The Cabinet of Vonsplithoof

A novel of paperwork is in my hands...

2008-09-02T20:38:14Z

This morning was filled with "big people" things like taking a carload of shit to be lovingly donated for the pure selfish reason of making my trash someones treasure. Flash forward fifteen minutes and you'd find me sitting in the office of a mortgage officer signing an overflowing pile of final application documents. As I sign page after page it's comforting to know I have three days to change my mind. This pile of forms and signatures is an adventure in itself. Unsure if I've made the right decision, but feeling good about moving forward with this new found relationship with my home. The excitement of something new and ultimately good for me. The unsettling feeling is slowly calmed by the undeniable fact that I'm moving forward... and that's a good thing. And it's still the same house I've always known... just with a brighter, refurbished sense of self.
Insert picture of me with sledgehammer and giant goggles - grinning.

Okay, so that's not me... but you get the idea.

I had lovely lucid dreams last night about old dark cities and warm white underground tile. And it was nice to fall asleep to a book instead of the television. She is my temptress that leaves me ashamed and dirty feeling when we part. TV is like junk food... books are like veggies. I think I'm going to stick with books for now.

I promised drawings... they're on their way, I promise.

Oh, and thank you Rik for sending me this thoroughly erotic and disturbing commercial link. Even deer have bigger breasts than me! DAMN!

Science, alchemy and a ghost of a city.

2008-08-31T22:44:25Z

At this very moment the sky is filled with an army of clouds, their bottoms black and heavy with rain. They look like prehistoric creatures slowly grazing across a blue plain.

In searching for amusement, I've found myself playing with visible man dolls and dinosaurs. Thank you discovery channel for your in depth look at the Megalodon.

Imagine, my dear friends, an ocean teaming with fifty foot great white sharks.
I've been drawn to sharks ever since I was a kid. Fascinated really. They are mystery machines to me. Frightening as all hell, but fascinating none the less.

I've been working on drawings and things of that nature for a group show in November. I wanted to share those things here, but at the moment, I have no good pictures of things in progress. Soon though.
Fall is early here. Grey heavy skies seem to keep my head pointed downward and it has truly made Seattle feel more ghostly and empty to me. It's amazing, this sensation of being alone in a city wriggling with thousands of people. I miss friends and conversation. Discussion and inspiration.
If anyone has any good books to read, please fill me in. I could use it.

And lastly, I'm embarking on every home owner's dream ( and nightmare.) Remodeling. It's start is nearing and I'm hoping things will go more smoothly than when I attempted to flush a wasps nest from inside my siding. I killed quite a few of them, but they let me know they were not going down without a fight. And frankly, I think the survivors are doing just fine. I feel a bit of remorse for putting so many to death, but I know nature has no remorse for her course and if given the chance, they'd do me in so they could survive. And I really couldn't blame 'em.

Krysztof Nemeth's Art Show!

2008-08-05T03:56:36Z

Happy Birthday!!

2008-07-28T16:05:14Z

To my dearest horseskin

A very merry 28th to you!

I'm lucky to have such a devilishly divine man in my life!
I love you.
xxoo

And... to Miss sayurixxvii

I hope Bob Log III was all you hoped for! Wish I could have shared a drink in honor of you 28th as well!
Happy Birthday dear!
xxoo

Been meaning to post for a while...

2008-06-23T15:33:34Z

But became engrossed with working in my garden and winding down into a normal routine again.
For now, here are couple images of pieces from the show.
I have silly pictures to post of the wonderful people who came out to see it!
Hope all is sunny and well in your world!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLD MAN!

2008-05-20T16:35:03Z

To Mr. charmed_art,
May a woman wrapped in red fill you with delightful goodies from her basket.

Upcoming show!

2008-05-19T16:51:16Z

" It Took the Night to Believe."

