket) afraid it would be taken away as happened at another concert a few years back. Of course, no one checked my pockets going in, so I could of brought it in. I want to believe if had it in my pocket, I would of been busted (Murphy's law).
The concert was great. The Foo Fighters opened the show and they rocked! I could post crap camera phone pics like this one....
But thanks to other people I can actually post crappy video from "youtube" of the show we saw...
Ted sat next to me. When the crowd (and us) chanted "OOO eee yo... eee YAY YO" we both put an arm around each other in memory. In that brief chorus, it was the Providence Civic Center again in 1984 ... a nice moment.
The Van Nuys Horror
I took the garbage out last night. When I turned around to go back inside, I saw two eyes glowing in the darkness. They gave me a startle. It must be a raccoon, possum or cat.
I slowly stepped closer, they didn't move. They stared back at me, unblinking. I began to get creeped out. I noticed the eyes were very large and attached to an equally large shadowed shape. Now I froze and became spooked.
Ghosts, goblins, bigfoot, aliens and everything supernatural raced through my head, so I decided to go back inside. As I walked, the eyes followed me. I then thought it best to run to the back door (with my arms flailing above my head).
Looking out the kitchen window, the eyes still watched me. Now I was really, really, really scared... goose bumps and all. Holy Mother of God...it's that pig demon from the Amityville horror!
Common sense took over...I had rearranged the garden the other day... I was seeing our decorative gazing ball reflecting our two patio lights.
I'm going to move it today...and lay off the sci fi/horror movies for awhile.
I slowly stepped closer, they didn't move. They stared back at me, unblinking. I began to get creeped out. I noticed the eyes were very large and attached to an equally large shadowed shape. Now I froze and became spooked.
Ghosts, goblins, bigfoot, aliens and everything supernatural raced through my head, so I decided to go back inside. As I walked, the eyes followed me. I then thought it best to run to the back door (with my arms flailing above my head).
Looking out the kitchen window, the eyes still watched me. Now I was really, really, really scared... goose bumps and all. Holy Mother of God...it's that pig demon from the Amityville horror!
Common sense took over...I had rearranged the garden the other day... I was seeing our decorative gazing ball reflecting our two patio lights.
I'm going to move it today...and lay off the sci fi/horror movies for awhile.
The Happy Unicorn and a Cup of Coffee.
Yea, so... I drew a Unicorn...I'm secure in my manhood.
It's part of a personal project for a certain 5 year old in the family. It gave me good reason for Photoshop practice with my morning coffee. I tend to use heavy, saturated colors with the computer. I'm trying to ease up and practice how to get a transparent, softer watercolor feel.
A Spooky Sunday
This happened a few years back when I was packing up my apartment in Cleveland to move back home to Los Angeles. I had always heard strange bumps in the night but figured just the odd sounds of an old apartment building. Then one Sunday evening a cold breeze came down the hallway. I saw a weird mist appear. I grabbed my polaroid camera...these are actual pictures. No photoshop or tampered with film.
The mist grew larger...
A human shape formed...
It then moved forward at me and was gone...
Here's how to make your own ghost photos for fun.
You need the flash on. The mist was just a blown out candle, smoking away, held just below the lens. The human shape and face are small cut outs from clear plastic and dropped letting fall in front of the lens.
These were a quick 5 minute experiment and came out pretty creepy. Imagine what you can do if you take some time with it.
The mist grew larger...
A human shape formed...
It then moved forward at me and was gone...
Here's how to make your own ghost photos for fun.
You need the flash on. The mist was just a blown out candle, smoking away, held just below the lens. The human shape and face are small cut outs from clear plastic and dropped letting fall in front of the lens.
These were a quick 5 minute experiment and came out pretty creepy. Imagine what you can do if you take some time with it.
Belated Flashback Friday and Saturday Morning Videos
A two in one today. I'm going to see The Police tonight at Dodger Stadium with my brother as we did 20+ years ago while at RISD. Here's a re-post of part of that story I wrote about awhile back. It's my flashback Friday this week...
One of my best memories was in 1984. I was a college freshman at RISD. The Police were going to play the Providence Civic Center on the Synchronicity tour. My brother had become a Sting fanatic by then. It was hoped he would come up for the weekend and I would try and get tickets for the show. It was a big event concert and unless I had hundreds of scalper dollers to spend they were impossible to get.
By some miracle my Dad had secured us and a few of my college friends tickets! He knew a guy who knew a guy and so on. It got even better when I went to the will call window. Our seats were, if I remember right... 6th or 7th row center on the floor! I'll bet even today my Dad still owes favors for them.
