What Happened to December?

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM CHRIS AND JIM

Well I have to say it's never a month for lots of studio time. I usually take the month off from the studio and after two shows (you can still catch them at HumanArts in Ojai and Santa Barbara Arts in Santa Barbara) I felt like I needed it. So this post is mostly me me me and not much art.

I promised myself I would finally get to know photoshop and after at least 15 hours of online classes I'm still overwhelmed with that program. I was able to put together the little collage above. But I fear anything I do- I do it pretty backwards.

We did have some fun things going on here listed in reverse order. We had a "Science Breakfast" featuring the guest brain of Richard Kron who is the brother of our friend Virginia (Cello player-see house concert below). Richard is a renown astronomer who works at the Fermi Lab at the University of Chicago. He working currently on the search for dark energy. We invited friends who are interested in all things astronomical and as you can guess I mostly spaced out (realy no pun intended) and did the dishes. It was a big hit.
Some grainy photos. Why can't I get along with my camera!?
And why was I incapable of understanding a word that was said? Good thing the food was good. We made frittatas with sausage and spicy coffee cake. Yum.
Complete with a slide show of some pretty cool Hubble telescope photos.

The 2010 "I WAS A TEENAGE FILM SCHOOL DROP OUT FILM FESTIVAL"

This year we didn't have a film entered but were invited back as guest photographer (plus we were hosting the morning after science breakfast with the host's brother...)

I have to say Virginia Kron is one good cook.
Our classy hosts.....
Steve gives out the awards
Richard Kron always enters one or two things and this year he swept the awards.
Ojai's Yue Deng (best darn violinist I have ever heard).... She re-edited a cute little communist china propaganda film of her as a young tiny prodigy.....of course translating and adding English subtitles.
Me showing off my Photoshop tricks.... somehow this captures for me the feel of Steve and Virginia's party basement.

TRIP TO COLORADO

Just a couple bad grainy photos from our week long Colorado trip. I hadn't been out to stay at my sister Maureen's house for almost 4 years I think. She and her husband Jack (pictured...Jack is the architect who designed the addition) have been working their butts off with out much extra time for the usual house maintenance. We decided to combine a visit with a work vacation and we did a bunch of fix it stuff to help out.
I should have taken some before and after shots, but I got lazy with the camera. We took all the original wallpaper down from the bathroom. Re-painted and changed out a lighting fixture. Jim replace three interior doors. I helped kill and drag this (way too big) tree about a third of a mile through the snow. They look so much smaller out in the wild.