CHANGE IS GOOD - CONTINUED & FINISHED

GOOD MORNING BLOG BUDDIES!

Well --- the hot water heater is on the way to being fixed - it was the circulating pump as I suspected so soon that problem will be fixed!   I loved it when things get fixed!!

OK --- back to yesterday and my first CHIAROSCURO painting.  This is 8 x 10 and the title of it is "TWO PEARS - CHIAROSCURO EXPRESSED"

I named it that as it is done in my expressionistic style using my stubby (AKA stiffy)brush as a palette knife.  It is also done in the flavour of the French definition:

"Prominent contrast of light & dark"

(did you notice the spelling of FLAVOUR!!!!  :>)  That's because I'm French!!!

OK--------- enough of ME!!!!  This is where we left off yesterday!

I worked very fast this morning as I'm really tired!!  All this drama and stress over the sale of the house is mentally tiring!!!  With my small brain it exhausts me!!  Additionally I have not been doing my yoga stretches for quite a while now and it has caught up with me ---- I was up every hour last night with very painful cramps in the back of my left leg and in the arch of my left foot!!!!  I'm talking serious pain - the kind that makes your eyes water!

HEY LADY - I WAS NOT CRYING!!!!!

Yaaaaa I know who cares :>(

OK - onward and forward - I quickly start to  work on the 2nd pear - develop some color and form.  I'm going to show some detail now so you can see the effect and the style that my "stubby" (AKA stiffy) brush affords me.  Also as I say I'm tired and it's 11:30 AM here and I really need a NAP and I hope the cramps do not return!!

FINI 

OK we are done here - As I say this is what I call

"CHIAROSCURO EXPRESSED"

This is my interpretation of a particular style converted to my style of expressionistic painting with emotion and spontaneity of color and form - giving life to the subject with passages of movement and excitement.  I really like the light blue on top of the black - a very clear statement of "prominent contrast of light & dark," we French are so friggin smart.  :>) 

LATER MY FRIENDS!!!

CHANGE IS GOOD

Good Morning Blog Buddies!

Well, my DW, Melissa and her DH (that's me) will be going through a lot of changes under the assumption that our house will in fact be sold - based on the outcome of the home inspection and the appraisal.  I used to be against CHANGE - it knocked my whole system off - being the creature of habit that I am - a certain day for me to do certain things - week after week after friggin week!!!!!.  House cleaning always on Monday - food shopping always on Tuesday, laundry always on Wednesday.  Over our 30+ years together I've loosened up a tad - but no where near enough.  Over the past few years I've improved somewhat more but certainly have further to go!  I have to say that I find myself BORING!!!!!

Well ----- being of sound mind (I think), I'm going to try and go through a change in my painting habits and somewhat of a change in my technique.  How long this will last is another story as I say - I get bored with myself!!!!  :>)

There is a style of painting that has piqued my interest over the past few months and that style is called CHIAROSCURO.  AH-HA a new word for the day - please try to use it in a sentence as most of you out there could use some IMPROVING as well!!!

The lady over in the corner wants to know what it means - normally I would say "go look it up and write it 25 times!"  However I'm not going to do that today as I just had to go look it up for myself!!!!!

In Italian it refers to the LIGHT/DARK relationship within a painting.

In French it refers to "the prominent contrast of light & shade"

Same meaning - however WE French like to sex it up a bit!!!!

This is a work in process as it is the very first one I've done and me being me I just jump in a do it so I'm sure it will be MY INTERPRETATION of CHIAROSCURO as I feel it within my emotional - expressive style.  Soooooo I guess at best it will be
"INTERPRETATIVE CHIAROSCURO" A-LA JR

No-one can ever accuse my of fitting the MOLD!!

Since this is a WIP, I will explain my beginning and then show the progression photos.

First I paint an 8 x 10 canvas panel with a good even coat of black (this being the dark)

Then with brush in hand I quickly draw in the shape of my subject which in this case will be one of my favorite - PEARS.

I then with my special self-designed stubby (AKA stiffy) brushes apply paint with my normal emotion and expression with the freedom of free-flowing arm movement.

As most of you can remember I'm sure as I know you pay attention and hang on my every word --------- YA RIGHT!!!!  I designed some brushes that I use in a very similar manner as palette knives - with the exception they do not cause my arthritis to flare up and I achieve some texture with visible brush marks - which can actually identify a specific painter.

So the next few photos will depict what I have explained above and this WIP will be developed over the next day or so.

Our Broker just called and he is stopping by for us to sign some piece of paper ------ I'm too old to have children so it can't be a document signing over our first born to him!!!

Now we have "the prominent contrast of light & dark ----- as WE French like to say!!

Damn I'm getting pretty good at this painting crap -

GOOD JOB JR!!!!!!!

Stay tuned for further progression and completion.

STRESS

Well, today was sort of a stressful day in that we had both the home inspection and the appraisal done at the same time.  Of course you know the home inspector will FIND some problems as the buyer will feel as tho they did not get their moneys worth if all is OK!!!

The appraiser is another story. - IMHO all appraisers should be women!!  A guy could give a Rat's A-- about the wonderful upgrades to a house - as long as it has a "REAL COOL" SHOP area ---- all is GREAT!  Whereas a woman would appreciate beautiful views, beautiful gardens - Brazilian Cherry hardwood floors, hand made saltillo tile floors, flagstone etc etc.  All the things she would like her DEAR HUBBY to put in but he is too busy in the SHOP!! :>)

All kidding aside - I suppose it will be several days before we hear back on the results - so we once again sit taking our turn at waiting - which seems like half ones life is spent waiting - but hey we are retired so waiting is something we are good at.

I'll keep ya posted my friends and if all is good we'll have a closing date assigned and our waiting will be over - OH WAIT-------then we will be waiting to move!!!!  :>) 

Later my friends------------ JR

WOW!!!!!

Well, my DW Melissa has a saying that she quotes which is:

NOTHING HAPPENS - NOTHING HAPPENS -
THEN EVERYTHING HAPPENS!!!

I was just notified by our Broker that the appraisal will also take place this Monday at the very same time as the home inspection!!!  HOLY CRAP - I guess instead of one step at a time we are now taking TWO STEPS AT A TIME!!!

This is good - it gets all the stress over with at once!!

So we will be quite busy the next couple of days coupled with the hot water heater repair - I won't have much time for a blog tomorrow - SOOOOOOO BUSY!!!!
YIKES!!!!  Got to squeeze a couple more hours into the next few days!!!!

Wish us good reviews on both the home inspections and the appraisal!!!  :>)

Later my friends.

DON'T IT JUST FIGGER!!!!!

Good Morning Blog Buddies,

Well, here it is Sunday and my DW has gone off to the Yoga Studio to work - filling in for someone else.  We have the home inspector coming Monday afternoon for what I'm told is a 3 - 4 hour inspection.  They do not like the owners to be present during the inspection so my DW and I shall go to our favorite coffee shoppe in the area of the Santa Fe Plaza - called ECCO and get a Mocha and a treat.  They make the best Mocha in all of Santa Fe!!!

Today I will clean the house and on Monday before the inspector comes I shall spot clean - although the home inspector really does not care about my pristine housework - but alas it does make for a better overall appearance!!!  :>)

Of course Murphy's Law is starting to kick in as we woke up this morning to NO HOT WATER!!!!!!  I'm hoping it is just the circulation pump and not the water heater itself!!!!  I will not be able to get a service call until Tuesday or Wednesday so our home inspection starts with one noted problem right at the git/go!!

When we moved from Arizona to Santa Fe 4 years ago, the dishwasher in our 7 year old Arizona home DIED - DEAD AS A DOOR-NAIL!!!  We of course had to go buy a new on and of course the BUYER was very pleased!!!!!

