image via Travel Wizard
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
28. Go to Main and see the things that people see when they are in Main.
image via James on Picasa.For some reason, I think this is one of those ones that I might not get around to for awhile.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
21 and 22. my daughter
image via The Starting FiveWatch my daughter grow up happy and content, both with her world, and her actions.
Kiss my daughter’s child and know.
20. Go where the roses grow in Chile
Visit the mountain places in Chile, where the best Roses are grown. Have bread and wine there and sit to watch the view.
19. Learn to use a pottery wheel
Take a class on wheel pottery and make at least one beautiful thing to keep, and one to give away.
17. Learn to Meditate and incorporate this into my daily being.
image via Oriental Meditation,Wellington, New ZealandAlso from the same site, this interesting exercise on meditation for beginners:
Breathing
Controlled breathing is the simplest form of meditation. Focus on your breathing and tell yourself silently "with every breath out I am going deeper and deeper, more relaxed....more at ease...". Just keep repeating "more relaxed....more at ease " and allow your limbs to become loose and limp and heavy. Concentrate on feeling the weight of your limbs while breathing more and more gently. Then when you are ready, feel your limbs becoming totally weightless and allow yourself to drift away from the present.
The instructions are simple but the exercise takes effort in the form of intention.
1) Sit down somewhere comfortable. (You could just sit on the edge of the bed, arms to your side, feet flat on the floor)
2) Say to yourself: I’m going to forget about yesterday, I’m going to forget tomorrow. Time is an illusion. The only thing that matters is what I’m doing right here, right now. (You can say this in your own words, but the point is to bring your focus into the moment.)
3) Breathe in slow and deep, and breathe out slow and deep say the words relax to yourself. Breathe in through your noses and breathe out to your mouth slowly. Take a few more deep breaths and let yourself relax. (Remember In meditation you want to relax the body but keep the mind awake. The body can go to sleep but you want to remain alert & aware. In the beginning you might fall asleep, especially if you’re laying down, this is okay. But over time you want to stay awake to finish the exercise)
4) Now start counting to 10. On the first In breath say the number 1 to yourself and say, I’m right here right now. On the out breath say the number 1 to yourself and say, I’m right here right now. Do the same thing with breath #2 (saying the number 2 on the In breath followed by I am right here right now and 2 on the Out breath followed by I am right here, right now) and so on up to #10.
5) Your goal is to get to the #10 WITHOUT thinking of anything else. If you forget to bring your focus back to the breathing exercise after more than a few moments, you must start back at the #1.
6) Each time you bring the mind back on track, you strengthen your will power and clarity of intention. This has tremendously rewarding side effects in every day life. (I will explain how you can use this new found power in another exercise)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
12. Be an element of change
Be told that I changed their life, by someone who’s life changed the world.
In a good way.
In a good way.
8. Van Gough's sunflowers
Go to the fields where Van Gough painted his sunflowers, and sketch and paint there.
7. Visit Italy.
Venice, via Euro Travel Pages
Florence, via Rome LimosineSee Florence and Venice, and the great art and architecture of Rome.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
My List of 50 Things
Here is a list of 50 things that I would like to do before I die:
- Swim in a moonlit cove, in
- Walk along a random street in
- Taste vanilla in
- Visit
- Visit
- Touch white sands along an ocean beach, in full moonlight.
- Visit
- Go to the fields where Van Gough painted his sunflowers, and sketch and paint there.
- Write a book
- Illustrate an entire book all by myself and get it published.
- Drive a Vespa. Maybe even own one.
- Be told that I changed their life, by someone who’s life changed the world. In a good way.
- Paint 8 portraits and have another gallery show
- Sell a painting to someone that I didn’t previously know.
- Fall in love with someone that has fallen in love with me too.
- Visit
- Learn to Meditate and incorporate this into my daily being.
- Visit
- Take a class on wheel pottery and make at least one beautiful thing to keep, and one to give away.
- Visit the mountain places in
- Watch my daughter grow up happy and content, both with her world, and her actions
- Kiss my daughter’s child and know.
- Have a custom made pair of boots that are everything I’ve ever dreamed they would be, and more.
- Be friends with Neil Gaimon
- See the Pyramids
- Ride a Camel
- Swim with dolphins- again.
- Go to Main and see the things that people see when they are in
- Buy a home of my very own
- Live in another country and learn the language there.
- Go deep sea diving
- Kayak in the Bay Area
- Go surfing at least once
- Have a custom made corset
- Own an entire suit made of soft dark red leather and be told on wearing it, “You were meant to dress like that”
- Bring my characters to life
- Make more friends
- Increase my vocabulary
- Learn the inherent benefit of Moderation, on a personal level
- Keep a truly clean home (or hire a cleaning service)
- Learn to paint with ink in the traditional Japanese style, and create something of beauty
- Continue to seek magic, and find it
- Lose weight (but not too much weight- just enough to keep me healthy and self satisfied)
- Take a fancy cooking class
- Teach
- Ride a horse in a non-guided journey along the beach, as the sun sets, with someone I love.
