Sluggish sanding and horror movies...

I've been breathing in bits of Modge Podge dust and it's bringing me down. I'm using multiple layers of MP and then sanding it smooth then hitting it with a clear acrylic sealer. It's soft and brings the colors out beautifully and will protect the paintings for the future. But it's kicking my ass. My right arm is getting more of a workout than...I'll just stop there. And due to the colder temps and closed windows the smell is a little blechy. But it's for the greater good and the finish is much nicer and sturdier and should endure anything.

And it's quiet. Too quiet, some might say. Like the scene in the horror movies where the kid hears a cracking branch and then it's just quiet for an eternity. Maybe I'm just getting into the whole autumnal feel of cold weather. And this time of year reminds me of the old Shock-tober they used to have on channel 11 (I think) playing horror movies every night for the whole month. I'm an avid horror movie watcher. I'll take terror over love any day. Chick flicks bore me and make me sad to be a woman. Show me "Inside" and I shriek with delight. But it seems extra cozy to snuggle up with some gore and tension once the leaves start to turn colors. Taking the dogs out after a particularly spooky movie will freak me out. I am easily scared, don't get me wrong. I didn't watch a horror movie until I was in high school and I couldn't sleep for a week straight. A WEEK! My imagination was enough horror for me as a youngster.

So I'll leave you all with the last movie Ed and I watched and it's called "Laid to Rest". Old school unstoppable slasher with the best effects, great acting and a good script had us from moment one. So if you're up for a great horror movie that you may not have seen, take a peak at this one.

Sleep tight.

http://www.laidtorestmovie.com/

Have you seen volcano lightning?

I hadn't and yet these pictures were posted on National Geographic a year and a half ago

'The mingling of lightning and ash seen above may be a "dirty thunderstorm." '
I really do need to start looking at NatGeo on a regular basis as once again there are some f*cked up things going on with this world that I have no clue about. I mean, look at that photograph! It's so amazing, Ed said that when someone takes a photograph this amazing they should just immediately get a million dollars. 'Oh, a picture of lightning, well...we'll take a look at it later....HOLY SHIT!! WHAT THE F*CK IS THIS SHIT?! AND THERE'S A VOLCANO IN ALL THAT LIGHTNING?! well here's your $1,000,000."

Kudos to Carlos Gutierrez/UPI/Landov for taking such wonderful photographs.

I <3 Murakami

and yet I am completely jealous of Kirsten Dunst right now. Arrested Motion is a staple for me to check everyday as they seem to be in my brain and know exactly what artists I know/love/collect. I also love that they post videos of artists working which is like crack for me. I could sit and drool and watch it all the time.

Oh right....Murakami and Kirsten Dunst. Seems they did a little film where she dressed up, sang "Turning Japanese" and frollicked through Akihabara. I may just hate her. Because I want to be her. I cannot think of anything more enjoyable than frollicking through Akihabara with Murakami and singing.

and she looks adorable. And she's in Tokyo and I'm not. Well, enjoy. I will go look at my Murakami collection and dream of getting back to Tokyo before the apocolypse.

Peace

Inspiration up the wazoo...

found on the NOTCOT site. In fact there is a NOTEMPIRE of sites under the NOTCOT name:

http://www.liqurious.com/

G&J Greenall's Bloom Gin ~ stunning bottle and a deliciously refreshing blend of honeysuckle, pomelo, and chamomile.

http://www.notcouture.com/

military inspired gloves from Free People

http://www.notcot.org/

Two cousins (characters) from the video game Katamari Damacy, walking the Jacob Javits Center on September 26, 2009. Costumes made by Janeille Pita.

http://www.notcot.com/

1800 Tequila's Essential Artists launches the second series ~ 12 stunning bottles (including one from Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One)

If you like anything you see go take a look. It's a wonderful site and is filled with beautiful photographs and content submitted by users for just about anything that's pretty, interesting, cool to look at. Grab a username and start submitting stuff yourself and see if you make the cut.

Lists

Just found this website, oobject which describes itself as billboard chart for cool gadgets and designs. This list caught my eye but there art many more:

12-stunning-rooftop-gardens

Thinking this would be a nice way to start the day if you lived on 5th ave in NYC.

