Drooling on the anthropologie catalog...

...a catalog full of expensive girly acoutrements and clothes and quilts and whatnot, all in a sort of upscale-hand-made sense. I hate the consumerist impusle but admit I too am not immune to it's charms...Wooh, hanging candleholders mine, oh, please mine...*checks bank account: You have: 10 dollars and 20 cents. for other options--*click* Okay, it's more the impulse of being romantically surrounded by hand-made gorgeous stuff that consumes me. Many of the things in there that aren't clothes are things I know how to make, but don't often have the time to complete. (okay, start:) Our society is desparate for connection to something warm and beautiful instead of machined--and we're willing to spend tons of money to get it. And I know I'm a little rare, at least where I live, in trying out how to make and build various bits of stuff. (And I live in a highly skilled city known for unique talents in the art world!!) I get so frustrated when I hear,
"I could never do that, that looks so hard!!!"
We are a passive society, and it gets harder and harder for people to do something active-- to make a pillowcase, cook a meal, string some beads, glue some paper onto some other paper to see what happens, etcetera. And yes, we are horribly, horribly tired...
Anyway, enough ranting for the moment. I'm as bad, really, ogling this anthropologie catalog. There's plenty of local stuff that's lovely and more worthy of the money...at least it gives me ideas to rip off-(ahem, be inspired by) for things to make at home. Now, where did I put all those wooden beads and that copper wire I liberated?...

Ms Fledermaus, who can make a really cool mobile with 3x3 post-it notes, some string, and a little Krazy-glue...Bite me, Martha Stewart!!

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Wow! I got an invitation to apply for a grant to study with Richard Bresnahan, Jr. at St. John's.
(They must have gotten my name from a group exhibition I was in last winter.) i thought it was possibly a glitch, since I am not primarily a pottery artist. (The professor in question is a *very*talented environmentally sound clay artist who studied in Japan.) But I read it again, and it looks like they're actively going for artists in other disciplines. WWWWWooooooow...a chance to study with someone at the height of their discipline AND get enough money to live on to do it for a summer...it would pay my rent, ect, ect.
(Seriously, I'm really not sure I'm what they're looking for, but it couldn't hurt to make some slides really quickly and send off a grant application.)


So there, a little bit of art news:)

Ms F.

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Brian's been laid off. His psychotic boss finally found a way to get at him--"Budget cuts" since his performance was great and his knowledge kept the department running. It's scary for him, and frustrating--he'd been fighting this new boss of his to actually do the database job he was hired for, while she screamed abuse at him, his co-workers, and strangers over the phone calling for him. (Namely me, but also other friends, aquaintances and business contacts.) The only satisfaction he has is now SHE"LL be on call 24-7,
working 90 hours a week on salary like he has for most of this particular job.
He also has enough to get him through a month while he's job hunting. But it's still a shock.
It's all I can do not to call this woman and personally read her the riot act. But I've gotta be verrry cool about this. It's hard. Nono, no wishing she gets boils or a really itchy rash or anything...

Ms Fledermaus...can't I have just one big boil? On her nose? Pleeeeease?!?!?!