progressing....

I am trying to get this painting done by the time I go to Pittsburgh. It's going to be the painting I submit to Art All Night. I always get annoyed when it comes to the smaller details but I charged through the feeling every time. I will get to see Brooklyn once again next weekend and I couldn't be happier. I'll be doing a Happy shimmy the entire time I'll be there. oh yay! 

I love to make art, travel and KICK ASS 24-7...as long as I get enough sleep.

I am in a good zone right now when it comes to making art. Love is not a distraction. Crushes on certain men. Yes! But not enough to cut into my painting time. hahaha I am visual being so Duh and or Hello fellas!

I find myself in a better mood now that I'm making time to make art and I realize how vital it has become to my sanity. My usual sessions are late nights during the week and mornings/late afternoons during the weekends. One of my co-workers gave me two canvases he wasn't using and I thank my lucky stars he thought of me to give them to. I have been using anything I can find, material hasn't really mattered - leftover cardboard, old paper and leftover mailing labels. I am tempted to stick them on the subway trains when I go to New York city at the end of the month. ;)

My travels are going to increase once more thanks to several projects I have going on right now.

1) 4 x 6 art exchange and The Things Found series by the Art House Co-Op in Brooklyn.
2) It's a small, small world exhibit at the Family Business gallery in Chelsea.
3) Art All Night event in Pittsburgh.  <------never been. SO EXCITED to go.

I still have a full time job I need to kick ass at so I am working on the art gig part-time. I'm having a fun time painting and finding inspiration. I'm creating like WOAH! and I want lots of people to see my work.

The painting below was inspired by no other than, one of my loves, Brooklyn. It's so twisted. When I lived there, I wanted nothing more than to leave all the noise and scum and now I want to move back. I am whack like a heart attack. So until that happens, I will continue to work on art. I started this painting last year and lost interest during the process. I have returned to it and I will see it through until it's done.  I  was thinking about a bike messenger riding their bike on the track in the subway and coming face to face with a subway car. I started to imagine maybe he took some acid right before and he didn't give a shit of the consequences. In the moment when the train shines a light on him, he feels extreme bliss.
Then my imagination produced the imagery below. I couldn't tell you why I have these thoughts. I just do!
I'm not fighting the awesome power of my ridiculous thoughts.

And negative! I'm not on anything, just Super Z power. Which makes me want to start a web comic with Super Z as a superhero and she wouldn't be saving lives, more like creating absurd situations for herself and her friends. Then whining about how she got herself into such a mess, but then not really worrying about it because she gets distracted by shiny objects and then she forgets what she was worrying about.  I'd put her in a cape with superhero attire and she'd walk around the city in it and no one would blink an eye. oooh! and she would talk to the ghost of Frida Kahlo asking her for advice. Her sidekick would be a talking cat wearing a top hat.  He's ill-tempered and I'd name him Oswald. Something along those lines....this is just off the top of my head.
I hope never to lose my fountain of creativity or else I would never be the same Z everyone knows.
My light would dim and I'd become a boring slice of Safeway bread. Not very exciting.

A self portrait of some kind...

What kind of shenanigans can I get into today?

I can be productive - clean the house, go grocery shopping and finally get started on my taxes...

BOO.  That's no fun. No fun at all. 

I got it! I'll go down to the docks and convince them to let me work part-time on the weekends as a fisherman. I'll sing them songs from my native land of Guatemala as I throw the net in the water. I will charm the fisherman with stories of my younger days working as a lion tamer's assistant in the circus and wow them with my knowledge of whales. 

Yes...great idea. Those are the only kind I have. But maybe I can do better. Come on brain. You can do better.
It's nice outside and the world is just aching for some sweet Super Z action on this very day. 

AAH HA! I'll go see Phillip Nosewater who lives in a van down the river and ask him to help me out with my street performance.  I helped his stripper wife take toilet paper off her clear pumps that one time in the club.
 She reeked of liquor, broken dreams and old man sweat. He owes me for that one!

We can take my street performance downtown and entertain the masses. I'll call it Say You Say Me. It'll be a play on words and images I improvise on the spot. Live painting, music and spoken words. Phillip can play his bongos while he circles me in a cloud of his cheap Axe Chocolate body spray. I'll cough a little but it's ok. We'll make tips and I can finally get the power suit I always wanted. "You like this suit playa? Red looks good on me!"

But I don't remember where on the river he lives?? And I do have a irrational fear of  performing in public. oh the judgement.  And I don't think I can take time off work to realize my awesome shenanigans.  What would I wear? I have nothing in my closet. Do I need a permit to commit art? Rules bug me. So many reason not to do this. argh! Jet engines failing! Red alert! this idea is going down....

Fuck it! I will make it work and it will rock their socks off. I  have an unlimited amount of optimism  even when the odds are stacked against me. After my performance, I can walk down to the coffe shop, order us two hot Chai teas, and we can discuss at length our national tour followed by our world tour.  I will call it " Z and the Nosewater Attraction".  It's going to be a good day I say. 

You got mail and it's not a bill!

I have realized that since I became an adult that is responsible for living on her own, the only mail I receive are bills. I don't get anything cool anymore in the mail and it bums me out. If I had more time, I would mail tiny bits of art to all my friends. Which is still a future project for when I retire as a crazy old lady living by the lake and still rocking out to merengue music.

For now, I'm participating in an art project through the Art House Co-Op. THE 4 X 6 EXCHANGE
The best part? It's FREE to participate. I send in a piece of artwork that is 4 x 6 and in return I receive artwork from another artist in the mail. That's so cool to my senses! I love it and I can't wait to get started. That idea also got me thinking about mail art in general so I went to the marvelous machine we call google and I found these beauties below! I need more reason to send mail and slap on some sweet artwork of mine for the other person to receive and enjoy.

So while I start this new project I am still working on my latest painting - Blue Nude Red Mood. I was finally able to get more paint to finish it. I did shake my head at how expensive art supplies are but it has to get done. I can't stop working because I can't afford supplies. As a struggling artist with bills, debt and a social life, I will make do until my situation improves. I'm optimistic it will.