Paris, Munich and Berlin!!

Back from Europe and Breaking a 102 degree Fever!!

Unfortunately, I'm back without the ability to swallow painlessly. Twenty four hours after stepping foot on North American soil my body physically collapsed. I spent most of this weekend burning up and Sunday morning in the emergency room. Don't know if it was being around 53 Spring-Break-therefore-sleepless-high-schooler's on a boot-camp-style regimen of museums and tours in less than favorable weather (snow, rain, hail and ice cold wind), let alone that some of those 53 were complaining about 'Strep' throat and other mysterious ailments. Well, some antibiotic-filled-hours since, I'm finally able to face the keyboard and share SOME of the 750 photos that I took with you all! Mind you my aesthetic sensibilities lend for some alternate type of photos. It was my third time in Paris, second time to Munich and first time to Berlin so as we travelled through those cities expect to see not only some of the typical tourist images, but some of my quirky, graffiti, dessert and color-filled images. Since I can't possibly share it all at once expect this to be the subject of choice through out the next few posts. I hope you enjoy the images and words!!!

Blogging from Paris

The shot above is one of my pics of the Eiffel Tower & of the peace monument that is located at the end of the Parc du Champs de Mars. The glass walls of the monument have the word "peace" written/etched onto the glass in many of the world's languages. The monument is called Le Mur de la Paix (The Peace Wall). It was made by Clara Halter, the wife of famous writer/painter/philosopher Marek Halter and officially erected in 2000.

The image to the right is of Gregg as he looks through one of the glass panes of the peace monument.

Don't ask me who named this cafe- but I think its brilliant. Most definitely one of the places I would love my fictional characters to have an impromptu romantic meeting - the problem- readers would not find a little cafe called 'You and Me in Suede' believable!!!

Rent-a-Bike and leave it where you like! Why, oh why? can't every city in the US have these?? Well, I can tell you why NYC can't have them - the parts would be sold off instantaneously...or maybe not - I'm done being the Ye-of-little-faith-person I want to believe its possible!!

Can you tell what's wrong with this pic? No, the building is not melting.

In most European cities when they are doing construction on a building they cover it with a sheeting that has imagery on it - like mega-banners. The images are usually of a building itself to disguise that construction is even happening. Sometimes there will be something quirky happening in the image like in the building windows or there will be elegant large scale advertisements on the sheets. This time they took a Salvador Dali cue and distorted the image of the building. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Me in the Marriott Rive Gauche/Paris Lobby (click to see larger)
So let me know what you think and stop back by in a few days to see some more of Euro & Me!!!

Artist Gregg Emery - On Being Centered

My husband is both a professional sketcher and a painter. We work in two completely different ways. He is an extrovert and I am in introvert. That is to say he gathers his energy from external sources and I from interenal. With that said, he can draw in public (and does so frequently) I on the other hand have to be alone in the studio - with no one looking over my shoulder!

So about Gregg Emery, he has over two hundred sketchbooks filled with drawings. These are gesture drawings done with a piece of graphite as pictured here:

There is no eraser, no point, only an edge. Therefore, he never erases. Every line even if done in a not-so proportionate way, remains as part of the overall composition. Much like life, we get no erasers- no do-overs. Instead we have to learn to live with the choices we have made, move-on and resolve them -but we can't really erase them. He draws anywhere - and I mean anywhere, at music performances, at broadway musicals, on the subway, in the cafe, restaurants, really just anywhere. I have even seen him draw while he was walking!

Most of our students know this side of Emery, but what they don't know is the prolific painter he is and his penchant for abstract yet centered art.

Gregg is concerned with discerning an internal balance within and without our human selves. He is concerend with making connections and the deep value involved with human exchange. His paintings and his drawings remind me of Rumi's poetry on being centered.

To see more of Gregg Emery's work click on his name here! His latest Paris/Munich/Berlin sketches will be posted by Sunday!!!

My Handmade Laptop Bag and Life Questions

This was my back-to-school-craft that I made at the end of summer. Like the students its hard to get excited about returning to the school year. I am in love with Japanese craft books and I found book like this one:

The books are not in English but the imagery, layout design and quality transcends translation and is exceptional. Click on the book to get order information!

As you may be able to tell I miss living in NYC; my birthplace and families home outside of Puerto Rico. I can't say that I regret moving out of NYC, because I don't. I simply miss it.

Most of us tend to learn early on that we should never live life with regret. Fortunately, I usually don't cater to regret at all. Still, I find the following questions intriguing, because we still often catch ourselves saying "I wish I hadn't done that." What I do regret, was not being more mindful of the importance of a community before my husband and I purchased our first home out here in the dune docks of hunting country (we're not hunters).

