future of public art in savannah... and i helped

The City of Savannah is asking its citizens, and visitors, to chime in on how the dollars collected in property taxes and tourist fees should be spent.

Happy to oblige!

I declined to use the QR code, but I did respond to the 20-question survey which I received via email, taking time with each response.

That meant I spent almost 40 minutes on the survey.

Here are my suggestions for public art in this town I have loved all my life.

 

Q1: What characteristics, places, and/or values are unique to Savannah?

 

Item 1: plethora of downtown parks

Item 2: more than 200 years of history

Item 3: welcoming nature as a port city to diverse people

 

Q2: Public art in Savannah should feel like (put in order of importance).:

 

1. Representative of Savannah's people, history, and natural surroundings

2. Historical

3. Local

4. Attractive

5. Educational

6. Inclusive

7. Entertaining

8. Worldly

Q5: Where would you like to encounter public art in Savannah? Rank the following in order of priority.

 

1. As part of any new building projects in the area

2. Neighborhood gateways and gathering spaces

3. City parks and spaces

4. Major intersections and/or roundabouts

5. Government buildings or community-owned facilities

6. Unused or vacant parcels

7. Roads, sidewalks, and other pedestrian areas

8. Commercial or retail areas

Q6: Name three places in Savannah where you want to see public art.

 

Place 1: south of Victory Drive

Place 2: north of Largo Drive

Place 3: in medians on Abercorn Street

Q8: If you had a space to create a large symbol of your culture and identity, what would you put there?

 

Answer: A directional sign with arrows pointing to various countries in the United Kingdom and in Africa, where original immigrants (by free will or forced) came to the 13 colonies.

Q9: What is the role of monuments in our public spaces?

 

Answer: To educate the public about important moments in history, about important inventions, and about important artists in this area.

Q10: What is the role of public art in our public spaces?

 

Answer: To generate conversations about past history, about diversity, and about the world around us.

Q11: Identify a place in Savannah that makes you feel a sense of belonging. What were its characteristics?

 

Answer: Forrest Hills Park. An abundance of trees, a playground for neighborhood children, sports activities for adults of all ages.

Q19:  General comments.

 

Answer: Thank you for this survey. The questions gave me an opportunity to reflect upon what "art" means to me.

 

(Note: Not all questions were conducive to taking screen shots, as they contained images of types of art which might be preferred, types of settings for art, and other things of that nature. Thus, I have only included those questions on the survey for which a screen shot resulted in a capture of the question and my answers in their entirety.)

kickstarter wall in the ocean

As you know, I have several pieces of art which I have been granted as rewards for being a kickstarter backer.
They had been scattered about in my house or tucked away safely, waiting for me to decide what to do with them.
Well, last year, when I was catching up on recording the projects in this blog, I decided to dedicate one wall in my Ocean Room to my "fliss" rewards.
That probably followed from my thinking of myself as Fliss of Kickstarter.
After all, if I was going to have the moniker as part of my LinkedIn identity, then I needed to give that persona some acknowledgement in my house. Right?
I thought it only appropriate.
So, my Ocean Room now contains my Kickstarter Wall, an homage to the talent and creativity of the many artists I have supported for these past three years.
For some, the artwork is a piece created directly for the kickstarter project, as the basis of the project or as a reward.
For others, the brag bit will be a simple thing.

A bumper sticker.
A bookmark.
A patch.
A postcard.
A sticker.
A logo.
Another postcard.
Another logo.
A thank-you card.
Another postcard.
A bee, just for me.
A coaster.
A thank-you note.
A thank-you photo with butterfly.
A gawsy postcard.
A cast-autographed thank-you note.
A postcard from a legend.
An invitation to a bus stop.

This is a work in progress, obviously.
To be continued is my intention.

jelli and the gnawzler: creatures on the wall!

Swimming in the ocean of the Kickstarter Wall
Jelli Oculari floats among the Okinawan fronds
while the Orange Gnawzler creeps and crawls
through the flowery undergrowth.

My thanks, once more, to the two women behind this project!

new horizon artwork on my wall!

