A Year in the life.... and another one around the corner...

Less than a week left in 2016.  I'll be glad to see it over.  It's been a year of loss for many people.  Many of the people who influenced my early life have passed on.  I've lost friends due to both death, and life.  Some I will miss greatly, some not so much.

This past year has caused so much turmoil for many.  It seems that I see a world more full of hatred than at any point in my lifetime.  The newsman was talking about terrorism on television a couple of days ago.  He was talking about how violence and fear is the "new normal" that we must learn to accept.  It saddens me that we are being told to learn to accept hate.

Once at an art show, a lady came into my booth and was looking at my art.  As she walked away, she looked at me and told me that I was a "Living Paradox of Love and Sarcasm."  I've used that description many times over the years.  I think it describes me rather well.

What do I want for 2017?  I want to keep being me.  I want to be that same asshole, that you've all come to know and love.  I want to continue to make art without allowing myself to put filters on it so that it fits into someone else's ideals.  I know that I don't get invited to things sometimes because people are afraid someone may be offended.  I often get reminder emails from show coordinators that they are a family friendly event, and to please choose carefully the art I display.  That always makes me smile.  I've also burned some bridges, and have no regrets about doing so.  I want to find new people to show love too, and share more love than ever.  I want to work on building "World Famous SamG Land!!!"

I'm totally up in the air about how to show my art.  I have absolutely no plans of showing my art locally, except for events I have here.  I moved here because it was one of my better markets, but as soon as I was local, it for the most part dried up.  Some of those burnt bridges are to blame for that as well.  During my recent Grand Opening, over 90% of the people who visited were not locals.  Even had one friend drive down from Ohio to be here.

Part of me wants to hit the road and do shows way outside of my normal areas, but part of me wants to become a recluse and make people come to me.  I hope to figure out a decent balance of the two, but don't expect me to do as many shows as I've done in previous years.   You'll be much better off making your plans to visit SamG Land, if you want to see me.

with bunches of love.....

SamG

Happy Thanksgiving....

I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  I have been hard at work on my biggest creation yet.  3 1/2 acres of World Famous SamG Land.  Having a home show here on Dec 10-11 that will be the Official Grand Opening.  Hope everyone comes out and sees all the hard work I've done and get a better understanding of my vision and what I hope to accomplish with i

Thanksgiving as a holiday, at this point in my life, has become nothing more than bumming a really good meal off of someone.  For many, it is merely a way of energizing themselves to prepare themselves to fight at WalMart over discounted toaster ovens.  We want to call ourselves thankful, but honestly, are we?

I could go on and list everything I am thankful for.  I'm not though.  Hopefully the people I'm thankful for, truly know.  One thing though that I am truly thankful for is my imagination. I've always had that. This week marks 9 years since I took an online career quiz that said that I should be an artist and I did my first painting.   I've taken breaks from art temporarily over the past 9 years due mostly to life circumstances, but it has been my one true love.  I feel like I'm just getting started, or at least starting over.  Whatever I'm doing, I'm going to do it big!!!

Moral of Today's Lesson:  Don't surround yourself with people who can help you, surround yourself with people who won't hurt you.

Peace, Love, and The World's Largest Grit
SamG

Random Banter from a Sleep Deprived Fool

I haven't been creating much lately, so I thought I would do some writing.  Writing is something that I enjoy, but don't do nearly as much as I should.  I prefer my art as my way of expression.  I've been thinking about art and some of the decisions I've made pertaining to the business end of art.  That is the part I don't care for.  I don't show my art locally much anymore.  People in Northeast GA seem to think that having an art show is a good way of paying for a big party or a wine festival.  I've made enemies for taking a stand for art and have lost some friendships.  I will never regret being the one who says what everyone else is scared to, even if I know I'm on my own.

Now to the subject of art, I just spent a solid two weeks work on what I think may be my best piece yet.  I won't be unveiling it for a couple of months, but I really believe it's something special.  Now I have to get to work on show inventory for the coming months.  Time to step out into your world and hopefully introduce people to mine.

People tell me that my world is too weird.  Your world is a weird place to me now.  Looking at something that may open my world up to more people.  More on that at another time.

I was talking to a friend the other day.  The topic was politics and how people have become so hate filled.  Out of that discussion came this thought, that I'll end with...

  "Just keep being a light until either Jesus or the Mother Ship comes"


Art, Love, Perfect TV Hair

SamG

Happy Anniversary to My Bionic Knee..... and me!!!!

Five years ago today, I had my partial knee replacement.  I don't remember what the actual procedure was called, but they sawed off the back of my knee cap, replaced it with a plastic piece and screwed some titanium onto my leg bone for it all to ride against.  There are some pretty good stories about my hospital stay and the recovery thereafter.  One of the best involves cops, a broken taillight, an expired tag, a dead dog, and a reasonable amount of alcohol.  I'll save that story for another day.  I want to talk about how that surgery altered my life course this time.

I had spent the previous five years working for an Auto Parts company travelling setting up and remodeling stores.  It was a job that I really enjoyed.  I worked a week, off a week.  The week that I was working, I could be anywhere in the country.  I've been many places that I would never have gotten to go if it had not been for that job.  Even got to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on company time when we were in Cleveland, OH once.

I've had problems with my knees since I was in High School.  A car accident in 1989 didn't help them any.  I'd had two previous orthroscopic surgeries.  Now it was time for the major one.  During my recovery I was out of work for four months.  I'd been making art for a couple of years by that time.  Art became a major part of my therapy, mainly because of my limited mobility, and to occupy and give me an outlet for my mind.

I'd become aware of changes being made at work while I was out.  Had pretty much found out that I was going to be laid off shorty upon returning to work.  So I made the decision not to go back to work, and make an attempt to become a full-time artist.  I won't say that I chose art as a career, I think that takes the meaning and feel away from the art.  Art to me is a way of life, a lifestyle.  I refuse to look at it as a job.

So i guess today marks the anniversary of the day that I became a full time artist.  I think I made a good decision.  It's been tough at times, but I wouldn't trade the freedoms and the opportunities I've had for anything in this world.  I am surprised every time someone tells me they are jealous of me for being able to live my dream doing what I want.

I'm ready to make more changes though.  I must have Gypsy blood in me somewhere.  Seems like it's about time to head off on another adventure, in a different direction somewhere.  SamG Spreading Love and Letting People Marvel at Perfect Television Hair World Tour!!!!

I always try to end these things with some kind of moral:  so this post's moral is....  "Don't do dumb shit."