Planting season

Sawadee Khrap

I saw this lady in Chiang Rai – what a back breaking job – hand planting rice, and this is done twice a season, first seedlings than later the _MG_1679-Edit 2014more mature plants to control spacing.  – So colorful – just had to paint it:   As always it’s a 16×20 inch digital canvas – ready for printing – I am still looking for a wide format printer who stocks various actual canvas weaves or simulated paper canvas.  When I find a reliable source I think I will offer printed versions of any of my paintings, ready for mounting or for that matter paintings from any image from the blog – so if you see something you like  -  give me a shout and we can see about making it for you.

Ciao

AAA repair–Zhouzhuang, China

Sawadee Khrap

One thing I miss is the AAA (American Automobile Association) services that I used to get in the US.  One call and a repair man or tow truck would be at your service, anywhere in the US.  They would come out and fix your flat tire right on the side of the road – Sooooo I was really surprised when I saw this repair man, fixing a tire, on spot, when I visited Zhouzhuang.P3240120-Edit-2-Zhouzhuang China  Far cry from AAA, but convenient.

And the houses were so colorful and quaint – great photo series, so I created this 20×16 inch painting.  Zhouzhuang appears to be a old, old city built on a series of canals like Venice, but later I found out that it was constructed about 25 years ago as a tourist attraction.  However, they did a great job and I really though that it was at least 100 years old.  Life on the canals offered some wonderful images and I will post more paintings from my travel excursions in the future.

I thought I had posted a slideshow on my trip to China in 2003, Hong Kong, Lanta, Island, Shanghai and Zhouzhuang – not so – so I guess I will have to create one and post it  – some great images and the above painting is a composite drawn from them.

Ciao

A truly touching story….IRISH COMPASSION

Sawadee Khrap

A man was sitting on a blanket at the beach. He had no arms and no legs.
Three women, from England, Wales, and Ireland, were walking past and felt sorry for the poor man.
The English woman said ‘Have you ever had a hug?’ The man  said ‘No,’ so she gave him a hug and walked on.
The Welsh woman said, ‘Have you ever had a kiss?’ The man   said, ‘No,’ so she gave him a kiss and walked on.
The Irish woman came to him and said, ‘ave ya ever   been fooked, laddie?’
The man broke into a big smile and said, ‘no’.   She said, ‘Aye – ya will be when the tide comes in.’

Thanks to Paul’s Sunday Funnies”

Ciao

Day at the Ocean

Sawadee Khrap

Here’s one painting I’ve been working on for the last week – “Day at the Ocean”.Day at the Ocean - CC  WOW painting-Edit

Looks like fun, cool and playful.  Could be anywhere but I like to think it’s Pattaya Jomtien beach when they get it cleaned up – Would be great to just relax at the beach and watch the boys carrying on like this.  But alas, Jomtien is not a private beach and nudity is not allowed.

Ciao

Arterys better–now working on my arches

Sawadee Khrap

I have always had a problem with flat feet – in the US, the more expensive shoes are almost all made with arch supports, but here trying to find a good formed shoe or sandal is almost impossible.  I also wear off the back of the heels very fast and that gives me constant backaches  – what to do ? Flying step logo 3-Final

FlyingStep-Map-final

“Flying Step”  to the rescue.   My Russian friend, Sergey, has just opened his new office here in Pattaya on Soi Thappraya 12, just up the street from my condo.  WOW, what a difference – I went there yesterday and bought a pair of inserts, 3000 Baht,  this morning I had little or no pain during my morning walk and actually felt my back muscles starting to relax too.  I am finally able to wear my sandals or shoes with the same comfort – the inserts will fit in both.  I will go back in a month to adjust the pressure points for more comfort.  They are designed extremely thin, strong and durable – and as I mentioned, they are adjustable to allow for re-shaping the position support over time for increased comfort and reliability –  without increasing the cost.

Sounds like an ad for him – IT IS – getting my shoes to work and reducing the pain and tightness in my back, along with getting my blood pressure under control, is amazing – this is the best I have felt in ages – Call or stop in and check them out for your self.

