Connie Reeves
What a great metaphor for self-determination.
Connie Reeves, riding instructor since 1936, taught more than 36,000
girls to ride and at 101 years old was still riding every day.
This was just sent to me by a friend. I found it moving, inspiring and wonderful.
Dedication and hard work... a life well lived... who could ask for more?
Although we typically post on Team Vox to let you know about things that are going on with Vox (to, uh, state the obvious), once in a while, we like to let you know about other cool things that are happening around the blogosphere. And we think the idea of four hilarious mommy bloggers traveling across the U.S. on their way to the BlogHer '08 conference - all the while blogging and video blogging the journey - is one trip you will not want to miss.
Four adventurous bloggers from the Silicon Valley Moms Group were selected to participate in the Summer Road Trip '08 and blog about their travels, hotel stays, media appearances, time away from their families, and life on the road. Six Apart helped them partner up with General Motors, who provided the blogging mommies with a Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV to help make their journey comfy, safe, and a little more green.
In case you're not familiar with them, SV Moms is a group of over 200 bloggers who showcase the ups, downs, outrages, struggles, victories, and everyday humor of motherhood. There are currently nine regional and demographically tailored sites that give mothers from D.C., New Jersey, the Deep South, Rocky Mountains, L.A., and Silicon Valley a powerful voice and sense of camaraderie across the country. Whether you're a mother, a child, or just a person who enjoys a good blog, you'll really love reading the words of these amazing women.
The moms buckled into their Chevy Tahoe Hybrid SUV on July 11th and even got an encouraging message from Katie Couric to kick things off! They are currently somewhere in the middle of America making their way to San Francisco where they'll attend an SV Moms Group Party, as well as BlogHer '08.
You do not want to miss these entertaining and irreverent bloggers -- or their spontaneous contest giveaways! -- as they blog from the road. Experience the journey at MomRoadTrip.com.
And let us know about your summer road trip - or plane/boat/bus trip - in the comments! (I like to live vicariously.)
but their inward significance, and this,
not the external manner and detail, is true reality.
- Aristotle
And to suspend the disbelief that such odd, and interesting things actually might truly be in the same place at the same time.
It's not quite finished, but close...
Bent Bowls were ceremonial Haida bowls used for honored guests at potlatches.
I LOVE painting the stones and shells. Creating the illusion of shadow and depth, researching to be sure that the shells are accurate for the region...
A blending of mystery and science and love of those special places in the wild...
The Anna's Hummingbird is on a poured, luminescent background, using a photo of Pete's for reference, A challenge to integrate the background with the imagery but I think it works well, especially with the hydrangea
Just sent 8 new paintings off with Tad Merrick, friend and photographer for the record keeping process: slides, transparencies and digital. Later today I pick them up, Jim & I will pack them and they will be shipped to Washington State for the Bellevue Art Museum Artsfair.
You have to be an egomaniac.
You have to have a little bit of talent.
You have to have a massive amount of luck.
-Leonard Baskin
It's not so much egomania as intense focus- self absorbtion is not really the same as egomania.. I have no social life right now, but that's ok because I am excited and fulfilled by the work....
I am painting very, very intensely still getting work done for the Bellevue Artsfair show. which has to be shipped out to the west coast in three days. Success is about hard work and being in the right place at the right time. Andrew Russell Towl says that you make your own luck.
This painting of a black oyster catcher nest on a stony beach with remnants from a Haida sculpture is for the show. I've been immersing myself in north western Native imagery- reference material that I have had since writing This is Our Forest- the children's musical about ancient forests. Sigh. Another lifetime!
I did just take time to read an editorial by Nicholas Kristof about Three Cups of Tea.
It is of course, brilliant: both the editorial and the book. Kristof speaks to the success of Greg Mortenson's school building diplomacy, as contrasted with the Bush administration's policy of giving immense sums of money to governments. I had assumed fearfully that Mortenson's schools were being demolished by the Taliban along with other schools, but apparently they are not.
Did we learn nothing from our decades of continual tragic errors in Latin America?
Here is a link to the Kristof article.
Meanwhile, it is wonderful for me to be immersed in my imagery. Intensely on task.
Do you live in or around Cincinnati, Ohio? If so, you're in luck because Scott and the Queen City Voxers Group have organized a Vox user meetup!
WHERE: Ault Park Playground. 3600 Observatory Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45208. "We'll look for each other at the playground marked by the red X below. If it's raining, head for the shelter to the north of the [red] X."