There he is, lolling on my kickstarter wall, gazing at the window!
Looks right at home, doesn't he?
Yes, this art print from Jeremy Lawson, the man behind "Horizon Anthology: Volume One", features a young man who could have stepped right out of its pages.
A young man in search of adventure!
I like that!

Over here?
This young woman is just fine
on her own,
thank you very much.
I like to think that Morgan Beem
was continuing the tale of
Snow White's daughter,
now grown and able to slay wolves for herself.
Notice that nice fur coat
against that pinked alabaster skin!
I'm still looking for the right frame,
but she'll be up on the wall one day soon.
I promise!

hopeful musings on speculative relationships

When I received the hardcopy of the book, I also received this print.
I immediately hung it on my kickstarter wall.
Mike Manomivibul's oh-so-romantic image strikes a chord deep within my being, the need of a living creature to connect with another.
(swoon)
I wish I could say my reaction to his story, "Made 2 Be 2gether", was as strong. Sadly, I found the imagery to be confusing, even though the page layouts clearly speak of his poetic heart. I fear the loss of understanding is certainly mine.
I do pledge to continue to strive to understand this tale of two robots, separated by man's greed and war. His is the only one that I cannot quite "get." Perhaps you could read it and let me know your take on it?
Here's the link to the store. Trust me, the pittance asked for this anthology, with art inked by six different artists, will be money well spent.
Not yet convinced? Let's see if I can convince your head that this is deserving of your heart and your wallet.
Tyrell Cannon and Scott Kroll are the men behind the concept. Each have two contributions which serve to bookend the tales in this kickstarter-funded anthology. Cannon's "Burning Heart" would have been right at home in the mid 1900's with the science fiction romances of that period. He presents a husband and wife scientific team, trying to save a dying planet... and their dying relationship. Very nicely done!
His other tale, a sweet one at the end of the book, has two astronauts who used to pass each other in "Corridor-C", secretly attracted but silent. Suddenly, circumstances shift and they discover each other. But is their discovery too late?
Kroll's two pieces are very different from each other, with only one containing humans. "This Thing Called Love" features an automaton which feigns ignorance while acting as a matchmaker for two human coworkers. Nice grokspanner, there!
(smile!)
"4 Out Of 5" is a distinctly different tale, not only from Kroll's other piece, but from every other tale in the book. It poses the query of what to do when you have only four of the five genders needed for gratification. Interesting, right? The starfish-like pentopuses are distinguishable by their upper markings, so pay attention... or purchase the "Making Love" zine for the key. (You can even read this tale on his tumblr site.)
The last of the male writers, Daniel Warren Johnson, is another "Calvin And Hobbes" fan, like Tyrell Cannon... and me! Not that Watterson's work has anything in common with Johnson's tale, "The Purest Form". No, look more to the futuristic Marines of Space-Mullet to find out what drives this warrior to success on the battlefield.
Of the two entries by female artists, I have already waxed rhapsodic about the beautiful tale of love by Rinko Endo. "The Same Moon" remains my favorite in this anthology, with its fabulous ink work and wistful tone. (She's an art therapist, by the way, so she has experience at opening herself up, through drawing, and encourages others to also do so.)
Isabella Rotman is a talented young woman, too, using her art as self-therapy. Brava! "The Dream Program" considers the case of a machine which falls in love with one of the humans in its charge. Beautifully inked, floral and lush... with a nice twist in the tale itself.
So, you see, there is an excellent variety of stories here, just as love has many sides to consider, whether one is human, alien, or machine. I highly recommend the book.
Highly.
I am so proud of these writers! Bravo to all!

christmas tree ornament for me!

Oh, yeeeaaaahhh.
I have something that Chuck Norris has.
No, not crazy mad martial arts skills. Those are strictly his.
However, like him, I now own one of Dan Hunter's carved Christmas tree ornaments, complete with gold star at the top.
How sweet is that?!
Moreover, the package arrived yesterday afternoon during the Family Gathering at my house! I immediately opened the envelope to share my kickstarter rewards with all, commenting about Chuck Norris as I did so.
My stepsister said "Chuck Norris? Really? That's funny! This morning, when I turned on the television, his show, "Walker, Texas Ranger", was on and we sat right there and watched it!"
Nice coincidence, n'est-ce pas?
I think my stepdad had to smile at that, too.