The pictures above were taken that night...long ago in the days before security would strip you of everything. Most of the show was spent looking at my brother's butt. He would stand on top of the chair back in front of him in bouts of excited frenzy. I'd grab his belt to keep him from falling over. This only helped him to lean foward swaying to the music looking like Leo Dicaprio on the bow of the Titanic. This went on the whole concert. My arm went numb.
So take a wild guess what my Saturday morning videos are today...
One of my best memories was in 1984. I was a college freshman at RISD. The Police were going to play the Providence Civic Center on the Synchronicity tour. My brother had become a Sting fanatic by then. It was hoped he would come up for the weekend and I would try and get tickets for the show. It was a big event concert and unless I had hundreds of scalper dollers to spend they were impossible to get.
By some miracle my Dad had secured us and a few of my college friends tickets! He knew a guy who knew a guy and so on. It got even better when I went to the will call window. Our seats were, if I remember right... 6th or 7th row center on the floor! I'll bet even today my Dad still owes favors for them.
The pictures above were taken that night...long ago in the days before security would strip you of everything. Most of the show was spent looking at my brother's butt. He would stand on top of the chair back in front of him in bouts of excited frenzy. I'd grab his belt to keep him from falling over. This only helped him to lean foward swaying to the music looking like Leo Dicaprio on the bow of the Titanic. This went on the whole concert. My arm went numb.
So take a wild guess what my Saturday morning videos are today...
If Adventure has a Name
Next summer might be the most fun one in a very long time...
The new Star Wars films did not make me half as excited as I am to see this movie! Above all movie hero icons as a kid, Indy was the one I always wanted to be.
I stole this image from IndianaJones.com
The new Star Wars films did not make me half as excited as I am to see this movie! Above all movie hero icons as a kid, Indy was the one I always wanted to be.I stole this image from IndianaJones.com
A Week in Review
I did nothing creative this week work wise...but here is a week in review with a some weak artistic observation to make up for it.
As you might of read previously on this blog, my Mom broke her hip and spent a few days in the hospital. She's doing great now healing at my sister Megan's house (Mom's home has many stairs to climb and Megan's is ranch style with a nice guest room).
While spending time at the hospital earlier in the week I noticed a few things...
I'll have to research this but is there a patron saint of vending machines?
In a hospital hall on day one, I remember seeing someone in this frame. On day three, the person in the picture must of got fired...
Why, when on the fifth floor with a nice view does the hospital put the bed facing away from it looking at nothing but a sink and a bulletin board with a "pain level" chart pinned to it?
Once Mom was out of the hospital and at my sister's... my brother Ted and I took niece Devin out of the house for an hour to give Mom (and sister) a preschool play time break.
We went to the local arcade. Devin got lucky on some game and won a hundred prize tickets with one token. She then wanted to play that game over and over again...yea, a future gambling addict.
Two days ago I went to the corner store. Across the parking lot I noticed something I never saw before. Someone living nearby had a roof topped with old wheelbarrows. Very curious, I'll get a better picture of soon...
The fiancees's god son, James Allen, graduated High School this week.
He has amazing artistic skill and will be pursuing art in college. Its scary how fast he grew up, I remember him a little kid drawing with me as in this cartoon from years ago (click on to enlarge)...
His school graduation ceremony was at the downtown Disney Concert Hall (ooooo fancy!). I missed it as Mom was having surgery that day but the Fiancee went. James played cello in the school band and they performed...below is a picture. He's the blurry blob second from the left of the larger blurry blob below the 3rd blurry blob on the right directly across and just below from the blurry blob in the center ...
I'm hoping to get more creative next week but it might be hard. My brother Ted upped me one in the "crazy uncle" adventure tour dept. taking Devin on the subway and seeing the La Brea Tar Pits in the past few days. I've got to plan something good now and might distract from making stuff.
HMMMMMM...where is the nearest live volcano?
As you might of read previously on this blog, my Mom broke her hip and spent a few days in the hospital. She's doing great now healing at my sister Megan's house (Mom's home has many stairs to climb and Megan's is ranch style with a nice guest room).
While spending time at the hospital earlier in the week I noticed a few things...
I'll have to research this but is there a patron saint of vending machines?
In a hospital hall on day one, I remember seeing someone in this frame. On day three, the person in the picture must of got fired...
Why, when on the fifth floor with a nice view does the hospital put the bed facing away from it looking at nothing but a sink and a bulletin board with a "pain level" chart pinned to it?