 US???? NOT SO MUCH!!!  :>(

Alas this is the way of the world - so we smile and say OK - let's get whatever is wrong fixed and move another step forward to the completion of the sale of our home!  Smile on faces - step by step in a forward direction!  :>)  :>)

So a busy day cleaning the adobe and if time permits I may just may play with a painting or do some sketching for another day.

Smiles on faces - step by step in a forward direction.....................................
Smiles on faces - step by step in a forward direction.....................................

:>)              :>) 
JR                         MELISSA (DW)

PACKING & WAITING

Well - not doing much painting - just sort of packing and waiting!!!  Did you ever notice that we spend a large portion of our life WAITING???  There are times in our live that we become "LINE EXTENDERS"  Just standing in line waiting our turn for whatever!!!

Can't pack too much as when the appraisal is done we want the house to look nice and not look empty!!!  The home inspection will be this Monday - 3-4 hours in duration and they request the owner not be present!

In anticipation of the move around the end of September, we rented a one bedroom "UNIT" in Santa Fe. My DW, Melissa likes to accuse me of being a "princess!"  Well I will admit that I like my comfort and a moderate degree of elegance in my surroundings!  What we rented as I say is a one bedroom "UNIT" on top of a hill AKA THE UNIT ON TOP OF THE HILL!!!!  It will only be for 6 months and then it will be onto full time RV-ing (more on that later.)

When we left the rental office I said to my DW - "This is not where a princess lives!!!"

However that said - it is clean, comfortable - enough space for two - some space for me to paint and it's only for 6 months!!!!

Monday we are going to check on a storage unit 10x15 or 15x20 as we plan on keeping most of our furnishings (although we would like to sell many of them) however time is not on our side!  Once the appraisal is done (no date yet) we will only have a week or so to get moved out so obtaining a storage unit NOW is necessary.

Exciting times but also stressful times as neither of us deal well with the uncertain or unknown.  Once the home inspection and appraisal are completed with favorable success, we will be more at ease - although the QUICK moving out will not be enjoyable.

We keep our eye on our upcoming RV adventure which keeps us in very good spirits.

As I say more on the RV business in future posting.

For now my friends - I wish you all well and I'LL BE BACK!!!!

JR...................   :>) 

GOOD MORNING

Good Morning Blog Buddies,

Well-------today is a very special day!!!  It's laundry day but that is not what is special about today!!!  Today I have some potentially very, very good news and some potentially temporary bad news.

First the good news because this is about my DW and her DH (that would be me - the Darling Husband!)

We received an offer on our house which has been for sale during the past almost 7 months.  We did not accept the offer - but did counter the offer with our offer.  The PB (potential buyer) accepted our counter offer ------ so our home is under contract!!!! :>)

We still have the home inspection and the appraisal to go thru so we are still sort of on the real estate roller coaster as nothing is over until the fat lady sings!

The PB from Washington state has asked for an end of September closing - which is good with us as well.  Very exciting times for us.

Now the potentially bad news!!!  :>(

We have a lot of packing to do and really can't start the bulk of it until we kinow the home inspection and the appraisal have been completed and with favorable results and the sale is going forward.

However that said - I've been packing our "EXTRA STUFF" for a while now and will continue to do so.  You know - all the STUFF one has hiding in the closets - in the cabinets - in the garage - in the back of the car - under the bed ----- that may have been used once in the past year or so!!!!!

Sooooooo my painting frequency will be downgraded somewhat and when the OK TO PACK FULL FORCE order is issued - my painting frequency will STOP for at least 2 months, as we move and get settled once again!!!  Have no fear MY PAINTING WILL START AGAIN WITH FULL FORCE - AND THE VIM AND VIGOR OF A YOUNG MAN!!!

As I've mentioned in the past painting is a way of life for me and I can not even imagine not painting!!!

I will keep you folks updated on the sale process.  Once the sale goes thru, I will continue to update you on our plans as to the purchase of our RV!!!!

HOW EXCITING!!!!!!

:>)                    :>)

JR   &    DW - MELISSA

Later my friends..............  :>)