Sunday, July 23, 2006

End of the Weekend Update

It has been a busy and really hot weekend. I put some serious energy into the yard and managed to dig out about 25 square feet more of the grass. It doesn't look like much in the picture, but believe me, I transported large amounts of dirt and sweat into the bath after each session of digging. One lovely thing happened: The neighbor across the street came over to chat and has asked for information about where I have been ordering the desert plants from. She likes the plants in my yard and is considering putting in some similar landscaping on the east side of her house. A definite victory for environmentally sound landscaping!

I haven't gotten as far along on the Kiwi painting as I planned because it is so warm in my non-airconditioned house that the paint was drying too fast to be very workable. I did get some done, though. As you can see from the picture, I am having trouble applying it evenly (and staying outside the lines). Applying a second coat is helping, but it will always be ...well... let's just say folk art. I guess it is officially "Outsider Art" since I am not professionally trained. The less favorable, but accurate, description is "really amateur". Ah well, I did say I was going more for outrageous than for refined! By the time I add the other colors and several coats of a satin finish, it should look like I meant to do it that way.

3 comments:

Birdsong said...

Oh, I like what you have painted so far! I actually wouldn't mind be referred to as "outsider", since to me it means outside of the rarified art university environment.

Sharon said...

I'd say something smart like "don't quit your day job" but I'm actually quite envious. You amaze me at the unusual things you think to try~

Purple Fuzzy Mittens said...

Thanks Birdsong! Outsider has a nice ring to it – sort of like alien, or maybe just exceeding the norm. And art is the stuff I do when I am away from the university environment which is my day job.

And Sharon, I would never have considered harvesting Rabbitbrush as a dyeplant, so you are right there with me, doing unusual things!