But I would much rather paint...

than go to the dentist. Couldn't we just work this out some other way? No.

My teeth will rot out of my head if I don't go? Yeah, that wouldn't be very good for business.

'Come see the amazingly creepy artwork by the toothless wonder!' That doesn't have a good ring to it, so I guess I'll go to the dentist. And I guess then I'll have to do some bills and a little food shopping and perhaps get a walk in as sitting hunched over my little plaques all day is starting to take a toll on my back, mind and overall body as well.

But I would much rather paint.

Oh and that fedex box sitting there has some 'real' work in it? And by 'real' you mean work that has to be done for our company that is still keeping our mortgage payed even though it's getting less and less as the months go on? Yeah, that fedex box. That will need to be scanned into the computer and timed out and colored so we can get a nice big check so that I can pay my bills regularly, get our teeth cleaned, go for walks, feed ourselves and our dogs without having to panhandle while Cuddly is still getting around to being a full-time gig.

I know it's hard to be a full time artist. I know that I'm coming into this late in the game and at quite possibly the shittiest time in history to try and be a full time artist. But I'm doing it. I don't care what you say or how cross eyed you look at me, because I really would rather be painting. AND best of all, I would rather be promoting my painting, talking to everyone about my painting and pushing my paintings than anything else right now. Is that enough to make it a full time gig? Not yet, it's a business and businesses don't happen overnight.

So I will go to the dentist, pay my bills, do my 'real' work and go for a walk to help my back today. I will also email a few more shops/blogs/galleries about my art because that's what I have to do now. And it's making me happy.

Well, that and maybe a little ice cream. And Netflix. And Ed. And my chihuahuas. But that's all. That's all I need. And this chair too...:D

Asbury Park is a lovely place...

for zombies. And for artists. And for people too. Lovely, just lovely!

I am referring to the NJ Zombie Walk that was held this past Saturday in Asbury Park along with some gallery show openings and general good times. Ed and I are very excited by our new friends over at Parlor Gallery and Asbury Lanes and went out Saturday to support them. At first we needed to do a drive by of the boardwalk to take in all the zombie walking. Such an awesome site to see bloodied faces basking in the dying light of a great day at the seashore. You don't get these images from other zombie walks and apparantly their sites are firmly set on setting the record next year, so watch out Monroeville!

Then it was a quick walk over to Shelter Home which is my new favorite shop. Reminiscent of Tokyo shops and every good thing I've ever seen on the internet, it also has two lovely owners (Scott and Gene) and their beautiful standard poodles, Diego (pure black) and Lucia (pure white). Seems I may have seen these guys running around Washington Square Park back in my NYU days as well. Walking to and from classes I loved it when the black and white poodles were romping around the doggie section of the park. After telling Scott this, he said he had lived in the Washington Square Park area and has always had a black and a white standard poodle! Love it when things work out...

Across the street was Parlor Gallery and their newest show, ART Bloc. What a great show! Honestly haven't seen such great art from an array of artists in...well...in a long, long time. And only one week ago we had wandered into Shelter Home, talked with Scott and Gene who introduced us to Jenn who runs Parlor. Jenn also organizes some great events over at Asbury Lanes and we'll be talking with her very soon about showing some of our work there.

Small world, wonderful sights, ocean breezes and all 30 minutes from our house.

Oooh Cute! Whathehellisthatthing?!#&

This is the reaction I seem to have when looking at What's That Bug? Insect indentification blog It is chock full of the most amazing looking bugs from everyday folks who just want to know, what's that bug? Simple enough. But once I started scrolling around, I just couldn't stop.

Beautiful moths

Followed closely by this Monkey Slug that can sting you!

and then this adorable Tribble looking thing aptly called an Asp-- that can also sting ya!

What's that little icon called?

The one up in your browser's address bar -- it's a favicon! How cute. And I learned this today through Squarespace and am trying to get one to work for Cuddly's page. So when you come here you'll see this:

next to our address. It's a wingless version of CRuM, a heart/skull/angel icon that Ed had worked up for our packaging awhile ago and I always liked him.  Hopefully this little guy will start to show up. If you want to learn a bit more about favicons check out Wikipedia.