My Dog Is Not Smarter Than Your Honor Student

So, from now until I leave for Burning Man on August 14th the blog postings are going to be sporadic at best. I've got a lot going on right now and some things will inevitably go by the wayside, this blog being one of them. While I am at Burning Man there won't be any posts at all and I'll be straight-up honest and say that I doubt I will have the energy to do much of a recap of my experience there when I get back. I know myself - I don't download well. Anyway, I did want to take a moment this morning to write a rant. Here goes.

Yesterday I saw a car with a bumper sticker that read, "My Dog Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student". I've seen that one before. It's kind of funny in a snarky, "I'm childless and you're not" way. Honestly, I'm not really sure what it means. If it's a stab at parenting it seems pretty mean-spirited.

But here's the thing: I really doubt that person's dog is that smart. My dog Jasmine is very intelligent, for a dog. She understands my vocal commands and body language enough to communicate with me. She remembers things, like where the deer carcass on the trail is that she found three days ago. She's good with patterns and routine.

However, my dog is eleven and she cannot read or write. And forget about complicated math. The best she can do is "one dog treat plus two dog treats equals I want more dog treats". Finally, she defecates in public.

Now an eleven-year-old who is like what I just described above would be considered retarded (yes, I used that word - it sounded better then mentally challenged, okay?). So do not even try to convince me that your dog is smarter then anyone's honor student; it's just not possible.

I bet the bumper sticker person also considers themselves their dog's Mom or Dad which I have never understood. My pet is my pet not my child. News flash: We Are Not The Same Species!

The bottom line is, when you use your vehicle to try and show just how clever and smart and funny and better then others that you are you usually end up looking like a conceited Jack Ass. I suggest using a Blog instead!

Bad News of the Day:

The art park at 580 Hayes Street is no longer an art park. It's becoming a parking lot as we speak. And for this pleasure I get to pick up a damaged "Flower Spiral" because the new property owner was so determined to get rid of the art on the lot that they allowed the contractors to improperly moved my sculpture last week without my knowledge. What a joy for me! But at least I will be getting compensation for the damages. Still, not my preferred way of getting paid to make art.

So Close And Yet So Far

Everything always happens all at once. Or, at least, that's generally the way it seems.

I've got more bottle cap flowers to make for Falkirk, my installation for Burning Man to complete, sculptures that I need to retrieve and a camper van to prepare for travel - all before I leave for the playa on August 14th.

I'm a bit over-whelmed. And under-motivated. What I'd really like to do is crawl back into bed with a good book, my laptop and a stack of movies. And stay there until September.

It's always the last five percent of anything that is the hardest part. It's like, you are so close to getting something done but it feels impossible to finish.

I just want things to take care of themselves. Like securing the wheels to the base of Wheel Weed so that I can install it at Falkirk. And stapling the last bottle caps to my City Benches for Burning Man. And picking up (and putting somewhere) Flower Spiral from the no-longer-to-be-completed art park at 580 Hayes in San Francisco. (Yeah, that last one is a real bummer.)

None of these things are tough or even that time-consuming. I just don't feel like doing any of it. My energy is Ebbing right now. I need to get back into Flow. I took a couple of days off and now I don't want to get back on. Yikes. Well, I just gotta push through. Stuff is either gonna get done or it's not but either way time will move forward so I might as well go along with it.

Insanely Whacked Out Movie of the Day:

A Town Called Panic

This is what I am doing instead of working - watching random movies on Netflix Watch Instantly. I watched this movie last night. All I can say is...Wow. Really. Wow.

Every Once In A While.....

We interrupt this episode of The Insecure Artist Hour for a very special Moment of Pride.

I LOVE my installation at the Falkirk Cultural Center. The majority of the sculptures are now in place and they look just perfect in the garden. I couldn't have planned it better if I had planned it. And I hadn't. This all just came together as it was meant to be.

Check out this image of one of my favorite flowers in the garden.

You can view more images here. I will be making and installing more flowers in the coming weeks so keep checking back.

Okay, now I am off for a much needed, though short, break. Time to test out the Gypsy Van! See ya next week.

Shout Out of the Day:

A big thanks goes to Phyllis Thelen who made my installation at Falkirk possible. Her support of me and my work is immense.

I Write Like

There is a new website called I Write Like which analyzes your writing and determines, with statistics, what author your writing style is like. The logarithm only compares to about 50 authors, three books each, so it isn't a very complete formula. But it's fun.

