My Painting Utility Box is gone.....

So the other night, driving down Western Ave in Allston, the construction that's going on at Brighton Mills caught my eye. I know that there's been construction on going for a while but just recently I found out that Google has invested in some low income housing project and that they are rebuilding the Charlesview Apartment complex over in the Western Ave lot. Great for Allston, great for Google (tax write off I'm presuming) and great for people who need low income housing. However.......

they took out my utility box.






Back in 2009, I submitted a design to the Boston Redevelopment Authority to become one of the chosen artists to paint the electrical utility boxes around the city. You know the ones, they're grey and always humming.... Anyway, my "Stripe-ah" design was chosen and they were kind enough to give me a box that was close to where I lived.

The first step was to clean and prime it. That was disgusting. What possesses people to take their wads of chewed gum and stick it on this box is beyond me. What really got me what that the last person to repaint it gray, well, he just painted right over the gum too. Nice..... It took about 3 days from start to finish and I was very happy with the outcome of the painting especially considering that I hadn't painted with acrylics in forever and had never done the "mural thing" before.

What also was really nice is the amount of people who stopped to look and talk to me or the people who were in their cars yelling out things like, "Nice work!" and "I really like yours!" (there are 3 other U.boxes on Western Ave.) and the bus driver of the 68 route who saw the progress through the day... he waved to me each time he drove by.

Well, it's gone now. This construction project is right to the curb so I don't know if they plan to have some kind of store front or what. And some are saying that they may replace it (I'm assuming that the electrical components are in the ground) after construction? I don't know. But when I did drive by a second time to confirm that "Yes, it's GONE" I have to tell you I started tearing up... I mean, this was something that I created and tried to make my neighborhood a prettier place. Really I shouldn't take this personally, just the luck that I got the u.box that just happened to be on the property of the construction site.... but seriously, this made me so upset.

So here are the pictures of it that I took when I completed it. So enjoy it. And next time you see a mural you really like, think about the artist that took the time and the creativity to make your neighborhood a lovelier place.

Incidentally, my friend Tracy had also painted a ubox in Roslindale Square. Hers got tagged with in a month beyond recognition. This doesn't make me feel better at all.

I heart my new iPhone 4!!!!!

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Allston Open Studios - Recap

It's like Christmas or a wedding day ... you get yourself so worked up, there's so much to do and then it happens *flash* and then.. it's over? Huh. Allston Open Studios felt like that to me. I did a lot of press releases and online marketing to get people out and about and come down. Not to mention get my stuff in order, hung and set up in a timely manner. There was some definite highs and lows to this show.

Luna

5" x 7" watercolor and colored pencil

The Highs:
The Allston Brighton TAB ran the press release that I sent them. I had also attached 4 images of different artists to run as well. Of course I sent one of my pieces but left it to them which one they wanted to feature, if any. Well, they chose my Luna piece to go in! I was very excited that my Tuna made the Tab! (she also caught and killed a mouse in my kitchen Saturday night - Best. Cat. in the World.)

And I had some friends come down and visit me on Saturday which was very nice. I was able to bring some work with me as well, (the great thing about watercolor, can be so very portable) so I think that got people interested in my art. I did have one woman talk to me about doing a portrait of her mother. I hesitated but told her to send me the picture anyway. WTF, right?

I attended the small reception for artists on Saturday night and Marilyn gave me a nod in her speech of thanks for the press work that I did. And it was very nice to meet the other artists in this space as well.

The amount of space given to me prompted me to go home and get more art that was framed to fill up the wall. I brought my acrylics too, which were all done plein air, and more of me just playing around. But I'm thinking it's open studios, sure why not?

Allston Open Studios.... the Right end of my set up

The lows:

Not a whole lot of traffic. At. All.

I sold 5 calendars for NEAFA and one magnet.

No one said anything about my acrylics.

The woman who I shared the space with was nice but she had her doggie with her. Don't get me wrong - you know I love dogs but he would bark constantly and aggressively when he saw another dog. It didn't make for a pleasant afternoon when this happened. And kept those pet owners out of our room. *grumble grumble*

And it makes me think that maybe I should branch out from doing animal art. Oh I'm sure if you know me or follow this blog at all this is a constant battle I have with myself. I'm selling, but painting pictures of kitty cats. I love to do it. But somewhere something inside of me says paint your feelings, your dreams, your bugs! ( I brought that up to one woman who then said, "Yeah, but I don't think that would sell!") I paint, I love to create - even if it is a painting of your dog.... Can you see that? 'Cause my vision is getting foggy.

Easter weekend.

Now, I'm not a huge religious person so Easter was never a big deal in my family. I spent most of this weekend cleaning, getting the living room prepped for painting the walls. I'm thinking of a lovely light coffee color.... and trying to squeeze in some creativity here and there.

Here's a painting of D napping. This is a watercolor on cotman, 5x7" in diameter. This is the first layer of paint on the paper. STREEAAKYYY. But - the cotman + watercolor + colored pencil = masterpiece.

Not the greatest photo ( camera phone ) but you can definitely see what I mean about that colored pencil allowing me to get in there and layer, layer, layer.....

This was Sunday's project. We didn't have to be at J's family until later in the afternoon, so I took a minute to paint the view off my porch. It was about 70 degrees yesterday and I just couldn't hang out indoors anymore. I love living on the top floor :). And the red buds of the maple trees are coming in strong.

However, speaking of Allston: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/04/man_stabbed_to.html

HOLY SH*T, this is the street next to mine!! I saw the cops and yellow tape still there this morning. YIKERS.