« June 2005 | Main | August 2005 »
July 30, 2005
...I was in love with Alex P. Keaton...
I was watching tv and noticed a show called Nueva Estrella. And so, because I am easily seduced, I watched it and it was suprisingly good. In the same vain of American Idol, but the performers have talent. And there are no mean spirited judges. Maxx (who has gone on to the final round) sang "At this moment" when he did I was transported back to the days when I was in love with Alex P. Keaton (I know I was young and silly, he was so stuffy and never really took a risk. Though he did with Ellen and she turned out to be his real life wife!) and my heart was breaking as he tried to catch the train for Ellen, who was engaged to another guy. I loved to imagine that I would be the girl that would break someone's heart. That someone would put himself out there and love me above all else. Plus have the soundtrack to play in the background. I think that is why I love listening to the ipod, I can imagine it is the soundtrack to my movie. The movie that I am staring in. I am a little mad at itunes though. They don't have the song. I mean how could they. It is a classic. A classic I tell you! I am going to have to go out and get one of those 80's albums that the Boy hates. He thinks that pretty much all music in the 80's blows. It is all pretty cheesy, but it makes a girl feel good sometimes or makes her able to wallow in her bad feelings. Silly I know, but very true. I have sort of felt like wallowing lately. I feel like I am slipping into honey. Like it's hard to walk, to do anything really. It comes and goes the slipping into honey. But I will always have Alex and now I can go out and get "our" song. So so silly!!!!!
Remember him in Teen Wolf? What a sill girl I was!
Posted by wendy at 11:58 PM | Comments (7)
July 29, 2005
...music on a school night...
I work with the very talented Johanna who had a gig on Tuesday night. She was amazing. I wish I brought my camera. She was sitting on a cushion/stool, with this beautiful white skirt and tank with her great cowboy boots. The lights were making her glow. She was mesmerizing. Her music is quirky and so beautiful. The melodies are marvelous in their simplicity. Plus she plays the ukulele and the lyrics makes me grin. Really really love it.
Then her super talented boyfriend went on next with his band The Pages. The were releasing their EP album "Creatures of the Earth". They totally rocked! I love their song Robots. Sweet and amazing lyrics.
Posted by wendy at 01:12 PM | Comments (1)
July 28, 2005
...take your pet to blog...
This dog is not actually mine. It is one of the dogs my boss brings to work. Her name is Shadow and she is such a great guard dog. Which is good in a painting studio that is usually all female.
Take your pet to blog day was started by the amazing p2p. mav & arc (shadow kind of looks like an older django) are two friends blogging together. You must check them out!! They are amazing.
Now to explain this photo, my bosses daughter had gone to a job interview near by and these shoes were killing her, so on her way back home she changed into some paint shoes. Now Shadow has claimed them as her own.
Posted by wendy at 07:12 PM | Comments (2)
July 26, 2005
...new painting...
I am starting to take a turn in my art. My girl's face is changing. Her face is getting wider and her eyes sadder. I am trying to push myself, push my ideas. The original sketch was simple, more like my older paintings.
Then I started this painting. My painting process is really quick. I like to get down and dirty and then be done. It is the same way that I approach the camera. Well it is a little different. Now that I am thinking about it, my new painting style is how I best use the camera. When I did photo shoots in school I planned a little and then I would just see what bubbled up. I would see what would happen with the model and the camera. Every time I would be developing the film hoping that something would be on the film. It was always like a prize when I would begin to unroll the spool to see if there was anything there. I would do a little inside dance, literally every time!
My new painting style is similar. I am starting from one point and seeing where it takes me. I love it. I love not allowing myself a plan, scary but exciting. So for this one I started with a sketch and then consciously tried not to use colors that I am comfortable with. I realized that I am so attracted to green (hence the website name). So I used blue, which I also love, but red makes me nervous. I never really thought about it. At least not consciously. I would just gravitate towards the green. But by using the different colors, different things bubbled up. Like the lights, and the whale.
Chime in on what you think. Positive or negative.
Posted by wendy at 07:29 AM | Comments (3)
July 25, 2005
...they are not stupid...
