Thursday, November 24, 2011

Bonded seniors, forgotten after owner dies

Bonded seniors, forgotten after owner dies

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

How many wings is a concussion worth?

Just taking a minute to type a few lines.

Has anyone heard the line, "Every time Michael Vick gets hit, an angel dog gets its wings"? I'm wondering how many wings a concussion is worth.

I don't watch football, but all of a sudden I want to become a Falcons fan.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Missed National Celiac Disease Awareness Day

which was September 13. It's estimated that 1 in 133 people suffer from this. Untreated Celiac disease can lead to mental problems, epilepsy, or cancer. If you are frequently sick after eating, have weight problems, fatigue, bad tooth enamel, tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, you could have celiac.

http://www.celiaccentral.org/News/News-Feeds/Celiac-in-the-News/Celiac-in-the-News/161/vobid--3693/

If you go to the left hand menu, there is a check list for if you think you might have celiac disease. If you go the the main page, it tells you all about what celiac is and isn't.

Anyway spreading the word.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

From the Facebook page "Boycott Nike for Signing Michael Vick"

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boycott-Nike-for-Signing-Michael-Vick/233317890026111

Nike contact information.
*Call Nike: 800-344-6453. Choose option 5, then option 9.

*Email to Nike is media.relations@nike.com

*Nike USA Inc.
Consumer Services
One Bowerman Drive
Beaverton, OR 97005-6453

So if you are upset that they signed on Michael Vick you can call and complain.

Also saw this article
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/michael-vick-ill-never-cheer-for-you-2011-08-31

Friday, July 8, 2011

Figure Drawing Session from the Uptown Sketch Meetup

Link for this event is here.
http://www.meetup.com/Uptown-Dallas-Sketch-Group/events/20466601/

If you are not a member of the group you won't be able to see the meetup.

Information is here...
Saturday, July 23, 2011, 6:00 PM
The Cedars Art Gallery
1114 S Akard St Dallas, Texas

The fee (so far) is $20 per person. If we get enough people it would be less. That's why I'm pimping this. If you want to go, drop me a line and I will send you the email address of the person collecting the money for this. (As the model is being paid in advance.)


Monday, June 13, 2011

Some links I've been meaning to share...

First off!

Yeah! \(^o^)/ This one makes me very happy.
New Oregon Law: Animals Can Be Included in Domestic Violence Protective Orders
http://aldf.org/article.php?id=1731

Derwent Employee Alison Sprately volunteered in Africa at St. Lucia's. She took with her several Derwent pencils and accessories.
http://www.lovepencils.co.uk/post/2011/06/13/Volunteering-with-African-Impact.aspx

Do you like Sherlock Holmes stories? Read "The White Company" or the Professor Challenger series? There is a "Save Undershaw" preservation thing going. Undershaw was Arthur Conan Doyle's home that he had built. Doyle also drew the first draft before it was passed on to the architect, Joseph Henry Ball.
Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Undershaw-Preservation-Trust/143840102309365
Web site
http://www.saveundershaw.com/


And Nowzad on facebook. Nowzad is an organization that rescues dogs and cats from Afghanistan. Some of their fund drives are for animals that were befriended by service personnel, and need all their shots and paperwork to go home with their military 'hoomins'.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/nowzad/110252975672446
Friend them on facebook and get the latest information on their charges. Oh. and are these pictures cute or what? I got them off Nowzad.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Military guys with kittens. Is there anything cuter?





Sunday, June 12, 2011

Christian A. Young

Have I pimped Chris Young's monthly mailings of "Hold Something?" If I haven't well then here it is...
http://dimlightarchive.com/?page_id=684

He's a great story writer. Every month you get a photograph and a story. Every story so far has been great reading.

But Chris is also trying to raise money for something else, his "top surgery." (Mr. Young is an FtM.) So if you want to help Mr. Young take his shirt off, go to the page in his journal that talks about it.
http://dimlightarchive.com/?p=989

Boosting the signal would be greatly appreciated.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Charlotte AKA Charlie Organized by Nowzad Dogs

http://nowzaddonations.chipin.com/charlotte-aka-charlie

Clipped from the page...

