Vagrant Memories

ArtPrize brings out the Big Dogs

2011-09-25T17:41:00.000-04:00

One thing I love about ArtPrize and other public events is that it brings out the Big Dogs. Grand Rapidians have made a place for their best friends at events around town and this year is no exception.

This handsome dog waits patiently for his master outside a venue during ArtPrize 2011. He never flinched or wavered at the traffic in and out of the venue, or the heavy traffic on the sidewalk.

I crept up on him slowly and quietly, fully expecting him to sense me in his space but he never lost focus on his master.

Eventually, I moved past him to get some shots from the opposite angle. People continued to come and go, he decided it was time to settle in.

I could not resist one more shot.

He settled himself for a little snooze.

He appears to be a mix, possibly lab and setter as he has rusty red highlights. Both breeds can be high strung at times, especially before the end of their second year.

His unflappable focus is a compliment to his master who has obviously trained him very well.

Thank you Grand Rapidians who treat those of us who are dog lovers to a view of the Big Dogs every so often.

John Doe - review

2011-09-17T19:03:00.000-04:00

Premise of "Pretender", disorientation of "Lost"

If you liked "Pretender" and "Lost" you might want to check out "John Doe" on Hulu. Below is my series review after the last episode.

The John Doe character attributes are not unlike the character attributes of Jarod from "Pretender". The storylines had the same disorienting effect of "Lost" minus the weird factor. I think the producers bailed on this show too early as some other reviewers have noted.

However, I cannot help thinking the character of Digger was cast exactly in the role we were lead to believe he played, relative to John Doe. It is entirely possible his role in the last episode was rescuer for the Theresa character and only seems to be an anti-hero because we see him doing something unexplained in the last scene. If you recall, the last time we see John and Digger interacting is fairly early on in this episode and his role was that of safe harbor for John Doe, just as he had always been.

One thing I have learned regarding the shows Hulu is able to contract is; if they are not popular re-runs many people already like, expect a disappointing end. Expect the producers or writers to have gotten a much better offer as was the case with the writers of "Wildfire" who went on to write "Greek" for ABC. At least when "Greek" was over, the writers had an opportunity to write a satisfying conclusion at the logical place in the storyline.

I would give "John Doe" four stars if it were still in production. As it stands, the show will get my standard three stars; I supported it but due to the abrupt end, it was just ok.

Regarding "Soulja Boy"; I've got something to say . . .

2011-09-10T13:46:00.000-04:00

Two friends posted today on FaceBook regarding the lyrics to a song by the so-called 'Solja-Boy' rapper. The controversy the young man DeAndre Cortez Way stirred up with the lyrics to "Let's Be Real" is a shining example of why I despise that genre of the entertainment industry at large, virtually every aspect of it.

Without doing him the honor of quoting him directly, he spits disrespect
at the United States Military, our domestic federal investigators and everyone who has made a sacrifice of time with their loved ones for the greater good in the last ten years since that horrific day in September.

DeAndre Cortez Way has made an hasty apology to the United States Military.
According to TMZ in an article published Sept 2nd, 2011;
"A rep for Soulja's management team, Debby Coda, tells TMZ,
both the rapper's management and his record label have been working nonstop since Friday{presumably Sept 2nd, 2011} to take the video down off the Internet."

Hmmmm . . . DeAndre Cortez Way will need the assistance of the very domestic investigators he spits at to accomplish wiping the Internet of the offending material in it's entirety.
I believe the whole of the lyrics could be preserved in a line by line literary critique, copyright free. However, I can think of better representatives of rap/hip-hop lyrics for that purpose.

Speaking of literary critique and the reasons I despise most of what comes out of the rap/hip-hop genre; in my opinion, most of what passes for poetic/lyrical expression of thought has devolved to dreck.

What passes for "good" content? Everything that puts ducats in the duomo;
misogyny, class-ism, racism, anarchy, exploitation, and every foul-mouthed expression of "personal" freedom one could ever think of,
with the caveat that everything offered has merit and should never be judged.

Hip-hop & rap certainly have not cornered the market, nor do other genres
escape scrutiny but we are only looking at one genre and one song for comparison, contrast and critique. So we will not compare DeAndre Cortez Way's lyrics to say . . . Shakespearean iambic pentameter or even the more recent rebel; Dylan Thomas, a hot mess himself until his own excesses put an end to his career. These comparisons would earn this author the criticism of comparing apples to oranges, so-to-speak.

What about comparing apples to apples? Long gone are the days of Afrika Bambaataa's ground breaking collaborative efforts with giants of other genres such as James Brown and Herbie Hancock.
My personal favorite, KRS-One, aka "The Teacher", still spends much of his time lecturing about hip-hop cultural roots at universities. A far better use of the cultural resources created by pioneers in the hip-hop genre than what passes for "good" all these years later.

Is there anyone even loosely associated with today's hip-hop culture offering artistic, creative, uplifting work to the public? Truthfully, I cannot answer as I do not listen to popular music much anymore. I was spoiled rotten by generous, unknown musicians who have shared their vocal and instrumental talent with me since I was fourteen years old asking only my appreciation in return.

I can name one more artist whom I admire, although he is a fine painter, not a musician; Kehinde Wiley. If you google him (I guess that is an official verb now), you will be taken to his flash based website. Instead, I would direct you first to an interview by ART-interview Online magazine. {http://www.art-interview.com/Issue_009/interview_Wiley_Kehinde.html} Hear him discuss his unique approach in his own words, then go to his dot com and meander through the galleries.