Ciao

Boy with his dog

Sawadee Khrap

Boy with his Dog - CC2014orig-3My latest painting – unique title  “Boy with His Dog”  – was made using a combination of Photoshop CC and then the version 2014 for the final effects.  Best of two worlds that way.  Like all my paintings it simulates a 16×20 Digital Acrylic on canvas with Gesso overcoat.  Hope you enjoy – maybe I will offer these printed on canvas ready for mounting – what do you think?

Ciao

Beach at Khlong Chilat, Krabi–before tsunami

Sawadee Khrap

Here’s a place I fell in love with when I visited Krabi on my first trip to Thailand December, 2004.  This was what it looked like three weeks before the tsunami – I haven’t been back but wonder if it still looks the same — IMG_3907-Edit-Edit-2  it was so peaceful – we had lunch here before going on to Koh Lanta further South.

This painting was made using the new Photoshop 2014 for the final painting phase and the old CC version for the initial preparation.  A little more work but really worth the effort – the new program does give more control of brush strokes and does so without slowing down so better control of modifying layers is possible for enhancing the Gesso and Canvas textures.  This is also a 16×20 canvas and contains much more detail than my other paintings – I am getting better. 

This and my prior paintings were made using a acrylic style painting effect  – next I am going to experiment with using new oil paint impasto  technique which will show more visual 3D brush strokes.

Ciao

Don’t throw away your old Photoshop CC

Sawadee Khrap

AdobeWell the great updates to Adobe Creative Cloud 2014 are here and it really has some neat new stuff – BUT, what the fuck they dropped “Oil Paint Filter”.  

What a bummer – for the last few weeks I have been touting the Jack Davis Paint technique – and It’s based on the oil paint filter – Thank God the new Photoshop (2014) doesn’t remove or overwrite the old CC version so you still filter in the older one.  But, I have to admit that the new 2014 is really a step up, great new features and improved speed, new filters and mobile ready.  – just have to use the old version for the initial painting rendering and then switch to the 2014 version for final output – what the hell  – It works.

So if you’re a photographer or want to be Digital Painter – join the cloud with the Photographer’s $9.99 bundle and get the new 2014 and the older CC Photoshop versions loaded – you can get both.  That way you have the best of both worlds.

Ciao

How about this necklace

Sawadee Khrap

Didn’t copy the full article but couldn’t resist posting this image from the Wednesday,  June 18,2014   Bangkok Post  -  Life Subsection.  Paper version.

bangkok-post-LifeNow that’s a necklace I might have around the house but certainly wouldn’t it wear outside.  I would imagine it’s a great conservational piece at parties – particularly the parties I usually go to – but high society?  maybe they are coming around !!!!.  Everyone should enjoy a good cock.

Ciao

Faith

Sawadee Khrap

As you can probably tell from the blog, I am a great believer in faith.   Trying to live in faith in this world can be very difficult – for example, my continuing episodes with high blood pressure and blocked arteries.  All I can see was operations I couldn’t afford, medicines that didn’t seem to work and actually made me feel sicker, and more importantly reduced libido.   I was really concerned about the diminished libido – fix the BP but destroy the rest of my life – wow. – that seemed like a wonderful ending. – Faith ?   Faith in what?   Yet in the back of my mind was always the quiet voice telling me that I was God’s Son, watched over and Loved – so dim that it was only detectable in my  moments of prayer. 