- Learn enough to get by in Russian, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese
- Age gracefully. BE one of those people that gets more beautiful with age.
- Approach the unknown with more joy and less fear
- Find another 50 things.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
All About the Cat
"My loftcat, Monkey, is a favorite subject for my photographer/ neighbor and has an entire wall dedicated to her. I am not the crazy cat lady, I just think it’s great to have collections of like subjects and display them together when I can. Monkey cares more for the Starck chair than any other in the loft."
- melissa mcclure
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Obama
image by Dave Malan, via Brilliant AnywayOf all the Obama art I've seen, this image has been my favorite.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
ABC
ABC3D, by Marion Bataille, via Libby from pinkshirtsandcarwrecks, acting as guest blogger at sfgirlbybay
I love this.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Obsolete
Lifesized articulated artist model via Obsolete"I'm Bod," he said.
"The Live Boy?" she asked.
Bod nodded.
"I thought you must be," she said. "We've heard of you, even over here..."
Bod looked her up and down. She wore a plain white shift. Her hair was mousy and long, and there was something of the goblin in her face - a sideways hint of a smile that seemed to linger, no matter what the rest of her face was doing."
-Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book
"The Live Boy?" she asked.
Bod nodded.
"I thought you must be," she said. "We've heard of you, even over here..."
Bod looked her up and down. She wore a plain white shift. Her hair was mousy and long, and there was something of the goblin in her face - a sideways hint of a smile that seemed to linger, no matter what the rest of her face was doing."
-Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Flowers in Napa
Mostly, this post is just to test the "blog this!" feature on flickr.
Hey look, it works.
One thing I will say though, about taking a random Friday off of work, renting a limo with a collection of friends and driving up to Napa for a day of wine tasting, wandering aimlessly, and shooting pictures of everything in my path, all while watching the light chase itself across the afternoon.
It's nice.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Bamboo Stickers
I know wall decals are "so out".
But these ones might look cute on my bathroom walls, against the walls painted Zen Green and the ceiling of December Moon.
Friday, October 10, 2008
For Love of the Silver Sofa...
OK, first, I must confess. I do not need a silver sofa.
Not even one made with Italian leather... did I mention that it's SILVER?!
*sniff*
and, also, even if I did need a gorgeous silver Italian leather sofa, I would also need some one to gift me with eight thousand dollars and change, so that I could purchase said sofa.
I mean... really. The days where I could really work the silver sofa are gone. I have a perfectly good sofa already in sand colored ultra-suede, thank you very much, and .... you know, we're fine with the sofas...
Except that eight thousand dollar silver sofa is on sale.
Of course, I don't have THREE thousand dollars and change for a superfluous new silver sofa either.
(but I bet I could still totally work this sofa)
A light in the darkness
I love the idea of these candlesticks. Gothy and sober enough to work as the kind of candle holders you might find in my house. The flashlight is pure genius. At .23 pounds, it's light enough to hold while you make your way down into the deep dark basement where I am sure the fusebox must be... but sturdy enough to wield as a potential weapon, should there be monsters down there.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
1001 Rules for my Unborn Son
Rule #188, from 1001 Rules for my unborn son:
I Love this sight.
188. If you get yourself arrested, call me. You get one free pass.
(If you’re dressed like this, I’ll actually buy you a beer.)
(If you’re dressed like this, I’ll actually buy you a beer.)
I Love this sight.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Ditty Bops
Wishful Thinking, by the DittyBops (via PlanetFabulon)
There is something about this video that I just love.
Made of Cuteness
This is Rupert. He is a Muntjak deer, delivered c-section after his mother was hit and killed by a car. These pictures are making my cute-o-meter go ballistic.
According to the article, "...staff at Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital in Buckinghamshire believe Rupert, as he has been named, will make a full recovery after his dramatic arrival."
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Roland Bello
Roland Bello, from his Still Life collectionsThere is something about Roland Bello's photography that I love. A little dark, a little romantic, a little mysterious, incredibly beautiful.
They are somehow distant and intimate at the same time.
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Ticket, by Corey Godbey
from Cory Godbey of Portland Studios, via Uncle Beefy
I love this. This is a trailer for a picures-only illustrated book, published by Portland Studios.
I don't know what I want more...the book, a ship that can fly through the night skies, a magic top hat, or all of it.
Oliver +S
I LOVE their packaging. Paperdolls. The patterns are represented as cut out clothes to fit two different dolls. The style of the paperdolls and the style of the clothing, remind me of the clothes my mother used to make for me... and the clothes her mother made for her, back in the day. Love this.
How to make your own table easel
Mayaluna at Maya*Made, posted these wonderful directions on how to make your own outdoor easel and carrying case for your art supplies, from an old book craft book she found in her mother's barn.
