If you go...

If you go to Artscape this year, please...Don't forget to LOOK AT THE ART!
It is the reason for Artscape. I went with my artsy entourage last Friday for the actual art openings. Unfortunately, we only made it to some of the shows in the MICA area. First we ventured into Theater Project...it its one of those spaces that definitely get's pushed aside and forgotten. My friend Trisha has about 4 pieces in this show. It’s a fiber show that really is worth seeing. Trisha Lane makes these incredible pieces that I like to describe them as stitched stories. Works that put a smile on my face when I look at them. Try to ignore the little office set up in the gallery space…they seem to be going through renovations. We actually got to get a peek of the actor Bill Pullman who is doing some sort of under ground theater event.

Then we wandered up to the FOX building. Ran into many old friends, as well as the X for the first time. Happy to say that time does wonders. No yelling or screaming. Simply caught up on family manners and a hug good bye.

You MUST See the Sondheim Award show in the Fox Building My fav’s were Jason Hugh’s army men Mandela and Eric Dyer’s works. Go check it out! The pattern show in the Bunting Building is also good. Go see the street signs in the small room. You can view the story of Christ via the language of the street sign! (These were created by Peter Zahorecz. A great artist friend of mine who died early this summer riding his skateboard in England. )

I'm sad that I didn't get to Gallery 409 to see the "Dangerous Books; Pushing the Pop-Up" show. Will try to make it there when I get back.

So don't let this heat make you miss Artscape. Its the 25th. anniversary! I believe fireworks are planned off the new Brown Building!

Time Please?

Somebody give me more time in the day please!!!! I keep feeling like my summer is going way too fast and that I simply cannot find enough time in the day to do what I really want to do. We leave for Whistler on Thursday. I’ve been teaching this camp that I really like but for some reason, when a teacher teaches over their summer vacation, something sucks every living ounce of life out of you. I have only found a small speck of time to paint. 5 canvases stretched and one background begun. I know September will be here before I know it. Only 12 full days for me to paint before my show once I return from Canada.
But I have to calm down and not worry. What happens happens..What get’s done..Get’s done.
Though I really should not complain about camp. The best part about teaching this summer enrichment art camp is that my two nephews, Matt and Andy are participating in this camp. Their second year. They have come back very confident and making some incredible works of art. Matt and his scorpion…he is planning on selling for $50 Framed. And Andy’s watermelon are both pictured above. I really love seeing these 2 guys everyday. Makes it all worth it! And before I know it, they will be all grown up.
I’m going to send updates from Whistler. Got a new full-face helmet so I won’t be a bobble head this year. My goal this year is to make it down A line!

Franzie and I

Just got back from Deer Valley-Park City Utah where I got to hang out with my new buddy Franz the bear. Got to actually hang out with some girlie girls while our fella's rode the big dusty hills. Another NORBA race and my guy podium again with 3rd. place. Very dry out there in Utah. Never picked my nose so much! My skin was also screaming for humidity. Flew in to Baltimore at 12:30 AM to 4 hours sleep to art camp today! 8 very cool middle school kids who actually were amazed by doing contour line drawings! I'll try to post some work later on the week. Anyway, here are some pics from my trip. Now its back to teaching and painting and working out. Need to get on the bike! Whistler is 10 days away!

Remember when?

So it’s been a couple of days now since my 43rd. birthday. Nothing too memorable, except I broke my rule of riding my bike down some insane hill or mountaintop on my birthday. I made this rule up on my 40th. Birthday. I first rode my bike down Federal hill on the big 40. Then we were in Whistler for 41, and 42, so that was easy making my rule stick. This year, not the case. First of all, any hill or mountaintop in my range would have been soaking wet. And I just didn’t feel like getting wet anymore after a very long weekend at White Tail. So, what is one to do? I went to the YMCA where to my surprise, I had my first machine birthday greeting. When I pulled my card through the entrance gate, the turnstile belted in a deep voice: ”Happy Birthday”!
So this really got me thinking about the whole meaning of birthdays and celebrations and how they have change, as one gets older. No more family gatherings showering me with presents and birthday cake. I found some old pictures of birthday past. My mother, a retired Elementary school teacher, use to throw the best parties. She made the hats and the games. I remember this one game where each person was blindfolded and had to follow a string that came from a poster of an octopus, that mother drew in her best elementary teacher drawing skills. You followed the string to the end, and some where close to the end of the string was a present! You had to grope around the ground until you found the wrapped gift. I believe in the one picture you can see her with me grasping her arm, as we play pin- the tail-on- the -donkey. I think this was my sister’s party, not mine, But I love this photo. How dressed up we got to grope around in the dirt! The other pictures are of my 9th. And 10th. Birthdays and one of my bday cakes. Cakes then had ceramic figurines that you could have for life to remember your special day. During these two birthdays, I received gifts that were two of my favorite. The only thing they had in common were the orange red plastic material that they were both made of. My grandmother is holding the one on her lap. A transistor radio the form of a sphere. It had a chain with a ring on it in which one could hold on to as one gets up on top of the monkey bars at school. A favorite pass time of the cool girls of the fifth grade at Catonsville Elementary School. This present is what got me in to the cool group! The other present is the one that I am holding. It was called The Bird, and it was simply a plastic bird that hung from a spring. We use to have it hanging from our light that my sister and I had in our shared attic room. I think it really hurt when it hit you in the head.
Yes, those were the birthday that I am so lucky to have had. Now, they are just as good, just different. I now get cards from Title companies, Victoria Secrets, Banana Republic as well as my tax guy. Dad took Patrick and I out to a very fancy and expensive dinner. They actually honor me with a personalized menu! Patrick gave me absolutely awesome gifts! And my mom, she got her knee replaced on my birthday. She reminince on her two hospital experiences of June 28. At lease the knee won’t be keeping her up at night crying! Let’s hope not.

