Is it just me, or does time go by faster the older I get? It seemed a year took ages while in elementary school; I remember it felt like 3rd grade dragged on forever.
Well another year of fun happenings has passed me by: I lost 20 pounds (granted about 12 of it was this past month alone), was able to quit my day job, got to travel around the USA a ton, had some cool shows, and got to see many friends I hadn't hung out with in years. Thanks to all the friends, family, and fans who have supported me and this whole art thang that I do, you guys are awesome!
And now for no particular reason, I give you an end of the year photo set of Milkshake to close out 2007....
So my usual "save some endangered art" Monday is a little different today. This week I'm offering a variety of prints from my punk/goth/Elizabethan/mannerist series for $3.00 a pop. And since I have 3 of each image available, you can grab more than one if you want, so they don't get lonely. These were a test run of prints from a while back, the image size is only 7 inches high on 8.5x11 inch paper, and the actual paintings have changed a bit since these were made -- I have a habit of going back and "adjusting" my artwork. Guess that sorta makes them collector items, right?
For the cheapskates out there, this week it is $3 instead of $1 for a variety of reasons: these are heavy stock glossy prints that come all fancy in a plastic pouch, hence they cost more to mail, but mostly because stamps and envelopes cost this girl money if you can feel me. But hey, it is still cheaper than a large coffee concoction at Starbucks.
So hit me up as to your choice(s): arabella@elephantstonerecords.com
Thanks everyone!
So I'm kinda drunk at the local drug store buying candy with my husband -- because chocolate after a bad night at the British themed yuppie bar that annoyed us greatly -- well, it sounded good. While in the check-out, I notice on display the Beckham's perfumes, $34.00 a pop, and you can get a free spritz. Had I been sober, I would have run the other way, but no, I wanted to know what the heck Victoria considered of her taste to market to the American people:
"Why is this different from any other celebrity fragrance? The fact that we have spent a lot of time checking all the details," said Victoria to WWD. "We are not just saying, 'We are celebrities, put our name on it.' I love to be involved with the whole process."
Um, yeah. Whatever bitch. I get in line after one little spritz of her crap on my wrist,
"Ewwww what the hell is that smell, oh baby that is Nasty, get away from me!" my husband says. Oh and in the car, "Gawd, that shit smells awful!" and in the elevator up to our apartment, "Gah, baby wash that off it stinks! Why did you put that on?"
So thank you Victoria Beckham! I was all ready and looking forward to a Saturday night of extended lovin' (totally TMI but yes I shaved everything and had my cute underwear on) and my husband won't even go near me thanks to YOU ruining my night of potential hot sex with your putrid stink of a drug store perfume. False advertising at its height. I tried washing it off....it won't come off!
If I ever meet you in person Miss Posh Spice, I won't think twice before punching you in the cooter.
Cordeleia of Kronin (1440 - 1504)
A carnival
performer since childhood, she was raised in a nomadic tribe known as
Brothers of the Serpent -- infamous for gambling, grave robbing, and
juggling. It was during her acrobatic horse riding at a festival that
she caught the eye of a wealthy architect and was sold to him by her
uncles. She had a small career as a courtesan to wealthy, but
politically unimportant men. While drunk on ginger ale at a ball, she
began to strip her clothes, and perform her acrobatic routine for the
guests. She was an overnight success; invited to perform in most
affluent homes of the day. She was no longer dependant on wealthy
partners, but became trapped into supporting relatives who squandered
her fortune. When her youth faded, she went back to her horse routine
performing for carnivals.
11x14" oil on canvas. She'll be for sale at Anxiety Gallery in Madison, WI for the "Tattoo Show" with a book signing by Mitch O'Connell.
I get a lot of stupid songs stuck in my head. Sometimes, it can be for years. Some drive me crazy, while others just kinda sit there and it don't bother me much. What bothers me more is that they can range from 70s rock to commercials. A list of some repeat offenders?
"Informer" by Snow
"Hair of the Dog" by Nazareth
the Charmin commercials with those damn bears.
This scene from Teen Witch, and it doesn't help that hubby and I sing it to each other all the friggin' time!