Recently, I received the blessing of the end of my son's contracted service
to the United States Navy. As a human being, he is no different than DeAndre Cortez Way.
As a young man he is in every way, different than the so called rap "artist".
He chose to shut up and put up, in service to his country before he finished high school and postponed college.
He fulfilled his contract honorably. You bet I am proud of him.
Guys like my grandfather who served before, during and after WWII, get to preserve their service publicly by adding "U.S.N., Ret." after their name.

DeAndre Way will not be able to sport such an honor, ever. However, should he wise up by putting some of his ducats to use paying for a well-rounded Bachelor of Arts degree, he could sport the honorable B.F.A. Then he would be among the elite in his genre and he might have something to say worth listening to.

So You Think You Can Dance

2010-07-05T14:38:00.000-04:00

I waited patiently for the first episode of So You Think You Can Dance to be posted on Hulu. This is the first season I am not watching on broadcast television so I missed some of my favorite parts of the show; the auditions and early eliminations. The following is from my blog on the site.

New format what I like:
I like the concept of an All Star pairing with a contestant in theory; it evens out the partnering delimna both in terms of numbers and making the contestants stretch and grow as performers. You cannot improve each week if you are stuck with less experienced dancers in a competition. I would rotate everybody, all the time, both the style component and the partnering component.

Judges: Yeah Miss Mary hurt my ears but she has a lifetime of experience with ballroom, a style until 10 or so years ago, young Americans knew little about and still are learning, she should be a rotating judge.

Nigel & Production Pimping; It is Nigel's show, he is responsible to his backers to make money; therefore he must keep the dancers and crew aware they are responsible for good entertainment, to do otherwise is a failure on Nigel's part.

Adam; entertaining in a quirky way, keep from going off on tangents.

Miss Mia; she choreogrphed a challenging number in S1 that everyone loved. I thought to myself; Thats where this show needs to go!

Tice Tyce; Thank goodness for a Broadway voice! {correct spelling}

The rest; they have added a voice, some good, some fluff. Glad to see Debbie Allen at least still doing commentary. I'd like to see her serve as a judge again.

I like Nigel as permenant overseeing judge, one change of regular judge after several seasons and a rotating judge every week.

Lastly I love tWitch's involvement. Yes he has been a favorite of mine since his audition. He has taken the critique of "take classes/learning new styles" to heart, making him a much better dancer. I also like the fact he can talk on camera without repeating himself or sounding stupid.

Which brings me to what I do not like . . .
Comfort is aweful on camera. She lacks basic knowlege of dance as a whole. It seems she may not have taken extra classes or has not paid enough attention to dance terms. Rookie mistake and insulting - calling a male dansuer a ballerina.

So let me lay some knowlege out there; Balleriana - female ballet dancer, female lead - Prima Balleriana. Dansuer - (French) male or Ballerino (Italian). Premier Dansur or Primo Ballerino, respectively.

Generally, I do not like the unedited interview/commentary. It is not complimentary to the single dicipline dancer who knows nothing outside his/her genre. Note to the aspiring; take classes outside your comfort zone. You would have thought contestants had gotten the message after six seasons.

This is the first season I am not watching So You Think You Can Dance on broadcast television. I am waiting patiently to see the tape on Hulu. I miss one of my favorite parts; the audition shows. The audition shows and early elimination shows are what hooked me for the first six seasons and why I watch this show instead of the other "star" show.

I want to see amatures go through the process. I want to see a street corner hip-hop kid learn ballroom on a dime. I want to see a lyric danser lock -n- pop. That is what made the show for me. If I wanted to see polished professionals, I'd hop a train for NYC or watch Great Performances once or twice a year for the rare ballet they offer. In my opinion the show's title and original mission is being left behind.

Judging & Critique vs Gushing; Just stop it! Go back to the tough but constructive and instructive critique, so both the dancers and the audience can learn, please. This show started out as an outstanding teaching tool for an artform that always gets passed over for musicains, vocal performers and cinimatographers. Please, please go back to the developmental teaching format.

As a former dancer and retired teacher I was thrilled at the beginning; finally my artform would not take second place. It would be equal among complimentary artforms. As a tap dancer; no you cannot pull Tap out of the hat each week. However tap dance should continue to be represented. Tap dancers are percussionists, aka musicians, as well as dancers. Please find a way to make Tap in all it's styles a featured part of this show.

It seems I have coverd six seasons instead of my first impression of Season 7.

Review: Work of Art

2010-06-14T13:29:00.001-04:00

I admit it; I watch a select few reality shows. I just completed HGTV's Design Star seasons available on Hulu. May I say I am a David Bromstad fan and was very jazzed to see him win season one.

So a new series entitled Work of Art piqued my curiosity. Put a bunch of artists working in different media in an open-air work space like the white room competitions on Design Star and let 'er rip. I watched all the interview clips while awaiting the series premier, something I normally would not have done. I had some early favorites including Erik, Ryan and Miles who won the first competition. I wondered how this would work. Could these artists work under the "do-art-NOW!" style pressure? I cannot. Do I want to see that? It could get ugly.

I was a little uneasy as the series premier began to unfold. Each artist was paired with another; the task was to create a representative portrait of the other artist. Remember the word portrait, as in portray. The first twist was that the artists had not gotten to know each other and had only a half hour to interview each other; a half hour total. Some got right to the essence of their subject, others not so much.

Temperaments immediately showed as did media choices and working styles. Mark was paired with Erik. Erik reminds me of a younger, kinder Russel Crowe and Mark captured that with outstanding photoshop work on a digital portrait. Really well done and despite my soft spot for Miles, I believe Mark's portrait of Erik was best-in-show.

