Yes, Backing Up to August

Last year I took a drawing class with Jane LaFazio. The best part about classes with Jane is that she is happy letting you draw the way you want as long as you are happy. So don't blame my drawing skills, or lack thereof, on Jane.

No, Susan didn't say that about her Photoshop class, she liked her class with Tangie Baxter. I'm the one that would rather poke myself in the eye with a fork than go to a computer class.

Yes, I have a posse. Next year I hope that Seth Apter will be teaching at Art Unraveled because I think he has a posse and I'll just sort of hang around with him and let his posse sort of merge with mine.

Susan speaks: Good grief! "Posse" my eye! The elevators are always crowded, they aren't following you, Don, they just want to get to their room in a hurry!

We Remember

The hole in our extended family will never be filled.  We remember.

Tooling Around My Maps

More maps. I like making maps.  I'm using my Michael's coupon to buy more sketchpads so I can make more maps. Stand back, I'm on my way.

And I like tools.  These were a direct result of being in Thomas Mann's Fastenation class.

Amulet for Peace

Let's make a bullet into something beautiful and take away its destructive ability. When I was at ArtUnraveled I took Melissa Manley's Amulet for Peace class and my effort (almost finished) is shown above.  This is what Melissa's piece looked like:

An old friend, Jeanie Thorn, wound up sitting next to me in class. I always like going back to ArtUnraveled and connecting with other artists and crafters and just relaxing and making stuff.

Susan speaks: He has waaaaay too much fun. Sometimes I watch him interact with other people and I wonder "Who IS this person?"

Big and Important and Naked

One of us is big. One of us is naked. One of us is important. Your choice.

I love going to Washington DC and seeing Ron Mueck's Big Man at the Guggenheim.

Late edit:  Oops. It's at the Hirshhorn Museum. One of us is confused. Your choice.

My New Tattoo

Yep, that's my bald head.  The blog has been ignored lately because we've been in Phoenix at ArtUnraveled and had waaaaay too much fun. One night there was a big gathering to celebrate the 10th anniversary of ArtUnraveled and Crafty Chica gave people free tattoos.

Ok, it's only temporary. Why on my head? It need to be a place where there is little or no hair and that eliminated my chest and I wasn't going to drop my pants for a whale tail tattoo.



Living at Woodchuck means a lot of us don't have much hair and a lot of other people have white hair. At ArtUnraveled your hair (and this is her real hair)  is just an extension of your artistic ability.

Little Dude Checking In

This little Dude went to live in Toronto, Canada, via the Queen of England, formerly known as Martha, who sent me this picture of him asking "Huh???" Isn't she stunning!?! (The Queen, not the Dude.)

To think that she owns one of my Dudes! Actually, she might have stuffed a second one in that handbag.

Losing my studio space and not taking a class this summer has lead to a dry spell for Dudes. The few that are left are getting lonely but the school kilns won't start up for about another month. So in the meantime I'm continuing to work on maps.



Planned Chaos

This ceramic piece went to a new home during our estate sale. The metal pieces in the center were just dropped in, sort of like a steampunk bride's bouquet.  The shaping of the ceramic piece was inspired by a great sculptor named Ruth Duckworth.  The glazing didn't come out the way I wanted so Susan told me to throw some paint on it.

Back then I hadn't learned a lot about ceramics and how it was supposed to be done so I did what she suggested.  As I learned more about ceramics and took more classes I stopped doing that because ceramic pieces were "supposed" to be glazed.  I'm now in the process of trying to un-learn what is "supposed" to be done and am planning on going back to more pieces where I do just what I want to do to make it look the way I like - old and worn and covered with patina and stories to tell.

