Art on the Square

Well, the Belleville show met all the hype. Truly, I was a little hesitant. I rely on the Art Fair Sourcebook and the word of other artists regarding shows. The Sourcebook is so high on Belleville that it almost seems suspect. But then I know a couple artists who've done the show and sold hardly anything. So, I wasn't quite sure what to think.

But wowza! What a wonderful show. We were at the champagne artist awards breakfast on Sunday and someone said it's like a show with room service. That is such an apt description. The volunteer workers simply pamper the artists.

This started with lunch and dinner delivery the first day, not just for me, but also my devoted roadie, John. The pampering continued for the duration of the show; cold bottled water all day long; yummy pastries; fresh orange wedges; and various other snacks (healthy and not so healthy, we got to pick). The most amazing thing is this was all delivered right to our booths by the most gracious volunteer staff I have ever met.

Add to this super easy set up and load out procedures. Combine with perfect weather.

What more could you ask for?

Oh, you want sales? I can't speak for everybody, but the buying energy sure felt good to me. I had a very good show. Which means I am quite busy right now, getting ready for Summerfair. That is OK by me.

Other shows could take a lesson from Belleville. It was first class all the way.

Blast to the past

Deb and Patti have both tagged me so I suppose I can no longer avoid this.....7 things that people don't know about me......how about some childhood stories?

1. I was a Junior Olympic archery winner when I was a kid. Yep, it's true. The chunky little girl with coke bottle glasses, the one who couldn't do anything athletic to save her soul. The one for whom the "mandatory 2 innings of play" rule (in softball) was surely invented.
My dad set us up with this, cannot imagine where he got the idea, but he took me and my brother to this archery place every Saturday morning. We had to get up really early to drive there. Dad was serious about it too, even bought bales of hay for our basement and set up a small range - we had a ranch house so our basement was pretty long and we could practice down there. It absolutely defied logic that I was good at this, truly I was such a clumsy backwards child. But my hand/eye coordination is still good as evidenced by my "shooting" on my nephew's Nintendo Wii. I stunned (and scared!) my husband a couple weeks ago when we were in Memphis. Ha!
2. I learned to play the cello between my sophomore and junior years in high school. I had always wanted to play a string instrument ever since the 4th grade when we were tested for musical aptitude. I apparently flunked the test and the school administrators told my parents it wasn't worth their money to provide any musical lessons for me. Can you imagine!?!? Lucky for me my parents didn't take kindly to hearing this and told me I could start with the piano since we already owned a really old one that had been given to us. So, in the first of my many defy the odds stubborn acts, I taught myself to play the piano using a key chart and a piano primer that I found in the bench. That led my parents to sign me up for private piano lessons. And then in high school the string instrument bug came back; I wanted to play the viola. I met with the orchestra director who told me he could really use another a cello player. I took a crash course with lessons all summer long so I was up to speed by the time the school year started. To this day cello music makes me swoon.
3. I raised a baby sparrow when I was 12. He fell out of the nest and was abandoned. I fed him by hand then released him to the yard when he was old enough, tried to train him to find food, etc. He eventually left our house but would visit and I could still get him to eat from my hand.
4. I had strange premonitions when I was young. One day I was walking home from the school bus and told my best friend I had a feeling something horrible had happened to someone in my family. When I got home my mother told me that my uncle (healthy, in his 30's) had a heart attack and died. I also have this really weird ability to find lost items. When I was in my teens I made a little leather bracelet for myself, just a strap of leather with one painted bead on it. I wore it to a concert in a park near our home. There were thousands of people there. Naturally I lost it and was simply demolished because I loved that bracelet so much. The next morning I told my mom I was going to go find it. She laughed about it, said I could make another one, etc. Basically told me to knock myself out but doubted I would find it. I walked the approximately one mile route to the park in an attempt to retrace my steps and easily found the bracelet nestled in the grass.
5. In the 8th grade I had the art teacher from Hell, Miss Siemer. She was a young teacher and very mean. Clearly she preferred the boys in our classroom. I was accustomed to getting high grades in all my classes, but especially art. She was horrid to me, told me I was no good, had no talent and should simply abandon any ideas of any artistic future. I was in a vulnerable awkward state that year and unfortunately I believed her. It destroyed my artistic notions for years and years and sent me in the direction of writing and music. But.....my last effort in her class was a pop art piece, a huge replica of a Kool-aid packet. My parents still have it, hung in their rec room basement along with some of my other early artistic endeavors such a painted plaque next to their pool table with some pithy "rules for play" and this fun "rubbing" piece I made in black and white. I love that Kool-aid packet and am so happy my Mom is a pack rat and keeps all this stuff.
6. Hunting for morel mushrooms was a family activity we did every year on Mother's day. My Grandpa Schaich had a secret spot, out in Indiana near a Dairy Queen because we got ice cream afterwards. Grandpa would walk with slow deliberate steps and would, without fail, find the first mushroom. He would leave it in it's place and call us all around so we could see what to look for. Once we saw that, it was easier to spot them and we would find lots of these decadent delicacies.
7. I hate raw onions. I mean I really hate raw onions. Like I will gag if one gets in my mouth. This stems from a Home Eck incident in high school. One where we were supposed to make potato soup yet we were not given enough time. It was a partner project and I cannot recall what went wrong. All I know for sure is the soup was not even remotely cooked and had way too many onions in it. Out teacher forced us to eat our own soup and I thought I was going to be sick there were so many raw onions in it.

Ok, that's it for me, probably more than anyone wanted to know, ha, ha.

I have finally finished my new reproductions, gorgeous (if I do say so myself, tee, hee, hee). They are signed giclees, 8x8 images matted to 14x14. Here are 2 of them; "Wear it like you mean it" (posted below) and "Don't fence me in" are the others. All girly themes - my mantras, my rules for life, the do's and don'ts that all live in my head. The pics are me because, well, you know - it's all about me. Ha, except when it's all about you of course.

$35 each or 2 for $60

Priority shipping $5, US only please

Email me mbshaw@mbshaw.com for details, I can take MC/Visa/Discover, check or Paypal cash.

Of artists and jugglers

I am at Belleville this weekend, Art on the Square. If you are anywhere near the St. Louis area, consider coming out. The Art Fair Sourcebook ranks this show as #5 best in the country. There is always a dispute as to which reference book is "right" but it doesn't really matter - the show is way up there on all the lists and I am thrilled beyond belief to be part of it. I am working my tush off this week so I have exciting new art in my booth.

I've been writing a lot of new phrases that I think are funny yet also thought- provoking. And images, do I have images!?!?! Many fun and hilarious photos. I can't wait to share them. Plus my brand new line of giclees are ready. They are bigger than ever before and offered at very reasonable prices. The last post (Wear it like you mean it) is one of them. It is an 8x8 mounted in a 14x14 mat priced at $35 plus $5 for shipping (US only). Just email me if you happen to be interested.

Along with working on new art and finalizing these repros, I am still busy entering shows for the fall plus considering a possible teaching gig. Add to that the new series, some other juried competitions, new ideas popping up all the time......I could go on and on....bottom line, I have quite a few balls up in the air. My friend Shari and I were talking about a juggling analogy recently and I told her I feel that I have about 8 balls in the air right now yet I can only effectively juggle 3 or 4. She laughed that she felt like she was also juggling a couple knives which totally cracked me up because it's so true.

My brother is in town for a few days and he visited my studio this morning. He was looking at all the art; on the wall; on the floor; in boxes; pieces in progress; works waiting to be varnished; commissions in lay out. I stepped out of the room a moment and returned to find him laughing and just shaking his head. I asked what was so funny and he said, "this is a lot of work......I bet you give more hours than you did when you were in insurance."

Well duh.

Yeah, it's really me...

More Birmingham

A lady I met in Birmingham has contracted me for a 30x40 commission - a gift to her husband for Father's day. Quite exciting and naturally I am thrilled to do it. Some artists do not like commissions. But for me it is quite the opposite!

For me, it is a true privilege to be chosen for a painting. It is such an important and personal decision. For a person to find art they resonate with is hard enough and then to take the very big step to commission a custom piece, well, that's a big deal and I take the responsibility seriously.

I am challenged by the task. Ideally, I crawl into the person's head a little bit, to find out more about them, the purpose for their piece, what they are hoping to depict. Typically someone has already identified one of my pieces that seems special to them. Or perhaps they have several pieces they like but want me to combine ideas.

Usually my commissions involve family photos. For a large piece such as this 30x40, I request lots of photos and materials for the background so I can pick and choose. I will only use a small fraction of what I received, but as I review the items, it seems I instantly gravitate to the ones that reveal some soul. I know it sounds really woo woo, but intuitively I know which photos and which pieces I want to use. To these parts, I add special items from my own collection of ephemera.

And then I layer, layer, layer. Paper, photos(copies, not the originals) and paint, all layered up. Some of the things will inevitably be hidden by paint and left with only parts peeking out. Clients will contact me months later and tell me how they continue to find hidden meaning in the piece, little symbols they didn't even realize were there at first. That is when I know I have really succeeded. To create a slightly mysterious painting, something so interesting, and with so many layers, that it warrants continued examination is a treat for me. I love to delight and surprise the client; that magic is priceless.

Brownie recipes

I have learned some things from all this brownie testing. First of all, I think that I have been overcooking brownies all my life. According to a couple sites I explored, brownies should be tested for doneness, not in the center, and not at the edge, but in the area kind of in between, if that makes sense. So when they are set around the edge and start to pull away from the pan, stick the toothpick in this mid-range area. If it comes out clean(or even with a few crumbs), they are done. Even if a toothpick in the center doesn't come out clean.

Also, all of them seem to taste better after sitting for a day(if you can wait). So I have been cooking them the night before and putting them in the fridge to allow the flavors to blend. Then they are perfect.

Here are the recipes I have explored thus far:

BLACK AND TAN BROWNIES
Yield: 16 brownies

For tan brownies:
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

For black brownies:
4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Guinness stout

To prepare tan brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch-square baking pan. In a medium bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nuts. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula or with dampened fingers. Set aside.
To make black brownies: In a medium bowl, melt chocolate and butter over a saucepan of hot water or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Stir in sugar, eggs, salt, flour and vanilla. Slowly stir in Guinness until smooth. Pour black brownie batter over tan brownie batter. Bake until a skewer inserted in center comes out almost clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, then cut into squares.
My comment - I did cook these the full time and tested in the center - the beer content keeps them quite moist. The black batter is so runny (before cooking) you will swear you have done something wrong.

MARTHA STEWART TRUFFLE BROWNIES
Serving: Makes about 1 dozen.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
3 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, and set aside.
Make batter: Put butter and chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl; set aside.
Put sugar and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add chocolate mixture, milk, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat, scraping down sides of bowl, until well incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, 27 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan.
Make topping when brownies are cool: Put chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until just simmering. Pour over chocolate; let stand 5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Allow ganache to cool, stirring every 10 minutes, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.
Pour ganache over cooled brownies in pan; let set, about 20 minutes. Refrigerate until cold, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Let brownies stand at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving. Lift out brownies; cut into wedges, wiping knife with a hot, damp cloth between each cut. Scatter sprinkles on top.
My comment: I think this is too much sugar so I would not use a full cup next time. These were very cakey and it surprised me. I wondered about the preparation as it seemed like too much beating? I also think I might have over cooked them. That being said, they were still very good and I want to make them again. What's not to like about ganache topping !?!?!?

FUDGE FROGGIES
Yield: 20 brownies

Ingredients:
1 pound semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
4 large eggs, room temp
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Cooking Instructions:
Melt together butter, coffee and chocolate. Beat eggs and sugar until light. Slowly add chocolate mixture. With a spoon, stir in flour and walnuts. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil. Generously butter foil. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes or until just set around edges. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Cover pan with foil and chill for several hours or overnight.
Best stored in refrigerator.
My comment: These are divine, to die for brownies, the best I have ever made. They are like a cross between fudge and a brownie. The recipe was given to me by Tim from Peoria, a reader of my blog and apparently the one person in Peoria who looked at my art when I did the show there last fall (thanks Tim!). The only thing I would change is the sugar - I think I used about 1 cup but I might reduce even further. I also used the Tollhouse chocolate chips because that is what I had on hand. Tim said his best result is with Hershey. These brownies got high points from some very discriminating tasters (thanks John, Claire, Karyl, Bart). They are excellent with coffee. For breakfast.....

Ok, scratch that. Whatever nastiness I ever said or thought about the St. Louis Art Fair, I didn't mean it.

I got a letter today and found out I am waitlisted!!!! Woo hoo!!! I can hardly believe it. In fact, I am numero uno on the old waitlist. I sooooooo hope I get in.

Well, this was kind of exciting......I was apparently selected as artist of the month, silly me didn't even know there was such a thing! But it's awfully nice. If you click over to their site, it is easiest to start at the JOLAF home page amd you can have a look around.

It was a good day to receive special recognition after having another day of rejection (ugh, St. Louis Art Fair). In as much as misery loves company, none of my friends were accepted either, hardly any St. Louis artists at all this year.

Keeping the faith

We are back home.

The show ended up being just fine. Quite honestly, I expected more, especially for my 1st art fair of the season, I wanted to come out blazing. Meaning I expected to make more money. It sounds so commercial to say that, but I do earn my living this way. The Art biz is the only business I know where it seems kind of "dirty" to talk about earning money; where the starving artist is honored while the financially successful artist (think Thomas Kincaid) is derided.

It seems that many people think an artist has "sold out" if they make money. That we are somehow pandering if we produce art that people want to buy. Art Fair artists especially get a bad rap when compared to artists featured in museums and galleries. I have had some snobbish types infer that my art is even on a lower level. I think about this a lot because I try to keep a foot in both camps. I am passionate about my work and want to be respected for what I produce, not just my ability to generate an income. I do not believe these things are mutually exclusive.

That being said, I was rejected from a show I really wanted. It is a local University exhibit showcasing 4 artists. I entered my new abstract series. The work means so much to me I am kind of babying it, trying to introduce the pieces in the appropriate venue. I thought this show would be perfect so I gave it my best shot.

I am bummed but I will try again. Because that's what I do. And I have faith I will eventually find the perfect place to launch my new work.

Back on the trail

It's our first outdoor art fair of the year and it almost started with a bang. We drove down to Birmingham on Wednesday for the scheduled set up on Thursday. It rained hard all night long and continued into the morning. The Internet said there would be thunderstorms all day with 20 mph winds and hail. Not exactly ideal set up conditions. But we got lucky! The storm moved through faster than expected and we had perfect weather.

The show has been lovely. Incredible weather - sunny, with a little wind, blue skies and puffball clouds - just what I would order for an art fair. Good food, lots of wine and friendly, interested people. I am selling work and have also made some new friends.

Tomorrow we head up to Memphis to see my brother and his family. Then back home. I soooo miss those kitties; I was hugging other people's dogs yesterday in an attempt to get a "critter fix."

Another kind of art

In between all of the visual art, I have been baking brownies. I am in quest of the perfect brownie. It must be fudgey and chewy, but not too chewy; sinfully rich as in food orgasm rich; and moistly dense. Not cake-like.

Katharine Hepburn's (who knew!?!?!) used to be my reliable recipe until I had a bad experience when the brownies became completely stuck to the foil I had used to line the pan. Not wanting to waste them, we developed a way to kind of gnaw them off the foil, but it wasn't pretty.

On St. Patrick's day, I made some Black and Tan brownies that incorporated Guinness beer. They were oddly satisfying despite my initial fears about the runny beer batter.

Over the weekend I made Truffle brownies, a Martha Stewart recipe. I wanted to try them mainly because of the ganache topping. Somehow I even managed to pour the ganache over the brownies rather than sit down and eat it with a spoon(I wonder why I can't lose weight, tee, hee, hee). These brownies had a perfect flavor but were too cakey. I am wondering if they would be better cooked for a shorter time? I will say they have gotten slightly more dense over the past couple days in the refrigerator.

But alas, I need to keep working it. And sorry, I don't need any more tasters. I have lots of them already lined up.

Quantity or Quality

After my recent post below (OK is not enough) you might think I would favor quality. And while I certainly respect and strive for quality, I also think it is important to produce sufficient quantity. This has been my focus/obsession lately, making enough inventory to present at my first art fair of the season. No matter how much I try, it seems I never manage to work too far ahead as I tend to be slightly "last minute" with my process. I have convinced myself it is better to be this way since it means I have fresh work for each show, newly made things that I feel passionate about.

But I digress.

There is apparently a book called The Seven Secrets of How to Think like a Rocket Scientist. I haven't read the book, but I saw an article that referenced it. The author, James Longuski, talks about a group of art students who are asked to make clay pots. Half of the class is told to make as many as they can during the semester while the other half is asked to focus on creating one great pot.

Oddly, in some perversion of the expected result, the research indicated that the group working on quantity actually produced the best work.

It sort of defies logic. I am guessing it is because the ones working on quality probably over-thought their project to the point of paralysis. I have been there, done that. The students working on quantity (this is just my speculation) probably disengaged their brain to some extent and ended up getting into a zone. Plus, in their angst to achieve the most quantity, they probably made mistakes. I have found that the mistake process often leads me on a journey of experimentation that is rather exciting.

The bottom line is I don't know what happened here, but it's an interesting thought, this quantity vs. quality discussion. Something to think about.

Once in a blue moon

Here is a commission I recently finished. It was made for a local woman who contacted me because she had seen my work at a gallery last year. She wanted a piece to commemorate her 1st anniversary. Since she wasn't quite sure what she wanted, she visited my studio to look at my various bodies of work. She was instantly drawn to my brand new abstracts which haven't been "out" yet since I am still working on them. Based on her interests, I was propelled into a totally new direction for this piece, a merging of her personal materials with my abstract style.

I am pleased with the organic feel that resulted. There was a lot of special text to consider and I had this vision that the text would form the shapes and linear detail in the piece. Having not done this before I wasn't quite sure where it was going but I did a sketch first (very unique for me!) and that helped me to know I was on the right track.

The piece is 30" tall by 10" wide on deep cradled clay board. I don't normally name my commissions, but decided to call this one, "Once in a blue moon." Specific mementos are embedded into the painting and the tiny ledger page numbers are her anniversary date.

The client was happy, at least I am pretty sure she was......she gushed with pleasure then threw her arms around me, tee, hee, hee. It is such a privilege to be charged with the responsibility of documenting a special occasion and I am glad it worked out.

OK is not enough

I destroyed some of my old pieces today - work that was no good and couldn't be "fixed" with another layer of paint or collage. I used to carry these to show after show but never put them up on the wall because I didn't like them. As I was doing my inventory today it struck me that I didn't even want to count a couple of the paintings. Talk about negative energy, these pieces were literally dragging me down they were that bad. And I started to think about that.

Why would I even keep work that I dislike so much?

When I couldn't find a reason, destruction made sense. So I slashed them, right through the canvas with my knife. I ripped off layer after layer. It was violent yet felt powerfully symbolic. Then I made a pact with myself........I must insist on a certain standard for my work, a standard of truth that I (and only I) can set. I cannot deviate even if I am crazed to meet a deadline. Even if I need to quickly build inventory for a show. Even if other people might find the work acceptable, it doesn't matter.

I remember a teacher of mine talking about this years ago, about how she would burn failed paintings. At the time I thought it was nuts as I didn't think anything she did could ever be deemed "failed."

But now I understand.

No time to rest

Whew, what a weekend! Despite the crappy weather, Venus Envy was fun. There were lots of laughs and good times spent with a number of my friends who braved the cold rain and came out . I soooo appreciate time to enjoy the art and music with friends. And their patience and understanding as I talk to other attendees is terrific. In addition to many laughs, yummy sangria, and good tunes, I had lots of sales. That was a relief because, after so many months "off" work, I am grateful to see an income again.

This is a picture of me from the last night. I am wearing one of my fantastic Parisian flea market finds that I bought at the coolest little shop in Port Townsend. That is my warm cashmere poncho on top. I kind of rigged it up as a shawl of sorts, first using a chip clip to hold it behind my back. Until my brilliant husband pointed out I could simply button it under my arms. Well duh, that is infinitely more convenient than wearing a chip clip. He always was smarter than me.

The art was especially good this year with many fine artists, some exhibiting for the very first time which is one of the best parts of Venus Envy, the opportunity and exposure for emerging artists. This second shot shows several exhibits in the background and you can get a flavor of the warehouse atmosphere. I loved the installation shown. I am having some sort of a brain fart and cannot remember the artist's name however, I talked to her about her work. It represents a dream she had recently, one of a series of dreams where she is always dressed in red and is in imminent danger from an unseen force. In this particular manifestation, she finally saw the danger in the form of wolves coming after her. The white doves are warning her and offering protection. I thought it was really a cool work of art, very skillfully done.

John came to the show last night with our friends Bud & Marian, who I have to thank for these photos. I swear I don't know why I even carry a camera when I apparently can't remember to use it.

I need some time to sleep but it is apparently not going to happen until I get into the car for John to drive us down to the ONB Magic City show. Cause I've got a lot of art to make in the next 9 days.

Venus Envy

I am charged!

Excitement is in the air, electricity pulsing through the building and my veins (or in my case, it's probably caffeine), woo hoo!!!!

We will have lights, music, drinks, art, dancing - all that and more. It will be a wild and crazy blast of inspiring art and entertainment. Just what this city needs to welcome Spring.

So come visit me Friday and Saturday from 7-midnite.
Venus Envy
3016 Locust Street
St. Louis, MO

We'll let him think it's us

The last couple of nights Merlyn has been driving us crazy. He walks around the house in the middle of the night caterwauling like you could not believe. The first night I freaked out, leaped up from a sound sleep to run down the steps and see if he was OK. He was fine, just bored I believe. I carried him upstairs and installed him in bed between me and John.

The second night I didn't fall for it. He started up at about 4 am and I tried my best to feign sleep and ignore him.

