NASHVILLE AND ELVIS

Lil LADY AND I WENT TO NASHVILLE TO SEE ELVIS COSTELLO. WE HAD NEVER BEEN TO NASHVILLE BEFORE. WE GOT TO TOWN EARLY AND THE FRONT DESK CLERK POINTED US IN THE DIRECTION OF THE FARMERS MARKET. WE WALKED ABOUT A MILE AND FOUND IT. A LARGE STATE FARMERS MARKET STYLED FARMERS MARKET.
THERE WAS A PRODUCE SHED, A GARDENING SHED, A RESTAURANT SHED AND A FLEA MARKET SHED.
THE FLEA MARKET SUCKED, ALL NEW STUFF. THE PRODUCE AND THE GARDENING WERE COOL AND THE RESTAURANT SHED WAS COOL WITH A FEW PLACES TO EAT THAT LOOKED REAL INTERESTING. 
WE FOUND A LITTLE POP UP KITCHEN WITH A CROSTINI BAR TO SIT AND EAT. IT WAS CALLED AM@FM. THEY HAD A CHALK BOARD TELLING ABOUT THE CROSTINIS AVAILABLE. PORK BELLY CAUGHT MY EYE AND THAT'S WHAT I ORDERED. AS IT WAS SERVED  THE FELLOW TOLD US ABOUT THE HOUSE CURED BELLY AND HOW HE BUILT THIS CROSTINI WITH HOUSE MADE GRAINY MUSTARD AND HONEY.
STACEY ASK FOR THE EGG SALAD WITH CAPERS AND  DILL. HE EXPLAINED HOW HE BUILT THIS ONE USING LOCAL, FREE RANGE EGGS.  HOUSE MADE MAYO AND HOUSE MADE PICKLES.
THIS WAS GOOD STUFF AND WE FELT LUCKY TO HAVE FOUND THE PLACE. WE LEARNED LATER THE CHEF BEHIND AM@FM, ARNOLD MYINT, WAS ONCE A CONTESTANT ON TOP CHEF.

LATER THAT NIGHT WE WENT TO A PLACE RECOMMEND BY THE GUY AT AM@FM. WE ASK FOR A LOCALS PLACE TO EAT AND DRINK CAUSE DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE IS A TOURIST TRAP. THEY SENT US TO THE PATTERSON HOUSE. A SPEAK EASY STYLE BAR THAT IS NAMED AFTER THE GOVERNOR WHO CHANGED THE PROHIBITION  LAWS IN TENNESSEE.IT WASN'T ALL THAT. EXPENSIVE DRINKS, OK FOOD AND ATTITUDE.

BUT ELVIS COSTELLO DIDN'T HAVE AN ATTITUDE. HE WAS GREAT. I HAVE BOUGHT TICKETS TO SEE ELVIS TWICE AND BOTH TIMES HE HAD TO CANCEL. HE DIDN'T CANCEL HIS RYMAN AUDITORIUM SHOW. THE RYMAN IS A GREAT PIECE OF HISTORY AND IT WAS THE PERFECT PLACE TO SEE ELVIS. HE PLAYED FOR ABOUT 3 HOURS AND TREATED US TO A COUPLE OF ACOUSTIC SONGS DURING ONE OF HIS ENCORES. JUST ELVIS AND HIS GUITAR. HE EVEN STEPPED AWAY FROM THE MIC TO SING AND LET THE RYMAN DO ALL THE WORK. IT WAS REAL NICE.

mardi gras 2010

I BUMPED MY NOSE THE NIGHT BEFORE, BUT I STILL HAD A GREAT RIDE THE NEXT DAY!
I DON'T WHO THE GUY ON THE RIGHT IS???

SLEW OF PIGS

THESE ARE MY LATEST PIG PAINTINGS
SORRY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE PHOTOS, I SUCK AT TAKING THEM AND DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TIME TO GET SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE THEM.
ANYWAY, THEY ARE AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFO SEE WEB SITE.
http://tracyhartley.blogspot.com/

/>

AIRPLANE WINGS AND COCKTAILS

THIS IS THE DRINK RAIL AT THE MELLOW MUSHROOM BAR. IT IS ABOUT 2' WIDE AND 10' LONG. IT WAS MADE TO LOOK AS IF IT WERE BUILT FROM AIRCRAFT METAL.

THE BAR IS MADE FROM THE SAME MATERIAL, BUT YOU CAN'T TELL FROM MY PREVIOUS POST.. I DIDN'T BUILD THE BAR, I JUST PAINTED ON IT AND THE DRINK RAIL. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE FOR A GOOD LOOK

MELLOW MUSHROOM FYETTEVILLE N.C.

