Gifted Grifter

So Busy!

This has been a full week for me.  I've been getting lots of new paintings ready for the art fair on Saturday, and I hope you all can make it!  It will be from 10am-4pm out at the Shoppes at Grand Prarie. I totally intended to put up a few pics of my new work, but alas, I am not at home and I forgot the adapter to upload my pics!  Hopefully I will get some up tomorrow. 

Edit: Make that later today!  I didn't realize how late (erm, early) it was!

Enchanting

This summer (in all of its hundred degree, humid glory) is shaping up to be quite the busy time for me.  With that in mind, I will give you a brief rundown of the happenings:

The first issue of 309 made its debut.  A few of the articles are on the blog,and if you have an interest in contributing, well, pretty much anything, shoot Chance an email at 309diy@gmail.com.

I am going to have a booth at another art fair here in Peoria!  It's being put on by the lovely folks at ci|creative, and the all the details can be found here.

I'm shamefully behind on my summer reading list, and I keep getting more and more books!  It's a problem, but one I wear like a badge of honor.  I'm currently loving The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1 (1931-1934). Beautiful.

I also finally took the time to scan in some illustrations from a book (The Enchantress by Edgar Parker) I picked up at an antique mall ages ago.  I haven't actually bothered to read it yet, but the art worked just grabbed me!

Now please do try to keep cool!

Yeah, It Has Been A Short While

School is out and summer boredom is setting in.  Actually, that is not entirely true.  I am switching schools, and preparing to set up a second semi-household.  I've gotten some fantastic furniture and odds and ends stashed away for the move in August.  I'll get around to posting some photos soon.   To help with the commute, my fiance's parents gifted me a brand spankin' new car today!  I no longer have an excuse to avoid getting my license (something I have put off for nearly a decade).  I have been behind the wheel fewer than ten times in my life.  Slightly terrified, but entirely grateful!   He has the sweetest, most devoted family I have ever met.  I'm a lucky girl.

This past week I have been very busy helping my friend launch an area-centric 'zine.  I'm writing a bit for it, but mostly doing editing and formatting schtuffs.  We are finalizing everything tomorrow, at which point I will share some more of the details, including where to pick one up and how to contribute your own brilliant work!  I've never had the opportunity to work on such a project, and I am indebted to Chance for letting me pretty much take on any responsibility (and title, tee hee!) I want.  Thanks, sweet pea!

And just for fun, as I have been rewatching the X-files series, here is an image often on my mind these days:

I do love tea.

Magdalene's Market This Saturday!

In January I participated in Outside the Square, put on by Shannon Moore.  Well, this Saturday she is throwing another festival in Washington, and this one is all about the ladies!  Unfortunately, I am making my yearly pilgrimage to the South and will be unable to participate, but anyone in the area should really go check it out.  It will be held at the Venue, which is a really lovely (and woman owned and operated) place.

All the info is at the Magdalene Myspace.

So, off with you!  Give the girls your love, support, and dollars.

Go Tell Alyse

Hey, it's a shop update!  No, really, I am not joshing you!  This is Alyse, and she is willing to come live with you for a very small fee:

I will have a few more prints up soon.  The new semester just started and I am very busy with all sorts of time consuming activities. My apologies for the sporadic updates.  Oh, and Pixma left!  I think he has rejoined his family and friends in the woods behind my house.  Although, Chris's computer is not turning on properly...hmmm

For rent: Luxury Mouse Condo

First some happy news:
Rainbow Dull made it to the local paper!  All thanks to the lovely Shannon, pictured in the article below.

Again, this Saturday, please come! I've endured so much this past week in trying to prepare.  NO, really!  So much.

My printer is dead.  Yes, my ridiculously expensive printer that I have had for less than a year, and was so super careful not to overwork.  Beyond repair.  Why?

When the technician I paid a ridiculous amount of $ came to my home, he cracked open the case and cat food fell out.  Yes, cat food fell out of my five hundred dollar printer. Apparently, a mouse made the South wing of my printer a pantry.  I do not live in a hovel. I didn't even know I had a mouse until I saw the nest in my equipment.   And those little wires?  Well, he decided to renovate.
When the technician left, the little guy greeted me by showing his sweet little rodent face for the first time.  I call him Pixma (named after his Chateau, of course)

Unable to justify slaughtering the little guy for squatting, the printer and Pixma now live in my backyard.  Yeah, I'm a softy.  He even made sure I had time enough to photograph his good side:

Now, in order to get everything ready in time for Outside the Square, I've rush ordered prints from a wonderfully accommodating Peoria establishment called CityBlue.  While they are reasonably priced, given my expenses (loss of printer, now useless printer paper, technician, print costs, impending Orkin man call), it is so important that I sell a decent amount Saturday.  I am even putting my ORIGINAL (!!!)  Rainbow Dull up for sale in the gallery to help cover my costs.  Take pity on me and buy some stuff.  I'm kind to animals, dammit!

