White Branches

This tree is really gorgeous. I see it every day when I drive past it. It’s so white and has such an interesting shape up against the dark background. My photography juju wasn’t with me yesterday, though, so I’ll have to shoot it again sometime.

Red Berries

I don’t know what these are, either, but they sure look Christmas-y, especially in front of some frosty-looking birch branches.

Whirligig

Actually, it was perfectly stationary. It just looks like it should be spinning. I have no idea what these things are called, but they grow on vines and make these feathery puffs that just seem to come out of nowhere between the trees near Charles Fork Lake.

Lightscapes

Photo totally ripped off from the Gazz.

If you haven’t had an opportunity to check out the “Lightscapes for the Holidays” exhibit at the Clay Center, you really should go. It’s definitely not one of those “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all” holiday exhibits you expect to find around Christmas — not that there’s anything wrong with familiar and comfortable, but this is a pleasant surprise.

The exhibit is a series of installations and sculptures using light as a medium. The photo above shows the awesome local artist Mark Tobin Moore in front of his exhibit, “They Are Still With Us,” which calls to mind all the people who are no longer with us, who we remember especially during the holidays.

I am taking all my classes to see it, even if we have to zip over and back during the regular class time, because it’s just that cool. I am lucky that the school is practically next door to the Clay Center (especially the Juliet Museum of Art, located upstairs in the CC) because it’s such an excellent resource. People really don’t understand what a treasure we have in our city. It’s so much more than just a performance hall and kids’ museum — and it has so much potential to grow through the years, too!

New ‘Do

I got my hair cut. A few of them, actually.

To be honest, I got it cut pretty drastically right before my art show, but didn’t like it so I got a redo. My hair was about mid-back length, and I loved it, but it was such an ordeal in the morning to get ready. I’m already getting up at 5 AM so I really don’t want to spend any more time getting ready than I have to. That, and being a Mom and an art teacher, I was always getting stuff in my hair — paint, peanut butter, silly putty… So off it came.

I kind of like it. It’s kind of got a Maggie Gyllenhaal thing going on. It’s fun and girly. And it’s easy to fix — my hair is naturally curly (really curly!) and so I was spending a lot of time trying to tame it by force. Now I just add some “product,” scrunch it a little, and dry it with a diffuser, and I’m good to go. I might get it layered just a little bit more so it’s not so angular, but I like this “inverted bob” thing.

It’s interesting how a new hairdo can make your whole world a happier place. I’m not good at being a girl. I have horrible nails, and I don’t spend a lot of time on hair and makeup. I don’t have a clue what to do with eye makeup, but when I get a haircut that I really like, my whole day just goes better. Of course, having a little extra time to sleep instead of trying to beat my hair into submission might have a little to do with that, too.

Of course, that all changed when I ate a Caribou Coffee bar for breakfast this morning and realized when I got to school that I have little black coffee bean pieces stuck in my teeth. *sigh* You can’t have everything.

This Blog Post Brought To You By The Letter "T"

So, my friend, Alissa, has a huge, foam “T” in her classroom. It’s a prop for a play, but it’s green, so we had joked about decorating it up as a “Christmas T.”

I snuck into her room while she was out, covered it with cutout pears, and stuck a picture of Danny Bonaduce on it. Now it’s “A Partridge in a Pear T.” Get it?!?!? A Partridge? In a pear “T”???

Thanks, I’m here all week. Tip your bartenders.

The Art Show Opening — The Purple Moon

The always-awesome Rudy Panucci and his companion, Melanie came out to the show — looking fabulous, by the way!

My husband, Mike, and daughter Olivia, checking out the Goebel prints in the alcove.

I call this one “Charlestonian Gothic.” I always make dorky faces when people stick a camera in my face. I like being on the other side of the camera, better. Anyway, that’s my exhibit. The piece in the middle is made up of 9 smallish photos of fun things — toys, disco lights, paintbrushes, hot rod parts… you get the idea. It’s called, obviously, “Play.” The two on the right are miniaturized shots, and the Statue of Liberty is a mixed media oil pastel/ink/scratch art piece.

I love these ladies! These are my friends Julie, Robin, and Tracey (from l-r behind me). They came all the way from Spencer to surprise me at my show opening, then we all went out to eat at Sitar of India. Yum!!!

It was a blast. The Modern Guy and Modern Lady have a sweet little shop, and I enjoyed looking around. A lot of people came through. It was a good showing!

Next up: the rest of Friday’s Artwalk.

Gingko Leaves

I’ll update on the November Artwalk later. It was great!

8 things

Buzzardbilly and Muze Euterpe both tagged me for the 8 things meme. It’s pretty simple — I list 8 random things about myself and then tag other people to do the same. This works really well, because I’m away from home and forgot to bring my card reader, so no photos until I get home.

Hmmm… this is surprisingly difficult. Let’s see how it goes:

1. I wasn’t actually supposed to live. I was born prematurely, and had the whole incompatible RH blood thing going on, to boot. My parents were told that I wouldn’t make it. So, really, I have always been the kind of person who, when you tell me I can’t do something, has to prove you wrong.

2. When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be “an artist or a teacher.” How about both?

3. I don’t like coffee. Not straight-up anyway. I love the occasional mocha, but coffee out of the pot, not so much.

4. My Great-Grandfather was from a poor, small fishing village in Italy called Pescara. He died when I was very young, but I still remember the scent of the sweet cherry tobacco he used to smoke. I loathe tobacco smoke, but whenever I catch a whiff of someone smoking that kind, I smile and think of him.

5. I took piano lessons for 11 years, and my parents recently gave me the piano I learned on a a gift. I still play from time to time, but I’m kind of rusty. I’m getting back into it, though. I want to teach my kids… at least until I find a better piano teacher.

6. Some items on my “things to do before I die” list: land a part in a community theater play, learn to kayak, learn to speak Italian, learn how to make stained glass windows, visit Italy, visit the British Isles (more geneology study), visit every major musem in America (I’m well on my way to that one), visit the Ghost Ranch, and see Casa Azul in Mexico City. This is a very small sampling of this list.

7. I was in labor with my first child for 37 1/2 hours. It was not pleasant. It was at that point that I decided that the unmedicated, all-natural childbirth is really not my thing.

8. My oldest child is now bigger than me. I find this oddly unsettling. I am not prepared for my kids to grow up, even though that’s kind of the point of parenting. I need to work on that.

I did it! That was hard. Okay, watch out … I just might tag you!

Happy Thanksgiving!