I'm quite pleased with the gift package and the stocking ornaments, too. They'll be gracing my Christmas tree for future holiday seasons!
But, do you know what really pleases me about this kickstarter project?
To satisfy the number of rewards which had to be carved and painted, Dan enlisted the aid of his girlfriend. They were able to enjoy each others company, over an extended period of time, while doing something to benefit others.
How very fortunate they are!
My gratitude to both of you!
Here's to your health and hearts!

pandamonium artwork!

She's here!!!
Robin, the dieselpunk pirate panda, is here!!!
In a plain white envelope, she traveled to my home.
I had thought there might be a Christmas card enclosed.
Even better!
Thank you so much, Patrick! I have so enjoyed being a backer of your kickstarter project.
I am so looking forward to the book's arrival!

i've been dieselpunk'd!

After participating in a variety of events today, I came home to... my reward postcard!!!
Such a beauty it is, n'est-ce pas?

Tome Wilson inscribed it:
Dear Faustina,
Today we are the shapers of the world of tomorrow.
For the future!
Tome

Marvelous words!!!
Less than two months ago, I had supported the "Dieselpunks Will Not Fall" project on kickstarter. I had mentioned here two other projects from my past which could be classified under the umbrella of "dieselpunk".
Silly me.
I have actually supported quite a few others which I had not known to inhabit that same realm! Goodness, in the category occupied by Cthulhu, I have helped birth four creative progeny! The first was not derived from kickstarter, but was a locally "crowd-sourced" fundraising event. There was art! There were readings! There was even music! I walked away with a mask of Cthulhu (for me!) and many items which traveled to waiting hands in El Cerrito. A very fine two-evening event!
Then, in 2011, my stepdad died and I found myself enriched with free money left over from my mother's retirement account. I set aside a grand to enrich the world with new creations and searched kickstarter for inspiration. I found wrapping paper with Cthulhu images! What a treat for my dear friend JinHi! What a nice way to show my appreciation for having been part of her Lovecrafted fundraiser!
Then I was off and running! On a single evening in June of 2012, I found two more projects related to the world of Lovecraft. The first was a new play, created by Boom Bat Gesture. Perhaps the term "performance art" is more relevant than "play"... yes, definitely! When the DVD recording of the finished theatrical piece arrived six months later, I was quite pleased!
The other project backed on that summer eve has not yet found its way to completion. That is through no fault of its creator, Ezra Claverie. He has written the play and the two short stories, as promised, and forwarded them to me in PDF style. However, the hardcover version of his work, which I have awaited for more than two years, may never exist. No worries! I have recently printed the volume and hope to soon find time to read and review. Stay tuned to read all about it!
Meanwhile, I hope to spend a some time exploring the website I helped sustain.
Later, y'all!

the android's astrological companion

Yes, I have already completed the categories for "Art", "Comics", and "Literature". Those pieces of my kickstarter backer "pie" were completed quite a while back, multiple times.
But I couldn't resist!
You see, I like the name, too. It reminds me of Tanith Lee's "The Silver Metal Lover" and Isaac Asimov's robot novels that I so enjoyed in my younger years.
This art book of short stories promises to be quite lovely and will be right at home beside my copy of "Speculative Relationships", wouldn't you agree? I think they will be a most winning couple!
I do so appreciate Cody Vrosh providing me an opportunity to help bring this project to life. Honestly, I don't know that he really needs to utilize the services of kickstarter to advance his work. He already has his own bookpress and screenprinting workshop, known as Binary Winter.
Perhaps he's simply wanting to spread the gospel, too.
That dieselpunk-flavored, modern creed with comic coloration.
One NOVA-sized cup for me, please!
That means my paltry forty-three dollars will gain the PDF, the signed hardback copy of the book, AND a signed print - of my choice! I'll make sure my "Kickstarter Rewards Wall" has a waiting space beside the cover print from "Speculative Relationships".
Together on the wall AND on the bookshelf!
That's for sure, too. This is another project I'm joining late, as its active time ends tomorrow. This is also another project which has well outstripped its funding goal. The creator has chosen to expand the rewards into additional levels as "stretch goals" are reached.
In fact, I'll not only receive the NOVA package, but also an additional book! This one is titled "The Zodiac of Teeth" and should make friends easily on the bookshelf with "Creature disComforts".
Very nice perk!

