Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Why I paint.

I paint because I’m good at it and it gives me another creative outlet. I’ve been doing it since I was fourteen and that was a real long time ago. My first job, I helped my dad and his crew scrape the old Wake Forest Elementary, a building that is long gone. I remember it was about 500 and 80 degrees outside and I was on the sunny side. But soon I worked my way up from the scraping brigade to the closet gang. I mean, who gives a shit what the inside of a closet looks like, huh? "We'll stick the kid in there!" After proving my worth inside those hellholes, I was rolling walls in people’s living rooms and shit. OMG! Everyday folks would see my work…every day! THEN, it became important. So when I showed interest in that I was given a REAL paint brush (with actual bristles!) and allowed to “cut-in” the walls! Holy Shit! I had to cut straight lines so that the job looked all professional and shit. After I got the hang of that and I thought "what on Earth could be more responsibility that THAT!" But soon, I found out what it was...the biggest job on ...well...the job! Painting windows! Yep! I had made it! What an honor to dig in and paint each sash so eloquently and perfectly! I was there! I had my black belt in painting and no fuckin’ body could take it away from me! "They'll take this brush out of my COLD DEAD HANDS!" Uhhhh....yeah, anyway...
My Dad retired and it was up to me to make my own livin’. So I decided that I weren’t gonna hire nobody else and I wouldn’t have no damn business cards. My work would be my business card. And thass the way it’s been for almost 15 years now. Axe anybody I’ve worked for! They always call me back for their next project.

Thass the best I can give ya for one of those “honest man, honest livin’” speeches…I still wanna quit and play music all the time. I just need a hit. Hey! Maybe I'll write one at work tomorrow! Yipeeee!

Take a damn drank!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Was a painter myself there for a little while. It ain't so bad if you're doing residential work - nice and clean. 'Cept for painting behind some of them toilets ... that can get kinda nasty. And the money ain't so bad either. So what's your weapon of choice, T? I prefer the 2 1/2" angular sash myself. You doing any of them fancy faux finishes? Then you can call yerself a designer!

Roll on, brother.

Geoff

TA said...

I've been anti-angular lately. I prefer the 2 and a half also but straight edged with a long handle.

Anonymous said...

Man... no doubt you bang so hard on the skins. Last time I painted a room at my house I had the whole body aching for two full days...!

Anonymous said...

YOU CANT WANT TO WRITE ANOTHER! HIT DON'T BE GREEDY MAN, GIVE US OTHER GUYS A CHANCE!!

Anonymous said...

Its either the fumes or the lead but whatever it is keep it up cuz ya sure can write a purty lyric