It has been a while since I have had my artwork on display, but it has finally happened. In 2002 I had a show at the Johnson Heritage Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. It was the first time that my 'rock' series was exhibited. Since then I have gotten into painting and have continued the series.
The exhibit opened on July 1 at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Art Gallery in Bloomington.
The 'rock' drawings and paintings fit in beautifully with the nature of the building. Their simple galley is excellent viewing and adds something more to their exhibits and trails.

Band names are like the oft-quoted line from Shakespeare: Some are as sweet as a rose, but some just plain stink. Whether a group’s name aptly represents its image and sound or simply serves as a way to alphabetize their discs in a record store, all bands must come up with one – for better or worse.

What are some of your favorite band names? Which ones should have been left on drawing board?

To get the ball rolling, here are just a few for each column from this blogger’s perspective:

In the last day or so, local artist Maureen Carlson, other members of the Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce, and I have been exchanging e-mails about this summer's Jordan Art Festival.

This blog is not about the festival, but about the e-mails from Carlson. I took note of what I call a tagline -- it tells you who the e-mailer is, their contact information, and sometimes includes a quote or some other kind of words by which to live. 

Carlson's tagline says, after her contact information: "It simply wouldn't be an adventure worth having if there weren't any dragons."

If I were a jingle writer for TV ads, I’d be a little worried about my job security. You may have noticed more and more bands and artists gracing TV ads with their songs over the last few years, and they’re not just shilling for iPods. There are lots of car ads and other products that seem to be stacking up rocks’ heavy hitters like records in a jukebox.

It's a storyline that is perfect for the party board game Balderdash: A midget inherits a train station in the middle of nowhere and doesn't mind, because he wants to be alone.