The Journal Of Huck...

[Guido75]

That light in the last one you captured superbly. All look amazing Don!

Enjoy your quiet time!

Guido

 

[blethenstrom]

So Carmen is at the lake which gives me a few days to screw around with a few things I want to get done. One was a take-apart sketch table that worked out. Another is sketching out a portrait of my pal when he and I were young and foolhardy. Doing this to remind him of the good times we had and before the onset of his Parkinsons. Then I got down to doing another oil pastel. I'm really enjoying learning how to handle this particular media. Watched golf which also reminds me I should get out and swing the new sticks...I did buy them to play with. Did some journaling and that about wraps up my day. Cheers to you all.
These are 3 of my latest sojourns into oil pastels. I will be attempting other subject matter apart from landscapes etc.

View attachment 1848628View attachment 1848629View attachment 1848631

Those are great pastels! Very nice indeed!

 

[Eric_75]

So Carmen is at the lake which gives me a few days to screw around with a few things I want to get done. One was a take-apart sketch table that worked out. Another is sketching out a portrait of my pal when he and I were young and foolhardy. Doing this to remind him of the good times we had and before the onset of his Parkinsons. Then I got down to doing another oil pastel. I'm really enjoying learning how to handle this particular media. Watched golf which also reminds me I should get out and swing the new sticks...I did buy them to play with. Did some journaling and that about wraps up my day. Cheers to you all.
These are 3 of my latest sojourns into oil pastels. I will be attempting other subject matter apart from landscapes etc.

View attachment 1848628View attachment 1848629View attachment 1848631

Don, those are absolutely stunning.

 

[Jay21]

Absolutely amazing!

 

[huck1680]

Superb!

What a wonderful sense of light!

A beautifully detailed simplicity. Magnificently done.

Bravo!!

That light in the last one you captured superbly. All look amazing Don!

Enjoy your quiet time!

Guido

Those are great pastels! Very nice indeed!

Don, those are absolutely stunning.

Absolutely amazing!

Thanks to you gentlemen and everyone else who responded. Your opinions mean a lot to me and I'm glad you enjoyed the pastels. It's still a learning process but I'm now confident enough in what I'm doing to be able to show them to those whom I consider to be friends...which means you guys. These are from watching and copying tutorials on FB. I'm going to be trying to work from my own photos so they'd be originals in all senses. I think I'll be combining media as well. It doesn't matter. I'm just starting to explore doing art again in a meaningful way to me and it's going to have its ups and downs (as it should). But I'm just so looking forward to continuing my explorations and advancements. Going to journal all of it as well so it's a good thing I got those fountain pens and inks. Maybe even a dedicated "art" journal. Hmm.
So once again thanx to all for the kind words.

 

[Balin]

So Carmen is at the lake which gives me a few days to screw around with a few things I want to get done. One was a take-apart sketch table that worked out. Another is sketching out a portrait of my pal when he and I were young and foolhardy. Doing this to remind him of the good times we had and before the onset of his Parkinsons. Then I got down to doing another oil pastel. I'm really enjoying learning how to handle this particular media. Watched golf which also reminds me I should get out and swing the new sticks...I did buy them to play with. Did some journaling and that about wraps up my day. Cheers to you all.
These are 3 of my latest sojourns into oil pastels. I will be attempting other subject matter apart from landscapes etc.

View attachment 1848628View attachment 1848629View attachment 1848631

Beautiful work man! Of the 3 my favourite is second one, I really like the reflection.

You are talented .

Now my shaving dorkedness is coming out but the second piece of work reminds me of the A&E Asian Plum label .

Edited to add: My wife likes your first one best

 

[Phoenixkh]

Don, I just showed your work to my wife... She loves them too.... She's been oil painting for a couple of years now... I really need to get some of her stuff posted here.

Sharing your work like that is so personal. Thank you for trusting us enough to reveal your lovely art to us. Beautiful... all three os them....

 

[cajunrph]

Fantastic work Don, like Guido said, the last one capturing the the light just so in a forest passage is the bee's knees.

 

[LRod]

Fantastic work Don, like Guido said, the last one capturing the the light just so in a forest passage is the bee's knees.

I'm no artist (I can't even draw a straight line), but that forest scene is incredible. How you capture something like that with such contrast is beyond me.
You're mega talented Don!!

 

[Phoenixkh]

Our youngest son is a better than average photographer. He printed out one of his forest photographs with the light streaming through.... Your painting captured that mood... Wonderful.