To RSVP (which is not essential, but is appreciated), reply to Scott's announcement or send him a private message. All Voxers, as well as their friends and family, are welcome to attend.
If you do attend the meetup, have a great time and please take lots of pictures and send them to me so I can post them in Team Vox for everyone to see!
Thank you so much to Scott for organizing this meetup. Wish I could be there!
It has been beyond busy.
I can't believe it's been more than a month since I blogged. Better to quickly post up a quick update than to lapse for so very long.
After mailing my work off to the Gopalan Gallery show in Terre Haute IN, I started Summer Aartz 2008 in my studio, working with kids making art of all sorts: paste paper journals; "thinking outside the box" costumes for Brandon's
Fourth of July parade
In the middle of Summer Aartz I was part of this year's Brandon WCAX tv ad. I'll post the url as soon as they are done the editing. Here is last year's: http://brandon.org/images/I_Do/convert/i_do.html
That's Warren Kimble's voice telling us about all about his beloved Brandon.
July 5th was a banner day: marching in Vermont's largest 4rth of July parade; going to my opening at the Dorset Theater, and being a girl dog/dog diva for the band- the Sleeping Dogs- for a retirement party at Spring Lake Ranch.
Also my websites
NOT TO MENTION that I've been fiendishly working on new work for the Bellevue Artsfair in Washington State.
I don't know if I'll bring Dawn Nest with me. It's pretty large for cross country shipping: 12" x 60" but I made it with either Dorset or Bellevue in mind. It has changed already since this photo... scrawled patterns on the eggs and darker shadows in the blossoms. It's so pretty that it doesn't work yet. Not enough mystery and challenge.
http://artaccess.com/galleries.cgi?m=1&g=136
Although almost every day at Six Apart is Take Your Dog to Work Day, Friday was extra special because it was the official Take Your Dog to Work Day! Plus, as lovers of blogs and animals, we think it's great that active blogger and Human Society's President and CEO, Wayne Pacelle, thinks having dogs around the office is a good reminder of "who we're working for."
We realize some people have it ruff and aren't lucky enough to be able to bring their dog to work, but hopefully these pictures taken at Six Apart last Friday will get your tails wagging... And let me tell you, it's harder than it looks to get all the doggies and their fetching owners in one picture.
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, today is the summer solstice. For ancient civilizations, this day was akin to our modern day New Year's Eve and was viewed as a time to reflect and renew. So why not kick off your summer celebration with a new theme?
See all of our themes in the Design Area.
Or choose from one of these brand-new themes. (Available under "New.")
A couple of months ago, we told you about Blog It powered by TypePad, the first cross-platform blogging application for Facebook the enables you to post to your Vox blog - and ALL your blogs - with a single click.
Within a week, Blog It had nearly 4,000 active users posting tweets and creating blog posts, as well as updating their status messages with the title and link to the published post. Today, Blog It's Facebook application has nearly 10,000 users. But here's the thing: You're not always sitting in front of the computer when the inspiration to blog strikes. And at Six Apart, it is our goal to provide you the tools you need need to blog where you want, and when you want.
Which is why this week we introduced Blog It for iPhone, a free web application just like the one we introduced for Facebook - only now - on your iPhone. Built specifically for iPhone's Safari browser, Blog It for iPhone enables you to post blog entries or status updates from wherever you are to more than a dozen different online services. And just like the original Facebook version, you can choose to share your posts with the people you know across various social networks.
To start blogging with Blog It for iPhone, go to http://blogit.typepad.com with your iPhone's Safari browser and install the Blog It icon onto your mobile desktop. Then, all you have to do is click the Blog It icon and start creating posts!
Whether you're riding the bus to work, cheering on your team courtside, or enjoying a picnic by the lake, now it's easier than ever to Blog It.
- The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.
- - Richard Bach
Well, I certainly call it work, but it is work I choose. And wanting to get it done is all about loving the process of exploration, discovery and creation.
One show is in Dorset, Vermont at the Dorset Playhouse, and one at the Bellevue Artsfair, in Bellevue, Washington. Both excellent opportunities.
The challenge is intense. I have my work cut out for me.
I am having a lot of fun with these pours. It's somewhat like putting the glazed piece into the kiln, submitting it to the gods of fire. These pours are submissions to the forces of gravity and viscosity. It is can be controlled to a certain extent, but not entirely. It is a spontaneous process, but like a call and response song it only works if you are have learned the parts.
Robert Hammer
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
