Five Dollar Late Fee & My Trash Can

Trash pick up is normally on Fridays on my little street in Northside, but due to President's Day, the pick up day is pushed forward one day to Saturday morning. Last night I forgot to take my trash can out to the curb so this morning when I was having my coffee and watching the news of the world, I heard the big truck moving down my street. I jumped up and looked out the window and saw the truck moving towards my house. I ran downstairs and out the front door and said to the man standing along side the truck, "I have one can, can you wait?" And, then I ran to grab my trash can and make my way back to the front and next to the truck. The sanitation worker met me with a smile as I handed him my can and said smiling, "there is a $5.00 late fee", and emptied my can into the truck and handed me back my can. That exchange put a smile on my face and I went back inside and drank my coffee. You all have a nice weekend.

Saturday Is For Art: The Altarpiece in Progress

These 3 photos show the 3 painted parts of the altarpiece. The top photo is the 2 doors, the second photo is painting in the case and the bottom photo is the inside of the 2 doors. No part is finished, as all are works in progress.

The Altarpiece: Painting is Coming Along

The last few weeks I have been painting the altarpiece. The work is coming along nicely and I hope to have a few photos to post later.

Stay tuned.

The Altarpiece: Drawing For The Case

The drawing for the case is not finished; however, most of the drawing is complete. The next part is the drawings for the inside of the 2 doors.

The Altarpiece: Drawing & Painting

These 3 photos show work in progress. Drawing and redrawing, painting and repainting, and so it goes. The top photo is the outside of the 2 doors, the middle photo is the inside of the 2 doors, and the bottom photo is the case. Little by little it gets done. The red oxide is underpainting for gold acrylic paint as in the top photo.

Madoff is talking: More Than One Pair of Hands

The news this morning is that Bernie Madoff is talking about the $65 billion dollar ponzi he ran. If you go back and read what I wrote on January 11, 2009, when the news first broke about Madoff and how much money that at the time they figured to be lost, I said, it takes more than one pair of hands to do this. Now Madoff is talking a little, we can see that a $65 billion dollar ponzi scheme takes several pairs of hands. It will be interesting to see just how powerful those at the top are, and whether their power can save them from the law and ultimate justice. My personally opinion is that a few smaller fish may get prosecuted, but the big big fish will swim free. The big big fish build fire walls around themselves so that no blood or shit gets on them.

Stay tuned.

Saturday is For Art: Watercolor Paintings by Si Zigler

Simeon Zigler was born in the Ukraine in 1911 and emigrated to the United States in the early 1920's. The family experienced the affects of the First World War, the Bolshevik Revolution and the Civil War by the White Russians and all the terror that was brought on the Russian Jews of their time. Si took night classes at the Cincinnati Art Academy in the late 1920's and eventually gave up on a career in art as a result of the Great Depression that hit in the 1930's. In the mid 1950's, Si decided to take up his art again and chose watercolor as his medium. Never having painted in watercolor, he began his quest to develop technic and style. Above are four watercolor paintings by Si Zigler. Prints of The Fiddler painting are for sale for $95. or framed for $199. Anyone interested in purchasing a print can email me at: fdzigler@yahoo.com.

The Altarpiece: The Underpainting

A couple of update photos. The top photo is the 2 doors, and the bottom photo is the case. GOLDEN red oxide is used as an underpainting before GOLDEN acrylic gold is applied. GOLDEN liquid paints cost a little more, but spread very nicely and have excellent covering power.

The Altarpiece: Primer & Underpainting

The primer coat and sanding is done. The underpainting begins. Using red oxide by GOLDEN. Not sure about what to put on the inside of the 2 doors, but I have some of it resolved. More updates later.

Stay tuned.

The Altarpiece: Construction Phase End Is Near

The construction phase of the altarpiece is nearly completed. Just a few more adjustments and I think I will be ready for some primer. Here are 2 pictures of the progress as of Sunday afternoon. The bottom photo shows a pattern cut from cereal boxes.

The Altarpiece: Another Update

The weather Friday was nice enough to permit me to get my table saw out and do a little cutting. The doors are now attached to the case. One door has molding glued and nailed to the inside (not shown). I need to cut a stop for the 2 doors so they will stay in place when the doors are closed. I might use a very small and thin piece of wood molding to outline the front of the doors to dress them up a bit. Once the wood working is complete, I will remove the doors and take the hinges off and begin the primer. I have addressed some of the cosmetic issues on the outside of the case with wood filler and sanding. I like working with wood, and I have since I was a little boy growing up in Avondale. I used to scrounge around the neighborhood for discarded pieces of wood so I could take them home to build something. Now I am an old man and can get as much wood as I need, but I do not have the energy of that little boy. The construction of the altarpiece is nearly complete. The next stage after the primer coats will be the drawings and making patterns for some of the art work.

Stay tuned.

The Fiddler by Si Zigler (1911-69)

I am now prepared to offer prints of The Fiddler by Si Zigler (1911-69) for $95.00 unframed. The original painting was done in watercolor by my father and several people have expressed an interest in obtaining a print of this piece of work. The print is on high quality archival paper and measures 19"x13". Framed, matted and under glass, The Fiddler print is available for $199.00 and that includes handling and shipping to anywhere in the USA. If anyone is interested in a print, please email me for further instructions, or leave an email address under comments.

Stay tuned.

The Big Short by Michael Lewis

This morning I watched and listened to Michael Lewis on Morning Joe on MSNBC. His best selling book THE BIG SHORT is now available in paperback. I will have to get a copy. Michael Lewis some 25 years ago or more worked for a brief time for Salmon Brothers in London, England on their bond desk. When he wrote LIAR'S POKER, I read it and knew immediately that this is someone who has worked with bonds and the people that work trading bonds on an institutional trading desk. Michael Lewis does not need any help from me, he is an established writer with several well received books. I encourage anyone that is interested in the recent financial crisis of 2007-2008 to read this book.

The Altarpiece: An Update
The Altarpiece is coming along. I have been working on the cosmetics of the case the last few days with wood filler and sanding. Sunday, I got an idea from my son with regards to the altarpiece. At first, I dismissed the idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. I think I am going to go with it. It will mean more work, but the kind of work I love to do, so this project, as I have said before, changes with time. A project that starts out as just a sketch on a piece of paper evolves as it takes form. Those of you who have read a little art history or articles about artists know that paintings get reworked right on the canvas many many times. In fact, one of the ways that an original piece can be detected with the use of x-ray is the many changes that were made by the painter on his way to the final version.

Stay tuned.