dieselpunks will not fall

Woohoo! I'm on my way to restoring my backer stats!
What better way to begin than to merge old and new in the realm of dieselpunks? To quote the dieselpunkencyclopedia website, the movement combines the look and feel of the 1920's to 1950's with "postmodern sensibilities from a counter-cultural viewpoint" to create "a distinct style of visual art, music, motion pictures, fiction, and engineering".
This is hardly the first project I have backed with these elements. Even though the two other projects weren't specified as "dieselpunk", they most assuredly are.
(They were both local, too, which is another plus in my book.)
In September of 2011, "The Flight" was not yet off the ground, but I went ahead and bought my ticket to ride! A beautifully crafted film eventually emerged, with definite dieselpunk aspects in the story, costumes, and cinematography.
Then, in January of 2012, another project caught my eye, promising to make Education come ALIVE! They made good on that promise, too. Inspired by the works of Nice One, a Chicago artist, students helped create a blend of art-deco-colored wall murals which featured modernistic, goggle-clad explorers. Children and dieselpunk - now, that's a way to start a revolution!
For all I know, the artists who created those two projects are followers of the online magazine and social network devoted to the dieselpunk art movement. First created in 2009 by Emmy-winning artist Tome Wilson, the site is now in danger of shutting down.
Why?
Lack of money.
The overhead for maintaining the five-year archive of art, music, and history is $3500.
That payment is due next month.
So, the funding goal for the project was set for that amount, not one penny more nor less.
In return, the creator pledges to help expand the site, encouraging the creation of new artists and new books and films and music.
Get the picture?
The creator wants to help spread the gospel, as well as maintain the place of worship.
Amen, I say!
He has even already surpassed his humble goal. My funds certainly aren't going to be the "make or break" addition to the success of the project.
Still, I wanted to be in on this.
Even if fifteen bucks isn't much these days, back in the 1920's, that sum held true worth. It's also 50% more than the minimum needed to receive a "handwritten dieselpunk postcard" from Mr. Wilson.
I'll be looking forward to that piece of mail.

muralcle is just a memory now

This morning, the wrecking crew came over to Habersham Street. Some of the backers were there, too, as well as friends of the artists whose work was portrayed on the Wall.
By the time I arrived in late morning, the middle section and the right portion had been partially dismantled.
One nice thing: the workers were very considerate of the fact that this was an artistic endeavor which was to be destroyed. Great care has been taken to salvage those portions which are to be given new homes.
Matt had been dragging whole concrete bricks up toward the front of the street, laying out neat rows to help folks find the images they wanted to cherish, their portraits captured on the concrete.
I looked, but my triangulated face was not there.
Up toward the wall I went! One by one, I turned over bricks, searching for mine, hoping it had not been destroyed, hoping the brick might be nearly whole and not shattered.
Hoping, hoping, hoping.
Twice I ended up on the ground. I had left the house so hurriedly that I had just slipped on my sandals, not "real" shoes. Twice, I stepped on a corner of broken brick and my foot slipped out from the shoe, landing me on my buttocks. BAM! The first fall resulted in a couple of scrapes; the next time, only my ego was bruised.
If only I had looked straight ahead of me that first time I fell.
My image would have been about at eye level, there on the lower left portion of the wall, below the gaping hole.
After my second misstep, I busied myself with turning all the fallen bricks face-up. That slowed me down, made me start paying more attention to the colors and patterns on the bricks. I realized that the two large sections I had just turned over, each consisting of three bricks still fused together, would have come from the same section where my image once was. Maybe my face was still on a section in that area!
And so it was.
On part of the wall which had not yet been dismantled, a section partly hidden by tar paper.

