Or SOMETHING. . .

One hot summer night a few years ago, Colin, Corina, Brent, Dante, Sebastian and I went to a nearby park - Silver may have been there, too - I can certainly IMAGINE that he was. C, C, B & (big) S (if he WAS there) played tennis while the little boys chased balls and took turns walking around the park with me.
An hour or so went by in that fashion, and it was getting too dark (the evening starlight being filtered through a pretty stand of trees) and there were too many biting bugs to stay longer.
As we were walking away from the courts a general suggestion was heard - "Let's go for ice cream." Sebastian was so little - 2 - but had a definite opinion. In a loud voice he added, "Or popcorn, or SOMETHING. . ."
I wish I could say I finished everything I needed to this week. Here's the sum of my "or SOMETHING":

my art and "text" cards for Red Dog Scott's Carnivale Mystere Tarot Deck project

piece No. 1 for the Hands Up art auction for Autism
(Corina Gerety's photo of some kids in Rwanda, Green Pepper Press rubber stamps,
fleur de lis stencil, thank you, Angela!)

piece No. 2 for the Hands Up art auction for Autism

And now, for a RED LETTER Announcement!
"or SOMETHING": I have quite a bit of store stock (art, art supplies, books, etc.) from leaving the Creative Underground (nothing bad - just time to move on to finally getting my own house in order, from completing long overdue promised swaps and projects to clearing a space on my desk larger than a dime) taking up space that never existed to begin with, it's time for some MAJOR giveaways! I will do 3 random drawings from the names of anyone who comments on this post before midnight, September 1st (my dad's birthday and harbinger of the harvest season) and the winners will receive packages FILLED with all kinds of goodies. I promise they will be more than peachy; they will be a veritable cornucopia of awesomeness.

Some day we'll laugh

But not yet.
Although it was a swell weekend around here, with Shari Beaubien visiting lucky me while she did her 3 day teaching gig at The Creative Underground, we had a little bad news Sunday - def. not the worst, but enough to shake one out of a reverie. There was a Moonlight Race (bicycle) in Denver Saturday night and our daughter Corina was riding on tires which were a tad overinflated, hit something (not another rider) and went down on her face. She did have her helmet on, but it did not save her chin, jaw or teeth. She has a wide swath of stitches and a bunch of messy (knocked around) teeth, but it looks like probably "only" bruised, not broken jaw, thank God.
She spent HOURS at Denver General; she was prioritized below the gunshot and stab peeps. The irony is she was supposed to have been taken to St. Anthony's but was too out of it in the ambulance to stand up for her rights. And Brent, her sweetie, was not in the ambulance with her to advocate. Ergh. She goes in to see the oral surgeon late this afternoon, after trying to deal with insurance issues this morning, being unable to eat anything, and with extremely low blood sugar and having taken pain medication which has done nothing for her state of mind. I know she's worried over missing work, too. Corina NEVER cries, she didn't cry when she got her ears pierced when she turned 5, or any of the times she has broken her arm - you get the picture - but she was crying so hard when I talked to her this morning and from 50 miles away, I am feeling more than a little impotent. If it weren't for Dante & Sebastian being here, I would just go down and stay with her for a couple of days. This is why one's totally grown up children should NOT MOVE AWAY from the town in which their parents live!

kinda Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Here's a preview of the "Profiles of a Trader" interview I did for the new issue (#8) of the ATC Quarterly zine, out this month . The colors in my scan are kinda crazy!! Apparently my screen translation of the pdf file is dabbling in a little color-altering of its own.

Exhibitionists & The Fine Art of Salvage

If you click on the word Exhibitionists (above), you will get to The Paper Studio, where you can see ALL of the canvases for the Gorey Detales. Each canvas is 11" x 14".

On another subject altogether, my brother Pete had a funky, old(ish) painted canvas at his place in New Mexico last year; the painting was in a ruinous state. I took it off his hands, removed the canvas from the stretcher base, passed that on to my friend Cat, and framed a fabulous section (10.5" square) of the original painting I was able to salvage. I call her Sofie:

Roman Holiday

In Italy, August 15th is a BIG holiday. The Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (into Heaven). Around here, we know it as Colin's birthday. Have a happy one!

Cheese, much?

What the heck are Moira, Colin and the spotted pup looking at off-camera? St. Nick himself? At least Meghan knows where HER responsibility lies - with baby Brigid.

Looks like this crazy kid was surprised in his Birthday Suit, "or SOMETHING".

Awwwww, sweet.

Do not - truth?!?

Dark Secrets revealed, or, I'm "Remorseful. . ."