Charlotte AKA Charlie was found as a kitten during a mission on routeCharlotte. He was alone at the time andnot wanting her to get run over by the convoy we picked him up. He was probably only a few months old and curled up inside a helmet on the ride back to base. On the compound he quickly became a part of the small team. Everyone helped totake care of him between taking milk, tuna and chicken from the dining hall tohaving family mail cat shampoo and toys. He’s always been great at relieving stress after longdays on operations and has really become part of the family that guys grow todepend on during deployments. We’ve hadhim five months now and with our redeployment soon we want to find a way tobring him back to the States so we know she’ll be safe and not have to struggle to survive. Her impact on the guys has been tremendous especially given that not one of them could would have claimed to be a cat person before we found him.
Certainly a very special animal that has had a huge impact on this deployment.If you are wondering why his name is Charlotte AKA Charlie it is because when we first found him on route Charlotte we thought he was a female but on arrival at the Nowzad Shelter 'she' was actually found to be a 'he' so is now known as Charlotte AKA Charlie!!!


Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Art Supplies on Craig's List

I saw this listing on Craig's List.
http://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/ats/2339540744.html

It's a great bunch of stuff, however Arlington is a bit of a drive for me. (It's another city!) I wish this guy was in Dallas or Mesquite.

No idea how much he wants for it all.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Friday, April 8, 2011

Notes from the Liquitex demo at Eastfield

The Liquitex demo-man (Peter Andrew) came by Thursday morning at Eastfield. I'm only mentioning it now as I had to work Thursday evening and after having to get up early Thursday morning, after working at Kohl's in the evening, I had to take a nap.

But it was really great. I learned a lot. Found out why sometimes my attempts to use acrylic like watercolor break down. You can use a little water to dilute acrylic but when you use too much water, the polymer molecules can't bond together when they dry. So I need to use one of the mediums, instead of too much water.

The additives are NOT like mediums. You can use too much of an additive. (Andrew equated additives to Tabasco sauce.) If you like glazing, they have a glazing medium that you only need to put a drop of the color in to get your glaze. He suggested buying those droplet bottles from Sally's or another beauty store and using those to store your glazes. (They look like miniature versions of ketchup bottles. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?)

I also found out one reason why I have trouble with hues. (Hue colors are colors that imitate 'real' colors. Like Cadmium Yellow to Cadmium Yellow Hue, or Alizarin Crimson to Alizarin Crimson Hue.) I've always hated hue colors because I have trouble mixing them, they always end up looking like mud.

Mr. Andrew mentioned that you have to look at the back of the tube to see what pigments they used in making a particular hue color. The cad yellow hue was a mix of one yellow plus a touch of some red. Ah-ha! No wonder when I tried to mix it with blue I didn't get a pretty green.

The hue colors are non-toxic and non-fugitive. That might make me go back to cadmium hues and alizarin hues. Alizarin crimson is one of my favorite reds, but it's very fugitive, meaning it fades if exposed to too much sunlight. (I guess you could call it a vampire color then.) Cadmium colors are very lovely, but hey, heavy metal in your bloodstream is not good. (As opposed to heavy metal music in your bloodstream, which is much better than heavy metals.)

Have you ever looked at the back of a tube of Liquitex? It tells you the pigment, gives you the Munsell rating, tells you if the paint is opaque or transparent or translucent. But it also shows a phone number on the back. That phone number is their help line. I never knew that Liquitex had a help line that you can call.

You can also build up layers of opaque acrylic paint, and then carve into it, exposing the different layers. I just realized one could use that method to make a huge stamp. He had a sample where he had painted the layers onto a piece of linoleum. So the size of the stamp would be limited only by the size of the linoleum.

He had a 'piece of pizza' that had been sculpted with different layers of acrylic.

