Happy Halloween!

So I don't understand how people start to freak out around the middle of October... "what am I going to be for Halloween?" I am not like that at all. I usually have about 4 or 5 costume ideas by August and get more freaked out as "What am I going to DO for Halloween so everyone can see me dressed up!"

As a child, my mom always got us those costumes that came in a box with a smock and a mask, and you went as a cartoon character... I think I was Casper the Ghost like 4 times. But the last time I went T&Ting (there's always that time, am I too old for this?) but I went as a box of Fruit Loops and that was a costume my mom had made. I think it was then I realized how much more fun Halloween was when some blood, sweat and tears were put into the costume. Not to mention the extra candy that I got because people were so impressed with my mom's creativity. I wore a box with loops of construction paper glued on... that's it.

This year, I went as Frida Khalo. J said that "No one's going to get it." And when I left the house on Saturday he said I looked like the Chiquita Banana Girl. (Close enough, I thought). So I braved the Nor'easter that we got and headed to Somerville to see Booty Vortex at Johnny Ds! As I walked through the station at Harvard Sq, I could hear people....

"hey Frida!" "Great costume, Frida!" "Nice!!" HA! Awesome.

Here's Frida that I based a lot of my costuming on. She's so famous for those eye brows!

And here's one of my more favorite portrait of her. I like the spider monkey and only til recently that I learned that she kept these monkeys as pets....

Here's me as Frida!! And notice my lil' spider monkey! We named him Spidey (of course!) A lot of people knew exactly who I was so I was very happy to rub it in J's face !! Har!

Happy Halloween!

Please Vote for Me!

You can now go to the Dog Art Today blog http://dreamdogsart.typepad.com/ and look at all the entries for the Mutt Lynch Winery label contest. I would so appreciate it if you were to vote for my piece:

Sugar's Busy Day

8x10 black watercolor

It's number 72 on the list, so you don't have to go through scores of names :)

On another note, I got the rejection email that I will not be participating in the Rose Kennedy Greenway art fairs and I have a feeling Somerville Art Beat doesn't look good either as they haven't cashed my check yet. Hmmm. Was it something I said? Some of these shows can be a crap shoot, and always a lot of hard work, but I feel I need to get out there and do something. Keep making art, yea, that's what I'll do :)

This past weekend, J and I took a ride out to upstate NY. We went to the Catskills and headed out to see his niece who is studying at Cornell. When he was fishing, I was birding. Late May and early June is by far the BEST time to bird. There are a lot of transitions going on including migrates flying through, and lots of year-rounders and mating and displaying. Not to mention, the bugs are out and that always means the birds are out.

Male Scarlet Tanager

This guy is by far one of my favorites. I've read that they can be very difficult to see as they prefer the high canopies of trees. I have seen them lower however, and this past weekend I was honored to spot a male in the trees right above my head. These little red birds seem even more vibrant when set against a background of new green leaves that the woods are full of right now. Love them. If I'm out in the woods and hear one, I will go great lengths to seek him out. I can watch them forever. Their song is like a robin's, but a little more "buzzy" and the call is more of a "chip-banggg chip-banggg". You can find out more and listen to them here: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/scarlet_tanager/id

What am I going to do this summer???

So, this past week I found that my artwork was not accepted into the Somerville ArtBeat. At first I was like, WTF??!?! because I've done it for the past 2 years and had great responses to my stuff and I was broad casted on the Somerville Cable TV!! This letter, which included my check with VOID written across the front, really set my week off on the wrong foot. But then I'm thinking (and as I read my previous posts) I really don't mind NOT sitting out in the hot sun all day. And that it frees my weekend up in the middle of summer to do .... another show?? I don't know. I'm finding that these festivals are a lot of the same. Now, there's is nothing wrong with wanting to be creative and selling your wares, but these shows are filled to the brim with women who make their own handbags, hats and headbands. Not to mention the handmade soaps. Or the over saturation of Jewelry makers. I've heard some interesting comments over the last few years about these shows. Some are saying that they are "boring" and there's "nothing new to look at". Others are saying that there's no artwork and they're just filled with "crafters" and that even aren't that great or original.
Then the past weekend I went to the Somerville Open Studios. Each town or district of MA will have it's own open studios (Allston is in November, JP is in September, Vermont has it's own during Memorial Day Weekend). Open Studios is a time where artists open up their studios and/houses to guests to view and purchase their artwork. What's great is that you see first hand where all the art is created. Some reek of turpentine (I do love that smell!). Some provide snacks. It's all up to the artist of how much he wants to share with the viewer. AND the best artwork is found here. So I think that's going to be my plan is to get in on Open Studios. I was told during the November one that there's only one building that does it and that other artists can set up in the building but no one has opened their Allston home to visitors. Hmmmmmmmmm.

And this is Woody, my brother's Jack Russell. He's a little insane (the dog, not my brother) but my brother adores him. This will be a painting for him for sure :)