5 posts tagged “economy”
- Making progress on my Thomas Kinkade-like painting, it is harder than I thought to paint in a different style and be disgusted by it at the same time.
- Trying to not lose it while my friend lays in the hospital. Mentally preparing myself for another visit where I'm not sure if things will get better or if I'll have to say goodbye.
- Halloween art show on Friday to look forward to at Low Life Gallery in Collinwood, free booze, candy, stuff!
- Trip to newly opened art museum with in-laws this weekend.
- Am extremely grateful to those buying my art in these days of economic fun-fun-happy-times, a happy surprise indeed.
- Getting ready to suss out N. Carolina as a potential move and visit friends/family.
- Trying to figure out how to live off the grid. Being a drifter who works odd jobs, pays everything in cash, has a network of PO boxes across the country, and lives at various motels sounds more and more appealing than being a responsible adult who pays taxes while getting screwed by her health insurance coverage. I'd rather see a mob doctor for a quick fix paid in cash than legit medical institutions these days. I'm also about ready to start keeping my money in a sock, or floorboard, or cool hidden compartment like a serial killer would have. I'm also damn glad I don't have a mortgage right now, truthfully, I don't think I ever want to own as I want the freedom to take off and go new places when I want.
Sometimes I see parts of Cleveland that I wonder, "why don't they bomb it and start over?" Endearing? Not really. An assault on the senses? Yes maybe just a tad. These are always the parts that good ole MapQuest will send you through in any city, really.
I buy weird stupid "luxury" items I don't need. I just do. Okay maybe not the wasteful kind of stupid, like an expensive car or hair extensions. But you know what I mean.
I never really did before, but because I live in a cheap city -- and am not doing too shabby -- I figure get the things I want now while I'm young and can enjoy them. I've been rich and I've been poor, so I'm gonna get mine while I can. As I've discussed before, I have expensive taste and this can be a problem at times since I'm nowhere near loaded. I also am a walking contradiction; I swear like a sailor, but think it rude to not rsvp to a party promptly; I'm very picky about my wine and dinner pairing, but I'll eat a corn dog from the gas station; I don't care if you can see my bra strap, but chipped nail polish I'd be so embarrassed by. You know, little things like that.
So with this I started going over in my head how I balance the lowbrow with the highbrow. You know with $4 gas and a recession and all. Those little sacrifices, the choices I make in order to be fabulous, while somewhat embracing the ornery side of life. Here are just some examples:
Coffee: I was going for the fancy stuff for a long time, flavored and all. I'd go to the Westside Market to get my banana nut flavor (Mondays it is $3 off a pound you know) or I'd breakdown and buy the burnt-to-shit Starbucks stuff since there's one by my place. Guess what baby, I'm all about Eight O'Clock now! Actually I started off with Eight O'Clock but thought I could do better. I'll be honest, this stuff tastes the same as any other burnt-ass Starbucks shit you get...
Underwear: Yeah I did the Hanes four-packs and the cheapo crap they have a Target (Merona might work for the boys but not for me). Guess what? Even washing by hand they still wear out faster than they should. So my little luxury is buying the stuff that lasts and doesn't give me itchy-butt syndrome -- who else but Calvin?
Household Cleanser: Kaboom is shit. Trader Joe's all-natural is shit. Soft Scrub is shit. CLR works great on grody fixtures but should be used sparingly. No honey, there's one cleanser that works better than all of these and you probably have it sitting there doing nothing...
Be sure to get rid of your gross sponges. Dish cloths work fine and you can reuse them after running them through the wash. Gotta clean the glass on your mirrors and windows? Use newspaper, not paper towels, it is actually better.
Alcohol: This is one area you shouldn't skimp on if you don't want to be ill. Guinness is my mainstay besides an assortment of microbrews. I always keep champagne on hand too, I prefer it to any white wine really. While Trader Joe's does have some cheap choices, I prefer this Spanish one...
I know I know, technically it has to be of France in order to be called Champagne, but I find them too bitter. Of course when I'm tight on cash, here in Cleveland, we have an assortment of cheap watering holes. Fridays are $1 drinks for the ladies at 5 O'Clock Lounge and I'm a fan of happy hour $5 martinis at Pier W when you're not in a slumming mood and want to feel fabulous -- but for God's sake don't eat there or you'll feel broke and hungry!
Beauty: Now here I do mix the high and the low. I do get facials, and I do buy fancy shampoo from Aveda, I do get Frederik Fekkai hair cream, I do get fancy perfume (especially after my Victoria Beckham fiasco!) but to off-set this I went back to using a face cream that I don't know why I stopped in the first place. Maybe again, I thought I could do better. Listen ladies, unless you can afford La Mer -- which is amazing from the samples I've tried -- pretty much everything is the same no matter what anyone tells you. So do yourself a favor and just grab a tub of this baby...
might I also add that this is great for zits and stuff too...