I know people are scared, but the terrorists are not stupid. I think the new random bag check is not what the MTA needs to be doing. (They are now doing random bag searching on the subways, trains and buses in response to the London bombings.)
Do you really think the person with bombs in their bag is going to allow themselves to be checked? Really? I think us Americans in our wonderful elitist nature are treating the terrorist as if they are children. Do you think that maybe the MTA is trying to gloss over the fact that they haven't even begun to spend the money they were given in 2002? They have only spent 30 million of 600 million dollars! It all comes down to money. And now instead of real safety we are getting this false sense of security because people can see that something is actively being done. But how long are they going to check bags? How long before all New Yorkers are wearing this? It makes me sad and scared. Scared for the way our country is headed. Scared that we can feel safe when there must be huge holes in their bag check idea! I am going to do a test and see how well they are covering a station. I'll let you know how it turned out, and tomorrow I will post a new paintings that I am ready to show. I am headed down a dark road in my art, well dark for me. They make the Boy a little uncomfortable, but I like them. I am definitely stepping out of me comfort zone. I also am working on the vine robot and he is looking good. I am done with my rant.
Posted by wendy at 08:03 AM | Comments (3)
July 19, 2005
...small faces...
I worked on these faces this weekend. And I painted them at work today. I will do an entry about what my work is (were I go everyday to pay the bills) and what we really do. I have been drawing my girls lately with really wide faces and sad eyes. I would love to get some feedback on these guys. Especially the green girl.
(Oh and I am really glad to know that my new family is reading this blog. I got an email today from the Boy's middle brother. He is loving the dirt on his big brother! Thanks for reading A-! You can write comments anytime! We have to come and visit this fall, hopefully.)
Posted by wendy at 09:09 PM | Comments (5)
July 18, 2005
...famous people & the nod...
I have a pretty good eye for spotting famous people, it is pretty easy on the streets of New York, but every once in awhile I do the "hey I know you nod". The funny thing is a split second after I do the nod, I realize they are famous! Not my friend, not even someone I see around the neighborhood, but famous and don't know me at all!!
The most recent occurrence was when Nigel Barker came into work to rent a backdrop. I came out of the office and said "Hey", like I knew him. He gave me the yes I am famous nod but I didn't pick it up. I continued to pull out a couple of backdrops still trying to rack my brain for how I knew him. He was with a couple of people, the clients and as they left. I said, "Who is the photographer again?" Dan, the client said, "Nigel Barker". OOHHHhhh. Then the embarrassment set in. Because not only did I give him the "hey I know you nod", but I as I was pulling out backdrops they fell on me and knocked out the one of the lights and it crashed down onto the floor. Call me grace!
Now for those of you who don't know, Nigel Barker is one of the judges on American's Next Top Model.
I am going to spill some of the Boy's secrets right now. He is addicted to that show and I Wanna Be a Soapstar. Both totally smutty, and he never misses them. When he does, he is sad. (Good thing both shows usually have repeats.) Isn't that vierrdd? I mean really, isn't it weird. I love it though. I love that he stops what he is doing and sits on the couch to watch with me. Or rather I watch with him.
Posted by wendy at 06:55 PM | Comments (2)
July 16, 2005
...harry potter - check...
I read Harry Potter in one sitting. Well, I got up for snacks, soda and to use the loo. But otherwise I just spent the day on the couch reading The Half-Blood Prince. I am not going to say anything, for fear I would give hints. And to the Boy who is at work today, don't ask me a thing!! I mean it!
Posted by wendy at 07:21 PM | Comments (4)
July 15, 2005
...japanese pop culture - check...
I had a day of Japanese pop culture. First stop was the Japan Society to see Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture. As I walked in this class was having a show. It was a look at American pop culture looking at Japanese pop culture looking at American pop culture called Experience Otaku!
The most disturbing exhibit was this slide show of before and after photos of eyes. Photos of people (mostly asian, but one really really scary old white lady) that have had surgery to get the double eyelid.
I can’t imagine going to that extreme for vanity. I can imagine it actually (not something that I would do), but it saddens me. Besides the strange slide show those kids had a great show, especially for a nine-day summer program!
