The first really big change in my paintings wasn't about the paintings at all. It was about the frames. I had been allowing a custom frame shop to make my frames. The frames cost me at least ten times what the prints cost to make. I didn't really mind, except that I hated to see the frame shop making so much money and me not making any at all.

So when I had the chance, I bought a truck load of frames all at once. The frames came in many different and odd sizes. That happened at a yard sale kind of situation. It wasn't quite a yard sale. It was more of a salvage junk yard sale. It took place a couple of miles outside of St Marys. Lucy was looking for a library table and the advertisement said they had old school furniture. I went along to help load the table, if she found one small enough to fit into her car.

Sure enough she found an old oak table that she liked. It was too large for her car so we discussed delivery. The seller obviously owned a truck. The items he was selling were purchased in lots from different distressed sellers. Since he agreed to deliver for a fee, Lucy and I went looking for other things which we could buy to spread the fee around a little.

I found the large box of cheap prints, which had obviously hung in equally cheap motel rooms. I bought fifty three prints and frames of different odd sizes. All the frames came with really awful paper prints. Those, I knew, would be going first thing.

Lucy's table and my frames were all delivered that same afternoon. I helped to unload them since it would have taken the one old man hours to accomplish it.

I wasn't interested in making any money on the art work really. I was more interested in just passing time. Since I was becoming terminally bored, I thought I might try a mall show. I could do it and stay with the prints just to meet new people. Since I hadn't met anyone new in months it seemed like a good idea.

I gave some more thought to the prints I was making. I looked at the scenic shots more critically for a real show. After all I would be listening to the comments in person not reading them on the very few comment cards I got from the restaurant galleries.