Since the economy has gone south, making ends meet is more difficult for even the most talented artists. I had to share with you some of the jobs that our friend & famous sculptor Sharles is currently pursuing: 

• Teacher of sculpting & painting
• Photographer of flowers
• Expert opinionated art critic
• Amateur brain surgeon (non invasive type)
• Amateur psychiatrist (invasive type)
• Will spread rumorers
• Art advisor
• Art instigator
• Muralist
• Provide original designs to your tattoo artist
• House or plant sitter
• Poodle sitter
• Agent
• Advisor
• Physic
• Ghost hunter-collaborator
• Will haunt a premises (similar to house sitter but union scale)
• Read your palm
• Tell fortunes at parties
• Lie about your past, or fabricate one, if you want a better one. (List & prices available on request.)
• Post the same on web
• Weather consultant
• Computer addict
• Throwing the bird
• Can throw about anything I can lift
• Expert at cussing
• Hosting classical tea parties or coffee/chocolate parties
• Cooking with beer
• Slamming politicians
• Will help you ignore your neighbors
• Expert at recognizing neanderthrals, half whits, full-of-it whits, retarded socialites, sunflower & clown expert (as in, “Yea, that’s a sun flower, and that’s a clown”)
• Writer/critic to & of rich, famous, hysterical, and would be types
• Will forge your name to petitions
• Will do paper work for you to enter: reality tv shows and locker rooms
• Forge press credentials
• Sell you stuff
• Photograph you in leather or other fetish stuff
• Write resumes for you (if you really don’t want the job, can help get you fired so you can collect benefits
• Not defend you in court, but cuss your scumbag lawyers
• Hold illegal gambling money (from spouse, not IRS)
• Walk your dog, monkey or cat
• Feed your parrot
• Build up your confidence and ego with false praise
• Build up political aspirations with same
• Will pretend to be someone else on phone to fool other people in room
• Eavesdropping
• Will paint your toe nails & laugh at you jokes
• Taste test & critique beer
• Be a stand in groom, or best man at wedding rehearsals
• Ring church bells

 If you can think of anything else you would pay me to do…including going away. Yes I expect to be paid for that. Some of my skills& ideas are listed above. I am looking for buyers: (Granted some are addictions — but i am still good at them.) How serious I am about the jobs depends on how serious money is (Up front). ~ Sharles

If you would like to inquire about Sharles availability he can be contacted at sharlesart (at) gmail.com. See his artwork here. Sharles’ candelabra pictured right.

August 25th, 2009 | Tags: art, artist, creative, jobs, recession, Sharles | Category: Weekly Web Finds, the Artist | Comments (4)

Until it happened to us, I was clueless that a person or a story could be bumped from a TV show. Since I have learned this, I have seen or heard of it happening dozens of times. A month or two ago, when Ann Coulter got bumped from the Today Show, she made a huge deal out of it. It was all over Twitter. Wow, lots of people hate her!

Last June, before I had a blog, my DH, the Artist, aka Stephen Spears, was supposed to be on the Today Show. He had actually flown to Colorado with 1 nights sleep under his belt after being in France for 10 days. Severely jet-lagged, he was interviewed for a story that was to run on NBC’s Monster morning show. The story is about his D-Day Monument to Navy Veterans and was scheduled to run on the Anniversary of D-Day. I sent out a mass email telling people to watch for him on that Friday’s Today Show.

Imagine our surprise when he was never on. Instead, musical guest Chris Brown, performed in every single segment for 40+ minutes. I remember thinking Beyonce and Fergie didn’t get near as much air time when they were the guest musicians. Steve might as well have been scheduled on the same day Elvis was in the building.  At the time, I was embarrassed and disappointed. I had told hundreds of people to watch the show for Steve. And he wasn’t on it. yikes!

People were able to view the story on MSNBC online and we got over the disappointment. But today, I have to give a shout out to Chris Brown. Because if he were not headline news, I would not have remembered that I have a blog now.  I can post the video that was intended for the Today Show and you can see it here!

