A walk around the neighborhood

I was inspired by DebR's walk around their property earlier this week. So yesterday I grabbed the camera when I took both dogs for a walk around our neighborhood. It was 80F, 20% humidity and about 1 pm.

Enjoy.

Katy gets "geared up" first, and hooked to the fence waiting for Jake and me. She knows a good walk is coming.



With both dogs in the lead, we leave our court and heading to Turquoise, the main street in our development. We will head downhill, and back up Emerald (that street coming in from the right up ahead).


Just past Emerald. The road is curvy.


Approaching Jade Court, then an open space. That is San Pablo Bay in the background.


A "melon" colored house with deep pink trim. Remarkably, considering my Midwest upbringing, I've gotten used to seeing this house and it doesn't look strange anymore.


We're heading down into all those houses...


Now a horticulture lesson. This is a Chinese Pistache (yes, it's related to the pistachio tree). It's guarenteed to give you fall color up to zone 10!!


Just past that streetlight up head we will be heading back uphill.


Here we are... bottom of Emerald and heading up to home.


Another Chinese pistache with a bit more color to it.


This house is worth $750,000. But it's a rental so nobody takes care of the outside. Aren't you glad this eyesore isn't next to you??


Jake, doing what dogs do on walks: sniffing.


OK. Pull your toes up toward your knees as high as will go. That's how steep this section of the walk is. But we're almost home.


Home again, home again. Jiggity-jig!!


If you've read carefully (or not so carefully)... when people refer to our "neighborhood" they call it what? (it even appears on the buses coming up the street...)

Experimental studies, 1 and 2.

A couple weeks ago I mentioned a watercolored piece I painted up. This is companion to the oil pastel piece I showed last month. I painted it all up (and THOUGHT I posted a picture, but I can't find it). I cut up the panel into several pieces, and fused the best parts to Peltex.

Then, what to do? So last week I had an inspiration that I've been playing with. Take a background piece of fabric that is not the same.. but similar. And place these cut up elements on top of the background fabric in such a way that the 2 seem to "have a conversation".


Part one of the experiment above. The background piece was quilted first. I played with placing elements on it before deciding that this was the one! But I haven't worked on what I've decided will be the foreground piece yet. It's just placed there.


I decided to play with the foreground elements first... so I started working on those. (this is an evolving process). I'm not overly fond of the "pie" piece above, but I'm not sure what to do with it. So for now it's hanging out here. The large piece on the upper right hasn't been stitched yet, so you can get a small idea what things look like "pure" and "stitched".


Well, that's not completely accurate. I've started stitching the gold, here. And you might be able to see that I will quilt in the continuation of the circle on the background.


Small piece, all stitched. The stitching isn't so dense that it obscured the "fuzzy" nature of the painting, but it does reinforce the shapes. I really need to snip those threads!!



The "pie" piece... with the elements stitched and the edges overstitched.
I hope to have both pieces completed (to the binding of the background) by Friday.

This TV season...

First, I have been playing with an idea.. and making a couple "studies" to see if/how this idea might work out. Stay tune. I should have pictures later today.

So in the meantime, Deborah asked what I would be watching this tv season (since my favorite summer tv show RockStar-- ended).

I will admit to the world, I think of reality tv as great summer escapism, but I rarely watch it during the regular season unless all the regular shows are in repeats. Last season I was not charmed by The Amazing Race, one of my past summer escapes, and this year's iteration with families... totally does not appeal to me. I miss The Mole, which I really liked.

Before I list my viewing choices, I need to mention that Steve retires for the evening at 9 pm. (he rises at 4:30 am), so I often tape shows that are broadcast later if he is interested in viewing them. So I get "two-fers" at some times.

So, my viewing schedule for the regular season:

Sunday: Watch: West Wing, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy.
Tape: PBS Mystery series, if I like them. New Sherlock Holmes coming later this month.

