I'm currently painting a mural at an absolutely marvelous school.  Sometimes, you just win and find yourself in an amazing situation.  This is the first time I've ever worked on a project when every student in the school - all 650 of them - participated with a mural.  And, each time a group of students comes out to paint, I'm introduced as the "world renowned muralist who has painted all over the planet, not just in the United States".  I guess the introduction could go to my head, except I know the truth.  And, truth is, I'm the most "non-famous world-famous artist" anyone has ever met.  Yes, my art is used by teachers all over the planet.  Yes, my 55 murals are in 25 countries (so far).  My art has been spotted on T-shirts in a mall in the Philippines.  Other people I know have seen it used at an orphanage in Cambodia.  An artist I met in Moldova told me he learned English in school from books with my illustrations.  I even found my drawings used in an archaeological museum in Belize.  And, my images are all over the Internet if you've ever done a Google Image search.  Yes, my work is known around the world.  And, no, nobody knows my name.

I guess there is a chance, if I really believed the introduction and heard it enough times, it could possibly go to my head.  Possibly.  But, I don't usually have art diva moments.  I don't think I could create community murals and be an art diva.  There's just too much sharing and caring in a community project.  And, if kids splattering paint, accidental spills (major and minor), and painting outside of the lines bother an art diva like I think they would, it just really would be the wrong career choice. 

I'm fairly sure that all artists have moments when someone criticizes their work.  It's never fun.  I certainly don't like it.  Fortunately, it hasn't happened to me very often.  I remember long ago, in another life at a publishing house, my boss described my cartoons as "grotesque".  I never forgot or forgave that.  And more recently, at what was supposed to be my next mural, the powers that be didn't like my art at all.  Their suggestion for my mural design was to remove all of my cartoon characters and try adding flowers and mountains.  Okay, I confess, in the privacy of my office, I had an art diva moment over that.  Then, I politely replied to the email and suggested they find another artist.

Sometimes you lose.

But, sometimes you win.  And, sometimes, it's a big win.  Most people who follow my blog and clip art on Facebook are familiar with the PromoWest and Columbus Makes Art 2018 Exhibition and my portrait entitled "Aztec Sun".  You had to be judged on talent to make it into the top ten.  But, to make the final four, it was by community voting.  In my mind, that really means the final four came down to a popularity contest.  It's not that huge of a contest in Columbus.  It doesn't really have that much publicity.  So, those with the most connections were most likely to have the most friends go to the website to vote. 

Okay, I'm the first to admit I'm not all that connected in Ohio.  But, if any of the other nine entries were well connected, it was news to me.  I never heard of any of them and didn't find all that much when I searched for them online.  So, we were all in the same boat.  Well, honestly, nine of them were in the same boat and then there was me.  I networked a little in Ohio.  But, my network is much more global than normal.  I only wish the people at PromoWest and Columbus Makes Art could see where my votes came from.  I had huge support from Africa and Latin America, especially Brasil.  But, my network stretched across the United States to Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. 

I said that I was the most "non-famous world-famous artist" that any of you will ever know.    Maybe there is just a little bit of truth to that "world" part.  My support came from all over.  I don't think anyone else in this particular competition had that same claim.  And so, yes, I'm so very happy to tell you that my art was voted into the top four in this 2018 competition.  Thank you all for your support.  It is so very appreciated.

Who knows?  Maybe as a result of this a few people in Ohio will actually learn my name?

Who hasn't heard that good things come in threes?  The Wise Men, French Hens, Musketeers, Blind Mice, Little Pigs, Billy Goats Gruff and any circus with rings know all about that.  So did all of Charles Dickens' ghosts, but perhaps Ebenezer wouldn't agree they were good? Nobody quotes "life and liberty" from the Declaration of Independence without also mentioning "the pursuit of happiness".  And, nobody - absolutely nobody - only plays "Rock, Paper".  I guess sometimes you hear about disasters, bad luck and celebrity deaths happening in threes as well.  But, seriously, who wants to focus on the negative when you already know what to accentuate?

