Sunday, November 30, 2008

Feels so good...

to be able to call a project done. Really, really done.


I actually took the time to do something I don't look forward to at all: Scanning in a painting. Here is the final, finished painting!


Monday, November 24, 2008

The Magical Mystery Tour is dying to take you awaaaayyyy....

.....Dying to take you away,
Take you todaaaaaaaaaaay!!!



Today I finally finished my Hawaiian Ginger painting!
But I have yet to find my camera..... still.
So for now, the final product will have to remain a mystery! Until I find my camera, find a good deal on a used camera, get a new camera, or scan in the painting. :)

Of course, this means I get to start a new painting- or, more likely, a new series of paintings. Sadly, I'm getting away from tropical for a bit. Living further north and having 90% of the weeks being overcast (and colder than I'm used to this time of year) makes me miss the tropics WAY too much to be staring at a tropical themed painting for months on end!

So I'm going with food. Everyone loves food, right? Especially me. And while I'm painting it, I'll probably be eating it... and drinking it- lots of it!!- in the form of wine, since my next paintings will be of grapes.


Sunday, November 16, 2008

A Product I'm So Excited About!

Check it out... Bio Bags!
http://www.clearbags.com/?category|BIOBAGS


No, these aren't biohazard bags or the bags you use to dispose of sharps. They're clear sleeves for art (or whatever else you want to put into them). What's so damn great about them is that someone finally made use of the biodegradable compostable plastic technology for the bags artists slip over their prints.

I had sought out a more eco-friendly option for enclosing my prints earlier this year, and clear plastic seems to be the only thing that makes sense to use. I researched compostable/ecofriendly plastic sleeves and found some- maybe made by the same company?- but I seem to remember the biggest size being offered was approximately a 5" x 7" bag. Now they offer them big enough to enclose a 16" x 20" piece of art. How perfect is that!?

Thanks, EarthFirst!
They are doing all kinds of great things with ecofriendly plastic films.


Wednesday, November 12, 2008

It's not easy being green, Part 84748329

I'm almost all settled into the new place, which is a relief! The office- where I'm sitting now, and where all of my art supplies are also sitting, sadly, still in boxes for the most part- is still a disaster. I would love to post pictures of it for a laugh, except that I still can't find my camera!

Also on the list of things I have yet to find:

-My printer cable
-My Stargazer Lily painting (and canvas prints)
-My business cards (but who needs them, anyway? www.wasteofmoney.org)
-A place to dump the recycling around here

Yes, here I am, living in a city. I moved up here from a rural place. Though, truth be told, it was like pulling teeth, I still managed to get a recycle bin from Waste Management in my old town.

One might think in the city, you'd have access to tons of recycling opportunities. Aren't cities supposed to be all sophisticated? That's what they led us to believe in my hometown... Yet here I am, still throwing all of my garbage into one bag and tossing it like it's 1980 :(
It's so against what I've been doing for the last few years. I made about 30 calls last week, left messages, got a few rude people on the other ends of a few calls (which was just plain funny- one lady acted like "How DARE you call me and ask about residential recycling? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU AAAARE!?!?"), yet I still have absolutely NO idea where the hell to take my paper, cardboard, plastics, etc. It's starting to drive me crazy. How hard can it be? ...Seriously?

Some people acted like I should just go get a basket. Actually, that was a pretty universal response. Great, that's just what I would do, except that I've been told where I live, a basket is pointless because as soon as you put it outside, it gets stolen!? (Um... Probably because no one else can figure out how the hell they can recycle their stuff.) I am even willing to just bag up the recyclables- separately!- and just go take them to wherever they need to go. Folks on the phone acted like that's the most bizarre concept they've ever heard of.

I've seen dumpsters back at home where they have different compartments for things-- can't we just get one of those? I just don't understand how, in an area where recycling is actually mandatory and required by law, it's damn near impossible.