Pair O Dice

still

2008-03-23T03:12:31Z

here believe it or not.

what strike?

New painting

2008-01-27T18:11:50Z

Lost city

New Years

2008-01-01T22:26:48Z

Dear Live Journal, it has been awhile.

Busy doing RL.

Anyway, this morning of the new year I went to Barton Springs at 10AM to swim and enjoy the annual potluck brunch. The 50º air temp made the water seem warmer than it does in the summer. I brought OJ and some kind to russian pastry from CM.

Then off to Magnolia for some home fries and to buy two new caledars.

After that walked 5.8 miles around Lady Bird Lake from MoPac to Lamar and circled back to Lamar.

Then home to sit in the sun and read.

School will be starting up soon, time to go back to the office tomorrow after painting studio morning and then over to Gregory pool that has been closed since Christmas.

Missing Autumn

2007-11-25T04:12:09Z

Wednesday was hot, high 80's
Turkey Day was cold
Friday I put up 50 xmas lights around front door
Today it is near freezing, raining with possible snow in the hill country west of here.
We missed a season, no fall except for falling leaves. Now it is winter cold, wet, dark.

I've been able to paint, bundled up in cold studio, for the last three days. DS came over tonight and honestly told me my painting was boring and he is correct. Good to have a second set of eyes. I have tomorrow to push it forward. We'll see.

Cracking almonds and crackling fire tonight.

Put out cat carrier and sheet for outdoor cat ojn side porch.

Two outdoor potted plants ok for now, no freeze called for in the next couple days.
No swimming, school pool closed. Barton no sun, wind and air too cold. Monday will swim at sschool no matter the air temp.

Two last weeks of class left, then a lot more time.

Chill

2007-11-16T03:35:37Z

Temp drop here in A Town. It may even become fall weather.

Wispy high cirrus clouds above as I back stroked this morning.

good

2007-11-14T15:08:24Z

I forgot to mentioned a idiot backed up into my truck while doing a stupid traffic maneuver monday. Had to drive after them, honking horn and blocking them in. Yelled IDIOT. No damage but stupid.

Go news on radiology heart wellness report. No plaque build up, excellent.

This week is crazy busy, no studio time until Sunday.

Thanksgiving next week will give me five days in a row for painting and reading.

After that there is four more class days before winter break. I need a break!

catsup

2007-11-13T00:59:31Z

I've been absent, I know. Busy is my excuse, it's been a hectic semester and even studio time has been cut back.

But today:

When and sat in a future like tunnel to have wellness pictures taken of my heart paths in and out. A once in every five years my doctor has me doing.

Had coffee and then lunch with an interesting new friend.

Went to my office and deleted email.

Went swimming and wore out another pair of trunks. Bought another, it seems an every semester purchase caused by the chlorine on the school outdoor pool. What is that doing to my skin. Had a yearly physical a short while ago and all things look go.

Bought a new toaster for the one that hit the dust this morning. Have you ever tried to heat an english muffin in a microwave? Hot but gooie chewiness.

Home to read a couple more chapters of Guns, Germs and Steel before the far too early sun went down.

free swim

2007-10-29T03:54:59Z

Today was the last day to pay to swim at Barton until spring break.

South gate will be closed but there will be no charge to park on the weekends on the north side

Barton Springs under water

2007-10-25T16:43:12Z

Why I love it

Here and there

2007-10-22T23:33:11Z

I lived in Malibu for a good portion of the 80's and lived through two maniac fires while there. I lived above an animal hospital on old Malibu road and old Malibu Canyon road below Pepperdine U where It's burning again. A major fear when you are there and a shame.

Here in Austin, it got cold finally. Rain and temps in the 60s and heading to the low 50sºF this evening into tomorrow morning.

Rain in the morning stretch my morning commute to over an hour. A brisk outdoor swim in the morning between two grad oral exams shocked me awake. I should not have over slept. Maybe then I would not have left my headlights on as I got to school in a rush. When I got back to the truck in the afternoon the battery was dead.

GOOD THING: went to the traffic hut on the corner, asked for someone from parking give me a jump start and they were there in 5 minutes and I was off in 10.

great show and misunderstanding

2007-10-21T16:54:42Z

Went to the opening of Jonathan Marshall's exhibition at Art Palace. Great show, don't miss it.

While sitting on the porch taking to friends, stuck up an conversation with a painter whose name I've since forgot. I introduced myself as Bob. 15 minutes later he thought I was fooling him and was really Peter Saul. Ha! Well we did agree that our mutual favorite part of stone lithography is graining. Peculiar.

It was a fun night.

hoopin' bob

2007-10-18T17:57:31Z

Tape?