Miles admits to manageable OCD. It was evident from the start as Miles methodically constructed a custom work-space first before moving on to his portrait of Nao. He chose to screen-print an old school death portrait. Before you "eeeww" that, you have to see his finished piece. Nothing eeeww about it. It reflects the dreamy quality of the Pre-Raphaelites and Symbolist in a simple grey-scale on white bust portrait. The judges correctly evaluated it as being sensual.

Erik chose to portray Mark as a clown confined by art via an artist palette as a platform. I did not catch whether he was using acrylic or oil but I believe it was acrylic. I understood what Erik was trying to portray, sadly the portrait ended up being a little creepy.

All in all, I enjoyed the first episode. I am reserved on the host Ms. China Chow. I am not sure what qualifies her to be both hostess and judge. I was put off by a comment she made in her preview clip; however, I am willing to be persuaded. {you can read my review here}

I look forward to seeing how the artists handle the challenges ahead.
Episode 1: Self Reflexive

Blogger: fun to frustrating to improved to frustrating again

2010-05-02T12:34:00.000-04:00

This morning I finally posted a request for help on an ongoing issue which seems to be getting a lot of requests for help and little attention from Blogger/Google. Below is my forum help request:

Your Blogs URL: http://vagrantmemories.blogspot.com

Browser(s) used: Firefox
Location:

Layout Issues [bX-q0tcxb] was posted in Blogger: Known Issues/Outstanding on November 7, 2009. There are numerous requests for help, clarification, a bug fix in the Google and Blogger help forums yet no one seems to answer the question of how to help users fix their blog layout problems. Can SOMEBODY please give us a hand?

My specific problem is that I have a custom layout which I finally manged to get to work late last year. Now I can no longer see the "Add Gadget" layout on my right sidebar in the Add Elements screen. My individual widget configuration icons how up on my homepage but these do not allow me to fix the layout or add gadgets either. I just do not know enough code anymore to try to edit the raw html which I did try.
I do not want to learn the [_b:whatever goes in all these tags_] language either, when there is a WYSIWIG.

As I said above, I do not want to learn blogger code. I am tired of learning code after 10 years. Coding is not my profession so why should I continue to fry my valuable brain cells and waste my time? I no longer care about the latest fabulous gadget for the most part. All I want is to be able to write, provide relevant supporting content and be done with it.
The advent of coding wizards and widgets was supposed to take care of that problem for non-coders. Not so apparently here on Blogger.

If you are still reading, you might guess I am frustrated. Yes, I am. I moved another blog here because Wordpress did not provide the functionality I needed. Once that blog was moved, I found it receives more traffic at it's old space on Wordpress than either of my blogs here on Blogger. I expected to receive more traffic for the same content on a Blogger based blog site but apparently Google does not drive the same amount of traffic to it's own blog function that it drives to Wordpress. Huh?

I confess I have neglected VagrantMemories in the last year or two; I confess I was already frustrated with Blogger before moving the second blog here but did so anyway. Maybe it is time for me to cough up for my own domain and self-host all my content in order to solve functionality problems. I have resisted doing so over the years because it would be an out of pocket expense as I do not write for money. In the twenty minutes or so it has taken me to write this little exercise in catharsis, my Amazon Associates widget is still "initializing" to find relevant content on Amazon. So much for monetizing any of my content. So much for functionality.

I would like to say that I will stand my ground and leave this post on the front page until the question in Help Forums is answered for me and the others still getting the
bX-q0tcxb error message but that probably will not happen. I am sure the documentary review I was planning to post today will end up pushing this post into the archive, or some other thing will catch my attention.

The Photography class is finished

2010-04-23T16:22:00.001-04:00

I took an entry level digital photography class this semester. I have had two film classes; one in high-school and again years ago in college. I needed to upgrade both my skills and my equipment in preparation for my career.

I did both but not without some growing pains. Without question, the purchase of a decent DSLR camera plus an extra lens and a couple of filters set me back. However, I also desperately needed a new laptop with the processing juice to handle large files and multiple processes at the same time. My faithful old laptop was just not up to the task. So not only did I shell out for one of the most expensive tuition fees at my college, I also shelled out for the technology upgrades. Ouch.

I admit I was looking forward to joining the ranks of the Nikonians after waiting seven years for a DSLR, alas it was not to be. Long story short, I needed the camera as soon as student financial aid disbursements were processed in January and ended up having to make another choice in order to maximize the available funds.

I am proud to be an Olympian. I bought an Olympus E520 and the aforementioned accessories. Luckily I already owned a tripod. I did not use it near as much as I thought I would. The camera has just the right grip for my hands and the right heft to hold it steady without the anit-shake function ever being employed. It is a nice camera at it's price point.

I worked pretty hard in this class; I shot over 2,000 images throughout the semester and deleted at least 600 before ever processing them. The bulk were trashed before mid-term, the rest were bracketed exposures, not dumb mistakes post mid-term. I wrote three essay reviews for extra credit. One was a review of selected works from the photography gallery at the GRAM in town. One was on the first time experience of being part of the paparazzi for the Waterfront Film Festival Oscar Party fundraiser. One was of the experience of attending the College Arts Association annual conference. Close to 3,000 words for three points extra credit.

You might be expecting me to crow about the A I earned, nope. Somehow with all my work I earned one quiz A and one near A- on a shooting assignment. I will probably end up with a B.

I am not unhappy with the impact a B will have on my g.p.a., it will help not hurt. What I am not so happy about is I do not feel prepared to go into the 102 section of digital photography. I discovered pretty late in the semester many of my shots were unprintable. Not the grossly under-exposed or grossly over-exposed.
Some of my favorite shots cannot be printed despite the fact they look very nice onscreen.

