Hi yall,

Last year around my birthday I set a goal (one of many) to become an exhibiting artist. It had everything to do with being more mindful, focusing intently on where I wanted to go with my art and developing a personal art style.

I remember being so excited dropping off my artworks. I knew everyone who entered may not make it based on the amount of entries.

Well, I made it. 

It's a fucking big deal for me too. I am beyond overjoyed. It's my reminder that any step in the direction you want to go is a step in the right direction. The Five by Five Event takes place this evening at the Tampa Bay Musueum of Art. All the art is donated and is for sale to support the arts. All artwork donated is done so annonymously, so I won't show what was donated until later.

If you can make it out, it will be my pleasure to meet you.

Glenyse in Real Simple Magazine, August 2016

Hey hey everyone, I'm back. Probably briefly. I just wanted to write a long post about what's going on with me. I was in Real Simple Magazine, September 2016 issue. It was pretty awesome!

I am exhibiting two little artworks on October 21 at the 5th Annual Five By Five Event. All the artwork in the show is 5 by 5 inches, and the art will be sold for charity. FIVE by FIVE has raised nearly $50,000 for the Arts Council of Hillsborough County’s Individual Artist Programs. I'm excited about it, and will post the art I submitted after the event. 

Chicago and Las Vegas quick trip

If you know me personally, you know my story about Chicago and Las Vegas. My grandmother is hitting 90 in November, 2016…she and I are pretty close. We were both born on Thanksgiving Day. (Crazy). I wanted to see her before the rest of my family all made the trip for her 90th birthday. I’m selfish; I wanted to see her all by myself before her birthday so I flew to Vegas in early October 2016. She has been a bowler for over four decades! Check her out in her weekly bowling league, tearing the lanes up and picking up her spares.

But, I went to Chicago first

I bookended my Las Vegas trip with a 24-layover in Chicago. I took the time to check out my cousin Roy “DJ Frost” move the crowd at the Red Pepper Lounge. He has come a LONG way, and I’m such a fan of his. Here we are together:

Glenyse and cousin Roy "DJ Frost" Hardy

What I’ve been consuming the recently:

I'm in love with Instagram: Belinda, that rabbit….OMG. I thought the rabbit was a doll. It’s real. Check out Belinda's artwork: soothing, contemporary and beautiful. I have mad respect for her as a working artist, boss and mama.

Caroline is always showing movement, and the beauty of people. 

I love the collage work of Pablo.

Newsletters by Blavity, Ann Freidman and NextDraft. Not necessarily in that order.

Anatomically it looks comfortable. But what if you have fibroids?

“When you do something that nobody has ever quite done before, you think people will be excited and curious about it, but that’s not the way the world works. When you do something that no one has done, it’s unfamiliar. There are a lot of people who react negatively to the unfamiliar because that’s not the way it’s done. You just have to persevere.” This is what I think about why everyone should keep creating your art, whatever that art is. Insightful interview with Krista Tippett of On Being in the The Great Discontent.

In addition to the interviews on the TGD website, TGD also produces a print magazine, and podcasts too. I listened to Damani Baker and Frank Chimera chat about "why money equals time, rethinking the value of our work, and the risks of independent making" on this podcast.

I like listening to podcasts while I am making art, but find it hard to listen to them while at my day job. Requires a different a kind of concentration I suppose. I listen to jazz24.org while at work, it’s free, 24-7 jazz music programming. I pop in my singlet earpiece so I can still hear everyone talking, at the same time getting some quiet and a buffer to focus at work.

Thanks for reading (and catching up on where I've been)!!! VOTE!