TIPTOE
Opening Thursday, June 5th, 2008
@ Berbati's Pan
231 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204

Show runs through June.
Hope I see some of you fine folks there! : )

anaisred @ 2008-05-10T14:56:00

2008-05-10T22:03:05Z

This is what I'd like to think my paintings see.

Speaking of which, working away today per usual. Finally purchased a scanner so I will be getting my show card ready to send out and have printed. Less than a month until I'm in Portland.

I've been thinking about ghosts and birds and the songs from both.
Being small and hearing the chatter of winged creatures drift in with the cool breeze.
Somehow, I'm sure this summer won't be long enough.

Mutha Uckers.

2008-04-29T19:14:35Z

Wanted to post a sketch I did a few weeks ago, but our scanner-driver parts are in an undisclosed location until further notice.
For now, enjoy a picture of my cat in a box.

I also was turned on to "Flight of the Conchords" this morning. I'm in love.

In other business, paintings are coming along. I wish I could stay home and paint all day.
We'll be in Portland the 5th O' June through the 8th for my show. Yeah PORTLAND!

After that show I'll be starting things for a group show featuring and curated by the lovely Ms. Audrey Kawasaki in November @ Thinkspace. I'm excited 'bout that. Ideas boiling inside my little head.
And I've never been to L.A.
That should be interesting.

Work'n away!

2008-03-27T15:20:26Z

The exact date of the show in Portland is June 5th. It's a thursday, so I hope people still come out for it. I believe they do their artwalk that night. I'm entertaining the idea of snagging a hotel room downtown to stay at. And I'm also hoping I can talk you Seattle folks ( the ones I know, anyhow, ) of coming down for the event. If nothing else than to have some fun.

Here's a couple of the smaller things I've been working on lately.
I paint on the ferry when I'm heading to and from work ( since my time is limited, ) and yesterday I had an audience.
I felt my face get flush. Strange.

Hope you all are well. It's freezing here. Where the hell did spring go?

An interview for "Add my art journal".

2008-03-18T20:02:41Z

Ms. speakdaggers was kind enough to ask if I would fill out some interview questions for her add my art journal.
You can check it out here!
http://community.livejournal.com/addmyartjournal/

Also I had very strange dreams this morning. One consisted of my attempting burlesque with some other professional performers. I danced very strangely and then showed my naughty bits. The other girls were not amused.
The second dream consisted of me standing in some open tiled shower, nude, except for a dark blue bandanna tied around my neck and a pair of seamed panty-hose on. Munly showed up and was standing behind me - all in black with a knife in his hand. I turned, gently took the knife from him and proceeded to slit the hose up the middle, eyes locked to his.
Then I woke up.
Strange.

Sketch sketch sketch

2008-03-16T17:35:07Z

It's gloomy and grey. I need a coffee. Thought I'd post some recent sketches.

Almost forgot!

2008-02-25T19:36:55Z

I will also have a piece in this show!

Tart Arts & IMVF PresentTHE 2ND ANNUAL LADIES FIRST-Art & Music Festival Art Exhibit,Music Video screenings and live performance by WINTERMITTS

International Womens Day- Saturday March 8 2007
ANZA Club- 8th and Ontario
VancouverTickets $10 at JEM Gallery & Redcat RecordsALL GENDERS WELCOME! Art Opening 7-10pm (No Cover)Music videos 10-11pm Band : 11:30pm (Cover Charge in effect)

International Visual Artists:Jennybird Alcantara (US) / Pilar Alvarez (Canada) / Holly RuthAnderson (Canada)Megan Besmirched (US) / Sunny Buick (US/France)/ Molly Crabapple (US)/ Kirsten Easthope (US)Rheanna Fancypants (Canada) / Cynthia Frenette ( Canada) /Kelly Haigh(Canada)Jenny Hart ( US) / Claudia Hek ( Netherlands) / Angelique Houtkamp(Netherlands)Christine Karas (US) / Mimi Kersting (US/Australia) / Vicki M. (Canada)Naomi Nowak (Sweden) / Jessica McCourt (US) Emma Mount(UK) / LisaPetrucci (US)Lesley Reppeteaux (Canada/US) / Bonni Reid (Canada) / Nicole Steen(Canada)Lina Stigsson (Netherlands) / Andrea Tucker (Canada) / Heather Watts (Canada)Annie Wilkinson ( Canada)

