June 2, 2003
Playing with a possible cover head: “Before Saddam, there was Pancho.” Maybe too current, but when you think about it Pancho looks a lot like Saddam and he attacked us and we never got him either. And we had airplanes! (1915) Ha.

Got three cover paintings going Sunday morning (10:24 AM). All have good potential. I’ve been putting in a green sky with lightning coming in from the upper left hand corner. I did the first one rather tight (on purpose) then did the second looser and it really has some movement (that’s a good thing). May do it on a third. Got the inspiration to have the lightning hit Pancho’s rifle and create an excalibur effect. Worried. Sometimes my ambition outstrips my talent. Here goes....

Laid in some sweet yellows and greens (still trying to capture the color scheme of the Mexican flag. However, switched to red and got the wrong one. Ouch! Really tough. Took a break at 1:50 to deal with a family crisis (should freeloaders who party all night and sleep all day pay rent?). Swam laps for a half-hour (water a comfortable 95 degrees). Felt good. First exercise since my hospitalization.

Took a shower, came out and re-attacked Pancho-vignettes. Still hopeful (2:33). Struggling with color scheme. Playing lost and found: cover an area in a complimentary color then try to work on negative space to retrieve the background image behind it. When it works it’s a thing of magic. When it doesn’t, it sucks so bad. Trying to stay in the game (5:40). Ate dinner with family, my mom called from Wyoming. Took a “nap.” Verdict still out. Seems a mess. May call it a night. Need to finish by tomorrow. Pressure. Got to move. Can’t quit now.

Took another stab after dinner. Painted myself right in a corner. Tommy came in with Paul and they wanted to play me their new songs. Put tape in, listened. Kind of Nirvana-ish, okay, no lyrics, just scatting and mumbling. I guess the thing that bugs me is they don’t have a name for their band. You have to have a cool name before you learn the first song. It’s a rule written in stone (very old stone). Anyway, I’m overproducing (both in painting and parenting) and I need to lighten up. Knocked off painting at 10:30

Got up at five and re-attacked big Pancho Rider painting. Evened out the sky, saved the left arm. Transitions at bottom are still really hanging out. (6:33). Need to go into work and deal with a layout problem. Issue goes to press a week from today.

"God writes a lot of comedy. The trouble is, he's stuck with so many bad actors who don't know how to play funny."
 —Garrison Keillor