So here are the questions:

• If you learned you would die in a few days, what regrets would you have?

• If you were given five extra years of life, could you avoid those same regrets five years hence?

I realize the answers to these questions may be too personal and complex to share here with me, so I added another question from the Book of Questions for you to ponder and share with me!!!


• If you had the choice of one intimate soulmate and NO other close friends, or of no such soulmate and many friends and acquaintances which would you choose?

Since marrying and moving out of NYC this is more or less where I have found myself...with a soulmate and not many local friends - but I didn't really have a choice. If I had a choice (as this question implies...) I'm not sure I would change anything.

Inspiring Artist- Kiki Smith

I'm in Paris for my last night! Tomorrow we spend the last Parisian day absorbing the exquisite sites. There is an amazing Marie Antoinette exhibit that I am hoping to see, as well as, Jim Morrison's grave and a phenomenal Patisserie that I spotted earlier on the trip (providing there is no drama with the students - tomorrows block of free time should prove exceptionally appreciated and divine). Thus far, all of us are incredibly cold and exhausted, yet we have seen absolutely phenomenal things. This is my third time in Paris and each time feels deeply more moving. I'm afraid the weather in Berlin will be the death of us as far as weather! Next is Munich than Berlin. I wrote quite a few blog posts before I left anticipating having no internet access, so the following is one of those posts!

One of my favorite artist is Kiki Smith

photo by Nan Goldin

"Best known for provocative depictions of the female body — both in anatomical fragments and in full figure — Kiki Smith has explored a broad range of subjects, including religion, folklore, mythology, natural science, art history, and feminism. By turns intimate, universal, visceral, and fragile, Smith's art renders the figure in frank, nonheroic terms, expressing its dual aspects of vulnerability and strength. Smith uses a wide variety of media, seeking out equivalences between the body and materials of art — the fragility and imperfections of skin and handmade papers, for example, or the fleshy, organic volumes of wax and plaster. Organized in close collaboration with the artist, this full-scale survey of her 25-year career includes nearly 100 objects grouped into thematic clusters she refers to as "gatherings," with works in plaster, bronze, paper, glass, and ceramic, as well as installations, prints, drawings, and photographs."-SFMOMA WEBSITE

I saw Kiki Smith speak at some museum talk back when I was living in Baltimore and working on my MFA. She combines printmaking and varied mediums in her work which is often rich with female referents. She is fascinated with dissecting the myths around our sociological culture. I am in awe of her presence and mind. I think she is most definitely a phenomenal woman. Check out Kiki Smith and tell me what you think! Mind you the video is part of the Art:21 PBS series and is an excerpt of a longer piece. The snippet does come across as a bit morbid.

If you have never heard of Kiki Smith I really recommend clicking of the links I have provided since her work is more varied than what I could possibly offer here! I especially marvel at her Prints, Books & Things collection. This website is informative, interactive and elegantly designed- its a real treat. Furthermore, the Feminine Context theme is excellent, thought-provoking and stimulating for any artist with 'female sensiblities' at the core of what they do!

Whats in Your Bag?

While I was in Portland Oregon, I discovered this awesome book entitled Me in My Bag at the famous Powell's Bookstore (a megastore unlike any other bookstore I have ever step foot in - perhaps it would be better to call it a small planet!)

The book is in English and in Chinese. The author Yi Ying Wang is a graphic designer and she worked with fellow photographers, Hiromi Iguchi and Will Farrow to compile a major creative project, the bag book! This project is about photographing the contents of 100 Londoner's bags!!! In seeing the contents of one's bag you get to know a person quite a bit and it is a deeper reflection of who the person is, beyond that of a simple portrait. The book itself is designed like a bag with a plastic cover and handle straps!

A little bit fashion/design/Voyeurism and creative expression the book has a unique fold-out layout in which the bag owner's are first photographed and their image unfolds to reveal the photograph of the bag's contents. In addition, there was a number allotted to each participant and a form they got to fill out in anyway they liked.

The question on the form are:

• Name: Amarettogirl

• email:wwamazon@aol.com (in other words 'WonderWoman' was already taken!!)

• Webadd/blog: You guys know this already! Just look at the address bar above!

• What do you do? Visual Artist/Writer/ Art Educator (teacher).

• What does your bag mean to you? Wow, well it means a lot because its an extension of how I express myself...plus if it weren't for that gift certificate I would have never been able to afford that TokiDoki Le Sportsac bag that all design world appreciators were pining over! But I'm working on not identifying so deeply with material objects...we'll see how that goes.