The Little Boy show was fantastic. There was a visual history of hello kitty, which was a kick! I love all the toys. How the toys are regional, made especially for the town, like a mascot. I loved the art from Aya Takano and Yuki Ohshima. They both had these beautiful girls with subtle sexuality. Sensual, beautiful and a little disturbing. As you keep looking at the paintings you see that it is not just a cute girl, but there is danger and a lot of sex. Aya Takano has really beautiful watercolors and these soft larger acrylic paintings. I loved Yuki Ohshima's little figures. I searched the web after I came back from the show and I couldn’t find a lot on him. Not really anything. His little figures though are amazing and I would love to get a hold of one of them. Any one know more about him!?
After I was done with the show I went to the Japanese pop culture mecca, Kinokuniya. I almost bought this book called Masaki’s Lifestyle book by the same people that did the Lotta’s Lifestyle book (as in Jansdotter). I think I may have to go back and buy it because I like to dream about one day having a lifestyle book of my own. First I have to figure out my life. The one person I know that could do one of those Lifestyle books is my friend Lola from Madrid. She is so talented and amazing. I miss her since she moved back to Spain. She has a great little clothing store on Calle de Santa Teres. I can’t wait to visit, it has been too long! If anyone knows who publishes these books, I would love to see what other lifestyle books they have.
It gets slow at work during the summer so I try and take off one day a week. It helps do all the projects that are on my plate. Plus I have a list of things I want to try and do this summer.
Posted by wendy at 06:25 PM | Comments (3)
July 14, 2005
...frozen custard-check...
Ok so this wasn't on my list, but Johanna reminded me that eating sugary stuff in the city can be equally inspiring.
I had a delicious chocolate frozen custard!
I didn't even know about frozen custard. It is a creamy and smooth. A much much better version of frozen yogurt. Actually frozen yogurt has NOTHING on frozen custard.
I got it from this new little place called the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, right near work and my train station. Very Dangerous!
Inspired by my constant drooling over him for a couple of months now and finding her the other night from creature comforts, she has super cute felt tea bags. I started sculpting little heads. But I think I am going to start again with more of a story. I have a bunch of sad little stories in my head. I really love Monica's bittersweet story of Luna and the Stellar Cat!
Posted by wendy at 07:42 AM | Comments (1)
July 11, 2005
...to do list..
Things I want to do this summer and fall, in no particular order...
Visit Rockefeller’s House
Draw at the Natural History Museum
Visit Salem, Mass
Go to the Bronx Zoo
Update Website
Draw at Central Park Zoo
Japan Society Gallery - Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture (Aiko I should have gone when you were here!)
Make more robot softies
Do more labyrinth paintings
Go to the beach
Check out New York Waterways fall leaves boat tour
Do some screen printing
Go to Sleepy Hollow
Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden (Try and get the SLO crew to take the train out to Astoria)
Decide the future of crabbcards
Print my Holga photos
Go to Lyndhurst Castle
Read Harry Potter & The Half Blood prince without stopping
I am trying to get out more, since I live in the city that never sleeps, but I really want day trips and the like. If you have any ideas send them my way!! Art shows that are happening, fun places to go outside the city, fresh air places, pretty much game for anything. Lay it on me!
Posted by wendy at 07:41 PM | Comments (2)
July 08, 2005
...off to Seattle...
Here are the three softies that are now in Seattle with Kristen at Schmancy. I am really excited to be in the Plush You event. I have so many ideas for the next robots. I was inspired by the last one I made - Maude. I am going to go with a nature robot. I have some sketches for a great robot covered with embroidered vines. Plus I have a big bag of beautiful felt that is begging to be made into robots.
Posted by wendy at 09:10 PM | Comments (4)
July 07, 2005
...thoughts in london...
My thoughts are in London.
Posted by wendy at 07:16 AM
July 05, 2005
...meet maude...
Here is the last robot that is heading to the Plush You event at Schmancy. Her name is Maude and she is from a wealthy french family. She went to a boarding school in Switzerland. She speaks four languages and always wears flowers.
Trixie trying to see if she is competition or if she is a new play toy.
If you want to see some great dolls with a amazing stories check out Yarnstorm that I found from the amazing Naive Knitting. She is turning out these ladies very quickly. I love them.
Posted by wendy at 07:02 AM | Comments (3)