With Thoughts Like These – Greatwall Studios Graphic Design

Pay off the mortgage and the wife’s car breaks down.

November 7, 2025greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

This is the way — fuck.

Not going to catch any major breaks today I think. So no point dwelling on it. Luckily we live very close to our inlaws so we had a vehicle to borrow so I can run the kids to school, and my spouse can do her fundraiser donut pick-up for her high school. No car pooling for her today. It’s been a bit of a production, this whole week has been mental. Glad it’s nearly done. I’ve got roughly ten to fifteen pages left on my report, and all three girls have Girl Guides camp this weekend so the dog & I have the run of the house to ourselves! W00t-w00t!

Movies, movies, movies… Dog walks, wood splitting, pizza and more movies! Yeah baby. It’s going to be awesome for the first four to six hours. Then it’ll be too quiet, and I’ll miss the lot of them. Oh well. I do have a social event tonight that I am driving a few friends to. I’ll be long gone, home, and asleep in bed before they even think about heading home, so I’m not on the hook to return folks to their homes, like I did after game seven of the world series.

Anyway, aside from car trouble, what else is new around here? I’ve had a couple of high view days, numbers that would have really gotten my heart going back before I had that 1,500+ day in July. I had a good many double digit views a few times over the last couple of weeks. Still do not know what they are attracted to though. For the best. I’m a weak man, I know even if I didn’t intend to I would start to pander. This way I’m just free wheeling like myself, numbers be damned! Ha. Authenticity. Yeah – that’s the ticket!

I’m not sure if at the end of this calendar year I should celebrate just how well my numbers are, or mourn the fact that this could very well be the peak, and from here on out it’ll just be an anomaly I cannot for the life of me manage to repeat without manipulation, or bots, or some form of trickery.

I’d be happy if I could get myself to start writing more short fiction once again. I have to remind myself that it was, in all honesty, actually fun to do. Using those brain muscles, and giving my typing thumbs a real work out every single day. I’ve just lost my desire for dialogue is all – no biggie.

Have a grand Ole Friday, and an even better weekend if you can. Ciao Bella!

Ten sixteen litre pails of rocks.

November 5, 2025greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

*The aftermath of ten 16 L pails of rocks pulled from the front field at the farm over the course of the last six weeks. (Fig 1.)*

Ever since I started to split wood at the farm in mid September the dog and I have pulled armfuls of rocks out of the tilled field each weekday. Some days we found more than others, but I eventually wound up with eleven separate piles along the north/eastern edge of the front field where the apple orchard isn’t. Those are in the next field directly north, across the farm. I’m working closer to the peach trees hidden behind a hedge row out of the direct winds.

Anyway, I have been meaning to grab a bucket and haul them away, but I was more focused on the picking them out of the field portion, and not the hauling them off to the culvert to dump them. Less fun, more tiring work lugging 90 lbs buckets over to the ditch to pour them out.

But with yesterday dental issue I thought my outdoor time was going to be severely limited, but it was a quick fix (read inexpensive) and I had my child back to school before recess was over. This meant I could cut the grass one last time purposefully, and mulch the remaining leaves with the mower. We’d just had a big storm so the trees are fairly bare now. Which also means no more leaves to worry about until Spring time! At least on my property. I’m sure we have leaves to do at the inlaws, and the cottage too.

After that task was done I took the dog back to the farm and brought six buckets from my shed with me. I had previously filled two yellow pails conveniently left by the field already that morning when walking the dog. So not only did I move six buckets out of my shed, but I moved eight full buckets of rocks, then went back for two more full bucket loads, and voila! Rock job now done. Until I locate any more that is!

But I have paid work now. So no rocks, and no wood splitting to do until I complete this report. After this one there are only two more (that I know of) on the books for this year. I could get surprised with one additional random report, but given the current state of the economy both north and south of the border, I don’t hold out much hope for extra cash flow making its way into my pockets.

But I have paid work now, and that’s all that matters right this second. I had best hop to it then! Have a great Wednesday in early November 2025.