http://www.thetartgallery.com/ladiesfirst.html

Indie music videos by...CHOIR PRACTICE (Canada)DEBORAH HARRY (US)HERMIT ( Canada)MASFALDAS ( Mexico)MISS DERRINGER (US)SCREAM CLUB (US)STATIC OF THE GODS (US)SOPHE LUX (US)WINTERMITTS (Canada)

About the IMVF-Indie Music Video Festival :Founded in 2002 by Nicole Steen along with partners Marcus Rogers and FrankYahr,the IMVF has played 170 videos in several cities includingAustin,Baltimore,Calgary,Chicago,Los Angeles,London, Malta, New York,SanDiego,San Francisco,Seattle,Tel Aviv,Toronto, Vancouver,Victoria,WashingtonDC.
http://www.imvf.com

Sexy...

2008-02-23T23:32:26Z

"Sabine"
watercolor and gouache

I did this piece for a show at Headquarters Galerie & Boutique entitled, " The Sexy Show." You'll have to pardon the cropping on the left side, ( there's a bit more space there,) but you get the idea. The show opens Saturday, March 1st, which is also the night that the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival will be doing their gala. I will also have 4 pieces in that!

Here's the info for both shows:

The Sexy Show
A group show curated by James Kerr, featuring sexy work by sexy artists.
@ Headquarters Galerie & Boutique
1649 Amherst, Montreal
Opening March 1st, 2008
http://www.hqgalerieboutique.blogspot.com/

and...

Seattle Erotic Arts Festival
Come Celebrate our Sixth Year
March 1st 6pm-2am
Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (Mercer Street @ 3rd Ave N)
$20 in advance, $25 at the door.
No host bar. 21+ with valid photo ID

We are pleased to present a comprehensive retrospective of contemporary erotica, featuring Festival award-winning artists showcased in a lavish gala celebration.

Enjoy the special exhibition of new artwork created by SEAF award winners and Festival favorites. Our friendly docents will help you choose just the right piece to add to your growing collection of erotic art. Additional artwork and SEAF merchandise will be available at the SEAF Shop. Guest artist David Steinberg will be on-site signing copies of his new book Divas of San Francisco: Portraits of Transsexual Women. And at 10:30pm, don't miss the shortest art auction ever as SEAF Auctioneer Laura Michalek auctions one of Midori's photographs in record time. Be prepared to bid high so that you can go home the winner....

The Gala stages will be throbbing all night with performers including Host and Master of Ceremonies Aleksa Manila, Arnaldo!, Seattle's premiere drag chanteuse; world-class aerialist artists; live psychoclassical music by EQlateral Ensemble; daring bondage suspension; seductive world-class tango; a selection of Seattle's finest burlesque stars; erotic spoken word and much more...

Participate in interactive installations: have your photo taken at Barb Penoyar's popular Photo Booth, or if you prefer, The Virgin Project will sketch your portrait. Feel like making some art yourself? Dr. Sketchy will be there with Seattle's hottest art models, including burlesque star ULTRA, to lead you through a tantalizing life-drawing session that you'll never forget.

Enjoy dancing to Michael Holden's sexy, stylish and sultry eclectic grooves.

Dress to Impress: This year we're taking a Romantic Journey Around the World seeking the creative, sensual, exotic.

The Festival is a one night event this year, with artwork and performances concentrated in an eight hour gala celebration. Please purchase your tickets early to avoid the line at the Gala box office.

