From Ashes to Art Shows

I am fantastically rich!Not in this timeline, but according to the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once there are a couple of timelines where I can take the private jet to London (OK, maybe just upgrade to those flat beds, but still).In this timeline I still have to work for it… really, really work for it. While I’m certainly rich with friends and a home and relatively good health, hotels and airlines prefer my money (I guess they already have enough friends?)My life has been littered with Shoulda, Coulda, and Woulda. Some so noteworthy that I thought I’d share them...

“Tag! You’re it!” I never really liked that game. You’re popular for one moment, then everyone scatters like you’ve got cooties or something. That’s what it first felt like when I joined Instagram. Except I had to keep tagging myself. But people still scattered. In “Insta” (or “The Gram” as it was called in my day) you have to use #Hashtags… that’s the old pound sign (or number sign for you Boomers) followed by some magical word that’s supposed to get everyone to flock to you. This was before Reels, mind you, so they were really, really important at the...

“It has to look EXACTLY like him,” she insisted. “Got it,” I replied. “I mean, EXACTLY,” she reiterated. Yeah, I got it. I really do. Whenever I do a pet portrait, I understand the importance of capturing their loved one. This isn’t just their PET… this is their child, their companion, the center of their world. One eye off, one tilt off kilter and it’s no longer their “baby.” That’s why I always take extra time and pour in extra love when I make those portraits. For everything else, I use reference photos. Ones I pay for and not just...

“Do you do people?” Usually when someone tries to make a conversation at the shows, they invariably mention, “do you do (something you don’t do)” It might be drawing in color, or painting or just an animal they don’t see in the collection. It’s fine, usually I explain that ballpoint pen is a niche that’s getting me a lot of attention… or tell them that it’s something I’d like to get into in the future… or I just politely say “that’s a great idea!” I’ve drawn people before, and much prefer the subtlety and versatility of pencil. Occasionally, something special...

I really don’t think my mom meant the unfortunate consequences of being helpful. She just didn’t want to see me struggle. You see, I was born a couple of weeks premature. Nothing serious, but I was only five pounds and had to spend some time in an incubator. That’s probably why she called me her “little chicken.” In her arms, and her eyes, I was too fragile to make it on my own. It must’ve been then that she decided I needed to be protected. If anything went wrong, she would “save me” …  if I couldn’t get it done...