The third night he did it while walking all over me. Then he knocked my glasses off the nightstand. Then he stood on my chest. You get the drift.

Last night when I was ready for bed, Merlyn was snuggled up next to John. I sat beside them and gave Merle a little lecture. I told him his behavior was uncalled for and that he needed to respect our sleep. I got pretty specific with him, told him the caterwauling had to end, walking on me during my sleep had to end, etc, etc. He looked at me intently (I swear he did, John as my witness) and then stood up, walked across the bed and sat down with his back to me.

Blink.

John cracked up and said, "well, I guess he told you."

But last night he finally behaved. No crazy nighttime activity. I awoke in the middle of the night and he was curled up in my arms, sound asleep, having somehow burrowed in so quietly I didn't even realize he was there.

This morning I told John about it and said, "I think every once in awhile we need to let him know who's boss."

John looked at me and chuckled, "And who would that be?"

Quote of the day

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Frank Outlaw
(Courtesy of Teri Martin; you can sign up for her daily quotes by clicking on the link.)

Challenging Venus

For the past 4 years (ever since I moved to St. Louis) I have been juried into Venus Envy . The 1st time I entered I had no idea what I was getting in to. We had just moved here from San Francisco, I saw the call for art and it sounded fun. If you have looked at the VE website, you might have gathered the show attracts really progressive art, all made from women. Many local artists use this show as a chance to "push the envelope" a bit and challenge viewers. Me? Well, call me shallow (ok, that's enough) but I try to make work that is fun - for instance, this piece will be in the show along with 21 of my other brand new works.

To give you a little background, Venus Envy is a non-profit organization. The show location changes each year. The group relies on donated properties - typically it's a building set for re-hab or demolition so the owner allows VE to adapt the space however they wish. Free of charge. The artists and a huge team of volunteers do tons of cleaning and painting to make the space fit for the show. Stages and a bar are built, lights hung, walls installed. You get the drift, it's a B-I-G deal. This year, I happened to volunteer to help the entertainment acts, so I haven't done much cleaning however, in past years I have done things like scrub toilets, vacuum floors or clean up trash.

In addition, the artists hang their own art and also attend all three nights of the event, that being the Preview Party on Thurs. and the actual show on Friday and Saturday. We are given a certain # of linear feet to install our exhibit according to the "proposal" that was accepted into the show.

Saturday was installation. We were expecting brick walls so John was armed with his drill and masonry bits. Rhonda brought her Pro-Panel walls, enough for both of us, in the event we didn't have good hanging area. Turned out we used the Pro-Panels, which was probably good since there was no electricity to operate our drill. Of course we did not expect that. Nor did we expect it to be 23 degrees in the unheated building that also has no plumbing. We froze our butts off doing the installation. I have never been so cold in my entire life. I am talking about the kind of cold that sets into your bones and you simply cannot shake it off even hours after you are back in a heated space. And dirty, did I mention it was dirty?

Ugh.

I have complete faith that it will all be fine by Thurs. but right now it's hard to imagine how that is going to occur. Every single year I have serious doubts that the show will come off as planned but it somehow works out and is attended by thousands of people. It will be fine this year too - the power of women is simply amazing. I just need to keep telling myself this. And possibly re-consider my wardrobe to include some fleece....

Planet Earth

Is anyone else watching this series on The Discovery Channel?

Oh --my goodness it is so wonderful. The most amazing footage of animals, mountains, and exotic countries, these shows are incredibly inspiring. The stunning scenery is such a pleasure purely from an artistic standpoint. Not to mention the cinematography. And there are baby animals in each show(or at least the two we have watched thus far) so you know I am all over that. Go set your Tivo before it's too late.

More Artfest

I haven't said too much about Artfest because it is hard to synthesize into a blog post. So many experiences all in a mad rush......it flew by so fast I barely had to time to breathe.

I looked at the images on my camera and was dismayed to find I took hardly any pictures. My friends took some so hopefully they will share with me and I can post later. This is the gang (or posse as some called us, tee, hee hee) that I travelled with and we all shared a house. We meshed amazingly well and I was glad they twisted my arm to attend. I don't have a picture of us, but it was great fun to finally meet my friend Shari who is just as cute and sweet as I expected. We had this funny synchronistic moment in Seattle and actually had our very first meeting in an Office Max parking lot.

You all know I was a neurotic wreck before I left - worrying about people not liking me (I am secretly quite shy); obsessing about art supplies; scared I would make really ugly art; afraid I might do something stupid like fart in my sleep - you name it, I was a mess all the way till the moment I got on the plane.

Despite my greatest fears, the whole thing went smashingly well. I learned a TON of new techniques, so many that my head is spinning and I now have about 2 million new ideas instead of 1 million. Unfortunately, no time to try them out just yet as I have 2 commissions lined up. I did finish the last Venus Envy piece yesterday and did all the paper work this morning, so I am ready for installation this Saturday.

All my Artfest classes were good but the Misty Mawn class was extra special. Partially because she is such a delightful serene soul. Or maybe it is her complete attitude of sharing that is so fresh. Or the fact she plays cool music so I got into a zone? Who knows? Here are the pieces I made in her class, these were done on 12x6 wood panels.

Home at last

I am back from Artfest. It was a lengthy day with a long delayed flight, but I finally made it home last night about 10:30.

And whew....what a whirlwind that was. Artfest I mean - a completely wonderful whirlwind!!! I took great classes from talented teachers; got to spend time with my pals; partied my butt off; and laughed more than I ever thought possible.

I am working on "re-entry" today. Unpacking, organizing my art supplies, reading mail, doing laundry, blahblahblah. But I am buzzing with creative ideas and can hardly wait to get into the studio.

Thanks to Teesha and Tracy Moore for this truly unique event. All I can say is W-O-W.

Artfest here I come

Well, tomorrow morning I am officially Artfest bound. Travelling with a group of my buddies from St. Louis, I will catch up with some old friends from CA, meet some of my Internet pals for the 1st time (Shari for sure!!) and hopefully make other new friends as well. Plus make art for 3 glorious days, woo hoo, hip hip hooray, yippee ka yay, yee ha!!! And what a bonus that I get to play in the Pacific Northwest; I am hoping to carve out a little time to hike around Ft. Worden and enjoy the sites of Port Townsend. Ah to be around all that water, I can't wait. And if I am really lucky, THE mountain, that being Rainier, will be out when we land tomorrow.

Yes, I did get all my work done, or at least nearly all of it. I finished 21 pieces for Venus Envy, 1 short of my goal. BUT, 20 of them are already varnished with sides painted black and I seriously did not think I would get that done. The show entries have been handled, email caught up, other correspondence and paper work complete, commissions researched and ready for action when I get home.

I am good to go. So later gators....

Yesterday we attended Grape Arts, the yearly fund raiser for Art Saint Louis, of which I am an active member.

I am happy to report they served the caramelized bacon again, woo hoo. Obsessive girl had been talking about this bacon ever since last year, so my friends kept bringing me pieces of it and I believe I might have ate an entire pound. Along with my champagne.

My donated collage painting, Not my God, generated wild bidding, a "war" of sorts among a couple of my collectors and some other folks who I suppose just liked the piece. It was thrilling for me to actually see people fighting over my work, in a friendly way of course. I had an opportunity to talk to some of the bidders who had questions about my motivation for making this collage. The guys who eventually won the piece came over and hugged me (how sweet!) and promised to come see me at an upcoming show. They were adorable; I love it when my art finds a good home.