So enjoy this story that was meant for June 6th. It’s still a fabulous story any day of the year. Not just because the sculptor is my husband, but because thousands of men gave their lives for Freedom on the beaches of Normandy that day. It is right and fitting that they be honored. And not be bumped from the Today Show.

February 10th, 2009 | Tags: Ann Coulter, Beyonce, Chris Brown, D-Day, D-Day Monument, Fergie, France, MSNBC, NBC, Rhianna, sculptor, Today Show | Category: Lifestyle, the Artist | Comments (3)

"Operation Neptune" D-Day Monument to the U.S. Navy's role in the invasion. Utah Beach, Normandy, France.

The Artist is on AARP website for connecting with Veterans through the internet. Norton’s daughter emailed Steve to find out if her father, a Veteran of D-Day, could come by and see the monument (pictured above) before it went to France…

More

January 17th, 2009 | Tags: AARP, Internet, the Artist, Veterans | Category: the Artist | Comments (2)

As we honor those who have served our country today, let us remember those who fought in World War I. Including Lloyd Brown (above), America’s last living WWI Veteran.

WWI Doughboy Cantigny, France

Pictured is Stephen Spears’ monument of a WWI Doughboy, installed at the site of the Battle at Cantigny in France in May 2008. Read more about this monument. See more of Stephen’s work.

November 11th, 2008 | Tags: memorial, monument, monumental sculpture, sculpture, Spears Creative Studio, Stephen Spears, Veteran, WWI | Category: the Artist | Comments (1)

Spears Family with Monument of Craig Sheldon at the Fairhope Museum

This month we are celebrating my husband Steve, the Artist’s birthday. This has been an amazing year for him. For years he has worked on monumental sculptures, and for years before that, he worked to get commissions. This year he has installed three monumental sculptures, two of them were in France. On Veteran’s Day, another of his monuments will be installed in Wheaton, Illinois. It has been a banner year.

Above we are at the dedication of a monument of Craig Sheldon. (note to self: Fire stylist.) Craig is no longer living, but he was one of the early Fairhope artists. He was a woodcarver, writer, sculptor, storyteller, and local pundit. Once when Craig was so sick of the local politicos, he decided to run for Mayor just to stir the pot. His famous campaign promise was to fill the local water tower with gin. He got a little nervous when he almost won the election! Steve was honored to be able to create this tribute to such a fine man who was so important to Fairhope’s history.

Steve is a remarkable person. We have both always believed in his artistic ability and his intelligent mind. He is the most talented artist I have ever met. In 2000, we both quit our jobs at the same time, him to become a working artist and me to be home with the kids and to raise alpacas. Money was often tight, and there were many times when I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from asking him to go get a “real” job. But I have always had the feeling that I was meant to be by his side, encouraging him to be the artist that he is today. With his talent, it seems impossible that God wants him to do anything else with his life. Above is Steve’s monument, on the beach in Normandy, France, honoring members of the U.S. Navy who served our country on D-Day.

One of the perks of being the wife of a man this talented is that I was able to have this portrait done of my oldest daughter when she was three years old. Now if he can get around to doing the other three before they are in college…

To see more of Steve’s work you can visit his website for Spears Creative Studio.

November 6th, 2008 | Tags: Craig Sheldon, Fairhope Museum, monumental sculpture, portrait sculpture, sculptor, the Artist | Category: the Artist | Comments (2)

Today’s a big day for the Alpaca Farm. It’s the beginning of National Alpaca Farm Days! We expect many people to come visit our alpacas this weekend. We have 3 other local alpaca farms joining us for the event for the first time. Thanks to Humming Star Alpacas, Gulf Breeze Alpacas, and Ed! With the Artist gone, I couldn’t have done this without you! The weather is supposed to be lovely. Will post pictures tonight.

September 27th, 2008 | Category: the Artist | Leave a comment