So I am doing a double blog today for today and yesterday. Saturday was the busiest day at the show so Paul and I talked non stop. So with that said writing any more last night would have been a stretch for me haha. We went for sushi last night and thought we'd check out a movie as well to relax. Me going for sushi is kinda funny because I am allergic to fish ;-). So needless to say its Tempura vegetables and terriyaki everything.

We are up and at 'em early today as we have a looooong day ahead of us. We have the last day of the show, then we tear down the exhibit and then the drive back to Edmonton. We should arrive in Edmonton about midnight. We will unload the truck sleep for 3 or 4 hours then jump on the plane to Vegas. Yep...less then 24 hours away now until we headoff to the BIG show. All we have to do is get past today. So there won't be another blog until late Monday night but then the camera's will come out and off we go again on the Mural tour! I'm pretty excited ...but will feel more relaxed once we have the mural set up and all is well.

So we will get through today and let the true adventure begin!

Today was a busy day again and was actually quite fun. Talked to lots of people and really enjoyed the day. Today I found myself studying those studying the mural. I loved today.

I decided to focus on family today. There were so many mothers and daughters and babies coming through looking at the artwork. I found it incredibly touching. Call me a sucker, call me too caught up in cheesy sappy emotional moments. But I found this incredible beauty in watching the relationships between family members. Three generations sometimes would stand in front of me and listen to me talk about the mural. They smiled and listened intently to all I had to say while little did they know I was smiling back at them because I loved looking back at the beuaty in front of my eyes. To see Mothers and daughters spending time together was so wonderful. I would study how their eyes and smiles would look the same and how they would have the same mannerism's. The different ways they would interact was wonderful.

I loved lisening to the little children ask for advice from their Grandma while their Mom's would look on in obvious love and respect. There was truly a beauty within this. Ahh....what a sweet thing to take notice of.

So back at the lodge tonight....Travelodge that is...we are wrapping up the night with Las Vegas on our minds and the 2 day countdown now beginning. With nervous anticipation we await to reunite with the beuatiful 23 foot high mural....the hard work to reconstruct it one more time and then the two weeks of showing it off to the world. Tick tock tick tock...time is almost here to shine.

So we were up and at em early today and spent the day talking about the mural in cowtown with Vegas on our mind. No pics to show today as I left the camera at the hotel haha. Hey...we are in Calgary...as an Edmontonian I am allowed to say that there is nothing worth taking pictures of here anyways haha- Hey I know you Calgarians would say the same if you were in Edmonton. ;-).

Its amazing how many people today said they have seen the mural on the internet. I guess when you get 30,000 to 50,000 visitors daily and over 20 million people in just over a year there is a good chance that someone at the show has seen the mural . People act like a movie star is in the building when they see the murals. Its common to hear..."Oh my god!! There it is!!!"...and we just have a small version of the mural on display haha.

My voice is already feeling worked over as the days are 11 hours long here. Yikes...

Paul I went for a late end of day meal to finish the day off and I ordered a war wonton soup which I have ordered at many restaurants before with no problem. But tonight I order it and half way through I relaize that they must have added some fish to the broth...which i am allergic too. Luckily it was trace amounts so I just had to eat the rest of my meal through a swollen larynx. Nothing can stop me when i am hungry!! Even death...Death... I laugh in your face!

So off to bed and on to Day 3 of the road trip...and the countdown to Vegas...Yes!!!!

Well what a day! Up at 5 a.m. because my shoulder is so messed up I can't sleep. MRI, xrays and now blood work...maybe they will just amputate so I can sleep at night. But nevertheless I needed to get up as lots to do. Paul and I had to pack up for two big shows today and then head to ship one load to Las Vegas and then drive to Calgary for our other show. Needless to say...we wrapped things up today at 10 p.m. and went pretty much nonstop from 8 a.m. in the process.

We are setting up a display of all our murals in Calgary at the round up centre. So Its good practice for the big display in Vegas.
I am in discussion right now with Equine affaire in California so who knows...maybe California is the next mural stop.

Most importantly though....Happy Thanksgivong to all our american friends!!!!!

Below is just me with my drill ...looks like I almost know what I am doing...but don't be fooled....

So I bet you thought this blog was going to become a nothing page as I have slacked off for the last few weeks. Truth is I was soooo busy getting ready for this new exciting trip that the blog had to wait. But today is our last day of preparation and we are set to go!! ( We hope) We are off to Calgary for a four day Christmas show then immediately off to Las Vegas for the two week long mural exhibition at the National Finals Rodeo Cowboy Christmas. I honestly am looking forward to get back out on the road. With my dog dying after our 13 year pal around relationship of walking together in the mornings and most of my friends and family living far away now it can feel kinda empty at home. Thank goodness for my bro and his family, the mural team and my good friend Jen. With that said though...off we go!
We have finished a new little booklet showcasing various stories and paintings in the mural that we will be unveiling in Las Vegas and Calgary. This is what I like to call the appetizer sampler to the HORSE GIFT book that will be coming out in Janary.
Also- we are now in discussion with Equine Affair in California and we hope the mural's next stop is on the sunny coast of California.
I have lots of packing to do tonight so I though the video would be the best thing to kick off the blog. Hope you all enjoy this new adventure.We are off to do our best at promoting our wonderful team of artists to the world once again! Talk to ya tommorrow!