Thank God I had my readings in ACIM – this really helped and showed me the light at the end of the tunnel  – for example from the TEXT Chapter 18 – verse2:

“Never approach the holy instant after you have tried to remove all fear and hatred from your mind. That is <its> function.  Never attempt to overlook your guilt before you ask the Holy Spirit’s help.  That is <His> function.  Your part is only to offer Him a little willingness to let Him remove all fear and hatred, and to be forgiven.  On your little faith, joined with His understanding, He will build your part in the Atonement and make sure that you fulfill it easily.  And with Him, you will build a ladder planted in the solid rock of faith, and rising even to Heaven.  Nor will you use it to ascend to Heaven alone.   3. Through your holy relationship, reborn and blessed in every holy instant you do not arrange, thousands will rise to Heaven with you.  Can you plan for this?  Or could you prepare yourself for such a function?  Yet it is possible, because God wills it.  Nor will He change His Mind about it.  The means and purpose both belong to Him.  You have accepted one; the other will be provided.  A purpose such as this, without the means, is inconceivable.  He will provide the means to anyone who shares His purpose.”

I have always tried to do the right thing, forgive, see the world through forgiveness – To Do Something – To Fight the Fight, – Conquer the Fear,  – Walk through with Faith – and yet here I am being told that I need be but willing to let God remove my fear, hatred and be forgiven.  The Twelve Steps showed me how to take an inventory and admit my errors and limitations – offer them to God and put faith that I will be taken care of. And that includes my health.

This was proven once again to me when last Friday, I went to set the appointment for the stent operation for the coming Sunday.  There I was told I also needed to come back with 250,000 Baht, which I didn’t have  –  now a sequence of events started that I could not have dreamed of – first:   that day I had an eye infection – had to cancelled the operation – then when I was getting the medicine for my eyes I asked the Dr. about the edema  in my leg and he suggested I switch to Valpress instead of my current BP medicine – what a difference – edema gone, blood pressure steady all day, no glaring side effects so far – kidney function seems to be getting better – need to check after being on Valpress for about a week or two – if working  – NO OPERATION needed.   Trust in God, is all I can say – Give Him your fear, guilt, anxiety, doubt, hatred and wait for the miracle.   It will come, maybe not as planned but in a way that can benefit all.  A Holy Instant.

Ciao

Having so much fun painting

Sawadee Khrap

I am having so much fun painting with Photoshop and the Art pen, particularly using Jack Davis’s painting techniques ,that I am slowly going through all my older favorite images and creating paintings.  This is a 16×20 inch digital painting capturing rice field workers, in the fields surrounding Nakhon Sawan, that I passed while driving from Chiang Mai to Bangkok on Route 1 when I moved to Pattaya. _MG_6341-Edit-2 It was a beautiful sunny day and they just stood out.

Ciao

Not a cure–but maybe a reprieve

Sawadee Khrap

Due the the infection in my eyes, the stent operation had to be canceled for last Sunday – maybe another blessing in disguise.  So here’s the latest with my Blood Pressure and blocked arteries.

I was having problems with the Madiplot I was taking to lower the BP and Dr. Mongkol recommended that I try taking Valpress and eliminated the Madiplot medicine.  What a difference, Madiplot caused edema in my lower legs and didn’t really control the BP – Valpress, – now my BP has steadied at 125 – 140/66 for the last 2 days, eliminated the edema and other than some tinnitus everything seems OK.  I do have to take 200 mg twice a day, but hopefully that can be reduce to 180 when my body gets used to the stuff. 

Valpress relaxes the arteries and let them expand so effectively lowering the blood pressure – I my case, I believe that if the BP is lowered and is controlled than it could be possible that I need not fuck with the stent – but not sure about this and therefore on Monday I will be taking another blood test for Creatinine and BUN levels to see if the kidneys are functioning as normal now.  Wouldn’t that be a blessing.  Slowly the meds I am taking are being reduced, now I take only 3 a day  – Baby Aspirin, Valpress, and Apolets for blood thinning. They don’t fight each other and I am amazed how good I am feeling the last few days.  20 min exercise each morning – walking around the building – also helps keep my cholesterol in check – so far I don’t need the Bestatine either.

Now, I think all I have to do is exercise at least a minimum of 20-30 min every day – stay away from processed foods, mostly vegetarian diet (I do sometimes have have eggs and some occasional chicken), and fish at least twice a week – that should control the cholesterol levels to stop future blockage and then continue to take my  BP medicine.  Sounds simple and effective.  Should have done this years ago.

Ciao