The cold bleak November we all know & love has arrived.

November 3, 2025greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

*Dried sunflowers in the early morning breeze, on a gloomy November day. (Fig 1.)*

Halloween is over, the decorations have come down, dried off, cleaned and stored for the year. Leaves were raked, mulched and added to the garden beds. Nearly three hundred tulip bulbs were planted in those same beds. Last but not least the Dahlias were dug up, dried in the sun & breeze, and stored in the basement under a blanket for safe keeping.

Now we sit in the luminal spaces where we wait for Remembrance Day observances before the big gear up for Christmas. I DO NOT wish to hear Mariah Carey until after twelve noon on the eleventh. Let the vets have their time unmolested by billionaire divas nipping at their heels. Lay a wreath, take a quiet moment to reflect, then you can go whole hog into holidays of all shapes, sizes, and traditions.

I have blood work to do during mid day of the eleventh so I will wait until the twelfth to erect our tree, unless the kids want to help in which case we will assemble it on the Saturday of the fourteenth. We never celebrated Christmas until after my oldest brother’s birthday in early December, but my daughter likes the tree up, and the holiday themed gimmicks, so she wants the house done up well before. I find November to be bleak, and dreary, and so the lights and decorations are a welcome diversion from the grey, brown drabness of outdoors.

Soon I can dig up all the holiday classic movies so we can watch them all as a family, or independently. Likely I will watch a good chunk of them by myself while I wrap gifts, or clean up, or decorate the house. The next nice day we have (which could be as early as tomorrow) I will cut the grass one more time, and then put the Christmas lights up on the house. I won’t plug them in until after Remembrance Day, but I will put them up when the sun is shining, and the temperatures are above zero. I absolutely hate decorating in windy, sub zero conditions. Which is something my inlaws insist on doing. Waiting until the worst possible weather, and then spending fourteen hours getting next to nothing done because they want to argue about every cord, switch, and item position. Infuriating! So I get mine out of the way when it’s more pleasant out because I know the shit-show is coming along hot on my heels!

Today’s task, instead of splitting wood, was to dig up the last of the Dahlias at the farm for my mother in law. They are up out of the ground air drying in the cool breeze. Ready to be tagged, pruned, boxed up, and stored away wherever they decide to put their own flower bulbs.

*One last row of Dahlias dug up to air dry. (Fig 2.)*

I do not know what will become of all the left over peppers, and tomatoes, or any other vegetable still left in the patch. I imagine they will simply till them under. But it could go in the back of the trailer to head north and feed some deer by the cottage. I’m sure the last pumpkins, and squash will head north for that exact purpose.

They must have reworked the fields once more because I found another seventy five or so sizeable rocks and such which I picked up and enlarged my current standing piles. I have something like nine to eleven piles of rocks to dispose of. Could almost make a small chimney if I was one of those bush craft YouTubers. Make a tiny lunch time hibachi or stone BBQ for eating hot food out by the fields. Ha. Disaster waiting to happen!

Welcome back to Monday after what felt like the longest weekend I’ve had in a very long time. Halloween, two ball games, Wonderland, visiting extended family to trick or treat out of town, yard work, dog walks, five hours in a bar with friends, a time change, and the last moments of my wife’s week off of work. We were trying to do all of the things! I’m exhausted. Phew!

Ciao Bella!

Two books down, can I finish the last 25% of a book from 2024?

January 19, 2025January 19, 2025greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

As I thought it would happen my interests wavered and I leapt ahead to read “Mercy of gods” by James S A Corey before tackling the last 120 pages of the Aliens Omnibus I was already reading. The Mercy book was good fun, wish there was a follow up ready to jump into right now. The problem of jumping on a new book series right away is the interminable wait for the next installment. Luckily it wasn’t a massive book at just over 400 pages, so I could skim it a second time once I have the second book in hand, provided this one takes off like The Expanse series did. I feel like they were building a lot in the background so that the action & intrigue could take off in book two onwards. I liked it a good deal. But now I’m right back where I was pre Christmas holidays, trying to stay focused enough to finish this damn Aliens novel. I have three more to read on my TBR list for 2025, plus two Dune novels. I just pre ordered the fourth Lady Astronaut book about Mars from Mary Robinette Kowal, due out in March. The title escapes me, as I ordered it the second I discovered it was coming this year. I have greatly enjoyed the other three books, two of them especially, and one other was perfectly fine, no complaints.

