Tuesday Shenanigans

My funny black and white cartoon of Bryan flipping a light switch and tripping the circuit breaker. Drawn by artist Bryan Skinnell.

I have a thousand and one reasons for being grateful for art.

I also have a thousand and one chores that I need to jump on. I don’t think it’s a happy coincidence it is Tuesday, that dreaded day of the week ordained and consecrated by God himself for getting important stuff done. Nothing against the Almighty but I’d rather be making art instead, if for no other reason than to get out of doing the pesky and important stuff. If it wasn’t for art I would be in a terrible pickle because I would be forced to fritter away my time on all kinds of drudgeries both boring and unpleasant with no respite. It’s too awful to even think about.

I’ve got nothing against hard and boring work but I’ve seen it sap the life out of many a good man over the years and I sure don’t want it to happen to you. And I’ve got a sure-fire fix for getting out of work whenever and wherever it sneaks up on you. Being an artist makes it easy for me to get out of work for all I have to do is grab a notepad and pencil and plop down in my easy chair and get busy thinking up creative art ideas. I’ve found that trick often works so amazingly well that it will put me right to sleep. And when I wake up it’s too late to do any work! Often it’s the simplest ideas that are the most genius.

It’s so radical and timely that I really ought to write a book about it. I think I will too. I’ll get busy on it right after I finish my nap. Happy siesta!

Why hello there! My name is Bryan Skinnell and I am a middle-aged (50-ish) artist and neighborhood kook who is living the artistic and creative life out in the boonies of Bedford, Virginia. Bedford is one of the largest counties in the commonwealth of Virginia and, for the most part, it’s still a mostly rural one that bridges the gap between Roanoke and Lynchburg. You could say, in more ways than one, that Bedford is the heart of Virginia. I can’t argue with that although I usually think of Bedford more as Virginia’s belly button myself.

I grew up right here in Bedford and have lived and toiled most of my life on our infamous red clay. The sort of clay that makes the stickiest mud known to man after a rain and which clings like super glue from God to anything and everything it touches. If you are so foolish as to get it on yourself you’ll wind up tracking and leaving a trail of red goop everywhere you go for days afterwards to the delight of your family and friends. But I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else and Lord knows I tried as I’ve wandered from one end of the country to the other. But Bedford has my heart and that’s where I’ve chosen to live my life today. In my free time when I’m not stuck in my studio making art I do love being outside gardening or hiking or just pestering the neighbors.

Every day I try to write something that’s original, entertaining, and half-way thoughtful here on my blog while sharing my happy-go-lucky attitude and zest for life. Quite often I don’t have the foggiest notion of what I’ll end up saying in a post. But, whatever I end up writing about, I do hope you enjoy it!

I do keep a mailing list for interested readers and fans. If you would like to get in on the action and follow my musings and rabble-babble, that can be easily arranged. Just give me an email address that you would like for me to send my blog posts to and I’ll see that you get it.

Thanks for stopping by!
Bryan Skinnell

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