Gingersnap

It was such an honor to be cordially invited to attend the 19th Annual Reaching For Ethnic Awareness and Cultural Heritage Across Dayton (REACH) Conference at Sinclair Community College on Friday February 24, 2012 and to see friends- Willis "Bing" Davis, Betty Bolton, Leesa Haapapuro, James Pate, Kevin Harris, and others in one room while simultaneously meeting new people! A collaboration between Sinclair Community College, Ebonia Gallery, and the Dayton Visual Arts Center (DVAC), REACH is a day long event promoting "learning in the arts and humanities by creating an atmosphere that will build respect, knowledge, appreciation, and understanding for the area's culturally diverse populations." From 8AM to 4PM, this post entails eight hours of rich, implanted seeds that'll likely bear fruit to share..... Beautiful display right? After a lovely continental breakfast to fuel the body, REACH's proceedings got started by co-coordinators Tess ...

The second part of the ongoing REACH artist series at Sinclair Community College, James Pate's "Attack" charcoal drawing series is an exploration of the tempestuous beauty, alluring grace, and ferocious power in the African American female body. Opposing oppression and weakness, she is bold, brazen, and bare, her nude, voluptuous body a towering strength in every kinetically activated composition. A stunning companion to Linda Stein's "Fluidity of Gender: Sculpture" exhibit, Pate's sensuously captivating world of sleek, crisp lines and elegantly etched value structures showcase a woman clad not in clothing, but the fiery cloak of awareness in every fiber of her skin, telling the viewer that she needs no hero, no rescuer of the detrimental reality and terrifying peril. On the verge of being attacked and pursued by targeting minute airplanes, she pays the metaphorically crafted danger no mind, averting her gaze away, seeming disinterested, nonchalant, or ...

While little Olivia dreamed of salmon treats and chasing mice, the UPS man delivered a large heavy box to our residence.  "I don't know what's in it," said the man in brown. "But it is heavy!" Oddly enough, I didn't have to sign for it and admired that big box for a bit. A good friend of mine had thoughtfully purchased a cat tree for Olivia, but I didn't expect for it to be so huge... And one that must be built. I'm not a construction, hands on genius, but thankfully Rob was there to help assemble the big tower of cat scratching and infinite play time. With very basic instructions, we were good to go. Except the manual at times left off things that we had to figure out on our own or we had to use judgment. A bit of easily resolved frustration. Leaving things out of the equation- mainly the fuzzy cylinders and two medium sized scratching sticks, not everything was going to be screwed into the cat tree. We "finished...

Not just in heart and spirit, Meano was to be forever immortalized in art. Yes, I've drawn and painted him several times over the years, but this was different. I was asked and approached to create a piece about a wonderful, good dog friend. With him being gone, I wanted to make it even more special, invoking every last aspect of love. I had been given free reign on size and medium. On black matboard, I began layering the oil pastels on thickly. (I only use my Holbein! Best pastels ever!) Yellows, oranges, browns, greens, reds, and blues built up a joyous, tongue dripping, rich butter faced dog. For hours, I worked in various places- bedroom floor, living room table, in my friend's classroom, and at Starbucks. Such an honor, hearing compliments by family, friends, and strangers as I progressed. I wanted the pastels to stand out, but couldn't leave the background black. Didn't want to think of him in a dark, miserable place lacking sunshine and positive energy. Doggy Hea...

Last post of 2011: the year of a lot of reflection, personal growth in life and creative spirit, and a new found peace that I never expected. Well, here are seven best things that have helped shape me along the way. #7 Best Album An exclusive from my Starbucks obsession (see #4), Feist's new album was highly anticipated, especially with the first track, "Bittersweet Melodies" on repeat in my head. My leading Canadian lady didn't disappoint. Beautifully composed songs and signature poignant lyrics on folk beats make Feist's fourth studio album a blissful treat for the ears and tender heart. Standout cuts include the soft, melodic poetry of "Caught A Long Wind," the swingy uptempo, "The Bad In Each Other," and the smooth, laid back, "How Come We Don't Go There." The added choir background vocals in "Undiscovered First" and "Graveyard" are also quite compelling to note. #6 Best Dayton Art Museum 2011 wa...

(Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority Trolley Circa 1996) As a kid, I loved riding the yellow bus. No. Not the school bus. The Dayton RTA trolley. Is it was always an adventure, especially around the holidays when Santa sat in the back seat handing out candy canes to eager children. Those days are long past. As well as the original trolley design. People frown heavily on public transportation- saying that it’s the poor man’s ride and that things are better efficient with a car! While there are pros and cons of every way of transport, I will always enjoy a good bus ride. With new environmentally friendly buses (they have trolley hybrids now!) and a cost effective way of saving money, buses, trains, and subways are certainly wonderful way to travel. Sometimes they can be late. At times very early. But I truly love buses and appreciate the people driving them. I especially enjoy long journeys and going the distance on buses I’ve never boarded. That of which I can do more of since recei...

Went strolling through the Fairfield Commons Mall searching for the perfect gifts for Mom and brothers. Fruitless and empty handed, I ventured into two of my favorite shops, Nirvana and SHE Fashions (formerly Sleepy Hollow) looking for bargain deals. Of course, I knew that there would be more "presents" for me here and not my family. Still, nothing wrong with harmless window shopping! Belly Dancing wear on sale! Sweet! Ummm yeah. Could totally see Mom and brothers enjoying these things. Nothing in my color spectrum unfortunately- only purples or darker blues for me! Not that I planned on making purchases for myself. But can't help imagining how amazing at home belly dance training would be if I wore something similar to what the other Shimmy ladies are wearing! Bob Marley! Yay! Except Mom isn't necessarily big on reggae and my brothers probably aren't interested in a dread locked Rastafarian rapping about peace and love. Though one brother might love the "gre...