Would love to see and say hi to everyone during the opening reception of the 100 Artist Show for 2020, First Friday, Jan. 3, 5 to 9 at Highlandtown Gallery. I will have on display several works plus “The Journey to Ukazoo” book will be available for sale. If you are in the Baltimore, Maryland area, please stop in.
“Pardon Me” Oil on Board
Copyright: Craig L Haupt
‘Next stop – Liriodendron’ #3 Images selected for my inclusion in the late August group exhibition at Liriodendron Mansion, Bel Air, MD
Image: “Sorry” 12 x 12 inches, oil on canvas.
Copyright Craig L Haupt
‘Next stop – Liriodendron’ #3 Images selected for my inclusion in an August group Exhibition. “Sorry”-‘Doodle’, finished painting for Monday’s post.
Copyright: Craig L Haupt
‘Next stop – Liriodendron’ #2 of Images selected for my inclusion in the late August group exhibition at Liriodendron Mansion, Bel Air, MD
Image: “The Candy Store” oil on canvas.
Copyright Craig L Haupt
‘Next stop – Liriodendron’ Images selected for my inclusion in the late August group exhibition at Liriodendron Mansion, Bel Air, MD – August 25 to September 15, 2019
Image: “Boots” oil on board.
Copyright Craig L Haupt
New Project, ‘Next stop – Liriodendron’ Images selected for my inclusion in August group Exhibition. “Boots” the ‘Doodle’, finished painting tomorrow.
“Boots”, the Doodle
Copyright Craig L Haupt
Included in The Journey to Ukazoo’ book are the 37 stories and images. Each story has its own unique whimsical flavor set to the image and location visited. The image shown is used for story ‘Slide 36’, ‘Raise You Two Clams’ and the location of the story is Ocean City, Maryland.
Two weeks left to invest in a book, prints, or as your opportunity for immortality, have your name somewhere in the story text or border artwork. Please visit my Kickstarter page and support the publication of this unique ArtStory project. Kickstarter Link:
The Kickstarter project runs to April 3.
My hope is that if unable to support this ArtStory book, at the very least, you are able to take a few minutes to visit this unique ArtStory project and Share it.
My thanks to some of the supporters of this book: L. Ashley, LuAnn Z., and Roger M.
Image: ‘Raise You Two Clams’
Copyright: Craig L Haupt
Ukazoo: A Trademark of Ukazoo Bookstore and used with permission.
‘At the Beach’
‘The Journey to Ukazoo’ book project:
A preview of the second of 37 stories included in the soon to be published Book. Kickstarter Launch in March!
Slide Two – ‘At the Beach’ – June 10, 2013
As I drove, I now had to develop a mindset that this was the first of many daylong drives encompassing 9 months on my way to Ukazoo. At the end of the day I had been on the road almost 9 hours, seven and a half hours of drive time plus stops. I made it to the Swan Quarter Ferry within 45 minutes of the last Ferry to Ocracoke Island, which departed at 4:30 pm. The Ferry ride took a little over three hours and even with not having to do any driving with the boat ride, I was still very worn out by days end.
With this first leg of the journey, I had mapped out the first three stops and called ahead for reservations based on my intended day of arrival and on my length of stays. After that I would need to pour over maps and brochures I had collected for this trip and rely on tapping into ‘Google’ on my phone for any assistance in finding additional places to stay in future planned and unplanned stops.
I also wanted to, at the very least, have my first stay-overs be at a Bed & Breakfast if possible. I make no secret, I love the experience of a Bed & Breakfast. Awakening to the smells of fresh juices, fruits, and cooked foods bathed with the personalities of the hosts, coupled with the menagerie of guests from different parts of the country and around the globe, meeting, exchanging stories of places of origin, their current trip experiences, and anecdotes from life’s memories is one of my highlights of these, sometimes sparse, opportunities to travel.
This first inn in my Journey to Ukazoo, fulfilled those expectations.
Given the forecast of several days of warm sunny weather and besides the usual around the town sightseeing, relaxing for a while on the beach and maybe going for a swim seemed a wonderful option. Not forgetting to pack the bathing suit, compact beach chair, sunscreen, and bath towel, I made my way to water’s edge. I choose to visit a beach to the ocean side of the island rather than the bay side, with calm to no winds, the ocean waters proved tranquil to bathe and relax by after the long drive.
Over the course of the next few days I had made daily visits to the beach, some days more crowded with bathers than others. Today was a day of light populace. Camped not far and within earshot was a sizable gathering of family members, some I had met earlier in the week, spread out on a connected grouping of four large blankets. There were the usual suspects, beach chairs occupied with readers of books, ear buds for those lost-in-music aficionados, bodies stretched out to welcome the sun’s rays and of course the water devotees.
Given the interesting makeup of this extended family and proximity, I became the casual observer.
Of all the observations, the more interesting story-line developed at water’s edge.
This shot was taken of a little fellow named Sherman, getting ready to test the slowly churning break of waves ending just short of his toe. Even though his older brothers and sisters as well as several other nearby kids, who were already in the water, were urging Sherman to join them, he was reluctant to go in. Being more content with playing in the sand, an occasional sand castle here and there, Sherman appeared to be not overly fond of cold water and sporting an over active imagination, even more afraid of any alligators that might be lurking in the shallow depths of the ocean.
