I've sent the application, prepared the next proposal, made some bread and spent a good chunk of the day painting and ripping up earlier (damaged) paintings to bring 'em back to life. It's more clear the more I work that the imperfections, the layers, and the leaf forms all keep coming back. I've decided to stick with paintings for now and get some knittin' a bit later.



More soon,
Rachael

I crashed a fun relaxed mini stitch and bitch last night even though I'm not a knitter. It was great fun to draw and play with watercolors with Tanya and talk about how it took us and is taking us time to take chances with our art. Traditional graphic design and art history trainings had trained us to follow rules and the making of art is the making of mistakes.

It was a kick, too, to see (just as I sent out a gutsy application for a great opportunity) that Tanya and Julie had framed the paintings I'd traded them for fabulous knit things. They have a surviving new painting born from the ashes of this painting and I have a new urge to learn to knit. Who knows if I have the patience for it but I figure if Molly, and Toni, and Wendy, and Tanya, and Julie, and pretty much every woman I know can knit and purl I can at least try it. That'd be a definite maybe.

I'm a definite sleepy and hungry to read more about Ben and draw some before closing the day.

Goodnight, troublemakers,
Rachael

I'm reading a biography of Ben Shahn (filling in gaps and wondering about motivations and chronologies). Shahn's work and his keen cutting line looks different to me all the time but it always pulls me in and not just because he's firmly on the left of center (darling of the Socialists still) but because he always tried to be an honest image maker.

Honest. I do have to say that I see entitlement often in men and women who go to art galleries and museums as they would country clubs. Why are people so pissy and disrespectful to the good people who work security and retail and dining in museums? I don't give a rat or his ass if you give a lot of money to a museum if you can't be good to everyone inside and outside it. I don't much care for those who lord their class privledge over others, those who assume an understanding of the history of art is an excuse for being a jerk, or those oblivious to others and their worlds. It's not the priveldge of art I care about...it's the passion.

That's all today folks.
take care,
Rachael

As I eat brie for breakfast and survey the dying pink balloons on the front porch, I can announce with confidence that the party was a grand success. Lots of good womenfolk gathered to celebrate the almost-arrival of a little girl to a really good mother. There was plenty of good food and social mixing that doesn't normally happen. So even though I worried about the party much more than I needed to and even though it will be months before we drink all this soda pop, I am much pleased that everyone got to get together.

It leaves me now, with a day off and a day with few obligations, much curiousity, a belly full of brie and a brand spanking new sketchbook. Don't know what I'll see but I intend to look.

Yes, and the pineapple bread was not served. It stunk. Couple of cans of wasted pineapple is no great loss and for a minute in here on Saturday night it smelled tropical and exciting...

take care,
Rachael

I'm hosting a baby shower for a good friend tommorrow. It's her second child but she had her baby on the same day (the same day!) her first shower was scheduled. Hijinks ensued. So I decided to throw the do-over shower for baby 2 tomorrow. People (good people!) are coming to my house. It's a mess and I'm waiting for my motivation to come to begin showering and then cleaning for the shower and then baking and then making some art and sending some applications to some opportunities.

So then. That's that and I'll tell you more when I know it. A short report on the success of this recipe will follow at some point...

Bread Machine Tropical Bread
A recipe for bread machine Hawaiian style bread with banana, pineapple, and coconut. This bread, from dj, makes a 1 1/2 lb. loaf

INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2 cup canned pineapple chunks (chopped and well drained, save juice)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sliced very ripe banana
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

PREPARATION:
Add in order given in manufacterer's instructions, using light crust setting.


Take care,
Rachael