I’m hoping for a new release from John Scalzi, George RR Martin, Robert J Sawyer, or any number of other authors to round out this years list. Or, on the flip side to come across a new writer whose work I enjoy and can start to dig through their back catalogue. Like how I found Adrian Tchaikovsky, and his Void series, and the space faring spiders series. That was a lucky break. I know I should read more widely, about topics, and genres, but I don’t like it to feel like homework. Nothing kills the vibe surrounding a book, like it feeling like a book report, or an obligation. Ugh! Yuck.

*Added some Adrian Tchaikovsky to my library.*

I found some authors by reading D & D novels geared at adolescents that was fortuitous, as I really loved those books. Unfortunately I don’t see a fifth Fart Quest book on the horizon, nor another entry for the Adventourous D & D series whose titles escape me, unless I go look. ** Dungeon Academy** Well—well, according to google AI there was to be a Fart Quest book 5 out in November of 2024, but I can not locate any other corroborating evidence for that statement, so my initial feeling still stands. It provided no title, and no synopsis, so my guess is, it’s not really a concrete thing.

I have my finger on the button ready to purchase Scott Lynch’s next Locke Lamora, Gentlemen Bastards book should it ever achieve a release date. Now there’s a series I really enjoyed a great deal. The first three books were all excellent. I could read those again without too much hesitation. While a tad on the long side for me now, at around 600 pages each, they are engrossing, and very, very entertaining. Lots going on. Many surprises to be reckoned with. Fantastic. Praise worthy each one of them.

I do wish Yann Martel would write another fiction book, as I have loved everything of his I’ve come across. Life of Pi, Self, Beatrice and Virgil, The facts behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, What is Stephen Harper Reading? . All of them were very positive experiences. Plus he’s Canadian, just like Robert J Sawyer!

You know who else I wish would release more books, Gail Z Martin, her Chronicles of the Necromamcer series was amazing, I bought all four books in the series, plus two more from The Fallen king’s Cycle, but that one didn’t take off, as I never saw a third entry. Maybe it was a pseudonym she was writing under, and her other works fared better in the long run. I don’t really know.

*Gail Z Martin representing PAGES on my shelves.*

I was also captivated by Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus trilogy. It’s geared toward youth, but I still loved every word of it. I’m not above reading a fun book geared at the YA crowd. It was a very pleasant series to read.

That’s my time for today. Go read something just for fun. A sentence, a paragraph, a page, a chapter. Whatever it is, go explore and have some fun! Ciao Bella.

Book One finished for 2025.

January 12, 2025greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

*If you hate sleep, and never want to do so again read this book, it’s terrific.*

First out of the starting blocks is Annie Jacobsen’s “Nuclear War” a terrifying look at just what a nuclear world war three will entail. A deeply researched, and terribly captivating look at the death of the world. A fast paced train wreck that ends with us all either vapourised, pulverized, chemically choked to death, starved, or crushed. If you don’t want to sleep anymore let this book gnaw at your subconscious for a spell. A memorable waltz down the lane to our doom. Spectacular. I bought this in September expecting to read it in 2024, but I got hung up trying to get through some Alien’s anthologies, and just couldn’t get to it in time. Fresh start with 2025 though.

*The Alien book that I’m 75% finished. Fewer than 100 pages to go! Should be book two with an asterisk for 2025.*

I bought two of these Alien omnibus’ with a third single story line book to add into the mix. It was supposed to be an easy 5 story/book add-on to my 2024 reading list. I however stalled out after completing 1.75 of the first two stories in the first book. I had just watched Alien : Romulus and was on a real kick for that type of easy reading. But it started to wear on me, and I slacked off in November & December as far as reading is concerned. This *Should* be my book two for 2025, but I have a feeling the next item on today’s list might usurp that spot.

