Commission

There was a break in the rain long enough to go for a walk this afternoon, although it was blustery. I walked across the street and intended to walk around the graveyard. At one end of the graveyard is a park, so I walked across thorough the park, and then there was no sidewalk along the street, so I had to walk back through the graveyard. When walking in Boise near any grass, be sure to watch where you are walking, geese poop is everywhere. I honked at a bunch of geese as I walked, but they just looked at me like I was a dope.

Dave sent me a letter, which I received yesterday right before the reject email from the ClickBank HR manager. They decided to hire someone internally. Today I received another reject email from ClickBank that was more of a form letter and not from the HR manager, so at least I made an impression and my efforts earned me a personal email. I was at a loss, so I just started to write Dave back.

I finished the commission over the weekend. Last week I really enjoyed it and then I put in the background and started to agonize. I swear that I spend half of my time on any portrait on the last 5% of the painting. I usually paint in the background sooner, but I wanted to finish the outside edge of the hair first. This was a tough one and by Friday night I was in such doubt and agony that I had to call Mom. I took a picture and sent it to her on Saturday and she helped get me out of my misery. Mom has lots of experience as a painting adviser, and she is my market. It is not my favorite, but it is done, and I think the kid looks terrific.



Yesterday I started anther painting and I finished it today. I am not sure what the next income-generating move is and when I don't know I just paint, and after agonizing over the last portrait, I just wanted to paint something lose and different and not blue.

Some guy went missing off of Hwy 20 on March 2, which made some of my friends think of me and my intense feeling telling me to turn around during my drive to Ketchum. I was driving East on Hwy 20 towards Fairfield, and the missing guy was last seen leaving Carey going West on Hwy 20 towards Fairfield, although we were three weeks apart. They've found no evidence of the guy, no guy, no car.

It is difficult for me to comprehend the devastation in Japan, it just doesn't seem real to me, but the struggles of the people there make my problems seem trivial. I need to correct/add to my previous post, it is the Earth's figure axis that moved,

The Earth's figure axis is not the same as its north-south axis in space, which it spins around once every day at a speed of about 1,000 mph (1,604 kph). The figure axis is the axis around which the Earth's mass is balanced and the north-south axis by about 33 feet (10 meters).

"This shift in the position of the figure axis will cause the Earth to wobble a bit differently as it rotates, but will not cause a shift of the Earth's axis in space - only external forces like the gravitational attraction of the sun, moon, and planets can do that," Gross said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/13/scitech/main20042590.shtml

I'm not sure that the idea of the earth wobbling differently really makes me feel any better. I guess this would be a good time for some enlightenment and the next topic is appropriate.

The next topic is Suffering, with a saying of Paramahansa Yogananda from Sayings of Paramahansa Yogananda,

Man has falsely identified himself with the pseudo-soul or ego. When he transfers his sense of identity to his true being, the immortal Soul, he discovers that all pain is unreal. He no longer can even imagine the state of suffering.

This means letting go of all of your attachments and all of your self-importance, all of those things outside yourself. Once you are your true being only, you will not feel suffering. I don't know, maybe this isn't such a good topic. Many Japanese have just had all of their attachments ripped from them, and I am sure they are truly suffering and I do not think this passage will help much. From the pictures I've seen, the Japanese do not appear to need any advice from me or Wisdom of the Ages. They seem to be a serene bunch, no hysterics, no looting, no crowding in line, and some of them are carrying someone else on their back.

The We Art Women show accepted two out of the three paintings that I entered for their benefit show on April 14. I went ahead and entered even though I was not sure where I would be on April 14th, part of my acting as if everything is just going to work out.