For anyone interested, I thought I would share with all what I've been working on.

another addition. This is from Idaho at Redfish Lake. I personally took the reference photos and did this piece as a gift for our Niece and her husband about a year ago

here's another one if you haven't seen it yet

This came up on YouTube only 6 months ago. My friend came across it and posted it. So, it’s me and my friends from 28 years ago. I am on the far left, playing the third part.

here is another one for you to look at. from my hometown of Griggstown, NJ

ready for another one? well, here is one I recently parted with...it is a satisfying thing to have people actually want to add my paintings to their collections. Better than sitting in my studio collecting dust and not have anyone looking at them for long stretches of time!And- maybe this will cool you off a little

today I have a piece from Ketchikan Alaska where there was this scene and we even saw some Salmon trying their best to swim up this very strong current. I love attempting to re create the raging white water, and sometimes I get it, and sometimes not so much!

A scene not too far from my home. This is a small switch house originally from the Pennsylvania RR, but the "myth" that has spread about it is that it was the Bridge tender's house, I have since found out otherwise. The PRR bought the Delaware & Raritan Canal and essentially put it out of business in the early 1930s. At its peak, the D&R canal did more commerce than the Erie Canal.

Thought I would share this recent one, just to send greetings to all for a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Another one you may ask why I did. Answer: I wanted to see how it would come out.

I heard that one out of four people are mentally disturbed.
Seems more like three out of four………to me.

@barliman2001
Another time Ole was driving home with his wife, Lena. A little way into the trip a police officer stops him to tell him he thought someone may have fallen out the passenger side about a half mile back. .
“Oh, boy, dats a relief!” Says Ole. “I thought maybe I had gone deaf!”

@barliman2001
I have heard a similar Norwegian joke.
Goes like this:
Ole goes off to work one day and a shortly after arriving realizes he forgot his lunch. Gets home and calls up to his wife. “Lina, where are you?”
“ Up in the bedroom”, she says.
Ole comes in and asks, “Lena, where’s your clothes?”
“ oh, I yust have nutting to vare”
Ole goes to the closet, starts naming every thing she has,
“Look, here's your blue dress, your red dress, plaid dress, hi Sven, your white dress………”

Also, a woman called the radio station and complained about where the deer crossing sign was put on the shoulder of the highway.
“Why did the highway department put it there? Too many deer are getting hit by cars there. They should put it in a less busy section of the highway so the deer can safely cross the road. I can’t believe they are that ignorant”

@j-jericho said in Mouthpiece issue:

@rowuk ... or he should use the Bach numbering system. You know... the number of high notes is stamped into the mouthpiece, along with which pitch the mouthpiece contains! For example, a 10-1/2 C enables you to play ten and one half octaves of the note "C", whereas a 2 only has two undetermined high notes available.

Now I understand completely.

Sorry for the wandering.
Back to the question, though, I think the real thing is taking your time with it, and not trying to microwave your results. More of a slow cook approach. ( I am paraphrasing what Rowuk said. He knows the deal. )

Pope John XIII was asked in an interview how many people worked at the Vatican.
About half of them, he answered.

@ssmith1226
That’s some pretty crazy stuff there.
Almost as strange as the guy with the talking dog for sale…

Wanna hear about it?
I take that as a yes.

There was a guy driving through the low country of South Carolina when he spotted a sign in front of a run down shack that said, “Talking DAWG FER SAIL, 5 BUCKS”
He said to himself, I gotta see this, even if I don’t buy it, so he went to the front porch and asked about it.
The man sitting in the rocking chair said, yup, y’all can go right on back and see him. He ain’t gonna bite.
Man goes back and gets into a total conversation with this dog! No people were around or anything like that. The dog goes on and on about all his exploits and travels, since he could talk, of course.
Drug enforcement, he could listen in on conversations and report back to his handlers. All kinds of stuff like that.
So this fella is mighty impressed with what he heard, and wanted this dog for sure, especially because it was only 5 bucks!
He pays the man still lounging on his rocking chair and once he shakes hands on the deal, he says, “this dog is amazing! Why would you sell a dog that has accomplished all these things for so cheap!

Man on the rocker says, “aww, he was just a big ol’ bald faced liar is why!”

Another Ole and Lena story. ( Norwegian Humor )

Lena was in court for shoplifting.
She was accused of taking a can of peaches.
“ How many peaches were in that can you took? “ said the judge.
“Oh, I would say, two.” Said Lena.
The judge declared she would have to spend one day in jail for each peach in the can she took.
Lena stood, head down, and took her medicine.

Then……..
Ole cleared his throat, and asked if he could say something.
Yes? Said the judge.
Well, Ole said, in the interest of justice, I need to mention that my wife here also took a can of peas, too.

@barliman2001 said in Bugler's Holiday from 1995:

Nice! But it's bad that the flag prevented the page-turner from being in her proper place, totally obliterating the pianist...

That is exactly the humble kind of guy he is. He never hogs the spotlight. Fine Pianist, too. He may be the most humble friend I have.
He truly does not care if he is seen or not!

This came up on YouTube only 6 months ago. My friend came across it and posted it. So, it’s me and my friends from 28 years ago. I am on the far left, playing the third part.