Friday, October 31, 2014

It Wasn't Frank's Night

Even though it was supposed to be, in the end it just wasn't Frank's night.


Thursday, October 30, 2014

Insurance Confusion

Not that I didn't find my insurance meeting today fascinating, but let's just say, I was a little confused.


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Leather Jacket at Night

Leather Jacket At Night


12" x 16"

Precursor
(well, there was another precursor, but I have no photo of that...and then I slapped white paint all over it, and totally f_(#ed it up...but THEN, I grew to like the ghostly white overlay on the eyes and wasn't sure I wanted to mess with it (I liked it's deconstructed look)...see below. 

 In the end, I gave in and made the painting more finished, which is how I ended up with the dude you see above.


Freaky eyes...I like them.


Sunday, October 19, 2014

Jan Brandt Gallery - Spookeh 2 Show

O.K., this is a long-arse post, but pretend it's your "War and Peace" assignment for the day. ha!  Or not...  Hmm.  Let me begin again.

Last night my husband and I went to the Jan Brandt Gallery where I had a painting in her "Spookeh 2" show.  It's so fun when galleries have funky shows and themes, and this night did not disappoint!

Thank you to fellow artist, Cara Kerchner, a talented painter, fashionista extraordinaire, and soon-to-be famous performance artist (it's coming, I can feel it!)  You'll see Cara in the pics below, and you'll immediately know what I mean!  Anyway, I ran into Cara on a fluke recently and things fell into place, and well, here you go.  Isn't it cool the way life sometimes works out that way?


Bloody entry.






 This photo didn't turn out well, but it's all these black widow spiders wrapped around the banister.


Here's Jan sportin' a fabulous wig.  Now notice, I NEVER did get a good picture of Jan--every photo is blurry, but I'm thinking maybe I did actually capture her energy that night.  She was kinetic and reverberating--an ethereal being, an apparition!  (And her blurry visage had NOTHING to do with my faulty camera skills!)

 A young ghost showing me her art work in the guest book.


Here is the fabulous Cara Kerchner!


Not "Mad Max" - "Mad Cara"


Now THIS series of amazing creations was by Associate Professsor at ISU, Gary Justis who specializes in kinetics and technology in art.  Gary has exhibited work at the Whitney Museum of American Art at Phillip Morris, NY; The New Museum of Contemporary, NY; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.  I know I don't have the following exactly right, but I believe Cara works with him or he's her adviser...something like that.  Anyway, check his website out here:  Gary Justis.  Once again, we ran into Cara on her way upstairs to view these, and we tagged along.

O.K., I'm going to massacre what was technologically going on in the following images, but I'll give you my layman's interpretation!

This display manipulated a piece of colored, foil-like paper.  With the light shining upon it, it created this spectacular display of kalaidescopic lights on the wall--along with the sound, I thought, of a "Jiffy Pop Popcorn" foil pan exploding upward on a hot stove burner.  Does anyone remember those?



Below, you have an image on the wall.  It dripped slowly, slowly down the wall like honey, and then moved onto that circular foam board in front of it...THEN, it continued to another circular foam board that you can just see the edge of at the far right.  Once there, it swirled around and around and created this vortex-like black hole in the center that grew in size.  I was so fascinated with it, that I didn't even think of my camera.  I was like Sean Penn, in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" frozen as he stared at a snow leopard and didn't snap a picture of it, but instead "stayed in it (the moment)."


This final mechanical piece of art involved a screen, a melted cup, lights...it was at least 3 different mechanics, all working at different speeds, to project a house along with landscaping on the wall.  The scene was ever-generating, never repeating the same scenario twice.  What a mind to come up with such a thing!



Here is Jan in another fast-paced apparition shot, zooming through her gallery.  I actually love this photo!  Also, you can get a better look at that nest of black widow spiders crawling up the stairwell.


Dressed-up children deserving a cameo in "The Shining."


It was a packed house.  Wish I could have gotten everyone's costume.


Dismembered baby dolls.


Is this not the coolest?!  Alas, not for sale.


One of several random creatures scuttling along the floor.


See the picture on the far-right?  So awesome.  I ran into the artist when we were delivering our pieces, introduced myself, and he said his name was Ian.  I kept thinking, this art work looks so familiar!  It wasn't until I went back for the show that I realized I had went to his opening at the Peoria Art Guild back in May (Ian Carey).  Sometimes it is a small world!  He's an Adjunct Professor in Drawing Composition if you want to get in touch with him.  I wish I had realized it at the time so I could have given him a compliment on that amazing show.





Lots of eyes!






Here's my painting.  You can read the story behind it here:  Day 305. Petunias Long in Tooth and Teeth as Long As Fingers.


This is Reid and his woman, Jamie Pitts.  Check out her FABULOUS skeleton-hand necklace!
I love it!




Seancey (or rather, seance-like) table. (-;


Teeth in hand!  Love!

Pitcher of floating eyeballs, anyone?! (-:


Toothy apple treats. (-:


Flesh (or just bacon) and tongue gummies and...a snake?  Those pink and white slices were delish.


I thought this was hilarious!  I wish I hadn't gotten a blurry shot--must have been shaking out of excitement. (-:


How Jan's entryway usually looks (taken during painting drop-off week).  People, go see this show!  It may seem like I posted a lot of pics, but there is a ton of art work that I didn't post.  Plus, you never can see the detail in a picture the way you can in person, n'est pas?


On to supper at Destihl (so delicious!), which my friend Connie recommended. Here's a plug for her newly launched health website:  http://essentiallyconnected.blogspot.com/.

The waiter, a super cool, laid-back dude with even cooler sideburns, asked me:
"Do you like whiskey?"
Well, that question led me to this concoction called "White Lightening."
Whiskey, pomegranate simple syrup, and a cornucopia of other deliciousness. 



P.S.  Look at all these coolio fonts on the Destihl coaster--I'm a font junky, what can I say?


Believe me, my pics do not do this food justice.  Jalapeño bacon, wrapped around chorizo-stuffed dates and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.


Kenny's usual.  Cheeseburger (on brioche bun), fries, and coffee.  He declared it one of the top 3 burgers he's ever had.  He should know! (-;



This pic just pales in comparison to reality.  Gaucho Skirt Steak with grilled red onion, grilled jalapeño, ancho rice and beans, and ranchero sauce.


It was a great night! (-: