Seriously, I need to focus.

Is that a perfect marshmallow or what? Zaida roasted it with loads of verbal coaching from us. It took all of my will power not to snatch the stick from her hands. The stick, by the way, is a skewer taped to a manufactured stir-stick. Once a week, I have been casually burning a stack of wood that is piled-up on the side of the house. A lot of the wood is from the crate that our Vespa was shipped in. And some of it is the under-six-inch-cut-offs from our recent home construction projects.We are ready for primer this morning! The wood is so warm, it is too bad that we have to paint it. (I'm avoiding thinking about the actual door.) Some of you may notice that the Wasp Nest is not symetrical. Inherited property lines and architectural elements combined for some unique cypherin'. It was my first time building trusses and rafters, "Damit! I've cut this board three times and its still too short!"

Still, I'm almost done.
By the time I get into the studio at night, I'm fairly spent. I'm tired of hearing myself complain about this. But the pressure comes from the fact that I have a painting show at a local college art gallery in less than a month. I have alternately been taking the exhibition casually and seriously. Jacques has written a great essay that will accompany the newer paintings. Part of me wants to shoot high and simply hang the best of the suite. I've even considered creating a poll and letting you guys decide which ones to hang. And, as everyone knows, there is always the last minute push that will generate new work. And what about a card? I wanted to do a little gatefold mailer like the one for the Calculated Color show that Chris Ashley is in. Jacques' essay is too long for that. Now I'm leaning towards a classic single image and quantity. Cheaper. I am feeling this is an opportunity to show the people of this small town what I do. I want to hand everyone I see a card. The checkers at the co-op who sell me beer every night (they must wonder what I do with it), all my faux and decorative clients, all my daughter's class mates, etc. But then. . . . should I really shoot high? Shouldn't I create some context? Shouldn't I hang some pieces from other suites? Sort of a retrospective?

And then when I finally get into the studio I have been completely obsessed (distracted?) with listening to old cassettes. This Sub Pop number 7 is awsome!
That is Charles Burns. Somebody hand colored it with marker! Did he? Cool.

Ok. I gotta go lay some primer on the Wasp Nest. (Then there is Zaida's soccer match, and, get this, she is auditioning for a part at the Oregon Shakespere Festival later this afternoon. I'll tell you more later). In the meantime, here is another detail from a work in progress: