Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Good Morning Darlings...
Testing this post to see if I still got skills.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Wishing for a Wonderful Wednesday

Beginnings of a new piece, a la
yo MOMMA style @Studio
yeterday.

Studio, back room

Studio. That's my baby brother,
Jerry in the photo on left, top shelf.
May he RIP. Crazy guy that he was.

Old bird/cupie doll on table piece
by me, from one year ago...
With small framed card from
Artist Peter Tunney...
"We Live in a Beautiful World".

The photo of my Dad, Governor
Leroy Collins and Edward Sax,
from the early 60's, I think.
Black and white woven ribbon
piece behind it is also my work,
as is the duck headed mannequin.

So now here it is Wednesday, already.
Where does the time go?

I'm already feeling guilty and slightly
embarrassed that I will not, after all
be going to my Studio today.

Just my style, to be forthright and
make big announcements, only to
fall short.

Some things never change.

My rational is that I have to be in
good form tonight for Kerry McLaney's
Birthday Bash @Lords on South Beach.

Knowing myself as well as I do, I know
there's no way I'll make it tonight, if I
spend the day @my Studio.

Not that physical labor is involved really
when @my Studio, but perhaps, because of
my age, my stamina, is just not that great.

So I'm not taking any chances in this department.

I have plenty to accomplish up in this end of
town anyway.

They say "the truth will set you free"...
I'm not so sure, but there you have it, folks.

Meanwhile, yesterday much was accomplished
in paving the way to produce some new work
in the Art department.

My intention is to compile enough pieces that
I feel good about and then find a suitable venue
to show them, come Art Basel time, in late December.

I feel confident that this will be accomplished and
have to remind myself too, that Rome wasn't built
in just one day. LOL.

Love how life works these days, especially since
Facebook has entered my life.

A few days ago I see a post by Rick Morgan on
FB, giving a shout out to Anita Sax for donating
copies of her new children's book for his Children's
charity.
In the blub, it states that Anita was born in Chicago
and grew up in Mexico City...
I'm thinking, I wonder if this could be Eddie Sax's
daughter?

Eddie and his Family were important friends of my Dad's while
I was growing up here in So. Fla., in fact we're kind of related.
My Aunt Evelyn, my Dad's older Sister was George Sax's first
wife (he's Eddie's Dad). I know Eddie is from Chicago
and married a woman and they had lived in
Mexico City for many years and had a daughter.

On the off chance, I posted a comment asking if perhaps
she was related to Mr. Sax.

Bingo. His daughter. WOW. What are the chances of that?

What makes this more interesting to me, is the
fact that I had recently found a photo that I have been
searching for, for almost a year now.
The photo is of my Dad, Governor Leroy Collins and
Edward Sax.

Just a week ago, I found the photo, stuck it in a frame
and placed it on a windowsill @my Studio, so that when
my buddy, Darby Collins, Leroy's youngest daughter
visited, she would see it.

Having gotten a response to my post from Anita in the
affirmative, that yes, she was, in fact, Edward's daughter,
I couldn't wait to get into the Studio and photograph
the image to send to her in an email.

No coincidences, right?
Right!
No mistakes, either.

Life unfolds.
More will be revealed,
that's a guarantee...
You just gotta show up.

This is confirmed for me
on a daily basis.

Gotta love it.

So listen up people,
today's the day!

Make a difference.

Show the LOVE.

Pass it forward.

Peace.

One LOVE.




Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Studio Today

Detail (my Facebook Profile Page)
on Mano Nogueira's beautiful piece.

The Fabulous Five
yo MOMMA, Mano Nogueria of
Mano Fine Art in the Bird Road
Arts District, Artist Rafael Lopez-Ramos,
Artist Luisa Mesa and my Buddy,
Artist Vince Herrera a/k/a
BAD PANDA..."People Love
my Sh*t" @ Mano Fine Arts
Studio for the Bird Road Artwalk
this past Saturday night.

Mano's beautiful work of Art.
Love it : )

Up and at em...
that's me.

My goal today is to spend time
creating Art @ my Studio.

Wish me luck, please.

Don't know why I've been so
resistant to doing this lately?

Hoping to get a rhythm going
here.

Will report tomorrow, on how
it went.

Meanwhile am excited about
tomorrow nights plan to attend
the Birthday Celebration for my
buddy, Kerry McLaney @Lord's
on South Beach.

I've never been to this new hotel
and am not looking forward to
the parking situation.
Short of that, I'm sure it will be
a most memorable evening.

Friday night promises to be
off the charts too @WDNA's
Jazz night with Artist Evo Love
and Romain Gateau.
Can't wait.

Don't know about the rest of
you, but I'm really struggling
with the doldrums of Summer.

Hard to get motivated lately.

Gotta keep reminding myself
how important it is to just show
up.
The rest will follow.
Not necessarily the way I plan
or hope for, but non the less
unexpected surprises await me,
when I am willing to participate.

So I'm throwing caution to the
wind. Taking my chances.
Letting go.

Remember to practice random
kindness...
Do the next right thing...
Pass it forward...
Be the change you wish to see...

Ah, life is like one big cliche..
Like a joke and I keep waiting
for the punch line.

One things for sure, if I don't
suit up and show up, I'm guaranteed
that nothing will change.

So be willing today, to step outside
the box, your comfort zone, so to speak.

Let me know the miracles you witness
today as you walk the walk.

Just saying...

Peace.

One LOVE.


Saturday, July 16, 2011

Saturday . Up and At Em.

Good morning World.

It's Saturday, in hot and humid, South Florida.

I've been up for hours already and am trying to wrap my head around plans for the day.

First up, long overdue, holistic massage.

Veronique, my adored therapist has been in France and is just back.

Oh, how I have missed the luxury of our weekly sessions.

This evening I plan starting off @Ladder Gallery, downstairs from
my Studio, for the last, I believe, of their Guild Series Shows.

I am meeting my new friends Ron Syllien and his wife, Gracelle Toussaint
@my Studio @6:30 to join me for an evening of Art and Networking.

After perusing Ladder Gallery we are headed to The Bird Road Arts District ArtWalk.
I have never been and am looking forward to finally checking out this particular area.

Looking forward to seeing my friend, Artist Vince Herrera a/k/a BAD PANDA's work
@MANO Gallery.

Yesterday was down time @home and recuperating from a busy Thursday.

A recap of what Thurday entailed for me.
I started in an area known as Biscayne Gardens for Brunch with Artist,Ron Syllien and his lovely wife, Grace.

Ron and I are Facebook Friends and I was curious to check out his work.
I was totally impressed and enchanted from the first moment I walked into their beautiful home.

I must have taken at least 40 photos to document my tour and was so looking forward to
sharing them with you all...more about that later.

By 12:30 I was with my LOVE Child, taking her to Miami Beach for a dentist appt. and lunch afterwards.

Then on to my Studio for several hours.

By 5PM I was @The Stage in the Miami Design District for a TEDxMIA event

"For more than two decades, TED has presented acclaimed speakers to promote "Ideas Worth Spreading. A hub of diverse creativity, innovative thinking and progressive thought leadership. TEDxMIA is an effort to drive and showcase the cultural and intellectual vitality continuing to blossom in the city."

Prior to this, I was unfamiliar with TED.

Take my word for it people, check out TED.
For the record, September 13th, they will be presenting an event @New World Center on Miami Beach. Not to be missed and I understand their events sell out quickly, so if you're interested in learning more, I suggest you go to
www.TEDxMIA.com to find out more.
Must have taken 20 more photo's.

A shout out to my good friend, Carl Hildebrand for turning me on to this most stimulating
concept. Reminded me slightly of Petcha Kutcha but much more sophisticated and brilliant.

By 7PM I was on my way to JOEY's in Wynwood for a live musical evening with the charming and talented Miss Jennifer Ann Wagoner, of Wynwood Kitchen & Bar fame.

Jen belted out the Blues and sang her heart out.

I shot perhaps 15 more images and then after about an hour I left
and was grateful to make it safely home, after such a full day.

Yesterday morning first thing, I went to upload all my memorable images to iPhoto.

Unfortunately @Joey's before I left, my friend used my camera to video Jen's performance.
This is where I got in trouble.
While uploading, I guess I got impatient after 20-25 minutes and ended up disconnecting the
camera from the computer, thus losing all the images : (

The good thing is, I didn't have a melt down.
I accepted that it wasn't meant to be.

Lesson learned? Not sure. But am grateful non the less that I had such a fulfilling day.

Looking forward to all that is in store for me today.

Remember first you gotta show up.
The rest will reveal itself.

Pass it forward, People.

Practice random kindness.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Peace.

One Love.



Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Tuesday in the Tropics.


So here it is Tuesday, July 12th.
The Sun is up and out @full blast
with temperature in @81 degrees
and it's just now, 7 AM.

Ah, the thrill of slaying some dragons
in the sweltering heat, just fires up my
imagination, NOT!!!

Seriously though, I've got a list of things
to accomplish and am determined to go
with the flow.

Yesterday was a learning lesson in patience
and perseverance, to say the least.

Happy to report I am now officially certified
to operate as an Artist Studio by the City of
Miami and The Dade County Department of
Environmental Resource Management.

What a joke too. I mean really, the inept
bureaucratic process is ridiculous.

Consider the fact that an entire high rise office
building is devoted to housing County and City
paid employees to sit at their desks and process
whatever?

No instructive signage visible to someone visiting
for the first time and no one very forth coming in
advising one how to proceed.