Yeah! All you need now are some old-timey hair rollers and a shower cap and you're set! Screw Mac, screw Nars, screw Estee Lauder, I can tell you that Sonia's line for Target is as good as any. And yes Vaseline is awesome. Baby oil is awesome. Witch Hazel is awesome. Castor oil is awesome. Gold Bond is awesome. Learn 'em and use 'em.
Entertainment: I don't have cable, don't need it. I get Netflix because at least I can choose the shows I want to watch. I can also get full episodes of shows on the web for free the day after they air. I have a cell phone I pre-pay for because I hate cellphones and only use it when traveling, I don't pay for voicemail, because I don't want you to leave me messages on it or call me on it period. Going to the movies sucks these days; after the woman who did the running commentary next to me killed the suspense in No Country For Old Men, I prefer to just got out with friends and drink at cheap watering holes or to people's houses and movies together. I won't go to a concert if tickets are more than $22, it's just my own rule because I know how fast it can escalate when drinks and buying merch are thrown in. Art shows are free, and they have booze and food for free. Dance clubs are stupid, stupid for people like me because I'm too old, married and jaded to go to them. If you have a friend who is a private investigator, cab driver, or a tow truck driver; go on a ride and get some free hilarious entertainment better than any comedy club..
Travel: Traveling to San Francisco last December was an extravagance I normally don't get to do, so for the remainder of all my "vacations" I like to go on the cheap where no one else goes, or if they do, they're retired folks in RVs. I consider it getting to know America, and you should try it. You've probably seen my little travels where I could afford them here and here . This year we had originally planned a big trip to Kentucky...yes Kentucky because it's awesome! We were gonna do this and this, but alas the fundage wasn't to be. I'll be staying at the most awesome porn set of a motel outside Chicago this month since I couldn't afford to be in city -- but I think it looks neat in a creepy way! Since Kentucky is out, this summer we're going to Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Yes our home state of Michigan. So if you want a cheap vacation without a headache from tropical drinks, go ahead and hit some of the breweries we plan on hitting. Also why not go cheeseball instead of Club Med, who doesn't want to stay in a themed room hotel in Kentucky? Or a super retro cheap beach town in New Jersey? If you can drive, do it, because flying bites. Also, Travelodge motels are awesome no matter where you are.
Shoes: I can tell when I got a cheap pair of crap; they fall apart, are uncomfortable or look okay at a distance and then up close you can tell they kinda suck. I have one pair of shoes from Target, I bought them for work because at the time my company had a very un-stylish lot and I figured blend in. But no more! That's one thing I won't skimp on are my shoes. Neither will my husband, he has more than me, but his excuse is that as a runner he must swap them out in order not to get injured. Sure I never wear my fancy ones because I'm scared of ruining them, and sure my leopard heels are too high and yank at my foot arch -- I don't care, because everyone points and says "oooh I love your shoes!". I have an arsenal. I don't think anyone has ever seen it really. After a dream I had, I'm buying these lovelies today. I think shoes over a certain price is just stupid, it is a matter of pride sometimes dammit. While I'm sort of peeved at Prada for making $400 shoes that crack and don't hold up well to everyday use (luckily I got them at half-price), I do love Kenneth Cole, Charles David, Stuart Weitzman, Ralph Lauren and even unknowns like Arturo Chang. Husband will be getting the last of these before they get discontinued...
and I just got these puppies...
I needed them after all, I have three dresses hanging in my closet and have been waiting years to get the right thing to go with them. Art takes time you know. And to offset these purchases? No going out all week, and when I do go out, it will be for a $1 beer on Friday.
Someone told me Cleveland was a good place for an artist to hide. Well, must be true because only recently have I discovered many that were being hermits, or just showing in galleries outside of Cleveland. I should have figured there were more than I thought initially; Cleveland is where American Greetings is based, many illustrators and painters work there getting their soul destroyed before heading home to work on their "real" projects. And we do have the Cleveland Institute of Art -- Dana Schutz did her undergrad work there, a fact they like to pimp.
Sure I have my issues with this city, but honestly, no more than I did with Laguna Beach, Los Angeles, Boston or Ann Arbor. The difference is that in Cleveland my wallet isn't being raped and my credit cards aren't racking up debt just trying to pay for car insurance. I also don't have to deal with people who are on a mission to be a "star" constantly or out to see how I might be useful to them. As I wrote before, Cleveland is trying more to cater to the young and creative class, so you can get a sweet loft or just a cheap apartment for little money. And if you want to step it up a bit, you can get a luxury condo for less than the price of a shack in the Bay Area. See, it isn't all American Splendor here, although that side of Cleveland is well and alive.
