Beyond the Sunset...Forever More.

     It always amazes me how God weaves people in and out of our lives, and some stay put and some come and go, and some only visit for a short time.  I think they all offer me something or teach me something.  I always feel changed and my life magnified by all of them, but most recently, I met a wonderful man who I will call "Charlie", who I only had about 4 conversations with, but all of them memorable and I know I will never forget his words.  He is an older gentleman, sweet, very kind, and wise, but also a lot like me I came to know.  Only difference is that he has lived a lot longer than me and was able to provide me with an insight that only he could have gained from time.....  In his later years, as so many people do, they like to reflect on those who have gone before them, and they are aware of the limitation of their time here on earth, so they take it all in.  I was painting this mural for him which will be a memorial wall where around the border, pictures will hang of lost loved ones and friends, and his inspiration to do it was an old hymn called Beyond the Sunset, and then there is a poem that also is titled the same and as he shared that with me, I realized how much it meant to me to be there right then, right now at this time in my life, and it reminded me to slow down and take the time to enjoy those people and those relationships around me.  I seem to find myself in this rat race to get to the end of my life, but also struggling to hold onto my youth and keep my kids little at the same time. At the end of our time together, he was very moved by the painting and said he couldn't thank me enough, and that he didn't have the words for what this painting meant to him, but what is funny is that I felt exactly the same.  I can't say thank you enough or know the words to say to the people who cross my path who let me express through art what I cannot say.

 Beyond the Sunset 

Should you go first and I remain to walk the road alone

Ill live in memory's garden dear with memories that we've known

In spring I'll wait for roses red, when fades the lilacs bloom,

And in early fall  when brown leaves fall, I'll catch a glimpse of you

Should you go first and I remain, for battles to be fought

Each thing you've touched along the way will be a hallowed spot

I'll hear your voice, I'll see your smile though blindly I may grope

the memory of your helping hand will buoy me on with hope

Beyond the sunset, oh blissful morning

When with our savior, heaven is begun

Earth's toiling ended, oh glory dawning

Beyond the sunset when day is done

Should you go first and I remain, to finish with the scroll, 

No lessening shadows shall ever creep in to make this life seem droll

We've known so much of happiness, we've had our cup of joy, 

And memory is one gift of God that death cannot destroy

I want to know each step you take that I may walk the same

For someday down that lonely road, you'll hear me call your name

Should you go first and I remain, one thing I'll have you do

Walk slowly down that long long path, for soon I'll follow you

In that fair homeland, we'll know no parting

Beyond the sunset for Ever more.

Until we meet again,

JD

The Bourbon Barrel Project Continued Again....

 This was the first base coat after chalking out design. This part went pretty fast.

 This was a partial base coat on the second side.

I decided before I got into too much detail on the
 buildings, to stop and prime the bands, so that
if i messed up and got it on the buildings a little it
wouldn't matter. So the white on the bands is the
primer.

 Then, I started to paint the details on the buildings and add the second layer to the greenspace, and water.  I also put a second layer on the sky.  I laid in the horses in thoroughbred park on the right and the window detail.

 Next, I put the details on the buildings of the second side and a second layer to greenspace, and water, and sky. 

 Then, I painted the bands bronze.

 The water drop coming out of the spigot is one of my favorite parts of this barrel.  It was a science experiment that I was working on alongside the painting of this barrel all along. I had planned to in the original design, mount a blue tarp inside the barrel that would be along the same descent as the waterway painted on the outside, and I would then pour epoxy on it so that it would run and harden and look like a real waterway running through the barrel and out of the spigot. I couldn't do that part, but it was still my intent to have the water drop coming out of the side.  I took 3 latex balloons and filled them with epoxy and tied them up to a suspension rod, so that the epoxy would harden inside the balloon.  When I took it off, it would be a clear water bulb and there you go, RIGHT? Nope!  The first round turned out cloudy and  yellow and did not look like any desirable water drop I had ever seen.  They also all had these weird ridges and holes in them.  So, I tried 3 more, but this time I mixed them with blue food coloring to offset the yellowing of the epoxy, that should work! NOPE, Still cloudy and still has those weird ridges, so I tried again, but I figured out that the cloudiness was coming from the powdery film on the inside of the balloon, because it looked perfect at the top where the balloon didn't touch. This time, I turned the balloon inside out, and I also figured out that the weird ridges were from the epoxy dripping down the sides and burning through the balloon from the outside to the inside.  So I made sure to wipe all drips, and this time it had to work.  SCORE!  I had one good blue one and one good clear one,

 It's not quite finished yet, but Oh So Close....

 This picture was taken the night before they were set to be delivered, and I suddenly realized that all the fury to meet deadlines,and contemplating, and studying, and research, and going through tubes and tubes of paint, and spending night and day in my garage alone with just me and my music, and my paintbrushes, and these barrels was almost over.  I could have easily spent 3  more weeks perfecting every brushstroke, and I could say that is why I wasn't ready for it to end.  The truth is I was having a blast. I was truly inspired on this project. I learned a lot, and I met some amazing people, and I would do it again in a minute. 

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 This is what my paint plate looked like all the time, and I had to clean it and start over every day, but it didn't take long before it would look like this again.  My thumb even developed some kind of a strain from holding this plate.  I have never had that happen before.

 Finished......

 Time to Load up 4:45 am  August 30th

 Here they go....

 At the Mason Structure, exactly 9:00 Am DUETIME... I am the first one there to unload.

 VIP Reception to meet the other artists and sponsors.... Great Food, Old and New Friends, Fabulous Art, Community Leaders, and oh yeah.. GREAT BOURBON.   It was an awesome night! 

 Dr. Pearse Lyons addressing the crowd. 

 Mayor Jim Gray telling stories about Dr. Lyons.

 My Friend and partner on the "Pinkspiration" Horse, Tania Zivcovich's barrel.   So cute, and she only had 4 days.  SHE ROCKS!  Love that girl....

 My Friend and former studio mate, Wade Christiansen's Barrel. I have to say this was probably my favorite.  Mostly because of how much I love trees, but also because it is just so COOL. You cannot see it on this picture, but he made the actual barrel look like old roots have been growing into it for a hundred years, and is very subtle, but I love the way he did that.

Seriously, cameraman, can you catch me when my eyes are open or when my mouth is closed or when I am looking at the camera?
I have no good pictures of me and this barrel together, but maybe someday....

I loved this one too, it is Smiley Pete walking down Main Street.

Very Cool! Pictures don't do it justice.  

 My Friend, Melody Farris Jackson's barrel, one of them.  She had two, they were both awesome!

 This one was very cool in person, I wish I had been smart like them and done my waterway this way, and instead of cutting a whole window, just made a peephole.  Who am I kidding, I would have never had time to do all that?!?!

 My Buddy, Enrique Gonzalez and his barrel.  He is so fun and apparently his cameraman had the same problems mine did, :)

 Here is Enrique with his sponsor. 

 Me and Tania. 

 Melody Farris Jackson's other barrel based on the design from the flyer for the World Equestrian Games.   LOVE IT!

 This one was 3d, so when you put on the 3d glasses you could see it better. It was really cool that they did that and I have no idea how they did it, but I also have no idea what it is supposed to be, with glasses or without, so ??? 

 

 Melody and I with my barrel.

 "A Window to the Wellspring" at its new home at Vine and Upper.

I have still not been able to get a picture of  "the Bourbon Trail" at its home at KU on Vine and Grand, but if you are down that way, say Hello for me... and snap your pic in front of it:)

I may win the prize for the longest blogpost on record. 

Until we Meet Again,

JD