buzzing bees a-plenty!

Laugh out loud!
These stickers are fabulous!
Who else would have made a grumpy bee
but Jana Kinsman?
What a grand idea!
I would not have expected
such a thing when I backed this
kickstarter project almost a year ago.

Now, I have her fanciful stickers and my very own bee!
As you can see,
her name is Martha
and she's quite a cheerful
little honey
as she flits from
one hawthorne flower
to another,
making sure those buds
will become red berries
for songbirds!

Faustina,
Thank you for supporting Bike-A-Bee on kickstarter. It meant a lot! It was a long and hot summer in Chicago but the bees fared well. Now let's hope for a reasonable winter! Have a lovely holiday season!
<3 Jana K.
Hip-hip-hooray for bees!
Now, what to do with these sweet rewards?
Well, she did say she had gone to an intensive program on beekeeping at the University of Minnesota Bee Lab - and I have family up in that state - so maybe Nikolas and Lillian will get these! We have a responsibility to the next generation to pass along the education!
Bees forever!

boom bats in the house of z

I wish I could say I understood this show.
I do not.
Or is it, I donut?
Here's what I do know: that Z is one odd fellow and "Cthulhu's House of Z" is one odd show.

As Cthulhu, Z has endeavored to look the part, with misshapen face and with straggly hair and beard giving a tentacle-like appearance.

The neon-green sunglasses (just like mine!!!) keep him from being too creepy.

The neon-pink underwear below the trenchcoat and above the high-heeled shoes add that creep factor right back in, a la Dr. Frank N. Furter.
His show features three skits, or, as he calls them "scenarios." All feature donuts.
You heard me correctly: donuts.
Donuts being cut by saws.
Donuts being fresh and warm.
Donuts being smashed.
Donuts being eaten.
Interspersed between the skits are jokes and dances.
Overall, a rather entertaining show in the dark, emceed with a halting tongue and a soothing voice that encourages you to stay, enjoy, make yourself comfortable.
It's all PG, too, so your middle-schoolers could titter about it afterward.
(smile)
But understand it?
Not I.
Even though I was glad to support this kickstarter project.
BOOM BAT GESTURE pushed my comfort zone a bit... and that is good.

hey baby, hey baby, HEY!

Trick or treat!
When I arrived home yesterday, this was waiting in my mailbox.
Woohoo!
I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to view "Gypped" on the big screen at the Trustees Theatre on 30 May of this year, when it was screened for the student showcase. Now, I have my own copy and can enjoy it whenever I want.
What a treat!
Nice to see my name in the credits, too.

Trick or treat is also descriptive of the storyline.
This tale of a young man who relentlessly pursues the wrong girl -
and irks the wrong gypsy -
is quite humorous when the tables are turned and he becomes the object of pursuit.
I think Jesse Newman Lindorf has a bright future - looking to the other side of the box is always an exercise in empathy and certainly makes the world a better, less biased, place for all of us.
As you may recall, this was a local film project from my October 2011 funding spree.
But first, let me remind you why I began funding these projects.
My mother was an artist at heart. Her outlet for creativity lay in sewing and handcrafts and cake decorating. She was never able to practice art as a career.
After my stepdad's recent death, I received some funds from my mother's estate. It was free money: I didn't earn it, it was simply given to me.
That meant I had the option of spending it however I wanted.
Again, it was free money.
I opted to share it with artists. I had recently been introduced to the world of kickstarter through a friend's project and, when I suddenly found myself with funds to invest, I chose kickstarter as the search engine for my investments.

muralcle block party!

I was asked to promote this event, so here we go. Please note that all of the following italicized words were written by the folks at SeeSAW. I have added my photographs in lieu of using theirs.

