Time keeps on tickin'....

I recently read a blog post on TeeZeeTee about the Human Clock Project.

Remember when there was an installment artist who made a giant calender made up of people looking at each other?

 

This is by artist, Craig Griffen.

Well, he did a human clock a while back with photos of people holding up cards with the time on them. And now he is asking people to draw the time and mail him the postcards.

How could I resist such a challenge?  So I clicked on the link for the humanclock - mail clock and there is a computerized gizmo that gives you a time to draw (you can also click a link if you want to choose a different time for some reason.)  And once you're done drawing, you send it to the humanclock project.  It needs to be received by January 8, 2011, so time is running out.

This is my drawing.  I used henna on paper (naturally, as a henna artist), let it dry and sealed it with Polycrylic.  It smudged a little bit from being rehydrated with the sealant, but I'm pretty happy with it.  I chose the sunflower for my drawing because it is a kind of plant clock, following the path of the sun during the day.  And my assigned time was 3:38.  I signed it on the back.  And off it goes into the mailbox!  It's so cool being part of a large project!

Creative Every Day

I just joined the Creative Every Day Challenge by artist, Leah Piken Kolidas.

The challenge is to do something, anything, creative every day.  Pretty simple concept.  And actually, implementation is easy, too, since being creative is not just about writing or painting or making a work of ART.  It's about attitude and approach.  Yesterday I made a creative Thanksgiving dinner.  It was still within the parameters of a traditional turkey dinner, but due to my Mother's diet restrictions, I was challenged to make it gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, al-dente free.  So I used coconut milk whenever I usually used cream or condensed milk, and I used gluten-free bread for the stuffing.  And I made a gluten-free gingerbread cookie crust for the pumpkin pie -- which wasn't the best, but can be improved on next time.

Close-up of an Aeonium taken by N. Papousek

Today, we went to a native plant garden and I took a photos to serve as inspiration for silk paintings -- or just by themselves.

 

 

 

an agave taken by N. Papousek

Being creative every day is going to be a fun adventure!

Hipster

I recently went for my 6-week post-surgery check-up and received the "All Clear" to drive again!  Whew.  I am eager to get back to my life again!  The PA said everything was looking good.

This is a photo of the x-ray of my hips.  Surgery done by Dr. Robert Powell.

The surgeon had told me that these replacements weren't the most beautiful surgery he's done, but because my hips were a bit irregular, he had to use parts of different replacement kits so that it all worked for my structure.

I think they're beautiful.  Titanium and blue chromium sockets.  There is no friction now between the head of the femur and the socket.  There is no more deep arthritis pain.  The human body is an amazing structure and medical science is a miracle.

I have no more hip pain.

Ok. I concede that I do have muscle pain, but considering how much the muscles were moved around during the surgery and that some were cut through and have to rebond, my amount of pain is minimal.  I feel so much more energetic now and ready to get back to my regularly scheduled life.  The difficult part is trying not to do too much too soon.  How do I know what is too much?  Obviously, a hike up Cowles Mountain would likely be too much.  But how about dancing at a party?  Hula hooping?  Doing basic exercise videos?  The doctor was vague and said it was better to err on the side of caution.

Well, I've never been one to err on the side of caution.  I won't start training for a marathon, but I am going to make sure that at least 1 mile of exercise is a part of each day and when the music is good, I will dance.

This is my vision of my new hips!

A mushroom is a mushroom is not just a mushroom

I like to cook.  I may not always create everything from scratch but I do enjoy jazzing up stuff.  Last night was Big Pasta Dinner Night (a revival of a tradition from my husband's bachelor days) and I took out a jar of sauce that I'd gotten on sale at Henry's and put it in the pot.  I tasted it and it NEEDED something.  So I added some garlic and zucchini and chopped bell peppers.  It still needed something.  I added pumpkin puree and it still needed something.  I added a carrot slurry that I mixed in the blender.  And it STILL needed.  That's when I had the bright idea of making it a mushroom sauce.  I added in some sliced buttom mushrooms, and then I remembered we had dried shiitaake mushrooms in the cupboard....and then I saw the tree ears.

Tree Ear fungus growing on a tree.

Tree Ears are found in Asian grocery stores with all the other dried fungus.  Once rehydrated in some warm water, they are tasty and nutritious and an indespensible ingredient in Chinese cooking.  They are not, however, common or even heard of in European cooking.  But I thought, a fungus is a fungus, why not add them to the sauce.

Button mushrooms have a meaty flavor and are delicious in sauce or on pizza (or even grilled by themselves).  Shiitaake mushrooms, once rehydrated, also have a rich meaty flavor.  Tree Ears (or Mu Er as they are called in Mandarin) have a rather chewy texture reminiscent of overcooked calimari.  I'd forgotten this quintessential characteristic of the tree ear.  It has been years since I used to them, and I think the last time I used them it was for Hot and Sour Soup which really needs that texture.

My dear husband was a bit taken aback when he saw black strings in the pasta sauce, but he tried them.  And he did not like them.  He is from New York City where they take Italian food very seriously.  Tree Ears are not a welcome addition into list of approved ingredients.

Sigh.  I didn't mind them, a fact which further highlighted in my DH's mind how much an infidel I am.... the tree ears are now strictly relegated to Chinese cuisine in our household. Maybe they would be good breaded and fried in olive oil and garlic....

To blog or not to blog....who and why

I realized fairly early on in this blog that I really have no clue what I'm doing, so I signed up for a 4-week blog course.  It's a self-paced online class designed by Alyson Stanfield (http://www.artbizblog.com/) and Cynthia Morris (http://www.originalimpulse.com/) and our first lesson is to identify whom we envision is reading our blog -- the target audience -- you!