Philly

Holy smokeroooneees....its busy around here. The Las Vegas showing of the mural has us a bit stressed out as we are on such tight time lines with so much to do in a short period of time. Thus the blogging has been a bit weak ..but... rest assured...I am still here and still plugging away.

Its amazing how much work there is when you have to package up prints to ship to artists around the world. It literally is taking us a week to accomplish. In the mean time we are busy planning more shows, getting things set for the tour into the US and working feverishly to release the book Le Cadeau Du Cheval. (coming soon...very soon...)

Today is a special day of course with Remembrance day/Veterans Day being honored. Its is always an emotional day especially more so for those who have loved ones currently in conflict zones around the world. It is a day to honor those who allowed us the freedoms we have today and to make sure we do not forget the lives that have been sacrificed. I also want to extend my prayers to those who are currently involved in war. I pray that they are kept safe and that soon they will return home. I pray not only for the soldiers but for the innocents who are caught in the middle of conflict. Today is their day as well.

I have to post this mural above again...and check it out online. A mural of remembrance ...war veterans, battles...triumphs and tragedies....

Check it out here too http://www.muralmosaic.com/SOMH/heroes.html

Another day off to the studio. Literally is going to be a week of non stop folding cardboard and taping packages shut and heading off to the post office. 176 packages we have to ship off to artists around the world. YIKES....
Taping, folding, shipping, Oh My...Taping, folding, shipping Oh My...Taping, folding, shipping Oh My...

Had a chat with Conny Nordin in Galiano and we are set to begin the west coast mural. So thats a good thing to get us going for the Christmas season art wise.

The Obama party seemed to go well and we are even more excited now as we are going to be creating a mural uniting the USA into one giant mural. With the overall positive vibe and new hope that seems to be apparent due to the election of Obama we are thrilled to be a part of a unifying art project to bring people together south of the border.

E Pluribis Unum....look this up....this is what the mural will be all about!

I had to take the weekend off to recharge. Man...the time zone thing finally kicked in. Actually just sat and stared at the walls for two days It was hard to force myself to that but I think I was burnin out. I still had to do work on the computer but I was more or less gearing up for the work week ahead with LOTS to do.

I am off to the studio today where Paul Lavoie, Lewis Lavoie and I will be plotting our next moves, getting ready for Vegas and the busy Christmas season. Lots of shipping to the Horse Gift artists is still going on and we are trying to make plans for 2009.

So as we plan I am going to post some past videos.

Check this out CLICK HERE from 2005 Our mural that we unveiled for the Queen :-)

Ahhhh...back at home.24 hours of driving in three days does a body good....not. It was a good trip though. Good weather and lots of time to think as I drove. Although the thinking got a little bit overwhelming so I switched my GPS ladies voice from English to Spanish so when she told me where to turn I not only had to try to figure out what the heck she was saying ...it also sounded kinda sexy :-).
EXCITING!!! I got back and Lewis had posted a new King on the King of Kings web page!! Check it out on the website http://www.muralmosaic.com/King.html and see how it fits into the big picture and read about him. His name is AKBAR THE GREAT and he ruled from 1556-1605 in Delhi India! I like this guy! He was very much an artist and VERY creative. I guess I could rule a country someday haha....yea...right.


I am getting set for the 8 Remembrance Celtic event next Saturday. We will be showing the "8" paintings crated by artists from around North America and also showcasing Lewis Lavoie's tribute to the war vets of Canada. Should be a good night. Have you seen it?? Check it out if you haven't. Its amazing!!

http://www.muralmosaic.com/SOMH/heroes.html

Madonna was interesting. Pretty much exactly as I expected. Lots of people, waaaay more girls then guys, people dressed up like Madonna and a show with lots of dancing. It was an ok show. Not as much my thing though. I think Madonna either lip sync'ed half the songs or sang alongside a voice track of her own as it just seemed too perfect and when you are running an aerobics class on stage you think that you would run out of breath at some point when you were trying to sing. But maybe she is not human. Who knows. The part that bugged me the most though was her pretending she could play guitar. That just seemed wrong. Stick to the dancing Madonna. Little surprise when she turned the guitar into phallic symbol for a couple of gyrations.
I wish I could have been closer to the stage so I could have seen the dance production as that truly was the show. Madonna is pretty darn amazing for a 50 year old woman. She is pretty darn amazing for a 20 year old woman- makes me feel like I better get me to the gym asap!!

So with that said she started two hours late and did no encore. So...for a dancing with the stars performance I give it a thumbs up. For a concert...thumbs down. But I liked the atmosphere and enjoyed the company I had with me so it was a great night.