 

[huck1680]

Today I shaved with my GreenCult2.0 with then III plate. The blade was a Perma-Sharp with now 7 trips on it. I used one of my Zenith boars with Stirling "Sheep" soap. This is a very good soap with a hint of...sheep. I have a cologne I like, Bulgari "Man" black cologne. I had previously sprayed some into my Canada Soap which is unscented. Came out with a very nice smell and no affect on the soap. So let's do this again. I sprayed some into the container and let it sit over night. The next morning I sniffed the soap and the very nice aroma of Bulgari was present with a hint of ...sheep. Well ok then. So I soaked the brush, lathered up and had a fine shave. 3 passes and I'm good for the day. I like what's happened with the soap and the cologne, I doubt I'll buy anymore unscented soaps as I have quite a few in all and should be good for years.
And here's another pastel I did yesterday. Very relaxing and enjoyable. I'm now going to start concentrating on my own stuff and see where that leads me.
Cheers!

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Well, I am in a chatty mood today. Watching, alternatively, golf, baseball and football...what a day!
We visited Cuba...not to an all expense paid resort like Varadero but to Havana, specifically a BnB in Havana. We went in May which is supposed to be a very nice time to travel to Cuba.
Now we landed in Havana at midnight or later. Anyway there was a driver there to pick us up in, well it was a car...kinda. I think the shocks were attached by strips of leather. So we're being driven into Havana and we have no idea if we'll make it. The ride was rough, swervy and waaay too fast given the car we were in.
We arrive at the mouth of a street that looks like it's been bombed. No street lights and we were left to make our way to our BnB. Casa 1932, halfway down the street, where we had to avoid ditches , rocks and no pavement.
Sigh...I'm thinking this is not a great start to the vacation. As a matter of fact I'm p***ed, royally. We heard good things about the place but well. Our host was Louis a very nice man who did little to assuage my growing displeasure with what was happening. Our room was fine...no AC. But at this point I'm not surprised.
We finally get to sleep and when I awake, I'm still not in a good mood. The breakfast was good and the people there were very friendly... but still so what?
Carmen in our BnB
View attachment 1701801
We step into the street and I can see that the city is making upgrades to the sewers etc which was the reason for the bombed-out Beirut vibe to the whole place.
Ok, I can feel my shoulders relaxing and I'm starting to unwind a bit...which is good because my wife has been very tense about my attitude so far. We start walking and looking and I start to get it...there's a lot of re-construction going on and it can be a pain. The farther we go the more I'm enjoying this place.
As you can see it's a combo of semi-destroyed or derelict buildings mixed in with places that have been looked after.
View attachment 1701779
The more we walked around the better I felt and the more I liked Havana and its people who were unfailingly polite. Very few beggars etc as they didn't want to run into the police who take a dim view of anyone hassling the tourists.
I really like the Cuban people but have to tell you they don't always tell the truth. I was told by several people that this was the "National Tobacco Month" where the folks who worked the govt cigar factories were allowed to sell cigars outside of the national stores. I believed them because now I'm gonna get some smoking' deals...right?
Well, we were directed through a maze of streets to a final place that had a number of boxes of cigars...from Churchills to the Imperials that Fidel smoked.
I ran a couple of hard deals for a box of 10 Churchills to a box of 25 Imperials. I'm so smart. We had to go to a money machine located somewhere and I had to take out specific amounts in a number of times to pay. All good. The guys wanted my sunglasses as well but I wasn't about to let my RE teardrop fighter pilot glasses go.

Now back at the BnB I cant help but brag to Louis about what a deal I got. He gave me one of the saddest looks and asked me if I had been to one of the govt cigar shops...I said no, because this was the "National Tobacco Month" and the workers were allowed to sell cigars outside the shops. You Can see where this is going...right?
He sighed and very gently told me that there was no such thing as a "National...". Well, I showed him the boxes with the official seals from the govt. Nope...they looked good but that was it.
So I had spent some good money for sh**e cigars. My wife laughed hard. I deserved it. Louis said I could've asked him and he would've driven me to the proper shops. But no I was too damn smart.
Well the box of 10 Churchills actually smoked ok but the Imperials were absolute crap. But as Louis said they were Cuban cigars at the very least.

