I Miss The Muppet Show

Sweet YouTube Video Recommendation of the Day:

The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody.

Oh! My! God! Yes!

Buy Nothing Day

Tomorrow is the Day After Thanksgiving otherwise known as Black Friday.  Or as I like to call it, "Buy Too Much Stuff Just 'Cause It's On Sale" Day.  But instead of shopping why not put away your credit cards and celebrate Buy Nothing Day?

Rather then getting up at the crack of dawn so that you can be there when the doors open at Best Buy or Kohl's with the intention of buying "stuff" for your friends and family (and, admit it, yourself) for the holidays, you could sleep in, have a nice breakfast and then spend some time thinking up things that you can give your loved ones that isn't "stuff".  Like experiences.

I'm sure your sister would love an hour massage at Massage Envy while you watch the kids.  It would give her a chance to relax and unwind while you get to bond with your nieces and/or nephews.  Or how about a hike and picnic lunch with your best friend?  Finally have the time to catch up on what's going on in your lives.  Maybe get two tickets to a musical or theatrical event and spend the afternoon with your mom. Dinner out at a fancy restaurant with your significant other is a great gift and a personal fave of mine.  When you give experiences both you and the gift receiver can enjoy the present as well as each others presence.

Now I am not saying apply this non-stuff gift-giving strategy across the board.  Let's face it, even though we are instilling the "stuff" mentality into children with the way we lavish our kids with gifts during the holidays, they still deserve some toys and fun and actual presents to open.  Just don't go overboard.  And try and throw in some experiences too.  Like ice skating, baking cookies, or driving around looking at all of the decorated houses on Christmas Eve while singing carols (badly) in the car.

Enjoy yourself this holiday season and don't get too caught up in buying a bunch of stuff.  Watch The Story of Stuff instead.  It just might change your view on consumerism and consumption.  Just a thought.

Awesome Quote of the Day:

From a speech by Annie Leonard at Bioneers 2009.

Stuff is what we call it when we still want it and Garbage is what we call it when we don't want it but it's all the same Stuff.

favicon

I want my website to have it's own favicon.  You know, that little icon that shows up next to the url or on the tab next to the name of the website.  Cool websites have their own, right?

So, I made this awesome little customized bottle cap.  Cute, huh?  Anyway, I am having some trouble making it into a .ico file that doesn't look like crap.  But it's better then the default favicon that my website host uses for me.  So, let's see how much time I'm willing to spend on this today.

Bonus Question of the Day:

What is the name of the brewery that would sue me for copyright infringement?  Hint: they are in Northern California.

Coming To Terms With Facebook

Okay.  I have finally figured it out.  Facebook and my anal-retentiveness just Do Not Mix.

I have been fussing for days about the look and content of my Facebook Page.  I was getting so frustrated because this certain thing wasn't working just right or this other thing didn't look the way I wanted it to.  And why is it that my imported external blog posts from my website don't include photos posted in the journal entries?  Etc, etc.  Blah, blah, blah.

You have to understand, I don't want unprofessional looking Wall Posts or Notes or Whatever going to my Fans news feeds.  Tacky.  (Oh wait, I forgot.  We are talking about Facebook. What does that matter, right?)

So, after many exasperated fits and proclamations about how much "I hate Facebook" I was able to realize that Facebook Pages has a lot of bugs.  I was not alone in my complaints and problems.  Turns out lots of people with Fan Pages have the Same Exact Issues I am having.

Whew.  It's not just Me.  But then that makes it all even worse.  Because I want my Page to look perfect and it can't when Facebook won't take the time to even address the issues.  Bah!  And these are issues related to people who Facebook aggressively pushes to buy Ads.  Dumb.  Make the money spenders happy so they will, you know, feel inclined to Spend Money and buy Ads.

Alright, so part of my frustrations have also been tied to my learning curve.  It may be have a bit easier for me to navigate and set up my Facebook Page if I had had some experience with a Facebook Profile.  But no.  Not me.  I'm not a joiner.  Never used Facebook until now.  I have no Friends, at least in the Facebook World.