Speaking of stories to tell... Here at Woodchuck Manor we are all "of a certain age". That means we are all O-L-D. Bet  you thought old people in retirement centers sat around in rocking chairs just staring off into space, didn't you? Wrong! We have 24 apartments on the 4th floor and we know how to party. It's BYOB (bring your own booze) and BYOC (bring your own chair) and we meet in the lobby by our elevator about twice a month.  I'd tell you who all these people are but I think some might be in the Witness Protection Program so we'll move on past that.  At the very end of the video a very shady character is insisting on knowing what is in the blue bottle and for your information, it was white wine.

The Pulse of Mixed Media

Lost Childhood: Galveston, 1900

In 1900 a horrible hurricane tore across Galveston Island, Texas. On the west side of Galveston, at 69th Street on the seawall, was St. Mary's Orphanage, established by Catholic Sisters of Charity. The two dormitories were home to 93 children and 10 nuns.

As the winds increased and the water began to surge over the seawall, the nuns gathered the children around and led them up to the second floor of the girls' dormitory. They all heard the crash of the boys' dormitory as it collapsed and was carried away by the flood waters.

Each nun took clothesline rope and used it to tie between six to eight of the youngest children to themselves, hoping to protect them. Three of the oldest boys climbed onto the roof of the orphanage.

The death and destruction in Galveston was unbelievable. More than 8,000 died and their bodies were littered throughout the city. All 10 nuns and 90 children died in the storm. The sisters were buried wherever they were found, each with the children still tied to them.

Today, where St. Mary's orphanage once stood, there is a Walmart.

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I made this piece in 2010 and Seth Apter chose to include it in his book, The Pulse of Mixed Media. Seth is an extremely talented artist and I appreciate greatly his generosity in letting me share my art with you.

No Bugz

It's very possible you have already seen pictures of this bug I made. If you did, pretend it's new. If you didn't, it's new to you. He is about 18" long. It is one of the few pieces of metal art I made that I brought to Woodchuck Manor.

One of the really great things about Woodchuck Manor is being on the 4th floor and going out on our balcony in the evening and sitting there with NO mosquitos. We gave up a great house on a creek to be here and we sometimes miss it but every night we marvel at what it feels like to be ouside and not hear "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzmmmmm" in your ear within 3 minutes.

I don't weld anymore because I blew out my elbows doing heavy welding without knowing what appropriate ergonomic positions should be. Susan reminds me that it cost me only $1800 of useless therapy and steroid shots to learn that there are some things I should just pass by. Ceramics was the solution but I can still get my metal fix by making very small metal sculptural pieces.

A good thing about having a spouse who sews is that she has a button collection and all bugs can benefit by having button eyes.

Do I Need Dessert Police?

Here at Woodchuck Manor we have beautiful flower arrangements throughout the buildings. The colors on this one really caught my attention.  The birds also caught the attention of others and the Big Bird Police had to come in and make sure everyone behaved.

I won't name names but some of the suspicious charaters might include SM, PG, BJ, and BLM. The big question here is which will happen first:  Will Susan move out before Woodchuck throws her out? After all, one of her favorite quotes is from G. B. Shaw (but usually attributed to Robert Kennedy):

You see things; and you say ‘Why?’

But I dream things that never were;

and I say ‘Why not?’

Maybe someone needs to take a look at the dessert choices available at every meal here at Woodchuck Manor and make sure I behave and don't take two desserts. The photo doesn't include the ice cream machine - two flavors always. There is also frozen yogurt if you want to pretend you are a health nut.

Susan tries to keep me in line but ...

Seth Apter

No, this isn't Seth. This is "Keyed-Up Executive With No Place To Go".  We bought him about 20 years ago and unfortunately the place he went to was our estate sale when we moved. Oh well, someone else is enjoying him.

We had to move out of our house in April but couldn't move into our new apartment until May.  What to do for 30+ days???? Actually, it was easy. We hadn't planned on moving for several years so we'd previously set up a short trip to New York City followed by a train ride down to Washington DC for a few days there. You'd have seen our pictures from that trip a lot sooner if Susan had been able to find her camera after we got back.  Let's just say that there are boxes all over the apartment and she is still finding things from that one month in limbo.

