The Art of My Life

Halloween!

2011-12-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

Halloween was so much fun this year. I painted a Mad Hatter, a lady skeleton, twin bugs (ladybug and bumble bee), a recession Uncle Sam, a pumpkin, Darth Maul, Cleopatra, a Dia de los Muertos face, a cat, and a spartan warrior.

I was so incredibly busy, grateful and proud of myself for the art that I produced. In the end I had some very happy customers and some great photos for my portfolio. Thanks! (Some photography by David Maya)

Tracy the Face Painter

2011-11-16T13:28:00.001-08:00

My new website!

It's been a while since I blogged anything, which just means that I have been super busy and that is always a good thing. Right?

I have been super busy - mainly face painting for numerous birthday parties in Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest, Irvine, Ladera Ranch, Dana Point, RSM, Tustin, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, Foothill Ranch, Coto de Caza, and Costa Mesa. That's why they call me Tracy The Face Painter.

Other than that I've also been face painting at different Farmer's Markets throughout Orange County. Sundays are my biggest market days, as I am the exclusive face painter at the Great Park in Irvine. This market is huge and has plenty of lunch choices, should you choose to sit and eat, including live music. The vendors offer a wide selection of products from clothing to handmade soaps. There is also a balloon twister who uses Helium in his balloon animals, so they float above your head. I don't know about you but I had never seen that before. The Great Park also has a hot air balloon, which is free to ride in. I have been up twice and it is quite thrilling, especially when the wind blows. Yikes! They give you a pager while you wait your turn, and you can take the shuttle from the balloon to the market to shop while you wait.

I have also been working on creating a new website which showcases all my latest face painting. It is now up and running! Check it out at: www.ARTovator.com. Also a special thanks to Silly Farm for providing such a great web site where I can purchase my supplies. www.SillyFarm.com

My new website!

2011-09-29T13:56:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I blogged anything, which just means that I have been super busy and that is always a good thing. Right?

I have been busy. I've been face painting at different Farmer's Markets throughout Orange County. On Fridays I paint at a market in Rancho Santa Margarita by Lowes. It is a small market but their selection is quite exclusive, and besides, people always say that size doesn't matter.

On Saturdays I paint in Dana Point at a market on PCH, by Hennessy's Tavern. I have made some really wonderful friendships there and learned all there is to know about orchids. I also discovered that I can drink coffee again as long as it is made with alkaline water. Yippee!

Sundays are my biggest market days, as I paint at the Great Park in Irvine. This market is huge and has plenty of lunch choices, should you choose to sit and eat, including live music. The vendors offer a wide selection of products from clothing to handmade soaps. There is also a balloon twister who uses Helium in his balloon animals, so they float above your head. I don't know about you but I had never seen that before. The Great Park also has a hot air balloon, which is free to ride in. I have been up twice and it is quite thrilling, especially when the wind blows. Yikes! They give you a pager while you wait your turn, and you can take the shuttle from the balloon to the market to shop while you wait.

I have also been working on creating a new website which showcases all my latest face painting. It is now up and running! Check it out at: www.ARTovator.com

And please think of me for your next birthday party, Halloween event or any special function. My body art is amazing and I live to create.

Body Painting!

2011-06-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Checkout my special effects for the film "Transients" http://www.ARTovator.com

Soccer Moms!

2011-06-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

I really, really love painting a pregnant belly. There is nothing better than adding art to one of nature's most amazing creations. Often when I am putting the brush on the skin a little foot or hand will poke back at me from inside. I also bond with the mom whose tummy I am decorating as I learn all about her little ones chosen name and pregnancy stories. One of the mothers I painted invited me to a birthday party where I met the baby whose home I had painted a year before that.

I have now painted two Soccer/Football bellies. Why? Well, it is the most popular sport in the world and since most of the mommies I paint are having boys it makes sense that they would want a sporty theme. Who knows maybe these 2 little boys will grow up to be superstars like David Beckham? And I can say that I set the stage for them. Yay!

I also recently painted a beach scene with the parents names written in the sand. It was for her baby shower, as was the first pre-natal Soccer belly, which makes a truly memorable event for any party.

Thanks to Elizabeth, Amy, and Melissa for allowing me to paint their growing tummies. An extra special thanks to Alexander, Troy, and Clark for providing a canvas that I could paint on.