Hey Kidz! Check out the September/October 2007 issue of Somerset Studio. It has MUCH to recommend it, not the least of which is the 5 page article in Melange by Sylvia Luna, discussing one of the coolest projects in which I have been lucky enough to participate. And, is it merely odd coincidence OR ??? (dadadadadadadada - insert spooky music here):
Check out my canvas, shown on page 5. Okay, YOU may not have noticed it, but I certainly did: mine is the 13th one featured, and what have I told you all before is my lucky number?
Yup, that's right.

We were each required to also compose a suitably Gorey rhyme to accompany our illustration. Here's mine:
Remorseful for all of eternity,
Alone, sad Safronie sat.
In her hands sharp shears and some pigtails.
Little Lizy must now wear a hat.

I used this antique Addams Family style album to showcase the documentation for The Gorey Detales. Included is all our correspondence from Sylvia, and copies of everyone's art, with rhymes attached opposite. Black masking tape secures everything.

'ello Art Mates!

A week or so ago, Angela Cartwright's and my article on "In This House" and the "Skylines and Skyscrapers" swap came out in Astarte's Mega-Zine. This publication comes out of Australia and is really cool. Four of my mini skyline houses and three of Angela's houses from this oh-so-groovy swap appear on the front cover of the issue.

Go to www.go-make-art.com and look for the interview link in the blue box on the right side of the page to hear our half hour audio interview with Stacey Apeitos, editor and publisher of Go Make Art. You can also download a free copy of issue #1 while you are at the web site, but if you actually subscribe you can get our project article in issue #3!

More Grunge Girls

Time for another in the Grunge Girls series:


Although you can't see the entire word, it said "ONE" which always puts me in mind of the U-2 song "One", for which partial lyrics are:

Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus?
To the lepers in your head

Did I ask too much?
More than a lot.
You gave me nothing,
Now it's all I got.
We're one,
But we're not the same -
See we hurt each other
Then we do it again.
You say:
Love is a temple,
Love's a higher law,
Love is a temple,
Love's a higher law.
You ask me to enter,
But then you make me crawl
And I can't keep holding on
To what you got
When all you've got is hurt.

One love,
One blood.
One life,
You got to do what you should.
One life,
With each other,
Sisters and my Brothers.
One life
But we're not the same.
We get to carry each other -
Carry each other.

The Bookshop Around the Corner, of the internet that is

UPDATED LIST OF AVAILABLE BOOKS as of August 14th, 9pm mountain time.
I thought I would take a leaf from that book monger, I mean fan (short for fanatic) Kelly Kilmer and list some books I have available to trade. Let me know if you're interested.
But first, here's a list of some things I wouldn't mind getting my hands on.

WANTED, in good condition - I don’t want them for altering purposes! I also hope not to buy them, so if you would be interested in trading what I have to offer, see those titles listed below (although what I have to trade would also be available to sell at a discount from list price).

Books:
1) Africa Adorned by Angela Fisher

2) Alfred and Guinevere by James Schuyler

3) Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987 by Arthur Danto

4) American Photography: A Century of Images by Vicki Goldberg

5) The Berbers of Morocco by Alan Keohane

6) The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It by Paul Collier

7) Cinema Southwest: An Illustrated Guide to the Movies and Their Locations by John A. Murray

8) Crossing Boundaries: A Global Vision of Design by Vicente Wolf

9) Eco Deco: Chic Ecological Design Using Recycled Materials by Stewart Walton

10) Elephant House: Or, The Home of Edward Gorey

11) Fables Vol. 6: Homelands by Bill Willingham

12) Fables Vol. 8: Wolves by Bill Willingham

13) Fables Vol. 9: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham

14) Full of Grace: A Journey through the History of Childhood by Ray Merritt

15) Henri Cartier-Bresson: Scrapbook by Michel Frizot

16) Huerfano: A Memoir Of Life In The Counterculture by Roberta Price

17) It Happened in Brooklyn: An Oral History of Growing Up in the Borough in the 1940S, 1950S, and 1960s by Myrna Frommer

18) Jack of Fables Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham

19) Jack of Fables Vol. 2: Jack of Hearts by Bill Willingham

20) Joseph Cornell's Dreams by Joseph Cornell, Catherine Corman editor

21) Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression by Mildred Armstrong Kalish

22) Marimekko: Fabrics, Fashion, Architecture by Marianne Aav

23) A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman

24) New Orleans Confidential by O’Neil De Noux

25) The Russian Vision: The Art of Ilya Repin by Ilya Repin

26) The Shadow Catcher: A Novel by Marianne Wiggins

27) Shadows on the Hudson by Isaac Bashevis Singer

28) Simply Green Giving: Create Beautiful and Organic Wrappings, Tags, and Gifts from Everyday Materials by Danny Seo

29) Simply Green Parties: Simple and resourceful ideas for throwing the perfect celebration, event, or get-together by Danny Seo