As for Seth, we are quite sure we are twin brothers, separated at a tender young age. Isn't it obvious? But remember, I was born first.  We met him at the Museum of Arts and Design on Columbus Circle and Susan took a quick (and lousy) video of us. As you can see, I give my younger brother a tough time.



Seth's book is great, despite the fact that I am in it. And check out his site so you can see other work he has done, including DVDs where you can really soak up his talent.

P.S. I am Don Madden and I approve this message. No animals were harmed in the making of this video. No financial consideration was given for this promotion. (Now you owe me big-time, Seth.)

Skull Maps and a Nap

Is this not the greatest skull ever? I have no idea what animal it came from but I'm crazy about the markings on it.

I'd like to think it is sort of like the maps I make.

We are still in the process of moving in. Actually, we are moved in but boxes are still stacked everywhere and Susan is sticking to her plan of being unpacked by Christmas. I sneak around behind her back and unpack when she isn't looking. Then all she can say is "Where in the h*** did all this cr** come from?" I can't help it -- I used to have the use of a 2-car garage for my studio and now I have half of a 10x12 foot room.  But at least I have that!

Part of our contract here at Woodchuck Manor guarantees us one meal a day. Today's entree choices included Sweet & Sour Pork or Grilled Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce or Crab cakes with Lime-Lemon Chutney.  Don't even ask me about the desserts.  It's actually a bad deal because the food is so good I stuff myself at lunch and then come back and have to take a nap. And I'm not being productive when I am horizontal. 

We don't really have a couch (yet) but we do have some deck chairs to sit in. Even so, Susan made a tag for me that she hangs on the door in the afternoon so no one will disturb me:

One Little Pod and Janice

I'm not officially back in school yet (much to Susan's dismay) but I'm helping out with the raku firings and finishing up some pieces from last semester.  This little pod guy's glaze resulted in some interesting effects but I'm thinking I'm going back to more of the black/white/grey glazes and the look that I get with raku.

Life here at Woodchuck Manor (not its real name, but good enough) provides me with more diversions and entertainment than I can possibly fit into a day. On the 4th of July a group came and played some music for us in our courtyard. Janice is one of my new friends. She is a woman of many talents and leads up a singing group called The Alley Cats.  She's hoping her sons will see this video and know that she is not withering on the vine. Not a chance of that happening to Janice ... who sings a very entertaining version of Kermit the Frog's "It's Not Easy Being Green."

Yes, I'm Still Here

I continue to map my world. It's a new world because we've moved into a retirement community where we are among the youngest residents. That doesn't bother us a bit. No, we aren't sitting in rockers on a porch, we are busy doing everything we used to do, but in a new location. Our building is new, VERY new, and construction continues on the newer section that will join the "old" building to the "new" building.

Management has been changing the name here so that people won't think of it just as a nursing home or, as our friends call it, "an old folks' home". Those terms don't bother us either, because, regardless of their age or health, all the people we've met here are just great - bright, interesting, and and unfailingly generous with their time. Eventually we hope to get management to recognize the fact that many of their newer residents are active, not stuck in the 1990's, and definitely not sedentary "old folks".

The people on our floor (a five-story apartment building) are all starting to be just like our former neighbors - easy to visit with, quick to share (thanks, Bill, for the WD-40), and ready to party at the slightest excuse. Boyd and I have already taken turns serving as bartenders at our building's Social Hour, which has been a big success, with 50-60 people showing up each time.

Some day I'll have my studio (above) set up and get back to ceramic sculptures and making jewelry. Some day. I still have boxes of my stuff in storage. I have boxes of my stuff in the living area. We don't have a couch yet, we just have boxes. Of my stuff.

I have been dropping in on Ben Appl's ceramics class to help out with their raku firing. This fall not only will I be taking ceramics, I will be in Ben's sculpture class. While I was waiting for the firing to be finished last week I made a few packets out of some of my leftover clay. Susan thought it was a great start after I had been away from clay for nearly 3 months but said maybe one of these pieces bordered on looking like doggie doo-doo. Maybe I was channeling my inner hound dog.