SO, WHERE HAVE I BEEN AND WHAT HAVE I BEEN UP TO YOU ASK. MAYBE YOU DON'T ASK, BUT I'M GONNA TELL.
LAST YEAR I FINISHED A REALLY HUGE JOB FOR A RESTAURANT HERE IN ATLANTA. LOCAL 3 IS THE RESTAURANT AND Ai3 WAS THE ARCHITECT FIRM HEADING UP THE PROJECT. AFTER THAT ONE THING LED TO ANOTHER AND I FOUND MYSELF DOING SOME REALLY BIG, FOR ME ANYWAY, JOBS.
THE LATEST IS A MELLOW MUSHROOM. THE THEME OF THE RESTAURANT IS MILITARY SINCE FT. BRAGG IS IN THE SAME TOWN.
I CAME UP WITH THE AMERICAN FLAG FROM SALVAGED MATERIALS IDEA. Ai3 CAME UP WITH 400 PIZZA PIE TINS ON THE CEILING IDEA AND THE BAR THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S MADE FROM SALVAGED AIRPLANE WINGS. I WAS CHARGED WITH DESIGNING AND INSTALLING FLAG. HANGING PIE TINS AND PAINTING MILITARY AND MM GRAPHICS ON THE BAR.

NEXT UP IS GOING BACK TO LOCAL 3 AND REDOING THEIR PRIVATE DINNING ROOM. THEN I'M TAKING THE REST OF THE YEAR OFF. THAT IS AFTER I FINISH 3 CUSTOM PIG PAINTINGS THAT HAVE BEEN ON ORDER FOR A FEW MONTHS. THEN I TAKING THE REST OF THE YEAR OFF.

BELOW ARE PHOTOS FROM THE MM JOB. I WAS PRETTY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS.

                                               (thanks stacey and jamey)
                                                                    

WHOLE FOODS MARKET

SO I HAVE BEEN WORKING EVERYDAY FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS. IF YOU KNOW ME YOU KNOW I DON'T DO MUCH OF ANYTHING ON A REGULAR BASICS.  BUT, I GOT WORK, I GOT WORK COMING OUT OF MY EARS.

LAST SUNDAY, THE 16TH OF JULY, STACEY AND I WENT TO NORTH END OF ATLANTA TO A BRAND SPANKING NEW WHOLES FOODS MARKET AND INSTALLED A BUNCH OF  MY ART WORK.

IN LATE MAY A YOUNG LADY WE WILL REFER TO AS JULIE BECAUSE THAT'S HER NAME, ASK ME TO DO A SITE VISIT WITH HER AT THIS NEW WHOLE FOODS. SHE WAS INTERESTED IN HAVING ME DO THE ART FOR THE CAFE AND COMMUNITY ROOM.
SHE TOLD ME HER IDEAS AND TALKED ABOUT THE OVERALL DECOR IN GENERAL. I TOOK JULIES IDEAS HOME WITH ME AND A WEEK OR SO LATER WE MET AGAIN. I SHARED WITH JULIE THE IDEAS I HAD COME UP WITH.

 FROM OUR CONVERSATIONS I CAME BACK WITH THIS.
DIG IT. PLANT IT. GROW IT. EAT IT. CATCH IT. KNOW IT. PREPARED IT. SHARE IT.
I THOUGHT I COULD DO A PAINTING THAT ILLUSTRATED THESE PHRASES.
THERE ARE FIVE LARGE SPACES IN THE CAFE JULIE WANTED ME TO FILL WITH ART AND COPY. COPY I LEARNED ARE WORDS.

SO AFTER ABOUT A MONTH OF BACK AND FORTH WE SETTLED ON USING DIG IT, PLANT IT, GROW IT, EAT IT IN THE CAFE AND PREPARE IT SHARE IT IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM. IT WAS DECIDED I WOULD PAINT SHOVELS FOR DIG IT. FOR PLANT IT I WOULD DO SEEDLINGS JUST SPROUTING OUT OF THE GROUND. FOR GROW IT I WOULD PAINT TONS OF PRODUCE AND FOR EAT IT A KNIFE, A FORK AND A SPOON.
IN THE COMMUNITY ROOM I WOULD BRING THOSE PAINTINGS TOGETHER WITH PREPARE IT SHARE IT. I WOULD DO A TAKE OFF ON A FARM SCENE. TREES, CLOUDS, SUN, A PICK UP TRUCK, A PIG AND A TABLE FULL OF PRODUCE AND PREPARED FOODS.
THESE ARE THE PHOTOS FROM THE GRAND OPENING 2 DAYS AGO.

click on photo to enlarge

EL BANO

I CAN DO STUFF. IT ALWAYS TAKES A WHILE, BUT I CAN DO STUFF. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I DECIDED TO GUT THE "MASTER BED AND BATH" HERE AT OUR HUMBLE ABODE. AND GUT IT I DID. TWO YEARS LATER WE HIRE A GUY TO DO THE SHEETROCK. TWO MONTHS LATER WE PAINT THE NEW SHEETROCK. GRAY, RED AND AND AND I CAN'T REMEMBER. IT'S BEEN SO LONG NOW I CAN'T REMEMBER THE THIRD COLOR WE USED IN THE BEDROOM.

SO IT'S BEEN ABOUT 4 YEARS SINCE I GUTTED THAT BATHROOM AND TOMORROW MORNING A CREW IS GONNA COME IN AND BEGIN TO FINISH THE JOB. WE ARE GOING WITH LIl LADY'S FAVORITE COLOR. BLACK. BLACK SLATE SHOWER. BLACK POLISHED RIVER ROCKS ON ALL FLOORS. BLACK TOILET. BLACK SINK.

AND AC/DC PIPED IN 24/7.

STANDBY.