*From the duo whom brought us “***The Expans***e” series of novels.*

I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be heavily drawn to reading this new universe from the writing duo known as James S A Corey as my actual second book this year. Things it has going for it: hard cover book with large type (my eyes aren’t what they used to be). A brand new story I know nothing about. It’s hard science-fiction but snappily written from what I can tell, similar to the other ten books of theirs which I own, and have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, I might add. The book isn’t too thick, which even though I am so close to finishing the other novel, visually puts me off as a mental obstacle. I know, I’m weak. I get it. I don’t have the stick with it—ness of a 1,000 plus page tome like I used too. I’ve gravitated towards better written short science fiction, but that might be due to brain rewiring from Covid-19 infection(s) from years previous. Hard to nail down. Anyway, I ordered this book ages ago, once I found out about it. Unlike video games I will jump on a favored authors pre-order so that I get a nice surprise delivery months, or years, later out of the blue. Sometimes those release dates get bumped or shuffled and I don’t bother to keep up to date on them. I do note when the release date I last heard of passes by, if no book arrives though. I have wanted to pre-order a Scott Lynch book, for his court of gentlemenly bastards line (sic) I don’t recall off the top of my head what it actually was. But he’s been ill, or suffered familial issues and his next novel has had its release date jump by a number of years. I’ll keep an ear/eye out for that should it come out. I like his stuff a great deal. It’s all very reminiscent of George R R Martin and his final entry into the Song of Ice and Fire “Game of Thrones” series. Waiting on baited breath for that let me tell you.

*Three more Alien stories to read in two books.*

*Final two books in the Dune series to go*.

Then I will have atleast three more Alien’s based books to read, and two more Dune novels to round of this years to-be-read list. I will likely order more throughout the year as I hear of my favourite authors releasing stuff I’m interested in. I like to aim for twelve in a year, but I don’t always hit the mark. In some years I go well over, and last year I did 11.75. I was a mere 100 pages from successfully completing my challenge. And yet… I managed to clutch defeat from the arms of victory. Oh well.

I figured out I was forgetting Fart Quest book four from last years count, and a second Adrian Tchaikovsky book from very early January last year which I forgot about. So I was really close to hitting my twelve, I really was. Even after 41 days of travel to Florida!

I read a single self help type book which one of my brothers recommended to me last year too. Luckily it was short, about 150 pages or so type of short. Not overly clinical either. Felt more like a long opinion piece where none of the statistical data /research gets mentioned all that much. Psychologists I guess!?!

I wish I could release this tomorrow, but it would only count towards today. I’ve tried delayed releases before, and it messes with my daily writing streak by attributing posts to the incorrect day. So two posts today! A big day in Greatwall Studious blog news.

Getting busier with work.

July 24, 2024July 24, 2024greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

The lull period is starting to become a distant memory as event season has kicked off with a flourish, which means report season is now starting! Phew! Glad for the work, not that I mind being a SAHP most of the time, but it is far easier to keep my business running if I have both outgoing, and incoming invoices. No good going weeks or months paying subscription fees waiting for a season, or quarter to kick off. Not that I have much say in the matter. Helps I’ve done this for nearly twenty years, and can plan for extended quiet periods. This too shall pass.

Now I play the time management tetris game where I carve out 3 hr blocks to tackle whole sections of my report, interweaving smaller projects in between that require more frequent review & edit sessions as the projects evolve. I also need to not try to do the whole lot in one fell swoop as that would take me 24 hours straight, and would ruin my wrist, and end my week with injury three days in. So that’s not the plan I’ll follow.

If I utilize four eight hour days, plus an extra eight hour day for soft proofing, and minor adjustments then I can hopefully get an 85+ page document off for review inside of a full workweek, including other clients work on top.

