SOLD

..And thank you, Santa!

Just got a call from my 'Gallery Guy' Mark, letting me know "Thursday's Child" went to a young couple from Chicago (! cool !) who had seen the painting last summer but didn't get it then. He told Mark he couldn't stop thinking about it...sometimes it just takes a while...well, just insert happy dancing me!

Getting through the next couple of months will certainly be easier.

VINDICATED!

This morning's troll through my followed blogs gave me this little quote jewel:

"I am among the few who continue to draw after childhood is ended, continuing and perfecting childhood drawing-without the traditional interruption of academic training. - Saul Steinberg" (from Lines and Colors)
Saul Steinberg (June 15, 1914 – May 12, 1999) was a Romanian-born American cartoonist and illustrator, best known for his work for The New Yorker.

Ah.....vindication feels sweet! As anyone ( ...anyone...anyone? ) who follows "OFF CANVAS" , you know what my feelings are on the subject of 'schooling and being an artist'. (See post: The 3 R's; Sunday Oct 3rd)
Anygopatyourselfonthebacksmuggoofway, I'm feeling all smiley about this. So I'll just go gloat for a brief moment....until reality smacks me upside the chops once again.....sigh.
Pic is one of Saul Steinburg's. And since it's the beginning of Ho Ho ho-ly excess; thought I'd give you his Santa.
Nice.

Belle of the Ball!

Ok busy busy busy!

(And, yes, there's a 'guy' pic too but every little catchy phrase I come up with is really dirty.....)

Moving right along.....

I'm terribly behind on the usual yappity-yap here but (and here they come: excuses! justification! all round cheesy behavior !) Yes, well, in a word: THE CHRISTMAS GALA! It's a week today and I've been making the trophies! 'GALA GAL' & 'GALA GUY'

Honestly I've had so much fun doing these that I wish I could create lots of 'goofy' icons for anything. With a TON of gold spray paint, mind.

If nothing else, we've proved there's an 'after-life' for old 'Barbies'.

Now, wouldn't you want to win one of these unique creations? Already the other board members are aiming to score and are planning the outfits! speaking of which, I have also got an extravaganza of sartorial excess planned. a 1950'S style dress with a sweetheart neckline covered in sequins and a HUGE crinoline with a very over-the-top hat creation made for me by Blair Nadeau at blairnadeau.com Check out the swellest head toppers you've ever seen! AND! He's Canadian! AND! His service is astounding! Then my handmade suede 'shortie-boots' with added bows on the toes......but!..... no date.......sigh....such is my life. Who cares - I'll be crazy-ass dancing all night by myself anyI'mtoomuchtohandleway!

Man I can't wait for next Saturday night. I LOVE dress up in all it's forms!

But first we have to decorate and set up all the tables and a photo booth and load in the booze and etc etc etc. I shall have to nap something fierce Sat afternoon!

Think: Brass Monkey's.....

Last night I had TWO down quilts AND wore my long underwear to bed. We are in the midst of a cold snap - and it's very unusual for this part of the world. Being beside the Pacific Ocean generally entails a tendency towards mild winters; a temperate climate in 'big science speak'. Yessiree, cold enough to freeze the knoodlies off a brass monkey....

Other than my red nose, the Craft Fair was a BIG success.

That makes me depressed.

Ok. I'm exaggerating somewhat.....of course I want the darn thing to work! It's just in my ever hopeful way, I sure would like to pass on the baton to someone. (.....anyone...?) and with making things work so good I'll be in the driver's seat for some time. (Oh get over it, Marlah...)The new Community Center was a great venue; at the very least we were warm for the first time in 20 years....ha! The local Credit Union ran the kitchen and, by all that makes your mouth water, did an absolutely fantastic job! Rave reviews from the folks on the 'Pulled Pork Bunwiches, Pulled Chicken Bunwiches, Squash Soup and...wait for it.....Caramel Apples!!'

Oh boy! It always makes the Fair so much better to be able to have Good Eats available.

I did not too shabby myself. Sold out of my calendars, but that may be because they were CHEEP because I didn't think anyone would want one...(me=dumb) Sold my last 2 books (The Shadows Behind - see below) Sold 2 paintings and took 2 commissions - oh yay! What's crazy about this , is that I was unprepared this year and really was grabbing anything I had at hand to put into the Fair. AND, yet again, it was clear that I sell more paintings when I put them out in a venue that also has me there.

So, now we're on to the Christmas Gala and all the prep stuff that means. I get to make the 'Gala Guy and Gala Gal' Trophies again and I managed to score an old 'Barbie' and a 'Ken' for them....can't wait to get creating those! I'll be sure to post some pics!

And last but not least, I've been heavily petitioned to take on the presidency of the local Art Society (this would be my 2nd time)

I'm not jumping with joy, kids.