I even bought a piece, a collage on book cover by Baby Smith, who is a friend of my friend Robin. I don't know Baby personally as she apparently moved to LA before I moved here from SF, but her work is wonderfully smart.

I am afraid I was a little obnoxious in my efforts to win this piece....ugh, how embarrassing...You see, I have trouble with the mind games/power plays of an auction. Last year I lost a piece in the final minutes because I simply didn't have the _______ (balls, nerve, stamina - insert word of choice) to endure the endgame. At the time, I joked that my friend Claire wouldn't have lost the auction.

Well, Claire was with me yesterday. And, after seeing my distress at the idea of losing this piece, she suggested a strategy and coached me accordingly.

After a couple rounds of play, I was ready. When the opposing bidder walked up to put her new bid on the form. I pulled myself up to my full 5'0"(actually a little taller as I had on a low heel), threw my shoulders back and tried to assume a persona of power. I looked her straight in the eyes, never wavering and announced sweetly, "I am going to win this piece." At which point the girl dropped the pencil and simply walked away.

O.M.G.

Geez, I felt so guilty about my blatant display of greed. I swear I had to stop myself from running after her groveling about how I am not normally like this.

And that, art fans, is how I won this faboo little piece that is now proudly on display in my office.

Gotcha Saatchi

Many months ago I was contacted by the Saatchi gallery with an offer to put up a free page on their site. It seems they are doing some artist outreach marketing especially geared toward emerging artists. I'm not sure where they got my name but they also contacted a few of my artist friends.

This week I finally(!) got around to setting it up and will have to say it looks totally cool. So, here is the link to me on Saatchi. When you click over there you will see a totally new look. A preview of my new series of abstracts called Community. You will see more of them in the coming months. And no, I'm not going to stop making the Common Denominator pieces, but I just love shaking things up a bit.

So much to do and so little time

So why on earth am I dreaming of running away to NY to see a Rauschenberg exhibit? The NY Times article gives it high marks and I would love to see his early works specifically these drawings and transfers. I have never spent much time with transfers mainly because it has always seemed a dicey process to me. I fear I would be working on a painting then "ruin" it with a failed transfer. Perhaps that is the wrong way for me to approach this? Maybe I should instead welcome the outcome whatever it might be?

Bottom line, I simply could not leave town now. I have an awful lot going on. Suddenly life has clicked back into full gear.

This past week I have been working on new pieces for Venus Envy. I was pleased to be accepted as a 4th year exhibitor. The only problem is that I just found out (on 3/12) that I was accepted and I have to deliver the pieces on 4/04. Right after I get back from Artfest. And you know what that means - all the pieces need to be done before I leave. Twenty two of them to be exact, based on my proposal. I have a batch of 6x6's almost finished and I am pretty pleased with their direction. It seems that the extended "break" really helped me look at my Common Denominator series with a fresh eye. I am using new colors that are light and modern, quite a juxtaposition with the vintage images. I like the feel though and find they all hang well with the older work.

My new series will have to sit on the back burner for awhile as I finish the VE stuff and also work on 2 new commissions. Plus complete all the apps that are due through early April - seven to be exact. Yikes! Some are for art fairs, others are juried competitions.

Lots to do before Artfest.

Stars, stars everywhere

These are a sampling of my charms for Artfest. Now mind you I had announced (ha!) early on that I wasn't going to do trades. That was until I heard about charm trades and got to thinking how neat it would be to make a bracelet to commemorate my inaugural Artfest.

Naturally I had never made a charm before and really had no idea where to start.

Then, in a moment of synchronicity, I attended a meeting last week where a friend (thanks Kristin!) did a wonderful demo of how to fuse scrap fibers to paper. It was so much fun I flew home to play around with my left over knitting yarns. And these little stars were the result of my labors.

I just hope someone wants to trade with me.

And we have a winner!

Wow, you guys are good. Lots of excellent entries and that made it especially hard for the committee. Of course the cats quickly lost interest because none of the stories mentioned birds or cat treats or any of their favorite things. But the people (me & John) agreed which was cool. We are running a little late because we were watching the end of the Xavier game, where my Alma mater (a slight under dog) beat BYU. Woo hoo!!! That is the good news; the bad news is they now face Ohio State on Saturday where they will be a hee-yuge under dog.

Enough basketball talk. Without further ado, let's get to the winner! Drum roll please.......

Izabella, for the following story:

Sleeping on Snow
She fled with just her dress and stockings, snow clinging to the bottom of her dress like weights. The life she knew was gone~

This story is so evocative, I especially love the description "snow clinging to the bottom of her dress."

Izabella, please email me with your snail mail address and I will mail your prize, one of my giclee prints. If you would like to go on over to my website, you can even pick which one you prefer!
Look under the Repro section of my website to make your selection.

One we also liked a lot was submitted by my pal Shari Beaubien:

The crowd parts. Our eyes meet. Caught.....my suspicions confirmed. He drops her hand, apology on his face. BITCH! I turn my back. It's over.

And I would like to recognize 2 terrific entries that seemed more "poetry" like to me. But I enjoyed them so much I want to share.

"In the Dark" by Beth
She was a dreamer
and
a dancer
have you seen her
she's on her toes
waiting
for her heart
to beat again

and Kim, a friend of Beth's who probably did a poem because Beth posted that it was a poetry contest, hahahahaha. You know I'm just teasing you Beth!! Here is Kim's entry:
"eyes wide shut"
a child is born
but taken away..
a girl grows up
but never learns
a woman wonders why
but never finds answers..
eyes wide shut...

Thanks so much to all of you who took the time to write something and submit to my first contest. This was so much fun I will have to do it again sometime.

Last chance

The contest is ending today, so don't forget to submit your entry. Scroll on down the page for more details....

And in other news, you all will be pleased to know that James Brown was finally laid to rest the other day. Yes, the man was still not buried. Died on Christmas Day, his body was first touring the country (see my January 03 post) then being preserved for paternity cases (I am guessing?). He was finally buried this week in a crypt at the home of one of his daughters.

The news article said, "the embalmed body has been kept in a refrigerated room." Well duh.

Contest Reminder

Just a reminder that the deadline nears for the Nanofiction contest. If you missed the specifics, scroll down to last Wednesday's entry for details. I would like to reiterate this is a short fiction contest. I have received several entries that look suspiciously like poetry to me. I have also received some really clever fiction entries so the competition will be fierce. But it is do-able, so challenge yourself!

The committee will pick the winner on 3/15 at 10pm central time, so that gives all you aspiring writers about 48 more hours to work on your masterpieces. Multiple entries are fine. Just post to this blog or email me. I will announce the winner either late Thurs. or early Friday morning.

And another thing about cats, especially long haired chubby ones like Isadora, my darling calico......sometimes poop gets stuck to their butts. Izzy gets really embarrassed when it happens. I can usually tell because she is suddenly overly affectionate which is not at all normal for her and means that she needs my help for something. When she loved up to me this morning I suspected as much. After several tries, I finally caught a look at her butt and sure 'nuff there was poop matted in her hair.

Everyone knows what a princess I am and this job is better handled by our vet. We tell him Izzy has shit stuck on her butt and he takes care of it. She comes home all cleaned up with a fresh smell and then our boy cats hiss at her because they are convinced she is someone new.

