How Big Could I Get?

Another great outdoor mural from Philadelphia, on Race Street, just down from John's hotel.

When I come home exhausted after 8 hours straight of painting, I think about bigger walls, more paint, more work, seen from distance problems...This is my dream, to do a HUGE outdoor side-of-building mural!

Meanwhile, the elementary school has a 20 foot long wall. And the new volunteer fire hall has a two-story stairwell that faces the street. BIG indoor projects, both pro-bono work.

Stewart went to the dentist, the last thing for him to complete before he can turn in his mission paperwork. Five cavities. $700 out of pocket. It would be cheaper to fly him home here and send him to the dental school (they treat under 20 free) to get them filled. We have yet to figure out what to do. Max joked wondering if Stewart hasn't brushed his teeth since going to college?

BRUSH YOUR TEETH!

Look at good art!

Dream BIG!

First I Chalk

Snow-ice days have messed up our school schedule. I stay home with children. When they go, I go to work. First I chalk...
Then paint!
Hoping to finish today/tomorrow and seal with satin polyurethane and get paid.

I Can't Just Leave It Alone

I announced today that it was time for a couple photo. John is great about cooperating. Wonderful, really. He doesn't understand why guys would balk at standing cheek to cheek with their sweetie! Grab your guy and smile and click! It is the Month of LOVE, and you don't have to wait until the 14th to celebrate!

If I advertised here in blog-dom and had sponsors and prizes, I would set up a couple photo contest. Send them in, I would set up a voting ballot, and the most romantic, or silliest, or sweetest, or inspiring couple photo would win!

If you take COUPLE PHOTOS, you automatically win! I am grateful for the year plus of over a thousand photos of us. Not us surrounded by our off-spring. Just the two of us. Being united matters to me. Visually showing that unity in photography projects is a good way to practice DAILY being together.

Try it all month? If not for February, pick your anniversary month?!

Not all the photos turn out. We always take at least three, sometimes twenty or so.

And then you can play with the colors, the cropping, lighting, soft-focus...

More From Inside

I love seeing murals other artists have painted. The colors, composition, the way the art is integrated into the surroundings fascinate me. There are some marvelous examples in the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia. This is main reception room. Same one with turkey sculpture over doorway.
Egyptian room.
One of blue rooms-can't remember all the names.
Norman Room
Gothic Room. There were organs in the big rooms. Altars. Chairs.
The library-museum has this apron of George Washington's.
And this is perfect for our Old Testament seminary study next year!

Humility Block, Thumbprint Signature, & Harpists

Can you see the missing part of the pattern? Huge soccer-field size rug, with this one square of purposeful imperfection.
Look at the border-the round circles have a paint-print whorled thumb print, all different. I checked. The workers added their thumbprint as signature they had worked in this building.



Where am I? This was an $8.00 tour. Broad Street. Masonic Temple. They allowed photos but no video. Beautiful. Amazing murals and architecture. I figured since George Washington, Ben Franklin...even Gerald Ford were all members of a Mason Lodge, I wanted to see this #3 rated biggest/beautiful Masonic temple in the world (Scotland and...somewhere else in Europe is other one). Well worth the hour tour. More photos of interest tomorrow's blog, same place.

Ceilings

Historical Details

I had just recently seen the opening of "Dispicible Me" with stolen landmark-and laughed when I saw this hanging from Independence Hall.
Looks like a courthouse inside...

With beautiful details, gorgeous woodwork and plaster work.


I asked the Forest Ranger (did you know it is a National Park?) who was wearing green and gray unifrom if the paint colors were historically accurate. Yes, according to their x-rays and scraping research. The rounded corners leading up to the ceiling are just like my dinning room and living room ceiling!