But I think I've got things as set up as I'm gonna get it.  I have got to get away from this computer.  Quit fussing and just Let It Be.  I need to remember, this is a casual social networking site.  Type-A-types need not apply.

Thanks Giving of the Day:

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I thought I'd give it up for all of the things in my life for which I am very Thankful.

• My loving and accepting husband
• My goofy dog
• My supportive family
• My supportive family
• My facebook fans
• My health
• My home
• My education
• My sense of humor
• My life, up to now
• My new adventures, yet to come
• And, finally, my heart which continues to surprise me with just how much love it can hold

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Tron 2

Tron 2?  What does that have to do with your art?

Nothing.

But I thought this blog was about your life as an artist?

Read the header.

"Complex Universe - the SpungusBlog."  So?

Below that part.

"Yearning for Order in a Chaotic World.  Ruminations on Art, Life, the Universe and Everything."  Again.  So?

So.  Tron 2 falls in the Everything category.  Duh.

Like most people there were some key things in my childhood that I believe formed the adult that I am today.  The 1982 movie Tron was one of those key things.  I LOVE that movie.  I saw it in the movie theater.  Twice.

Okay, so, I didn't get exactly what it was all about until maybe I'd seen it 4 or 5 times.  Computers was a pretty new concept to me as a kid.  But I got the basic theme, the parallels.

OMG.  Did I mention how much I LOVE this movie?  I am sure I have watched it over 100 times.

And remember "World of Tron" at Disneyland that was part of the People Mover ride in Tomorrowland?  At one point the ride simulated that you were in the light cycle race!  Well, it simulated it as much as could be done on a tram ride going less than 5 miles per hour.  Boy was I bummed when that closed down.

There was an arcade video game, too.  Awesome.

So I heard there is a sequel coming out next year: Tron Legacy (aka Tron 2).  Both Jeff Bridges (Flynn) AND Bruce Boxleitner (Tron) are in it.  Score!  You can view the trailer here.  And it's going to be playing on IMAX 3-D.  I Am So There!

"Tron fights for the Users."

Music Recommendation of the Day:

"The Resistance" by Muse.

Long before the teen set fell in love with Muse from the Twilight soundtrack, I have been into this band.  Their latest album, "The Resistance", is Muse at their over-the-top, musically bombastic best.  It's like Queen meets Radiohead.  I can't stop listening to it.  It. Is. Awesome.

I Can't Complain

It's a total drag that right now I need to work a desk job in order to supplement my art career. One of these days I'm going to be a completely self-supporting artist. It's what I keep working towards anyway. But for now, I keep doing what I have to do to make this whole art thing work.

So, I've been working at Artesa this week. And I gotta say the Napa Valley is not the worst place in the world to have to go to for work. Especially in the Fall. My commute to the winery is quite lovely. And yesterday was a stunner.

Now usually I don't see the light of day as my office is located in the warehouse. But I had to run an errand at mid-day and I was able to get outside for a bit. It was just gorgeous. The sun was shining. The sky was blue. The vineyard leaves were a multitude of fall colors. I couldn't believe it was the middle of November. It felt like the beginning of October (my favorite time of year).

And the pink in the sky as I walked towards my car at the end of the day was a beautiful contrast to the oranges and yellows of the vineyards sloping just below the parking lot. Nice.

I just cannot complain. I mean, how could I do that and not come off as a completely spoiled douchebag. Yes, I hate the rain and cold and frost that comes with winter. But it's so very mild here compared to the rest of the country. It’s really not that bad. So, if you hear me whining about winter just give me a good punch in the arm.

Mmmmm. Northern California is Where It's At. And you can quote me on that!

Happy Computer Update of the Day:

As of today I am finally done improving my presence on the Internet.

Hooray! So, my website, my facebook page and this blog are all tweaked and twirled and set to my perfect anal-retentive specifications. Oh, I am sure I'll find more ways to tinker with them. But for the most part I Am Done being a computer geek. And Eric is very happy with that.

New Website - Check It Out!

