Opinions

Subject: Re: Opinions Sun Oct 31, 2010 10:23 pm

Bella, this one is better than that other crappier one. Seems more deliberate. Colorful.

Looked up "crapper". Looks like crap comes from old French "crappe" meaning waste or siftings, meaning, crap. Not from the toilet improvement guy in the 1800's named Crapper.

I've only seen outhouse tippings twice, in 2 different episodes of King of the Hill. Both times they were occupied. Saw an outhouse launching in the trailer for the newest Jackass movie. It was occupied. Saw an outhouse (latrine) blown up, and another's walls dropped in 2 episodes of M*A*S*H. They were also occupied.

Subject: Re: Opinions Sun Oct 31, 2010 10:57 pm

Ah-----But they weren't true hillbilly outhouses. Traditionally, around my neck of the woods, a lot of men took guns and dogs with them at night to keep the critters at bay. Few things are more dangerous than a gun toting man with his pants down and his outhouse in ruins around him. (or so I've been told)

All before my time, of course. But I grew up hearing my grandmother tell the story of her father's halloween vigils in the outhouse with a shotgun full of rock salt and a gleam in his eyes.

So why on Earth were they "the good old days"?

Subject: Re: Opinions Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:47 am

You can't sit in your bathroom with a shotgun full of rock salt and shoot all tresspassers without going to jail and getting sued anymore.

You can't let the plant life take over your yards anymore without the Home Owner Association or Neighborhood Watch or some other goody-goody "safety" people coming down on your head, probably with fines.

There weren't any telemarketers calling you when you're busy and greeting you by your first name like it's a long lost friend. The traveling salesmen came to your door. You don't like him, you get the satisfaction of slamming the door in his face and on his feet. If they don't leave, you pelt them with rock salt and sic the dogs on them.

The world was a better place. You didn't hear about every crime committed everywhere else in the world. The world consisted of your neighborhood and the nearest big city.

Subject: Re: Opinions Mon Nov 01, 2010 10:53 am

well said, lego!

Subject: Re: Opinions Mon Nov 01, 2010 2:04 pm

Yes, but you had to go to the outhouse when you had to use the bathroom. If you got up in the middle of the night, you'd have to trudge in the dark and/or cold and/or snow and bare your bum over a hole that might or might not have a snake or a critter or insects in it.

In the summer there was no air conditioning. In the winter, you had to rely on wood burning stoves or fireplaces. You couldn't call mom when you felt like it, you had to send a letter that might take weeks to arrive.

Women couldn't own property or vote.

Subject: Re: Opinions Mon Nov 01, 2010 3:34 pm

No, no, no! She asked for why they WERE the good old days. You listed why they WEREN'T. Except for

DonnaKat wrote:: Women couldn't own property or vote.

which I'm sure a lot of men consider part of the good old days.

I've used chemical toilets (read: outhouses that smell like poop and chemicals) in hiking areas. At night. In the cold. At least the snakes were asleep in the cold. The raccoons were out. I don't think there were bears in my vicinity, but there were probably cougars. No, I didn't see them.

Subject: Re: Opinions Fri Nov 19, 2010 5:58 pm

OK, It's your own fault. You did say you wanted to see my barns. (Sorry Julie, not a silo in the bunch.)

Barn:

Opinions - Page 3 DSCN0048

Winter Farm:

Opinions - Page 3 DSCN0047

Subject: Re: Opinions Fri Nov 19, 2010 6:03 pm

Woops, sorry. A bit large. Should I resize them?

Subject: Re: Opinions Fri Nov 19, 2010 11:40 pm

you have an incredible talent. thanks for sharing!

Subject: Re: Opinions Sat Nov 20, 2010 7:22 pm

Very nice barns. I like the change in plank directions.

Subject: Re: Opinions Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:50 am

LegoJulie wrote:: Very nice barns. I like the change in plank directions.

