Frederick's quarantine art

Frederick and I have done our best to stay creative during these long and uneventful days.  A few weeks ago we started working on this mosaic, which Frederick designed.  I cut the glass, grouted it and hung it in his room.  The rest was all Frederick.

Stars.

Then we worked on clay.  That is even slower than mosaicking since it takes 12-18 hours to fire and cool the kiln.

Finished and on display.

For a bit of fast art, we switched to painting.  We have a lot of painting supplies: brushes, paints, canvases...not a lot of wall space, though.  This was our first.  We have both learned a lot about using acrylic paint this week.  Hint #1: do the background first, not last.  Hint #2: paint light on dark for a glowing sky or water.

Finally out of the kiln.

Second painting.  Notice more colors being used and lots of layering.

Our first Dinosaur Portrait.  Also first use of blending colors.

Frederick does love a good eyebrow.

First appearance of teeth and nostrils.

Even more blending going on here.

Now trying adding white, gray and black to increase color hue (as opposed to mixing two colors to create a new color).

Ta Da!

We are out of canvases so, while we wait for Slow Poke Amazon to ship, we are going back to mosaics tomorrow.   I have a LOT of glass and grout we can use...

Weather can't make up its mind

Is it T-shirt weather:

Or still Winter:

Film review: Red Sun (1971)

Are you ready for a Spaghetti Western that features one of the Magnificent Seven teaming up with one of the Seven Samurai?  Plus the French film star who was Le Samouraï? And throw in Ursula Andress of Dr. No and La Dolce Vita fame for good measure?  Well, here it is!  It's part of the Criterion Channel's celebration of the Mighty Mifune's 100th birthday, and undoubtedly the cheesiest on offer, but we've seen most of the others.  And it's not terrible.  Basically Bronson and Delon are part of a gang that holds up a train that happens also to be carrying the Japanese ambassador, on his way to Washington DC to present a golden ceremonial Samurai sword to the president.  Delon's "Gauche" (he's left-handed), whose thick accent is explained by him being from New Orleans, spots the sword and takes it, killing one of the bodyguards in the process.  The other is Mifune, who vows to retrieve the sword and kill Gauche.  (Yes, you actually get to hear Mifune speaking English - he acquits himself well.)  Gauche also double-crosses Bronson's "Link" and leaves him for dead.  Mifune recruits Link to help him.  They have seven days or Mifune (and the ambassador) must commit hara-kiri.  Link is reluctant because he wants Gauche alive so he can squeeze him for where the money is buried, but Mifune is adamant that he must be killed immediately to pay for the death of his fellow bodyguard.  Hijinks ensue.  Andress doesn't show up until the second half when Link kidnaps her as a bargaining tool with Gauche.  She used to be with Link, but he dumped her (he's a bit of a sexist ass) and now she and Gauche make a good scheming couple.  Things are complicated by a roving band of bloodthirsty Comanche (yes, we do get to see Samurai vs. Comanche action) leading to a satisfying climax in a field of over-head-height cane.  I can't in all honesty recommend it unreservedly - it is pretty cheesy (with some jarring moments of female nudity - but remember this is a European production, and it is 1971) but Bronson and (especially) Mifune are easy company and have some good bickering exchanges, and Delon makes a satifyingly hateable villain.