But this morning something made me think we should try to do it ourselves. She was relaxing in the sun so I stroked her underarms and signalled John to help. He grabbed a paper towel and made one successful swipe before she caught on to the program and fled for cover.

Later in the day we tried again with John holding her. Once again, she was asleep in the sun when we approached. He grabbed her gently but she struggled so much he had to take a firm hold. I had the scissors and started to gently and slowly snip snip snip around the matted area. I got one hunk out and went to work on another. It was going smashingly well and I was about finished when John quietly says, "Honey, I'm bleeding on the cat."

I looked up to see blood from John's hand literally dripping onto Izzy's back. HUH? For an instant I thought I had perhaps clipped his hand then I realized she must have scratched him pretty badly. Of course drama queen MB, I immediately freaked out. Which is when Izzy took off like a bat out of Hell. And which is when she must have realized she had some foreign liquid on her back. Which is when she decided to remove it by rubbing her back against our foyer wall. Leaving a 3 foot streak of blood that looked like it was from a crime scene.

Geez.

The thing about cats is they continue to surprise you. For instance, the other day, Gilligan was sprawled out on his back in the sun. That soft belly fur was begging for a petting. Usually this brings a curmudgeon meow that means, "Mom, I was asleep, leave me alone," as he rolls onto his side. But this time I decided to gently stroke his underarms. I was waiting for his normal response but he just purred deeply and stretched his legs out further - he loved it! I kept massaging under his arm with all my fingers, moving in and out of his fur in various rhythmic patterns. I was stunned by how blissed out he got. I swear he would have let me continue all afternoon.

This morning I tried it with Izzy. Every morning she's like that George Thoroughgood song, "You talk too much." as she tries to get my attention. So I stroked her underarms and Bam! she shut up instantly and started purring.

I am immensely pleased to discover a way to please these 2 cranky older cats. Nothin' better than a household of happy pussies.

Good stories & a Good Contest

On Monday night the guys (that being Bud & John) were going to the Tap Room to an event held by River Styx, a literary magazine of international acclaim (at least that's what their website says). I basically invited myself (I am good at that) because I thought it would be fun to hear the winners of the Micro Short Fiction contest. And, who's kidding who, I wanted Fish & Chips for dinner along with a nice Schlafly Scotch Ale.

What a great evening. The stories were happysademotionalfunnyweirdthoughtprovoking, not all at the same time of course. We heard some wonderful young writers - am I showing my age here - share their material and it made me wish I had paid better attention during creative writing class. Or that I had developed a more regular discipline with my writing so that I could use words more effectively. I mean these folks cast a spell!

The evening also included a NanoFiction contest. I think Micro was supposed to be 500 words or less and Nano was 25(!!!) words or less. Everyone at the event was invited to participate. Bud had told me about it in advance so I worked on my story before we went. It is hard to write a story in 25 words. Character, plot, conflict, resolution. Hmmm, it all started coming back to me as I worked except I needed WAY more verbiage. Here's what I submitted. It did not win (or even place for that matter) but I still liked my story.

Best Unfulfilled
Merlyn sleeps, sun fueling his dreams. An opportunistic rodent races across his belly undetected but for a turd path of evidence. And one abashed feline.

We have never had a contest here at the Common Denominator before. So it's damn well time, don't you think?

I hereby challenge any interested reader to write a 25 word or less(not including title) work of fiction. Submit it via a comment on my blog along with your email address. If you are uncomfortable being "public" about it, send me an email. But I reserve the right to put any fun stories on my blog plus I will be glad to link you up if you want.

I will consult with a team of experts consisting of me, John and the cats, and we will pick a winner on 3/15. There will be a cool prize. It will involve my art. But of course you knew that. You will want to win. Trust me it will be way better that the Pickled Okra that River Styx gave away. No lie.

So get started already. I can't wait to see what folks do.......

Can I crawl into his head?

My brand spankin' new obsession is Tim Hawkinson. Started just a few minutes ago when I was reading about him in the NY Times. Internet at hand, I Googled his name and found all sorts of interesting articles.

There are so many things to like about this guy, at least from my perspective, that being slightly skewed, ha, ha. The surprise and ingenuity of his work delights me; the fact you look at something and it is not what it appears. The suckers on an octopus tentacle that are actually repeated images of a man's lips pressed against the bed of the scanner. A delicate bird skeleton made of fingernail clippings. Things that gross me out to some extent, like a chicken skin sculpture.

I also love the fact he uses what is on hand so the found objects earn a new existence. That sort of theme is such an inspiration for me on this bright morning when I will finally venture into my own studio.

And of course the obsession..........I lovelovelove obsession, repetition rocks. Not to mention he was born the same year as me.

Here are a couple links:
http://tinyurl.com/yqvt89 This is the NY Times article.
http://tinyurl.com/2b37yg A project at UCSD
http://tinyurl.com/yvyrzq ACE Gallery - you can find the bird and chicken skin sculptures here.

I did not run away from home, really I didn't. My sister in law had surgery on 2/23 so I travelled to Memphis, TN to help out with the kids. I just returned last night.

I realize this is hardly a unique thought, but taking care of 2 kids(age 3 and 9) is a lot of work. I repeat - A.LOT.OF.WORK.

Stupidly, I packed tons of paperwork, thinking I could get some of my art biz stuff done in the evenings, during nap time, etc. Hmm. What the heck was I thinking?? Sure I had some down time, but I was usually so mentally and physically depleted that the most challenging thing I could manage was a game of Spider Solitaire.

The trip was good though; I am lucky my schedule allowed me the flexibility to help(although I did cancel a vacation with my friends Claire & Robin, so sorry you guys). What a gift to share quality time with Curtis and Cassie, shown here zoned out watching TV. And yeah, despite all my highfalutin NPR junkie ideals, I did rely on the television as babysitter from time to time.

In with the old and new

I realize I haven't written for quite awhile. I've been in the midst of an office remodel/paint project that was just a mess. Things were out of place, hidden under tarps etc.

But now the painting is done and I am officially back in order. Today I even got lucky at Home Goods and found the sweetest little chair I have ever seen. It is oh so comfy and just perfect for me to use when I am not at the computer. I have this vision of me all curled up reading a book.....more likely it will become a cat bed.

The paint turned out great. I am completely digging this color scheme as it makes me so happy. Only 8 different "audition" colors from Lowe's before I found something I liked, ha! I did the wave pattern free hand with a paint roller. I thought I wanted to sketch it out but that felt way too contrived, so I erased all my marks, took a deep breath and started to paint.


This is the first time I have ever decorated a room all by myself just picking exactly the colors I want with no regard for anyone else. John and I are pretty compatible on most decorating matters and we are certainly civilized with our compromises. But this was all about me. I mean who's kidding who, John would never select these colors for his office nor would he pick a distressed and painted old table as a desk.

Which made it so special when he came in with cocktails to toast my "new digs." Next up is his office.

The cool thing about all this snow (we have 4 inches or so) is the marks where people and critters have walked. Yesterday I saw two sets of deer tracks leading right up to our family room window. I wish I would have seen that; two deer, nose to glass, peering into our house.

Happy Happy

And speaking of drawing....

The Living Camera. Click on the link and go watch this video. The guy is amazing.
Thanks Karyl, for giving me the heads up on this. It is absolutely fascinating.

Just draw already

Seems like a lot of my artist friends are exploring drawing right now, either taking classes - Shari just started one and Deb did one last summer - or simply working at home on a daily drawing practice. It is funny, this whole issue of D-R-A-W-I-N-G. Very terrifying to many of us it is.