Monday: Watch: Monday night football if I'm home. Medium.

Tuesday: Watch:NCIS, House.
Tape: Boston Legal. and Commander in Chief.

Wednesday: Watch: Lost and Invasion (I think. I'm getting these "alien invasion" ones confused.)

Thursday: Watch: ER
Tape: CSI and Without A Trace.

Friday: The scifi programs when they are new.

Saturday: I'm confused but a bit pleased that every network chooses to repeat shows from the week on Saturday nights.

When they are new: The 4400 and Dead Zone. I was totally unimpressed with the last set of Monk that I won't be watching anymore.

During October, I will be spending a lot of time watching playoff baseball... when it's over it's gone until next April... I've got to fill up. I will cheer against the Yankees... and have chosen the Chisox as my AL favorite team this year. Don't care who plays for the NL... they will lose. (sorry Deb L.)

Crappy SBC...

Last week I was supposed to switch over the SBC DSL service. Let's be serious... earthlink is charging me $60/month.. and SBC has a deal for $15/month. It should be a no brainer. When I ordered the service I told the clerk I didn't need HARDWARE, merely the SOFTWARE to make the change. They gave me a day that things would switch on. Got to that day, and still no software in the mailbox.

Turns out my order taker, checked NEEDS NOTHING as I didn't need any hardware. Three people later, some guy in India says they will send me the CD... but it will take about 10 days to get here.

So today "the CD you requested" arrives. Tech support sent me the DSL support CD. Nice, but I don't have any software to actually, like, need support for. And it wants things my DSL address. (which, since I haven't officially signed in or anything... I don't have).

Call the DSL support line again.

The cheerful little computer operator says I can order the CD online... but look through their website and "ask the question" in the search box.. and nothing comes up. Gee, these clowns are just SOOO FRIGGIN HELPFUL.

So I call their support AGAIN. This is time #4, I think. I go through the "talking to the computer BS"... and get queued for a real person.

This is 4:30. I finally speak to John. at 4:37. John is helpful. He says if I have the time we might be able to do this manually in real time. Wish I had known this earlier, but at the moment I don't have the time. He offers to send me the software CD, which... instead of the 10 days I've told in the past, he says I will have in 3 days by UPS ground. Things might be looking up.

Then again... we'll see what happens in 3 days.

(hears this voice in her head: you get what you pay for...)

ToDo Monday

1. Ship Eucalyptus down to PIQF. (1/2 hour)

2. Sift compost, spread around fruit trees. (1 hour)

3. Clean studio. (2 hours)

4. Continue work on the experimental pieces from last week. (maybe pictures later this week). (afternoon)

5. Prep fabric for some painting or dyeing this week. (1 hour, most combined with cleaning).

6. Work on images for carving into stamps. (tonight while watching tv).

Serenity, The B-D Movie

I saw Serenity this afternoon.


After months of anticipation, I have slightly mixed feelings. I think it's adjusting my expectations of the movie with the actual product.

Remember that I am a HARD critic. My standards are set HIGH. I have seen 5 movies this year (more than any year for over 2 decadeS). This is the best movie I've seen this year. In fact, on the SciFi scale... I'd rank this just below the original StarWars... and equal with Wrath of Khan, scoring it the 2nd place in SciFi standing.

But it wasn't the movie I expected. Though I don't know what movie I expected.

Whedon returned to his original vision of Firefly... with a harder, less happy Mal. Whedon also added backstory that made the movie accessible to those who never saw the TV show, but that slightly threw me. The movie is about Mal as captain, and River as fugitive. It places all the other crew members in the background. They are almost cyphers of themselves.

And, though everything said that yes they were in the movie (and they were) Sheppard Book and Inara were not travelling on Serenity when it began. Book never returned to Serenity. So there was yet another mental adjustment. It took time to adjust to the new reality.