Brown Paper Tickets
220 Nickerson Street (Fremont)
Seattle, WA 98109
877.278.4842
Mon-Fri 8am-4pm, Sat 10am-4pm

Please leave your camera at home; our staff photographers will be happy to take your photo and email you a copy.

I'm a regular posting machine!

2008-02-20T17:34:05Z

Here's a music sketch I did the other day. Bear in mind, it's a sketch. Not meant for the judges of American Idol or the critiques of highly skilled musicians ( although, feel free.)
Nope, this here is an extension of self through music. It's nice to take a break from the visual imagery and give the ears their fill.

http://jessicamccourt.com/images/things/redstrings2.mp3

Work'n

2008-02-20T07:01:22Z

My boss, crack'n the whip. I call her Amo.

And the corner where my ship sits... I love her so.

Back to paint'n!

Give me your pearls and I'll give you mine.

2008-02-14T04:51:25Z

An evening at the Roqlarue and a sketch.

2008-02-10T23:45:45Z

It was good to get out and see people.
Was misted heavily while waiting for the bus and decided to indulge in a nice warm glass of top shelf bourbon before checking out the art work.
The show was wonderful. My favorite piece was by Heiko Muller entitled "Homesick 2."

You can check out the rest of the works here, including great pieces by Amy Sol, Femke Hiemstra, Brian Despain, Lisa Petrucci and others.
http://roqlaruepreview.blogspot.com/

Here's some photos taken by the wonderful Mr. Krysztof Nemeth with his magical phone. All except the one of him and poh.

Lisa Petrucci and me

devoutdolls, Paul ( I'm a jerk and don't know if he has a lj name or not,) and slytherine13! An adorable crowd, no doubt!

charmed_art and poh looking dashing ( and somewhat color coordinated.)

And myself with Jim Woodring's painting entitled, "Jesus and the Bear." I love both of those things.

And finally another sketch I've worked up for a painting. Simple, but I'm fond of this one for some reason.
A guardian of sorts.

More sketches

2008-01-27T18:29:43Z

Still working away on things.
Sent a piece to a shop/gallery in Omaha, Nebraska. The owner sent me this link to an article about the show.
Take a gander if you like.

New Benson gallery offers ‘Paper Dolls’ to Omaha’s appetite for edgy art
By Michael Joe Krainak
Read Comments (0) »
Thirty-seven year old arts entrepreneur Brigitte McQueen is a woman on a mission. Like many Gen Xs, McQueen left her Midwest home to seek her fortune on the coast, first New York, then Seattle. And she made good. In New York she earned a journalism degree from St. John’s University before helping launch Teen People magazine for Time, Inc. Years later she ventured to Seattle and became a pastry chef after attending the Culinary Arts School.

In between her coast success, McQueen made a two-year stopover in Omaha in 2002 which she admits “wasn’t a good fit for me.” Yet, armed with her degree, certificate and a whole lot of experience and confidence, McQueen returned to Omaha in 2006 with a new dream and “basically because I missed the people here, and I am a great admirer of Omaha and the potential it holds.” Especially in art as McQueen merged her East and West exposure into the creation of Pulp, a gallery and paper goods boutique in midtown Benson at 6114 Military Avenue.

Though an art gallery is a new direction for her, McQueen has almost a missionary zeal toward the niche she hopes Pulp will fill as a part of Omaha’s growing art vibe, and she says it’s personal. “I have never owned a gallery before. I am basically curating the shows at Pulp from my heart. It’s not about what will sell but about what should be seen. Which may not be the most lucrative way to run an art space, but, whatever?”

Pulp will host monthly contemporary art exhibits of works on paper, and has already exhibited a successful show last month, “New Work by Joey Lynch.” Last weekend, Pulp opened its second offering, “Paper Dolls: Wall-to-Wall Work by Women,” which will continue until February 13. Over 150 patrons attended the opening including several of the 29 regional and national artists featured in “Paper Dolls,” Wanda Ewing among them.