Notorious!

2011-05-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

In February I heard about a competition taking place for face painters and body artists. The ad said that David Lynch was looking for artists to submit their photos of painted faces or hands. I followed the submission guidelines and entered 3 of my best hand painted faces. I was informed to watch the live performance of Duran Duran in LA on March 23, 2011 to see if my face was chosen.

I watched and was so excited to see that one of my 3 submissions WAS chosen. I was so excited that I ran through the house screaming "Duran Duran!". I couldn't believe they chose my very own hand painted design. Out of who knows how many entries I was selected. What a thrill! What an honor! My face ended up being shown on a 30 foot screen behind the band while they performed live at the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles.

This is such a thrill and of course a great addition to my portfolio. It seems that my little face painting/ body art business, ARTovator, is growing everyday. Thanks David Lynch and Duran Duran!

Free To Move About the Country...

2011-04-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned before that I am a single mom, and along with this grand title comes the extra exasperating task of finding ways and means to get things for FREE! Now, believe it or not, I have found lots of specials treats (pat on the back) for me and my family to enjoy.

One of my most favorite web sites, one that I have been a member of since 1998, is MyPoints. This is where you can cash out your rewards for gifts like a $100 Macy*s gift card or $50 for Best Buy, all by simply clicking on an email link that they send to you on a daily basis. I don't even read the emails but just scroll down to find the "5 point" button and click. When I reach an amount like 6500 then I cash out for my gift card, which usually comes in about 2-3 weeks in the mail. I have always received my gift card and that is why I continue to follow this routine and collect. You can also go shopping at any of the major stores that they have listed and get more points for doing so. For example, sometimes I purchase DVD's off Ebay, and so I first go to MyPoints and then follow through to their site where I then accumulate more points. I love it!

Another one of my tricks for finding free products and giveaways is through a very popular site called HeyItsFree. The author of this site has a fun sense of humor and posts daily about any free products or codes available. I have been going to Redbox and Blockbuster for over 3 years now and have never paid for a movie thanks to HIF! I also receive great promotions on new face lotions, toothpaste, hair shampoo etc. Sometimes there are cool stickers, or even a personalized coffee mug for your pleasure. Try it! I have learned and gained so much thanks to them.

There are also other sites like SendEarnings or InBoxDollars, where I am also a member. These however require much more work in order to gain a measily little check of $20. It does work though and twice I have deposited my earnings from slaving away at clicking on those pesky little email links. There is a third one, but they are not so easy to get into, and I think that you have to be invited. Obviously I was and I have earned many hotel night stays thanks to E-Rewards. They are very strict though and you have to be honest in answering surveys on different topics.

I hope this helps you find some great ways of adding to your clutter or simply sample new face lotion. Either way I am sure that once again the one and only ARTovator has worked for the benefit of the species. Happy Easter, Happy Earthday, and goodnight!

ARTovator: Face Painting by Tracy Kiggen

2011-04-05T14:30:00.000-07:00

Opera Night!

2011-03-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

My little face painting business, ARTovator, is growing every day as more and more people find out my fabulous designs. I can't believe I didn't listen to my mom years ago when she told me to do this. I could have been so much furtherer ahead, but anyway at least I did finally do it.

Last night I painted some opera singers for the SOCSA (South Orange County School of the Arts) gala event at the Marriott in Dana Point. It was so much fun! The performers were very talented and gave me major goosebumps. There were two singers, Emma Hutchinson and Emma Werderman (I know two Emmas!), that had superstar status for sure and I expect to see them in first class acts in the future. I got to paint a really lovely young lady, Abigail Schwartz, who impressed me with her quest for adventure and positive outlook on life. I know I will see her on Broadway someday, she has style and moxie. Qualities like that are rare in high school students these days. I painted an Indian style design on her face to compliment her singing Verdi's "Saper Vorreste".

The other face I painted was for an equally sweet girl, Gabrielle Martin, who sang an excerpt from Die Zauberflöte called "Papageno, Papagena". She was dressed like a swan princess so I tried to enhance this on her face.

I had a really great experience doing this event and look forward to taking part again next year.

Cookware or Crookware?

