Happy Birthday, Mozart!!

My favorite composer; he's very muse worthy!

http://www.mozartproject.org/

NPR did a brief, albeit enjoyable segment on him last weekend. He was so wickedly naughty and brilliant. Love that!

Favorite Local Art Supply: Askew-Taylor

Kirk of Askew-Taylor has finally placed his brick & morter online! I've been serving patronage to his charming location since I moved down to Raleigh -in 1992.

You must go and say hello for me!

What's Your Narcotic?

An interesting article by WBPark, a New York Cartoonist, who describes his acceptance in a great publication like a narcotic to cartoonists. Park's story typifies each one of us who strive to maintain that committed working relationship we have with our creative-selves.

My personal narcotic, at this point in time, is validation -and I'm getting loads of it. Moreover, my survival tactic thru the low-points is stalking other artists to examine their marketing techniques and determine if it is relavent to my own. All this as I sharpen my own selling blade -while drinking wine, of course.

What's your narcotic? More importantly, how do you survive thru the low points?

Spelling Bee & Matchmaking?

There is a new strategy in the dating scene: An Adult Spelling Bee Contest complete with a martini bar.

The Review
This offbeat mixer revives post-childhood anxiety, but to our good fortunate of being over-age, it allows us to dilute our nerves with a little sweet vermouth at the open bar. Bonding over spelling victories, the singles have spelling categories that range from the raunchy to the ridiculous, such as: Snoop Doggy Dogg, chupacabra, and chlamydia.

While I'm not a martini drinker -but think the glasses are 'oh so cool' and collect them for my outlaws, I hope they've at least created a drink called, 'The Spelling Bee.'

Note to Husband: Don't worry, this site happens to include classes in the arts and it's all done at the 92 Street Y.

Just another reason why I wished I lived in NYC.

Thought for the Day: Publicity

I've been surrounded with issues of publicity this weekend: A multi-artist show (of which I was a part); NPR issues on garnering publicity for illegal acts in the White House; and inane submissions to local newspapers for self-promotion.

Upon commenting on news submissions, my friend Jeanne had this to say:

The way I look at it---we all had better become lobbyists for ourselves---no one is going to do it for us. ;) Wouldn't it be so great if there wasn't enough bad news and they had to fill up the paper with something and they just interviewed artists?

Yeah, wouldn't it be nice to fill our days with good news? More importantly, we must become lobbyists for ourselves -no one is going to do that for us.

My recommendation is to survey a number of artists that you admire and stalk them. Read their news (from PR to blogs) to see what they're up to. You might learn something that you adapt to fit your personal agenda. That's right, you can admit that outloud. Repeat after me:

I-have-a-personal-agenda.

Excellent! Doesn't that feel good to get that out in the open? The first step to becoming a working artist is to acknowledge that you are one.

When did you experience your first acknowledgement? Let me know!

Snowflakes are Blinking

So we've got this digital thermometer in the kitchen that exhibits both indoor & outdoor temperatures as well as humidity. Upon arriving into the kitchen tonight, I see that the mostly full moon is casting a fascinating glow on our deck. Momentarily, the wind seems to have died down and I wonder what the temp is currently, so I pull the down the thermometer off the shelf to examine it.

"Oh, look Pip, the snowflakes are blinking," mindlessly I say to the cat as the temperature & humidity are prime for the white stuff. My mind wanders back to the glowing deck reminiscent of an exotic, sultry evening in the North Carolina summer. After all, the past few days have been a sweet reminder of late August.

However, noting the cruel deception by the stillness of the night, I scurry into the bathroom to empty my bladder for the last time in the evening. God how cold and frigid the nights were in the North and as a kid, refusing to do anything more than necessary before jumping into bed. Moreover, nothing is more sublime than having a toilet seat warmed by a nearby heater.

Would Kansas Deny Prince Charles Entry?

I guess my husband is right, this county is dissolving it's acceptance of other culture's rights... in this case it's to bear historic costume.

This poor kid, Nathan Warmack, was denied entrance into a school dance for donning a full-dress kilt in Jackson School District, Kansas City, MO. Young Mr. Warmack did receive an apology, but never got into the school dance.

Idiots.

A Bloody Honest Politician

This is hilarious! A vampire seeks the ballot for Minnesota governor.

Check out his disciplinary platform.

Hemingway's Landmark Razed by Fire

I dread reading about bad things happening to fabulous spots. Having never been to the Bahamas (yet!), his place was on my life's list.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060113/en_nm/life_hemingway_dc

What Would Jesus Hang?

As Andrew and I were pondering some items to submit for publication, I asked aloud, "What would someone's grandmother want to hang in her house? Just then Andrew ask, "Well, the real question is, 'What Would Jesus Hang?'"

"That is a good question." as I snort while trying to enjoy my evening wine. "I do know he wouldn't want that damn crucifix hanging on his wall! I can imagine getting the heebie jeebies seeing myself being tortured everytime I turned the corner."

"Is this the thanks I deserve for hanging on the cross for you for 3 days?" Andrew replied as Christ.

"He's got nothing on his mother!" I said. "I carried you in my womb for 9 months!"

Then we recalled the joke recently heard that went like this:
Where would God go for vacation?
Well, he wouldn't go back to Earth, that's for sure. "I went to Earth 2000 years ago, knocked up some Jewish broad and they haven't stopped talking about it since!"