Still the story hung together well. And the fight scenes were fabulously choreographed. We learned something important about this universe. And I was again reminded that Whedon used architecture to set the "feel" of each planet more effectively than most directors.

There were a couple really sad moments, and moments of heroism. The movie ended in a way that more satisfactorily wrapped up the story. It is finished and I can save it as a distinct universe now. (like a star trek universe, or a stargate universe) that until today felt incomplete.

The one thing I really missed in the movie: a final "everyone around the table talking and laughing" scene. I went in craving that.. and left without that craving being satisfied. Have that scene in the movie, and it would have been perfect.

Painted Shoes

First things first: I'm off to see SERENITY this afternoon!!! Review coming. I am such a happy browncoat today!!

Now to the real purpose of this blog. Painted shoes:


Don't remember if I've posted these before... or just promised to post them. But Serena mentioned painting shoes, so these need to be seen again. My "back yard" makes a great backdrop, too.



They are boots from GoodWill, painted with Jacquard acrylics and Lumiere paints. Just gussied up freehand until they said they were done. (yes, these are the shoes I wore to lunch with Gabrielle). They were inspired by the pair on the cover of Threads a year or so back.



And the reason for mentioning them now? I just got this pair from Zappos. They are QUARKS.. and that strange plasticy stuff that Crocs are made from. They are so plain... they are screaming for some gussying up. And since I told the other DebR that I would stand in for her at PIQF... these red shoes may be my "red shoes" at the show.

So, what would DebR paint on her shoes??? Spirals? Suns? Tarot card symbols??

Simple Still Life #2 (one and a shadow)

I am not overly fond of Halloween, when I saw this votive pumpkin in the sunshine... with the mouth making a shadow that looks like it's uvula... how could I not use it? (Hey!! Uvula is not a dirty word... it's that hangy-down thing in the back of your throat. Really.)

Now what to do ? what to do? The easy thing would be make up some Halloween fabric cards. And how to represent the shininess of the pumpkin?

Why Pets are Important...

Got this (and more) in an email. But I had to share it with everyone.

WHY PETS ARE IMPORTANT.

They have great expectations.


They help when you're down.


They know who's boss.


They protect the little ones.


They love their teddies.


They make great holiday accessories.


They communicate well.


They can teach us how to relax.


They know when we need a laugh.


And they can teach us how smile.

and smile.


And Laugh


and laugh...

What makes an artist, the discussion continues.

There is this fabulous discussion going on in Gabrielle's comments. It needs to be brought out into the public, so instead of writing a tome as a comment, I'm blogging some of my reactions here for the world to see.

This all started when Gabrielle, responding to Nicky's comments on creating for the market vs. our vision, posted her partial list of an artist's responsibilities. One item was:

-To evoke some response from the viewer whether good or bad

And Pat commented that she did not believe that art needed to be seen to be art. Which leads to the whole... when is it art question. Gabrielle responded, and Pat said:

My first reaction is this: there are plants the world over producing beautiful flowers that are never seen. That is just what is so. Why is it art must be seen? It has value by virtue of beingness. It has value because the artist moved something from the inside to the outside reality. The artist sees the work. Sometimes that is what is most important - to see one's truth mirrored back in one's work...

First, those flowers that are never seen are not art. The plants creativing those flowers do not think of their flowering as art (well, they don't think at all), nor do they call it art.

Secondly, Pat's statement needs to be qualified that they are never seen by humans. But they do not flower for the benefit of humans. They flower to attract the birds/insects/animals that will help pollinate them. If those pollinators do not see them, the species will cease to exist. And those pollinators are the ONLY IMPORTANT "viewers" of the flowers. We humans are totally inconsequential.

Art, created by humans, exists purely for humans.

And while the creative spirit may be fed and satisfied by the work, the work does not become art until it creates a reaction in someone. Until that point, it is personal creative expression and potentially art.

