The Alligator Dream

I've had a lot of knee grief in my life. Knock wood all is well now but if I have a rough day there is pain in the night and I dream that alligators are biting my legs and are working hard to twist them off. Or could the pain come from the dreams?

real studio time

I was going to get started last night but I was pinned down on the couch by two cats and forced to watch a re-run of the 1991 World Series 7th game between the Atlanta Braves, my team, and a buncha guys with long greasy hair. After watching John Smoltz pitch a few clean innings I was overcome with boohoo at his defection to the Boston Red Sox. I mean, just how much friggin' money does a person need? Is there no loyalty left in the world? I abandoned the game and flicked over to revisit "To Kill a Mockingbird" and so there ended my creative evening. Here are the fruits of the morning so far. These critters are "Waiting for Wings". I'm still toying with the kid's book notion but for me a book has to put the story first. I don't want to slave over illustrations for their own sake and nothing is coming to me at the moment, preoccupied as I am with finding work and speaking of which I have an interview tomorrow. Cross 'em if you got 'em. This piece is going to involve a soy-wax resist and some dyeing but the house is too cold to even think about any of that right now.

Mad Moon

I'm looking forward the influence of this big 'ole moon that they are promising for tonight. Hopefully the incoming rain and clouds won't screw the viewing up completely. Remember this piece? For a while now, it's been staring me in the face from the design wall that's opposite my sewing table and it's subtle charm has been growing on me. I started a companion piece last night by building a damask sandwich that includes that very thick, heavy cotton felt batting. It will be a bear to sew through but the stitches will really "carve" the design deeply. How it's going to take to soy wax resist and dyeing remains to be seen.

Crash Test Dummy

I kid you not. All day yesterday I was in federal court doing a $PAID$ gig as a crash test dummy. Of course, the trial dragged on and I have to come back today to do my little bit. It's totally surreal! Update - more delay, dither and diddle in court, and so I will come back as a dummy again on Monday! Thanks all for the input on the critter series especially Terry - will you be my editor? Today, instead of whiling away the hours with Steven King, I will start work on my own book. Words, pictures and my voice. God help the kiddies.

Food Chain #1

I feel this one. And then I don't. So I won't call it finished but it's the fifth I needed for a deadline later this month. Some paint is called for and maybe more. Being locked into a 12"x12" box chaps my ass something wicked. There are three or four other pieces that were supposed to be a part of this group but I accidentally on purpose let the dimensions get away from the rules. Someone said I should use these critters to illustrate a children's book. Looks like I'll have to write this one myself.