2011-03-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night I made a traditional German dish called Schweinsbraten (roast pork shoulder), and it was delicious. I made it with parsnips, mashed with Manchego cheese; Spätzle, a flour and egg type noodle; and a salad consisting of cucumbers, potatoes, and onions, topped with a red wine vinegar dressing. It truly was mouthwatering and the pork was so moist and flavorful that it almost tasted like lamb. The family loved it and demanded seconds.

The real point of this blog is not about the actual food but more about the dish that was used to cook it in. I used Rachel Ray's 4.75 quart orange casserole and I am an unhappy customer. In the middle of my gourmet pork roast I heard this giant loud crack. At first I thought that a bone had shot off the roast and hit the glass, but then I realized it was Rachel's own dish that had cracked. Anyway, my mother came running, from wherever she had heard the sound of destruction, and said the dish must have broken. I then lifted it up and she looked underneath where she informed me that there was a prominent line drawn from side to side. I quickly put the dish down and we promptly moved all of the ingredients to a more efficient product.

Now I must inform you that this was the second purchase made of Rachel Ray cookware. The first time we bought one we had exactly the same problem. It cracked! The first dish was also a casserole dish but not exactly the same as the second one, however the problem was almost identical. It cracked! They both cracked and both times I wrote a letter to her company informing them of this problem. Obviously, my second letter was a little more antagonistic than the first, but under the circumstances stated above I am sure that you will understand.

Has this issue been resolved? No, it has not, and upon searching the internet as I so much love to do, I find that there are so many others with the same complaints as mine. Now I turn directly to Rachel Ray and ask: "How can you endorse a product that has flaws?" Please answer us Ms. Ray so that we may know you care about the common people. My roast still turned out the way I envisioned and a possible disaster was reverted. A fun part that came out of this whole dilemma is that we now use "Rachel Ray" as an explicit word eg. Oh Rachel Ray! Why is the chicken burnt?

The recipe is as follows:

Schweinsbraten (Roast Pork)

2 lb / 1kg should of pork, with rind
salt and pepper
1 tsp. ground caraway seeds
1 tbsp. clarified butter
1 onion coarsely diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 bunch of parsley, diced
2 cups / 500ml beer

Wash and pat dry the should of pork. With a sharp knife, cut the rind into a diamond pattern, and season the shoulder well all over with salt, pepper, and ground caraway. Melt the butter in a large roasting pan and brown it on all sides. Add the onion, garlic, and vegetables and brown them lightly.
Lay the shoulder of pork on top of the vegetables, rind upward, add 1 cup / 250ml water, and roast the pork in a preheated oven at 340°F / 175°C for 45 minutes.
Then raise the temperature to 430°F / 220°C and roast the meat for another 30-40 minutes. While it is roasting, pour some beer over it from time to time. Take the join out of the pan when it is done, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Add a little water to the juices in the pan, pour through a sieve, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

A New Year...

2011-03-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Spring officially began on Sunday, March 20th, at exactly 4:21pm. This is also a special day for many cultures around the world and for some mark the beginning of a new year. Another reason this day is unique is that the fall and spring equinoxes are the only two times during the year when the sun rises due east and sets due west.

In ancient Mesopotamia, the Sumerians celebrated this day as the beginning of their half year, with the cutting of the barley. On the autumn solstice they would have another festival for the sowing of the barley. These festivals were called Akitu, a Sumerian word for "barley".

In Australia this particular day is a national holiday and also the biggest horse racing event of the year - Spring Racing Carnival.

In Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the first day of Spring is the beginning of the new year, Nowruz, in the Solar Hajiri Calendar. Nowruz literally means "New Day" in Farsi and is celebrated by decorating eggs, feasting, and other colorful displays, similar to our modern Easter activities. Originally being an ancient Zoroastrian festival it is one of the most important holidays in Iranian culture. The date is calculated every year by the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day.

I want to celebrate the start of the vernal equinox as my New Years day. To me this makes much more sense than our Gregorian Calendar celebration of January 1. The only problem would be that we would have to have two New Years - one for the southern hemisphere and one for the north. Or we could just celebrate on two different dates around the world? No, that wouldn't work! Because of our great continental connection today where people fly from country to country so easily; you would leave 2011 in Amsterdam, but land in 2010 in Cape Town. Too confusing! We already have a universal calendar just like we have universal time.

My vote goes to the first day of Spring becoming the first day of a new year. New babies are created in all species on our lovely planet, flowers start blossoming, it is full of color, and just seems so much more enjoyable.

Happy New Year!

I Just Want To Thank My Mom?

2011-03-09T20:02:00.000-08:00

It is really hard being a single mother, especially when you get no help. I have been trying for the last year to get child support, but so far have only gained $50. That is equivalent to $4.17 per month!!!! Seriously, in the real world what I am supposed to do with $4.17 every month???? Maybe I can pay the Macy*s bill that he left me with? No Way! Come on, that does not even begin to cover electricity or gas. There is no way that I can survive as a single mother with $4.17 per month. And just because he chooses not to be a part of her life does not mean that he should not have to pay anything for her well being. He gladly helped bring her into this world and promised me this wonderful, comfortable life, and then suddenly because he finds that cocaine is more stimulating to him than his own daughter's first step, for example, to me is disgusting. It's no surprise that her first word was not "Daddy".

Anyway, I filed for child support in March, but he conveniently evaded the authorities as he has been trained to do for 28 years in the US as an immigrant. In October they finally caught up to him and tried to enforce that he pay a very low sum of only $405; but of course he would rather keep that money for his nose candy, and so he filed a retaliation to say that I have kept his daughter from him, and that he has been paying $300 a month. I can't believe the lies installed in this man. Why would you not want your own flesh and blood to have the best in life? Why would you not sacrifice your own luxuries for your child? I know I would. I know I have. I know that I am appalled by the behavior of a man that I thought I knew. A man I thought, after 15 years, that I had chosen well.

In the end there is a woman and a child who are victims of a drug abuser. A really wonderful little girl who has no idea of the bad choices her own father has made. An amazing star child who is unaware of the hardships she will have to endure because her father chose cocaine over her. The saddest part is she loves her father so much and only hopes and believes in the fantasy stories he prevails upon her. Her unconditional love persists through his own conditional addiction.

In conclusion I wonder about all the talented people that get up to accept their awards (for whatever they have achieved). For every Oscar that is accepted, I wonder why they always thank their moms, and I hope that it is because of all those mothers, and their self sacrifices, that they finally see the light. Hope is a feeling that guides my every day.

Expressions by Tracy Kiggen

2011-02-21T10:49:00.003-08:00

An expression is easy to act
The Truth is not.
Anger being the easiest to portray,
but not easily forgot.
Laughter for some is not a smile,
but simply a sin.
Because laughter shows weakness
(some think)
and should be kept within.
Sadness is pesonal and remains hidden.
Nobody knows why we cry,
and perhaps they want it to stay that way.
So, in silence we multiply.
Expressions are art in any form,
They should be painted.
On the face, on the floor, in music, or art,
We should become more acquainted.

Sea of Illusion by Tracy Kiggen

2011-02-17T12:22:00.001-08:00

Oh, I wish that I could be an ocean,
with so much abundance of life in me.
The waves that roll and rock then crash so violently, are just the edges of my great expanses, which open the doors for friends to come in and explore.
If I could only, myself, be the link to hidden treasures, and carry the wise to travel upon me.
If I could lift the ships to their certain destinies, and swallow the sun with such admired beauty.
This is one wish I long to be granted and longing is all that appears.
If such could happen I would be free.
Free to wash where I desire,
Free to roam where I please.
If only....
Yet all I am is a lonely soul, imprisoned on land with many like me.
But maybe if I throw myself upon the shores, I will soon have my own sweet personality.

Human Behaviour by Tracy Kiggen

2011-01-30T08:50:00.000-08:00

It's too bad, how humans behave.
How we crave, and slave.
Trying to wave,
the return of the cave.
We live as bacteria.
Cleaning out the forest area.
Creating hysteria!
Panic and blame.
With no guilt and no shame.
With no respect for the penniless.
No homes for the homeless.
And no cure for the loneliness.
Our lives are uncertain yet planned.
Just ask the man with the greater hand.
How can we know where to go?
How can we know what to do?
It's not up to me.
And it's not up to you.
Just follow the light.
And believe in love.
When you are unsure.
Go right!
And look above.
The answers are there for you.
You just need to find the clue.
But for now just be good,
and follow your heart.
The start is the end.
And the end is the start.
Thanks to the source with the bigger hand.
One day you WILL understand.
But it's not up to me.
And it's not up to... YOU.

By: Tracy Kiggen

Welcome to the Diva Lab

2011-01-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

I used to be known by the name Lady Mystery, as I was very much involved in the Electronic music scene and produced a TV show for a while called Future (MIX). I even wrote a song called "I Love My DJ", which was purely a love song, a sort of an ode to a DJ.

Now since my information is so easily available all over the internet I feel that I am no longer a lady of Mystery. A small problem arose from this invasion of privacy in that I started a business in 2005 called "Mystery Art". Obviously the name was based on the fact that my pseudonym was Mystery and I am an artist.

Today I resort to my given name of Tracy and since I am such high maintenance (according to my friends and family), I favor the title Diva, along with all its glamour and glitz. My company still does the same work here in our little laboratory and we are now commonly known as the Diva Lab. We are still producing hi-tech web sites and still working for the benefit of the species!

ARTovator: Face Painting by Tracy Kiggen

2010-10-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

Three's A Crowd (Hopefully)

2010-10-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was 10-2-10. A cool day to start a meetup group? Oh yes! It definitely was for my sister and I. We decided that our "tribe" is not as together as we would like them to be, so we are going to create fun events for people from South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. Why? Well, since South Africa is our place of birth it will always hold a special place in our hearts; and we felt we should share our experiences of US life with other expats; and there is already a similar idea in San Diego and Los Angeles, but not in Orange County.

Coming up with the name for the group was quite an effortless experience, as my father had some input and suggested "Tri-Nations", to represent the 3 major countries above. The final result: SoCal Tri-Nations where Aussies, Kiwis, and Safs, can wear their tribal colors, skirts, headdresses, etc., and not feel weird for doing so. Of course, all cultures and nationalities are welcome too, as long as you don't mind eating ostrich assholes. Lol! Just kidding - we only do that when Anthony Bourdain comes to town.

Creative Block or Creative Bull?

2010-09-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today I am 35 and a mother. My daughter, thank God, has started letting her own creativity shine and I blissfully encourage this effort. She is only 3 but still manages to perplex me with her form and imagination. Within the space of 2 days she suddenly went from childish scribbles to obvious shapes, from a planet to a mad dog, as she called it. I just love that my own offspring has inherited what I think is my most precious quality. Now if only she can be honest and thoughtful then it will be like my own little 'mini me'.

Lately I have been having an influx of creativity surrounding me and at the same time I find myself in some sort of a mental block. I have always hated that people could say that they were in a creative block until I came to that point myself. Isn't that how everything in life works? Don't we all tend to judge from the outside looking in? Then, when it happens to us our understanding becomes deeper and we take back our inexperienced comments. Now I am working on having empathy for all without having to add it as experience on my résumé of life.

A neighbor befriended me and I think she might have taken me out of this state of dull, uninspired boredom, which brings me to another off topic question: What is the opposite of creativity? Destruction? It can't be that because even in destroying something we are creating something else. Anyway, my neighbor from north of the lane, invited me to an evening at Tushita Heaven, in San Juan Capistrano, where she said there would be a well known harpist playing there that Friday night. I accompanied her to this place and was quite amazed and astounded as to the world I discovered. The harpist, Peter Sterling, was so ethereal that I found myself between worlds. He not only delighted us with his harp music but he also played sounds on crystal bowls, something I had never had first hand experience with. Of course, I was well aware of crystals but never really appreciated them as I never knew what their purpose was. After I left the appropriately named, Tushita Heaven, I can honestly say that I was drunk on celestial wine even though I was completely sober. I also left there with an iridescent sack of crystals for my own personal use. I purchased them in order to inspire and incite my imagination.

I cannot say if it is the crystals that are helping with my recent burst of lively ideas, but they sure have made an impression on my life; and I will be forever grateful to my neighbor, and new friend, whom I shall call The Opera Angel.

In the end I find myself questioning if I even had a creative block at all, or if my imaginative part of my brain was just sleeping???