This piece from Esquivel
This song from the movie Team America, although any Trey Parker song I get stuck in my head easily.
and ever since I rented this movie Orchestra Wives, I Got A Girl in Kalamazoo has been stuck in my head for too long.
So what do these have in common? That's what I would like to know.
So much visual overload this weekend:
If you are in the D.C. area tonight, I'll be showing 5 portraits along with some other kickass artists in Alexandria @ Art Whino Gallery. In Cleveland tonight, there's a Derek Hess holiday sale and exhibit @ Kelly-Randall Gallery in Tremont. Also at Grey's Auctioneers is an exhibit by Scott Miller
Other than that, I am finally settling into my new book about Titian, got myself a copy of L.A. based Artillery, a totally overpriced Italian fashion magazine of runway photos, a zine called Nostalgia Digest that has Danny Kaye on the cover (so of course I had to buy it), the new issue of Hi Fructose that has a little advertisement of yours truly...
and of course anytime I order something from Last Gasp Books they send fun stickers and awesome catalogs full of yet more books I want. Not to mention, my stuff arrives super fast and packaged all fancy-like. I don't know how it has happened but between all this stuff, the music, cooking and sports magazines, my coffee table and my bathroom have been taken over. Hard to think that not long ago a $3.50 magazine at the grocery check-out was like a big splurge to me.
My pal Shannon Okey has a new book out now with co-author Alexandra Underhill called AlterNation. Christ, how many books has Shannon done now? She's a machine I tell you.
A pair of cowboy boots painted by me make an appearance, and on a total vanity note, I even model...without make-up or washed hair! Scary. I don't think lip balm counts as make-up does it? Anyways...
AlterNation is designed to teach even the novice sewer how to design their own clothes by transforming thrift store finds.
There's some super cute projects in it. A perfect gift for the stitchy/crafty chick in your life.
Shit.
From Bear and Bird Gallery:
"Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of lowbrow art destroyed in Miami fire.
Hundreds of amazing and beautiful lowbrow paintings and artwork were destroyed this morning when a fire broke out in Miami Wynwood Art District's Harold Golen Gallery - the current exhibition was especially important due to the international art fair Art Basel, which wrapped up this past Sunday.
Among the paintings that were lost are the work of Ron English, Tim Biskup, Niagara, Mars One and most notably Skot Olsen.
The now destroyed show was called "Subjective Reality" and featured at its center ALL of the new neo-psychedelic artwork of Skot Olsen, which has taken years to complete. Destroyed in the fire were a dozen paintings by this lowbrow/pop surrealist artist who unveiling his new direction and more realistic painting style at Art Basel show this weekend.
All that remains of his work are a few prints available on the artists website: Saint Psilocybe & Saint Elyse's Epiphany. http://www.skotolsen.com/purchase/prints.php
Obviously, Skot Olsen is shocked and heartbroken and could use any support that the art community can muster. A year of work down the toilet! :-o
Also news coverage at:
http://www3.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI70321/
http://www.local10.com/news/14821045/detail.html
and sure to be ongoing throughout the day."
Most of my dreams since about 1998 are always nightmares -- every night. Seriously they can be pretty messed up. It is very stressful, not to mention I've gotten really good at having to kill people and odd creatures in them. I've never fired a gun in my life, but in my sleep I know exactly how to load an M-16, every time. So on the rare occasions I have non-carnage related nightmares, I take notice.
In the past few days I've had dreams about the band The Chamber Strings for some reason. We're all best buddies and go on vacations together and stuff. Strange and totally random. My husband did used to know the singer, and we saw them play any time they came to Los Angeles -- but still. Now we have discovered there is a documentary about them, which funny enough has a shot of my husband's old magazine, Vendetta, in the first part...
The second dream was odd. It has been a while since the fiasco we attended to see Adam Franklin (and ended up never actually seeing his band perform), but I had a dream that he was my luv-ah! I guess I must have been a widow or something, because dude, we were in love and getting married. He was actually trying to schedule our honeymoon around the Swervedriver world tour coming up. It was very strange.
Well, I'm off to Cincinatti for a while, but I thought I'd share my odd indie rock dreams with 'ya.
Some photos I took on Saturday...
