Random Lovely's from last week

One of the many reasons I love my job is the amount of completely random things I am able to take pictures of in a single day. These are just a few gems from the first week of summer camp:

(Exhibit A) Nothing says safety for your stuffed ferret like Jesus and Spiderman!

Staples with your morning coffee, anyone?




















And, my personal favorite:
Battery in the Crock Pot.

Long Time: No Post

Sorry for the utter lack of posts, life sometimes gets in the way. I am beginning to feel like I can't trust my brain to do anything with any consistency. However, after this weekend I am thinking the saying: "When it rains, it pours," is accurate.

First, my boyfriend and I have been in the process of buying a house for what seems like forever. We have had at least 5 different escrow closing dates since our offer was accepted for a condo down the street from where we live now. As a result, my house is an atrocious mess- complete with packed boxes lining the walls and camping under the dining room table. Not ideal for art-making. None-the-less, I have completed a few pieces, but have yet to do anything with them...should be able to post some pics soon.

Second, the last week of school is upon me...like a truck. Usually not too stressful, this last week is turning out to be an editing nightmare. Events at the school were pushed back and delayed this year, so now I am scrambling to film and edit multiple things at once with only a couple days to complete them and get them on air for the morning broadcast. The icing on the cake was a parent hunting me down last week and bullying me into making a copy of her children's acts in this years talent show...in my spare time. Sure thing, thanks.

In the midst of the obnoxiousness, we managed to score artists passes for the Live 105 BFD music fest last Sunday. It was like Christmas. I had originally purchased lawn seats and ended up being backstage for everything. The highlight was definitely Matt and Kim..they were amazing, blew me away with their energy on stage. Jamie was playing one of those basketball shooting games while I was taking pictures with Brian from the Silversun Pickups. After the picture was taken Brian stood and watched Jamie take shots with our friend Justin. Freaking unreal.

So that being said, I have been freaskishly stressed and awesomely amazed...now I need a nap.

Empty

I need a break from all children all over the world. Open to suggestions!

The Elusive White Rabbit

This story begins in January of this year. I made a resolution to submit my artwork to the mixed media publication Somerset Studio. I would check out themes in each new issue, until I found the one that I wanted to use: Alice in Wonderland...perhaps with a slight nod to Tim Burton's new movie. I created a mood board with the colors and materials I wanted to use in the piece. Before I knew it, my blank canvas board was *almost* complete! There it sat, propped up on top of " art purgatory." In my improvised studio area, art purgatory is the wall mounted coat rack that I use to hang inspirational items and finished or *almost* finished pieces.

The deadline for the Alice in Wonderland submission was a not-so-ambitious October 15th, and before I knew it, the week of the deadline was on my doorstep. My piece was not finished. However, several days before the 15th, I did manage to add the finishing touches to my work and called it "done."

Before I knew it, the deadline had come and gone. I got stuck with my finger on the start button. I never sent the piece in to Somerset. I have decided I am officially losing myself in things I do not care about. I want my life to be art, but my life is getting in the way.

The piece is ironically titled : Late.

Book it, sister!

I will preface this stream of conciousness with the fact, that, I love books! As we all know (I hope), books are an easy way to find inspiration when you are in an artistic slump. Thus, I made the decision over the weekend to continue a tradition my Mom started of collecting Caldecott Honor-winning books for my son. Luca is only 15 months old, and at this point, he does not even pretend to listen when I am reading to him. However, there is always the rare occasion that he does sit and listen (last night he managed to get through the rise and fall of "Max, King of the Wild Things" in Where the Wild Things Are before he got mad that a page wasn't turning and tore part of the cover). Plus, I have come to the conclusion in the past couple years, that the artwork in children's picture books is mostly amazing and always worth exposing your child to- even if they can only sit still long enough to get a glance.

In addition, these books are a cultural connection children get to have with their peers. When they grow up, they will remember what their mommy and daddy read to them before they went to sleep. Evey generation has something they can all remember about growing up in particular decade. The books that were popular when you were little are part of these memories. Books are like songs in a way. You can relate to the characters and the stories and they become a part of you and when you are lost they will always be there. All of this is why I love books, especially childrens picture books, and they are inspiring to me, as an artist and a person in a world that is crappy sometimes.

♥ Paste: Part II

After all of my internet research, I finally went to the source of the great paste mystery. I emailed Elmer's with my query. This is what I got back:

Dear Melissa,

Thank you for contacting us regarding Elmer's products.

Unfortunately, that product has been discontinued and is no longer available. We are sorry for any inconvenience and disappointment.

Sincerely,

Brian Rumschlag
Consumer Response Analyst

That's it?! No explanation at all?! What a disappointment. I bet Brian Rumschlag doesn't even know why paste is off the market. I bet he never made fabulous masterpieces out of construction paper, glitter, macaroni and paste when he was in kindergarten. What a shame.

♥ Paste: Part I

Once upon a time, we all used to create fabulous masterpieces in Kindergarten and Preschool using scissors, construction paper, macaroni, glitter and the all important Elmer's Paste. You remember paste? The oddly textured, minty chemical-smelling, thick wannabe glue that was an embarrassing sign you were not trustworthy enough as a 5 year old to use the real glue. I have been working at an elementary school for the past 4 years and before that, I was on the Preschool scene ( I am trying to relive my childhood, kind of a "let's try this again" experiment, but this time with feeling! Ok, so not really, but it's a wonderful idea, no?) and you know what? The person in charge of mandating adhesives in the "land of little ones" decided children will no longer use paste! Like the friggin' Wizard of Oz or Seinfeld's Soup Nazi: "No more paste for you! Now go!"

I cannot help but wonder: Why? WHEN and HOW did this happen? Now millions of children are being robbed of their rightful title as "the kid who eats paste." Their loyal onlookers have been deprived minutes upon minutes of art activity time entertainment!

What now? My curiosity is sufficiently peaked. Was this paste toxic? Full of hormone-disrupting BPA or Pthalates? Did some kid choke on a wad of paste, ruining it for everyone? I will research this devastating paste mystery and report back with my findings.

Until then: I bid you adieu!