Perhaps we need a lot less government and a few more Steve Jobs and the unemployment situation will turn around along with the economy.

Last night was November’s First Friday. I opened to the public as I do on every First Friday. The event was very busy which makes the time fly. Toward the end of the night, a gentleman mentioned that he was a fan on my Facebook Fan Page. That was all that needed to happen to generate a colorful discussion about all of the new “Social Media” and how it fits into the life of an artist. “Does it?” I questioned. It was a perfect opportunity for a young artist to pop a promotional CD out of her bag promoting why artists need to take time to learn and use this new media. She suggested that it should take no more than two hours a day.

TWO HOURS A DAY!!!!! That can’t be realistic. That’s 14 hours a week…in two weeks time, I will have lost more than a day of living to this new media. If it were fun and inspiring, might be worth it. Some may find it so. Not me.

Now I’m thinking about what I’ve written and wondering how different I sound from those before me who have rejected the newest technology? Is that what this is?  I’ve met people who don’t have a computer, don’t email, don’t search the internet, they’re not even sure what Google is or what it does. Is that me…same rejection, different technology? Or, is my point of view a rational one because this “new social media” really is just a waste of time. I am soooo looking forward to other points of view on this subject. Please chime in!

About a year ago, I heard from the Copley Society that I was accepted for a solo show in their main gallery for June of 2010. That’s a “wow” for me. The Copley Society…that’s where “the first large survey exhibition of Monet was held…in 1905″. I love MONET!

Maybe the Monet exhibition at the Copley Society?

John Singer Sargent had an exhibition in 1899. In 1913, it was the Copley Society that introduced modernism to Boston exhibiting Duchamp, Dufy, Kandinsky, Picasso, Redon, Roualt and Van Gogh…all in one “Modern Art” exhibition. Winslow Homer showed off his watercolors in an exhibition in 1921. O.k, you get the point. Having a show at the Copley gives me a connection to artists I’ve admired for decades.

The show opened June 24th. What a fabulous night. Both Artscope and Art New England have reviews of the show.

Copley Society Opening, "The Colors of White"

Moving on…I’m getting more brave with sending out applications. Not worrying as much about the stress of rejection. As I’ve always thought in my head, if I don’t apply, I have 100% chance of being rejected!  So, I applied to the Danforth’s “Off the Wall” exhibition. When I got my acceptance letter for the photo “Typhoon: Blue Mist”, along with it came the stats…800 pieces entered, 113 accepted.  That’s a lot of work to go through. Certainly made me feel honored to be on the list of those who had work accepted. The second piece I entered was rejected. I’ve pretty much ignored that piece of the story!  Bringing it up now just to keep it honest. The show opened with a Patrons’ Preview on June 12th. It’s open through the summer.

Off The Wall at the Danforth "Typhoon: Blue Mist"

Adam Sandler’s film “Grown-Ups” signed with me to have my work in the film. 8 pieces were filmed. The opening?..June 25th, the day after the Copley Opening. We planned to have a group of friend go to see the film, but when the reviews came out, Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 7%. What kind of a person would make their friends sit through a bad Adam Sandler film? Instead, we had a fabulous dinner at our home…thank you Trader Joes!

Marty and I went to see the film 3 days later. My work is somewhere on an editing room floor, either collecting dust or already swept into the bin.  Still fun having the opportunity.

Add to all of this First Friday, iPhone 4, and my photo being the award given to Senator Kerry at “The Zakim Center’s 10th Anniversary”, plus amazing seats at the James Taylor/ Carole King concert thanks to my sister and niece

James Taylor and Carole King

…it was a full month. And, with all of this, here’s the absolute highlight of June 2010…visualize a drum roll here…

My husband, Marty, surprised me by flying my daughter in for 5 days. Steph lives in Chicago and I hadn’t seen her in months. This visit was different and absolutely fabulous. We spent so much quality time together and sharing part of “June 2010″ with her helped raise June to a bar that will be tough to match. Not to mention how amazing Marty was to arrange everything without me knowing.