The thing that bothers me about this situation is that we were tested twice on a laundry list of about 30 printing acronyms and terms. Without being able to print our work at school. I discovered this as I was preparing to send some prints to Snapfish so I could have them for my own use.

The second thing that leads me to think I am not well prepared is that our school provided no studio at all. Part of learning basic photography is to be able to shoot under a variety of lighting circumstances, it is a huge part of the curriculum and the learning curve. There is no excuse for this at the tuition rate we paid. Even a scaled down light tent with two ten dollar lights would have given us the experience of shooting in studio lighting for small objects and displays. There is no excuse for not providing even a small scale studio set-up. A small scale set up can be made for less than a hundred dollars. The DIY instructions can be found on a fabulous website entitled DIYPhotography. [here]

Nevertheless, I learned a great deal this semester, became a fan of the late Gordon Parks and discovered my analytical ability for literature translated to photography very easily.
When I walked out of class today I thought of Meg Ryan and smiled a little smile.

An Occasional Update

2010-04-07T17:56:00.008-04:00

I have spent so much time shooting, I have had no time to update my feeds or blogs. My photog class demands so much time this semester; what is left goes to my Comp 2 class. Both classes have portfolios due next week. Are we there yet?

I had a photog essay assignment due this week; write about a photog who inspired you, blah, blah, blah. This is the shot I created as an interpretation of the product shots the photographer I emulated produced.
Frankly, I'm not sure I actually fulfilled the assignment but I like the way the shot turned out anyway considering I do not have studio space. The original inspiration can be found here at Davis Photographic.

Yes, these are the same boots I use as props for the jewelry display on occasion.

To prove the point, a shot of the photog working, taken from the reflection of a glass block wall.

For the most part, I will be off this summer. I am ready for a break, having decided not to take summer classes this year for the first time in three years. Then I thought better of it and signed up for one class just to preserve momentum. I have an agenda for the summer; put my jack loom back together and weave something worthy of use in my studio apartment. Decide how much I love wire jewelry and either commit to it or not. Clean out my closet and donate the clothes I never wear to charity.

I am planning one road trip but may end up making two. I will either be an independent vendor during Art Walk this summer or volunteer to help out. Seems like I just filled my agenda but not really. Art Walk is once per month, class will probably be three mornings per week. Cleaning out my closet has already started. The rest of my summer will be divided between weaving, wire jewelry and the camera.

None of that will happen if I do not get these portfolios done, so back to work I go.

Lucky Shots

2010-02-15T11:05:00.003-05:00

I have taken a photography class this semester; it seems all I do is read, write, shoot.
Here are a couple of lucky shots which I either did no editing except resizing
or minimal editing.

Pushed contrast 15%, glad I did. 01.30.2010

During the waiting period for the shot above, both my favorite glass and then
my favorite mug, bit the dust. No staging except to retrieve the broken glass
from the trash.

01.30.2010

Sometimes the most interesting things are right outside your window.

02.03.2010

You Cannot Go Home . . .

2009-09-21T10:40:00.003-04:00

. . . or so they say. I am not so sure. Recently my family had a double hit; my husband passed away and the death of a close friend of one of my children back to back. Our family is awash in grief. It is funny what you learn about people when faced with one knockout punch, let alone a left jab and an upper-cut delivered at the same time.

I discovered there were life-long friends who did not have the good manners and decency to say; "Sorry for your loss.", despite your support under similar conditions. I discovered how an adult child feels when a parent does not respect their wishes. I discovered how adult children still want and need your approval, and how hard it is to show them support when they make choices you would not make. You love them even more for having the courage to share, even when they know your choice would be different. And for the love of Mike, please people, do not lecture them, just tell them you love them any way you can get it out.

So, can you go home? If as they say; "Home is where the heart is." Then I think yes. Not to the old house owned by a stranger but to the heart of those who stick by you for better or worse, in good times and bad over space and time. I had the unexpected good fortune to have that demonstrated to me in full, living color, recently. I had to travel to my hometown to address family business. The death of my former spouse left me raw and adrift emotionally. An old friend stepped in and took charge, taking care of not only me but the adult child who was also bereft of the love of her life. This after more than twenty-five years of going our separate ways? Yep.

For two days, I was more myself, less the stranger I see daily in the mirror and not hating my hometown. For two days I was the young adult who's life had not gone haywire yet, I saw myself as I was, not who I became. I liked that girl, she was still sortof a loner and wandered off to pursue her own interests apart from the tribe, but not alone. She was still rootless and open to adventure and exploring the world but she had hearts to come back to, who were interested in what she brought to the table.

The adult woman's spouse is gone; the Mother has children but having them no longer defines her. The body may be creaky but the spirit thrives and is ageless. The daughter draws every drop of wisdom and love from her Mother because there are precious few days left to do so. The old friend re-evaluates who is important in her life.

Sometimes it takes the ripping at the seams of your life to show you who you are. Sometimes it takes the ripping at the seams of your life to show you who really loves and supports you. On a rare few occasions, you see both at the same time. So to have I been blessed.

PowerTwitter: just do it.

2009-06-22T11:34:00.009-04:00

Following up on the Twitter as a tool train of thought, I discovered PowerTwitter this morning. PowerTwitter is a browser AddOn. Here is the URL to add it: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/9591

Note: you will not see a nice little button in your browser like other addons. However; after you login to Twitter, you will see a tiny little popup in the lower right-hand corner of your browser window.
If you do not see it, look at your address bar and make sure your Twitter URL reads: http:// not https://. If you see the 's', just highlight it in the URL and delete the 's'.