His parents, on several occasions, at other beaches as well as today, pointed out, with words and books, that alligators do not live in the ocean and besides, they assured him, they haven’t seen any since they arrived.
The fact that his family had only been there for only 3 days now and recalling a story they told about finding him in a Cabbage patch as a baby, and Easter bunnies made and delivered candy, didn’t offer Sherman any great reassurance on the absence of alligators. So, after testing the water, he turned and slowly went back to building his sandcastle. Too cold seemed to be a good enough reason and repeatedly denied to his brothers and sisters spiteful accusations, that alligators had anything to do with his reluctance to join them.
Yes, there was a silent chuckle on my part, but to this day, as I packed up to head back to the Inn, I swear I thought I heard a few long-tailed swishes in the water behind me.
‘The Journey to Ukazoo’ Book project:
Intermingled with the 9 oil paintings displayed at Ukazoo Bookstore in 2014 were 23 smaller works called ’Thumbnail Sketches’ and I definitely mean smaller. The drawings themselves are 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 inches and with mat and frame a robust 5 x 5 inches in size.
In the book they will show four to a page.
To the book project, the video portion is done and has been sent to a friend to compose the background music. Once the music track is laid in, I will then upload it to the Kickstarter worksheets and submit ‘The Journey to Ukazoo’ book project for approval to launch the Crowdfunding campaign.
Checked with new postal rates, reviewed updated quotes for digital scanning/layout costs, and received an updated quote from the publisher to finalize what the monetary goal I will be asking for to publish the book.
Image: ‘Thumbnail Sketches’ (two in private collections)
Text and Image: Copyright Craig L Haupt
Ukazoo: Trademark Ukazoo Books with permission.
Steppin’ Out
‘The Journey to Ukazoo’ book project:
A preview of the first of 37 stories included in the soon to be published Book. Kickstarter Launch in March!
Slide One – ‘Steppin’ Out’ – June 3, 2013
It is June 3th, 2013, a clear Monday morning with warm hints of the temperature starting to rise.
I’ve been getting ready for this day for over a month now with both anticipation and apprehension. It’s to be a long 9-month trip and hopefully my preparation will give me the advantage of a successful journey. With all the groundwork I have done, I know there are parts of this trip that cast uncertainties in choosing paths and locations.
The few days before, in the midst of all my packing, I washed the van, cleaned, and vacuumed the interior to get her as fresh to go as I possibly could. The day before, I filled the gas tank and set the trip and gas odometers to zero.
Besides the usual suspects, the suitcases were packed with as many changes of clothes I could cram in, the ditty-bag bursting with every imageable heath and grooming concern I could think of, I also included the items I felt should be at my fingertips for this long drive.
Before packing the back of the van, I made sure my bike had its spot secured to one side. All other suitcases, boxes, and bags followed.
Of course, the camera, nudged between the seats, headed the list so that I could record as many sights as I possible. A ‘Trip diary’ book ruled and columned to chart my days, miles traveled, and include notes of people, places, and events.
Of most importance to this long drive and secured to the front passenger seat is a flat, full fitted, and sanded piece of plywood to hold four attached plastic containers with items of need within arm’s reach – three containers in a row and one to the left side. The third one back in the row holds the Trip-diary, extra pencils and pens, pen knife (for alligator attacks), a few Band-Aids, Advil, rubber bands, spare glasses, index cards, an old dented Harmonica, and other ’I might need’ items.
The first container of the row carries a familiar long trip snack, salted pretzel rods.
The middle one and the one to the left, without a doubt reflects my age. The middle one is an array of maps of the various states I anticipate, both driving through or stopping in. I hear all you saying GPS, GPS. Even if I had a GPS in the van, I would still be carrying the maps. There is a sort of romanticism about unfolding a map and perusing all the possible routes and the out of the way small towns. There’s also the trusting of our sense of intuitiveness to decide to sometimes take ‘a road less traveled’, see where it leads, and the personal sense of triumph in finding your way back to a familiar route. The important part is the deadline for finishing the trip. I need to end my Journey to Ukazoo February 10th, 2014 so that I can set up the Art Exhibit at Ukazoo Bookstore to open on February 16, 2014.
The container on the left will open the readers eyes a bit more. This container, houses music cassettes. Yes, cassettes with lots and lots of music I have selected to record, over lots and lots and lots of years. I have and listen to other forms of recorded music but for the road trips, the recorded music on the cassettes always fit nicely for the long drives. They, like the maps, envelope a certain sense of familiarly – old friends if you may.
Checked the stove and lights and with a turn of the key to lock the door, I made my way out to the van.
This first camera shot/selfie is of me taking that first step on my journey to Ukazoo. To be honest, the image is a little deceptive as I do sport a beard and mustache. The hair on the other hand, or should I say, ‘lack of hair’, is accurate. With the van packed, a small cooler with water up front by the camera and a small tin of homemade chocolate chip cookies to intertwined with the pretzel snacks, I am ready to go. Setting the trip odometer to zero and settling in for a ten-hour drive and Ferry ride, my first stop is Ocacoke, N.C.
Text and image: Copyright Craig L Haupt
Ukazoo: Trademark Ukazoo Bookstore, used by permission.
Craig L Haupt 