Jenny G. commented that: Well.....I agree that not everyone lives up to their creative potential, and in THAT way "not everyone is an artist". I DO think the capacity for creativity is universal and very much a part of what it means to be human.

I think we need to distinguish between creative potential, artistic ability and being an artist.

While I have a small talent for writing, I do not possess all the skills necessary to be a writer. Nor do I call myself one. In the same way.. one may have creative potential, but that does not make one an artist. And using that creative potential may satisfy something inside us, but that still doesn't make us an artist. It makes us creative.

The public display of art... the sharing of the artist's vision with the world and the worlds' reaction to that vision is the differentiating factor between "creative potential" and "artistic ability".

It strikes me that much of this discussion centers around what we mean by the words: creative, artistic and ARTIST. So what is needed here? Do we need a clearer definition of terms? Fuller understanding? Published lexicon (would anyone consult it or would they argue whether the words meant what they said they meant?). I'm not sure. But this sure was interesting to contemplate.

THEY HEARD US!!

(Or they herd us...)

Flipped over th HGTV thinking it was time for Simply Quilts... nope, too early. However, instead of the dreadful Typical Mary Ellen that has been preceeding SQ... it was Matt and Shari and Room by Room.

They recognized how truly dreadful the TME show was and either cancelled or moved it!!

Speaking of RbR... I really want to know if Shari is related to Suzie Hiller. You may have seen Suzie on PBS cooking fund raisers... She's a Cleveland area caterer... and used to run a book search business, too. (she helped me suprise Steve one year with a book he'd lost and really wanted). I can just SO see these two as being related.

A total timewaster...

Ok, I am feeling better this week... and even better than that... I am inspired by last weeks works to follow that into a new direction.

So I will spending time this week at the sewing machine!! Hopefully in a few days I will have photos to share of my experiments...

In the meanwhile, to entertain you while I'm working... I am going to share a fabulous timewaster of a website:

ZeFrank. ZeFrank has lots of fun stuff on it... from the flower maker (seen on Croque -Choux's blog a few days ago... ) to poems from neutered dogs...to communication #1 (which teaches us about alternative punctuation). Infact you will waste time at this site that the average 47 seconds that you spend reading this blog.

I envy Ze Frank...

Let's just say, DebR made me do this... ( and Gabrielle will follow I'm sure...)

Upstanding citizen You scored 63% Do Gooder, 60% Drive, and 64% Intellectual

(My personal additions to the canned text look like this) You are a lovely person and probably one of the best human beings out there. (Can you see me blushing??) You care about people, but you also care about yourself. You are intelligent, but not over-the-top. You are resourceful and take pridein helping others, but you're not an annoying 'goody two shoes.' I admire your ability to get out there and do something with your life. You probably think that it's better to do something yourself than to ask someone else (well, can anyone else actually DO IT? AND DO IT RIGHT? I think not!) and I'm apt to agree. This is one of the best categories you can get (So THERE everyone else!!) so be proud. All human being categories are: Lazy SOB, Rebel w/out a Cause, Evil Mastermind, Henchman, Criminal, Dictator, Frat Boy, Socialite, Philosopher, Stunt Double, Upstanding Citizen, Teacher, Cheerleader, Sister Mary DoGood, Benefactor, Loyal Sidekick, Candy Striper, Goody Two-Shoes. (Jeez, I really wanted to be known as a Lazy SOB!!! Let me take this again... I can change my ways!!!)

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 20% on Do Gooder You scored higher than 40% on Drive You scored higher than 80% on Intellec

Link: The What Type of Human Are You? Test written by weeredIII on Ok Cupid

Now I want to fly outta Sacto...

They are installing this neat project at the Sacremento Airport. A carpet that shows the course of the Sacremento River. You can read about the project here.

Ya know when there are art projects that make you want to go to airport (like the light show in the tunnel at O'Hare...) it says something good about public art. I LOVE creative public art installations.

Ok, my favorites are Ruth Asawa's sculpture at the Hyatt on Union Square. A case of loving the story of it's creation as much as the piece.

