March/Spring is here!

Yes! It's true. Spring has reached Seattle, at least from a Midwesterner's standpoint. The last few weeks the temperature has not gone under 40 degrees.

I've been busy working, hiking, painting, playing banjo and hanging out with my new friends.
Roberta, Drew and I have been taking hikes the last two Sundays. The first one we went on was the Cougar Mountain trail, off of I90. It was surrounded by the ever-sprawling suburbia, but was a nice short hike, about 2.5 miles, round trip. Hike #2 was a more scenic hike on the Twin Falls trail. This trail head was also off of I90. The views were incredible, I will post a picture or two soon.

With painting I've been doing some of my ongoing collage work. I am also starting a new portrait and constructing miniature houses which will soon become villages. Later in May, I believe I'll begin a Sumi Painting/Calligraphy class. I really want some new brush techniques. My one roommate and I have begun a collaborative painting on an 8 foot by 3 foot piece of Masonite board. We are working on it in the front hall. It's been an interesting first try at something of this nature.

In other art news, I have finally made it down to SAM(Seattle Art Museum). Impressive were the masks from the Native Cultures and the amount of Alaskan art that was there. I was a bit disappointed as I am with almost every museum, with the amount of Expressionist era pieces in the collection. there was a single, faded Kandinsky drawing! But overall there was a great deal of beautiful artifacts from Africa and the Orient.

Banjo playing has kept me from going crazy. I love jamming on it or just picking it up while I am waiting. At some point I will have everyone in the house playing something, singing, or dancing on the clogging board I intend to build. For right now, they have been enthusiastic listeners.

Bridge likes bikes, but does NOT like being harassed by fellow bikers. I managed to talk Roberta in to going on critical mass, her first ever. It was a strenuous ride to Gas Works park in Fremont. On our way out of gasworks, I was told by a fellow biker to "get a white light" for the front of my bike. I have a blinking red light on the front and back, supposedly this is ILLEGAL! She told me that I was breaking the law. For lack of a witty comment, I responded with silence, she noticed this and scoffed, saying "...and she's not even listening!" I am an outlaw, a lawbreaker, a cyclist not following the rules, RIDICULOUS...
maybe next time I'll just take my SUV to mass....

ciao for now.