I do love my day planner & desk calendar combo. Not as much choice over at Staples as there once was. Not sure how, or why, but I have been using that combo which ends in July. And what I see available for 2025 starts in January. Very few 24/25 options that I could find, under $30.00 CND. I like the open flat, spiral bound day planner, not the week on a single page type. When things get busy i need a page per say to track edits, reviews, approvals, and printer contact info.

I like to track family stuff too, so I need room, when I need room. Which isn’t every day, week or month, but I’ll be sore if I don’t have it when required. The quality of desk calendars was lacklustre too. The ones laid out how I like were too large, and started on the wrong month. I suppose Amazon would have a greater selection, but I need to have it in hand now. Oh well.

I would like to buy a new office chair, and a larger white board. Things I can make do with what I currently have. Profits and productivity are way, way down this year compared to last. So fewer expenses the better, right now. Though I do enjoy lists, making lists, and working off of lists. The benefits of a larger whiteboard are minimal beyond just having the room to breathe while writing out longer lists.

It didn’t help that I needed to run errands this morning before I could start work. Bank was not accepting cheques in the machines, so that was an early time waster. Staples was open, nay – empty, but didn’t have the selection I was hoping from from years gone by. So I had to really gauge and weigh my needs against what was available, and what I know would work for me. Doing the rounds inside to triple check all spots where more, better, day planner/calendar options might be hidding. Unless I wanted to spend $60.00 or more, my options were fairly tight.

Afterwards I of course walked past the Apple laptop selection to see what sort of machine I could get, and how much I would have to look at spending. Not great. Very pricey, and not much going on inside the showroom demo versions. I need higher operating memory, and I need 1Tb of internal storage space. I work with too many photos, and design elements to skimp on storage. I’d love to be able to put a laptop in my bag and go anywhere, as my desktop is really unpleasant to move around. It can be done, but it’s a chore.

And thanks to an Apple update my printer nolonger works even though the extended ink cartridges I bought last September are still about 23% full. Something to do with nolonger supporting 8bit printers or something along those lines. My Canon inkjet is now a fancy anchor. Well shit. One day it worked, the next day they launch this patch, and my technology is bricked. Perfetto. Chef’s kiss. Fuck you. Couldn’t even opt out, just work up and the patch was live inside my computer. Love it. Fuck you.

Looks as though we are instore for a rainy Wednesday. Lord knows the farm needs it. That concrete level mud could do with a softening up. Ciao Bella!

One thing our town does really well…

June 30, 2024greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

Is invite a large number of varied food trucks & snack vendor stalls to our town events. Whether you are after blooming onions, popcorn, hot sauces, ice cream, Caribbean food, Asian cuisine, Texas bbq, sea food, funnel cakes or tacos, there is ample selection to choose from. Can’t forget poutine, fries, burgers, ribs, jerk chicken, and octopus. It’s all there whether you’ll eat it or not. I appreciate the variety, and the chance to try something new if I feel up to it.

Now excuse me while I go ice my hands after two very challenging tug of war bouts. Feels like I tried to dislocate each one of my knuckles on both hands, at every single joint. Palms are red and feel inflamed too. Wasn’t for lack of trying but us parents lost twice. Nine parents versus fifty kids. No wonder we were absolutely trounced. Ha. Oof! My fingers!

Haven’t done (IT) in a while.

June 29, 2024June 29, 2024greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

The IT in question is sculpting stuff by hand. Several months ago I began a Ninja Turtle bust on a walnut base plate, but it has sat untouched since there was snow on the ground, and I have gone to Florida twice since that point. I was taking some time to teach my oldest daughter a few things about making an appropriate armature, and building up the rough forms before you get too far into your sculpt. And by too far into the sculpt I mean working in details when the bulk of the forms (read muscle groups, fatty tissue deposits, bones, and general thickness) hadn’t been placed upon the armature yet. It can be pretty seductive, those fun details. But best to get the whole thing in order before you put hours into skin texture, clothes, or artful extras. But I digress.