I just wanted to make the first formal announcement that my website Kitty Gordon - Sculpture is up and running with a new look and feel. Please take a moment to check it out.

Thanks!

My Own Personal Geek Squad

If you are not one already it is my opinion that everyone who wants to have a presence on the internet should have their own personal computer geek. Really. This stuff is totally confusing - at least to a non-technical-type like me.

I am This Close to having my new website up and running and to redoing the layout and URL of This Very Blog. I will be making an announcement as soon as those changes occur, by the way. But if it weren't for Eric none of this would be happening.

I was able to slog through the creation of my new website with the help of squarespace.com, my new web host, and create a website that I am actually quite proud of and can't wait to launch. But how I make sure things point to the right whatever and update the DNS setting and create a CNAME for my domains and blah, blah, blah, well, I have no idea. It totally goes over my head.

And I get impatient and frustrated. And Eric is a Saint! I really cannot thank him enough. Honestly. And he's not even what I would consider a Computer Geek in that he doesn't get off on all this technical stuff. He just understands it. And he's patient.

Okay I admit he reads slashdot.org (or slashdotgeekdotnetdot.com, as I call it) so I guess he's kind of a nerd. But he's a really cute nerd. And gets outside quite frequently.

Anyway, it is So Cool that I've got this in-house tech dude to take care of all of this for me. Otherwise I'd have to call in the real Geek Squad and I don't want some overweight, sweaty dude who's never kissed a girl sitting at my computer setting this up for me.

Oh, I know, I know. That was a totally unfair stereotype I just described. I'm sure not all of the Geek Squad is like that. But, still. I don't want some stranger seeing me at my frustrated, impatient un-best. That would just be embarrassing!

So, Yay Eric! My Geek in shiny armor.

Totally Slow on the Uptake TV Recommendation of the Day:

30 Rock.

Yeah. I know. It's been on the air for, like, 3 years or something. And won Emmys. And is critically acclaimed. Etc, etc. But I have finally caught on to how absolutely hilarious this show is and I have been watching it through Netflix. If you are as behind the times as me and have not given this show a whirl I recommend you do. Season 1 on DVD would be a great way to spend a rainy Saturday!

So Totally Social Networking Clueless

How is it possible that I am a Gen Xer and not have a Facebook account? This idea seems to confuse the minds of a lot of my friends who LOVE Facebook. It's just never been my thing.

But I have been working very hard recently completely overhauling and updating my website http://www.kittygsculpture.com/ as a way to better promote myself. I should have the new site launched before the end of this month. And simultaneously I am creating a business presence on Facebook for myself.

Side note: If you have a Facebook account you can now become a fan of "Kitty Gordon - Sculpture". I'm trying to figure out how to put a Become a Fan widget on this very blog page but it's a little complicated and is going to require me to change my template here and, okay, you don't care about all that. Just search for me and if you'd like become a Fan of me.

Right. Okay. So, all of this is totally confusing and upsetting to me. Seriously. I do not understand Facebook. I feel so utterly lame about it actually. I just don't really get what it's all about. It actually seems really complicated to me. Yet practically everyone on the planet is spending hours doing I have no idea what on Facebook. Teens are doing it. College students are doing it. Professionals are doing it. Moms and Grandmas are doing it. How hard can it be?

But my problem is I am not patient. I don't want to spend all of my time at this computer figuring out widgets and applications and RSS feeds and links and I have no idea what else. But it's to my advantage that I do this so here I am.

Ugh!! My brain is ready to explode!!! I'm writing this post actually just because it's something else to do that is not related to Facebook. But I'll get back to all of that soon enough. Just had to let out my frustrations.

New Studio Update of the Day:

Beginning December 1st I will be renting space at Big Art Studios in West Oakland.

I'm totally excited about it. This is going to really open it up as far as the kind of work I can do: specifically Big and Messy! Yay! No more working out of the house. Eric is quite pleased about that as well. Again though, still looking for part-time work to help defer the monthly rent expense. But I have faith that it is all gonna work out.