Let's just say I am grateful that this is now behind
me.

Surely now that I have complied with the City's
requirements, Miami is a safer, better place to
live and the $800.00 dollars in fees is making
the City's coffers richer.

Today promises to be good.

Little in the way of pressure and deadlines,
I consider myself a lucky lady.

Tonight I look forward to GNO (Girls Night Out)
with my favorite playmates, 5 yr. old Taylor, her
maternal Grandmother and our friend Susan V.

Am feeling grateful too, that no Hurricanes are
forming @this time and that the A/C in our building
is working.

Happy to be getting a blog post in, as well.

So to anyone reading this post, my self included,
I'm wishing us all a peaceful and productive day.

Surely some surprises await me.

Tune in tomorrow for the post mortem.

Remember to pass it forward.

Make a difference in someone's life today.

Life is good.

: )


Monday, July 11, 2011

Time Flies If You're Having Fun or Not.

Photographer Mark Diamond's work
at The Awarehouse in Wynwood.

JeanPaul Mallozzi's "Secrets" @Awarehouse
in Wynwood.

Danny Weiss and yo MOMMA,
class mates, Gables High 1966.

Collage @Praxis.
Performance Artist @Zadok Gallery
in Wynwood.

Carl Hildebrand and ladies
showing the LOVE for
yo MOMMA : )




BAC Artist Gerry Stecca showing
@L M N T Gallery in Wynwood.
All done with clothespins.

BAC Artist Patricia Gutierez's work
@L M N T Gallery.

Patricia Gutierrez's installation
@ L M N T Gallery

Good Morning World.

It's already mid July and this is my first blog entry since the end of May.

Where does the time go?

The eternal question, I suppose.

Getting ready for a busy day ahead.

First stop, Maroone Nissan for the first oil change on my new car.

Next stop, D.E.R.M in downtown Miami to pay more money for the right to operate legally
as an Artist, in my Studio.

Then on to USPS and UPS to take care of business.

Hopefully, I'll make it to my Studio and actually accomplish making some Art.

This past weekend went by in a flash.

Had a lovely early evening with Carl Hildebrand on Friday.
First "Midnight in Paris" @The Gateway Cinema in Ft. Lauderdale
and then a light bite @Heart Rock.

Saturday night, Carl and I went to 2nd Saturday Wynwood Artwalk.
We visited many Galleries and kept being prepared to be swept away.

Unfortunately, for me, it didn't happen.

Nothing really turned me on. : (

That's not entirely true, though...
What turned me on was running into all my peep's.
It's been a long time since I was last in Wynwood
and it was great seeing old friends and my favorite
haunts.

We ended our evening @Magnum Lounge, where
we shared a delicious burger and called it a night.

Yesterday, I went to the Yellow/Green Market here
in Hollywood.
What a disappointment that was too.

Nothing to see or buy.
Pathetic, really.
Sorry that this Fresh Market concept is not taking off.

I was hoping to see "Beginners" @The Gateway, but that
didn't work out either : (

Yikes, what's up with all these less than stellar results
I keep asking myself?

The only answer I can come up with is, what's wrong
with me?

I'm wise enough to realize that when I am most unhappy
it has nothing to do with other people, places or things,
but rather with something going on with me.

Ah, reality, it's a hard pill to swallow...
but the facts remain the same.

What to do about this???

Thought perhaps getting this out in blog form might
tweek some changes in my perspective.

Not feeling the shift yet, but recognizing that there
are new opportunities, awaiting me.

So there you have it folks.

My hope is that my next blog post will include
images of some new Art work by yo MOMMA.

Wish me luck.

In the meantime, today as I walk the walk,
may I not lose sight of the destination.

One day @ a time.

Easy does it.

Let go.

This too shall pass.

Enjoy the possibilities.







Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Still Standing . Last Day in May . 2011

Here he is World,
the one and only
NOBODY.
Art is My Weapon.
Iam TMNK (The Me Nobody Knows)

Please note yo MOMMA sticker
on bottom left of post he is leaning
on.

New young Fan of NOBODY with
ART IS MY WEAPON sticker
in his hand : )

Beautiful ocean front view of
Ft. Lauderdale Beach A1A.

SUMMER HILL SEVEN,
AFUa HALL and Abu Xalimon
in The House!


PABLO CANO and the entire cast and crew taking
a bow, to a standing ovation.
The Seven Wonders of the Modern World @ MOCA.

Good morning World.

Hope this finds everyone in
the zone, with energy enough,
to survive the upcoming
Hurricane Season, which
officially begins tomorrow
June 1st.

As a native Miamian, I have
witnessed first hand, the devastation
of many Hurricanes in the past,
not the least of which was Andrew.

Considering the rather cataclysmic
Weather that has been happening
World Wide, I am praying our
beautiful So. Fla, will be spared.