Once Mom was out of the hospital and at my sister's... my brother Ted and I took niece Devin out of the house for an hour to give Mom (and sister) a preschool play time break.
We went to the local arcade. Devin got lucky on some game and won a hundred prize tickets with one token. She then wanted to play that game over and over again...yea, a future gambling addict.
Two days ago I went to the corner store. Across the parking lot I noticed something I never saw before. Someone living nearby had a roof topped with old wheelbarrows. Very curious, I'll get a better picture of soon...
The fiancees's god son, James Allen, graduated High School this week.
He has amazing artistic skill and will be pursuing art in college. Its scary how fast he grew up, I remember him a little kid drawing with me as in this cartoon from years ago (click on to enlarge)...
His school graduation ceremony was at the downtown Disney Concert Hall (ooooo fancy!). I missed it as Mom was having surgery that day but the Fiancee went. James played cello in the school band and they performed...below is a picture. He's the blurry blob second from the left of the larger blurry blob below the 3rd blurry blob on the right directly across and just below from the blurry blob in the center ...
I'm hoping to get more creative next week but it might be hard. My brother Ted upped me one in the "crazy uncle" adventure tour dept. taking Devin on the subway and seeing the La Brea Tar Pits in the past few days. I've got to plan something good now and might distract from making stuff.
HMMMMMM...where is the nearest live volcano?
Ye old Billboard
TV production is often cold and unfeeling twords the time and craft that goes into making it's sets. Once it's on tape, unless needed again, it's just junk taking up space. Sometimes it feels like an artistic "one night stand".
Old sets are normally destroyed or might be recycled into new ones. Set dressing is sold, donated or saved to be used again. Custom props or dressing made specific to that show are quick to end up in a dumpster.
The set I designed for Stylelicious, now airing on the DIY Network, is officially retired. I was asked to help "tag" set pieces in storage that would move to the big studio in the sky. The show is not dead, it's planned to return one day in a new format without a set.
Because of the earlier described, I was surprised when Joel, the executive producer and Nicole, the production manager at Screen Door Entertainment (the company who produced the show) asked me to save and dust off the set's billboard wall art I designed/illustrated. They wanted to hang it in the home office. Here it is behind Jesse Kelly - Landes, Vickie Howell and Jennifer Perkins, three of the show's eight hosts from the Austin Craft Mafia ...
It now lives in the company conference room...it's a nice compliment they wanted to keep it.
I've been asked by Screen Door to work on many projects when they need me since 2002, so I've never felt my work unappreciated. Having the billboard kept and hung up is an acknowledgment to every one's hard work on the show.
Summer is Here.
One of my favorite things in summer... the morning sunlight coming through green leaves of tall trees.
It gave me something to look at waiting on line to get into traffic court yesterday morning. I don't remember ever waiting in a line this long, even at Disneyland...
It gave me something to look at waiting on line to get into traffic court yesterday morning. I don't remember ever waiting in a line this long, even at Disneyland...
A really HIP Father's Day
Mom's surgery was done yesterday and a success. She'll get to go home today. Dad said it's the best Father's day gift ever. Mom had a femoral neck fracture, which is actually the break of the ball at the top of her femur which goes into the socket of the hip.
There were two possible fixes, using screws (internal fixation) but if it did not work then hip replacement.
The screws did the job. The doctor knew he could use 2, maybe 3 but in the end was able to use 4. As he said "I wanted to make it good and tight"! The screws he used are called cancellous orthopedic screws and look just like something you'd find at Home Depot. Amazing how modern surgery is also basic low tech stuff...
You can buy them on EBAY if you want to do some home surgery. I'm off to visit Mom at the Hospital, more later.
There were two possible fixes, using screws (internal fixation) but if it did not work then hip replacement.
The screws did the job. The doctor knew he could use 2, maybe 3 but in the end was able to use 4. As he said "I wanted to make it good and tight"! The screws he used are called cancellous orthopedic screws and look just like something you'd find at Home Depot. Amazing how modern surgery is also basic low tech stuff...
You can buy them on EBAY if you want to do some home surgery. I'm off to visit Mom at the Hospital, more later.
A really HIP drawing...
What's more cliche' than a 68 year old woman falling and breaking her hip. Nothing and that's exactly what my Mom said Wednesday sitting in a Hospital bed after she broke hers.
She's doing well and awaiting surgery late today or tomorrow. She has a great orthopedic surgeon who took time to draw exactly where the break is and how pins will be used to hold it all together. He even signed it...