Me too. You could see the thing was put up for service not beauty. Not a fancy, city-fied, picturesque type barn.

Subject: Re: Opinions Tue Mar 15, 2011 5:50 pm

Once again I ask for opinions, 'cause I can't judge my own scribbles.

I promised a friend a little bit of decoration for her new apartment. She ask for a smallish picture flowers in black and white to go in her bedroom. I thought about just doing an ink drawing, but you know me, I tend to complicate things. So here's a try at white on black. I've done them before but never for flowers.

Opinions - Page 3 Cindysflowers1

So is this OK, or should I try again the normal way? On the other hand, maybe I should just buy her a vase and forget about being "artsy". What do you think?

Subject: Re: Opinions Wed Mar 16, 2011 4:30 am

I think it's gorgeous, Shar. If anything, I'd suggest you do more so she could have a trilogy of different flowers.

Subject: Re: Opinions Wed Mar 16, 2011 9:13 pm

That is beautiful! I love the effect of the white like that with the black.

I like Nay's suggestion. That would be really cool to do several of them with different flowers and positions each time.

Subject: Re: Opinions Thu Mar 17, 2011 11:48 am

Esta bella, Bella! I'm thinking pairing that with a black or pencil or charcoal on white.

Subject: Re: Opinions Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:36 pm

**sigh**

I know I couldn't try to force myself to paint or scribble, but I never learn. Here's the second one. It isn't as nice as the first but it will at least give her a choice. Maybe i should go back and rework it? It needs something -----probably a new scribbler. Very Happy

We won't even talk about the failed watercolor. It looked like a coloring book page done by a seven year old.

Subject: Re: Opinions Sat Mar 19, 2011 8:58 pm

Need something in the background. Leaves, vines, stems, Baby's Breathe, lace, I don't know. Flowers aren't naturally just the head. Maybe having 2 of them head on is what's making it feel strange.

Subject: Re: Opinions Sat Apr 09, 2011 3:20 pm

She seemed to like the daffodils. It looked better once it was properly matted and framed.

****sigh****

I've been at it again, trying to paint lighthouses. (Julie, try to think clean thoughts ---at least I didn't put a couple of boulders at the base .)

I like the concept of this one, but I think the next try will be better. What does everyone think?

Opinions - Page 3 DSCN0067

BTW--It being a photo, the colors aren't true.

Subject: Re: Opinions Sat Apr 09, 2011 11:01 pm

Nice lighthouse. Great birds. The closest bird bothers me though. Feels weird, like the perspective is off, with the lead bird and lighthouse almost in the same plane, little lighthouse, giant gulls. Also, the slight lean of the lighthouse towards the bird looks to me like the lighthouse is chasing the giant birds. I could also be high on Honey Smacks.

Subject: Re: Opinions Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:58 pm

I like the perspective. The birds being larger seem right to me. It gives some depth to the picture, for one thing. Like the lighthouse is a distance away from the birds.

Subject: Re: Opinions Sun May 15, 2011 2:48 pm

How about this one? Too dreary?

Opinions - Page 3 DSCN0066

Subject: Re: Opinions Sun May 15, 2011 5:46 pm

Yah, dreary. But nice looking. The brown plants and bare rocks remind me of the drought we're having here.

Subject: Re: Opinions Sun May 15, 2011 8:36 pm

Yes, kind of dreary. I may not have thought that had you not mentioned it though. I agree with Julie, dreary is not necessarily bad. At least when it comes to art. It depends on the mood you want to instill in the viewer. Sometimes that mood is a sad one.

Subject: Re: Opinions Wed May 18, 2011 3:46 pm

I prefer to use the word 'moody' to describe it, Shar. With an unusual mixture of brown and blue so close to each other, this is rather simple and clever.

Subject: Re: Opinions Wed May 18, 2011 10:53 pm

Truthfully, my depression has made it hard for me to paint anything lately, but when I try, it seems to end up in grayed or brown washes.