Click the tiny 'settings' link, make sure all the options are checked, put your password in the password field on the left under your twitter username, save it., You\'re done. NOW you can see linked URLs, and a much nicer boxed link to your ArtFire page when you post your shop link. I think this tool will become invaluable when checking out who is linking to you and what their posts are about. Eliminates the step of opening a user link in a new window to see what they are all about before granting them a follow.

I hope you find this useful.

Tips for Hadmade, Artisans & Crafters

2009-06-21T12:09:00.005-04:00

I was working on my ArtFire Fusion Studio this morning, decided to pop into the forums for some inspiration, answered a post and realized I had enough content in that answer to write a blog post.
Susan Sheehan, fellow Blogspotter & ArtFire Lampwork artisan, has written a terrific series of posts on marketing and promotion using Twitter, so I'll just give you her link [here]. Could not do a better job than she has!

However, I thought I would share some thoughts on the soft side of putting yourself and your work, out there. It is no easy decision and for some like me, mentally challenging. Everytime I have to set up for a local show, I get terrible "stage fright". Anthing that could go wrong is buzzing around in my head, if something significant does go wrong, I am a mess inside untill I find a way to resolve the tension. Of course you cannot let the buying and observing public see you are shook up. How to deal?

The most important thing I have learned is; I am not my jewelry, weaving, Artist Trading Cards or other artwork. I am the artisan. My work is my work.

Second; Of my favorite pieces, if I am not ready to let them go, I should either have a picture in my portfolio or not include them in inventory until I can detach myself from them. Detaching from my work is sometimes challenging. See the above comment.
Having said that, I understand for some like me, parting with a piece I am especially proud of or when the piece's theme is personal, is tough sometimes. Two weeks ago a piece sold for which I have no portfolio picture, and the theme was personal. I created a Raggety Ann mask which sold very fast. I was not aware it had sold until some time later. I experienced a real sense of loss for a day or two despite the fact I told myself I could always make another.

Third; If I have an "ugly duckling" piece which is not selling, I remove it from inventory for a while and wear it myself. If I am not willing to wear my own work, why should I expect anyone else might?

Fourth: I strive to present a unified context for my work. What does that mean exactly? I am always trying to create a setting that does not distract from the jewelry. For example, black or neutral displays, raising the products up to eye-level whenever possible, keeping the table clutter-free and my food & beverages OFF the TABLE!
Moreover, if I am eating, I try to do it away from the table alltogether. I can think of few things more unprofessional and embarrassing than trying to talk to a customer while eating messy fair food. 'Nuff said.

Fifth; As for my Fusion Studio on ArtFire, the unified context applies there as well. My color choices, banner, user icon and other fixed elements are all within the same color family. No neon colors, only dark text and so on, make for easy reading. The idea is to make the products; jewelry and artist trading cards, the elements that shine, not the shop.
However; I put my best foot forward when it came to my banner. It reflects exactly what is in my shop, wire jewelry and artist trading cards. If I had not the ability to produce an appealing banner, I would have put in a forge request for help. Fortunately for me, I have that ability.

My work normally is seen only locally during ArtWalk in the Heartside neighborhood of Grand Rapids MI. ArtFire was everything I was looking for in an online venue. I hope these tips have given artisans and crafters something to think about.

ArtFire Fusion Studio - updated

2009-06-20T11:55:00.005-04:00

Spent the stormy night updating my ArtFire Fusion Studio. Added some jewelry to the collection. Below is a link to ArtFire.

I like this crazy banner:

Updates will be forthcoming.

Six Months Ago . . .

2009-06-18T11:01:00.005-04:00

. . . I wrote about leaving 2008 behind and this is the first time I have had the time to update since then, blame it on a heavy class load.

I took an Art for Elementary Education class; the work load was intimidating but I am very glad I took that class. Long story short, it parlays into a once per week art workshop volunteer teaching gig.
I had resigned my full-time volunteer IT position after five years, recently due to the demands of a heavier class schedule; I like the once per week commitment.

I became interested in Artist Trading Cards [atc] recently as well. I find the ATC & ACEO [art cards, editions & originals] format great for trying ideas, making use of my photography & doing studies. ATCs are the same format as any other trading card; 2.5 x 3.5" and according to tradition; not for sale, only trading. However; like most indie artists, I sell to suppliment my college student poverty, so I also researched ACEOs. ACEOs are editions and original cards specifically for sale. The philosophical thought process goes something like this; If we only trade art cards, the buying market is cut out of one of our media therefore; call them something else and sell them. Purists, art card traders sniff at this "other" form of trading, I however like to eat real food once in a while, I choose to do both. You can find my photographic cards @ http://www.artcardswanted.com/giypsy

But What Happened to your Jewelry?
Thanks for asking. I am still twisting wire, mostly copper. I love the mysterious process of patination & find copper to be more satisfying than brass. Brass has become somewhat problematic in that it reacts to humidity very fast. Copper also naturally acquires patina but it is much easier to clean up and retains a lovely warm glow even after some wear. The last large piece I produced was the copper belt which is still posted on my Flickr.

Resources:
I found a relatively new site for marketing my work, ArtFire. Unlike Etsy & EBay, there are no selling fees. Basic members are allowed ten free posts of their work, can upload their own banner and there is a "no-account" purchasing option for your customers. Sweet! If you would like your own account, use this link: www.artfire.com Verified membership currently is $12.00 per month, ridiculously reasonable. My shop will be upgraded shortly, when I do, I will be adding the wire jewelry.

