Works in progress

Some mugs that I finished the other day.

A few paintings that I am working on.

My Latest Paintings

Thought I would finally post my last two paintings. I had to wait 'til this last week as they were to be given as gifts and I had not yet shown them to the recipients (these recipients on occasion check my blog). Do not think that my generosity is exclusive to the recipients, nor does it apply to all of you who may feel that as a relative or acquaintance you merit a finely crafted original Jon Harty painting.

First and foremost, these were assignments for a class and because of a lack of storage space and funds they were given as gifts. The worthiness of the recipients is questionable (just kidding Mom and Shannon), but I am poor and since necessity is the mother of invention... To those of you who have not yet been blessed with a piece of artwork — don't give up hope.

Eventually the mood will strike me and I will come through. Keep in mind that I am a procrastinator and will put off anything that does not affect me physically or academically (sometimes even that does not stop me) so years could pass before you get anything. Clif - send me some pictures of the boys and I will start the procrastination process for you.

Grandpa Francis

My Grandpa Francis' D8H

Its Just a TV Show!

I have a guilty pleasure and it is called Stargate SG-1. Over the years I have watched an episode here and there but was never truly hooked. At the end of last year, during the Christmas break, I started to watch the show from the beginning on Hulu.com. After a couple of pretty cheesy seasons and mediocre acting I became hooked on the show. I have learned the characters names and if someone says Goa'uld or Teal’c I know exactly what they are talking about. I do not however learn or try to remember the technical terms and intricacies that accompany a science fiction series, nor do I care about them. I watch the show because it is good entertainment, albeit pretty goofy most of the time. I enjoy the goofiness and love it that McGyver (Richard Dean Anderson) is the star. I am still waiting for an episode where he is McGyver in some alternate universe.

Stargate SG-1 is not the only science fiction series I enjoy watching. Some others are: Star Trek and all of it’s spin-offs (except Enterprise, I never could get past the opening theme music), Battlestar Gallactica, Farscape, and Firefly (LOVED the movie as well). As most of you know one of these sci-fi series’ has quite a large and loyal (and sometimes extremely obsessive) fan base that goes back for many years. I did not however realize how obsessive the fans of SG-1 have become. The following are quotes from a discussion board about SG-1. Fan 1: “Doesn't it seem that it is not right to open the people of Tegrea up to the Goa'uld again?” Fan 2: “It's the only way they can get home, the people on the planet can always bury the gate again after the earth people use it.” Fan 3 “I think, too, with them having interesting technology, earth would have their back if they get attacked. It'll be a relationship among the planets, … so it's not like they went behind their backs or against their wishes.” Does anyone out there besides me have a problem with this? I am embarrassed that these fans are out there. Don’t they have anything better to do than immerse themselves so fully in a TV show, I repeat TV show, to the point that it becomes real? To quote William Shatner on Saturday Night Live “Get a life will ya people? For crying out loud its just a tv show”. I am sure there is a group out there at a university somewhere sitting around a cafeteria table speaking Goa'uld instead of Klingon (Watch out trekkies your fan clubs have some competition) and dressing like Jaffa. Is there therapy out there for these people? Because they need help, professional help.

Hi my name is Jon and I am a Stargate SG-1 addict (that is NOT me below, I am not quite there yet).

Caprica - I'm waiting...and waiting...and waiting...

Caprica is the new series that attempts to rebirth yet another Battlestar Galactica saga. It focuses on the Graystones and the Adamas and the creation of the uber-bad mechanical cylons. The potential for a new epic science fiction saga is there, yet an ignominiously painful wait is ahead for anyone interested in the action and excitement that was the bread and butter of the first two series. One cylon has made an appearance so far and is disappointingly inhabited by the digital version of Zoe Graystone, the dead teenage daughter of Daniel Graystone, CEO of a Caprican conglomerate. The Adamas are pseudo criminals, and so far the worst crimes they have committed have been breaking windows and playing hookie. Caprica seems well written and is well acted, but now on episode five has yet to put out. It seems instead to have turned into a rather boring primetime spacey soap opera. I don't know how much more teen angst and family drama I can suffer through before cylons start annihilating Capricans. I was looking forward to this series but as the weeks have past I have been left napping and wondering when Luke and Laura are going to make a surprise appearance.

Artwork

Nuts and Bolts #5

Nuts and Bolts #4

Nuts and Bolts #3

Nuts and Bolts #1

Nuts and Bolts #2

Francis

D8H

Pedestal

Click on images to enlarge

"Lurker"

Reductive linoleum print

2008

"I'm Ready to Go"

Intaglio Print

2008

"ATRRG"

Monoprint

2008

"Gordy"

India Ink on Gourd

2007

"Maggie Joy"

Pastel

2006

"Study of Avacado"

Ball point pen on paper

2008

Comic for Argonaut

2009

"Bread"

Pen and ink and watercolor

2006

"It's Not Easy Being Green"

Colored Pencil

2006

"Random Acts of Freedom"

Ball point pen

2008

"Noodles?"

Raku

2008

Ceramic Mugs

2008

"Afterlife"

Ceramic and ash

2008

"Arrhythmia"

Wire, Elmer's glue and grocery bags

2008

“Teapot³”

Slab built ceramic teapot, serving tray, and honey pot

2008

"Non-Autobiolineography"

Oak, copper, coffee patina, and wax

2008

"Entitled"

Steel

2006

"Feeding Time"

Coil built ceramic sculpture

2008

"Puzzled"

Hard slab sculpture

2008

"Recycled"

300+ plastic bottles collected for 20 days out of 24 trash cans

2007

"Pull"

Unfired slip cast clay, plastic

2009

"Reductitive Me"

Video

2009

Additional Images

Farkle

I have a new addiction and it's name is Farkle. Farkle is a dice game. I am not going to explain all the rules because you can look them up or play it for free online. Below you will find some unofficial scoring rules. I am a firm believer that the game's original name was much more vulgar. I know this because for a couple of hours each night I sit in front of my computer and play this vile game. If you were a fly on the wall you would hear me uttering "Farkle" in a variety ways. Sometimes I mutter it to myself quietly, "Farkle". Sometimes I yell it, "FARKLE". Sometimes I add to it, " Farkling game, Farkling Farkle-headed game, M----r Farkling dumb Fark Farker.

I can't stop playing the game. It teases me. It taunts me. I even have my set of strategies on how to best play Farkle. They are as follows:

#1. Always push to score on all six dice on your first turn for a second set of rolls unless you have 1000 or more points already for the turn.

#2. Always roll if you have 3 remaining dice (the odds that you will roll a 5, 1 or triples is greater than Farkling) unless you have 1000 or more points for that turn.

#3. Never roll if you have 1 or 2 remaining dice if you have already made the 300 min to bank, except on the first and last turn.

#4. Never use a 5 unless it gives you the 300 min to bank (and you have one or two dice left to roll), you need it to keep rolling (and have not made the min to bank), if you have triple 5's, if it clears the board of dice. For example: If you have 1, 5, 3, 3, 6, 2 on the board, use the 1 and re-roll the 5 as this will give you better odds on rolling something higher.

#5. Never use triple 2's unless they give you your 300 min (with only one or two dice remaining to roll), they clear the board of dice, you are already past your 300 min.

#6. Never re-roll after triple 6's (unless they have just cleared the board of dice). This is more superstition that anything but I find it to be usefull.

#7, If your are under your high score, always push on the last turn to get a second set of rolls. What do you have to lose at this point?

scoring is as follows:

1. 1000 pts to get on the board (playing against someone) 300 if playing alone.
2. 10,000 pts to win if playing against an opponent. Alone you get 10 rounds every third Farkle in a row you lose 500 points.
3. 1’s = 100
4. 5’s = 50
5. 1's = 1000
6. Triples = 100 x face value of dice. Add that amount for each additional dice of that amount. Three 3's 300, four 3's 600, five 3's 900, etc. This is the same for 1's. 1000, 2000, etc.
7. Three pair = 750
8. Straight = 1500 (points are safe)

Farkle is also a popular drinking game. If you are a fan of alchohol poisoning be my guest, otherwise I would advise against this line of thinking. Have a Farkling good time.

Surviving Summer

So I have made it through another summer of vacation and travel. If you really know me this is quite a feat. I have absolutely no idea what I am thinking every time I get in a car or a plane and travel more than 2 hours away from my comfort zone. There should be a law that keeps people like me in my own state.

My first trip this summer was to American Samoa. Ooooh, aaaah sounds like paradise. Well it is paradise and I had a great time. I also got to spend it with Clif, Julia and the boys coupled with a whole lot of uncomfortable silences, 100% humidity, and a strange rash that has yet to disappear two months later. I really should seek the advice of a medical professional, but it could involve removing my pants and I just don't like the way my doctor looks at me.