Keeping this in mind, it makes me
more grateful than ever, for all the
wonderful developments I have
witnessed in our great City and
my home town.

Tonight I am lucky enough to have
tickets for the opening night of
HAIR @The Arsht Center,
courtesy of the lovely,
Charlie Cinnamon.

My guest for the evening is
SUMMER HILL SEVEN,
the actor, poet extraordinaire.

I'm hopeful that the traffic
and parking will not detour
me from enjoying the evening.
Considering the Miami HEAT
Playoff Game is taking place
downtown, as well.

Recapping now, the past
couple days in my abundant,
wonderful life.

Sunday was the last 2 performances
of PABLO CANO's Seven Wonders of
the Modern World @MOCA.

I invited a slew of Friends to join
me, posting an open invitation to
anyone wanting to be my guest on
Facebook.

I called MOCA @12 noon, to make
sure there would be no problems
in purchasing additional tickets.

I went into high anxiety when told
sorry, both shows were SOLD OUT.

The good news is, in the end, we
were all accommodated, thank you
MOCA and it's most outstanding
staff.

The bad news was the pressure
this produced for me in getting down
there in time, to buy the additional
tickets for my guests, from the
20 being held @will call, for last
minute walk ups.

We were 13 in all that witnessed
this truly remarkable production.
Magical in every way.

The brilliant Playwright, Miami's own,
Carmen Pelaez, of RUM & COKE fame,
was in attendance. This is her second
collaboration with Pablo.
I was thrilled to meet her after the
performance.

A Fulbright Award winner, Choreographer
Katherine Kramer, did a most outstanding
job in bringing the marionettes to life,
once again in her collaboration with Pablo.

Rudi Goblen, writer, dancer and actor
was remarkable in taking on several of the
puppeteer/dancer parts in this production,
not the least of which,
was the opening with President Obama in
The House.

Other puppeteer/dancers who manipulated the
marionette's to perfection were Joanne Barrett
and Carlota Pradera.

PABLO and all took a bow to a well deserved,
standing ovation.

After congratulating one and all on this transformative
experience, I was off to my studio.

Summer Hill Seven, his lovely, significant other,
Afua Hall, a talented dancer and
choreographer and their 4 yr. old son,
Abu Xilimon, met up with me there.

We went on an adventure looking for a dining
spot on the water on the 79th Street Causeway.

We ended up @The Crab House. In spite of the
fact that this is a chain restaurant, we had a lovely
meal and enjoyed bayside dining, outside.

It was a balmy So. Fla. evening and a perfect
ending to a memorable day.

Yesterday morning @ my computer bright
and early, I see that my man, TMNK a/k/a
NOBODY, NYC Graffiti/Street Artist of
International acclaim, was here in So. Fla.

We made a plan and I picked him up @11:30 AM
at the beautiful, beach front hotel,
where he was staying in Ft. Lauderdale.

The challenge being, in getting there.
I headed east to A1A and then north up
the beach front strip, bummer to bummer
on this crazy/busy/beautiful Memorial
Day.

We proceeded to FAT Arts District in
Ft. Lauderdale.

What a revelation that was too.
Not unlike the former warehouse district
that is now Wynwood, this emerging
Artists Studio/Gallery Community is
located just north of Sunrise Blvd. and
just west of Andrews Avenue, backing
up to the railroad tracks.

Like Wynwood too, they have no set
hours of operation and it was a blind
shot that we would see anyone else
there on this holiday morning.

To our surprise we were not the only
ones out and about in this "under the
radar" location.

Our first encounter was with a lovely
young couple, out walking with their
baby boy in his stroller, admiring the
Graffiti Art that proliferates there.

NOBODY made a new friend and fan
with the little boy and proceeded in
actually meeting up with some of the
Graffiti Artists who were working on
a Wall right then and there.

Within minutes, they were hauling out
a huge ladder and there was NOBODY
scurrying up it, to leave his mark and
be part of their Wall.

Perfect, right?
Right!
What are the chances of this happening,
you might ask?
Zero to none...and there in lies
the alchemy our our outing...
that just by suiting up and
showing up, windows open.

Thank you dear Universe for
granting me these serendipitous
occurrences.

This is what keeps me coming
back for more.

Now NOBODY and yo MOMMA too,
have our marks immortalized in
Ft. Lauderdale.

Mission accomplished we had a
leisure ride back to his hotel
and I was on my way back home
by 2PM.

No place like home,
said Dorothy.
We can all agree on
that point, I am sure.

So now I am current in
documenting more days
in May, via my life.

With love in my heart
I am looking forward
to new adventures today.

Keep it simple.
Pass it forward.
Be the change,
you wish to see.
All things are possible.

Peace fellow travelers.

Make the most of the
blessings that await you
today.