After learning about this website, I decided to see who my writing style most compares to and asked the site to analyze every posting from this blog for the month of July. It turns out that I write like Cory Doctorow (who?). Well, at least four out eleven postings were like his.

My July posts were also like the writing styles of Chuck Palahniuk, H.P. Lovecraft (two instances), David Foster Wallace, Stephenie Meyer, Stephen King and Harry Harrison. I have only read work by three of these folks and none of them are authors that I would consider an influence.

In fact, I don't really consider my writing to be influenced by anyone at all. I read a lot but I don't pay much attention to style. If anyone, I'd say that Hunter S. Thompson has made an impact only because I like his creative use of Capital Letters and I like to mimic that. But otherwise, I am not educated enough about creative writing to even know how to be influenced by others.

So, who the hell is Cory Doctorow? It seems that he is "a science fiction novelist, blogger and technology activist". He has a website called craphound.com. He won some awards and such. We were born the same year. He is from Canada.

I've never heard of this person until yesterday nor have I ever read anything he has written. Ever. Yet, it seems that I write like him. Maybe it's a generational thing. Who knows.

Of course, it can't be helped that our voices will sound like others - it's part of our society to mimic. Have you ever spent time in another part of the country and found yourself, after a while, adopting the vocal tones and phrases of the way locals speak? It's impossible not to, right? So, I am sure that writers of a certain time all have a similar way of expressing themselves.

Anyway, I think I have concluded that in the end I Write Like Kitty Gordon. And that is just fine with me.

I Write Like of the Day:

Cory Doctorow. Again. Well, how about that.

Reading

I've been a fan of reading ever since I was a kid. I used to love riding my bike to the library, coming home with 4 or 5 books and curling up under a blanket with my new treasures. I often was reading two or three books at one time, usually because a new book would catch my eye before I finished reading my current one. I still read a lot but not nearly as much as I would like. I almost never give myself over to an entire day of just reading. Oh, what a lovely thought....

I am baffled by the idea of e-readers, Kindle and the like. They just seem so hard, so cold, so un-book-like. There is something very comforting about holding a treasured book in your hands, reading it for the umpteenth time, turning each well-worn, dog-eared page, the spine cracked from bending the cover backwards. To this day I still hold my books a certain way as to avoid damaging the spine.

My eyes get tired more easily when I read words on a screen so I can't read for hours at a time. Something about the screen's re-fresh rate making us unconsciously blink less, I believe. But more then that, there is the color and the light. Books are printed on paper that naturally defuse light and so the pages are soft and warm. The computer screen is pixels of dark and light; there is nothing in between, nothing soft or warm at all.

I was reading an article in the Chronicle today (yes, the print version that I subscribe to daily) about a report that Amazon is now selling more e-books then hardbacks and that independent bookstores are getting excited about Google Editions which will allow for the download of over 400,000 books from smaller bookstores onto to almost any platform thus leveling the retail playing field.

What a shame. I love browsing bookstores - big and small. You hold the new book in your hand, read the back cover, maybe grab a comfy chair so you can scan a few pages before you realize that you must buy this book immediately, crawl into bed and read the whole thing at once.

And then there is the "used" bookstore. What a great way to buy that best seller you've heard so much about for a reduced price. Finally, you will know why Oprah raves about this one author. Or figure out it was all hype but at least you didn't pay full price.

Oh, but e-books are so "green". Saves paper and all. Well, guess what? There is this thing called the public library and that is pretty damn green, my friend. And cheap! And they have more then just books - music, DVDs, periodicals, Internet. The public library is there for you, the public. If you haven't been in a while I suggest you stop by before books become a thing of the past.

Classic Book Recommendation of the Day:

Watership Down by Richard Adams.

This book changed my life. I first read it when I was about 12 or 13 and the story and plot just blew me away. Yes, it is about rabbits but it's more then that - it's a story about society and survival and strength of character.

The 1978 animated film does not do the book justice - it's pretty trippy and even a little bit scary. But then so were a lot of animated versions of novels from that period of time (see The Last Unicorn, The Hobbit, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe).

I've got a copy if you want to borrow it.

Why Do You Do What You Do?

So, I've got this friend who is involved with a major Burning Man art installation this year but he has been getting frustrated about how it's being engineered and designed. This person really knows his shit when it comes to building things structurally but no one is listening to him which makes him very upset. He is debating whether or not to continue working on the project or going out to the playa to help build it.

I am not offering my opinion or advice when he talks to me about this - just giving a friendly ear. But the real questions this person should be asking himself are: Why am I doing this? What do I want to get out of it? It's what we should all ask ourselves when we are feeling like this in life.

