ragtags studio central: sarah's random this & that

random means "having no definite aim or purpose," (1655), taken from "at random" (1565), "at great speed" (thus, "carelessly, haphazardly"). In 1980s college student slang, it somehow, and sadly, acquired a distinct sense of "inferior, undesirable." (Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper) Well, okay, fine, Mr. Online Etymology Dictionary person, but THIS is the 21st Century. It's a whole new ball of wax.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Unfinished Details

That other stuff I said would be up next, will be --- once we return from (very short this year --- only 13 days ---) the Summer 2007 Road Trip. This year it's to Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico. Can't wait to get on the road!
To tide you over a little until we get home, here's a snap I shot last year on a corner in Chinatown in San Francisco. It was July 4th.


Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Art + Life, or, as Judy Collins asks rhetorically, Who Knows Where the Time Goes?


It's not that I do nothing day after crazy day. Really, I work from dawn to dusk. At least. But sometimes when I look at the body of art created by my peers, I think what the #*!@ is wrong with me? Where's my body of work? Where, at least, is my appendage?

I have to remind myself that regardless of the general lack of respect in our country these days for the pursuit of raising children, there is alot to be said if they're still alive when the sun sets on a midsummer's eve. Especially if they're not actually yours. . .

A few pieces of art have been forthcoming, conceived and completed between read aloud chapters of The Baseball Card Adventures by Dan Gutman (okay, I admit I'm into them - they are after all, time travel adventures as well, and I'm def. down with the baseball stats, too, at this point), multiple viewings of Night at the Museum, breakfasts, snacks, lunches, and endless teatimes, and breaking up the unfair battles of two boys separated not just by 5 years in age, but interests as well. Oh, and did I also mention between my cat being attacked several times by a local fox gone rogue?

What I HAVE managed to finish was The Fence, glimpsed here in yet another fuzzy foto from my cell phone, and artfully digitized for your viewing pleasure --- at least you can see a corner of it tucked between the NE corner of our house (our bedroom) and the shed, lovingly known as Shed de Wafers (long story). And while I'm at it, I've returned to (well okay, maybe I never really left it) my Ladies of the Canyon past, as evidenced by the (again, altered) foto of The Clothesline (and do you see that sort of auxilliary line below the clothesline? Silver strung it years ago, for tightrope practice; he never took it down, so Dante and Sebastian have inherited it). I use the upper, official line daily, for handwashable glad rags, and also holding background papers to which I'm applying the old spray can (though USUALLY not at the exact same time). I have precisely 15 clothespins (because I stole a half dozen from September's backyard to add to my own 9 - and why did I only have 9 for pete's sake, one of which was originally intended for some arty thing or other?) for which I would love to find one of those cute vintage - well retro at least - cloth clothespin bags, you know the ones I'm talkin' about? But this week, with Colin back working in New Mexico, and my numerous unsuccessful attempts to fix the damn dryer myself, I finally threw in the towel - literally - and just hung everything out to dry. One can spend the better part of a day hanging one's mentionables (and un) up, and taking them down, with a few brief interludes to simply step back and admire the pretty picture it makes. Lucky we had those fierce winds between driving rain. The result? Our sheets smell lovely, but the after shower rub down (towel off) is trés harsh. Probably good for exfoliation though.

Up next:
Bunnies and Sqirrels and Fawns, Oh My!
Fab. Glue (that's punny)
Got Aprons?
and last but not least,
On a Clear Stamp You Can See Forever

Friday, June 08, 2007

Are you ready for this? PLACES - 18th (and last!) in an atc series

E ALL - 17th in an atc series

PEAC - 16th in an atc series

OF - 15th in an atc series

Thursday, June 07, 2007

NESS - 14th in an atc series

BRIGHT - 13th in an atc series

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

WITH - 12th in an atc series

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

MOVE - 11th in an atc series

LOVE - tenth in an atc series

OF - 9th in an atc series

PLACE - 8th in an atc series

H THIS - seventh in an atc series

THROUG - sixth in an atc series

AND - fifth in an atc series

Monday, June 04, 2007

PLACE - fourth in an atc series

Sunday, June 03, 2007

A - third in an atc series

IS - second in an atc series

Friday, June 01, 2007

LOVE - first in an atc series


If anyone cares to comment on this and each of the following 17 atc posts, which constitute a line from an e.e. cummings poem, they will win a specially embellished set of all 18 atcs, plus??? After all, 18 comments is no mean feat. . . Previous winners may tell you it can be worth it. . .