Andrews mentioned that acrylic needs at least a week to 'cure'. It may be dry to the touch, it it needs to cure to become plasticine. Now I know what happened to some hairsticks. (The acrylic paint came off, but I started attempting to wear them in a day. Note to self: wait a full week next time.)

He showed us a cheap way to keep your acrylic from drying out. Put a wet paper towel on part of your palette, and squeeze your paint out on that. You still use the regular uncovered palette as usual. It dried on the palette, but after the demo the paint on the wet paper towel was still fresh. You can also use a humidifier to keep your acrylic from drying out.

Titanium white bleaches out color, while zinc white is a transparent white that doesn't bleach out color. So zinc white is good for glazes. (Or if you don't want to loose the saturation of the color.)

Alcohol will 'melt' acrylic paint. (Before the week dry point.) It does break it down, that might be a cool effect to play with. (I now have a reason to buy lite beer.)

Slow-Dri Gel Retarder shrinks as it dries. (Must remember that.)

Use fluid medium for glaze and gel mediums for thick paint. With paint 75% gel medium to 25% acrylic paint.

A drop of ammonia will get rid of mold in acrylic paint without bothering the paint.

Soft Body acrylic is in both jars and tubes, however it is messier in the tube form. Liquitex only put it in tube form because people see the jar of acrylic as a craft product. So it's just a perception issue. (I'll admit that I've never looked at the jar acrylic, I always reach straight for the tube stuff.)

He showed us how you can use acrylics to do a photocopy transfer to a shirt or other fabric.

He also gave us names of people who do 'different' things with acrylic. (Rather than treat it as a substitute for oil paint.) Franklin White, Jamie Bollenbach, Kirstin Lamb. The group Terracycle does some interesting things with acrylic paint. I have to look these folks up. One of them was doing Giacometti style figures by building up layers of paint on fishing line. Once dry and 'cured' these figures can stand on their own. You can find them on the Liquitex website.

We (those of us in attendance at the demo) got a book "The Acrylic Book" which is chock full of information on acrylic. I've only started looking at it. Plus we got some meduim and a tube of Acra red.

Peter Andrew also mentioned that if you know anyone who does unusual things with acrylic paint, tell Liquitex. Acrylic paint is such a 'new' medium as compared to oil, watercolor or stone or clay.

If you have at least 30 folks in your group or school who would like to have a Liquitex demo-person come by, contact Liquitex. I had gotten a card from Peter Andrew but now I can't find it. He has a website at www.peterandrew.net but contacting Liquitex is probably the best way to get a demo to come to your area.Link

Friday, April 1, 2011

Update about "Prisoner of her Past" documentary

If you go to Kartemquin Film's website you can get on their email list and receive updates about this film.
http://prisonerofherpast.kartemquin.com/
Blog; http://prisonerofherpast.wordpress.com/


I clipped this from the e-mail. If you live in New Orleans, New York or Chicago you have a chance to see the film.

Late-onset PTSD film premieres New Orleans 4/4, New York 4/7 *Exclusive luncheon with the filmmakers, Chicago 4/11*

PRISONER OF HER PAST originated as a 10,000-word Chicago Tribune article in 2003 and immediately drew hundreds of emails from around the world. Tribune writer Howard Reich, whose mother's late-onset Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder was the subject of the piece, then expanded the article into a book, "The First and Final Nightmare of Sonia Reich" and PRISONER OF HER PAST -a collaboration with acclaimed documentary powerhouse Kartemquin Films.

Join Howard Reich, director Gordon Quinn , and Dr. Bradley Stolbach of La Rabida Children's Hospital for an exclusive, intimate luncheon and book signing at the majestic Union League Club of Chicago on Monday, April 11.

Tickets are disappearing fast for this one-time opportunity to lunch with the filmmakers and participate in an in-depth discussion of late-onset PTSD prior to the film's national broadcast on PBS later this month. Also in attendance, Kartemquin Films Executive Director Justine Nagan and the 45-year old organization's board of directors, including Board President Steven Whisnant.

