Gingersnap

In the midst of selling art at the first ever Handmade Dayton Festival at Peace On Fifth in the Oregon District. It was a lovely Friday morning- not too hot with a a slight modest chill in the air as I walked the twenty minute trek to the Oregon District, feeling confident in 2 1/2 inch heels and purple black heart tights. At Peace On Fifth, a unique retail shop/boutique selling goods, clothing, and accessories strictly from slave free parts of the world that has been in Dayton for nine months now,  London Coe, the lovely, vibrant shop owner has transformed her store into Handmade Dayton Festival. Five locally owned shops of art, jewelry, handmade soaps, and more, each vendor is separated by a leisure amount of space, not large enough that one feels divided, but enough so that we all could have conversations and get to know each other and our personal wares. I had a long wooden table and rolling rack, taking only a few moments to have art displayed and quickly got acquainted...

Up close view of Susan's Boyfriend Loves Her Afro It's quite an over dramatic notion- the way women obsess about beauty- whether it's makeup, body image, and age. It has gotten to the point of shallow ridiculousness due to media ploy. Yet hair roots are another story entirely nowadays, especially African Americans fighting a raging battle between staying naturally beautiful or getting the sleek, kink stripping perm. Keep in mind, men never have to obsess with image as much as women do. They're allowed to keep their hair in any way, in any style while women resort to spending tons on weaves, relaxers, perms, and extensions to appear "attractive" and in turn, cruelly punishing natural sisters for not following suit. Based on true accounts of a turbulent upbringing (was given the ugly nickname "Carpet" in school), the tragedy of African American women despising free style wearers and going as far as publicly criticizing and embarrassing them...

I walked into Dayton Technology School on First Street downtown to take photos of the old work that was still displayed there. Students were nice to say that I didn't look my age, (17 really? C'mon now!) but the snorting at the "valley girl accent" will never end. Alas, I no longer care anymore. I sound how I sound and that won't ever change. Anyway, back to the art. These twelve pieces need to be taken home very, very soon. But one can't haul large pieces of work to and fro on these hour long journeys... "The Darkest Tree in the Neighborhood," 18" x 24," acrylic, oil pastels, Mod Podge, and deco markers on canvas, 2006. Long ago, I had an obsession with language and writing on paintings. Stemming from a maddening desire to weave my loves together, this was just another attempt. A dominating headless figure over a sideways landscape. The repetitive statement, "I am the darkest tree in the neighborhood" is in an abstract tree form ...

Whose responsible for making me trek 3 miles in the night to see pumpkins? Judy? *gasps* But I don't even know a Judy. Hahahaha..... Ah, the end of lush, autumn October is finally upon us. So what's Halloween without a lil pumpkin carving, eh? Behind the Dayton Art Institute on Stoddard Avenue in the Grafton Hill District resides a tradition known to many and I must admit last year was the first I've ever heard of the The Stoddard Avenue Pumpkin Glow! Having had a splendid time, I couldn't wait to go again! So alas not Judy's fault- it's my own. Heehee! As I walked along fallen leaves and branches, the smell of cinnamon and pumpkin wafted through my nostrils, letting me know that I'm close to my destination! Here's just a sampling of the glowing pumpkins with their sweet scented tea light surprises inside! From traditional face carvings to intricately detailed witches, cats, Simpsons, celebs, comic book characters, villains, and Sesame Street puppets! Th...