When blogs collide...

Last night was the unvieiling of the planes for Crystal City's Crystal Flight public art project. I've been telling people 'it's like the Pandas...but with planes". Crystal City has a blog about it here. There's even a window where you can watch the artists working on their planes. I'll be working on mine nights and weekends, so no one will probably be seeing me. hah-hah.
I am pretty impressed with the efforts the Crystal City BID is making to improve its artistic foothold. Arlington County has long been a leader in public art and the effort that I see Crystal City taking to lure artists and attention to their streets makes me embarassed a little for DC which seems to want to cross its arts and say 'no' to projects.
Although, I will say, Crystal City urban planners? what were you thinking? Driving around that area is nothing short of ridiculous. However, after 4 pm, the parking is free, and there's a metrostop within the building the planes are housed. Yes...Crystal City even thought about giving space for the artists to work. Kind of amazing huh?

I'll post pictures of my progress. But right now, I'm concentrating on having new stuff for the crafts and kisses show this weekend. Yipes!

It's funny 'cause it's true

things to look forward to:

It's overcast and slightly rainy today. I wish I could have another day off. I'm afraid these holidays are making me greedy!

So I'm going to list some future stuff to look forward to:

Two Wilco shows. And to ice that cupcake, John Doe is opening.
4 day work week
I may have found a playstation 2 for cheap...guitar hero, here i come!

Women in comics

the counter culture festival was great. only 2 ugly doll comparisons....which continues to bring me down, but it happens.
and one person called them 'the anti beanie baby' which i guess they are.

I'm mostly happy to see so many women making comics. And good stuff too.

It really makes me wish Kelly Seda did more stuff....or really anything since 'rare creature'. Unless maybe she is doing stuff and I'm just missing it which would be a hue shame since rare creature is one of my favorite stories ever.

Shout out from the Going out Guru's

Editorial Review
Readers of this column and the Going Out Gurus blog may be getting their fill of items about the closing of Dr. Dremo's, but since the Arlington institution is closing on Jan. 27, you won't have to hear about it much longer. Saturday is the annual Counter Culture Festival, which combines a craft market, local clothing designers, authors, comic book artists and other creative types with live music and a sideshow. You can browse Tina Seamonster's awesome notecards and shirts and then see carnies hammer nails into their noses and walk on glass, or pick up one of Beth Baldwin's funky stuffed animals for your girlfriend before rocking out to the reggae band Lucky Dub (listen) or one of six other acts. Admission is free. The market runs from 4 to 8, and the performances start at 8.

-- Fritz Hahn (January 2008) or read it here

Another view of Tom Sarris

First floor
Originally uploaded by pasq242

This is the first...well, actually middle, floor since there's a basement.

You might be able to see why i loved this place.

Singing "Hello Dolly" was never an option. It was a mandate. In the Carol Channing voice.

Oh Tom Sarris....

IN!

My design for a Crystal Flight jet plane was accepted! This will be my fourth public art project. I'm so excited!

Good Sign!

When I'm lucky enough to roadtrip, I have a silly rule- only eat at places with great signs.
I just do.
There's one place that locally perhaps inspired that rule and last night was my last time at the Tom Sarris Orleans house. I've only been going there for the last 7-8 of its 54+ glorious years. I will miss that place tremendously. The balcony. The mysterious bright green house salad dressing on the salad bar shaped like a steamboat

The whole design of the place is so fantastically visionary.
it closes forever tomorrow. It's going to be torn down for new, shiny office buildings.
It breaks my heart that anything with character in this area is being squashed in favor of shiny luxury. it's gross.

It is a small world afterall

I was googling a DC artist yesterday, since I decided to make it my business that people know more about the art that is hanging in their offices, and stumbled upon their flikr page. I added her as a contact since I think her work is totally ace.
She sent me an email last night saying that for Christmas, a good friend of hers bought and sent to her (she has apparently moved to Atlanta, Georgia) one of my Astro-NOT's! And she'd been meaning to look up my web site and when she saw my little Flickr contact photo thing, she knew exactly who he was!
I was so delighted and honored that she has a piece of my art by her computer. It was a nice little mutual-admiration-society moment.
I love it when the world becomes a little bit smaller.

Things I like

For the last two days, I've driven to work. Which is bad, but with the street cleaning suspended, it's a little easier to find parking (super princess parking, BOTH DAYS!) and I've stopped off to get coffee at a new-ish cafe that's the big bear cafe
It's really comfortable, and the coffee is good.
Then, today I read this on Pitchfork.
I love the crap out of Jay Reatard. Just straight up, three-chord 22 songs in 15 minutes type stuff.

And today I'm wearing these shoes:
but in black from this place
Ma Petite Shoe in Baltimore.


Can you tell I just figured out the hyperlink thingie in the tool bar?

kokeshi doll

kokeshi doll
Originally uploaded by tigersscareme

being sick has its advantages- i sort of finished (well, the front anyway) this doll.

She's based on a doodle i did on the 1st of January. I was racking my brain to think of a way to affordable reproduce a blank kokeshi doll and i thought 'hey, just sew it and paint it!'.
it's not as even as i'd wanted to this one will be mine and then i'll make a smaller version to maybe sell on my Etsy shop perhaps.
She's actually pretty big- she's 16 inches. I think others will top out around 10-12

Hey, so i just learned how to do this poll thig- loo to the right and vote!

happy new year!

2008 is already off to a great start! On January 19 I'll be at Dr. Dremos for the DC Counter Culture festival, and February 3rd I'll be at the crafts and kisses show at...I forget the exact name of the building, but I'll post it tomorrow.
I've set my sites for at least 8-10 shows this year, I'm going to aim for 10...and hope for 12, so we'll see.

Right now i have something in the works that is either going to be the best thing i've ever done and a new direction of my work, or it's going to be a big stinkin' failure.
Either way, I'll be sure to post pictures.