The colored neon light tunnel at OHare...

Free Stamp in Cleveland... well I love the story of it more than the actual piece, though my memory is a bit different. When originally ordered from Oldenburg, the stamp had no identified text on it. It was to stand outside the BP headquarters perfectly upright. But city officials and most of the public didn't like it, so it was stored. A later BP president didn't like paying for the storage.. and Oldenburg wasn't thrilled to have a piece not visible. They "virtually" set the stamp where it was originally designed for, then pretended it was knocked away. Where the model landed is where it was installed... lying on it's side... discarded. And the text was added then.

What are some of your favorite public installations? I think I'd rather see this blogged about on your blog than just mentioned as a comment here...

Come on people... inspire me.

Isn't this Better???

See, I've taken the notes from yesterday's post and made a few changes. Got rid of both wedge shapes, and turned them into their own circles. Moved a couple lines to eliminate a few of those awkward connection spots. Who can see the 2 weird spots in this picture? (hint: it's where circles meet). I've changed it in working.








I played with painting it, too. But once again, the paint I tried as a resist didn't.

I will need to talk to Dharma about what resist I need to get that will actually work as resist if I continue to use my sloppy, wet painting technique. Each circle is it's own color: blue, yellow, red, and green?? And the paint all blends at the overlaps... which I love.

I'm actually thinking of making this a large quilt piece. I've spent a whole lot of today thinking about how to make this... and whether where I choose to try and show it may influence how I try to construct it.

Explanation of Living/medical lesson/and a sports rant...

People have asked what needs to be changed on this sketch. So I'll say what I see "wrong". This is good for me to verbalize my thoughts.

On the left hand side, there is an "archy-wedge" that starts near the center and moves toward the upper lefthand edge. That shape to me works against moving the eye over the piece. It either blocks the movement, or moves it off the page. So I may simplify it, or turn around to make it work. Also, looking at this as potential quilt...on that same left hand side... the one vertical band comes down but doesn't obscure all of the main arc... leaving a really awkward little spot. That needs to be simplified.. and it can be by moving the band a little. Lower right hand corner, if the circle is moved just a smidge, more of those "windows" will be indicated... again easier to construct. Just things like that... simplifying junctions with too many lines coming together... and adjusting shapes.

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Now the medical lesson of the day... shingles typically lasts 4-6 weeks. I'm on meds to control/stop the rash part... but the itchiness/nerve pain is separate and that's what I'll be dealing with for a while. Residual nerve pain can continue for months. Shingles is the Chicken Pox virus (herpes zostrix?) that stays in the body after one has been infected (in my case.. at 7... too many days sitting in a tub of luke warm water with baking soda mixed in. And beginning a long-running affair with Calamine Lotion). In some people, stress and poor diet combine to "let" the virus come visit again... embedding itself along one nerve in the body and working it's charm.

The simple clues you have shingles: a rash, or a burning/itchy sensation that is only on one side of your body... usually your trunk but occasionally the head.

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Now I know most of you great readers are not the crazed baseball fan that I pretend to be.. and do indeed become this time of year. So please bear with me.

Each division of the American League is down a battle for first place... and a major battle for the Wild Card team. The National League is far more settled. So WHY does ESPN continue with their overweighted coverage of NL baseball to the almost total exclusion (except of course those Damnable Yankees and Hated Angels... big market teams) of the AL???

Who cares about Pittsburgh? And if I wanted to watch the Braves.. they have their own friggin cable!! How about showing the White Sox/Indians game.. that, gosh, actually means something!!

(takes a deep breath)...
Just wait until October...

Wednesday's Work

This is the second experiment painting on fabric. (initially I'm calling this The Jury is Out... cause the sketch came from my day on jury dury). This is the one with the potato-starch resist, that didn't work as well as I had hoped. But I hadn't posted a photo of it yet. After taking this picture, I cut the piece up into 3 sections, they are small but the composition on each seems to be better. Still don't know if I will do anything with them, except maybe making postcards from them. I'm not terribly with their look.