On one hand it's nice to know people think highly of me but on the other......well, the Arts society, sadly, is in a rather poor way. It has dropped many events previously under it's umbrella; ie: The Craft Fair (which is how I ended up doing it) The annual Art Show has shrunk to be in a very tiny venue and most artists are very disenfranchised.

The whole thing makes me writhe in yuk. I'm torn because if any place was made to order for a great arts community, it's out here. On the other hand, eeeeesh. Do I want to take on something that means a LOT of stress and work. (there goes the Art) (I'm not exaggerating)

AnywhatnextohLordway, that's what the menu is offering over the next while. And you thought Artists got to live quiet little lives painting happily away in their respective hovels, didn't you? Admit it! I did!

*snort*

Painting is : "Golf Players On The Ice" (nothing like stating the obvious) by Hendrick Avercamp 1585 - 1643 That could be inspiration for the golf course folks out here.....

NIGHTMARES

I had two back to back nightmares last night -eesh - one was particularly disturbing having my father trying to smash in my head with this elaborate cane he was wielding (oh Mr. Freud!) and consequently I couldn't sleep; I think I was too freaked out to go back to dreamland; and ended up reading until 5 a.m. and then woke later than usual but am decidedly not feeling snappy.

And now the phone calls from the late-and-tardy-to-sign-up-for-the-craft-fair have begun. And, just like geese flying south, the blame and irrelevant excuses are pouring forth. (that I must -------listen to) For god's sake ladies and gentlemen! I have had an ad in the paper ("I don't read the paper") and an ad on the radio ("I don't listen to that") and posters up ("Oh, I never see any") for the last 3 weeks! How is this my fault? I honestly despair for these thorns in my side. And, of course, now I'll obsess about them....one of the big reasons I'd like to just chuck the whole thing......

Yes, well. I will be setting up at the hall tomorrow at 10 a.m. And because it's in the new Community Center I can't hang up any decos - the walls you know.

I think the theme should be the Nightmare Before Christmas, anyway. Which would be awesome, come to think of it. (Hmmmmmm.....)

Painting is: "Nightmare" by Mia Mikali. Creepy stuff, huh? Personally it makes me laugh ruefully as it reminds me of some of the above folks...indeed.

*Update: It's obviously not a painting but a digitally altered photo. It was listed as a painting. Who knows what the hell is going on anymore........I'm tired and want to go to bed but I'm afraid to go to sleep now......and I miss my long hair. That's why that old photo is up as a profile image. To remind me to NEVER cut my hair again. Like this is another nightmare I need to obsess about right now.

I AM tired. I'm blithering.

Ah, it's SILLY SEASON!!

This weekend marks the date of our town's annual Christmas Craft Fair, an event that I have personally organized for @ the last 20 years...I think - I kinda lost track somewhere. Along with that little fun-time which means making/hanging posters, doing up floor plans, taking phone calls at all hours, decorating/setting up a room and making sure it all comes together, I am also involved with our Christmas Gala which is a fairly new charity event that gathers together the local-yokels (a fav expression of my Dad) for an evening of really dressing up and good food, extremely danceable music, drinks and an auction that raises money for our community. That event too means poster-floor plans-phone calls-decorating/setup and meetings. (I organize the artists end for donations)

AnyI'mexhaustedalreadyway, it's a bit nutsy in my life right now and I need the computer. A lot.

The above shows you what I have to deal with vis-a-vie Jams who generally claims the chair as soon as she can. This morning it was the moment I got up to get my coffee. However I have fixed the problem by picking up the pillow off the chair and placing her and it on the sofa.
So there! (OK, I'm not fooling anyone, am I?)
The point of all this blither is that I will be busy over the next while and may not post as often as I like to. Just jump up into the chair and snuggle down; I'll be back directly.

Strange Days Indeed

I'm in a strange place...you know: I think I'm OK but am continuously forgetting the most basic things (like meetings, or appointments, etc) I burst into tears at the oddest times...(like right now - seriously, my eyes are full of tears...sheesh!) or during stupid movie things. ANYTHING that has 'Death' attached to it makes me all wobbly.
I really wish it would stop as the ordinarily stoic woman I am, is disconcerted at the breaking apart.
I guess this is grief and , as such, has to be gotten through until it passes, as all things will, with time.
I'm also trying not to drive at night and certainly not as often as usual, as I find myself 'blanking' out and come to some minutes later down the road....not good but at least I live in a remote place with little traffic and know the road very very very well - perhaps that is the problem.
Part of me is standing back and observing this and being wildly intrigued......at how I'm feeling disconnected.

Photograph is "Sorrow" by John Toxey and I appologize as the image won't enlarge in a good format which is sad as it's a powerful moment caught in the camera lens.......my feelings exactly.

