Greetings from 79855

I "should" be on the road already if I was following the schedule that I originally devised. I'm not.

I'll just sit here in the dark and watch the sun rise from my room.
I only have a six hour drive today. No hurry.
Safer to be enjoying this from a chair vs a vehicle going 70mph.
Maybe it's time to reconsider my modis operandi.

Funding is at 25% WooHoo!

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Thank you everyone that has donated to my IndieGoGo campaign!!! This morning, I went over the $2000 mark. Very exciting!

I've been doing a "miles for $$" graphic over on the campaign (in lieu of a video, which I never finished). Today, I'm past southern Texas on the $$ map and couldn't be happier.

There are 24 days left to donate. No amount is too small!

OK, back to packing. Less than 24 hours until departure. Eeeeek!

First Samples of Prints on Metal

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[This is a reprint of my first update over on my IndieGoGo campaign, with some modifications]

Big "Thank you" to everyone that has contributed!  You are all on the "AAA" list!

First samples came in for the Pilot perk!
The Pilot is a digital watercolor printed on aluminum.
It will come with a flush mounted frame.

I got a sample pack from Bay Photo of the four possible finishes. I added float mounts to them, since the flush mounted frames weren't available for that size.

The final will have more white space around the image, I was limited to 4x6" for the special sampling deal. Going with the Satin finish (bottom left). Next I'll get an actual size (5x7") sample with the proper frame. So far, really happy with the quality.

I have to thank my fellow TAG Gallery artist Christo Brock for the concept of printing images on metal. It's a great alternative to "paper under glass".

I'll be using this format for my TAG show in June.

Shop Me: Road Art Retrospective

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Winchester, @2014, digital watercolor, size varies

I use Society6 for printing larger sized digital paintings and reproductions of my older pastels. I'm thinking this might be the best place to post the digital watercolors as I get them done. The above image was shot last month, driving from Temecula to Palm Springs, using my Panasonic point + shoot, then uploaded to my iPad and processed. A test run for the upcoming trip, so to speak.

Society6 is currently running a sale that gets you FREE Shipping and $5 Off Each Item in my Shop only available from this link. The promotion expires March 9, 2014 at Midnight Pacific Time.
*Offer excludes Framed Art Prints, Stretched Canvases and Throw Pillows with insert.

They run these promotions from time to time, but this is the first instance I've seen the free shipping/$5 discount combination. If you want something on a particular substrate (like a landscape on a mug) send me a request via email. I have to upload specifically sized files for the specialty items and I haven't bothered to do that for everything.

Here's a preview of what can be found there:

Geez, what a mish-mash! Don't ask me what that fashion sketch of Cameron Silver is doing in there -- it got uploaded to the wrong shop! (I have three: art, fashion, and patterns).

A Roadtripper's Mobile Bookshelf

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Last night I got going entering some of my road-themed books into Goodreads.

No, none of these, yet.

It could have sworn I had The Art of Pilgrimage, by Phil Cousineau but I couldn't find it.

Then, while shooting the above photo, I remembered that I'd put some road trip books on a special Road Trip Project shelf.
Eureka! Found, and added to my "take with" pile:

Since I'm driving, I can schlep lots of "stuff".

List, with links and comments

• Where Chefs Eat, by Joe Warwick
I gave this to Severo, my partner in gluttony. He'll let me borrow it.
• Where the Locals Eat, by L. Lee Wilson Purchased pre-Yelp. It's ©1998.
• The Food Lover's Handbook to the Southwest, by Dave DeWitt Sensing a trend yet? I got this in 1992. I have used it extensively.
• The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp Thought this would be good to read again.
• Ghost World, by Daniel Clowes Wild card! I won't yet tell you why I'm taking this.
• The Way of the Traveler, by Joseph Dispenza This was on the same shelf as The Art of Pilgrimage
• The Mindful Traveler, by Jim Currie Currently reading
• The Pacific Northwest, Insight Guides I have the 1989 edition. Absurd to take it?
• Roadside America
I have two copies of this, it's so entertaining. They also have a website. And an App.
• Eat Your Way Across the U.S.A., by Jan and Michael Stern Sure, don't mind if I do!
• 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late, by Jan and Michael Stern
• Roadfood, by Jan and Michael Stern The classic original.
• Road Trip USA, by Jamie Jensen This will be helpful on US2, the northern perimeter. She's written many other more specific guides, like one for New England. Maybe I'll get the Kindle edition.
• U.S.A. & Canada, Travellers Survival Kit Picked this up for $1.00. Old ©1993
• Rand McNally Pocket Size Atlas
So cute. Usefulness debatable. I've got my AAA maps, my iPhone, and Siri.

Any books (or Apps) that you can recommend?  
Please, not Blue Highways. I've read it and it annoyed the heck out of me. I think Least-Heat Moon writes too elaborately, not for narrative flow, but to let us all know how "learned" he is.