If you decide you need a banner and are clueless as to how to acomplish it, drop me an email.

That about covers the last six months, unless you want to see my art portfolio from Art for Elementary Education, Art Cards or my Wire Jewelry. In that case; visit Heartside Art Gallery during the next ArtWalk; Saturday July 17, 2009 from 4-9 pm.

2008: do not look in the rearview mirror

2008-12-31T11:31:00.006-05:00

What a mess. So let me get the good news out of the way;
Yes I am satisfied with the way the elections worked out. [1]
I am interested to see how everything will play out.

Cool Points to Grand Rapidians!
I was in a department store on Christmas Eve;[2] for the first time
in recent memory. Fellow shoppers behaved themselves admirably.
It was reasonably quiet, no out of control children, no harried Moms,
everyone waited patiently and was polite. But best of all . . .

There were no guerrilla shoppers! I did not hear one chirping cell phone
the whole time I was in the store! Thank You.

The weather has been frightful, 'Nuff said.[3]

Personally this has been the fifth holiday season in a row in which
someone close to me has passed away. This year my boss; Pastor Barb Pekich
passed away on December 29.
To the Universe in General:
Please Louise can we have a break?
One year without a funeral or sickbed. Thanks ever-so-much.

To all my fam and friends wherever you are;

Season's Greetings & Happy Everything!

1 do not try to figure out how I voted, see previous post in November.
2 I vowed to avoid holiday shopping six years ago and broke my rule this year
3 My heat went out Sunday before Christmas and we are waiting on those pesky parts
even as we speak

Great Moose drawn Troikas . . .

2008-12-26T13:13:00.003-05:00

it's cold out there!

The weather this last week and a half has been the craziest holiday weather since 1978-79.
We have had a system parked over half the state just churning up snow.
Then it all froze.

On Christmas Eve there was rain-snow mix.
On Christmas, pretty much nothing other than clouds.
Today the whole thing starts over again and the temps will plunge in a day or so,
so they tell us.

Did I mention the heat went out last Sunday?
Funny thing about that heat thingy, it did not even phase me.

Merry Everything!

False Prophet(s) ? and Racists, What a week!

2008-11-12T14:55:00.004-05:00

I occasionally post at a website [not hosted by blogger.com] where Christians post and debate a variety of topics. Some topics are interesting to me and some are not. More importantly, I have been familiar with some of the people who post there for almost ten years now. Last week sometime I posted the opening prayer of the State of Kansas Senate, which was not your usual 'bless us Father' type prayer according to the source from whence it came.

For my troubles, I received a one line email from somebody I do not know telling me that if I had any spiritual insight, I would "know better". The person who thought I should "know better" blogs here on blogger.com. The author who wrote me the one liner and blogs here on blogger.com can only be identified as "christian_lady [at] hotmail [dot] com". I wrote "christain_lady" to inquire if we knew each other and to start a dialogue but not surprising, I received no reply.

So I began my due diligence, found the blog "christian_lady" has here and began poking around. I discovered the whole achem; blog consists of identifying writers from the aformentioned site as "false-prophet so and so" and then condeming the author's viewpoint about; [fill-in-the-blank]. Interestingly there is no direct way to contact "christain_lady" nor is there a profile or an opportunity to post a comment or rebuttal on the author's blog.

I am sure the people at the aformentioned site have found "christian_lady" abrasive as did I. I also find in interesting that "christian_lady" has for the last several months devoted her entire blog and writing to this one group.

Not to be outdone, in my own community I was labeled a racist. Why? Against my better judgement, I volunteered to help an organization on a temporary basis when they fell short of qualified personnel. The chairperson does not care all that much for me, got a bug-up and played the race card.

The week is only half over, Maranatha!

Go Vote! - For the Record . . .

2008-11-04T13:45:00.003-05:00

The sabbatical was very restful and productive; thanks for asking.

GO VOTE!
I voted in my precinct just before noon est; it took about a half hour start to finish.

Way to go G.R. MI!

However; I have a bone to pick with the Sec of State & the Election Commissioners; I did not get a receipt for my ballot. What's up with that? I am entitled to one, the machine had a little piece of paper sticking out of the receipt slot but did not produce anything relative to my ballot and the volunteer said; "No, you do not get one."

Huh?

Moving along. I admit I was strangely nervous this year. That has never happened to me before. I am an Independent [position not party] so I split my ballot as a matter of course. Eight years ago I had to travel on election day, was so indecisive that if I had gotten to the precinct on time, I would not have been able to leave on time. Yeah, yeah I know, I could have thought things through a little better and voted absentee but I did not.

Four years ago I was pretty disgusted with the lack of respect shown the incumbent. Win or loose, the office of President deserves respect. Despite the fact that I did not especially like former President Clinton, I never spoke of him in the disrespectful terms President G.W. Bush has been subject to for the last eight years. It is President Bush, not mister or dubya and Dr. Condoleeza Rice, not condie!

That brings us to this year; I am disgusted at the vitriol with which many people have gone after Senator McCain and the bias and disrespect shown to Governor Palin and her family. The attacks have the same visciousness as the attacks on former President Clinton. I abhor that kind of public discourse. I am disappointed with both candidates and their supporters for their blatent lack of respect for the American Voter in this election; be it Joe SixPack, Joe the Plumber or the Hockey Moms out there.
You owed us a clean, issue-driven campaign and you reneged;
Shame on All of You. [Period]

I admit I was torn and spent more time listening to the candidates, their running mates, researching party planks and trying to see a clear path than even in 2000.
In the end, I voted true to the registered independent I am, split my ticket and voted in a way I never have before both nationally and locally. I, like many Americans, hope I have done the right thing for my country. May God have mercy on this country.