So what’s the deal with “my mouth”?. Well, you might be thinking that I said something I wish I hadn’t said…no, although I probably did, this is about something odd. A little more than a week ago a strange thing happened when I was eating…I had this horrible aftertaste with everything I ate. I decided to ignore it at first. Three days later…still there. EVERYTHING had this sour aftertaste…even ice cream!  I did what many of us do now with odd symptoms…I Googled it. Got on the medical sites and found it could be related to all kinds of bad diseases. But I felt fine…maybe it was post nasal drip?…but I didn’t have post nasal drip. Then I noticed anchovy poising. I had eaten Cesar Salad. Hmmm. But I had none of the other symptoms.  I’d wait it out. It would have to go away eventually.

It’s Saturday, July 3rd as I write this. I still have this horrible taste. In fact, it may be even worse today. So I google it again. This time I find the answer… http://www.hyam.net/blog/archives/60

PINE NUTS!!! Mom had given me a bag of yummy treats at the opening. In a bag with some of my favorites from licorice to pumpkin seeds was a tub of Pine Nuts. I’ve been munching on them, small bits at a time, since the opening. I never would have known. Thank you Google and Roger Hyam, whoever you are, for  posting the information. Wikipedia has an entry and even discusses this taste disturbance. The good news, “cases were self-limited and resolve without treatment”.  Since I had a few yesterday before I knew that they were the culprit, I will have my taste buds back in less than two weeks. Anyone for some ice cream?

January 1, 2009…NO, correction…2010…get used to it!

Nothing better to welcome the new year/decade then a First Friday. This is what I LOVE about First Fridays…PEOPLE. It’s a combination of the visitors who walk in and the other artists in my building. For those of you unfamiliar with 450 Harrison Ave, it’s a beautiful old building that has been recycled…now it’s artist’s studios. There are many of us in the building, I’m thinking it’s close to 75, maybe approaching 100. On the first Friday of each month, many of us open our doors to the public. I never miss one. Although I plan my schedule around them, if I can’t be there, a couple of my close friends open for me. Yeah for good friends.

Tonight was the First Friday of the month…year…decade! Sounds important. No more or less important than the other 11 this year. The volume of traffic tonight was small, yet, the people who came out were wonderful. It’s so nice to hear what people have to say about my work . It often gives me a view that I can’t achieve on my own. On occasion, someone will notice my paintings. Usually it’s a fellow painter.

Never quite finished that thought about when visitors notice my paintings. I remember back about three years ago when I started painting. A friend, Steve, and his wife Diane were visiting. They saw my black and white self portrait on the walls and said: “You’d better stick to photography”.  Now I’m not going to tell you that I”m strong enough to always embrace a comment like that, but this particular time I did. In fact, I loved it. It was honest and I suppose to me it meant that they like my photography. Otherwise they might have said, “stick to house cleaning”. If you’ve followed my blog…you’d know that I would have to have taken that as a reason to quit painting. What could be worse than my house cleaning?????

"You'd Better Stick to Photography"

Back to tonight…looking forward to First Friday in March. February was packed. The Chronicle TV piece that featured three artists in our building aired the Tuesday before and on the day of, we were featured in the evening news! Hundreds came out. It was crazy fun.

On that note…I’m off to sleep.

xoxoxo

I know, I should (hate the word should, suggests guilt) give up “Word with Friends”, the iphone app that is rather addictive. That would be the best thing to give up. Or maybe just limit it to time I have to wait…like in a waiting room for a doctor…or, hope this isn’t too personal, the, hmmm, better not say.

Here’s what I’m getting at, I WANT to paint. At least I think I do. That involves time. Oil painting has a slow set-up and a mandatory clean-up. I DON’T like cleaning, remember? Ask my mom? I’m finally getting to a place in my head where I’m feeling the urge. So I have to follow. Here’s the finished painting that I posted a few weeks back :

I’m ready to paint bigger. I just bought three bigger canvases. This will hopefully be the week I set up a new still life and begin again.

