Some things on my mind right now: New Orleans. New Orleans. New Orleans. I had a ticket to New Orleans, when a hurricane came and turned the airport into a morgue. Praying for New Orleans tonight.
My muggy studio. Want to see it? This is about as "neat" as I can get. Note the freshly printed cards:
My website is horribly outdated, my Etsy shop views went back to single digits, and no one comments on my blog.
Is it a coincidence that we just watched the 70's version of Invasion of The Body Snatchers or what?
It's the frustrating struggle of believing that the people around you have become disinterested and cold, but they try to convince you that you are in fact paranoid.
You want to know the truth, though? I'm starting to think that I LOVE neurosis.
Just for fun:
And then there's the pig squealing Pod People but, BE AWARE there's a spoiler here:
(Little factoid about my childhood, I watched the 70's version at a tender age - like 7 or 8, and was rightfully traumatized by the idea that my loved ones could turn into aliens by merely falling asleep.) And this would be my FAVORITE scene, with its SYMMETRY and AMAZING GRACE ---- which was played by bagpipes at my Granddad's funeral. (I love you, Granddad. I miss you. I still wear your flannel shirt.)
But Ladies & Gents, I'm more productive than ever! I'm currently busy like a little art-makin' machine, printing every Wednesday & Monday after work at the IPRC and kickin' butt with the rototiller in our backyard (makin' a new bed for next year's garlic crop.) I'm currently purchasing a new and better digital camera. I was considering the Canon Power Shot Elph, but someone is currently trying to convince me otherwise. We'll see what happens. Here's a rubbing of a new BLOCK PRINT I'm working on, based on a painting on the Mt. Tabor Drinking Reservoir:
It's been quite a month! I mean, you know, I got married and yadda yadda yadda....
Do I really believe that? Can't say for sure. I just liked the idea of someone googling "painful memories" and finding me.
Do you really believe in yourself? How often can you say that you do. Without lying. Just checking.
This weekend we camped at Tucker Park, it's out of the way and full of ambitious wind surfers & bikers, which I am not, but it makes for a great place for us slackers to camp, there's no competition except for the coveted spots along the rocky part of Hood River. We found a private spot in the woods for our camp. My husband was very proud of his camping efficiency, and I would like to honor that. And we hiked up to Lost Lake Butte (Lost Lake campsites were full & noisy, as usual.) The trail up to Lost Lake Butte is uphill the entire way. There is no plateau until you reach the summit. So that means a lot of believing in yourself every time you step. And, well, I remembered that one of my favorite sounds besides the sound your feet make when they step in snow, or the sound of flamenco dancers, or the squish of separating avocado halves, is the sound that feet make when they step down on Old Growth Trails. That is a very special sound. But when you're hiking uphill, it is not the only sound. Other sounds include noisy birds and the sound of your heart beating as you ascend 3000 + feet. Yes, your heart races. Thumpthump. Thumpthump. And, when we made it to the top, Mt. Hood was obscured by clouds - so disappointing! But we climbed into a rock cliff, and saw the zigzag patterns made by the doug firs in the Mt Hood forests. There's no replicated that. I took photos, but we'll have to wait for that.
And every step down I took after the vistas, I wondered. What the hell am I doing. Making art. Do I believe in that. Like a nurse must believe in her "reviving a patient" skills. I dunno. I had a list of questions I got from Tony Smith, father of Kiki Smith, the amazing artist, but I must have misplaced the questions in the attic. I'll save them for another post. But in a nutshell, it's this: what are you doing, and more importantly do you believe in what you are doing.
So I'm asking y'all. Tell me if you believe in what you're doing, and why. And whether this is something you tell yourself everyday, or only when you are held accountable. I know I'm putting you on the spot. My reconciliation to you is that if you answer these questions, I will answer them, too, as honestly as possible.
And well since I don't have any photos to post of our camping trip, I'll leave you with this. It's something very disturbing I found on you guessed it You Tube, the lazy man's place for obscurama. It's one of my favorite bands of all time, Os Mutantes, doing some very bizarro advertisements for an oil company. It further obscures the idea of art, I'd say.
I'm pleased to announce this rainy Portland summer has motivated me to set up a Flickr account. Right now you can view the flamenco paintings that were up at Flying Rabbit Gallery this past spring. Just scroll to the right down there and go for the moving squares. View as slide show for best results. Or, as the blog moves, try clicking here:
