Napa's Riverfront Chalkart festival

Last Saturday I started out by going to Orchard Supply to pick up Carpenter's Chalk and some masking tape. Then I drove to the Riverfront area of downtown Napa. I checked in with a woman named Jill who showed me the designated spot where I was to rough out my chalk creation. It was a 4'X 8' space in front of the local Gelato store.

My friend Veda was going to be working on her creation next to me,around ten feet away.I began cautiously as I had only attempted this type of work on this type of surface once before in San Raphael last June ( it was well over 90º).

My neighbor Don Williams ( a flooring carpenter ) lent me his knee pads which proved to be so necessary for this sixty-two year old body of mine.I also had some latex surgical gloves that protected my hands along with gobs of #30 sunscreen which protected me from the harsh rays of the sun.Now I was ready for business.

I measured out a grid and marked off the squares using the carpenter's chalking device ( a first for me ) with a very helpful assistant named Brad.I began in the upper right corner as I laid down lots of blue aqua chalk smoothing it over with my hands as I went.Two hours went by and I was already spent!

Veda hadn't arrived but I suspected that she was taking her time driving over from Novato. I left my work for the first day and then went over to my nephew Edward's house to celebrate my sister Rita's 70th birthday party (see pic below).I went home that night and hit the sack early,knowing I had lots to accomplish on Sunday.

Getting up at 5:30am is not my usual M.O., but it felt good as I drove back down to Napa on Highway 29 as the sun was just beginning to rise.When I got to my spot, I could see that Veda had begun her own creation late Saturday, but she still had not arrived. I began drawing and smoothing out chalk as the morning moved on. Jill returned early with muffins, water, Large shading umbrellas and coffee to help start the day. All the chalk supplies we could think of were provided.It was going to be a long day.

Eventually, Veda returned later on Sunday, and again I was feeling tired yet nearly done with my piece at that point.Initially I had agreed to help Veda with hers, but begged off at the last minute.Even still,It looked like she and her friend Bill were about to bail out after an hour or two.The effort everyone put into these projects deserve an "A" for all their work.My nephew and his family arrived around 1pm and helped me with some finishing touches (see Mila and Miko below).I am very grateful for how it turned out, and may even do it again next year.This time I am certain that was better prepared than last time, but still have a lot to learn about chalk and sidewalk art.

High Dynamic Imagery

HDR is all the rage in digital photography. So, it is by no surprise that I made good use of that feature on my IPhone camera.The rocks I am presenting here are pretty, but they have been "enhanced" by the use of some filters that came with this little app called "Camera Plus". It is tempting to tweek and finesse each one of these pictures, but I don't want to give people the impression that these are how the rocks are going to look when people purchase them.

Wait a minute,I take that back. These rocks are going to look BETTER after you purchase them. ESPECIALLY if you go to the hardware store and pick up a black light. Their is nothing that will make these Spirit Rocks pop better than when the lights are out and they are sitting next your bed with a black light on them. Boo-Yah !

Pendants

To make a pendant is fun and a bit challenging. I only create designs where one could be certain that the person wearing it is having a joyful experience. The stone and it's adornments must have the "Bling" factor going on...so naturally, you would be wow'd by the fact that it shines brightly during the day, and will provide the extra bonus of glowing brightly and beautifully in the dark.If one of these things falls short, I won't make a pendant out of that rock.

The next thing I do is choose simple silver bale or drill a hole through the rock and and slip a pleasing nylon string through it.The neck string is adjustable, so it can be shortened or made longer as needed. It is very easy to get attached to these designs, and I sometimes have a hard time parting with them.

Justin Leary • Heart Flow

JUSTIN LEARY'S NEW ALBUM LINK

This music has been produced and arranged by my nephew, Justin who is a talented guitarist,vocalist,songwriter.Give a listen and download some GREAT music!(IMHO)Especially the song,"Disappearing Sun".

JUSTIN LEARY'S NEW ALBUM LINK

The Best of the best

This weekend I got a message from my nephew, Justin Leary from Australia. He is a musician who plays guitar and has arranged some pretty compelling music on CD. He has requested that I submit some art work for a new CD he is currently finishing up. I was honored to hear that he would like me to do that for him and we have worked out an exchange agreement. This week, I have enclosed a short video which showcases my best rocks and what they look like in the dark with my nephews music playing in the background. If you have Flash installed, Click on the link below and enjoy !

Your Spirit Rocks ! (video)

Rock of the week

My good friend Veda, recommended that I paint more "Urchin" rocks. These are fun to do because they have a natural oceanic look to them. I can almost picture them in an aquarium under a black light like the one shown below.

This week I went to the Veteran's home in Yountville to meet with the volunteer coordinator about having a workshop there. The meeting went well and among the ten people that were present came a variety of questions.Ultimately, I think they were concerned mostly about a budget which would not be a problem in my estimation, since I would be supplying many of the necessary utensils to hold the first actual workshop.We figured that it would not cut into their time either, since I was only looking at a few hours to present and demonstrate how I actually go about decorating a rock.I am hopeful that the initial workshop will be approved.

The only other meeting I had was with someone who may be able to have the gift rocks displayed for purchase at the Robert Mondavi Winery store. I am in the process now of creating a number or rocks that I think would be a "good fit".

We shall see...

Gratitude

Someone brought up the idea of Gratitude today as the Saturday Farmer's Market was getting started. It has been my experience that this is the best way to get through the day (... and life for that matter ).Many studies have been done around this topic, and even though it is not always the easiest thing to "tap" into, once a person has cultivated this attitude, miracles begin to happen.

Whenever I take the time to examine my conscience,To do a "spot-check" inventory to see where I am with my feelings of gratitude; It makes for a good barometer to see where I am out of sorts, or unable to be in alignment with my higher purpose.If you are low on the gratitude scale, may I suggest that you take some time out and focus on those things which you are thankful for; Simple things like "a good meal" or even "a smile from a neighbor"... then see where that takes you.

The picture above is one that really showcases what Your Spirit Rocks should look like after they have been sitting under a bright light for awhile.The glow will usually last for about five seconds before it begins to fade. The rocks still can be seen throughout the night,and will help guide your way in the dark (and hopefully through dark times).This is my wish for every person that has one.

Busy Weekend

Friday was the I (((heart))) gift expo at the Finley center in Santa Rosa. I met lots of folks from the area and it seemed that many of the vendors were also my customers that evening. It was the first time Your Spirit Rocks showcased in Sonoma county.It was a fruitful evening and the people were just great.

The next morning was the regular Saturday Farmer's Market in Calistoga. Even though you could call it a skeleton crew as far as the vendors were concerned, it was still a sunny and joyful experience. The morning chill however, meant that it took our visitors a long time before they finally had breakfast and came bay to peruse the market.Mike, from Santa Rosa Fish Market usually shows up around 9:30 AM and the locals all come swarming about that time.Most of my business occurred from 10:30 AM till noon.

Saturday evening, I drove to Fairfax to catch a free concert at the 19 Broadway Club. I was allowed to set up my table in the dark which proved to be a great place to show people how well the rocks glowed. My friend Veda help me set up and sell, for which I am very grateful.I finally packed up around 11:30 PM and drove back to Calistoga where I quickly climbed into my warm bed where I slept like a baby.

Your Spirit Rocks Poster Showcased at MacWorld !

This year, A "Your Spirit Rocks!™" poster was featured in the Digital Art Gallery at MacWorld. I secured to exhibition passes for my friend Veda and myself as we visited San Francisco for a wonderful adventure. Thankfully, we were allowed to keep the mounted piece at the end of the show, so it was a win-win for everyone.