A few years ago, some friends from Disney (Disney Consumer Products and Publishing) gave me some art brushes to use.  I just got around to taking them out for a spin.  Yeah, I paint like a neanderthal.  It's going to take some time getting used to digital painting; (that is, to feel comfortable painting and comfort will turn into confidence); maybe I can sneak in some exercises next year.  There are a lot of things I can do with traditional paints that I can't do in digital (at least not yet), but I am enjoying the effects of some of the most unlikeliest of brushes (digitally).  And you just can't beat the vibrancy of the digital palette or the ease in which you can work.  If I paint traditionally, I know I have to have at least 20 to 30 minutes space of time to work, plus 5-10 mins of setting up, mixing a palette, taping off the edges, etc.  I love being able to jump right into the digital painting and not worrying about all that.  As it is, I've had a good amount of work from Disney and sometimes have managed to sneak in 5-10 mins on this during a lunch break or before going to bed.

Good news is that my internet has been working consistently again; altho I don't know why.  But I'll take it.  Merry Christmas to all of you working hard creatives,  talk to you again in the New Year.

It's been awhile.  Oh so frustrating.  Have not been connected to the internet in quite awhile.  Had a brand new hard drive installed, brought all files back onto this new hard drive, then internet connection died once again, coming back on mysteriously after a week, for a glorious ten minutes.  Been on the phone with Apple Support, now 2 months after installing Mavericks, again, erasing the hard drive, (2nd time), hard ware and hard drive acting totally illogical; getting internet connection in Safety mode, but not in regular mode, then computer would not start up.  Driving Apple support tech nutz; "Truly, my team and I can figure out almost anything...had not had a case this nutty in a long time; a total erase and install should have done the trick, esp. on the second try," he said.  Took it to Apple Store today, where they checked everything out and of course my computer fired right up, took the internet connection like white on rice.  "Hard ware is great; hard drive is superb".  What??  He told me to plug in the computer and keyboard only and start adding all the other stuff while checking internet connection.  Working still.  But I'm afraid to shut it off.  So, I will do some freelance stuff, get it in and then consider turning it off.  Big shout out there for the ever so patient Scott Barnes of Apple; still miffed because internet is working and we don't know why.  Don't know if the problem is fixed; Scott does expect another call from me at some point in the future...Missed you all.  Happy Holidays~KMZ