Going from there we explored Havana and had a fine time. Went to the Hotel Nacional where we saw the bullet holes from the revolution and where the Mafia had their meetings in the 50s. All the cars were 1958 or earlier. That was it. Now a lot of the guys who own these vehicles have converted them to diesel engines from farm equipment. They also cut the roofs off to create convertibles for the tourists. We took a tour in a 58 TBird which was one of two on the island and the only one running on the original gas 390 cu.in engine. Pretty cool. Our driver was a funny guy who was a teacher but made more money driving than teaching. It was the same all over, you could be a welder and you made more working in a restaurant. The welder we met said he made approx $30 US per month. Wow! For example, if you wanted to build a hotel...ok. But you didn't do the hiring, that was left to the Cuban govt who charged you what they felt was the proper price. The govt then paid the workers, guess who made the money?
The Tbird, such a pretty car.
View attachment 1701797
View attachment 1701804
So from here it was a variety of things fro seeing the forts that guarded the entrance to the harbour to more cars and some exceptional restaurants. Hint...stick with the seafood/chicken...the beef/pork isn't as good as you'd hope.
Also a CHE building. There was one of Fidel as well.View attachment 1701814
View attachment 1701805View attachment 1701812View attachment 1701813
One of our favourite vacations...for the most part. The Imperials I gave away as Cuban cigars...dont smoke them.
And it was hot...mid 30s C. Not supposed to be that warm but it was. A great place to visit but stay away from "National Tobacco Week".
Cheers to you all.

... Travel to Cuba...What to See and Do

"I love [traveling]. I've been to almost as many places as my luggage [and garment] bags". Bob Hope

 

[Eric_75]

Today I shaved with my GreenCult2.0 with then III plate. The blade was a Perma-Sharp with now 7 trips on it. I used one of my Zenith boars with Stirling "Sheep" soap. This is a very good soap with a hint of...sheep. I have a cologne I like, Bulgari "Man" black cologne. I had previously sprayed some into my Canada Soap which is unscented. Came out with a very nice smell and no affect on the soap. So let's do this again. I sprayed some into the container and let it sit over night. The next morning I sniffed the soap and the very nice aroma of Bulgari was present with a hint of ...sheep. Well ok then. So I soaked the brush, lathered up and had a fine shave. 3 passes and I'm good for the day. I like what's happened with the soap and the cologne, I doubt I'll buy anymore unscented soaps as I have quite a few in all and should be good for years.
And here's another pastel I did yesterday. Very relaxing and enjoyable. I'm now going to start concentrating on my own stuff and see where that leads me.
Cheers!

View attachment 1850018View attachment 1850020

Great work, Don.

 

[Phoenixkh]

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Well, I am in a chatty mood today. Watching, alternatively, golf, baseball and football...what a day!
We visited Cuba...not to an all expense paid resort like Varadero but to Havana, specifically a BnB in Havana. We went in May which is supposed to be a very nice time to travel to Cuba.
Now we landed in Havana at midnight or later. Anyway there was a driver there to pick us up in, well it was a car...kinda. I think the shocks were attached by strips of leather. So we're being driven into Havana and we have no idea if we'll make it. The ride was rough, swervy and waaay too fast given the car we were in.
We arrive at the mouth of a street that looks like it's been bombed. No street lights and we were left to make our way to our BnB. Casa 1932, halfway down the street, where we had to avoid ditches , rocks and no pavement.
Sigh...I'm thinking this is not a great start to the vacation. As a matter of fact I'm p***ed, royally. We heard good things about the place but well. Our host was Louis a very nice man who did little to assuage my growing displeasure with what was happening. Our room was fine...no AC. But at this point I'm not surprised.
We finally get to sleep and when I awake, I'm still not in a good mood. The breakfast was good and the people there were very friendly... but still so what?
Carmen in our BnB
View attachment 1701801
We step into the street and I can see that the city is making upgrades to the sewers etc which was the reason for the bombed-out Beirut vibe to the whole place.
Ok, I can feel my shoulders relaxing and I'm starting to unwind a bit...which is good because my wife has been very tense about my attitude so far. We start walking and looking and I start to get it...there's a lot of re-construction going on and it can be a pain. The farther we go the more I'm enjoying this place.
As you can see it's a combo of semi-destroyed or derelict buildings mixed in with places that have been looked after.
View attachment 1701779
The more we walked around the better I felt and the more I liked Havana and its people who were unfailingly polite. Very few beggars etc as they didn't want to run into the police who take a dim view of anyone hassling the tourists.
I really like the Cuban people but have to tell you they don't always tell the truth. I was told by several people that this was the "National Tobacco Month" where the folks who worked the govt cigar factories were allowed to sell cigars outside of the national stores. I believed them because now I'm gonna get some smoking' deals...right?
Well, we were directed through a maze of streets to a final place that had a number of boxes of cigars...from Churchills to the Imperials that Fidel smoked.
I ran a couple of hard deals for a box of 10 Churchills to a box of 25 Imperials. I'm so smart. We had to go to a money machine located somewhere and I had to take out specific amounts in a number of times to pay. All good. The guys wanted my sunglasses as well but I wasn't about to let my RE teardrop fighter pilot glasses go.

