It’s a bit late but I just wanted to post regarding events that occured on or around August 2nd.
On August 2nd I heard the news that my friend from Santa Cruz, a fellow Palomita, Christina Peck, won the NACCC, North American Cycle Courier Championships! First woman ever to win the whole freakin deal. I freaked out. Most.Awesome.News.Ever.
And: I also (finally!) saw Deerhoof. They played at the Great American Music hall, one of my favorite venues. Smaller than the Fillmore, and therefore more intimate. I love all the beautiful victorian(?) decorative elements on the ceiling and the balconies. It was superb. There was a bit of rockin out, I even bought a shirt, I never buy shirts at shows!
I guess long story short, it was a pretty good day.
UPDATE! You can donate to help Christina get to the CMWC (Cycle Messenger World Championship) by going here. I donated! And so should you!
A list type post with things I liked about my visit to the Oakland Museum of California.
Squeak Carnwath describes her work in many ways, my favorite (right now) is this:
“…dirt on a flat surface….” *swoon*
Want to hear her talk about it? Here’s a recent(very!) interview where she talks all about stuff! Someone even calls to get angry at her for not being able to/not being interested in having good “draftsmanship skills”. Not being able to draw is rad.
This is the only image I could find online of my favoritefavorite painting of hers.
Now I am inspired to write her a small letter asking for guidance/advice/answers to BIG questions.
and: substitute teaching plans are hitting roadblocks. what’s plan b?
Tomorrow I am going under/across the Bay to check out the Oakland Museum of California. I haven’t been there yet, it’s easily accessibly via BART, and there is a retrospective of Squeak Carnwath’s work up. She is one of my most favorite artists ever. EVER. Her paintings contain intensely layered opaque paint to create a “solid”, impenetrable surface combined with the use of text and very simple, iconographic figures. These are the kinds of paintings I want to be making, I envy her bold use of text to add a literal meaning to her work. Sometimes I just want to proclaim the meaning of something. It takes a lot of balls/guts/naivete to be able to do that. To be un-afraid of people questioning the meaning of something.
So obviously I am pretty pumped to go on an East Bay Adventure and see some pretty paintings.
Oh! That reminds me: work for the show (now in October) is coming along! Finished 3 out of 9 pieces. Hand sewing is very slow work, totally obsessive, relaxing, solitary, and rewarding. I feel like I have really put a lot of myself into every inch of each 9×9 square of fabric. I am feeling more and more inspired to just make stuff. For no purpose other than to make it.
I am getting pumped.
This continues my posting of definitions of words from an old dictionary I found at the Bargain Barn in Santa Cruz.
Dictionary dates from 1936, and is titled: The New Home and Office Webster Dictionary (self pronouncing)
prandial adj. of, or pertaining to, dinner.
prank n. a freak or frolic; mischievous trick: v.t. to dress up in a showy style; decorate.
prase n. a green, translucent variety of quartz.
prate v.i. to prattle; talk idly; be loquasious: v.t. to utter without sense or meaning: n. trifling talk.
A: n. the first letter of the English alphabet and of cognate alphabets, derived from the Phoenician; it corresponds to the Greek alpha from the Phoenician aleph; the sound of this letter. In English, it has various sounds, as indicated in the pronunciation of words in which it is contained.
A, a: n. an abbreviation: in form A, personal names beginning with this letter, as Andrew, Anne,; various proper names and geographical designations beginning with this letter, as Anderson, America: in the form A or a, in Physics, an absolute, as A temperature; in Electricity, ampere; in Chemistry, argon; in Heraldry, argent; in Medicine, equal parts, written sometimes as aa; a badge or mark of shame which was pinned or branded on an adulteress by the Puritans: see Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”: in the form a, any word beginning with this letter which can be inferred readily from the context of subject.
This is the look I am going for, modified for bike riding.
Must obtain more old man cardigans in nice colors.
Things are looking up.
1. I found a sick new pad!
2. Spring is here! Bike rides and burritos and beers and babes!
3. I’m in the mood for an adventure or two. Elaina is inspiring me to somehow get out of the country.
4. And: Trying to make nice pretty/ugly things.
Waking up and feeling groggy. My mind has led me to thinking groggy thoughts about my favorite words. I can’t say these are my favorite words ever, but they are my favorite words from under the blankets this morning:
- problematical
- detritus
- squishy
- butt
- explosive
Feel free to add your own in the comments. I think we all know how I feel about lists…