Mom's in pain but more frustrated than anything else. She was determined to live out her life without breaking anything because she was so sick of seeing every other page in the AARP magazine about old people breaking their bones. More later...
She's doing well and awaiting surgery late today or tomorrow. She has a great orthopedic surgeon who took time to draw exactly where the break is and how pins will be used to hold it all together. He even signed it...
Mom's in pain but more frustrated than anything else. She was determined to live out her life without breaking anything because she was so sick of seeing every other page in the AARP magazine about old people breaking their bones. More later...
My "In House" Mailbox.
When you live with another person long enough, you learn the best place to leave notes, messages and stuff for them. It's someplace you know that person will notice it that day.
Sometimes it's on the fridge, maybe their nightstand or desk. Maybe a "post it" on the bathroom mirror.
Well, the "Fiancee" knows exactly where to leave things for me... the first stop in my morning routine...
My "in house" mailbox has late afternoon pick up as well. I usually brew a fresh pot between 5pm and 7pm.
Sometimes it's on the fridge, maybe their nightstand or desk. Maybe a "post it" on the bathroom mirror.
Well, the "Fiancee" knows exactly where to leave things for me... the first stop in my morning routine...
My "in house" mailbox has late afternoon pick up as well. I usually brew a fresh pot between 5pm and 7pm.
Mickey B.
Random observations on a Sunday afternoon. One reason why Michelangelo (no, not the ninja turtle) is one of my heros...
He worked in a world of candlelight. Film and TV was never imagined, yet he painted main scenes from the bible on the Sistine Chapel in 70mm widescreen aspect ratio...
He was the world's first film conceptual illustrator and storyboard artist.
He worked in a world of candlelight. Film and TV was never imagined, yet he painted main scenes from the bible on the Sistine Chapel in 70mm widescreen aspect ratio...
He was the world's first film conceptual illustrator and storyboard artist.
One of life's little jokes...
I have an addiction. Star Wars action figures. I started to buy them in 1996 when Hasbro created a new line of toys. Three new movies and eleven years later... atleast 90% of the walls in my small office/studio is dedicated to 4" high hunks of plastic. Here's just one wall...
A few months before my niece Devin was born, my sister Megan found out she was going to have a girl and called all the family to tell us. I did this cartoon at the time...
That's what I thought then...until...last week, when Devin came over to visit. She had always just looked and pointed at the toys before. This day she saw a Princess Leia figure and asked me take it down so she could see it closer. Within minutes Jabba the hut, speeder bikes, taun tauns, ewoks and misc. characters were off the shelf and being really played with for the first time.
It did not bother me that she had no concern these were "collector items".
It did not bother me she lost tiny lightsabers and guns every 5 seconds.
It did not bother me she ripped the cloak on Darth Maul.
What bothered me was she had no concern for Star Wars canon and accurate details...
Darth Vader does not wear a stormtrooper helmet!
Princess Leia does not joy ride in a Y wing fighter!
Padme Amidala does not use a sith double bladed lightsaber!
The vicious Rancor is not Luke Skywalker's pet like her dog Bruiser!
Here's just a minute or two of over an hour of Star Wars play. It was one of the most fun afternoons I've had in a long time...
In the cartoon I drew before she was born, I gave her blond hair and a pink outfit... she does have blond hair and that day was wearing pink! Really weird, one of life's little jokes.
A few months before my niece Devin was born, my sister Megan found out she was going to have a girl and called all the family to tell us. I did this cartoon at the time...
That's what I thought then...until...last week, when Devin came over to visit. She had always just looked and pointed at the toys before. This day she saw a Princess Leia figure and asked me take it down so she could see it closer. Within minutes Jabba the hut, speeder bikes, taun tauns, ewoks and misc. characters were off the shelf and being really played with for the first time.It did not bother me that she had no concern these were "collector items".
It did not bother me she lost tiny lightsabers and guns every 5 seconds.
It did not bother me she ripped the cloak on Darth Maul.
What bothered me was she had no concern for Star Wars canon and accurate details...
Darth Vader does not wear a stormtrooper helmet!
Princess Leia does not joy ride in a Y wing fighter!
Padme Amidala does not use a sith double bladed lightsaber!
The vicious Rancor is not Luke Skywalker's pet like her dog Bruiser!
Here's just a minute or two of over an hour of Star Wars play. It was one of the most fun afternoons I've had in a long time...
In the cartoon I drew before she was born, I gave her blond hair and a pink outfit... she does have blond hair and that day was wearing pink! Really weird, one of life's little jokes.