I remember when I took my first drawing class back in 2001 I think? The night before class I happened to be talking to my nephew Curtis. It was also the night before his school started, either kindergarten or 1st grade, I can't recall. Anyway, I told him I was going back to school the next day too. He asked me why? I told him I was going to learn to draw. And out of the mouths of babes, he replied, "Oh, I already know how to draw, I'm going to learn how to write."
Such a perfect line that I have quoted him often.


I knew how to draw when I was a kid. Lots of evidence of that. I can't remember exactly when I lost my way with drawing. Maybe it was in the 8th grade when I suffered harsh criticism from my witch(or was that bitch) of an art teacher, Ms. Seimer. She bluntly told me I would never make it as an artist. I was quite tender hearted and foolish enough to believe her and for many years just stopped. Somewhere though I found my way again, realizing my tender heart is exactly the reason I do my art.


Once again I am taking a drawing class. The wildly talented Leslie Reuther is my teacher. She is a doll and is helping me refresh some old skills as she also introduces some new ones. I am slowly losing my fear. My eyes are starting to see again. The world of negative space delights me.


Last night in class we played with ink. Black Higgens ink. As much as I love charcoal's forgiving nature, the permanency of the ink thrills me. It is daring, my version of sky diving perhaps. Here is one of my studies made in class. A quick little piece, done right at the end of our time. I'm going to have to call it "floating pepper" since I didn't have time to finish, ha!

Just take that red dot and........

Filling out art show apps is so utterly time consuming. Admittedly, part of my problem is a lack of organization with my slides. Imagine a B-I-G hanging file with 5+ years worth of slides all dumped in a very piggly manner. Some in partial sleeves, some in full sheet sleeves, some just loose. I hope my photographer doesn't read this or he will come over here and smack me with a 2x4. I keep saying I am going to organize it one of these days but "one of these days" never arrives.

The other problem with apps and show entries is inconsistent requirements; nothing is standard in this biz and you have to carefully read the app to figure out what is needed. Hold the slide the way you would view it. Put your name on the top of the front. Full name or last name only or last name followed by first name or maybe last name and first initial. Centered or to the left. Mark an arrow to indicate the top of the slide. Oh no, make that a red dot and put it in the lower left hand corner. Oops, sorry, the dot goes in the upper right this time. Or hold the slide the way it would go in the projector, which is upside down. Then label so your name can be read. Submit an artist statement, no resume. Resume, no artist statement. 20 word statement, 21 word statement, 25 word statement outlining your process only.

You get the drift. Mind numbing details.

This is why Zapplication is so great. You load all your images onto their site, enter your information once and it is stored for your future use. A few click click clicks, the application is pre-filled with your data and presto it is done. Last year I got into nearly all the shows I entered off of Zapp. This year my success rate is zero. Which means I have spent nearly $250 on entry fees but have yet to be accepted into a Zapp show. Hmmm, what is wrong with this picture? Luckily I have a lot of other stuff going on, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.
And in the misery loves company school, none of my friends are getting in the Zapp shows either. We are all scrambling to identify some alternate shows to enter. Which is what I was doing today of course.

One of my greatest pleasures as an artist is being able to donate my art to raise money for worthy causes. I hear some of you snorting with disbelief, and I fear that by admitting this the number of solicitations I receive will surely double. But I am serious. It gives me terrific pleasure to pick and choose causes I want to support. I know I donate more through my art than I could ever afford in cash donations.

Right now I have a couple charitable requests on my desk, both local events, one for The American Cancer Society and the other for a group called Therapeutic Horsemanship. I gave a piece to the Cancer Society last year and will give them one this year. My grandfather and John's Mom both died of Cancer and I have seen it (that being the C-word) touch families of probably everyone I know.

Therapeutic Horsemanship is a new group for me in that I have never heard of them. I am intrigued by their mission though: to provide equine assisted therapy programs for individuals with disabilities in order to develop their maximum physical and psychological potential. I mean how cool is that? I love the idea of children and adults having an opportunity to work with horses. I need to see if I have anything that seems appropriate or possibly I will make a special piece.

So what do I get for these donations anyway? One thing I don't get is a reasonable tax write-off. Due to some idiotic law, artists are only allowed to deduct the cost of materials, not the retail value of the piece. But I digress. I do get exposure because the art is generally on display in a silent auction and everyone who attends the event will see my piece. Typically, all donating artists are also named in the program.

But better than any of that is the reward of knowing my art can help others, even in a modest way. And I really really love that part.

Our household

You know you've perhaps been married too long when your Saturday night entertainment consists of giving the kitties catnip and watching them play.

Actually, I am the one known as "the pusher." John is the one in the kitchen cooking lamb shanks for the humans in the house, that being me and him.

Merlyn is the one rolling on the living room floor fully enjoying the catnip to the point he has some on his head and he is clearly in some drug induced state. Izzy is the one pawing the carpet like a cat possessed. And Gilligan is the one trying to act above it all, curmudgeon that he is. I did see him licking the floor though.

So yesterday morning I was reading the paper and glanced at the ads in the food section. And there it was, one of our local grocers had a recipe with a picture of an elderly man proudly presenting a tray of food. The headline and name of the recipe:

"Grandpa Jim's Wiener Winks."

At which point I snorted coffee out my nose.

It's been years since I first saw the Experience Music Project in Seattle. I visited alone since John was working as I played tourist. I didn't own a digital camera back then and film was precious (expensive) but I took so many photos it was nuts. I don't even remember the inside of the museum or any of the exhibits. It didn't matter because I was so in awe of the building that made my visit complete. In fact, I spent more time outside than in.

That was my introduction to Frank Gehry. I had never been an architecture buff. But this structure rocked my world. I walked round and round and looked at every curve and angle. Trees filtered the sun and the cacophonous glint of shape and color was absolutely stunning to my eye.

Tonight we watched Sketches of Frank Gehry, a documentary by Sydney Pollack. Mr. Gehry says he envies painters because he can't paint. Well, I would tend to dispute that; I think he paints with different supplies.

I loved the movie; to hear conversation between these old friends is a treat. They share thoughts any artist will appreciate, ideas about fear and inadequacy, success and failure. Things I needed to hear today.

Artfeast was fun and we enjoyed the evening immensely although I think (actually I know) that I might have drank a wee bit too much cause I was pretty happy.

There was a hilarious incident after we first arrived. John was off finding drinks for both of us and I was circling the silent auction tables to review the items up for bid. I felt the presence of someone following me but tried to ignore it. I was looking at a child's toy, a huge box, The Erector Set, contemplating whether I should bid on it for the boys. I felt someone moving closer to me, kind of within my personal space, you know? Anyway, I glanced to my left and saw it was an elderly man. I tried to step aside and recover my space without being rude and he looked right at me to announce, "I could sure use an erector set." Blink.

Thank goodness, just then I saw John approaching with our drinks and I practically sprinted over to him, trying so hard not to bust out laughing.

I could tell you but I'd have to kill you

The judging was held over at the Kemp Museum which is where ArtFeast is being held. I met the other judges, Don Wiegand (sculptor) and Dan Younger (photographer). We are all pretty easy going so it wasn't too hard to come up with choices. We started individually and then eventually worked together discussing the top pieces. We relied on each other's area of expertise for guidance and that helped us to pick a well rounded group of award winners.