2007-10-06T16:13:10Z

Thursday I was driving home, listening to the radio when the sound decided to turn off. I looked over and changed channels. None came up, only a display saying TAPE. Trouble. There is no tape player installed. Even if there was I no longer have tapes. So yesterday I had a new car radio installed. This new one even plays MP3s. Great.

pool

2007-10-01T16:27:45Z

Been busy, been neglecting lj too much. School and social fall occasions kicking in. But here is a scene of a more relaxed time from last summer in Italy. I took this picture with Jennifer's camera of her, Sara, Caity, Angela and Lillian in the Castiglion Fiorentiono piscina. Every one has to wear a swimming cap there. What a wonderful place that was and will be again the next time I visit.

equinox

2007-09-23T17:23:08Z

First day of autumn working in my studio this morning. New painting on the easel. I guess its going ok. At least it is going along a vague idea of landscape and architecture that I've been working though in my sketch books.

Good four day studio weekend with a swim at barton later in the afternoon.

Hitchcock films on satellite this last week. Enjoyed watching Psycho last night.

Added link to ezimmerman

Back to work.

New week

2007-09-17T15:13:58Z

Weekend is over and with it ACLfest.

The springs reopens for swimming after being closed for cleanup after last tuesday's flooding. Typing of which, my roofer stopped by friday to look after leak in roof that reappeared after the noreaster.

Three good mornings of painting and one more today.

Following directions

2007-09-12T20:40:48Z

Take off your pants

Fall arrives

2007-09-12T14:32:35Z

Cold front came through yesterday morning bringing a strong thunderstorm with pouring rain. Roof over utility room leaked once again. Seems like wind from the north east blows water up under an eve. Roofer twice before tried to patch it in past years. Left phone message on both of his numbers I have. Hope he is still in town to honor ten year warranty on labor.

Temperature dropped too. House feels a bit chilly at 80ºF. And outside temperature of 72º feels downright cold. Outdoor pool at school also felt colder last night.

Barton also flooded and closed once again. Glad I got to swim there on Monday. Water was finally clearing. Heavy rains bring silt into the pool. Anyway wasn't going to able to swim there this weekend because ACL will be taking all of the parking for miles around. Won't be attending that either. It is usually to hot to sit in the open sun all day. This year it will be the coolest it's been for the festival in years. No Bob Dylan live for me.

Will have a four day weekend for studio work coming up.

For now it is up to school for a morning swim, some office work and a weekly meeting with new grad RC.

Studio

2007-09-10T18:49:51Z

Now that I have my studio back from the barking of the now gone neighbor dog, it's back to work there in the mornings and early afternoon.

On the advice of some faculty I purchased some Lukas Cryl which is, according to them, something like acrylic gouache. Tried it yesterday. Yuck. I can't go back to plastic land.

This morning worked on newish oil painting after drawing on the front deck. Getting somewhere. Looked at two books of Giotto images.

Nohegen drama

2007-09-10T15:26:43Z

Virginia, Eliot and yours truly doing our talent night ET skit at summer art camp.

week end

2007-09-09T16:03:28Z

Busy days, school stuff fills the week.

Saturday filled too. Clothes washed, lawn mowed, leaves swept, wasps zapped, stump drilled and filled with killer, gutter edge sealed, home depot buying, house swept and vacuumed, kitchen moped, food bought, prepared and eaten.

Then off to OKM, Slugfest and finally CRL for faculty salon exhibit opening.

Well attended even though there was probably 5 other openings that I didn't make it too.

Now sunday and heading off to HPB&G for brunch.

Neighbors obnoxious dog is now returned to breeder so when I get back to studio I will be able to work unprovoked and disturbed by braying and get some art on.

flowering plumeria

2007-09-03T16:55:50Z

Last fall after my plumeria plant shed all its leaves I made about eight cuttings from it. It had grown to large to take in for the winter and a freeze would have done it in. I gave some of them to friends, let two dry over winter and planted them this spring. One has flowered. Here they are in my front yard with dew on them.

front yard

2007-09-03T16:55:38Z

It rained again yesterday and more forecast for today and tomorrow. My trees are loving it. Here's my front yard with new and older trees (Chinese tallow, crepe myrtle, silver maple, monterey oak and I almost forgot a pecan.

dead battery

2007-09-02T21:51:08Z

At the mall, yuck, waiting on sears to check electrical and install new battery.

At least there is an Apple store here.

Should have carried my sketchbook. Waits for jump could have been two hour drawing time.

busy

2007-08-30T15:03:21Z

Been way busy getting things ready and done at school.

Today is my first class meeting but I have been on campus the last two weeks at least four times a week.

And my new neighbor, a renter, has a most obnoxious dog that bark at me in my own kitchen and studio. Complained to her and her land lady. Working on it.