30) Street: The Nylon Book of Global Style by Editors Of Nylon

31) A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd

32) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

33) Tord Boontje by Martina Margetts

34) The Wild Wood by Charles de Lint

Kid Books:
1) Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink

2) Georgia's Bones by Jen Bryant

3) Mom and Dad Are Palindromes by Mark Shulman

4) Snow by Uri Shulevitz

5) Uncle Andy's: A Faabbbulous Visit With Andy Warhol by James Warhola

CDs:
1) Asian Groove (Putamayo)

2) My Goal's Beyond ~ Mahavishnu John McLaughlin

3) Ocean Surf ~ Dan Gibson

4) Verve Presents: Very Best of Christmas Jazz

DVDs:
1) American Photography (PBS?)

2) Beauty and the Beast - The Complete First Season

3) Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst)

4) Off the Map

5) Sullivan's Travels

6) The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

7) Yoga Betsy's Yoga Basics for Real People Lessons 1-3

Kid DVDs:
1) Princess of Thieves

2) Lady & the Tramp


AVAILABLE books from me, all in good to new condition (and I do have multiple copies of a few of these titles):

1) Brazil Red by Jean-Cristophe Rufin hardbound, used, no dust cover, good condition though

2) The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery by Karen Michel paperback, NEW (no, I'm not getting rid of MY copy, I just happen to have extras!)

3) Control of Body and Mind (Gulick Hygiene Series 1908) hardbound, in pretty good condition considering it's 99 years old, excellent for altering, pilfering pages from, or keeping as is, it's oddly entertaining. . .

4) Creative Bead Weaving paperback

5) The Curious Sofa by Ogdred Weary (Edward Gorey) hardback, used

6) Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende hardback, used

7) Designing with Fabric paperback

8) The Effects of Light hardbound, used

9) Fabric photos by Marjorie Croner paperback, very, very slightly shelf worn

10) Got Tape? Roll Out the Fun with Duct Tape! paperback, new

11) Hearts: Photography by Albano Guatti hardbound, used, no dust cover, but good condition

12) The Joseph Cornell Box NEW (includes a book on the art of Joseph Cornell, + elements to create your own box(es) - 5 image sheets, small assemblage elements,
box with grid, more)

13) Journaling the Journey: a rough guide by Anahata Katkin paperback, NEW

14) Land Girls paperback, used

15) Making Memory Books and Journals by Hand used, no dust cover, but good condition

16) Montage Memories by Erikia Ghumm paperback, NEW

17) Noir Movies Facts Figures & Fun by John Grant hardbound, NEW

18) Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver hardbound, used

19) Quilted Memories by Lesley Riley paperback, NEW

20) Retro Mania! paperback, NEW

21) The River Midnight by Lilian Nattel hardbound, used

22) Rock & Roll Facts, Figures & Fun by Mike Evans hardbound, NEW

23) The Scrapbooker's Color Palette hardbound, NEW

24) Scrapbooking for the Time-Impaired paperback, NEW

25) Spare Parts Volume No. 3 by Anahata Katkin paperback, NEW

26) Special Effects Photography Handbook by Elinor Stecker-Orel paperback, NEW

27) Tags Reinvented by Erikia Ghumm paperback, NEW

28) The Tarot Discovery kit by Amy Zerner & Monte Farber, NEW, with book and tarot cards

29) Three-Dimensional Scrapbooks by Sandi Genovese paperback, NEW

30) Vintage Style Beaded Jewelry paperback, NEW

So, contact me if any of these look good to ya. . .

New old series

Ready for another series? This one will be shorter - a kind of visual tutorial on using one image to create many pieces. I have become enthralled with that sort of approach recently, and expect to continue my explorations of this facet of personal icongraphy.
So with no further yakety-yak, let's get to it.
These two little girls are a small detail in a much larger vintage photograph for which I purchased the rights to use from the National Archives. Some time ago I made about two dozen atcs which featured them, and though this time I'm not going to post each one, I will show you several I feel were especially successful as miniature masterpieces. I call them my Grunge Girls.Here you see them sepia toned, film grain filtered and printed on to a transparency layered over several "labels", including one torn from an envelope addressed to me. Note the ace of hearts in the upper left hand corner. Doesn't it look just a little bit like the girl on the left is dragging along that section of printed paper as if it were a banner? Or maybe it's a shawl. . .

Stairway to Heaven

Although Laurie Zuckerman is most well known for her altars, her quietly elegant and culturally evocative photos portray our connections to those who go before us with equal sensitivity. I bought this print recently and though initially attracted to its brilliant color and the flowers, have since found myself meditating on the exquisite symbolism of the light of the midday sun, filtered through row after row of reverentially placed blooms, and the clearly aging, yet not totally rusted, turquoise ladder.