For Immediate Release
SeeSAW Block Party and David Ellis
Who: SeeSAW (Savannah Art Walls) and Savannah artists Katherine Sandoz, Troy Wandzel, Adolfo Alvarado and visiting artist David Ellis
What: Block Party
Where: SeeSAW Mural Wall | 34th and Habersham Street | Savannah, GA
When: Sunday, October 14 , 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Social Media Feed: Twitter @SavArtWAlls
Follow SeeSAW’s collaboration with David Ellis with the hashtag #EllisSAV on twitter and instagram October 14 - 19.
For info please email info@savannahartwalls.org

SeeSAW (See Savannah Art Walls) is excited to announce a block party this Sunday, October 14 in celebration of a year’s worth of art and community support at the mural wall at 34th and Habersham Street in Savannah, GA. In December of 2011 SeeSAW secured approval from Savannah’s Metropolitan Planning Commission to oversee the first designated rotating mural wall in Savannah. To fund a years worth of murals SeeSAW successfully raised over $7,000.00 on the crowd-sourcing website Kickstarter. Most of the money raised was locally sourced from individual Savannahians and local businesses that support the amplification of public art.
In order to stay in line with the curatorial standard of creating work that is Savannah-centric in nature, SeeSAW selected prominent local artists Katherine Sandoz, Troy Wandzel, and Adolfo Hernandez Alvarado. These three artists were selected to tell a visual story of Savannah because of their consistent history documenting and interacting with the diverse people and geography of Georgia's first city.

Starting on the coldest day of the year in February 2012, Katherine Sandoz painted an abstract landscape of Turtle Island, a hammock off the Georgia coast directly due east from the wall at 34th and Habersham. The landscape spanned the length of the 8 ft x 100 ft wall.

In June 2012, rather than obliterate Sandoz’s landscape, Troy Wandzel decided to add a field of flowers along the lower third of the wall. Often in contorted positions, Wandzel painted over 70 portraits from life of everyday Savannah citizens that willingly suffered the June heat with smiles on their faces.

Staying in the theme of adding
to the wall rather than starting
over, in September of 2012
Adolfo Hernandez Alvarado synthesized Sandoz’s landscape and Wandzel’s portraits by painting a centrally located female figure with a crown formed out of seashells and waves. The woman represents
the feminine qualities of Savannah as a city, from its natural and architectural beauty to its motherly embrace.
“La Madre” of Savannah is flanked by two bearded horn players derivative of the fountain in historic Forsyth Park.
To close out the year with a bang, SeeSAW will be bringing in world-renowned NYC-based artist David Ellis for a week of painting “large, mobile, 3D” objects placed on the lawn in front of the wall on 34th Street. SeeSAW co-founders James “DrZ” Zdaniewski and Matt Hebermehl were inspired to create SeeSAW based upon previous experiences assisting Mr. Ellis on projects in Savannah and the Wynwood Walls neighborhood of Miami, FL. David Ellis will be in Savannah October 14 - 19.

Let me tell you, this was quite a block party, too! People from the neighborhood, people from all over Savannah, even people from other cities, all came together to admire the Muralcle and to watch the New Yorker create his motion-based paintings on the side panels of cargo trucks. It was almost like he was dancing! He may well have been, as the crowd was entertained by the sounds of Vinyl Appreciation while slurping Italian ices to stay cool in the sunshine.
Remember how Fliss had her portrait painted in June by Troy Wandzel? Well, the evidence points to his having an influence on Adolfo Alvarado's design. Perhaps he asked that my visage be preserved; perhaps he did not. Whatever the case may be, Fliss remains with "La Madre", peeking out on the lefthand side. Is it mere coincidence that has me nestled near "The Mother"? I prefer to think it was on purpose. Yet another message from beyond, reassuring me that I am spending the money properly.
Thanks, Mama.

bronze bird flies to England

Woohoo! At the end of May, Ray Harryhausen was surprised with the letter of appreciation of his work and with the new bronze statue replica of his prehistoric bird from "Mysterious Island". I think Bruce Bowman did a marvelous job!
In the first week or so of September, he sent a link to me so I could download a copy of the letter for myself. I've only now had time to devote to the printing and framing of the piece.
I'm so very proud to have been part of this endeavor! As a fan of fantasy, mythology, science fiction, and science, I am also a fan of Mr. Harryhausen, even if I had been unaware that he was the mastermind designing the creatures in the movies I loved. I am most certainly aware, now, of the man behind the genius and am thrilled that he has been honored in this way, by fans, while he is still alive.
You see, the man is now 92 years old.
My stepdad was 89 when he tripped while doing laundry, broke his hip, and died.
Every moment is precious, y'all.

