Leslie found this ginormous spider in the flower garden yesterday, bouncing along on his web like he was dovening. Grabbed the camera from the car and snapped a shot or two. He was slightly uncooperative but you get the idea. Anybody know anything about this particular arachnid species?
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I was privileged to judge Rich Stergulz's miniature painting show at the Pinnell Gallery that will hang this month. No painting was over 8 x 10". I have judged several shows over the years and thoroughly enjoy the task and the responsibility.
I went over to the gallery mid week and made preliminary assessments, then went back the next day and gave everything another look before awarding the six final selections. It was difficult as there was a lot of nice work. Had one lady accuse me of favoritism right off the bat. Couple people thought they should have done better. Impossible job. I have a hard time with the notion of art competitions anyway. If I have learned anything in the thirty plus years I have been buying and selling art it is there is an ass for every saddle. Paint, draw, write for your own pleasure and it all takes care of itself somehow.
Saturday I attended the awards presentation and after awarding my winners, stayed back and offered to critique all of the entries. I gave out lots of critiques and I think it was appreciated all the way around. This was really neat, for me and the artists, who I think enjoyed it to a person. I broke down the works in terms of brushwork, composition and chroma, and dished out praise and criticism as necessary. Even the really accomplished people appreciated an objective view.
Afterwards one entrant said that it was the first time in 15 years of entering art shows that a judge offered to critique. I have always tried to do it and hope that I get called upon again in the future.
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On my way to see Bruce Hornsby and Jackie Greene perform at the Belly Up tavern tonight. See you there? Postscript: Renee and I got to the coast and I realized ( after a phone call from Sheebz) that the concert was actually last night! Out about 180 simoleans. We made the best of it and had a nice dinner at the Peruvian restaurant Q'ero. I had a quail appetizer and a massive pork shoulder in the aji amirilla sauce. Renee had the hanger steak in the spicy sauce. Highly recommended.
4 comments:
i'm glad you didn't post my previous comment on the show because i was wrong; kindly disregard.
It appears to be a Banded Garden Spider. I think it is one of the Orb Weavers.
JS
The banded garden spider (Argiope trifasciata)is the most common "garden spider" found in the western US. They produce large, conspicuous webs amongst shrubbery and other large vegetation in late summer. The webs of the garden spiders are very concentric and resemble those of the most famous garden spider of all- Charlotte's Web.
The banded garden spider spends the winter either as eggs in a large silken sack or, primarily, as tiny "spiderlings" hidden in protected areas of the garden. These very young spiders get around primarily by "ballooning", carried by breezes that catch silken threads the spiders produce. Upon settling on an appropriate site, they begin to produce their characteristic webs between sticks, grass, or other upright vegetation.
Hi Robert,
Nice photo; looks like a Golden Banded Garden spider or some other kind of Argiope trifasciata.
KB
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