Union League Club Author Series Luncheon with Howard Reich
Monday, April 11 at 11 AM * 65 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago
Ticket price includes lunch. Click here for tickets or call (773) 509-5320 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (773) 509-5320 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Tickets also at Winnetka Book Stall (847) 446-8880 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (847) 446-8880 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Book and DVD available for purchase at luncheon. We thank Mr. Denny Cummings, the Union League Club, the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, and WTTW11 for creating this incredible event! Bookmarks generously donated by Triangle Printers.

Since it's completion, PRISONER OF HER PAST has screened to packed houses in Poland, Texas, the Ukraine, Montana, Florida, Utah, Wisconsin, Ohio, and beyond. Scroll down for details on the New Orleans and New York premieres, as well as news of the national broadcast.

KARTEMQUIN FILMS in association with the CHICAGO TRIBUNE presents PRISONER OF HER PAST Executive Producer GORDON QUINN Producer JOANNA RUDNICK Producer & Writer HOWARD REICH Editor JERRY BLUMENTHAL Associate Producer & Sound ZAK PIPER Original Music by JIM TROMPETER Director & Cinematographer GORDON QUINN

NEW ORLEANS PREMIERE * MON. APRIL 4
National World War II Museum, Solomon Victory Theater, 5 PM Reception / 6 PM Screening
We're thrilled to return to New Orleans for the first time since POHP was completed! Premiere screening and discussion with Howard Reich and psychologists featured in the film Joy Osofsky, PhD and Howard Osofsky, MD, PhD. Co-sponsored by Congregation Temple Sinai New Orleans and New Orleans Holocaust Memorial Committee. Address: 945 Magazine St, New Orleans

NEW YORK PREMIERE * THURS. APRIL 7
Museum of Jewish Heritage New York City at 6:30 PM. Post-screening discussion with Howard Reich , Gordon Quinn, and Dr. Yuval Neria of Columbia University. Event is free with suggested donation. Read this article to learn why organizers hope the free event and discussion will help those suffering from the trauma of 9/11. Address: 36 Battery Place, New York

U.S. NATIONAL BROADCAST * ON PBS
Broadcast is currently confirmed in Chattanooga, Fresno, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Birmingham, and other cities across the nation. Begins late April, continues throughout 2011. Tell your PBS station you'd like to see PRISONER OF HER PAST on their schedule! Check your local listings

CHICAGO BROADCAST * ON WTTW11
Thursday, April 28 at 9 PM
Sunday, May 1 at 4 PM
Check your local listings

"...under his journalistic calm there's a story of terror and heartbreak and rage. ... This doc succeeds in large part because it makes the story personal." -- TimeOut Chicago

PRISONER OF HER PAST tells the haunting story of a secret childhood trauma resurfacing in a childhood Holocaust survivor, sixty years later, to unravel the life of Sonia Reich. The film follows her son, Chicago Tribune jazz critic Howard Reich, as he journeys across the United States and Eastern Europe to uncover why his mother believes the world is conspiring to kill her. Along the way, he finds a family he never knew he had.

This film is the first to expose late-onset PTSD and examines the disorder’s devastating effect on families. It also shows programs that are aiding young trauma survivors of Hurricane Katrina – and how such early interventions may have helped Howard’s mother. (57 minutes, 2010)


I'm off to check KERA's website (my local PBS station) and pester them if they don't have it listed yet.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Seizure dog fun

Boosting a signal. The Kurlinski family is trying to raise money for a seizure dog for their 4 year old son, Oliver. (Oliver has epilepsy of course.) Go to www.crowdrise.com/4PawsforOllie

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Daniel Smith watercolor sticks and free shipping offer

If you've ever wanted to try the Daniel Smith watercolor sticks, they are having a buy one get one offer on some of the sticks.