Here is a closer view of the message to "Uncle Ray", as he is known to those in the business. I think Bruce did a wonderful job at phrasing the message, don't you?
"There have been so many renowned animators, writers, artists, and filmmakers who have attributed their own creative gifts to your glorious fantasy films. As a sculptor, I humbly count myself among them.
When I learned your 'Phororhacus' model had been recycled for another project, I made it my goal to provide a replica for your shelves. And now with the support of those listed below, I am proud to present you my own recreation of your model.
Kindest regards, Bruce Bowman"

See my name? I'm in almost the middle of the twenty-one signatures.
I only wish I could have signed it in person!
Of course, my scribble wouldn't have been nearly as nicely done.

The artwork was done by a local artist in Portland, Oregon, Bethany Grosvenor. Bruce and his wife saw her pen-and-ink drawings hanging in a bakery and decided then and there to engage her to design this beautiful letter.
It truly is art.
And that is why it is framed and hanging on my wall.

Want to know more about Ray Harryhausen?
Check out this site.
Best bit of trivia to me?
That part about his influence showing up in one of my favorite films, "Monsters, Inc.".
What is your favorite?
And, should you develop a hankering for your very own copy of the Phororhacus, you can order it here. You'll have to bronze it yourself.
(smile)

the flight continues!

Taking to the air once more, this steampunk film is working mightily to soar - and I'm on board again!
Previously presented on kickstarter, the film failed to attain its funding goal... so it received nothing. Those are the rules: attain goal, receive all funds pledged; fall short of goal, receive nothing. The backers have rules, too: if goal is reached, the backers receive the rewards for their pledge levels. However, if the project fails to hit goal, the backers do not receive rewards - and their monies pledged are not collected.
Jennifer Marie Bird, the writer and director of photography of "The Flight", did not get discouraged. In fact, I believe she became even more determined that this "kickass steampunk film" see the light of day. Festival exposure is critical to the growth of this short into a feature-length story.
At this point, the film is finished, edited, locked - all of that. So now to get the backing to take it on the road, show it to the world, let the LGBTQ community have another pathfinder, especially for youth.
So, she brought it to indiegogo.
The rules are different here. The project creator receives all monies pledged, whether the funding goal is attained or not. And, the backers are guaranteed to receive the rewards they have chosen, as the pledged funds are collected instantly when pledged.
I guess this manner of crowdsourcing relies upon better preparation than does kickstarter.
At any rate, I know I will receive the dvd of the film, this time.
Thanks, Jenn, for reminding me a few days ago about this new aim for the skies!

from venice, with thanks

It hasn't yet been a year since I backed her printmaking trip to Venice. In the past three months, I've been to Italy, she's been to Italy, and we are both back safely home again.
Say what? I went to Italy?
Yes, I did!
I shared the news with Rachel Singel in May:

fliss on May 11, 2012
Rachel, I leave for Italy on Sunday!
The Health Professions group at the university where I teach are going there for a Study Abroad trip and I was fortunate enough to snag one of the seats that opened up in February. This is only my second trip there; my first was ten years ago.
I will not be going to Venice, but I will go to Salerno, Siena, and Roma - perhaps one day I'll make it to Venice!
Happy travels to you!

Her quick reply had been:
Rachel Singel
May 11, 2012
Hi Faustina! Wow! That is so great!!! I sure hope you have an amazing time! Safe travel to you, too! :)

My travels had me home again before she left on hers. Then sometime in July, she returned, sharing her photographs of her adventures and ... TA DA! some of her artwork she had created in Venice! Wow!
Today, the thirty-six page book she had made for me arrived on my doorstep.

Notice the four binding cords
holding it all together,
the indentation for the bookplate,
the creamy color
and rich texture of the pages,
the 'wispy clouds
on a summer day
in Venice
in an old black & white movie"
design of the cover of the book.
Beautiful, isn't it?
Perhaps I will, one day, share it with my bff.
Perhaps I will use this book, this unique piece of art, to record the adventure she and I shall have when we go to Venice for Carnival in a few years.
Perhaps that will be best - the book will return to Italy with us!