I am writing for kindred souls.  Age is not a factor, but a curiosity and sense of wonder about the world are.  My ideal reader has traveled or longs to, loves to eat a variety of global cuisines, admires science and loves learning about how the forces in nature that shape our world and Universe.  He/She will like henna and may be a colleague.  I hope to generate engaging content so my readers will respond and interact.

Through blogging, I hope to gain clarity about my goals and methods.  I hope the writing process will not only crystallize thoughts but also generate new ideas, especially through discourse with my readers.  I am not an expert in anything, but I am enjoying the learning adventure and hope you, the reader, will enjoy briefly taking a ride with me.

Art or Craft

Art or craft.  This is a topic that comes up a lot among henna artists, and today I was hanging out with silk painters and the same issue arose.  One person complained that there were people "out there" who don't take the art seriously and they production paint and sell things cheaply -- which cheapens the Art and devalues the Artists.... so they should charge more.

Seriously? I think there is a wide spectrum between art and craft and FINE ART and low-end art.  My parents are fine artists.  They SEE something universal and try to convey that with their artwork.  My father has never achieved his goal and thus has never exhibited his artwork.  If fact, I've never seen his paintings and sculptures, but he talks about them a lot.  My mother hasn't quite reached Nirvana, yet, either, but that hasn't stopped her from sharing her art photographs with others.  Me, I'm not sure I do art.  I make things because it makes me supremely happy, and I like to share what I make with other people because it makes them happy.  I can draw flowers for 6 hours straight and if my clients are happy, so am I.  I get into the moment of creating that henna drawing and try to infuse each one with joy.  But none of us are confused about whether or not it's Fine Art.

I draw henna designs on shirts and bags and lamps and silk.  They make me happy.  But I don't see them as ART.  I'm a craftsperson.  I do the best I can, but no-one is going to see the meaning of life, the universe and everything by looking at my henna or other drawings.  However, if they make people smile and they buy them, then my work is done.

Money. The silk Artist who was complaining today said that the other folks who sell things for prices that most people can afford were selling themselves short and cheapening all the other artists' work as well. 

I'm all for charging what an item is worth.  But I have to admit that my t-shirts which take 1/2 hour to draw are not worth as much as the blouse I hand-dyed, took 3 days to embellish, and encrusted with swarkovski crystals and glitter.  If I charged what the blouse was worth, it would not sell.  The silk Artist would say it's perfectly OK for it not to sell because you maintain its value that way.  The practical person in me says, "Um, I have to contribute to the mortgage payments and food budget..."  The silk Artist lamented that there are no real patrons of Art anymore....me, too.  I'd love a sugar daddy...um, patron.  But for every Michealangelo who was patronized, there were a zillion guys out there selling their stuff by the Tiber trying to earn enough to pay their mortgage.... and who is remembered now?  Did those popular artists who hawked their wares by the Seine cheapen Michealangelo's work?  No. But I sure hope they were able to pay their bills!

I think there is a place for all of us on the art spectrum.  There's the stuff we produce with as little labor for the results as possible (my t-shirts) and there's the labors of love (my silk blouse -- which I did not sell; I had to give it to a friend b/c I knew it would make her supremely happy.)  The silk Artist creates such beautiful and intricate things.  She pushes herself and her techniques and the artform in bold directions.  The rest of us are inspired by her, but we can't afford her work.  I hope she has a patron....

Anybody want to be my patron?  Hmmm.  Guess I'd better keep making things that sell...

Henna designs

I really WILL do more henna soon.  Probably tonight on my left hand.  And I'm also planning to go to Spanish Village in Balboa Park on Saturday if I can find and load all my stuff (table, umbrellas, table covering, signs, etc.) that got piled into the garage when we moved in last December...

Right now I'm enamoured with Pakistani-style designs.  I go through phases and right now I'm all about flowers and paisleys strung together.  Love those flowers and paisleys. 

I'm still planning the design I want to wear into surgery.  I drew a phoenix on my shin for my last hip and it helped give me courage.  I could always do another phoenix.... or maybe some lotuses... or probably paisleys and flowers.... I can't reach my shin these days b/c I'm not allowed to bend more than 90 degrees, but I could do my thigh... however, I need to know whether the surgery will be anterior or posterior first!  The doctor said I could have henna anywhere but the surgery site.  Last time I was completely hennaed up!  Right arm was done by local artist, Wardah Halim, and the left by me.  And I had somehow managed to reach my feet and decorate them as well.

Speaking of surgery, I realize how lucky I am that my husband has excellent insurance -- or even insurance at all!  There have been tough times in my life when I had no insurance and even though I was young and healthy, I still needed to have my wisdom teeth removed.  I paid for that for years!  And once I took a bad job because they offered me insurance coverage -- and then it turned out that because I had been treated for gynecological issues in the past, I had no coverage for ANY gyno care!  I didn't stay at that job long... it just wasn't worth the worthless insurance.

When we lived in England we were covered by socialized medicine.  I could go to a clinic whenever I needed at no charge.  And when I had a horrible miscarriage, I was checked into a hospital no questions asked, no forms or cards or copays.  It was such an excellent safety net.  I have heard complaints that only the major problems are covered and that people are on waiting lists for all kinds of things for years.  However, I currently have Kaiser Permanente HMO and the same is true. 

Someone I know is in a bad way.  She has a severe tooth infection with no insurance, neither health nor dental.  She can't afford to pay for her anti-biotics and painkillers because the full cost is too much.  She just lost her job and has no income at the moment.  It's a really scary situation: out of work, in excruciating pain, and unable to afford care or prescriptions.  And I know she is not the only one out there.  There, but for the Grace of God, go I....