DANIEL SMITH Watercolor Sticks -
Buy One, Get One FREE: Phthalo Blue GS and NEW Pyrrol Orange

Buy One, Get One FREE: Pyrrol Red and NEW Phthalo Turquoise

Buy One, Get One FREE: Ultramarine Blue and NEW Hansa Yellow Light


They are usually $12.49 each. I've not purchased these before. I have heard that it's sort of like a stick of watercolor paint, you can pull paint directly from the stick or you can rub it on wet paper. Or rub it on dry paper and then wet the paper. I'm sure I'll have fun with them.

And it wasn't just the BOGO that convinced me to try them; DS is also having a free shipping offer, with no minimum. Copy down the web coupon code on the front of their website. You fill out your order, then complete the billing and address information. When you get to the 'review order' page, that's when there is a spot for entering the coupon code.

Free Shipping! Yeah! Shipping costs have been going up like crazy.

Anyway, thought that I'd spread the word.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Cool sounding trade school

http://tradeschool.ourgoods.org/

I could trade some of my paintings for class time!

Anyway, pass along the link for anyone who might live in New York.

(Coughing right now because I just had ice cream. Mildly allergic to milk, but the chocolate ice cream was taunting me.)

Readings from the book "Whedonistas: A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon by the Women Who Love Them"

WHEDONISTAS AT THE WAYSTATION Monday March 14
Readings from the book "Whedonistas: A Celebration of the Worlds of Joss Whedon by the Women Who Love Them"
Featuring Teresa Jusino, Racheline Maltese, NancyKay Shapiro, and Priscilla Spencer in anticipation of the book's official release the following day!
http://waystationbk.blogspot.com/2011/03/whedonistas-at-waystation-monday-march.html

Brooklyn Waystation
683 Washington Ave
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
MONDAY, MARCH 14TH
7:00PM
Reading to be followed by signing

Gluten Free Bakery

http://www.wholesomefoodsbakery.com/
They do deliveries if you are outside the Dallas area. I saw an article about them in the local neighborhood paper, The White Rock Lake Weekly. (www.whiterocklakeweekly.com) The business is owned by a mother-daughter team who both have Celiac disease.

If you have Celiac disease you can now have brownies! And banana nut bread. The article mentioned that they do special orders, so maybe you could even get cookies.

Anyway, just spreading the word. There are a lot of folks who have problems with gluten so I thought I'd re-post this.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Caddo inspired mug with Aggie clear glaze







The pottery head had a book on Caddo pottery. Wonderful designs. I made quite a few drawings in my sketchbook and I would like to try some of the pot forms.

I love slipwork. Darn thing is that black slip washes out under some glazes. I was trying to get the Aggie Clear on as thin as possible, short of spraying it on. So I brushed it on. Worked pretty good.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Art in the Hood Art Event

This event was originally supposed to be a Studio Tour, but it was rescheduled due to the weather. It was supposed to be February 2, but then we got all that ice and snow, and well...

It will now be a one day event Sunday at the BA Glassworks. Sunday March 20, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

BA Glassworks are located at 2123 Silverado Drive in Dallas, Texas.

http://www.artinthehood.com/info.htm

Please pass along!

If you are in/near the DFW area, and can make the trip, please come! It's been a great tour the past years, and in one location it should be fun. Like some open air art bazaar. And the glass work guys are great fun to watch! It's like performance art, watching them mold drippy bits of melted glass into beautiful things.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Story and photo! Whoot!

I subscribed to Christian A. Young's "Hold Something." If you subscribe, you get a story and an accompanying photograph every month. Or should that be once a month? I really liked the story and so I have to share his link with you.
http://dimlightarchive.com/?page_id=684

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I'm only about halfway through and now I want to see the documentary on this book.

"The First and Final Nightmare of Sonia Reich" by Howard Reich. I guess you could look it up on Amazon dot com. Or maybe find it at your local used bookstore or Alibris. I got my copy at the discount bin in the grocery store.

Official Movie Website
http://prisonerofherpast.kartemquin.com/
You can help support the film.