I have five full blocks of clay left untouched. As a general rule, mainly because I am cheap/not rich, I limit myself to only one block of clay per sculpture. That way I can do more! I don’t always adhere to that rule, and I have been known to try to knock out two smaller items off of one 2lbs block of clay. Living on the edge here people! Watch out.

I also have a stock pile of Super Sculpey which I intend to use on a new fair entry. Not all at once. But I have enough I could do four 6-8″ tall busts along the lines of what I usually do. Ogres and beastmen of all types, goblins and gnomes, evil elves, and sailors alike. I have a minotaur that I sight copied from a fantastic sculptor from Greece. Whose name now escapes me. Fantastic sculptor though.

I could try a faircrow bust, of our event mascot, for this fall’s fair. That might garner some attention. Feels like pandering if you ask me. But whatever, at this point. Sculpting, much like any art form outside of the use of AI, is a use it or lose it scenario. Because I tend to go on a hot streak, and then move on for months st a time, I constantly have to relearn how things feel in my hands, and how the Clay’s react go my touch. If you don’t do it 24/7/365 you lose your sensitivity to it. I’m not paid to do it, so that’s ok with me. I can take a few days or a week or two to get back into the groove.

I do the same thing with wood working, playing guitar, writing short stories, and model building/painting with an air brush. My focus pulls from one to the other, on and on, all year through. I’m ok at a bunch of stuff, but not exactly a killer at any one thing. Duh!

On another note, I encountered a smell/sensation that reminded me of when I was really sick in 2015, and it has me a little spooked today. That was when I had EBV. Really unpleasant 6-8 weeks. Plus a nasty lung infection/pneumonia to go along with it. So… yeah. That’s not cool.

*Latest on the bench, been left untouched for months now.*

PHWOOMB!

June 10, 2024greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

What a weekend that was. All three dance recitals are now completed and we can sit down to rest for a bit. Lots of stuff going on this weekend along with traveling to & from the recitals. My niece had her 5th birthday party. We had a pa day where we watched a friends kids for the day, and we got rained on a whole bunch. Madness. And now I am exhausted. I’d love nothing more than to skip Domestic Duties Monday and just go back to bed for another three or four hours. Skip the laundry, skip the dishes, skip the floors and grocery shopping. Put them off until tomorrow and just lie in bed all day long.

Driving on the highways in torrential downpours is not my idea of fun. White knuckle driving is not my favourite. Though what’s with so many drivers using their four ways on the highway? Keep your day time running lights on for sure, but four ways seems a bit much, unless you are in distress or going to pull off the highway onto the shoulder. I’ll be the first to admit that driving with wheel splash and heavy rains is very unpleasant, and makes it extremely difficult to see. But if people have their daytime running lights on (which many do not, I might add!) Then you don’t need the distracting flash of fourways. Initially it looks like they’re all trying to change lanes, and then you notice it’s both lights going off intermittently. Odd behaviour. I don’t want odd behaviour on a highway, I want routine, predictable actions. Wild Cards need not apply.

*Flowers for the last performances (shows #5 & #6) of June* 2024.

We saw lots of examples of Ballet, Hip-Hop, and Lyrical dancing this weekend. I’m happy to report that their classes paid off, and their respective performances were rather good. Considering how much time we missed traveling for nearly a full month out of this training season. 15 days, 9 days, and then 16 more days. I didn’t notice any ill effects on their choreography.

It was a proud parent moment getting to see them do their thing, and to do it well. Lovely. Just lovely. Though, I could do without the senior classes bawling their eyes out on every performance because they’ve graduated out, and are moving on to college/university or other dance groups. That was a bit much. Poor taste to cry mid show, if you ask me. Use those feelings, for sure. But don’t bawl & whimper through your act. A bit much. But a talented bunch nonetheless.

So here we are, back to Monday – again. Next week is going to be a busy one aswell. Field trips and family in town for a visit. Ciao Bella!

Trying to do more things.

