A better bucket--vivid watercolor lessons

A better bucket

One of the lessons that is finally soaking into my painting life, and I hope my life this year--is to be more vivid.
I should have learned that from Frank Francese's watercolor workshop here last June, and indeed it helped some.
But when I was posting paintings of December Christmas cards, and most recently, the bucket for the bucket list article yesterday, I've found myself computer-enhancing the paintings, which makes them more vivid. I tried it on the bucket, and then decided to just use the original.
But then I painted a better bucket...much more vivid. This one is not computer-enhanced. 
Watercolor tends to "dry down" and lose some color,  and my landscapes tend to be earthen colored, because of growing up in New Mexico. I try to achieve impact with contrast, but it's time to change.
Here's to a vivid year.

A year's story begins, a day at a time

A walk in Hafer Park today sets me to thinking. If I did this every day for a year, I'd have walked 730 miles by Dec. 31, 2014. And if I took a photo every trip, I'd have quite an album of ordinary things, consuming storage on my computer.
But today was blustery and cold. Few people were out. There will be days when it will be snowing, or icing, or raining, or threatening. There will be days when I'm out of town.
I know this though, if some higher power would guarantee me another year of life if I did walk it every day, I would. But there ain't no 730-more-mile guarantee on this 1944 model.

Anyway, I took two photos today, of a tree stump and a diseased tree, both of which hint at continuing life. Some lovers sat down and carved their names into the stump. Some bug bored a hole through a pasting designed to keep bugs out of a diseased tree. There is a future. These have been enhanced on the computer, because there was no sun for contrast.
This reminds me of the remarkable accomplishment of friend and colleague Mark Zimmerman, who took one second videos every day last year, and pasted them together. 
It's quite a project (warning, one second involves me).
Here are Mark's Facebook comments:

"Each day in 2013 I recorded one second of video. Never thought I would make it to today. 
Some observations on this project-
1. The easiest month was the first
2. The hardest month was the last
3. Had a few technical difficulties (I lost 3 videos throughout the year)
4. If you want to see a much better every day project, see by brother-in-law's Everyday People here
5. I hate "selfies" - but I did a few.
6. The majority of my subjects are my cameras, my pets, and my family (not listed in order of importance).
7. I am ready to have my iPhone storage space back.
8. I lead a pretty boring life (but I am ok with that).
I used an APP called One Second Everyday http://1secondeveryday.com/"

Here is Mark's fascinating journey through 2013, one second at a time, for 365 days. Enjoy

Bucket list for 2014

2014 Buckets...5 by 6 watercolor

For 2014--

England and Scotland--this summer;
Open cockpit biplane ride;
Sail on a sailboat in the Caribbean;
Take more backroads;
More New Mexico;
Family history;
Take up oil painting;

Cousin reunion;

Retire ?;
Surprise myself!

Standard resolutions:

More time with children and grandchildren, family and friends;

Health and exercise;

Improve blog;

Paint more;

Write  a book?

The sunset of a year in watercolor, and more

Sunset on Dec. 31--9 1/2" by 12" watercolor, 140 pound paper

The sun sets on another calendar year, and we try to dwell on the future, calling it New Year's Eve, which is fine and shows the hope in our species. But at the moment, I choose to think about where I've been, where this blog has been in 2013. I wanted to capture that in a watercolor, never even thinking about New Year's Day, 2014,  until I sat down to write this.
Paraphrasing Dickens, it has been the best of times and the worst of times, depending on where and who you were in this country and world. Fortunately for us, and ours, in spite of tragedies, of politics, of violence, and of wars, I can look back thankfully, but be thoughtful of those who cannot. 
In this year, I've traveled new miles and places, met new friends and people, lived new adventures and thoughts, found new stories and life. The sun setting on those experiences seems to mean there will be more of them when the sun rises tomorrow.  
This will be the last 2013 post, 39th this month and 252nd this year, on Coffee with Clark. It's been  a reader-record-setting year, with more than 45,000 page views from readers in 228 countries. Thanks for reading. Tomorrow, my bucket list.

twitter advice from an 'adventure hound'

@okieprof #clarkclass

I'm looking back and ahead to the speakers my intersession class on twitter for journalists; it resumes for a week Jan. 6.
Our third speaker before Christmas break was former student, now friend and colleague Heide Brandes, who just marked her first anniversary making a living as a freelance writer.
(Yes, she's the student who was featured in the ad with me, "Mentors matter" a copy of which was posted on this blog on Dec. 12. I am astounded at this, because few make it work, and I do know how hard and hectic such a work life is. But she is a woman of boundless energy and optimism and talents.
She spoke of many things, some unique to college classes by the way, like the sex life of possums. Other subjects included caving, medieval re-enactments and belly dancing, all of which she does. 
So what did she tell my students about writing? Here's the practical advice, mentioned by the students in our debriefing after she left, recorded by stellar student Lacey Rhodes @laceymrhodes.

• Be fearless
• You are creating your brand.
• Don’t ever have a screaming match with someone who can fire you.
• Don’t try too hard to create a brand just be yourself. 
• Everyone you follow is a potential story or source.
• Don’t get attached to your work.
• Twitter is a a huge job tool.
• You do not have to be a phenomenal writer just be reliable and trustworthy.
• Don’t forget the people who are not on twitter.
• Again, do NOT get attached to your articles, they will get torn apart.
• Always get paid! Never let someone screw you out of money.
• If you want to be a good writer than read good writers. Transcends through all industries.
• Life should be fun.
• All of your followers are sources, follow more important people.
• Don’t be afraid to make the contact with someone.
• Don’t become too lazy on twitter.
• Be ethical, ALWAYS.
• Enjoys that she is an all-around writer. Can write everything.
• Everything I put on twitter serves a benefit.
• Networking is the new marketing.