• What's in your bag today? See for yourself! My laptop, my work folders, my mimobot usb, my ipod, oooh my camera is missing I had to use it to take the pic, but I never leave my house without my canon! My I'm-bored-with-this-mtg-so-i'll-crochet project, my coffee-cup change purse, hand purifier, my self-made accessory holder, my pencil case, sketchbook...yeah this bag can pack a punch!

Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, I want to be #101!!! So you think I'm crazy? Well guess what! It seems I'm not the only one! Apparently, there is a Flicker photogroup all over this What's in Your Bag -question! Click and check them out! I'm not a flicker member yet, but I may have to join to be a part of this pool! In addition, Instyle magazine also has a page dedicated to photos of what's inside people's bags!

I want you all to join me! Answer the questions and tell me what's special in your bag!! Is there anything in there that might surprise us about you??? Share!!!

Stained Bedroom Sheets

The ReCuentos Exhibit in San Antonio, Texas has come to a close and the work has returned home to me. I can't tell you how bizarre, yet intimate this body of work is to me since it was very experimental. I allowed myself the freedom to work in an unorthodoz manner, dripping and marking white sheets with stains with which to form imagery out of. I played with the literal and metaphorical meaning of life leaving stains, both in phyisical places as well as on our hearts.

In addition, this body of paintings is deeply representative of a connection I made with another artist, Nova Gutierrez. After viewing her paintings inspired by the tragically abbreviated life of her aunt Lisa, I responded with my stained bedsheets series. Lisa was killed by her husband 30 years ago and the scars of that crime run passionately and deep in Nova's family and life. Lisa's life has not been in vein and Nova responds to the beacon of educating young women on the perils of domestic violence and the relationship patterns and signs to be watchful over. Needless to say, I answer a similar calling in championing self-esteem in young women and being a column of support for survivors of CSA (Child Sexual Abuse). Nova's paintings made references to the elements: Fire, Earth, Air & Water. I inturned responded with my bedsheets stains in the same elemental vein.

Innocence
To see all the pieces I made for this exhibit click on ReCuentos in my portfolios.

The sheets are now back home representing the extraordinary power of not only living to me, but of thriving as well.Let me know what you think of the work!

Guilty Pleasures (for the Crafty & the Non-crafty)

So I've been mulling the idea around to post some of my seasonal guilty pleasures. They're called guilty pleasures because they are those things that are so good you feel guilty just being privileged enough to live a life in which they are accessible. I say 'seasonal' because depending what I'm into at any given moment my guilty pleasures change (although there are always some constants). Mind you, this is different than an 'I'm thankful for' list...it really has to be a little guilty. For example, I know some people who have a shoe guilty pleasure, a handbag guilty pleasure, latest-electronic-gadget-of-the-month guilty pleasure and I know others who have all three of those gp's at once. It has to be that thing that either costs a little too much, or consumes a bit too much of your time, or distracts you from what you should be doing too often!

This Craft mag is pretty pricey but it ROCKS and fortunately it isn't in publication too often so it doesn't break the bank.


This is some sure fire decadent ice-cream. In fact it is so decadent you only get four or three in a box!!! Its definitely for those days you really need a "I had a hard day boost".

I am addicted to Japanese Craft books and it is most certainly what I spend the most of my hard-earned cash on. The aesthetics and quality of the workmanship, as well as the imagery are spectacular. In fact these books and crafts are so good that you need not know how to read Japanese to learn how to make the objects featured, although I still wish I did. There is a fantastic Japanese Bookstore at the Palisade Mall in Rockland County and I frequent it once a month!


Jamba Juice Tagline 'Your body is the temple of your soul, so don't put trash in it' (or something like that) Need I say more?

Dancing With the Stars. I have to admit that as malignant as reality tv has become to the state of the theatrical arts I LOVE watching Dance shows!

Gregg and I have to say that our 'Just-Got-Paid-Feel-Good-Food' is Sushi and if you give us bean cakes and bubble tea with that we're in heaven!

Young Adult Fiction - Right now it's Twilight- but soon it will be something else like a graphic novel...actually the next book is Persepolis!

Pistachios -Not only are these babies pricey their high in fat too (but I think its the good fat - hopefully?

Project Runway - I cannot believe the season just ended - I'm going through withdrawal now...I think need some Haagen-Daz.

Lost - thank the heavens the writers strike is over because I really needed to be exasperated by more questions, confused by more story lines and racking my brain on the what-is-going-on theory! Still we can't stop watching!

All Things Oprah - I can't help it - I think she's brilliant.