If something makes you upset or frustrated or unhappy then why continue doing it? Is there a way to change the situation? If not, then Get Out. Simple as that.

Well, maybe not so simple with some things. But in this case, anyway, this project is not the end all be all. This person could easily walk away from this situation with very minimal, if any, repercussions.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: It's Only Burning Man. Sorry if I offend any Burners out there. I realize this is your Universe but it ain't the center of Mine. I dig contributing to this event but it's only eight days, you know. I've got a whole other life to live.

I do hope my friend decides to do what makes him the happiest in the end. I would love very much to see him out there on the playa, working away, helping make this amazing art happen. But only if he's happy and satisfied while doing it. Any other way of being and it just doesn't seem worth it. Life is too short to live with frustration.

Stylin' Way You Can Support a Large Burning Man Art Installation of the Day:

Temple Tees are on sale now!

I just got a tank top last night and I love it. Help support a project that not only requires many hands but many dollar bills. Every little bit helps.

Exhausted

I'm stretching myself a little too thin these days. I have a bit too much on my plate. And as a result I am not getting enough rest and I am not taking enough breaks. I am thisclose to hitting my limit. But, fortunately, I have enough mental strength to not completely fall apart.

Last night my exhaustion decided to present itself to me directly. I was so tired, in fact, that a had to leave early a fun event that I had been looking forward to for a couple of months. I just didn't feel like myself and I needed to go home and go to bed. I was bummed but it was the right thing to do.

Thankfully, I have gotten to the point in my life where I pay more attention to the clues my body gives my that I need to slow down. I don't want to slow down. I don't want to break for even a minute. But, clearly, I need to. I just can't keep up this pace. Not for very long, anyway.

But it's been so fun and exciting and satisfying. I'll do my best not to over-extend myself too much but what is it that they say? I'll sleep when I'm dead. As long as that doesn't come any time soon I'll be okay.

Sign That You Are Over-extended or Over-committed of the Day:

You wish that it didn't take so long to take a shower in the morning. Or drive to work. Or eat lunch. Or brush your teeth at night. Or.....

Yeah. Maybe wanna try and slow things down some.

Feeling Needed

About a month ago my dog Jasmine suffered some kind of spinal injury. We aren't quite sure what happened but it was so bad that she almost completely lost the use of her back legs. She could barely stand or walk and was clearly in severe pain. At one point Jasmine spent two nights at an emergency vet hospital. It was a pretty terrible time in our household.

Deciding against surgery, Eric and I waited to see if Jasmine would recover with pain and anti-inflammatory medication alone. We were not sure if she would ever regain full use of her legs and wondered if this was what the rest of her life was going to be like (she's almost eleven) and whether or not the humane thing would be to put her down.

Eric and I had never been through something so difficult. The thought of losing our happy, silly, faithful Jasmine was worse then actually losing her. We agonized over what might happen. And we waited.

Eventually she got better. And pretty soon it was (almost) like the whole indicent had never happened. Jasmine regained strength in her back legs and when her course of medication ran out she seemed like her old self again.

But Jasmine will never be quite the same. She could very easily re-injure herself which might possibly lead to permanent paralysis. From now on we have to carefully monitor her physical activity which is hard because Jasmine has always been extremely active - she just loves to hike and swim and run and tumble.

I am so happy to have my little Jasmine back. I'll take every extra second with her that I can. It's interesting to notice that since this incident I've felt a tremendous amount of gratitude from her. She spends a lot of time in our presence - not being overly needy but definitely needing us. I think that Jasmine is quite aware of what she went through and feels lucky to be here with us. I feel the same way, too.

My Attitude of Gratitude of the Day:

I am thankful for the love that I feel in my home every single day - morning, noon and night.

I love my family!

Hippie!

Eric and I bought a 1984 VW Vanagon this week. We are so excited - our very own Hippie-mobile equipped with a bed, fridge, stove and pop-up roof. Woo-hoo!

We got it for a good price and it's in great condition. I can't wait to get it set up for easy camping getaways. Our first outing will be next weekend for a test run.

I will be able to spend four weeks on the playa for Burning Man in (relative) comfort. No more tent camping in Marble. Sleep may actually be achieved at overnight music festivals - who wants to go to Bonnaroo?

Ironically, the cash we used to buy it came from savings investments that have lost money (big surprise!) in the last five years. We had stripped this money out of our money market account to get a better return. In hindsight we would have been better off putting it all in a coffee can and burying the money in the back yard but, then, I think many people could say the same.

