Random thoughts on a cloudy day with a beautiful Sunset

http://www.etsy.com/listing/104777071/the-holey-and-smashed-pig-metal-art

So, I've been thinking about pink a lot lately. Maybe because of all the pigs that I've been making. The one above got smashed with a few holes in it. Pink, I remember when I lived in the lakewood neighborhood in the city of Atlanta, my neighbor across the street who was 85 at the time would mow her lawn with her pink sweat shirt, sweat pants, and a large pink bow in her hair, she and her husband had lived there since 1955. I used to change light bulbs for her because she didn't like to climb the ladder, one day she said, "Come see my kitchen I had it painted!" Oh, yes she did, pepto bismal pink or about the shade of the pig above. Wow it was a sensory gut punch to your eyes! She loved it and she loved pink!

At my last house neighbors would ask me were I lived and I would tell them the purple house, followed by, "Next to the pink house!?" Yes, was my response, it was a brighter pink but they toned it down a bit. The ladies in the pink house were awesome neighbors, but they moved and so did I. They had painted a few rooms in the house pink also. Once I asked if the welding and metal work that I did in the backyard bothered them and my neighbor said "My house is pink, I don't have room to complain." Awesome! We got along well.

And finally tonight I went back to the Sunset Mustang Ranch Studio to finish up some pigs. Through the gray clouds an arc of pink fluffy clouds broke through! I get these amazing sunsets at my studio space, strange looking out at a transmission shop and a bunch of cars parked around there that there is almost always a glorious sunset from the courtyard next to the dirt track mustang by my studio.

Some of the pig near the studio

Blue Chairs in a Grey World

I don't know

I wear my heart upon my sleeve, my emotions out for all to see, it's a big deal! I take it personally when you destroy me. I want to stop the pain right now, it's a big deal! I felt so close to you somehow, but it's all over right now. One day I'll move on and it'll be a big deal, I hope til then I won't fall down. 

Sometimes things go really well. Sometimes despite your every feeling that you know things are going to work out, they don't. It's not your fault, it just feels like it. I thought we would be together, now I feel used, thrown out, and my emotions dismissed and it feels irrelevant to me somehow. 

I hope that tomorrow I feel better, some way, some how, some time.

Flying pigs and 1 non flying pig

Not much lately

A church in Carrollton, GA taken at twilight. Not much going on with me, it's summer, it's cooled off and looks like June isn't going to be as hot as May was, that's a relief. I've got a lot of projects going in my studio but I've been spending a lot of time with family lately so not many pictures to post. 

I took photos of my nephew at this church before his prom, there was a group of kids and a bigger group of parents! 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/101429790/66-ford-galaxie-hubcap-wall-clock

1966 Ford Galaxie Hubcap Clock

A little about Today

Today has been another frustrating day. My car is still in the shop, undiagnosed. I do have access to another car but hate to ask to use it. I am a burden on my parents. I have been unable to find any steady employment. Why? I'm not really sure. College degree? Check, Georgia Tech. Experience? Check, lots of different experience. Willingness to do almost anything? Check.

I was hoping to get a job with an organization that I have been volunteering with for over a year now. There is a position that is open, I'm qualified, have done the work while volunteering, and want and need the job. I have been recommended by current employees of said organization. What have I done for this organization as a volunteer? Good question. I've repaired several pieces of metal furniture welding things back together. I've also fixed many other pieces of furniture, re-upholstered a lot of dining chairs so that they have sold, found out many of the items that are donated were/are worth a lot more than they knew, hello antique and design knowledge, assisted countless numbers of customers, researched many items to find prices, and probably some other things. I will hit the ground running and won't need training for the job, I've had it.Today I find out I still have to apply through a temp agency, did, go to the temp agency so that they can meet me before sending me to the organization that I have been with for over 1 year volunteering. Does this make sense to anyone? It's confusing the everliving, complete, and utter crap out of me. So, I have to go to a temp agency to be approved for a job with people that I've know for almost 1 and a half years? Yes, I am super frustrated. I'm sorry temp agency, I knew about the job before you all did, I know the manager, but yet I'll probably have to accept a lower pay for the first few months so that you all get paid?(If I do get the job) What exactly are you guys doing for me? A background check and a drug test. Do I have to study for that? I have a really boring background, except for that time in Alabama in the El Dorado convertible on the way to spring break in Destin, oh wait nothing happened.

I'm a smart individual, the smartest? Nope, I definitely know that, I screw up, I make mistakes, and I don't know everything, a lot, yes. But not everything, far from it. So, what do I know?
Gardening
Welding
Art
Information Technology
Design
Architecture
Energy Efficiency
Automotive repair basic
woodworking skills
carpentry
painting
baking
cooking
laundry

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/cto/2959597836.html

massage
cleaning
childcare
household repairs
animal care
Probably a lot more things that I do know that I don't even think about(not that I think that highly of myself, I unfortunately don't). I don't know how to fix a lot of things as evidenced by my car being in the shop. I do keep my old 64 Ford truck running on my own, except for the clutch, no thanks I wasn't going to do that job. I do what needs to be done and yet still I am broke, in debt, have no prospects, and I am at this time depressed about all of it. I've been lucky to have a very loving family that has helped and supported me through this time.