I don't know if it would hold up to the attacks of a more sturdy brush hand, but I love the idea.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Heart of Glass
'stonz' necklace by orfeo quagliata, via UnicaI love the look of this necklace. There are many many things I didn't know I wanted till I started looking at the Unica site, but this is my current favorite.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Dare Me
I never wanted to be better than my friends
I just wanted to prove wrong the people in my head
the ones who told me I'd be better of dead
the ones who told me that I would never win
when I delivered newspapers they said I was too slow
when I was a barista they said I made lousy foam
when I worked in retail they said I was a slob
much too dumb for school and much too lazy for a job
so I rode my bike like lightning
and I made cappuccinos that would make the angels sing
took two showers a day and I dressed up like a princess
shook my fist in my own face and said I'll show you who's the best
I wrote the kinds of papers teachers hang up on their walls
I was employee of the month at seven different shopping malls
and one time playing football I pulled the tendons in my leg
to prove that I was tough I hopped on one foot
and finished up the game
I thought if I succeeded I'd be happy and they'd go away
but first thing in the morning I'd still wake up and I'd hear them say
"you're fat, ugly, and stupid, you should really be ashamed
no one will ever like you you're not good at anything"
and sometimes I'd rise to the challenge
but other times I'd feel so bad that I could not get out of bed
and on the days I stayed in bed I sang and sang and sang
about how crappy I felt no realizing how many other people would relate
now people send me emails that say thanks for saying the things they didn't know how to say
and the people in my head still visit me sometimes
and they bring all of their friends but I don't mind
I play my guitar like lightning
when I sing I like it when you sing too loud and clear
different voices different tones all sayin' "yeah, we're not alone"
I got good at feeling bad and that's why I'm still here
I got good at feeling bad and that's why I'm still here
I got good at feeling bad and that's why I'm still here
- Kimya Dawson, The Competition
Hunting and Gathering
She shook her head.
“A Chinese painter called Zhu Da. Do you want me to tell you his story?...
“Yes,” she said, finally.
“When he was a child, Zhu Da was very happy…”
He took a swallow of tea.
“He was a prince and his family were very rich and powerful. His father and grandfather were painters and famous calligraphers, and little Zhu Da had inherited their gift. So just imagine, one day, when he wasn’t even 8 years old yet, he could draw a flower, a simple lotus flower floating on a pond. His drawing was beautiful, so beautiful that his mother decided to hang it in their salon. She claimed that thanks to the drawing you could feel a fresh little breeze in the huge room and you could even smell the flower’s perfume when you walked by the drawing. Can you imagine? Even the perfume! And his mother was surely not an easy person to please… With both a husband and a father who were artists, she must have seen a few things by then…”
He took another sip from his cup.
“So, Zhu Da grew up in this carefree world full of pleasure, and he was sure that he too would be a great artist someday. Alas, when he turned 18, The Manchus seized power from the Mings. The Manchus were a cruel and brutal people who did not care for painters or writers. They forbade them to work, which is the worst thing anyone could do to them, as you can well imagine. Zhu Da’s family knew no peace after that, and his father died of despair. From one day to the next the son, a mischievous kid who had loved to laugh, sing, say silly things, and recite long poems, did the most incredible thing… Something you’d never imagine. He decided to stop speaking forever. Forever, do you hear? Not a single word would leave his lips! He was disgusted by the attitude of the people around him, those who denied their traditions and their beliefs just so they would be viewed favorably by the Manchus; he didn’t want to speak to any of them ever again. Devil take them all! Every last one! Slaves! Cowards! So he write the word MUTE on the door of his house, and if there were people who tried to talk to him all the same, he would unfold a fan in front of his face, on which he had also written MUTE, and he’d wave it every which way to make them go away.”
Little Camille was captivated.
“The problem is that people can’t live without expressing themselves. No one can. It’s impossible. So Zhu Da, who, like everyone, like you and me for example, had a lot of things to say, Zhu Da had a brilliant idea. He went off into the mountains, far away from all those people who had betrayed him, and he began to draw. And from then on, that is how he would express himself, how he’d communicate with the rest of the world: through his drawings. Would you like to see them?”
Mr. Doughton went to fetch a big black and white book from his shelves, and put it down in front of her.
“Look, isn’t this beautiful? So simple. Just one stroke, and there you are. A flower, a fish, a grasshopper. Look at this duck, how angry it looks; or these mountains in the mist. And you see how he’s drawn the mist? As if it were nothing, just an emptiness. And these chicks, see them? So soft you want to stroke them. Look, his ink is like down, his ink is soft…”
Camille was smiling.
“Would you like me to teach you how to draw like this?”
She nodded.
- Anna Gavalda, Hunting and Gathering
Saturday, September 6, 2008
These Photographs
"The way you read me, no one can see me,
is you are....
And these photographs keep me alive.
And I wanna know what you know, and I wanna go where you go.
These things remind me of, these things remind me of, these things remind me of you."
- from These Photographs, We Were Here, Joshua Radin
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
One of those days
Having another one of those days where I wake up in the morning, hoping I look something like this:
and realize at the end of the day, that I walked around all day looking like this:
Oh, the sadness.
and realize at the end of the day, that I walked around all day looking like this:
Oh, the sadness.
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