For now, the block rests on my living room floor.
I brought home eight and a half other blocks from the site.
I was careful to not take any blocks which had portraits on them; I am well aware of the value of such art. The blocks I rescued from the site have only splashes and swooshes and lines of color upon them. Somewhere in my back yard, those blocks will be grouped together to tell their stories.
Hopefully, that will be soon.

creature (dis)comforts of home

Oh, my! Such lovely, cool-scary, monsters!
Oh, pardon me - not monsters, creatures.
That indicates that these beings came from imagination, not from an egg or a uterus.

That imagination belongs to the GoggleGals, Jessica Feinberg and Alese Lea Taylor, creators of this kickstarter-funded book.
And poster, as shown above.

And two unique bookmarks.

And fabulous prints of the individual creatures!
(More on that in just a second!

Even the back of the book bears the searing mark of their fertile imagination!

I just love the way they autographed this book for me!

"FOR GREAT-AUNT FAUSTINA - BEWARE THE CREATURES!"

and

"crunch"

Such marvelous fun!






But, I must admit, my most prized rewards from these young women are Jellie Oculari and the Orange Gnawzler.
I know, they sound like something that would appear in a B-grade, late-night old-timey science fiction flick, don't they? I'm sure my fondness for those goofy movies from my youth is part of the reason I am charmed by these creatures, of all of those produced by the GoggleGals.
These were the two I could not live without.

The Snaggle-Toothed Orange Gnawzler

Shaggy and fuzzy
orange yellow on top
please don't be misled by its cute fluffy mop.
Sneaking up the stairs
hunting late into the night
It's seeking out toenails
to nibble and bite!

Jellie Oculari

Swims in the water
floats through the sky
If you don't see him coming he'll
steal your eyes.


Bwah ha ha!!!
He is definitely my favorite!
Now, they both grace a wall in my Ocean Room, a wall dedicated to the display of my treasures acquired from the support of kickstarter projects.
And Jellie, with his many aqua eyes, looks perfectly at home there, swimming along without a care in the world!

speculative relationships: a sci-fi romance comics anthology

I could most definitely use a little romance in my life.
Everyone can, n'est-ce pas?
When it comes to love between different species, science fiction has always been there to say: why not?
Tyrell Cannon and the other five artists in this 80-page collection agree with that philosophy. Together, they have contributed eight stories to stroke that romantic beast purring deep in my soul.
Mike Manomivibul, in conjunction with providing the cover art for the book, has a tale of two robots, searching the world over to be reunited. To be perfectly honest, it is that cover art, with the questing hand reaching out for the touch of another, that captured my heart. I'll hope his story bears up to that predispostion on my part.
Isabella Rotman offers dreamers on a traveling spaceship. Her art is lush and has a medieval fantasy edge. Very pretty!
Daniel Warren Johnson combines action and comedy in his other work. This tale of a cyborg in an alien war promises to keep the attention point on!
Rinko Endo is an art therapist, offering her tale through a manga lens. The star-crossed love tapestry of an alien and a human is of the ages, but newly woven.
Scott Kroll has two contributions to the anthology. The story which most has my interest postulates a five-gendered species, with love only if all are present. I wonder if they will have flavors, like quarks do?
Then there's the initiator of this kickstarter campaign, Tyrell Cannon. He also contributes two pieces, one which speaks in the voice of "Gravity", while the other features a modern chapter in the Adam and Eve saga.
Can you tell I'm hooked?
Apparently, I'm not the only one. Four hundred, thirty-seven others made sure they had surpassed their $9000 goal yesterday.
So, as the 438th backer, I've added $28 of birthday money to their pile, to help make this book the best it can be.
I'm committing to Going Steady with them. In return, I'm getting pinned in the form of a physical copy fo the book to hold in my hands and close to my heart, a print of the cover to frame and hang on the wall above my bed, and a PDF of the "Making Love" zine, so I will know all the work which was done to make this love my own.
I am nearly breathless with antici-pa-tion!