May 23, 2024greatwallstudiosLeave a Comment

Spent some time yesterday getting reacquainted with some of my hobbies after a fairly long break, due to travel, and various other things. I busted out the Karaoke for about an hour, and sang my way through my favourite songs, was even able to hit my current favourite twice! Even worked in some new (to me) songs I’ve been vibing with. That made me want to play guitar, so I did that for an hour as well. Jamming along to the JBL Boombox. It’s a concert in my office people. After I was done jamming, I pulled out my airbrush kit and finished off some cheapo 3d printed minis I had lying around. I did them up with a black base colour, then two shades of green, followed by a slime green dry brush. I plan to use this group as an undead/spectral horde. No need for fine detailing. Which reminds me, should I ever actually receive that Blacklist mi iatures I bought from Kickstarter 2.5 years ago, they’ll have all the details you could ever hope for, for a finely painted set of monsters and such. Followed that up by playing Diable 4 for a bit. Watched some baseball, and finished the night off watching a hockey game at my buddies place. We were hit with the mother of all tornado warnings (luckily for me my friend Leslie works for a weather tracking/mapping/research facility and was able to tell us we were really far south of where the actual threat was, but to be prepared for a heavy downpour and lightning) which was very helpful.

Today I had a moment so I took the inner frame of my resin kit and added a cohesive layer of light grey primer. I fear I thinned it too much. I hate having to unclog the machine once the primer kits off, but I might have gone overboard with the thinner portion. Live and learn. I’ll try it again with less thinner, see if I get better, and a more saturated (in colour) coating.

*My cardboard box spray booth. Mainly to collect over spray, and save the stuff around me from getting coated in misted paint.*

I was able to replace the innertube on my daughters bike the other day, cut the grass, and go grocery shopping, and do laundry. So it’s been a full week regardless of the holiday long weekend which we just celebrated.

If I can work in reading my book, rather than Twitter, and try to get some more of my Ninja turtle bust sculpted, all that’s left is to do some wood working and I’ve done just about everything, except painting on a canvas (which I substituted painting on minis, and on the resin kit so all good there) and trying to do some creative short story writing. It’s too much. I know I have a finger in too many pies, but I plateau and get bored fairly quickly. I find moving around between them all makes me like each one more, as it offers up some very different feelings, actions, and sense of reward for trying. Yeah I’d get much better and any one of them if I narrowed down to just one, possible two things, but I find that to be too inhibiting. Some of them I treat as seasonal endeavours, which really helps to open up the schedule to doing all of the things. Just not a once, this ain’t no fantasy camp for the arts here bud. That was college. Glad I went. Great times.

I personally would love to spend a week someplace where I could devote 16 hours each day to art stuff. I’d plan it like this.

8:00am wake up. 1hr work-out and a jog. 1hr for a shower and then breakfast. 2hr life drawing, 2hr painting, 1hr lunch, 1hr creative writing, 2hrs wood shop, 1hr music (playing an instrument or karaoke mixed) 2hrs sculpting, 1hr dinner, 2hrs free time (gaming/reading/model building etc…), in bed for midnight. For a week straight. Now that would be a vacation for the ages. That would be awesome, especially if there were talented folks there who you could ask for advice on stuff, or watch them for brief periods to learn new techniques. Fantasy artist camp. I’d go. I might squeeze in some computer software time to work in Photoshop & Illustrator to build some skills there too, if I had the option. A little skills workshop for the old day job wouldn’t go amiss.

I think my eldest daughter, and even my youngest might get a kick out of a retreat like that as they get older. My wife is quite crafty too. She used to paint rocks up as flowers, do beading, and stained glass projects. She might like it aswell now that I think about it. Ah, to dream.

It’s Thursday today. May 23rd I believe, of the year 2024. 2 years ago we had that massive Djericho storm that traveled 800km from Windsor to Montreal up the highway 7 corridor tearing up trees, rooves, and knocking down barns. Followed by a 26hr long power outage. What a day that was. Have a great day. Ciao Bella.

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