January 14, 2005
Got up at five and got coffee. Mulled a painting I shouldn't really be doing. Finally got up about six, went out to the studio and worked on it. Okay, here's the deal: we need a cover image for our Special Travel Issue: 77 Sunset Trips. We looked at a couple of groovy photos but they're not quite right. Too American Cowboy for us. On the other hand, we don't want to look too much like Arizona Highways, pretty picture, etc. So, against my better judgement, I started a painting and now I'm in up to my eyebrows.

Speaking of Arizona Highways they just named their new editor yesterday, Peter Aleshire. He's a longtime contributor to the magazine and has quite a challenge in front of him. I wish him luck. He'll need it. Here's a quote I'm fond of that addresses that obtusely:

"To make a fortune some assistance from fate is essential. Ability alone is insufficient."
—Ihara Saikaku

Samantha just came in (4:40 P.M.) and told me she sold my Pancho Villa cover painting, over the phone! One of our maniacs, Anthony Sapienza (#460), from New Jersey called up and bought it sight unseen. Wasn't cheap either.

Went home for lunch and walked down to my neighbor's to pay for our road improvement. She was in the garage when I walked up and seemed alarmed. I couldn't see her, just heard her voice, but after a moment she told me she didn't "have any clothes on." So I sicced the dogs on her. I wanted to flush her out and see what she looked like.

Not really. I apologized, placed the check on a cactus spine, and left like the gentleman I pretend to be.

Someone asked me how much money we made in our second year of business and Carole looked it up and we made $550,000, which seems decent until you look at how much we lost: $302,000. Ah, those were the days when puckering wasn't an option, it was the rule.

Worked until about three on a big cover painting of ghost riders. Hit the wall and came back into the office.

Worked until six. Everyone giddy over the record number of ads and pages for the issue, which closed this afternoon, right on deadline (that's a first). Right now I'm looking for more opportunities, but you know what they say about that?

"Opportunities always look bigger going than coming."
—Old Vaquero Saying