Uncommon Expressions of A Common Man-John McAlpine ArtMenu

Some of my artwork is now on display at Petite Sweet in downtown Everett. I have several more pieces, like the one you see here, that need to be framed. I wanted to post something because it's already been nearly two months since I did so. If I go too long, I might forget, you know? If you have any creative urges you've not acted on, for what ever reason, I encourage you to do so. I can't tell you how many people compliment me on my work and it took a while before I truly accepted what they said as valid. So now I get people telling me 'I wish I could do something like that', pointing at a piece I did. I just want to scream (in a nice way)' You can! The  secret is in the doing. Nothing more to it than that.'

That's all for now. Be kind to yourselves............

I thought I'd stop by and update my website blog in  the event someone is reading these entries.

I'm showing my work in Petite Sweet (same location as Pave) Bakery in Everett in June. 

The groove (or is it rut?) I'm in with what has been called 'cartoonish' drawings continues and those the ones I will show. 
I have made a commitment to enter a 10x10 piece in a show in Lake Chelan, where the work is displayed anonymously. Last time I did this, I sold! 

So I'd better get to work............

Someone made a gift to me of a nice Nikon DSLR camera so I'm hoping my photos will reflect better equipment.

Not that anyone was beating down my doors and demanding I throw a few words together. :)  For me it's just time passing by so quickly I am always astounded how long it's been since I updated any readers of what's new in my art world.

Since I've last written I've been blessed with a granddaughter (my first), been back to Michigan to celebrate my dad's 85 birthday, sold a painting or two and come into possession of a very nice Nikon dSLR 

I believe will help elevate my photo taking to another level.

I have been stuck, for lack of a better word, on drawing using points of color and using animals as my main subjects. Not sure why, I just let it out and whatever happens, happens. Though I am beginning to think about going in a different direction as I seek a style. I'm self taught and so I really have to focus on the technical aspects of creating images (shading, pallete, composition etc) while trying to find what kind of drawing or painting expresses my point of view best. 

Don't know yet what it is but like I said, I just let it happen. And for the last year or so it's been points of color, or dots or short strokes when using pastels.

On a side note I still have a job, can see the work finish line (retirement) on the horizon and need to be ready when that happens. It probably means more volunteering and certainly more time to create images whether using a camera or my hands.

 Thanks for reading, I promise not to be away so long next time.

Hi,

It's been a while (April to be exact) since I last wrote here. Since that time I have gone to Scotland, Michigan and relocated from one apartment to another in the same building.

I took several pictures on the trip to Scotland and the trip to Michigan and have posted a few here.

I've also been putting the latest works I've done in colored pen mostly, using dots versus


strokes (see work in process). Being self taught I have to experiment and play around to learn things and so my work sometimes has a random and scattered feel to it (my words- no one has ever said that to me).

I ran into someone I hadn't seen in 15 years or more the other day at the Fresh Paint festival in Everett. As we caught up she talked about doing a painting a day and how that helped keep her focused.

I'm not sure I have the discipline to do that but it does get me thinking!

Hey, let's have a party! :) I only recently started using Artist Run Website. My main reason for leaving the other ISP and coming here was this platform is much easier to use. I thought "that will make it easy for me to manage the site and promote myself." Ha! I still don't seem to have enough time to make art, let alone post it or write about it.

But the idea is to keep going no matter what so I have been trying to do something, anything, on a daily basis that speaks to me creatively and promotes my work.

Not sure anyone has noticed yet but simply by writing these blogs I feel I am moving in the right direction.

I am always amazed at how quickly time passes in relation to the last time the website was updated and refreshed. It's been 6 weeks or so since my last blog. Where did that time go?

Some new drawings and photographs have been posted. I sometimes am often overwhelmed with the beauty and grandeur of our world and the people in it. Since committing myself to being an artist, by that I mean believing I have a voice and what I have to offer is valid and legitimate, it's changed the way I see things.

Beauty in the form of pictures, drawings and photos appear to me all the time.  That proves, I think, we find what we are looking for in this world.

As a child I learned art was Michaelangelo, Piccaso or Da Vinci. Now I know different. Art is whatever inspires, motivates, touches or  moves me.   This can be the sun reflecting off a flower, a bird in flight, the laughter of a child, music, food or dance. It can be movies, architecture or carpentry. Art is everywhere and I want to share what I see with you.

I suppose I should try to do something with the naming of these short little essays, if that is what they are.

The purpose of the blog I am told, is to stimulate interest on the part of readers to find out more about me and the art I make.

For me it's more about practicing my writing.

That said, I've been posting more photos to the site lately but still have some original pastel/pencil stuff to add. It is a dream of mine to be able to generate income from what I do here at some point in the future.

Thery say the difference between a dream and a goal is a deadline. I understand that and also inherently know it takes a leap of faith to name a deadline. A leap I'm apparently not ready to make.

But the fact I wrote it down here is a start for me. And that's the best I can do today.

Hello! Today is the day I start focusing on the work part of being a creative person. I'm self taught and began seriously trying to learn how and what to do in this area about 10 years ago.

Making the art, taking the photos, researching the sketch material, that is all fun and games. I like doing that stuff and can and will spend hours taking pictures, working on art pieces and crafting paper mache.

But promoting myself and the work I do? That's difficult. It's difficult because I've never been a self promoter. It's difficult because I don't know where to start. But it's difficult mainly because I've never done this before.

Recently (actually just a few days before I wrote this) I changed website hosts to make this promoting part easier. With the webiste comes this blog, so the tool is at hand. This website will be easier for me to load new work and talk about what I've got going on.

Maybe you'll see something you like, maybe you won't. But you'll never be bored. At  least that is my hope. I live in a beautiful part of the country, and take most of my photos and ideas for drawings from right here where I live.

So for the next few weeks, please take a look as I upload images you may have seen on my old site as well as new (especially  photos) ones from a more recent time.