And yes, Cleveland does have galleries and a small art scene. I think the problem of why more hasn't been written about it is just the fact the galleries don't try hard enough to be known on a national level. Heck, some don't even have websites, or if they do, they are not updated or functional with proper meta tags etc. This can be said for many artists too. Here's a great read on that subject alone.
Where to start? The area of Tremont you'll find everything from underground contemporary stuff to the "does this match my couch?" and Thomas Kinkade-esque fare. It's also where many bars and restaurants are located. This is the "hip" area I guess, as I'd compare it a bit to the Silverlake neighborhood of L.A. except with nicer restaurants. But don't worry, you're just as likely to get your car stolen and torched here as you are in Echo Park if you are one of those people who like to "keep it real" in your urban experiences. I think my two favorite galleries in Tremont are Brandt Gallery and Asterisk Gallery. But there are many I haven't been to yet like Raw & Co.
There's also a new space that just opened in the Tower Press Building called the Wooltex Gallery. I don't have a shot of the inside, but it is really nice believe me. Another newer one in downtown that the space is really nice is William Busta's Gallery. He has no website it seems though, so I can't show it to you. The work of Timothy Callaghan was the opening show in the new space.
I like his stuff.Front Room Gallery is another that is doing some interesting things in both 2D and installation shows; the space is on the 3rd floor of a warehouse, but once inside it is quite nice with great lighting. Level Three is another new gallery that features painting as well as ceramics; another very cool space with fun parties. Zygote Press is where you wanna get you print fix on and has a loyal following it seems. Shaheen Fine Art has been a mainstay, they feature contemporary works as well as a few blue chip artists in their inventory. A newer gallery that just opened with a focus on Street Art, it is called Artchitecture Gallery
On to the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood, a neighborhood in "transition" so I'd avoid going there late at night. My husband refuses outright to set foot there, but I try to make the best of it as there are some nice shops and things sprouting up. The Cleveland Public Theater is the anchor of the area, and very fun theater and pretty too. There is the Parish Hall right next door, they have an art gallery as well as a tiny chapel where bands play. The inside is pretty sweet with chandeliers and icons everywhere. Though I'm now told it will cease having bands in October, I'm hoping whoever takes it over ( I think it might be Cleveland Public Theater) will do something fun with the two buildings.
M% Gallery just moved to this area too. I still mourn the closing of 1300 Gallery, but I know a new gallery has taken over in its place, Tregoning and Co. , it shows blue chip established artists and has a frame shop too.
And if crafts and DIY is your thing, there's plenty of that here too; we have a wonderful chapter of Stitch N Bitch, and in fact check out the newly opened www.StitchCleveland.com
Of course we have a Museum of Contemporary Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, various non-profit spaces and the like. There's just too many for me to list and frankly some of them I'm not too crazy about anyways. So, I thought I'd leave you with a list of some Cleveland based artists to sift through:
www.timothycallaghan.com
www.amycaseypainting.com
Chris Ryniak
Melissa Forman
www.thomasfrontini.com
Bridget Ginley
Scott Radke
Jorge Lacera
Julie Langsam
Thu Tran
Joe Ayala
Susan Danko
Derek Hess
Boy you wouldn't believe how many others I wanted to list that don't have a website or even have a web presence at all. Eh, oh well. And, if you want to learn more about the food and drink aspects of my adopted city, check out this coming season of Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel. Look, here Anthony meets Harvey Pekar!
Well my hand has healing quite nicely, and everyone said I should go to a doctor -- ha! What do they know? Its called Neosporin people! Neosporin is my cure to pretty much anything in fact. The good news is that there appears to be no glass stuck inside my hand. I'd notice by now, right? Whatever I'm almost done with a painting so it's all fine and dandy.
Saturday I spent over sort of studio sitting for the Artspace Trolley Hop. I was over at the 1400 Building on 33rd Street, I had never known it to be an artists loft building, but dang if the spaces weren't HUGE. As much as people bitch about areas of downtown Cleveland, which of course have their problems, it is never as bad as L.A. was (I had my share of being chased, getting pee'd on, walking in pee, seeing people jerk off in public, avoiding drug dealers, being followed, spraying people with mace and overall stress of just working down there). To all you artists out there in high priced cities who want a huge space for little money, check it:
I've done the whole urban city living thing, I'm past that now, but if I were still into it I would be there in a second.
Now if Cleveland could stop giving away money to inept non-profits hucksters, and fucking up things like losing the CMJ Festival, we'd be doing pretty good I think.