“’Paper Dolls’ and future shows are going to have a kind of diversity that Omaha doesn’t see enough of,” Ewing said. It’s a new art venue which is desperately needed. There are established art venues in this city that have work they support which tends to be safe and commercial. Omaha doesn’t have a place like Pulp.”

Ewing is referring specifically to Pulp’s and McQueen’s commitment to work of a socio-political nature that deals with environmental, age, gender, race and alternative lifestyle issues. “I am drawn to outsider art and tend to shy away from works that are slick,” she says. “I like my art to be a bit rough around the edges, I guess. I can relate to it, I suppose.”

McQueen relates especially to gender issues as part of the sales generated in the gallery will benefit VDAY, a global organization dedicated to ending violence against women and girls. But again, for her it is local and personal. “Once I realized that it was the 10th anniversary of VDAY, I decided to make the exhibition a benefit and to raise awareness of and some money for several local women’s charities.

“I liked the idea of having a sort of showcase for female artists, hung salon style,” she added. “The show is a great mix of local and national work. It’s a mix of established artists, Karen Kunc, emerging talents, Elizabeth Huey, and first time exhibitors. From a woman’s POV, I believe they are running the show in Omaha’s art scene. The city is brimming with brilliant female artists creating and showing amazing work.”

Pulp shows also have additional benefits for both patrons as well as artists. By exhibiting local artists alongside national and international ones, it demonstrates that Omaha is not isolated between coasts and it prevents local artists from being taken for granted or becoming complacent.

“I absolutely agree,” McQueen said. “I have lived on both coasts and…honestly believe that work created by artists in Omaha is some of the best I’ve seen, ever. But there are several reasons why we take our artists for granted, part of which is definitely the lack of access to work being made outside our city. Besides the Bemis, I cannot think of other venues in Omaha where work from national/international artists is shown on a regular basis. I strongly believe that (this) work needs to be experienced by the greater community. That’s the tricky part, how to make that happen.”

Seeing and being hung with national and international art is also healthy for local artists as well, Ewing believes. “In my opinion, it’s all about not being afraid to see what else is going on outside of your community. It’s vital to an artist’s growth. I also think it’s a chance for local artists to get inspired by their contemporaries.”

What “Paper Dolls” does more than anything, perhaps, is demonstrate that women artists, whatever the locale, are often bound by similar issues however interpreted. Though “Paper Dolls” includes interesting and eclectic abstract and graphic work from Kunc, Natalie Linstrom and Nubby Twiglet, as well as photography from Rebecca Dolan and Dana Damewood, the show is dominated by work that would not be out of place in such feminist exhibits as 2007s “Global Feminisms” or the occasional “Girl Show.” It’s what gives “Paper Dolls” a relative edginess seldom enjoyed in Omaha.

Consider especially the work from Nicole Cawlfield from Kansas City, Ewing, an art professor at UNO, Caitlin Applegate from Lincoln, Olivia Jeffries from Norfolk, UK, Jessica McCourt of Bremerton, WA, Courtney Blazon from Missoula, MT and Darci Presnell in Omaha. Each deal with identity and self image. Most striking are the particularly audacious and provocative silver gelatin prints of Cawlfield and drawings and woodcut print of Ewing in the show.

Cawlfield offers three large, glossy black and white photographic “pin-ups” at home, at play and soaking luxuriously in the tub. Partially clothed, naked or in costume, these are self-aware, flirtatious and willful women who seem to enjoy their poses even as they use society’s various stereotypes of them to their advantage. The shadow box frames and large push-pins reinforce the pinup perception Along similar lines are the twin “Video Grrlzz” graphite drawings of Ewing which feature scantily clad women with punching bags for heads and suspended erotically from some unseen marionette.