Printer problems, but I will still be standing Outside the Square

While I am wading through some technical difficulties at the moment, I would just like to assure everyone that I will be selling prints (a fresh crop of 'em, even!) at Outside the Square this Saturday in Washington, IL.  Oh, please, please come!  I'm terribly shy and socially inept, you know.  So, help lift the burden of public display with your warm, friendly faces.

More info at the Myspace

It's been a busy season around these parts, what with all the inclement weather, and there is no better time to savor cheap booze, music, art, and friends.  So, yeah.  Come see me.  I'll buy ya a lunch box.

Thanks a lot.

While I am still in the midst of creating that famed gluttinous feast, I just wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy day.  Also, in honor of that horrid consumerist tradition we call Black Friday, I am running a special in my shop all weekend long for my beloved readers!  Buy one print, get one free, just put the name of the one you desire in a conversation to me, and-- TA-DA!  Double the art! NO extra shipping even!

Just for fun, and since I have been rocking the hoody I got at their show for the past couple of days, here is a video taken at Asobi Seksu's October show at the Empty Bottle in Chicago.  The quality is not so great, due to the fact that it was taken with a weakling of a digital camera, but hey, we tried. This is Thursday.  I swear I will figure out how to get my video directly on here soon, but today is not that day. 

    Yuki Chikudate

It was a fantastic show, and I actually went to it just days after the awful fracture.  I managed to keep my arm elevated, per the doc's orders, by finding an accommodating monitor in the front row.  Slightly uncomfortable, yes, but oh so worth it! 

Strange Babies

With the holiday season rapidly approaching I am proud to declare that I managed to get another print in my shop!  Finally!  And it is topical, no? 
The Albino Child:

 
Details:

This is the first print of my watercolor/ink works for sale.  My heart is super happy that I actually got some art done.  One handed even!  Yeah, that arm is still massacred.  Physical therapy starts later this week, though.

In the more bookish of news, I'm devouring Gérard de Nerval's Aurélia. I'm not too far in yet, but I am definitely enjoying the surrealist-inspiring dreaminess of it all.  Madness is so much more fun from the outside.  Besides, as a lover of cephalopods (and their crustacean friends), how could I  not adore a man that walked a lobster on a leash? 

While not a lobster, more of a crayfish, I suppose, this little fella found a friend of mine one night, years back.  I can't really call him hardcore, because of that whole exoskeleton thing, but he sure is a hard living little guy:

Enough of this scatterbrained posting!  Off to bed!
 

Orson Welles, Artichokes ala Molly, and Trying Like Hell to Keep My Humerus and Ulnar Nerve from Battling

I saw one of my favorite films in the theater last Friday.  It was Lady from Shanghai, and the only thing that I find disappointing is the platinum color of Rita Hayworth's hair.  Compare:

Otherwise, a seemingly lovely start to the weekend, no?

After the movie, we hit up the classiest li'l basement in town (Jim's) and savored artichokes wrapped in bacon, then lightly fried, and served with garlic butter.  Yum.  Meanwhile, my favorite former principal played my old favorites (including "I Won't Dance") on the piano.  Perfection, no?

Then we traveled to yet another great basement locale, Richard's.  I blasted punk rock from their stellar jukebox, argued about the lack of merit to be found in Modest Mouse, and had an all around great time.  The best night ever, no?

NOOOOOO!!!!!

3 A.M.
Headed to bathroom.
It's dark.
Freshly waxed hardwood.
Foot caught in purse strap.
Down, quickly and awkwardly.
Screaming.
Appear to have two and half elbows.
Weeping. Screaming louder.
Ambulance ride.
Humerus in pieces.
Surgery.
Plates. Screws. Cords.

Results, one week later:

  

Raise your hand if you are getting a lifetime of physical therapy!  What a cruel joke.

The pain pills are nice, though.  So, anyway, we will see how this progresses. 

Goodnight all!
Sincerely,
Mecha-armed Lady Beast