Now back at the BnB I cant help but brag to Louis about what a deal I got. He gave me one of the saddest looks and asked me if I had been to one of the govt cigar shops...I said no, because this was the "National Tobacco Month" and the workers were allowed to sell cigars outside the shops. You Can see where this is going...right?
He sighed and very gently told me that there was no such thing as a "National...". Well, I showed him the boxes with the official seals from the govt. Nope...they looked good but that was it.
So I had spent some good money for sh**e cigars. My wife laughed hard. I deserved it. Louis said I could've asked him and he would've driven me to the proper shops. But no I was too damn smart.
Well the box of 10 Churchills actually smoked ok but the Imperials were absolute crap. But as Louis said they were Cuban cigars at the very least.

Going from there we explored Havana and had a fine time. Went to the Hotel Nacional where we saw the bullet holes from the revolution and where the Mafia had their meetings in the 50s. All the cars were 1958 or earlier. That was it. Now a lot of the guys who own these vehicles have converted them to diesel engines from farm equipment. They also cut the roofs off to create convertibles for the tourists. We took a tour in a 58 TBird which was one of two on the island and the only one running on the original gas 390 cu.in engine. Pretty cool. Our driver was a funny guy who was a teacher but made more money driving than teaching. It was the same all over, you could be a welder and you made more working in a restaurant. The welder we met said he made approx $30 US per month. Wow! For example, if you wanted to build a hotel...ok. But you didn't do the hiring, that was left to the Cuban govt who charged you what they felt was the proper price. The govt then paid the workers, guess who made the money?
The Tbird, such a pretty car.
View attachment 1701797
View attachment 1701804
So from here it was a variety of things fro seeing the forts that guarded the entrance to the harbour to more cars and some exceptional restaurants. Hint...stick with the seafood/chicken...the beef/pork isn't as good as you'd hope.
Also a CHE building. There was one of Fidel as well.View attachment 1701814
View attachment 1701805View attachment 1701812View attachment 1701813
One of our favourite vacations...for the most part. The Imperials I gave away as Cuban cigars...dont smoke them.
And it was hot...mid 30s C. Not supposed to be that warm but it was. A great place to visit but stay away from "National Tobacco Week".
Cheers to you all.

... Travel to Cuba...What to See and Do

Huck:
After reading your post, awesome pics & the above Cuba link...the Misses and I are 'definitely' going to Havana...it's on our .

"A vacation used to be a luxury, but in today's world it has become a necessity". Anonymous

 

[Guido75]

I'm no artist (I can't even draw a straight line)

Here I am thinking you draw lines in the sky with your planes!

 

[Guido75]

Greencult is always a nice choice Don! Using my GC1 tomorrow actually.

Great painting again by the way .

Cheers,

Guido

 

[huck1680]

Well Carmen is in Vancouver with the grandson to see Inter Miami Cf vs the Vancouver Whitecaps play football. What's turning out to be a huge day has turned out to be less than so. Tickets were sold out and 50,000 are expected to be there. It turns out that Miami will not have Messi and Suarez (the no.s 2&3 in scoring) with the team.This is hugely disappointing, I know the grandson will enjoy the match anyway, he is a big fan of football, but Vancouver even had to issue apologies and some freebies to hopefully mollify the spectators. Her tickets are pretty good and Carmen could've sold them a month or so ago for close to $10,000 CDN. Seriously. That's how excited people were about getting to see Messi. Now not so much. We are going back to Vancouver to see the FC Wrexham play the Whitecaps for a mini vacation. We both really enjoy watching the documentary series "Welcome to Wrexham" about the football club that Ryan Reynolds and the other guy (McElhenney)bought. Very interesting and hilarious.

Got my new Shield SS DE razor yesterday and I'm looking forward to using it later today. I'm going to see Tapeface at the Casino show lounge here in Regina with my SIL, her husband and a friend of theirs. Carmen was going to go but she's in Vancouver watching no-show Messi. Tapeface was on Americas Got Talent and besides touring has a show in Vegas. I really cant remember what he was like on AGT but will find out tonight. Supposed to be funny.

Aaaand here's a pic from one of Carmens relatives showing what the roads were like yesterday in Manitoba headed to Brandon. She lives in Dauphin and you have to go through the park where we have our cabin to get to Brandon. We're going there next Mon/Tue. Not sure exactly where the pic was from but you get the general idea.

 

[Balin]

Doesn't Manitoba know its almost June . My sister and family will be at the Whitecaps game also, she was excited to see Messi, now I know what to say to her on our Sunday call to wind her up .

 

[LRod]

Doesn't Manitoba know its almost June . My sister and family will be at the Whitecaps game also, she was excited to see Messi, now I know what to say to her on our Sunday call to wind her up .

It was 98F today here in Central Florida and the heat index was over 100F
Scorching hot!