I work part time gardening for a neighbor, do handyman work for several people part time, take classes to be a master gardener, run my art business on etsy, metalartdude.etsy.com, have several galleries with my art work, work at 1 of the galleries part time, volunteer at 2 different places, contribute artwork to charities, sometimes help out my friend at her school(doing artsy things), help out my sister with her kids as much as possible, help around the house, and maintain and plant 2 gardens for family. I know a lot of people that do more. I'm not saying I work more than anyone at all.

Am I a lazy slacker? I don't want to be rich and famous, I would however like to pay my bills, have a place to live, food to eat, and some beer to drink. I can't even do that right now however and I feel like a loser in spite of it all.

And then I think do I want to work for an organization that can't just say "Hey, Joel, go to this temp agency and fill out the application, it's a formality, we want you for the position but we have to do this because of the rules of our organization." At one time I did, now, I'm not so sure.

Things I've made

This shelf was made from old pallets. It took some time to build, those things are difficult to take apart. It's about 3 feet tall, 2 feet wide and 16 inches deep. And I probably won't be making another one. This was made for a friend's office. I have been busy working on other projects but I'm still painting another robot, got a sawblade face to paint, and a fish to clean up. Painting sculpture takes a lot of time for me, I have trouble picking the colors out. I have finished repainting the flamingos and hope to take them to a local garden shop this week. I'll have a dark blue one, a small red one, a green one, and an orange one. Yes, I do plan on making another pink one, I just don't have the materials for it right now. So, soon.

 

This is the bowler, a small and simple robot like sculpture made out of a spark plug, screws, and a big nut. 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/97611114/the-bowler-original-metal-sculpture

Manual Transmission

Caddy

So, I've been thinking about cars and trucks lately. I went with a friend to look at cars, she wants to find something that gets better gas mileage. A very good thing, but I think mostly it's about saving money. My friend drives a mini-van now and it does fairly well around town 15-20 miles per gallon, which for a van with a fark load of room is good, is it great? Nope, but not too bad. She would like something that got around 30 mpg around town. Cool, what get's that kind of mileage? Small cars, really small cars. Want to have some fun? Go look for a car and tell them that you want something fuel efficient. We had 2 different sales people tell us about the Chevy Impala and they said it gets good mileage around town. True, but low to mid 20's isn't that great. And to be honest the Impala ain't what it used to be, it's a boring front wheel drive slushbox, not the cool ass mid 90s Impala's. Oh, Chevy what happened? Well that's another story. So we end up looking at a bunch of tiny cars, in comparison to the van.(Note: I drive a Ford Contour, which is small, but not the smallest car out there). Well, we test drove a few cars and even one truck, a Ford Ranger, and I don't think there was anything that really impressed my friend. Me either. A bunch of slushbox, beige cars. Slushbox? Yep, an automatic transmission. When did it become so hard to find a manual transmission? Yes, I know that the automatics have come a long way and they are getting close to the same mileage as a manual transmission but you lose a lot. Where is the excitement? I love rowing through the gears. Yes, some of you hate them because, oh, I'll get stuck in a traffic jam, I do a lot of intown driving. Guess what I do both of them. So what! If you don't ride some ones bumper in a traffic jam you actually can do quite well. I like to play a game of see how few times I can push the clutch in when I'm in bumper to bumper traffic. I don't want to have to push the clutch in and come to a stop but if I have too? No big deal. To me there isn't much I like about driving except shifting gears and really feeling like I'm in control, revving the engine, taking turns, and coming out in a low gear and stomping it! So, driving an automatic is boring to me. I am very glad my parents taught me how to drive a stick shift, and I learned lots of new words and sayings driving with my Dad.

So, now that I've completely and utterly bored you with that diatribe I'll finish up with what I was thinking about the other day driving along. 

If any of you are familiar with the Flying Spaghetti Monster, bless his noodly goodness, you'll know that the planet has been warming as the number of pirates in the world has gone down. My thought was that, in the USA we've seen the number of manual transmission cars reduced to few and far between and at the same time we've seen a skyrocketing obesity rate. Coincidence? I'm not sure. In conclusion, I like to shift gears, even in the old Ford truck with the 3 speed formerly on the column transmission. Now there are probably a lot of other factors in my crazed conclusion but keep in mind, if you sat in bumper to bumper traffic 5 days a week and had to push the clutch in and out, in and out, you might get sick of that shit and move closer to work, get home sooner, and have time to walk, exercise, play in the yard with your kids or dog or maybe cat, or you know do things with you significant other.(Ultimate Frisbee). And you would get exercise with out thinking about it. So, lose weight buy a stick shift. I've heard good things about the Fiat.

MetalArtDude receives no compensation for any mention of any of these vehicles but if your company would like to send me something it would be appreciated, a lot. ;-)

And some pics from one of my last hubcap hunting trips!

Chrysler

Dodge Truck

Chase the Sun

 

Chasing the sun, following the moon. The cows come along, glancing at me, wondering, wondering, where are we going? Not caring where we have been, Chase the sun. See the pink sky at night, the cows follow along, the cows follow along!