More Exploration

We're all on a road to discovery, like it or not. Every day something new comes before us to see, like or dislike, enjoy or toss--but it's all part of the journey.

In my Art Journey I'm exploring a lot of mediums, and having a good time doing it! This past week I've made about 20 ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) through collage, photography and painting. I've painted three little cars as part of an altered car swap, I made my first watercolor painting (not too bad), and am pondering the wire flux welder sitting in my garage!

It's scary, and is probably one of the biggest challenges I've come across in a long while. You can't see or feel what you are doing, because you have to protect your eyes with a black lens, and your hands with thick leather gloves. And then you have to guide a thin wire along the seam between two pieces of metal you want to join at an even pace without melting the whole thing because it's spitting out a zillion degrees of electric current!

My first effort was pitiful, but I'll try until I get it. I have plans for that welder!

The Glimmer-Mobile!

Here it is--Well this is not an actual picture of MY car, but the same year, model and color(except for the sunroof, none on mine!). In all the rushing to the DMV and back again, I forgot my camera today or I'd have a real pic. It's lovely to drive! All sorts of power this and that, and air conditioning! My Neon's A/C had stopped working two years ago, and I got really adept at finding shady parking spots all around town. No more of that!

Anyway, it's fun to have something new and NICE for a change! Its silvery shimmer in the sun is very satisfying to the sparkle-loving crow in me!

"New" Car!

Tonight after work, I go pick up my new-to-me 2001 PT Cruiser! My trusty 95 Dodge Neon is still running fine, with over 178k miles on it, but I need a taller car because of my bad knees. The Neon sits too close to the ground. As luck would have it, I found a great deal on this PT Cruiser and was on the spot the first one to look at it, and put "dibs' on it while I scrambled around trying to put the money together. For a change, things worked out all the way around, because now, my son, Terry, aka Vaughn(He really wants to change his name and I'm trying to get used to calling him that, really I am!) has been driving a total gas hog, a 93 chevy blazer stuck in 4WD to make his thrice-weekly 50 mi roundtrips to dialysis. Two thirds of his miniscule Social Security income has been going into that gas tank every month!! We're having to help him along with food and sundries, and he sleeps on the floor at my mom's house because it's the only space available. Even if there was a Housing authority apartment or room come available, he doesn't have the money to move in! This kidney disease is hard on a 33 year old who still would like to have some semblance of a life! Anyway, I'm giving him the Neon--its 32 mpg will help a lot, and he can sell the truck and use that money for gas and registration and insurance for a while.