End of Season, and High Treason.

Howdy folks! I hate to say it but Mt. Spokane had to take us all off the schedule due to lack of snow. Normally we have a longer season but warm temps and high wind gusts are melting all that is left up there. Our home mountain (Silver Mountain) is still open and getting snow. It's a little wet and a little heavy, but the powder has been phenomenal. We may go up again on Wed. or Thur. after they get another 6". (From the top of Heaven)

Kat and I have been challenging ourselves this season with some tougher black diamonds at Silver. One of my particular favorites this season has been a run called 'Heaven'. In the powder this run lives up to its name. It's about shifting that weight to a more centered stance when you hit the pow on skis. Shallow turns and big frickin smiles. I did want to post a shot of part of Mt. Spokane a couple weeks ago. (It was a beautiful bluebird day at Mt. Spokane in this shot).

This is getting off of chair five looking out towards chair 1. The groomers were tasty this day, and I ate up as much as I possibly could between my classes. I had my last day of classes last Saturday and I think it ended on a really high note. I had a group lesson of level 2's which was 5 people total and everyone had a really fun time. That's all I ask for, is for the students to learn at least one thing and to have fun challenging themselves throughout the day. Okay, so what in the heck do I mean by 'High Treason' in my title? I'm referring to my new piece! I can't wait to get started on this one. I have painted this subject before, but felt the comp was pretty boring. So, I am going to ramp it up and make it more dynamic. This is based on the cover of an old issue of the comic. This cover always stood out to me. (The subject is Cobra Commander from the G.I. JOE universe.)

I was pretty happy with the very first sketch I did of this. I normally do at least 3 and if I'm unsure I will draw it for a month. This time though, I really do like the gesture and feel of this one. I will make the eyes more intense in the painted piece however. I love the obsession in this piece. There is a total of six Cobra logos in this relatively simple idea and that's just what I wanted. I wanted to start this piece today but it will hafta wait. It looks like I will be going in for orientation tomorrow for my seasonal horticulture job! Looks like the garden centers and nurseries are getting ready to open up for what I'm thinking is going to be a hot and dry summer based on our lack of water/rain this year. I truly had hoped for far more days cutting lines in the mountains but am pretty excited for the change in season and getting back outside and around plants!

Wolf It Down

So, I've been instructing classes both private and groups up at Mt. Spokane for a few weeks now. I love it, though it has been tough. The mental and physical strain it puts on the body and mind is huge. Especially for people who actually care about what we do. How we are perceived (am I professional, do I sound professional?). I think it's important to constantly recognize yourself and your actions, especially in a work environment. I started a log book that pertains to my ski certification and things I've learned in my classes/clinics. This helps to get my jumbled thoughts out and see what the real issues are, without the distractive thoughts, of which I have many. I have had some real learning experiences with people as well as my damn self. This is one of the infinite reasons I love to ride. My progress on the mountain is helping my progress in everyday life/society.

For me riding has meant freedom for so long, but that has to change now. I have to be there for the students now, not for myself. It may sound strange, but it takes getting used to. After skiing for about 40+ years, I now show up to the mountain and nurture someone else's love for snowsports. Sure, I get to freeride and work on my own tasks between classes until my little heart is content, and attained a season pass. These sessions feel more like 'palette cleansers' now and the times I get to ride with Kat actually feel like freerides! We are still hurting for snow, and our ops team has resorted to 'farming' snow from surrounding areas. I have to say though, the groomers yesterday were great as can be for the amount of snow weve gotten this season thus far.

To wrap it up I have a current shot of my newest acrylic piece. I showed a quick study sketch in my last post and have progressed a bit since then.

My next session I will re-claim some of the hair detail in his body and probably add some texture to the fur using the same method I used on the rocks. So, yeah, this has been a fairly quick update to my online blog/journal and the goings on in my life. As usual I appreciate you reading my spillings and we will blog at ya soon.

Finished Fett

Okay folks, first off, Happy Holidays. I hope this chilly PNW evening finds you surrounded by loved ones and good food. It's important to have friends and I truly hope this holiday surrounds you with all sorts of good cheer and joy. I'm pretty joyful to call Boba Fett done. I have a shot here of the 'finished' piece. I have a couple small details to finish up, but this is it.

I think I'm happy with it though there are some things I would change about the process nextime I dive into more detailed works. I'm trying to get my details down to barely anything and even with the thinest brush in my arsenal it's still tough. Though all in all i'm pretty stoked on it. It's colorful, has decent comp, and it feels more dynamic than most of my art. Also, I wanted to give an update on the ski situation...all the snow we recieved a few weeks ago melted and currently were experiencing flooding here in certain parts of Washington. Course all this flood water used to be snow, but climate change is a hoax, right? In the last week or so the temps have fallen back down in the mountains and that's a big sigh of relief for the ski/board industry. I still have 2 more days of training but I wanted to let you know that I passed! Our 'try-outs' are now training clinics and yesterday was my last 7 hour training session on the mountain. It was an awesome experience that made me feel very, very old. The majority of the candidates are in their teens, and I'm turning 52 next month. We did recieve a storm that dropped some snow here a day or two ago so the mountain is slowly opening up, but we are literally inching along right now. Here are a couple shots of training from yesterday.

I am pretty proud of myself for getting certified and getting a job in the industry in my allotted time of 2 years. Another thing I learned in the training clinic from yesterday is that; I am not a great skiier. I have A LOT of work to do with particularly my hands. I was called out yesterday for having too much movement in my hands and arms. I thought I was incorporating style when in reality I'm compensating and using those pole plants not just to slow rotation in my upper body, but as a crutch. So I've been given the task of practicing for a while without my poles. I've been taken back to my youth! they've taken my poles! Which I think is a great idea. I rely too much on them, but it was my AH!-HA! moment The good news is that my lower body mechanics are working well, but I should be able to complete the same manuevers even w/out my poles.

Anyway, my friends I leave you with this; It takes guts to learn something new and even though I have skiied my whole life i'm no where near where I would have considered myself up until yesterday. Even Jack (Pictured Below) Was told he didn't have the guts to do a keg stand....well.

Quick update; I have started the studies/sketches of my next piece. I have couple of shots from this morning. I wanted to do something easier than my last one...so I went werewolf.