My gallery in Calistoga, California (Stix and Stones Gallery, wish they had a website) called some time ago with an announcement that they were running low on original artwork by me, and that they would like some more, please.

This is a good thing.

So I have created four new originals which I will be featuring in the coming weeks in this blog. They have been scanned and are, as of today, being framed for shipment to California in the coming weeks. Prints will be available shortly, in a multitude of sizes, on my website.

What is this? It’s a “painting in graphite.” I used to call my work “drawings,” but I don’t really draw at all any more. In fact, I don’t think I even touched this piece with a pencil at all. It’s still created by hand, using graphite—the medium in a common lead pencil—but you’ll see that my work, which is quite large (this piece is 24″x36″), is beyond the grasp of a #2 pencil.

This one is called May 12. Why give it a date instead of a title? Three reasons: 1) habit; 2) it looks like May 12 to me, and 3) it’s just too hard coming up with clever names for all my pieces. I can only hit upon a clever name when all the planets are aligned; otherwise the title sticks and it’s cringe-inducing. It’s easier to date ‘em. You’ll notice that some of the greatest music of all time is named things like “Allegro con brio” or “Lacrymosa” instead of “The Stupendousest Earth-Shatteringly Majestic Fanfare in Human History” or “Crushingly Beautiful Funereal Music” respectively. Fans attach names to compelling works of art, after the fact. The artist doesn’t have to.

If you like my work, you can see more of it at the website or on my Facebook page. I’d love to read your comments, and would appreciate your efforts to tell others about my work who might be interested.

And what does this have to do with Self Reliance? That’s easy. I don’t always want to rely on an employer for my income. This, coupled with my books, will help me in time to become as independent in my income as in other things.

Until that happy day, please help by passing the word along. Thanks.