Here is another one of those pricey ($15) magazines that does come out more frequently than Craft, but Somerset is luscious for the anything-paper artist! They also have an entourage of other amazing titles under their belt like Art Doll (another one of my faves), Life Images and countless others.

Largest guilty pleasure of them all, BLOGGING - man have I been procrastinating since I've started this!!


I have more gp's but I think I'll stop there for today since I just realized I've been indulging in a guilty pleasure for a while and my other GP's (the dogs) are needing some attention! So tell me YOUR GUILTY PLEASURES!! I'm dying to know!!!

Inspiring Artist- Candy Jernigan

Candy Jernigan

This is another one of my favorite artist's. Candy Jernigan collected memoribilia of her everyday life and experiences to manifest the idea of proof of life/ EVIDENCE of her existence. If you think about it, its a powerful concept to honor the mundane of your life, to be fully present and say "I Was Here".

These are object drawings, from a trip to Rome. It gives all new meaning to scrapbooking doesn't it?

This is a drawing of each Cheese Doodle that she ate. The drawing even comes with a clever map of the route the Cheese Doodle takes as it travels through her body!

Can tabs! Candy Jernigan collected both real and illustrated evidence of her life, unknowingly of the fact the she would die too young from liver cancer.

These images have dust from the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Grottoes, St. Peter's Basilica!!

Lately, I've been thinking about our collective consciousness and impressions, marks and stains that our life leaves - as residual impressions on people and space. I hope you enjoyed looking at Candy Jernigan's work and that it has given you (as it has me) a new way to be present in the world around you!

10 Things I NEVER Want to Forget

I was participating in this week's 3WW (ThreeWordWednesday) challenge, when I read this piece entitled, Distant Apology by blogger Myrtle Beach Ramblings. It was a very intense piece of writing on Alzheimer's and it got me thinking about things I never want to forget. I thought I could simply make a list of ten concisely, but I couldn't!
I think this is a great exercise even if you don't have Alzheimer's (along with a Tsunami) down as one of your greatest fears. Ahh... greatest fears...that is another blog for another day. Honestly I would prefer to forget nothing, so some categories are a bit longer than others...

So here goes:

1. The way I used to play space invaders with my Pomeranian under blanket tents and t.v. tables when I was little.

2. The day my father left. The first time I traveled with crayons and an American Airlines pin to see him in Puerto Rico alone (it was my first right of passage as an independent travelin' gal). My cousins showering (with soap) in rain storms, drinking juice from the center of red flowers and making lizard earrings. My father eating raw clams. My brothers and their fearless passion for life. Every tint and shade of the color green that exist in the universe blanketing Puerto Rico.

3. NYC East 92nd St., Central Park Carousel, my single mom working as a superintendent playing ironing with me and letting me use the baby powder as "starch spray". My Barbie hotel with elevator and our claw-foot bathtub in the kitchen.

4. School - Luis Armstrong (Junior High), walking down the hallway singing OHOH Here She Comes- She's a Man Eater!!(the Hall & Oates song) with Shireen and ???(oh, oh -its starting, I forgot the other girl's name).
High school A&D; being nominated one of the five best fictional writers for writing non-fiction, Attending Lehman college summer writing program with Randall and Scott. High-school friends that I cherish though we have become estranged...
Ahh college...I don't want to forget any part of my entire Ohio, Antiochian experience...even the breakdowns, dances, traveling to Europe, motorcycle rides or music gigs...especially not the painting, sculpting, performing and writing. Professor Pat Linn and her family. The day I met my housemates in Grad school- Baltimore MD, especially the one that turned out to be my husband. Eating sushi with fellow artist's Steve Fox and Ce Scott. The Visionary Museum & the Inner Harbour.

5. Glass-blowing in Maine and two phenomenal trips to Pilchuck in Seattle, the time Annie picked me up in a hot red convertible Fiat.

6. Being a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, intimately living among artistic mastery.

7. My grandmother. My grandmothers Upper East Side apartment (our family home), living there with her and Jaz.

8. My year-long courting. The blue/green of my husband's eyes and eyelashes. The most aesthetically beautiful day- my wedding. My most fantastical trip - my honeymoon.

9. Delivering Santa's custom letters through the fireplace flue to my niece Lindsay and my nephew Dylan.

10. My first home. My four-legged children: Maya's face, fur, paws, eyes, body weight and heart-wrenching howl. Chulo's hello-cry, his long lashes, the fan of his tail, his unquenchable love, attachment and stalker-like concern.

Ultimately, its the laughing, loving and living that becomes sacred and we hope indelible. What are your top 10 things you never want to forget? Try making more than one list - one for events, one for people, and one for sensual experiences - where your five senses were overwhelmed.