Oh well. Gain some, Lose some. I lost a few dollars but I just gained a camper. And I couldn't be happier. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff. It's time to go out and have some FUN!

This Could Be Us of the Day:

Falkirk Flowers

Inspiring images of flowers and plants in the garden at the Falkirk Cultural Center in downtown San Rafael.

Humbling Truth of the Day:

Mother Nature is the greatest artist of all time.

Public Service Announcement

Have you ever seen what happens when a fluorescent bulb breaks? A dusty material escapes. That is mercury, a neurotoxin, and it's very bad for you and the environment. This is why it is important to dispose of used fluorescent bulbs properly. Don't just throw it in your garbage can.

This morning I saw a woman in my neighborhood doing just that, throwing a fluorescent tube into her curbside can. But it broke in the process. There was shattered glass everywhere and a cloud of mercury in her face. It was terrible. And I am sure she has no idea how bad it is that she was exposed to that.

Seriously. This is an important thing to understand: compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) may be the green trend because they are more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs but they contain a dangerous substance and should be handled with care. Don't Throw Them In The Garbage Can.


If you use this kind of bulb please make sure that you dispose of it properly. Quality hardware stores will do this for you. Just take the old bulb with you when you are buying a new one.

Isn't it ironic how good always seems to come with bad? I guess that's the balance of the Universe.

Completely Unrelated Movie Recommendation of the Day:

Pirate Radio.

The soundtrack alone is worth checking out.

Sell Yourself

What can I say, I'm good with people. It's what has gotten me along in life, so far. That and I am reasonably educated (thanks Mom and Dad!).

So, I had a meeting yesterday regarding installing my recycled materials art in the garden at the Falkirk Cultural Center in downtown San Rafael. It was me, the woman who coordinates the public art in San Rafael, the head of Parks, Recreation and Culture and the ladies from the Master Gardener's Guild who maintain the garden.

Key was convincing the gardeners that this was a good idea. The garden is their baby. It was important that they felt respected and so I explained to them that I would make sure that my art fit nicely with the landscape and complimented all of their hard work. I would take inspiration for the shapes and colors of my "plants" from the garden plots. And I would be conscientious about where I placed my sculptures.

They were thrilled. They loved what we were proposing and were very excited for me to get started. They are giving me freedom to do whatever I want. My work will be on display until the end of October. And I can add sculptures at any time as I make new ones. How crazy is that? I am definitely stoked.

Finally, my garden is coming to life!

Successful Art Installation of the Day:

Floral Family as seen in front of the San Rafael Public Library.

I'll take a better shot another day. I was in kind of a rush yesterday afternoon.

A Good Day For Art

Yesterday was a terrific art day for me. To begin, I switched up my schedule at work this week so that I could go to the SF MOMA and check out Calder to Warhol: Introducing the Fisher Collection for FREE (first Tuesday of the month).

The Fisher Collection is a vast and comprehensive study of 20th Century art - it was like walking through a modern art history book. And yet, it felt a little Been There, Done That. I think it was because I am so familiar with the artists and their work. Very little grabbed my attention or inspired me. But it is a very impressive collection and worth a visit if for no other reason then to see the art live and in person.

Alright. I wasn't completely unmoved. I adore everything by Calder. And the Richard Serra sculptures were amazing up close and personal. How does he do that? And there were plenty of other artists represented whose work I enjoy.

I was especially taken with a video installation by South African artist William Kentridge called "Preparing the Flute". It was beautiful and mesmerizing. I visited the installation space twice.

It is difficult for me to comprehend that this is someone's private collection. How do you display and enjoy all of this art except for in the museum environment? Take Ellsworth Kelly, for example. Where else could his paintings be hung besides on a big, white wall?

I am definitely glad that I saw the collection, though. For some reason it made me feel even more inspired to do my own thing, go my own way. That's what these artists did, right? They pushed boundaries, tried out new ideas, went against the grain. And now what they do seems so normal and accepted. But only because they are so well known.

From the museum I crossed the bridge to Oakland and got right to work in my studio. I made a new bicycle wheel flower sculpture all from scrap on hand. I love it! I also made a rebar stake flower and cleaned up the base of Floral Family in preparation for today's installation of it on the San Rafael Library grounds.

I put in a good 9 hours in the shop and it felt great! Throughout the day I heard from three different people in regards to three different projects that were still up in the air. In all three cases I learned that things are progressing forward quite nicely. I love it when a plan comes together, as they say.