horizon anthology

This anthology poses the question: What happens after the hero wins?
Indeed, what does happen?
"The Incredibles" showed us the aftermath. All of the heroes were forced to go undercover, forgo their super-identities, phase their superpowers into "standby" mode. Sure, eventually, an evil power forces them back into the open, but again clad in their supergarb. After that evil uprising is quelled, they continue living as (near)regular folks, at least in appearance, when not called into action.
Jeremy Lawson, the initiator of this kickstarter project, has joined up with fourteen other talented artists, from near and far. Together, they have created a 144-page, full-color work of visual literature, which they want to share with us.
Nice, right?
The ringleader is a Savannah artist, transplanted from Texas (but we won't hold that against him). (smile!) He's done a great job of keeping interest alive in the project. They're on their last day today and are more than $1000 over their original goal! Woohoo!!!
Now, there's a push to try to hit that magical $10,000 mark. You want your copy of the book to be hardcover, right? I would!
So, more of my birthday money into a worthy creation! I've sent them forty-four buckaroos. As my reward, I'll be receiving a copy of the book, of course, with my name in the acknowledgements. Nice!!!
I'll also receive a PDF download of the book and a digital wallpaper pack of the cover art.
That's pretty nice, too!
And, because they had attained their initial goal, I will also be granted two Kickstarter Exclusive art prints!!! Sah-weet!!!
Now, let's hope they hit that hardcover stretch goal...

creature DIScomforts

Oh, my! This is definitely for me, me, me!!!
A book of disgustingly cute monsters, with poetry!!!
Jessica Feinberg must be aware that I recently had a birthday and that I would want some super-cool memento to always henceforth remind me of this time of my life. So, for me, and for me alone, she started this project on kickstarter.
So very kind of her, don't you agree?
Say what? Why would I be attracted to such a thing??
Well, you should be aware that "Monsters, Inc." is one of my all-time favorite movies.
Like, in the top five.
At one point in time, I had the opportunity to buy a life-size Sully, furry self and all. I was in San Francisco, with my SAR friend, Paul, at this kooky coffee shop filled with movie memorabilia. I was cruising the aisles, admiring the goods, when I rounded a corner and there they were: Sully and Mike, life-size and totally awesome!!!
Why didn't I buy him on the spot?
Well, two reasons intervened. First, he was with Mike. I would have had to buy both of them. They're BFF's; you can't split them up like that.
Secondly, and this is perhaps the more important, the cost of getting him back to Savannah would have been numbing. After all, I had flown there and would fly back. I certainly did not have the funds to buy him - and Mike - airfare for the return home.
So, they had to remain in that coffee shop in California.
I totally get that.
Now, I have the opportunity to attain creepy-cute monsters of my own!!!
Thanks to the creative talents of Jessica and her best friend, Alese Taylor. Actually, the added flavor of two best friends working to create these creepy-cute monsters and writing poems about them makes this irresistible to me.
Truly.
I'm even catching the project at its beginning, so I'll be one of the first backers, showing my support right from the start.
Coincidence, my dear, that I should find this project at this time?
Sure, if you say so...
but I happen to love coincidences!
As proof, I've invested my birthday number of dollars into this venture, right here and now.
In return, I shall receive not one, but TWO autographed copies of the hardcover book. I will definitely plan to share one of those, and this story, with one of my dear greatnieces or greatnephews. That will be an awesome Christmas gift for one of them!
I will also receive two bookmarks - definitely will share those! (Maybe!)
And - oh, Yeah - ba DWHOMP DWHOMP.
Two 8x8 prints will be gracing my newly created "fliss" wall in my Ocean Room.
Two 8x8 prints of monsters of my choice - tika tika, ba DWHOMP DWHOMP.
Oh, Yeah.
(In case you're wondering, go back and review that part in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" when they're admiring that sports car in Cameron's dad's showroom/garage. Right?!?)
Yes, August is looking mighty fine right now, filled with lovely gifts!

silencer, out to do good in the world

Yesterday, my dear friend Hai turned 34. I gave him this kickstarter reward.
Why?
Well, he is, and has perhaps always been, a big fan of comic books and graphic novels.
Secondly, he recently shared with me that he is an artist (he draws and his mom gave him a nice set of colored pencils for his birthday this year).
And, like the guys in Silencer, he was a college student until his graduation a year ago.
Also like them, he is a techhead (though he tries to keep that part quiet).
These are all valid reasons for this first issue being an ideal gift for him.
Mostly, though, I think I gave it to him in memory of Sam Johnson.

