Charlie Sheen

Long-Stem Brushes

on sale 50 cents a piece...

How do you bring tons of hits to your blog in one day?

I have a little story to share with you. I know this is out of my ordinary, but out of the ordinary is who I am anyway. So if you'll oblige me...

Sparks the Rescue is a band, signed by Fearless Records, which my stepson Toby McAllister is a member of. This fall/winter the band was busy writing and recording a new CD scheduled for released in May. All the songs are mastered and ready.

A few days ago Fearless Records called the guys and asked if they could write a song about Charlie Sheen. Being based in California, I'm sure the "Sheen" incident is much more popular there than say... Maine, where I am. Luckily being in the midst of getting a CD out, the band could access new music that was already recorded, but not yet heard.

I find this very funny and interesting.

STR, as the band is known, called their recording studio and asked for a karaoke track of one of their songs. Writing lyrics comes easy for them. In no time they had rewritten lyrics to go with one of their new CD songs. Alex Roy, the singer, recorded those new vocals at his home, emailed the track to the recording studio, where it was then added to the karaoke track.

Are you following this?

Fast track... California calls STR, who then calls the recording studio for music. STR records a new vocal track at home on a computer and emails it back to the recording studio who then puts it all together and emails it way out to California. California then takes it and creates a video to go along with the words STR wrote and recorded. All this was done within a few days.

Yes I said a few days!

Now the song with video is out on the internet. Less than twenty four hours after release it had received 10,000 hits.

Wow, so that's how it's done! Now how do I take that information and put it to use on my own blog??? Talk about instant exposure.

The best part about all this is STR music will be heard everywhere and by the time their CD is released, people will already know this tune. Those who'll put the Charlie Sheen song on their ipods, listening to it repeatedly, will be used to the beat and most likely enjoy the original version on the CD.

I hope you were able to follow this story. It all happened so quickly without anyone leaving their home! Technology is crazy.

Here's the video... It Feels Good To Be Charlie Sheen - Sparks The Rescue It'll give you a laugh!

(Yeah seriously, brushes for 50 cents a piece. I now own enough to open a small store...)

Toby and Leslie

Toby and Leslie

Original oil painting 20x16"

by Susan Roux

I can't tell you the amount of hours I put in this painting. Rest assured I was elated when I laid down my final strokes! I couldn't help but think of Carol Nelson who blogged awhile back, 100 portraits in 100 days. I'm impressed at all of you who post a daily painting. Not only are you completing a painting every day, but also taking time to blog about it. We can't all keep up that pace... Its very admirable that you do. I tip my hat to you.

I had days where I spent every moment from early morning to suppertime planted in front of my easel. My focus was so intense that every time I did this, the following day I needed to rest. It was as though my brain was empty, almost in a haze, and my spirit and energy were drained. I suppose I was really pushing myself...

Wednesday, when all my students saw it nearly done, they were baffled that I wasn't enthused with it. I didn't like the feeling it had. I wanted to capture the sense of love/admiration and all I had managed was the look of porcelain dolls. After I completed the faces, I worked with the background and succeeded a bit in capturing that emotion I wanted. Yes the colors are better in life and the feeling more apparent too.

I learned so much doing this piece. I started off expecting to spend a few days on it as an exercise and move on. As you know, that didn't happen. I hope to capture my next portrait quicker so a bit more of a painterly look will remain. The day I worked on smoothing out my color transitions to soften Leslie's features, is the day the porcelain feeling appeared. There must be a way of painting it soft without turning them to ceramic. My next subject will be a single head.

As I look at it this morning, I am kind of amazed I was able to accomplish this. Suddenly a separation from it, no longer being my lingering job, allows me to have a different perspective. Don, thanks for all your help. Even telling me to start over, though it was the last thing I wanted to hear at the moment.

I may take a few days to go paint in plein air before settling down to a new face....

Toby is my husbands son. He plays guitar in a rising band called Sparks the Rescue. He's toured the country many times and also toured in Europe. Recently they took part in the exhausting Warped Tour, where more than 70 bands played. They have a video that airs on MTV called We Love Like Vampires. You can view it at their official site by clicking their name. Please let me know if your children may have heard of them...

Enjoy your day creatively!

John Morris

Meet Irish artist, John Morris.

(http://www.johnmorrisartist.com/)

I found John over the internet before going to Ireland. Of the many I contacted, he is one of a few that replied to my emails. Over the course of four months, our continued interactions brought us closer and by the time my vacation arrived, my husband and I were invited to come to his home.

My December post titled "Meeting the people" is a good introduction to this story.

Susan Roux and John Morris

I remember it like it was just yesterday. How excited I was when the day of our meeting finally came! We drove well out of our way to get to his home. The scenery was beautiful, but all I could think of was finally meeting John! Just thinking of coming into his home, visiting his studio, his art, his family, had my blood surging and tingling, it was hard to sit still.

The moment was finally here!

When we arrived in his town, he came to meet us. A quick exchange of location and car color over the phone and then Mike and I sat in the car waiting. Waiting and waiting and waiting... We waited perhaps less then five minutes, but it felt like half a day. I was like a child waiting for Christmas to arrive! John drove up beside our parked car. A quick wave and we were off following him to his home. This was really happening! I couldn't stop giggling and smiling.

I'm certain we were all a bit nervous, but in minutes a comfort fell over us like a warm blanket. It was as though we had been friends for years. Two artists, worlds apart, with so much in common. We entered through his studio. Art was everywhere. Don't you just love walking into someone else's studio?

There's so much to stimulate the eye!

We couldn't stop talking.

John showed me everything.

He showed me how he saves all his unused paint by putting it in empty tubes.

I didn't even know there was such a thing.

We exchanged art.

We discussed art.

We sat for tea in his beautiful home. His wonderful wife gave me a tour of their art-filled rooms and the outdoor garden. John's youngest sons were a bit shy. I'm sure they wondered what all the excitement was over some strange people coming from the USA. We came with gifts for them. A signed CD and T-shirts of Mike's son's group, Sparks the Rescue. That helped. When John's oldest son arrived, he was very interested in our visit. I could see a future businessman in the making. He stood erect with shoulders back, holding his head high as he spoke. You couldn't miss his air of confidence. How I wished I had been like that at his young age. Already, at 15, he'd begun a little business of selling chickens. This boy will go far...

The day passed too quickly. No one wanted to part. Hopefully someday John and his family will come visit us in Maine. I'm certain we will remain friends in contact for years to come.

I keep telling you to go meet strangers. I do. It's a wonderful experience...

(Photographs by Michael McAllister)