Crafty Bastards

So I just applied to the Crafty Bastard show. Here are some samples of what I do with that sewing machine of mine.

today's quickie spit outs

Working on more ideas for my 6 newbies. I think its a good idea to first work out a bunch of ideas. Patrick suggested planning all 6 out before I start stretching canvases. Look at color scemes. Making them look like a set of some kind. They are all opt to change. My putting these out there are simply to put them out there. I see them changing once executed in paint. I'm also thinking of making silk screens of each character. Any suggestions or comments are greatly welcomed.

Kevin in Orange

Latest on the photoshop created'
study for smaller square paintings

Rain Rain go Away

It’s Monday. A very rainy Monday following a very, very rainy weekend. Spent the weekend toting from Baltimore to White Tail to watch the Yous guys racing team race in the mud and endless rain. Not very happy with the racing organization and having to wait after numerous delays for shoty timing. Patrick got himself a bad knee injury, leading him to only race on Saturday.

I started to make aprons on Friday and have now completed three. Am working on the tie around the neck variation. The pics are of the three I just completed. Working for my application for the Crafty Bastard application.
Now I guess its time to go back to the paint. Went to SALT on Friday (where I am having my show in September). I counted six places for six more paintings. Smaller ones..Thinking 2 foot square. So its back to good old Photoshop for more wallpaper designs. Will keep you posted.

Marla Streb my Hero

No, I am no way close to Marla (maybe a little close in age). Patrick and I saw her at Mount Snow this past weekend, where she raced Super D and got 3rd. place. Marla Streb? 3rd? Isn’t she the fastest downhill champ...well...she did make some major changes to her life. Like having a beautiful baby girl 6 WEEKS AGO! She told us that she was riding the day she gave birth! And back on the bike 4 days after giving birth (not sitting on the saddle of course).

So she is my motivation to be in the best shape I can be. Next week I turn the ripe age of 43. And I feel like I'm still 10 in many ways. And my clock has been ticking for a bit. My doc says I'm in better shape than a lot of the 20 some she sees...so I feel pretty good and ready to be Marla Streb...at lease Marla Streb the mommy. Still that time comes I'm going to do my best to keep with my summer regiment: 30 or more minutes of cardio four times a week. Lift weights at lease 2 times a week. I will only use walking up and down mountainsides to watch Patrick race as a single day, if I hike for two days.
So I've been good this week. I went to the YMCA 2 times and Loch Raven twice. Today I went by myself. Provident Rd to Dulaney and back...hotter than hell out there...but I did it. And had a great time! Made it over all of the logs crossing except one. Made one fantastic spill over the handle bars and landed on my FEET! Good thing about falling all the time is that you become master of landing!
Made it through another time in Loch Raven without running into any my students doing things they shouldn't be doing!

what I did today...played artist'

so i remember this now...spending hours and hours in the studio
smell of turpentine
paint on my hands
sticky medium
how this is what i got that painting degree for

started the morning buying fabric first.i need to make more aprons for crafty bastard application
found some good finds at the local fabric crafty store believe it or not
a vintage fabric design section

i needed some cheaper fabric to use with my more expensive fabrics I found on line

going to sew tonight
will show when done

my aprons are my homage to my grand mother who died this past spring.
i want to capture the elegance that she brought to the daily apron
to any of my family members out there
i need pics of nanny for my book...i want to make a recipe picture book
of my nanny and her great cooking

another project down the line
one of these days i will learn to just relax over my summer vacation

chucks and lous

say goodnight!

what Brain is saying

i mean what the text in "what Brian is saying"
is from Jean-Paul Sartre's "Age of Reason"
Mathieu Delarue's efforts to have a discussion with his mistress, Marcelle.
When I first read this quote i had a haughty feeling of deja vu

and here's Brian

Today I got some help from my trusty side kick Patrick...that's my amazing husband.
I love the act of critique and constructive feedback
even if i start to pout and wimper
i haven't painted for a while..almost a year. i had a show at montpelier center, close to dc and i thought a good place to get some exposure
and maybe sell something
but alas
no
i got so depressed on that one
so i stopped painting and started sewing
that will be another time though
anyway, i surveyed my work for the past 25 years..ugh
i did a lecture on my work for a nahs induction ceremony
of my work since my first year in college
i realized how much work i have done
but best of all
how much growth i have made
so now i am painting again with clear headed-ness and lots of good feedback
this painting is Brian
a frustrated young lad ..only in my painting...not in real life..or maybe he is
anyway, this Brian is frustrated with a woman who is emotionally constricted
worst senario, is that Brian also has the same defect.. again this is in my painting..not is real life!

elsy on pink cells

been working on this painting
working out the kinks first in photoshop then to the paint.
this is a painting about a girl named elsy who is contemplating about where she thinks she should be
be it mental state
happiness state
what she thinks she is suppose to want
as oppose to what she has been offered in life


Elsy is a contour drawing of one of my students who is not named elsy
nor is she contemplating this house at the moment

Here is Patricks Blog go check it out!

Traction Mag

Here I am

Here is my first post on my own blog.
This is my favorite pic of my Dad and I circa. 1965 or'66. Most of my life has been the attempt to be in this place again:
no worries
just being around my favorite people
in my favorite places
eating my favorite goddies.
happy to say that after many many years of searchng for this feeling
i have finally found just that

i want to use this blog to talk about just that
how i found bliss

i am a painter
new crafts person
and art teacher

new wife ( for the second time) to an amazing man
have a great new house
two great cats..chuckie and louie

and i am on my summer vaction as i write
feeling just i do in this pic