On the Photography in particular, it was very interesting to me to learn why one photo was better than another and I appreciated Dan's patience in that regard. Coincidentally, my naive eye also selected a photo that he ranked at the top.

Don is hard at work on a sculpture for UMSL which is where Dan is a Professor so he invited Dan for a studio visit after the judging. I happened to be standing there at the time and also snared an invite because Don is really polite like that.

Oh. my. God. To say it rocked my world is an understatement. Geez, I don't even know where to start. First of all, please check out his website to see the work.......Wiegand Studios and then check Wiegand Foundation to learn more about his mission. Simply amazing sculptures. His house/studio is absolutely the coolest place ever and ding dong me didn't have a camera with me. He built it himself out of rough-hewn wood, enormous windows and steps leading to the various levels within the house. You can ramble around and explore Don's hat collection, enjoy the historical artifacts he maintains, or simply bask in his indoor garden area. The place is magical with the feel of a tree house although it is on the ground of course.

And the sculpture. Oh my. Don talked about his process and I was fascinated by the steps involved in creation of these masterpieces. Experiencing the tour with Dan (Professor of Photography) made it even better as he asked intelligent questions, unlike me who stood there with her mouth hanging open as I was so much in awe. For instance, Dan asked about the lighting and it opened up a dialogue about the importance of shadow in the work. Then we moved into a 3D vs. 2D discussion and Don said it is difficult for him to see things in 2D anymore. I remembered back to the one time I worked in 3D which was the Marathon project 2 years ago when I made Leapin' St. Louie, the 6 foot tall running tree frog. And yeah, I get it.

What a great day though. I love that kind of artistic/intellectual/visual stimulation.

Here comes the Judge

There are a couple local arts organizations that I support without fail. I have a membership at both Chesterfield Arts (which is located a few miles from my house)and Art Saint Louis (in the city). These are groups which support local artists, where the employees sweat blood and tears over their jobs to help people like me show their art and get my name out. Do I believe I need to help them with time and money donations? You bet!

This weekend is the annual fundraiser for Chesterfield and I donated a piece of original art for the silent auction as I do every year. You may recall last year my donation won 1st prize which was not only a delightful surprise but financed my bidding and allowed me to acquire a terrific piece by another local artist who I adore, Paul E.

By virtue of last year's prize, I have now been appointed to the team of Judges for this year's auction. Today is the judging and I am so excited as I have never done anything like this before. The others are more experienced and I will try to follow their lead. But knowing me, I will blurt out whatever pops into my head and soon find myself with foot in mouth, in over my head. But that will be water over the bridge as they say (or not, I always butcher these cliches, much to the amusement of my companions). Whatever I do I know I will approach it with gusto and passion. And may the best artist win.

Just say NO to PAT

Sometimes I go through phases where I spend a lot of time on the computer. Not doing anything special; playing mind numbing games (Bejeweled or Spider Solitaire), reading blog entries. drifting from one link to the next or shopping.

You know how it is. If you're reading this blog, I must assume you are no stranger to the Internet. We all know how one quick Google (what did we do before Google anyway!?!?) can turn into a half hour or more. Let's be honest. If I added it all up I bet I spend several hours a day on the computer. Some of it legitimate work, but a lot is PAT.

What is PAT you might ask? Pissing Away Time, that's what it is (PAT sounds much more civilized, doesn't it?). And it's a crazy concept, not dissimilar to the phrase, "killing time." Why would we want to kill time? Time is our most precious commodity.

So today I am starting something new. I am just going to say NO to PAT. I am going to have to monitor myself as parents do with kids and TV time or video games. I may have to put a timer on my desk when I read email.

But first I need to check on this eBay auction I am watching........baby steps, baby steps.....

Good good good good vibrations

The Daily OM today talks about Joyful Flow and the message is so appropriate for me right now. I would love to copy their email over here but no portion can be copied without permission and I want to respect them in that regard. You can go to their site by clicking the link to read it for yourself if you wish. But here is the MB notes (not to be confused with Clif notes) version.

Feelings vibrate. Anger, guilt depression at low vibrations; happiness and positive feelings at high vibrations, hence the phrase "good vibrations." So the Beach Boys had it right. Clearly, we feel better when we are emitting the good vibrations and when we are around people doing the same. When we are in this state, we feel more optimistic and energized and thus capable of manifesting our dreams.

I spent Saturday with a group of people all emitting good vibes. We went over to one of my collector's house. Actually it is a house she is trying to sell and she wanted to stage it with original art. She loves to support local artists and had this idea to rent art from us so she gathered some people to bring their art around on Saturday. She has a gorgeous home and the setting was amazing, just the kind of place where you long to see your paintings hang.

It was terrific fun, carrying art around and picking locations to display each piece. My client first picked the ones she liked best, careful to not reject anyone which was so wonderfully sensitive. I got to play decorator for an hour or so as I helped her.

By the end of the afternoon, the house looked amazing, classy and upscale, totally inviting. There were 5 of my pieces on display plus pieces from my good friends, Heather and Greg (click to see their websites). We all were paid up front for 2 months rental, how cool is that!

But the best part of the day was being around a group of people with such great energy. I met some artists I didn't know and we talked techniques which is always fun. My client and her husband are delightful; it was a treat to be with them in a casual setting. I felt completely surrounded by good vibes and my soul drank it all in.

Sunrise dreams

When I was down in Florida for the last show of the season I met a couple who wanted me to do an abstract commission for them. They are lovely people, the kind of people I could call friends if we lived closer and could hang out.

I haven't really done any abstract commissions before; all my custom work tends to come from my Common Denominator series. Where people furnish family photos and then I make a collage painting.

But I visited their home, took some photos, saw "the spot" and felt I had a pretty good feel for what they wanted.

Then the holidays hit and I was thrown for a loop. I really intended to ship the painting well before Christmas but one thing led to another and it simply didn't happen as I was so busy and simply felt too blocked to paint. I did stay in touch with the clients. I explained the situation, then sent them a holiday card and told them it was a top priority for the new year.

Voila. Here it is. Shipped out early this week, received yesterday and they are over the moon about it. Whew. I always worry you know. Did I really "get" their ideas? Will it look good in their home? Will it even survive the shipping? Blahblahblah.

This is a 24x30 by the way and includes some interesting navigational maps in the background along with vintage ephemera from their city and state. Plus cool player piano music with the word "Dream" exposed. And these folks really do live a dream, looking out at the ocean every day, with a backyard on a canal. I can't think of a better home for my painting.

I like animation. I mean I'm not an obsessive fan, but I do like it, especially animals since I always imagine animals with human characteristics anyway(I mean they are human, aren't they?). Animated pigs are faves of mine; that little mouse in the movie with Geena Davis was great; fish can be fun. Heck, the cars are cute too.

But why oh why did someone decide to animate chocolate chip cookies?

With Tivo (greatest invention other than the iPod) we rarely watch commercials, but during the Golden Globes the other night, I watched live TV cause I was doing laundry and was up and about too much to patrol the TV. What is wrong with Cameron Diaz by the way, does she look like crap or what? That hair, that dress, yee gads.

Sorry, I digress. Back to animation.

Does anybody know what I am talking about here, that totally ignorant Chips Ahoy commercial with a bunch of chocolate chip cookies in a car. One of the cookies is driving, the others are passengers and they are snatched out of the car by a disembodied hand. It is just so ridiculous. Stupid stupid stupid.

It annoys me to even remember it.