I've had a very good 24 hours, and it's as simple as one, two, three.

One Good Thing - I've been in contact with a local school for mural 55.  For several months, we talked about beginning in April.  I always assumed it would be the first of the month.  Who ever expected the April we've had in Ohio with rain, cold, snow, tornadoes, flooding, more rain and certainly more snow?  But, plans for the project continue and it could not possibly be at a better school.  And, whenever Spring eventually arrives, the work will begin.

This will be a mural first for me.  The plan is to have every student in the school participate in the painting.  It's going to take a lot of help from volunteer mothers.  Not a problem at this school.  I sat down to brainstorm with the principal and three art teachers about the mural's theme.  They wanted student input, and I had a great suggestion.  Sometimes, that happens.  I suggested the students list events that happened in each grade level that they remembered most.  That kind of coaching prompted excellent suggestions I could use.  The mural will be divided into sections for each grade.  It's a perfect fit.  And, when I finally presented my vision of the mural, the principal said support for my design was off the charts.  Do you know how hard it is for a committee to agree on anything?  Yep, I'm very happy with "off the charts".  And, if the snow ever stops, it's going to be an amazing experience.
 
There was almost a bad thing to tell you about when a mural project unexpectedly collapsed, but  . . .

Two Good Things -  It took less than twenty-four hours for the universe to correct the situation.  Yep.  All it took was one little e-mail.  I have to admit I'm kind of addicted to e-mail.   I'm one of those people who turns on the computer almost as soon as my feet touch the floor in the morning.  And, my morning started when a local art teacher contacted me to see if I might be interested in painting with her students.  Could I supply more information? 

You know I did.

I'm very pleased when I hear from art teachers.  The last person with toes that I don't want to step on is the local art teacher.  I know they are talented, but usually too busy to do what I do.  I want to support them every way I can.  This art teacher wrote back before the day was over.  She said, "I know things need to move fairly quickly to make this work before school is out . . . So I need to ask, do you even have availability to work with us the week of May 7th?

Um, that would be a big yes!  And, I just couldn't be happier to paint in the location where the universe knew all along I was supposed to be.  Sometimes, it just all works out right.

Three Good Things - And, the day got better.  

It had been almost two years since I had any embassy project for my murals.  Just like everyone else pretty much everywhere, budgets have been tight.  Nobody seemed to have funding for a very amazing community experience with murals.  So, I sat in Ohio, networking among Buckeyes, painting murals in Columbus, drawing nearly thirty portraits from my travels, blogging, writing books about my travels in Liberia and Brasil, illustrating a folktale collection of Liberian stories and not using my passport.  But, all of that is about to change thanks to a late afternoon e-mail message.  I may not see their bobsledding team or meet Usain Bolt, but I'm guaranteed a good dose of Reggae music, a taste of Ting (not Tang) and maybe a sip of a Bob Marley Shot this summer in Jamaica thanks to an invitation by the US Embassy.  Hallelujah, man!

Now, as long as I'm looking for groups of three to write about, there is another absolutely warm and tropical group of threes that I'd really like to come my way.  I have already contacted two other embassies in the Caribbean who have expressed an interest in my muraling.  As long as I'm in the "neighborhood", perhaps they'll want to bring me on over to Barbados and Haiti?  If I must, I'm willing to stay longer in the Caribbean.  And, I could live with murals on THREE Caribbean islands if I just have to.

For sure, I don't want to get into a series of bad luck three situations that lead to things like prison or celebrity deaths.  My clip art might be all over the world, and students in every continent except Antarctica recognize my cartoons, but nobody knows my name.  I remain the most non-famous world-famous artist on the planet.  I don't think I have to worry about anything celebrity.  Just to be safe, I'll say a prayer that my guardian angel will protect me from malaria, pickpockets, bus wrecks, earthquakes, typhoons, rogues with knives, prison in Haiti and taxis without breaks.  It should be no problem since he's already done that for each of these in the past.   Why worry about threes when I appear to have nine lives?