Posted on 26 Oct 2014 - 3:43 pm | by
jeff | Filed under:
Artwork,
Videos

One of my new favorite things to paint is tree stumps. As you know, painting on wood is my media of choice and it doesn’t get more raw and natural than painting on a piece of wood that is still connected to the soil. Awhile back I saw a tree with a cut off branch and it looked like the perfect thing to paint one of my faces on.


I think these are a lot of fun to paint, but one really nice thing is to paint for the sake of painting every once in awhile. When you paint for a living it’s hard not to think about selling the things you make and it’s a nice change of pace to paint purely for the fun of it. It makes me feel like a teenager again. Not in a nostalgic way, but more in the “I don’t give an F” kind of way and that’s always a good feeling.

Putting something out in the world for your own personal pleasure and for others to enjoy when they happen upon it is a very good thing.


If you’re in my neck of the woods and have some stumps in your yard that could use a little color I’m totally open to commission work. Let me know!
Enjoy!
– Jeff
Comments Off on Stump Painting Is The New Street Art |
Tags: nature, nature art, painting, stump, tree, trees, wood
Posted on 06 Oct 2014 - 9:52 am | by
jeff | Filed under:
Family,
Writing

Since James started high school he’s been bringing home a myriad of random tidbits and factoids that are both funny and worrisome. Here are a couple of my favorites.
There is a huge tree in the center of a small parking lot on campus where I pick James up after theater rehearsal. As we were pulling out of the lot somebody in the car made a comment like, “Why is that big tree there? They should totally cut it down.” I’m no hippie, but I responded with “I’m sure the tree was there before the parking lot was?” which was my way of saying the tree has more of a right to be there than the two parking spaces it’s blocking. This is where James came in with, “Well, did you know the school was built before the town.” I’m guessing that was his way of saying…well, I really have no idea, but I am pretty sure the high school was not the first thing the settlers built 100 years ago. And it probably wasn’t the first thing the Indians built 100 years before that.
The next one is also tree related. According to James it is illegal to cut or trim any tree in Atascadero.
The crown jewel of these tidbits is about Spain. So, the other night I am filling a cup with ice and Evelyn commented that I love ice. It’s totally true. I put ice in almost everything I drink. Then James said, “Did you know that in Spain they don’t give you ice at restaurants?”
Intrigued, Evy asked why.
“I guess it’s hard to make there.”
Yeah, that’s our James.
* Remember that time James microwaved ice?
Comments Off on Amazing Factoids From James |
Tags: atascadero, children, for reals, ice, james, kids, spain, srsly, trees