Sabatical: Two weeks off

2008-10-17T12:08:00.004-04:00

The vacation or rather sabatical I was supposed to take over the summer was cut short however; due to the long anticipated clean-up after two years of construction going on all around my work, I now have two full weeks to myself. YaY!

What does this mean? What shall I do with this lovely gift of time? Frankly, I do not know . . .yet.
I do know I have plans to finally unpack the remaining boxes from my move a year and a half ago. I will mail the letter I wrote my mother a week or so ago.
After that; hmmmm.

Main Entry: ²sabbatical
Function: noun
Date: 1903
1 : sabbatical year 2 2 : leave 1b 3 : a break or change from a normal routine (as of employment): from Merriam-Webster

"But sabbatical has an older sense that provides the key to its etymology. It is an adjective relating to the Jewish Sabbath. The term sabbatical year (1599) refers to Mosaic law that declares that all slaves must be freed and debts forgiven every seven years. The educational sense focused on the seven year requirement, hence the term, although the imagery of being released from slavery was probably appealing as well.

The word is taken from the sabbatum, which in turn is from the Hebrew shabbat, denoting the seventh day of the week." (from yahoo answers)

It seems to me making use of these two weeks to renew my spirit by study, prayer and meditation might be the most fruitful use of time. Who knows what may come of it? A calmer demeanor, peace full heart, renewed energy perhaps strengthened self-discipline?
None of these things could hurt in a world so anxious and uncertain, right?

If I had known this mini-sabbatical was coming I might have chosen to go camping. In light of the circumstances though I will make do. I even have a bag of microwave popcorn leftover.
So I am off on my mini-sabbatical at the end of the workday today armed with a full study course I downloaded and my yoga mat to keep me from getting creaky. I hope to add to that study time, finishing Josephus finally!

I will return to work just in time to pull the curtain behind me and vote. No voice-mail, no email, no blogging, no distractions.
Is it four o'clock yet?

Photo: Coba from www.freeimages.com

Cool Point to ABC's reporter Brian Ross

2008-09-02T10:08:00.006-04:00

. . . for his series exposing the antics of lobbyists and convention delegates at both the DNC last week in Denver and the RNC this week in St Paul.

Not that these sorts of rule-bending shenanigans are anything new. Back in high school the event we looked forward to the most other than graduation was; "Mock Convention". Yes we did all the regular things which are part of the so-called real conventions, role call voting, crafting party planks and so forth. However we really looked forward to getting all dressed up and acting like fools to promote our candidate or party plank(s). Local talent got a chance to show off, silly hats and costumes were mandatory and a week of no classes for delegates was the real fun.

At some point we all grow up, or do we?
ABC first ran Brain Ross's piece a week ago during the DNC. Last night they ran the third in a series of reports on the lavish parties, golf outings and whatnot which big business's lobbyists provide for convention delegates; this time during the RNC despite candidate John McCain's clear request for delegates to tone it down in light of a potential repeat of the Gulf Coast's Katrina experience. Thankfully, Louisianna, Mississippi & Texas did not suffer the misery of three years ago. The President, Feds, state & local flunctionaries were on the ball this time and had contingency plans in place.

However; to those who did not heed candidate McCain's call for restraint; a big 'boo-hiss'! Even the opponents Obama & Biden targeted their message in Detroit Michigan to remember we are all in this together. Kinda makes the RNC convention slogan "Country First" seem shallow and pandering.

@ the MetroCruise

2008-08-26T11:26:00.011-04:00

Disclaimer: not to be confused with the "Dream Cruise" . . .

I'm spoiled; there I admitted it. The Metro Detroit Dream Cruise spoiled me years ago.
I grew up just north of the Dream Cruise route, had birthday dinners at Ted's and so forth. However; some years ago I moved to west Michigan and left the Dream Cruise behind.

This year a friend of mine persuaded me to attend the fledgling "Metro Cruise" on Kent County's famous 28th Street. There was a threat of rain but not until later in the afternoon. We got started about three-ish in the afternoon while it was still as muggy as a Louisianan swamp.

As it turns out; we were in the wrong spot all together for the sorts of cars we would have liked to spend the bulk of our time viewing. We stayed down on the east end of 28th street. We saw a few cars we liked but we really should have been at the half-way point. Roger's Plaza is where I will spend most of my time next year.

My Flickr photo-stream has shots from this year's Metro Cruise. I am disappointed in that I did not get near the variety or novelty I used to get from the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise. However; give Grand Rapids time, maybe two or three more years and some good weather. Then watch out metro Detroit!

@ the Office

2008-08-18T10:50:00.012-04:00

I have returned to 'the bridge' for a spell and am doing double duty in the computer lab. I forgot the one part of the old job I really missed; tutoring. I have not tutored in two years, since the last stint at the mentor desk in the lab. Yes it has been two years since I sat at this desk, broke my first bone [link], sported a 'blue-star-mom' banner, had short hair and actually taught someone something useful to benefit their life.

On a brighter note, back in June just before the first ArtWalk show, I accidentally sprayed some of my jewelry with white paint instead of clear coat. I could not get all the paint off a couple of pieces, so I processed them with a patina. At the August ArtWalk the second of those pieces sold. I'm pretty happy they were not a total waste as they are made of a particular copper fiber I cannot easily replace. I was so exhausted I did not take pictures this month. [link to flickr]

The other show I was supposed to do in July has been reschedualed for September at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Commerce St. I am looking forward to that show. I am not in as much of a panic as I was in July; I have more than enough stock to show at two different locations without short changing either location.

In October, I will be donating a piece for auction at the annual Heartside Gala. Egyptian Coil will be the thing. I'd like to create a necklace or collar of that pattern however I am running low on wire of the correct gague in copper. Perhaps there is enough brass wire? {note to self . . .}

Somehow I am missing a beautiful summer here, what happened?

Jewelry: the latest obsession

2008-06-24T13:03:00.007-04:00

So last winter I took a jewelry class for credit; I have been fiddling with metal ever since. June 14 the ArtWalk on Division Avenue commenced. I destroyed a lot of hard work by accidentlly spraying the jewelry with white enamel instead of clear coat. [sheesh!]

I frantically scrubbed the jewelry with hot soapy water so the paint would not cure; then with acetone; panic! Next I soaked all the jewelry in mineral spirits for over two weeks in an effort to salvage some of it. No avail. Now it just stinks of mineral spirits. Even my teacher/mentor David Huang could not think of anything other than burning the paint off. Finally I dumped several of my copper cable pieces into a patination process. I salvaged three pieces. Better than nothing, live and learn.

BTW, I have gotten behind updating but . . .
for you Grand Rapidians out there; don't forget the ArtWalk Season is underway!

Dates: July 12, August 9 & September 13 2008 from 4-9 p.m.
Where: Division Avenue between Weston & Cherry.

My jewelry is on display at: Heartside Gallery
48 S. Division Avenue

See You There!

The overused word of 2007 - devastation

2008-03-21T19:14:00.003-04:00

Editorial Disclaimer: in no way is this article meant to harm or disrespect those who have lost property, livelihood or loved-ones.

May we please not label everything unexpected "THE DEVASTATION"?
Since at least hurricane Katrina, every newscast and talking head refer to unexpected and unplanned events as the above phrase. The magnitude of the event seems not to matter, rather it seems that "THE DEVASTATION" is the great equalizer. If it carries that tag, the event is the worst possible event ever, in the history of the world.

I cringe whenever I see the Special Report screen; I know when they cut away to the studio, I should go get another cup of tea but I do not. What has happened to our culture that we use such a phrase so often? Are we trying to make the survivors of natural and man-made disasters feel better? Does it convey compassion to use that phrase almost exclusively when describing events out of our control?

I confess, I just do not understand modern journalism on a number of fronts however; this one phrase really gets under my skin. Let's consider pulling the college thesaurus off the shelf and thumb through while listening to that boring pitch on the phone. Or maybe it could be a new reality show; "Journalism 101" sounds kinda catchy.

Perhaps some cash prizes could be squeezed out of the print journalism moguls, or scholarships maybe?

Having recently gone through several "big issues" at work; imagine my mental state when the perfect storm finally hit. Changes in regime, software expirations looming, disharmony among the ranks, [deleted] construction workers stomping, banging and clanging overhead for months then the BIG ONE . . .

Doors off their hinges, desks in disarray, tediously long fresh installations stalled, what had the world come to while mid-terms were going on?

Seems the aforementioned [deleted] construction workers sprung a leak somewhere above the computers. One monitor had to have the
water p o u r e d out of it's insides.
Way to Go Boys!

Does this qualify as "THE DEVASTATION"? Hardly. Despite the fact that we had deadlines breathing down our necks, stalled upgrades, did we say deadlines?
Oh, right and then there were the turbo fans deafening us. Think "aircraft carrier deck" to add to the aforementioned [deleted] construction workers, our people were and still are, cranky. This personal event probably qualifies as something along the lines of; "dang, why couldn't this have happened at the begining of spring break, not the end? It's not like I went anywhere."

Hey, anybody remember our insurance agent's email address? No?

DIYhipster - finally

2007-12-05T15:17:00.000-05:00

I have been a member of DIYPlanner.com for thrity-five weeks and one day. I was a lurker for much longer. I finally came up with my own functional version of the DIYhipster. If you do not know what any of this is referring to, jump over to their site and take a look.

On that day [35wks + 1 day] ago when I became a member I published a photo of the WBF "no-plan-might-be-a-plan" mess. Somehow that photo does not survive, here is the format I finally settled on:

Waiter's Folio; portrait oriented, fits almost anywhere

4x5 4up weeklies; from which I make a little folio with one
week showing & blank dailies inside

Blue six-ring thing; staggering my punching allows the top of the next two week folio to show

A stack of recycled quarters; for notes, et cetera.

All this organizational craziness started for me when I was a child. {doesn't it always?}
My father had a desk filled with cool things that fascinated me. There was nothing like it in my toy collection. The vicious cycle begins; I cannot stop wondering what the desk contains, he forbids me to mess around in it, naturally I cannot resist. My father finds out or catches me fiddling around in the desk, life gets pretty miserable all of a sudden. Around and around it went until someone, probably the [sainted] Mother figures out that three quarters of the fascination is the stuff in the desk.

One magic Christmas, under the Christmas tree with my name on it, was a package that rattled in a most unfamiliar way. As it turns out it was an old fashioned metal album case. But oh what it contained . . .
pencils, colored pencils, a sharpener, an eraser all by itself, pens {which I had never been allowed to use before} all kinds of paper, coloring books, paper clips, glue, rubber bands, new crayons, scissors, a stapler, shiny metalic stars {there was no such thing as a sticker collection}.

The metal case probably had lots of other things I can no longer remember, including some recycled office supplies from both Mom and my father. Ever since that Christmas and the fascinating metal box, stationary stores, office supply stores, gadget stores have all been irresistible to me.

Maybe someday I will wax poetic on the subject of family history and the Scrapbooking store . . .