For Your Entertainment

Since I've been wrapped up in the creating of my newest painting over these last few days and remiss on posting here, I thought I'd pop in to quickly list a few of the 'odd' photography sites I've discovered while browsing the Internet. These are sites I happen to fall into from clicking on links listed in web sites and getting further and further down the rabbit hole, so to speak. They are eclectic as my mind gets entranced by the oddest things. Ready? Here we go:

1. The Museum of Messages - an odd little site with photographs of 'messages' written or posted on walls, subway or lampposts all over. Very entertaining how we humans mark our territory.

2. http://www.acurator.com/ A cool e-zine dedicated to odd and bizarre documentary photographers.

3.http://www.advancedstyle.blogspot.com/ This is just a cool site. It's creator is a young photographer who walks around NYC (and Milan and Paris too) snapping pics of snappily dressed senior citizens. I LOVE what old folks wear in NYC! I'm hugely inspired to dress like these sartorial elders.

4. http://www.hennygarfunkel.com/ I really like this woman's style. She has such a lovely twisted eye for people...you'll get a kick out of what subjects she chooses.

OK...that's all for now folks! OH! and please feel free to post me some of your own 'strange delights'....no porn though.....seen enough every time I try to Google 'drawing feet'.

The Wheels Go Round

Said goodbye to the father of a young man that I call 'my other son' (and love about as much) yesterday afternoon. His Dad's memorial service was at the new local Community Center and there was an amazing turn out of family and friends and townfolk. As well as Gordie's service, there was also the huge one for the 2 Paramedics that died when their van went over the side of our horrible road up in Tofino.

Both services were standing room only and what really struck me was how in a small remote place on an island off the coast of B.C. Canada, the feeling of being together as a people in times of crisis really strikes home. One of the reasons I love this place so much.

Anysadbutcomfortedway, I am trying to break free from this dark place of 'dead zone-itus' that I'm currently weighed under. (That 'take my own picture for a painting subject idea I was blithering on about a few days ago? Let's pretend that didn't happen....) I've been doing a lot of 'Internet Trollin' - and I have to say I'm pretty darn good at searching out very esoteric subjects; entertaining myself for hours - so, anytryingtonotblitheronagainway, one of my fascinations is with Graphic Novels - they are the pinnacle of comic books, if you will - but so much more. And I also watched "Mirror Mask" (and if you haven't seen this - do so right away! )It's the story of a young girl who draws and wants to escape her life she has with her parents (classic teenage angst) I won't say more to save a Spoiler Alert. The sets and costumes etc are by Dave McKean, also the film director along with Neil Gaiman of 'Coraline' fame. Dave has to be one of the MOST astounding artists I've ever come across. I am in thrall to his work! So I've been pulling out ALL my mixed-media art books and studying intently. I've taken a canvas I wasn't too pleased with - that's known as 'Artist's Prerogative' by the way - and sanded it all down to the barest hint of an image then painted red ink onto it. The red ink seeped through all the bare spots and has given me a most exciting texture and image on the canvas' back. I've re stretched the canvas with this back-side out and am now working on this image. I've begun by scanning in eyes from an old photo and printing it up on archival paper then with matte acrylic gel, coating the front of the image at least 6 times - letting it dry in between each coat. What this process does, is give you a 'transferable image' that you soak in water and carefully rub the paper away to be left with the image on your gel coating. This can then be applied to the canvas -as a collage idea- and because it's semi transparent, the canvas shows through. When I applied the eyes to my image- the red ink slowly seeped through and colored it, giving me an even cooler image!

Yeah....I'm excited.

So I'll be experimenting and learning with this technique over the next while. I need to go slow as my usual modus operendi is to dive in full force and mess about.....not always a recommended route.

Here we go-o-o-ooo!

Painting is by Dave McKean from the 'Sandman' series by Niel Gaiman. Look Dave up at http://www.mckean-art.co.uk/ It's so worth it!

Dark Side of the Moon

This is something I don't think I've ever seen or certainly ever experienced. Today when I opened our little town paper, The Westerley, and turned to the Obits page, there were 6 people listed as having died.

I knew every one of them.

I'm still reeling.

When you live in a small community, you accept that as time goes on there will be folks passing away. Usually our little place has a person's death mentioned, oh, maybe 4 or more months apart. Not often in the scheme of things and certainly to be expected in this fleeting dance we call Life. But 6 deaths all in a short time frame over the last 2 months is, well, almost inconceivable. Our town is stunned.

I am now up to 9 deaths having occurred in my life since August and losing Dad, to this sad sad page of print.

I feel bereft and I most decidedly feel fragile.

The painting "Thinking Of Death" by Frida Kahlo. Certainly appropriate.