The Stuff Of Nightmares

Documenting my art is such a stressful thing for me. I even dreamed about it last night. It's difficult because the stuff I make is not the easiest to photograph. Most of the time I create sculptures that are large, heavy, difficult to transport, complicated to capture accurately or effectively, sometimes made of a miss-match of materials that you really need to see up close and in person to understand.

So, I've got two new works that I have not documented yet. First is the marble sculpture that I made in Colorado this year. That one is not too bad in that I will be able to set up a backdrop and lighting in my garage and do it at home. Still, it's a hassle because I have to "book" time with my photographer (that is, my willing husband) and then it's heavy to move so set up is tough. And finally, spend a lot of time fussing with the lighting trying to find the right angle, the right set-up, so that it looks good. It's usually a long night.

The other one is what I dreamed about last night. It's "Flower Spiral" and you would have thought I would have taken lots of pictures of it at Phish 8. And I did. But they came out kinda crappy. At least the full shots did. Because there was a chain link fence around the sculpture during the festival and I never got a good shot - one that didn't have tools and a ladder and a bunch of lighting and wiring crap all around it - when the fence wasn't there. So, I don't have a picture that accurately shows the sculpture. Bah!!

Eric and I tried photographing it set up in our backyard last Sunday but the rebar is so thin and the sculpture, for its size, is actually very subtle. You couldn't tell what was going on because of all of the nature in the background. So, we found a spot in a neighborhood park that may work because it's a large open field. But now I have to go to the trouble of transporting the sculpture and setting it up there and all of that is very, very hard.

That is what I dreamed about last night. How was I going to get the sculpture to the park? How long will it take to set it up? Will there be lighting issues or, worse yet, will it look like crap in that setting anyway so all that time and effort was wasted? God, why can't I dream about normal stuff like flying and going to school in my underwear? Oh yeah, I have those dreams too.

Yuck!! I hate this part. To make matters worse for myself I have decided to stop taking slides of my art. You would think that would make things easier for me- one less camera, one less set-up. But I am nervous about doing that. It's such a tried and true way of documenting art. It's a Classic.

But I have come to realize that no one accepts slides in applications anymore. It's all digital. I haven't submitted a slide in over a year. The thing about slides is this: it's way more accurate then digital will ever be. The color is great, especially if you pair professional slide film with the appropriate type of lighting. It's professional. And it archives well.

But the downside is that it is very expensive. Both the film and the processing. I have a fairly decent Kodak digital camera that I use and it's worked well for me over the years. I'd like to invest in a better digital camera, though. An SLR with multiple lenses and more manual settings. (God, I dreamed about that last night too!!). But for now my Kodak will do.

So, that's it. No more slides. Feels weird. But it will be One Less Hassle. Now I can concentrate on how I am going to convince Eric that a fun Friday night will be to spend time in our garage taking pictures of a sculpture. Booze usually helps.

For real, you do not want to spend your nights dreaming about things like this. It's freaky!

Music Recommendation of the Day:

The Guggenheim Grotto.

Eric was in Denver last week for work and went to see They Might Be Giants while he was there. (I would have loved to have seen that show! They are playing the Filmore tomorrow night and that show has been sold out for ages.) The Guggenheim Grotto was the opening band. Their latest CD is called "Happy The Man". He bought that plus a 2006 release called "....Waltzing Alone." I love it. I am listening to "Happy The Man" right now, in fact. Check them out.

Serial Sorter

Okay, here's the thing - I'm kind of a weird-o. A bit of a freak. I understand that you already know this. Figured it out the minute you started to follow this blog. But that is the thing about self-realizations: usually when it comes to ourselves, we are the last to know.

I Sort. I sort, I organize, I catalog, I store. I get my world in order and then try, usually in vain, to keep it that way. Case in point: Have you seen my bottle cap collection? I mean, my god, after I sort the bottle caps that I receive I keep track of them all on a spreadsheet in Excel. And then they are all stored away by cap in plastic baggies within labeled boxes, organized by color, that are neatly stacked on shelves in my garage. What is that about?

