Creations from Avalon Members

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Satori (here)
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9kfxd...84&st=l8c4cufx


If I did this right, the link above is to a documentary that I co-produced with USC film school graduate James Lujan in 1998 /1999. The title is: "Little Rock's Run". I am a co-creator with Little Rock (Deceased) and James Lujan. (I'm also depicted in the documentary; much more than I expected.) Little Rock died in about 2000, not long after he became a free man. That, too, is another story in and of itself.

It is a fascinating story about a former client of mine, Timothy "Little Rock" Reed. The documentary dates to 1998-99.

I was just able to have the video converted to digital. The reason that came about is a story in its own right. Little Rock's son, Jasper, who is depicted prominently in the documentary when he was a baby is now in federal prison in Oklahoma. Sentenced to prison for robbery, but now facing charges while in prison related to the death of another prisoner. In connection with Jasper's legal woes, I was recently contacted by the Oklahoma Federal Public Defenders Office. They were looking for information about Jasper's background and life history. That effort resulted in me giving them some audio and video tapes of Little Rock. One of the things I gave them was this documentary.

The documentary debut at the Taos, New Mexico, Talking Pictures Festival in 1999. It was very well received. We were going to submit it to Sundance, but at that time Sundance only accepted 35mm film, not video. We did not have the $35,000 to convert the video to film.

I have not watched the documentary in 20 years at least. I watched it again recently and realized that it is every bit as important and topical today as it was back then—if not more so.

My apologies for not just lodging the video here so that you do not have to go to the link. But I'm computer challenged.


I hope you enjoy. It's about 90 minutes. It starts off a bit slow as we introduce Little Rock. Then it picks up pretty good.

Here it is.

(The original is a huge HD file. I had to downsize it quite a lot to post it — apologies! — so a little quality may have been lost.)

https://avalonlibrary.net/Bill/Little_Rock's_Run.mp4

[rgray222]

Here are a few of my woodworking creations. I do projects for family and friends when there is a need or they ask. So much time and effort is put into these pieces that they are tough to part with, but it is a wonderful feeling when they get into homes and become everyday furniture. That is my partner in crime and my trusted companion Lily in the second photo.

The two nightstands I made for my son and his girlfriend when they moved in together. When they parted ways she kept the night tables. C'est la vie.




I made this coffee table for my daughter and her husband. They had an odd-length L-shaped sofa so it was an unusual size. The wood is 100-year-old reclaimed lumber from a local barn that was being taken down.



This dining room table seats 6 and, in a pinch, 8. This is also made out of reclaimed local barn wood. I made this table for my daughter and her husband, but they recently moved to Wales, so it has returned home and will be moving to my son and his wife's new home.

[thepainterdoug]

rgray 222

great works. bravo!! and that people can use ,live with and enjoy them

[Mike Gorman]

I like your Fishy - this is somehow a very comforting painting, it captures the essential qualities enough for the 'photo realism' school but also has a specifically personal quality that speaks to me.

[thepainterdoug]

Dilettent, your Pug has a good Pug feel to it. and the closeup of the ant attack has good focus and depth of field.

BTW, great quote below, as I feel the same.

I don't do much art anymore. I don't write much, draw much, photograph much, or journal much anymore. I think too much. Sometimes it's upsetting to realize how much time has passed, but then I can't make sense of whether it matters or not.

[thepainterdoug]

Mike, thanks, I feel exactly that about it. it simple, relatable, uncluttered and clear. There are many levels of realism, or representational work

Here is a papaya painting from that Belize trip maybe 25 years ago.

papaya, oil 11x14

[Ratszinger]

Lovin' this thread! Love that six seater table and the other furniiture too RGray! Great stuff there. Great stuff everywhere! Thanks guys

[arwen]

Posted by Ratszinger (here)
Lovin' this thread! Love that six seater table and the other furniiture too RGray! Great stuff there. Great stuff everywhere! Thanks guys

Me too! Doug has a genius for starting really meaningful, HUMAN threads. I do not want to clutter up the thread with my constant admiration for ALL the creations posted here so far, but I am really blissing out on the wide range of incredible talent of each and every person who has posted here so far. (I am half way through satori's documentary now and WOW!). In AWE.

[wondering]

I have quilted for many years, and I am going to ask RunningDear if she will post a couple for me if I send them to her.

[thepainterdoug]

Arwen

it takes a moron to be a genius these days! its time to give it all up, without judgement , self ridicule and feeling competitive.

Time to be free/


Homesick Bee, oil and wax on paper. Made long ago, cant remember what kicked the idea off

[wondering]

There is something so touching about the Homesick Bee, Doug. I can really relate to her, lol.

[RunningDeer]

Wonderful works of art. Thanks all for sharing.

Posted by wondering (here)
I have quilted for many years, and I am going to ask RunningDear if she will post a couple for me if I send them to her.

Diane..so gorgeous! I’ll split them in two posts.

[RunningDeer]

Quilt Art by Diane/wondering

[RunningDeer]

Digital art:

Photos of Sycamore trees where I live turned into digital art.

Medley of nature photos in one.

Photography: shots of where I walk.

A different kind of art.

[thepainterdoug]

DIANE/WANDERING AND RUNNING DEER. JUST AMAZING !! NO WAY!!! AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL !!!

Im sensing a PROJECT AVALON ART AND COLLECTABLES SHOP!! ONLY MEMBERS ART AND A % TO GO TO BILL AT AVALON.

AND WONDERING. Thanks! and yes to the sad homesick bee

[Raskolnikov]

Posted by Nasu (here)
Love this thread. Love all the creations you have all made, I hope you all continue in your own unique ways. Just wanted to ad a side note that not all of us create in the formal yet beautiful way as you do, but every member, in their own small way co creates this forum every day and in every post, some are akin to street graffiti or modern art, some just finger painting like myself and others are true masters in a renaissance style.

I commend all the creators on this wonderful forum no mater their choice of subject, form or expression…….x…… N

I wrote a whole page thanking everyone and complimenting some finer details of everyone's contributions but it started to sound like an Oscar speech, "Cue the music!!!" It says a lot about people who are more artistically inclined, whether it's handmade craftsmanship or other fine arts, I'm blown away by all of it, but it really says a lot about a community like this. Rather than become completely desensitized you've had the pleasure and honor of becoming more sensitized to this Rocky Horror Twilight Zone.





And let's not ever forget the reason we're all here, the eye-opening works from Bill. So thanks all, a real treat, keep em coming.

Posted by thepainterdoug (here)
BTW/Raskolnikov, Ratszinger and Ravenlocke should be a law firm

Sounds like a WWII supergroup with members from all sides, we could call it “Allies on their Axis.” And the Homesick Bee. That's how I feel. “How much more ground do I have to cover to get home again?!” Very nice. It's been a long flight and it hasn't always been easy but glad to meet some likeminded individuals.

A rough night in Barcelona. I don't still hold the view that it's all vanity and suffering, though I've had my fair share...

Empathy in an Unforgiving Moment

Draining the last of the beer in a spiteful gulp, I set the empty glass upon the bar and watched as a couple of girls entered from the open doorway. One of the girls, a beautiful, tall, slender creature with thick black tresses and sculpted features, was clearly distraught crying fitfully and yelling passionately as the other, a shorter girl with short black hair, tried desperately to calm her putting her hands on her shoulders only to have them quickly knocked off again. As they continued up the room, the girl abruptly stopped two stools away, threw head down on folded arms atop the bar and let out an anguished cry. Her friend, instantly on her in an attempt to soothe and console, tried desperately to reason with her but to no avail. Clearly caught in the throes of passion, passion translated to suffering in its purest form, she was beyond any attempts at consolation. I sat weathering the storm as I waited for the man to see my empty glass. Then just as abruptly, with great agonizing moans, she pulled herself up and stormed off to the back of the room.

The man caught my eye and I motioned for another. As I watched the girls continue under the big screen TV, he placed a fresh beer before me. I set down another twenty and he snatched it up. ‘Well,’ I thought, determined not to get upset about the money, ‘at least I’m not outside on the streets.’ Strangely enough, the scene I’d just witnessed had had a calming affect on me, as if maybe I wasn’t the only one suffering tonight, as if maybe the whole big millennium buildup was just a ruse and deep down everyone was suffering. Then taking another drink I was struck by the absurdity of that notion and knew it was way off. Mulling it over, I realized I’m one of the unfortunate few who instinctively understands this world holds nothing palpable, nothing beyond vanity and suffering, and that both are a means and an end intertwined. The girl at the back of the room continued to argue and sob, her love, her vanity, insulted, unable to get past the moment of horrible realization, a moment no one is ready or willing to face, and staring into the glass of beer before me I realized I too was facing that same horrible and unforgiving moment.