I worked 9 hours yesterday and 12 hours on Monday. Plus, I put in a good 7 hours last Saturday. I'm beat but feel good about my productivity. This morning I'm going to rest and relax before my 2pm meeting regarding the installing of my Recycled Materials Garden sculptures at in the garden at Falkirk Cultural Center in San Rafael. I sure hope they like my work!

Partial List of Bay Area Museum FREE Days of the Day:

Asian Art Museum - first Sunday
Oakland Museum - second Sunday
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art - first Tuesday
deYoung - first Tuesday
Legion of Honor - first Tuesday
Yerba Buena Center Galleries - first Tuesday
Museum of Craft and Folk Art - every Tuesday
Exploratorium - first Wednesday
Bay Area Discovery Museum - first Wednesday
Berkeley Art Museum - first Thursday
Cantor Arts Center - always FREE

Every day is a good day for art!

The Way They're Supposed To

My fraternal grandmother used to say that things work out the way they are supposed to. I've always liked that thought. And I believe it, too. It's comforting.

Fate, Destiny, God's Will - whatever you want to call it - I like thinking that maybe there is something bigger then me out there pulling the strings even if I'm not sure it really exists. It is nice to look back at a chain of events that didn't make sense at the time and realize, "well, if that hadn't have happened then this wouldn't have happened and I really like that this happened so it's good that happened." There's a bigger picture, you know?

It's easy to get caught up in Shit. We think to ourselves, "Really? This is the way it's supposed to be? But this sucks!" Yet we can find relief, sometimes, if we believe that even though this sucks it's just the way it is. Because that is what this all comes down to: Nothing is supposed to happen - it just does.

So, if I choose to believe that things happen for a reason because it helps me get through the difficult stuff then so be it. I'd rather believe in something and find comfort then believe in nothing and be unhappy. And sometimes just accept that It Is What It Is.

Floral Family Has Found a Temporary Home:

I am installing Floral Family at the San Rafael Library near the entrance to the Children's Library on Wednesday.

And I am meeting with the head of Parks and Recs to (hopefully) get the final okay to install my other Recycled Materials Garden art in the garden at the Falkirk Cultural Center.

Just think, if Burning Man had given me the grant I had applied for then my garden sculptures wouldn't be available for this great opportunity. See, things really do work out the way they're supposed to.

The Kitty G Show

In the beginning I thought it was all about me. And then, at some point I realized - I am the only person who faithfully watches the reality show that stars me. It's not even on anyone's DVR. People are too busy getting wrapped up in their own program.

And that is how it is. We live our lives and most of the time no one notices. The good stuff, the bad stuff - people know about some of it but never all of it. It's too much information.

I've got some bad stuff going on in my life but I refuse to wear it. I won't let it define me. And that helps me not get too wrapped up in ME.

It's like this blog. Who reads it? Some people; I do know that. Every day? Once a month? Who knows. This is a space for me to broadcast episodes of my reality show. I get to process my thoughts, my feelings, my experiences. And then watch it by reading the posts after they are published.

Does this need to be public? Heck no. Do I like that it is? Of course. It's nice to have some amount of viewership, you know? Some feeling that We Are Not Alone. But at least I know I've got one loyal, faithful viewer who's watching every day. And I'm not talking about YOU.

Well, that's all the time we have for today, folks. Have a great day and thanks for watching.

If You Have Six and a Half Minutes To Kill and Want To See Some of My Bottle Cap Art Video of the Day:

Burning Man 2010 Precompression

I didn't make it to this event but it's nice to see my art looking cool and being touched.

Pay attention at 1:14 and 3:30.

Hipter Doofus

I am getting old and, therefore, not as keen to the latest fashions. So, when I see the kids these days wearing the skin-tight jeans, pegged at the ankle I think: "That was pretty unflattering when I wore my pants like that in high school. What makes you think it looks good now?"

And as I watch the wanna-be thugs walking down the street with one hand holding up their too big pants that are sitting below their butts, boxers sticking out I want to shout: "Hey Douche! Pull up yer pants."

I know. I am not cool.

This morning I caught sight of a young punk with a mohawk wearing skinny jeans but with the waste sitting around the center of his ass crack, the crotch about 4 inches too low. Wow. Two lame-ass styles combined to make one giant idiotic look.

This is funny: Hipster Fashion Cycle

Fashion FAIL of the Day:

FYI: The Tighty-Whities do not "complete the look."