Side Note: I am so way behind on bottle cap sorting, by the way. That totally stresses me out. Oh! And you will not believe this. Today I am going to dump in my recycling bin a huge box of bottle caps that I was given last month because they are so incredibly rusty I just don't want to deal with them. Even I have limits. But I digress....

Now I have a new sorting and storing project. I recently acquired from an electrician friend of mine boxes full of various electrical components. I have no idea what they are for but they screw together and fit together and have some other useful purpose besides living in a box but now they are with me. And I want them to be a part of my Recycled Materials Garden.

 Strange organic growth or industrial materials? Hard to tell.

These funny looking little things, I just know I can create art with them. And there are multiples of Everything. If there is one thing that I have learned while working in this world of making art it is that People Love Multiples. One or two bottle caps is trash. But assemble together 1,000 of the Exact Same One? Now that's cool. Just ask all of the people who like my bottle cap art. Or don't. Maybe they are all freaks like me.

So that is what I did yesterday afternoon. I sorted, bagged and then stored all of the random little electrical components that my friend had given me so that I can use them as raw materials when I start making forms for my Garden.

Weird work. But strangely satisfying.

Personal Request of the Day:

Got any leads on some part-time temp work?

I need to make some extra cash. I'm looking for something that's part-time and temporary. Or if not temporary then a job where it's cool that I take a couple of months off in the summer to go do my "marble carving in Colorado" thing and my "bring art to the desert in Nevada" thing.

I still work occasionally doing graphic design at the winery in Napa but it's been very sporadic. I need to make some extra cash because I've found myself a real, honest-to-goodness studio that will allow me to weld and work with metal. No more working out of my home! But that costs money which I don't really have a ton of right now. Even though I've got a lot of art out in public that is for sale, so far no one is buying. I need some supplementation.

The studio isn't available until January 1st which gives me time to build up a reserve. Know anyone who needs some stuff sorted? Oh yeah, and I used to be an accountant, so I've got that skill too. Which if you think about it that is kind of a form of sorting. At least, it is quite orderly.

Quick Quote On Love

I just recently came across this quote regarding love and I think it pretty much sums up my feelings about art and life.

One of the attributes of love, like art, is to bring harmony and order out of chaos, to introduce meaning and affect where before there was none, to give rhythmic variations, highs and lows, to a landscape that was previously flat. -- Molly Haskell

Song of the Day:

"Aqualung" by Jethro Tull.

Ian Anderson played acoustic Jethro Tull last night at the Warfield where my friend Brian works. He said it was totally "bad ass". Being a Tull fan in my teens, I would have liked to have seen that. Now if only I could get that song outta my head....

I'm Exhausted And Boy Is It Making Me Tired

So, I get back from Phish Fest and lo and behold within a day I am down with a cold. It was too be expected. I have been driving fast and hard since July. That I staved off being sick for as long as I did was out of sheer will. But the body will only tolerate so much, I am learning.

Come Saturday, though, I started to feel A Lot better. Read: I could breathe - through both nostrils even! So, I went about the business of living my restless life. Today, Monday, was supposed to be the start of being Back At It. Not making any new art but dealing with other items that are on the To Do List. Such as...unpacking and organizing my tools and gear from Phish Fest, documenting a couple of new sculptures, various administrative-type items, write follow up emails about some of my work that is out in public right now, organize tens of thousands of bottle caps. The list goes on and on.

I got as far as writing some emails and putting away my camping gear before I was Overcome With Exhaustion. It made me have to lie down. I was so overwhelmed that I started to cry. What the Hell Is Wrong With Me? Get to work, Lazy.

But the truth is I really, really, really need to Slow Down. Take It Easy. Or else my health could truly take a turn for the worse and then I definitely won't get to any of my To Do items. This is not an easy thing for me to do. Being an Artist I have to be self-motivated. There is no Big Boss holding a paycheck over my head making me meet deadlines and accomplish goals. That Big Boss is me.

And right now the Big Boss needs a Big Break. No matter how guilty it makes me feel. So, I am writing this in the hopes that it will make me see the wisdom in what I have just expressed. Rest now so that I can work better later.