Prisoner of her Past Blog
http://prisonerofherpast.wordpress.com/


I found a link to the trailer on YouTube


And if that doesn't show up, here's the link...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F5lO9QtJrM

I also found this entry on the blog interesting. A couple folks in the audience at Tarrant Community College, in Arlington, Texas, really understood Reich's mother. One was from Ghana and the other from the People’s Republic of Congo.
http://prisonerofherpast.wordpress.com/2010/12/13/reaching-students-where-they-live/

Friday, February 4, 2011

The Witches of Lublin

The storyline sounds cool. And spooky. It reminds me of reading stuff about the Inquisition; you know it rarely ends well.

Clipped from the website...
"The Witches of Lublin is based on true and little known history of klezmer musicians in Eastern Europe. Co-writer Yale Strom's research uncovered the facts that there were women klezmer musicians, and that when klezmers would play for gentile nobility, their reward could sometimes be beatings, death or even kidnappings. This history formed the springboard for this work of fiction by Strom, Schwartz and Kushner based on Jewish women's lives in 18th Century Europe, klezmer music and feminist history, with a healthy dose of magical realism thrown in. "

Link.
http://www.thewitchesoflublin.com/


I would love to hear the radio drama. You can help fund this radio drama if you choose.


Pencil vs Camera by Belgian artist Ben Heine

You have to look at these. My favorite is the second one. But they're all good.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/8301491/Pencil-vs-Camera-by-Belgian-artist-Ben-Heine.html

Monday, January 24, 2011

I haz a sad

Sigh... I am feeling bummed...

I had been eagerly anticipating the arrival of two Isabey watercolor brushes from Jamie's Jems on eBay. (http://myworld.ebay.com/jamiesjems404)

They never arrived. Tracking information ended with a date of 01-04 arriving in the sorting center of Dallas. Sigh...

eBay's Customer Care Center refunded my money, but.... I was so looking forward to those new brushes. I love the Isabey that I've had for several years. (The only darned thing about it is that the handle is soo long I'm tempted to cut off about an inch.) I was really looking forward to playing with them.

And I'm still looking at another brush in Jamie'sJems' store. But I don't know if I should order it seeing as how I never got the others.

And the seller takes a while to respond to any emails....

Friday, January 21, 2011

Kickstarter projects

Some interesting projects from Kickstarter.

The Fifties: A Tale in Black & White

http://kck.st/gVGd7a


Jello-ware

http://kck.st/g7Dq6T

Dirt floors and Stone Walls: Exposing India's Public Schools

http://kck.st/ga9A4G

"Scott Darcy and the Missing Link". A small publishing company is looking to put out their first book.

http://kck.st/dVDWho

another froggy evening

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Bodyshells by Heidi Bucher

It's like humans gone hermit crabs. Very nice. (I'd love one of these for a Halloween costume.)

Sunday, January 9, 2011

East Lake Pet Orphanage is looking for artists

who can create eye catching outdoor displays for their thrift shop, "Second Chance Treasures."

Clipped from the East Lake Pet Orphanage newsletter....


"Anyone driving past Second Chance Treasures during the holidays probably noticed the vibrant orange Christmas trees on top of the shop. What an eye-catching display! Are you a local artist that is looking for a unique way to bring attention to your creativity? We'd love to partner with you! We are looking for local artists that can create seasonal displays to place on top of Second Chance Treasures to help draw attention to our organization. If you are the artist whose work is currently on display, we will have information in the store to let shop visitors know more about you and where they can see more of your work! If interested, please call Second Chance Treasures at 214-660-9696 and leave your contact information."


Just posting this in case anyone wants to try an outdoor installation. This sounds like a great opportunity for some new artists. You get to show off your work and people get to find out about your work when they enter the shop. (Though ELPO probably can't pay you anything, but hey, just think of it as advertising!)

Awww Puppies rescued from dumpster...

Puppies rescued from dumpster reunited with firemen who rescued them