Ewing’s satire here is angrier than Cawlfield’s as her pinups are reduced to a below-the-neck stereotype and a battered self image. They may have entered this scene voluntarily, but they are no longer in control. “Video Grrlzz” raise questions of free choice and expression. Everyone here is culpable including the viewer. “Cornucopia” is even more complex as it brazenly depicts a spread-eagled, half torso with flower petals blossoming from her vagina. Paradoxically, this image leaves little and a lot to the imagination, a contradiction of fertility and exploitation, enhanced by Ewing’s use of a rubber stamp to apply the flowers.

Equally exposed but even more vulnerable is Applegate’s life-size paper, plaster and stoneware “My Mother, Myself” and Jeffries’ “Uneasy,” a mixed media on found paper. In the former stands Apllegate’s fragile, awkward figure in her underwear unable and unwilling to hide the physical and psychological connection of its title. “Uneasy” may be Jeffries’ self image as well, but one piece of text on the surface, “birds,” may be a clue/commentary as to perception of this faceless, women in her bra from the United Kingdom.

McCourt’s watercolor “The Sisters” seem wary of and uncomfortable in their familial relationship even though they model and mirror each other. Blazon also explores her self image with her “Schoolgirl’s Tale, the Wonder of an Hour” in marker, pen and gouache on paper which features a young girl in ceremonial dress surrounded by preternatural, animal imagery. The scene is reminiscent of Neil Jordan’s marvelously dark fairy tale film “The Company of Wolves,” but this time our schoolgirl on the brink of womanhood is surrounded by bears. The most empathetic female figure in the show is Presnell’s regal “Aunt Melinda,” an elegant, confident, yet slightly forlorn portrait of a woman either from the artist’s past or imagination. Either way, Aunt Melinda is woman with a past, a survivor of her times and maybe even an inspiration.

Overall, “Paper Dolls” may inspire also as it illustrates that Omaha is capable of a steady diet of edgy, quality, finished contemporary art from several venues, which is what Pulp is all about. “My dream for Omaha would involve blocks of galleries, and monthly art events, like that are held in practically every major city across the country. If they can have a monthly First Friday art walk in Wichita, Kansas, why are we not having those experiences here?”

Another wee painting...

2008-01-23T04:30:16Z

More sketches... another little painting

2008-01-15T04:46:02Z

Our scanner is really really really terrible. Really.
I think we're going to have to put it down. It's 7 years old. That's like 100 in technology years.

Sad little garden head.

Read a brief article about the new Indiana Jones movie coming out in May. I'm excited. I've been in love with Indiana Jones ever since I was a kid. Before wanting to be an artist, from grade 1 to... well, a long time, I wanted to be an archeologist... just like Indie.

anaisred @ 2008-01-13T10:59:00

2008-01-13T19:02:27Z

I had a couple more sketches to post, however, our scanner is not cooperating. Little bastard.
Not much else to say. Just working away at things and very thankful it's sunny today!

New things in the new year!

2008-01-09T08:52:29Z

Yeah for things!

Sorry about the hibernation. I'm finally getting into the swing of things. Picked up some wood pieces to possibly make some wee dolls for show in Portland. Like Kokeshi dolls. I've been fascinated with them... along with the Russian nesting dolls. Not sure why.
Hope all are doing well and not too sick of hearing about the "Primary Fever" sweeping the nation.

xxoo

: )

Sketches... paintings... and all that implies.

2007-12-15T18:40:14Z

Been sketching away - finally getting to some painting.

These are in the very first stages of life. Covered in masking fluid.
I'm attempting a couple of different techniques... nothing too major, but I'm still learning watercolors.

And more sketching...

"...it took the night to believe..."

I believe I've almost filled an entire sketch book with a series of ideas relating to one another... this is also new to me. I like it. I like where this is going.

Artworks for Sale!

2007-12-10T18:31:20Z

For those who may not have been browsing the interwebs last night! : )

http://anaisred.livejournal.com/106729.html#cutid1

In other un-important chatter I have really been enjoying the Discovery Channel's "Planet Earth" series. The cave one was AMAZING!
Nature is an absolute inspiration... the wonderment of all organic.