I set up a new web page with most of my paintings so far. If you click on the painting above, “The Kiss”, it will take you there.

I’ll keep this brief…remember, I’m trying to find extra time.

xoxoxo,
Debby

These are the original photos, full size. They haven’t been cleaned yet in Photoshop so ignore dust and dirt spots. I’m stumped and thought that your opinion would be useful. THANKS!!!!!

Please post your favorites in the comments. Note that there is a number for each photo when the photo is displayed on the page, i.e. 1/72.

Here’s the site: Choosing the 6th Ocean

For those who replied the night I posted this, thanks for being so fast!!! I updated the site so the numbering has changed. It will stay the same from now on.

I’m looking as I type this blog. I found an article published in March of 2006 called Art Buffet. I hadn’t seen this one before. Where did it hide on my previous searches?

It’s fun to read stuff about me. I can find out information that I never knew. For example, I didn’t  know that I graduated from Boston University School of Fine Arts. I remember spending two years there, but didn’t I transfer into the school of education?

I just found another entry I’d never seen,”blogcatalog, a magazine for interior design and decor”.  On May 14, 2009, they wrote a story called “Gorgeousness in White”.  They actually have 5 of my photographs as well as a story written about me by someone named Linda. Who is Linda? Have I ever met her?

June 15th, 2009 I made Style Carrot!  Their site looks really cool so I’ve decided it’s a good thing to be on Style Carrot.

On page 13 I found my facebook fan page translated into Japanese! Is everyone’s fanpage translated into Japanese? And speaking of Japanese…this was on page 15, photomemo and a Chinese blog called Soft Happiness@01238.

By the time I reached page 16, most of the entries are not about me. I did notice in the right hand column, the paid ad section, intelius has  found me! I didn’t know I was lost. And just below that, my favorite, “Sexy Baltic Ladies”. How did MY NAME generate THAT AD????

It’s amazing what we can learn on the internet. Some of it’s even accurate.  If you looked me up  10 years ago, all you might find is my phone number, and it was only in English in the local phone book. The next time I look me up, I might even find this particular blog.

xoxoxo

Energy

Colors in the Storm

I’m working on a series of ocean photographs. I hope to have them ready for the studio in March. They will measure approximately 26 x 40″ and be face mounted behind acrylic, giving them a wet look. That seems appropriate for water. The photographs are from my latest trip to China and Vietnam. The captain of the ship was attempting to avoid a typhoon, which hit Vietnam the day after we left. The sea was absolutely gorgeous!!!!

I Tawt I Felt a Kiss!!!!

I’m working on this painting, started just before the holiday break. It’s took one session to set up the still life and do the drawing followed by one painting session.  Each session is 3 hours. After deducting set up and clean up, the working time is probably just over 2 hours.

After 3 or 4 years of painting, I feel like I’m finally progressing. I paint once a week, at most…so it’s hard to make fast progress at that pace. In my mind, I think it would be fun to commit more time because I know that the more practice, the better and faster I would get. It’s not going to happen. When I was younger I used to think that I would retire to painting…so I can look at these years as a jump start and not lament the lack of time now. Of course, will I ever really retire? My dad, at 83, has not and my grandfather at 94 hadn’t either.

Christmas this year was fun, and it was missing something. No details.

It’s hard to believe we are days from 2010. I love opening my studio to the public and Friday, January 1st is another one of those days. What is it I like about having the public come in? I enjoy people. They add warmth and humor, plus, if I listen closely to what visitors say, I learn a lot.

This Friday I’m planning on showing the pdf presentation I put together of our trip to Vietnam and China. I’ll be interested to hear the reaction. I don’t think the photos are the most amazing but I am content that they give the impression of our trip.

It’s Monday morning…a new week which will include a new year. For anyone reading this, I hope 2010 is filled with all that inspires you as well as health, humor and happiness.