[RunningDeer]

June 4, 2024

Minutes into my walk, a deer crossed the road and high tailed into the woods when she saw me. She doubled back and gracefully leaped the tall grasses and electric fence into the field and darted off towards the protected wetlands.

Kismet happened a moment later when I had a flash in my mind of She-deer in the marshes. I saw what looked like a rotted out tree. That is until she saw I was looking back at her. One last leap through the grassy clumps and mucky waters and She-deer disappeared.

[Strat]

Posted by Ratszinger (here)
-----knife post------

Very cool! Quick question: How should I clean a blade? I have an old knife that I use for plants and over the years the blade has become stained. The stains are stubborn, I can't get any of it off. I hesitate taking the wire wheel to it. Thoughts?

Posted by rgray222 (here)
This dining room table seats 6 and, in a pinch, 8. This is also made out of reclaimed local barn wood. I made this table for my daughter and her husband, but they recently moved to Wales, so it has returned home and will be moving to my son and his wife's new home.

I love it! One of my hobbies is building things with pallets. I made an entertainment center, my main workbench for working on cars and little knickknacks like storage boxes for tools and my prepper food.

[Satori]

Posted by Satori (here)
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/9kfxd...84&st=l8c4cufx


If I did this right, the link above is to a documentary that I co-produced with USC film school graduate James Lujan in 1998 /1999. The title is: "Little Rock's Run". I am a co-creator with Little Rock (Deceased) and James Lujan. (I'm also depicted in the documentary; much more than I expected.) Little Rock died in about 2000, not long after he became a free man. That, too, is another story in and of itself.

It is a fascinating story about a former client of mine, Timothy "Little Rock" Reed. The documentary dates to 1998-99.

I was just able to have the video converted to digital. The reason that came about is a story in its own right. Little Rock's son, Jasper, who is depicted prominently in the documentary when he was a baby is now in federal prison in Oklahoma. Sentenced to prison for robbery, but now facing charges while in prison related to the death of another prisoner. In connection with Jasper's legal woes, I was recently contacted by the Oklahoma Federal Public Defenders Office. They were looking for information about Jasper's background and life history. That effort resulted in me giving them some audio and video tapes of Little Rock. One of the things I gave them was this documentary.

The documentary debut at the Taos, New Mexico, Talking Pictures Festival in 1999. It was very well received. We were going to submit it to Sundance, but at that time Sundance only accepted 35mm film, not video. We did not have the $35,000 to convert the video to film.

I have not watched the documentary in 20 years at least. I watched it again recently and realized that it is every bit as important and topical today as it was back then—if not more so.

My apologies for not just lodging the video here so that you do not have to go to the link. But I'm computer challenged.


I hope you enjoy. It's about 90 minutes. It starts off a bit slow as we introduce Little Rock. Then it picks up pretty good.

The link I posted to the documentary “Little Rock’s Run” no longer works.

Please go to post 21 on this thread to watch the documentary. Thanks to Bill who graciously worked his magic.

Was Little Rock a “fugitive from justice” or a “refugee from injustice.”

You decide.

[Ratszinger]

Posted by Strat (here)

Posted by Ratszinger (here)
-----knife post------

Very cool! Quick question: How should I clean a blade? I have an old knife that I use for plants and over the years the blade has become stained. The stains are stubborn, I can't get any of it off. I hesitate taking the wire wheel to it. Thoughts?

Posted by rgray222 (here)
This dining room table seats 6 and, in a pinch, 8. This is also made out of reclaimed local barn wood. I made this table for my daughter and her husband, but they recently moved to Wales, so it has returned home and will be moving to my son and his wife's new home.

I love it! One of my hobbies is building things with pallets. I made an entertainment center, my main workbench for working on cars and little knickknacks like storage boxes for tools and my prepper food.

Try a inexpensive rust eraser from Smokey Mountain Knife works. Those work wonderfully for cleaning up carbon blades. You will always see the patina but this knocks off any surface yuk