You see, Sam and Hai became friends at The Comic Box, years ago.
The memory of my dear friend Sam was the reason I backed this project three years ago.
Sam, aka Blaxstone, was very much into Superman lore and always rooted for good to triumph over the evil in the world.
Hai tells me he is working on being one of the good guys.
I hope Silencer will encourage him along his path.

Now, lest you think I didn't make a back-up copy of the issue, try again.
Of course I did.
It won't have the quality of the original, but I can enjoy it whenever I want.
But it's good to know that someone who will cherish it as I did now owns it.
Safe hands.

ray harryhausen lives in the fantasy world now

Wow.
As I've said before, timing is everything.
Ray Harryhausen has died at the age of 92, about six weeks before his 93rd birthday.
If it's on National Public Radio, you know it must be true.
It hasn't even been a year since the Bronze Tribute and Letter of Appreciation was sent to him, as the final product of Bruce Bowman's kickstarter project.
Perhaps the thought of another impending birthday without his best friend, Ray Bradbury, was too great a burden. One birthday without the other Ray was probably enough. I lost a dear friend five years ago and almost lost my mind.
Perhaps, old age was the culprit. After all, he had already put in more than nine decades on this blue planet.
I'm just glad he was able to know, from this recent project, that he still has fans who treasure his work.

(The photo above appears here, at "The Official Ray Harryhausen Website". The original photograph was taken by Simon Harvey, at the European premiere of "Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan" at The Gate Cinema in Notting Hill, London on Friday, 9th November, 2012.)

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!

PINK is my guardian partridge

As one of the many rewards for backing her kickstarter project, Connie Noyes,
soon to be world-famous artist,
said she would send an autographed 4"x4" art print,
of my choice.
"Guardian Partridge"
was the one I selected,
with the colorful bird
perched on the feet of two different people.
Perhaps my selection process was colored by my taste for the grilled quail featured at a local all-hours diner. Quail, like partridges, are pretty little game fowl, n'est-ce pas?

I also have her autograph
on the catalogue for her PINK SPACE exhibit in Chicago.
I don't know
if I mentioned it or not,
but that exhibit features work
that is dear to my heart.
"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle"
has long been my mantra,
and she follows that call
with flying colors
- in shades of pink!
By "elevating the prestige of mundane materials," she literally turns trash into art, granting it a new life. She also sent me a snazzy placard for the new website. I just may turn that into a magnet for my fridge. I do like the hot pink fading to black above and below!

This is my favorite piece
from the PINK SPACE installation.
So many different textures!
Apparently,
for this art,
touching was encouraged!
With my predisposition
to running my fingers
along surfaces,
I would have had
a blast there!
My mother's admonition
to me
as a child to
"keep your hands in your pockets"
wouldn't have needed to be uttered.
Ah, to be in that Windy City for the show!
Meanwhile, let me close my eyes and see if I can feel the textures through the printed pages...

birth

Today, I received an update on this kickstarter project. Art takes a bit longer than artists tend to estimate for its completion. Especially when you are composing a film using 6000+ individual paintings. Definitely.
Erica Farrel has quite a dream baby with "Samsara"! So her original estimate of a nine-month "due date" may well be off. Then again, first human babies are usually not on time, either.
Here is her message to me and the other 36 backers:

Update #6 - For backers only
Jun 1, 2012
Update on Samsara

Hi guys,

Its been a while since i have updated the project. I have been working long and hard on Samsara for the last 5 months, and it's looking beautiful. In fact i have been a little obsessive and have redone the entire beginning half of the animation and it has set me back quite a bit. Due to other travel reasons as well i will be postponing the project deadline and prizes (since they all include the DVD) until Dec 2013. Your donations have helped me so much and have encouraged me to intensify the project, by length and quality. I hope everyone understands and again thanks for all your help!

Best, Erica Farrel

Still, I will keep in mind that art takes time. That said, I will still hope to have a Christmas gift in 2013 of the completed work. That will be quite nice!
Actually, it would be two presents: one to watch on video and one to grace my wall.
I'll keep you posted!