And this is a doodle that I painted up a several weeks ago. It needed re-doing; there are major flaws with the design. So this morning I started working on this just before I took part in a conversation about the parts of ourselves we show publicly online/ hide from strangers online.



I sketched throughout the conversation... letting the ideas of the conversation influence what I added and took away from the sketch (is this like a living rorshach test?). The result of that hour is started here: Living at the Intersection of "US" and "THEM". This isn't the final sketch, though, as I see several lines that still need to be changed in this. Then deciding how to color it.


I've noticed that I usually name my work based on what I was thinking/doing/seeing at the time that I worked on the piece. Doesn't effect anything in the work.. doesn't give it meaning to anyone except myself. But it's kind of a shorthand to help me remember. Like documenting what's going on in my head.

And to document what's going on ON my head... (and no, I haven't joined the Self-Portrait Tuesday stuff)... here's a photo of my shingles. Fuzzy to protect the easily nauseous. They DO look like chicken pox, though, don't they?


Went out to supper tonight... spicy Thai eggplant that made my nose run (in a good way)... and coconut milk icecream to cool that heat. Then an evening of season premiere tv...

Things are getting better...

Am I glad I was aware of what was happening to me (ie, the shingles). I knew on Saturday what was probably happening... but couldn't get in to a doctor until Monday. Still I got there early and on the meds early. While the meds only mean that I shouldn't have a whole lot of rash to deal with, when the nerve involved effects your eye, that's a good thing.

I think all those horoscopes telling me to worry less and eat better were right on. So folks listen to those horoscopes!! (Can you believe I'm writing that???). I also believe it's not coincidence that it struck when I knew I'd be home alone for 10 days. So I have no requirements except to relax and

So I'm taking things easier. I really don't feel too bad. I'm not too sick (you can get good flu-like symptoms), and the pain/itch thing seems to come and go. So I guess I have a light case. Thank Goodness.

Not very creative this week, though.

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I am trying to enjoy the start of the new tv season. Watched How I Met Your Mother...cute but nothing special. My Name Is Earl: not as impressed as I wanted to be. Caught a couple of the new alien/mystery/long arc shows and was unimpressed so far. So at the moment, I guess I'm unimpressed.

Don't watch Survivor, and won't watch this round of Amazing Race... I liked the show at the beginning, but didn't particularly care about the people last year.. and families?? Nope. Not interested at all. But some of the old standby's are starting soon... hope they pick it up.

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Now my final RockStar comments. Yeah, I wanted Marty to win, but after watching the show, JD will be a good fit. Mig wasn't every going to be their front man. And they only promise one record and one tour (something like a 1-2 year committment). I'm guessing the guys can knock some maturity into JD in that time. Wonder what the contract will say in the way of his compensation?

Didn't everyone really want to hear what the band was saying when they were deliberating?

But asking for people to send in their tapes already for a show next summer?? who will that singer be working with?

So people along the gulf lose their roofs..

and I get shingles!!

Ya know how I've been writing lately that I'm feeling a bit stressed?? (Have I actually written this??) Guess I was underestimating how stressed I felt. I've come down with a case of Shingles. And... even better... it's on my head/face!!

Now everyone repeat: DON'T SCRATCH, DON'T RUB, DON'T TOUCH. Not that doing those things will do anything significant.. but it just makes it hurt worse. And I suppose I could get another scar. Alrighty then...

I'm feeling a bit under the weather.. this is like a mild flu ... and my left eye is a bit swollen. So i won't be doing anything very energetic for the next couple days. Steve is in Europe (bringing me home Belgian chocolates).. so it's just me and the dogs. As long as they get fed and let out, they won't complain.

So I'll take it easy, and veg out...