Upon returning to civilization I decided to leave it again and head to Oregon. No internet= no Facebook= no Farmtown= Jon goes crazy, don't mind if I do! Proof that I have no business travelling reared its ugly head quite quickly and in less than a week the first mishap occurred. The family and I went out to River Forks Park near Roseburg, Oregon. It's a great place to take the kids and there is a lot of shade. We arrived there with no problems and after a couple of hours headed back to Winston. Stopping at the drugstore on the way back I noticed that the rear passenger tire was low. No big deal, I have a can of fix a flat for just such occasions (fix a flat is standard issue in Harty and Humphreys vehicles). So I check out the tire and I can hear air coming out. I feel around and this is what I find in my tire:

No joke. A 1/4 craftsman end wrench round part first. Lifetime guarantee to flatten any tire. This is Harty luck. Do not try this at home, I am a professional.

My trusty VW vanagon (now with 4 new tires) still had a few tricks up it's sleeve. On one of my many trips to the Winston Public Library, our only internet hotspot in town, a young man knocks on our window. He politely informs us that we are leaking a little bit of oil. No big deal I say to myself, it's a VW. I decide to check on it just to be safe, (remember I am a professional) and leading out of the parking lot the way we came is an automotive blood trail. I quickly check under the care to make sure that I am not dragging some friendly woodland creature. I am not so lucky. A large pool of VW blood worthy of Gil Grissom is accumulating under the engine. I look for any signs of end wrenches that may have pierced the engine block, nothing. I inspect for women's underpants, pointed sticks, walnuts, and labrador retrievers, any logical explanation for the hemmorage, again nothing. As luck would have it (I use this term loosely) my friend Bryce was there to help motivate me to fix the problem. However, as any VW owner knows you cannot just go down to the local Checker Auto and get what you need. Forms need to be filled out, Politicians need to be bribed, and Santa Claus needs to be informed of the situation. When you do find what you need, Bryce points out that the belt that you bought is a millimeter too big and a micron too wide. More forms are filled out, etc., etc. Finally a european auto parts store is located and after calling 100 times in ten minute intervals, the clerk decides to answer the phone. "Yes I have your part, yes Kris Kringle has contacted me as has Larry Craig. Yes he was in the restroom in the next stall. He told me in sign language (by running his hand back and forth under the stall partition) you were calling and asked me in Morse code (by tapping his foot) if I had an extra roll of toilet paper and a 1/4 inch craftsman end wrench he could borrow as he had misplaced his in the tire of a VW Vanagon. So Bryce and I go to the parts store to get the seal that needs replacing. "That seal is round" Bryce says. "The old seal is flat". "That is because there is more than one company that makes the replacement" says the clerk. "But that seal is round and ours is flat". The clerk just looks at him, then at me. "We'll take it" I say.

So we finally make it out of Oregon and to California where we origionally intended to stay for a week or two. Unfortunately after spending all of our money on keeping the VW running I got to stay and paint houses for three weeks. Yeah! While on a job, my father-in-laws Jeep Wagoneer broke down. Guess who was driving it? Give that man a prize! Yes it was me.

Needing a break from painting we decided to take a trip to Vegas our last week there. Tony and Bryce decided to meet us there as well. Steve let us borrow his Montero as our VW has no AC. We get to Vegas and the first thing that happens is the AC on the Montero goes out. Do you know how hot it is in Vegas in July? It is freaking hot. I mean fry an egg on your hood, 5000 spf, want to move to Alaska where I can see Russia from my porch hot. We do need to keep an eye on them after all. This however is not the end of the story. You can probably guess what happened next. On the way to the airport to pick up my friend Tony the Montero broke down on us. Want to take a guess as to who was driving it? The odds are in your favor and we are in Vegas. I would double down.

On our way home to Moscow we had planned a stop at my parents' house in Winston so we could paint it for them. The trip to Winston from Tehachapi was a breeze. Absolutely no problems. We were home free to make it to Moscow. We were quickly lured into a false sense of security. We had everything packed up in our trailer, had all of the lights working, and I even stopped at the gas station to fill up the spare tire for the trailer (professional remember?). About two hours outside of Winston our "luck" started to unravel. The tire on the trailer blew out. It did not just go flat, it blew into a million pieces. So I pulled over on the side of the freeway to check it out. There was no good place to stop. On one side about a foot between the van and the freeway, the same between it and the five foot tall concrete wall. It was ok though, we had the spare that I had just put air in. This should only take a minute, right? Riigghht. I quickly removed the damaged rim and went to get the spare. It was flat. Someone somewhere just thought of me and drew a royal flush.

Anyway (that's for you Erin) I did finally sort it all out and made it home maybe not with peace of mind, but still in one piece. I won't call it luck because I don't believe in it (at least not good luck I am a devoted follower of bad luck).

I am taking a break from vacations for a while. A long while.