The Practical Side of Cowbell Ownership

"A COWbell's not a COWbell 'til you ring it, A song's not a song 'til you sing it, Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay, Love isn't love 'til you give it away!" Oscar Hammerstein II

Okay...I will admit it, I added the word COW but it fits and it was just too great of a temptation not to post it. LOL!

Installing my own EARLY HOME WARNING SYSTEM

Every time my husband goes to the store that is my cowbell supplier and clears out all their in stock inventory of cowbells from the store shelf,  the cashier will often ask him, "What are you doing with all these cowbells?"  His reply is always the same, "An Early Warning Home Defense System."  I was giving that some thought and found out that perhaps that might not be such a bad idea.   Apparently I'm not the only one that has considered it, because here I find an online article for a Home Security System that uses Cowbells and nylon string or fishing line to alert you if there is a gate opened or an unwanted visitor that decides to climb over your fence.  Here in my neighborhood, a good defense system is always a good idea and what a unique and pretty defense system my cowbells would make for any home.  

Well today while reading my Facebook comments I found a collector using my cowbells perhaps not to protect her own property as she is the lives of some neighboring squirrels. I just had to share this story.   According to Karla, they make effective Squirrel Life Saver Distraction Devices.  I guess "to each their own" and whatever "Rings your COWBELL."

Karla writes, "Always thinking of this skit (More Cowbell SNL skit with Christopher Walken) and song when gazing into my beautiful cowbells! I LOVE them all! You ROCK my artist friend, I treasure these so much, some day I will share my story of how I deter the "demented man across the street from shooting my beloved neighborhood squirrels, he doesn't like noise and I don't like the fact that he shoots them for sport and blatantly lets his dog EAT them!!! Dead or injured.....nothing I can do legally, we are out of the city limits and it isn't illegal to kill them as they are rodents........However, to train your dog to track them in the trees, bark until the owner knows it is cornered, and then come out of the house long enough to shoot it, is wrong to me!! So when I hear the dog bark, I grab 2 of my bells, I watch and wait, when he comes out of the house points his gun up in the air? I ring those bells as HARD and as LONG as I can until he's so frustrated he gives up and goes back in his house! Giving the squirrels a fighting chance with the power of MORE COWBELL!!! True story ! The squirrels and I thank you Julie😇"

The Greatest Masterpiece

This past few weeks I have given a great deal of consideration to the new pressure I'm now feeling to change my mindset from a life of running a business office that serviced 100+ employees, 700+ students and a congregation of 1200+ attendees to a retired person who wants to see their art appreciated by an ever increasing group of viewers.  The creative pressure to always stay inspired and excited is certainly different from the pressure I had on payroll days or at the end of the year tax document preparation.

For the past month, I have been on the hunt for things that inspire me and yesterday it was a song.  The lyrics from "Mighty to Save" sung by the the group Hillsong just struck a cord in my heart.  When the words of the song came to the phrase,"Author of Salvation"  I couldn't help but meditate all day on the meaning of those 3 words.  It was as if they just jumped out at me.   Jesus not only made the plan for my salvation, He authored it in His blood.  When it came time for me to open my sketchbook, I was moved to attempt to capture my feelings on paper.  Usually it's a landscape that will catch my eye, and while God created more beauty in this world than any of us can fathom, His greatest masterpiece was completed upon two ugly, rough and blood soaked timbers. 

Making a Plan

I've started reading a book called "Painting Better Landscapes" by Margaret Kessler and right off I knew I was in trouble.  The book begins as soon as page 14 talking about a plan...You are supposed to have a VALUE PLAN.  Ms. Kessler states," Planning the values in your sketchbook is probably the most neglected aspect of the painting process.  I cannot overemphasize its importance."  I guess that says it pretty clearly.


Sketching out my plan with pencil or charcoal is something I have never done up to this point.  I just start a new piece by covering the canvas with paint and then painting, excuse me for using the old saying, "by the seat of my pants".  I was keenly aware that on my first painting lesson, that while we didn't grab a pencil, my teacher, Lily Adamczyk had me block out all the main areas of my painting using a neutral colored paint.  She quickly planned which trees we wanted to emphasize and which ones were in the wrong place in my photo. When I actually started painting, I had a plan.  Of course it was Lily's plan because at this point, I'm still very much lost in the transition between using acrylic to oil and trying to understand Lily's approach and techniques.  Let me show you what I mean...

Here is what my masterpiece looked like at the end of my first two hour lesson.

The Initial Plan

Blocking out the colors of the background and the foreground

Working from Top to Bottom, Back to front

  Ms. Kessler lists on page 8 of her book the five progressive steps to construct a painting:

1. Visualize the idea
2. Composing the idea (blueprint)
3. Establishing the values (foundation)
4. Blocking the color harmony (framework)
5. Refind the details (finishing)

On the same page, Ms. Kessler also addresses the importance of developing your own style by stating a very simple but powerful truth.  "As long as you are following someone else's lead, you will always be behind."

So today, I'm digging out those very neglected sketching pencils, overused kneadable eraser and grabbing one of the many empty sketchbooks that are in my studio so that I can begin to discipline myself to MAKE A PLAN first, before I ever grab a canvas or pick up a brush.