So with that, it's back to the couch for me. Listen to a little Jack Johnson. Maybe even read a magazine or two. Or, craziest idea, yet: Just Close My Eyes. Actually that sounds so good right now I think I may have just convinced myself to do it. Good Night!

Veg Out TV Show Recommendation of the Day:

The Office.

I've been watching last season on Netflix with my Roku box. Sometimes I cannot get over just how incredibly hilarious this show is. Now if only Arrested Development was also Watch Instantly. I'd never leave my couch.

Offerings

A strange thing has happened since I first displayed art at Burning Man in 2007: people have left me gifts at my sculptures.

After I got home from Burning Man 2007 I noticed that someone had attached a magnet to my Bottle Cap Tree. It was a really funny one - it had an image of Japanese Anime pornography. The theme was girls volleyball. I'm not gonna get into details. Still, the intention was good, I guess.

Then in 2008 someone attached a bottle cap magnet to Spin 'Em!. That seemed pretty appropriate. This year I got lots of gifts, in the form of bottle caps, in my Bottle Cap Deposit Box. There was also a packet of Emergen-C and a candy necklace. And the best gift of all - No Cigarette Butts!

When I was de-installing Flower Spiral at Phish Festival 8 last Monday I found a small velvet bag sitting at the base of the sculpture. Inside was what at first seemed like a random assortment of items. Turns out it was the majority of what I would need to cast a spell to attract Money and Fortune, including directions on how to do the spell.

It's so sweet really. Though I don't know exactly what to make of these offerings. I like to think it's a way for people to express to me their appreciation that I create art for their enjoyment.

I'm not sure if I am going to do the Money and Fortune spell, though. My friend Dustin advised me that I first make sure this was, in fact, a legit spell and not some kind of bad mojo disguised as good. I like to think that the kind of people who would attend a three-day Phish festival would not be the type to give negative gifts. But, you never know.

Honestly, I'm not really sure how I feel about trying to attract Money and Fortune. I mean, of course, I want to make money in my career as an artist but that's not my main motivation for making my art. I just love to create and I love for people to enjoy what I create. Money is how we survive so, yes, it would be very nice for me to make some while I am at it.

I could focus more on the Fortune part of it. I would like more opportunities in my art, to be more "successful", in that I would like to find more ways for my art to be seen and enjoyed by the public. I doubt I will actually cast the spell. Not really my style; read: I'm lazy.

But I love the intention. That someone wishes me good Fortune makes me feel Fortunate already.

Health Advice of the Day:

Up your Vitamin C and Zinc intake.

It's cold and flu season everyone. Now is a horrible time, as we all know, to get sick. So, make sure to get rest, take your vitamins and for god's sake, Wash Your Hands. Be Well!

Back From Phish 8 And Boy Am I Tired

Well, I made it through the Adventure that was Phish Festival 8. Despite working like a dog right to the last second before departure, enduring numerous unplanned crisis', making repairs on-site, and navigating the uncharted territory that was the festival grounds I feel that in the end the result was Success! I really learned A Lot, too.

I will write more about my adventures later but I am just plain exhausted and need to give myself the rest of the week off to rest, recover, and recharge.

This sculpture has inspired me, however, to continue expanding on this idea and body of work. I just found out that I was not selected for an interview for a 2010 Artist Residency at the SF Recycling Center in So. San Francisco which actually frees me up to work on this instead and build it into the vision I have for my 2010 Burning Man art installation. Things always work out the way they are supposed to, I guess.

Before I wander back to bed, check out this picture that my good friend and crew member Lori Duvall took of my sculpture "Flower Spiral" while at Phish Fest this past weekend. Never did get any good night shots, but each flower was lit with two LED lights at night. It was very pretty.

Musical Confession of the Day:

No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get into Phish.

I did enjoy the Halloween set of the Rolling Stone's "Exile on Main Street". Also, Friday night we heard the band do their very first set while hanging out right under the stage. Pretty freakin' sweet, even I have to admit. But the bottom line is, after a while listening to their music I just got bored. Oh well. To each his own.