Batman Action Figure and Puppet.

Batman Action Figure and Puppet.
Originally uploaded by V G.

Here's something new and something old.
I like both of them for different reasons.
I'm a superhero fan from way back. I like Batman and his
Bruce Wayne self. This new Batman action figure by Mattel is great because it uses the extreme block-like sculpting which today's cartoon superheroes are using. I think it's a fun style. The puppet I just got from my mother in-law is probably about 20-25 years old, maybe more. She has a fondness for toys from
other countries, particularly hand-made toys. She had this Batman puppet and let me keep him once she saw my interest in him. His strings need repair. He was made in Mexico, but she said she thinks she remembers buying him in downtown LA at Olivera Street, the street dedicated to Mexican culture which has shops with trinkets and souvenirs. It sounds very likely. In my spare time (which is extremely rare and super limited these days) I want to eventually re-string the puppet Batman. If I have more time (in my dreams) I want to make a puppet. Also, in my dreams, I want to make a little puppet theatre stage. I would have so much fun. We'll see. It might happen in the distant future. I have another friend who has some string puppets from Spain. We could stage little puppet shows. Anyway, those are some fun things that I would do if I had unlimited time to just do stuff. I'll keep it in my list of fun things I want to do.

Pink Night Owl

Pink Night Owl
Originally uploaded by V G.

"Pink Night Owl" is a recent creation I painted about 4 weekends ago. I've been dying to post this. I had to wait because it was a surprise gift to my friend at work from one her friends.
It's a 12 x12" acrylic on canvas painting.
My friend at work loves owls, the color pink and forest friends. We both love Deery-Lou and the little mushroom character in the forest by Sanrio. Since we are not "morning" people, I think it is safe to say we both fall into the catagory of "night owl". We "try" to get bed at decent hours, but with the little ones it's hard to get things done (like go on-line) and we stay up later than we should. When her friend told me she wanted to buy a painting from me for my friend at work I decided that I would do a special piece for her. At first she asked to see what paintings I had available, then after some thought, I
knew what I wanted to paint. It had to be a "Pink Night Owl".
Then it became a commissioned piece. She wanted to buy it just from the description. This is what I came up with. My friend at work is very happy with it, plus her baby daughter loves it too.

Bee Nest

Bee Nest
Originally uploaded by V G.

We found this bee nest while looking at
a hillside which was burned about a month and half ago.
It is what's left after the fire. No bees. Since the nest was not active we could really take a look at it. It looked like the bees had a well made honey comb dwelling. There were other little holes nearby this larger entrance which the bees probably used as alternate ways to get in and out.
We also saw lots of spider
webs with holes in the dirt. I do not like spiders, but I can appreciate
their intricate webs. It's almost the time of year for the Orb Weaver spider to appear in our neighborhood. They are fairly large...up to a dime in diameter. I am slightly paranoid of spiders so I looked up the Orb Weaver on the internet to identify it to make sure it was not poisonous. It is not. I was relieved to find this out. Anyway, the Orb Weaver makes large webs very quick. They work fast and are interesting to watch. The not so fun part is accidently walking into a web.
There is currently a Spider exhibit at the LA Zoo, which we may go to see.
I guess I like to freak myself out. My husband thinks I'm crazy when it comes to spiders. Actually, the truth I am finding out, is the more I understand spiders the less I am afraid of them. Also, knowing what spiders I really should be cautious of helps, as opposed to being freaked out by all spiders.

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!
Originally uploaded by V G.

Here's a father and son moment for you.
Our little guy's first official driving range experience.
He loved it. He wanted to keep hitting balls.
He hit half of the balls I was going to use to practice with.
I didn't get much practice in myself but I had a few good shots. It was just good enough to keep me from selling my clubs on Ebay.
Yeah, I still have the golf bug even with the limited amount of time
I have to play right now. One day I'll have more time again... I keep saying this to myself like a mantra. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the moments with my little guy and husband. We watched the US Open today on TV. It was a classic Father's Day.

Street Cleaner Truck!

Street Cleaner Truck!
Originally uploaded by V G.

My son is all boy. "Truck!" He hasn't grasped how to say street cleaner, but he tries. Whenever he hears the street cleaner truck or the weekly trash truck, he runs to the couch to look out the window to see it. It is the highlight of my morning to see him looking out the window so fascinated.

Carnival Poster

Carnival Poster
Originally uploaded by V G.

The flourescent printing is so cool.
I love the old school screen printing technique.
This was found on a telephone pole.
Last year I saw a similar style poster for the same annual event.
Besides painting sandwiches, I have been known to paint circus things. This poster is unlike my circus paintings, but inspirational nonetheless.

Mural Update: Complete for now.

Mural Update: Complete for now.
Originally uploaded by V G.

Here's the mural as it is. I'm happy enough with it
to leave it alone for now. I may come back at some point to do something else to it. We'll see.
**** **** ****
It's nice to just be able to paint anything. Such a freedom.

The boats and flag are the last details that I painted.

For these details, I used some of my acrylic stash for the yellow and broke out some of my regular oil painting bristol brushes instead of the chip brushes.

The top photo of the overall mural was taken in the afternoon warm light last week...

This detail shot was taken today while it was cool and foggy. That's why there is a difference in temperature.