I miss being on a creek and having a wooded backyard but I love seeing the sun rise every morning (yes, this is sunrise) and NO mosquitos!

Remembering, Memorial Day

Photo by Todd Heisler, 2006 Pulitzer Prize, Feature Photography.

When 2nd Lt. James Cathey's body arrived at the Reno Airport, Marines climbed into the cargo hold of the plane and draped the flag over his casket as passengers watched the family gather on the tarmac. During the arrival of another Marine's casket last year at Denver International Airport, Major Steve Beck described the scene as one of the most powerful in the process. "See the people in the windows? They sit right there in the plane, watching those Marines. You gotta wonder what's going through their minds, knowing that they're on the plane that brought him home," he said. "They're going to remember being on that plane for the rest of their lives. And they should."

Photo by Todd Heisler, 2006 Pulitzer Prize, Feature Photography.

Go here and begin with the first photo to read and see the whole story, including details about this photo . . . only if you are strong.

Go here to understand why remembering our past means so much to me. Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend and if you see a veteran, take a moment to thank him or her for serving your country.

Long Boats and A Long Way To Go



My Blog Wrangler is back! Sort of. Lately she's been wrangling apartment renovations (still ongoing but she's still on good terms with the contractor) and glaring at boxes that are in her way.  We still have about 50 zillion boxes in storage but her goal is to do one a day and be finished by Christmas.  I keep gently nudging her toward the 6 cartons marked "Dishes/Kitchen" but she's ignoring me so we continue using the Summer China (better known as paper plates) and eating a lot of take-out food.

Before all my art was packed up into boxes I took pictures of one of my latest efforts - boats. The one on the left has the weathered look I really like.

The original idea was to hang them on the wall somehow and thats the reason for the little hole in the bottom. But after fiddling around with them I couldn't actually figure out how I wanted to do it. All of the sudden I thought of fastening two together to make a pod. Susan suggested I might figure out a way to have them hinged so I could open the pod and put something in it. Somewhere in our pictures of our trip to New York City and Washington DC, which happened in the middle of our move, we have a picture of something similar. Once we find the camera again and upload the pictures I'll show you.

Thanks for keeping up with my blog.  Things are gradually getting back to normal, we are delighted with our apartment, have great neighbors and eventually I will have a studio set up and will begin cranking out whatever strikes my fancy. Where is the fancy, anyway?

Yesterday's Warrior

When I finally made it out of college it was 1966 and Vietnam was a dark shadow growing larger every day. I was young and thought I was bulletproof. My friend Jimmy and I decided we were true-blue American patriots and would serve our country by joining the Air Force and becoming fighter pilots. We would strut off to war, rule the air, collect medals, fend off adoring females and live a fantasy bachelor life.

Instead, we both got married, Jimmy died in a plane crash during pilot training and I wound up going to Vietnam to serve with a "Jolly Green Giant" helicopter rescue squadron that picked up pilots who had been shot down. That's how you get slam-dunked into being an adult.

I'd like to think I'd forgotten most of those 368 days of my life in Vietnam but somehow they float around in my subconscious. I made this piece early on in my reincarnation as an artist and never really thought too deeply about why I did it the way I did.  But you Blog Readers keep emailing me that you like my stories so Susan tells me I have to dig a little deeper. 

The figure does look like me; I wasn't free to leave Vietnam until the Air Force said I could; when I came back from Vietnam it was to a country that didn't like what I did so I kept quiet about it; and I tried to forget being there. My dog-tag, tucked into the wire around the figure, includes my blood type.

Today people tell me I'm a very "grounded" person. Maybe that slam-dunk in my 20's, followed by 32 years of having a corporate foot on the back of my neck made me "grounded". All I know is that making art makes me feel like I'm floating, light as a butterfly, all the time now.