As for the artistic side of my life, I was totally psyched to be able to contribute to the Paterson Art Walk again this year held in Paterson, NJ (of course) on June 12th. The exhibit was, once again, amazing. My little part of it, however, was a bit disappointing, turns out, to the end of location. I had a prime spot (lobby!) in an air conditioned building on Spruce Street on the edge of town right off the elevator. In addition to the lobby painting I was able to hang, I had set up my photography pieces and additional paintings on tables in the main room under the perfect lighting of a skylight. I showcased my Paterson Falls painting on an easel for easy viewing as you entered the spacious room. Trouble is I had few visitors. Someone wrote in my book that my location and the floor I was on, wasn’t advertised. But that was not the case. I rechecked and found it *had* been printed on the flyer. Such is life. At least I had the chance to reconnect with some college friends I don’t get to visit with so often. I learned a lot and that is very important to me.
As usual, I am glued to the news. For the first time in a long time I heard that the economy is picking up somewhat. Whether or not this is true is yet to be seen and felt. I know this is good news for all of us. We need more jobs, we need more people working!
Don’t get me started on the oil spill. Forgive BP? Give me one good reason why we should. I cannot fathom what the spill is doing to our environment and it pains me to even think about it. It made me laugh when I heard that private owners of BP gas stations are being adversely affected by this and that it’s not their fault. It may not be their fault, but it is still BP gas. If BP execs had the will and foresight to embark on such an endeavor 5,000 feet under our precious sea, it is my strong opinion that they should have had a Plan B, Plan C, and even a Plan D in the works in case of such an incident. The whole mind set and situation is deplorable. Greed will kill you. I feel for all the workers who lost their lives because someone didn’t give a damn about the safety of the facility and its workers. I also feel for the people whose livelihoods were destroyed by this event.
LeBron James(sp?). Enough is enough. The media is way too focused on this event.
Real Housewives of New York and New Jersey. I usually don’t get too involved in reality shows. In fact, this is probably my first. I can’t relate to most of them and I have enough going on in my own life that I view them as tiring. Don’t ask me why, but I got involved in the New York version and really was entertained by it. I found myself getting to “know” the women of New York, how they lived and how different their lifestyles were from mine. Having exhibited my artwork there in the last few years, I was enjoying becoming more familiar with the city via this show. When the New Jersey area came out, I found that even more interesting. These are places I know, I’ve traveled, and some I am familiar with. One thing I have found sort of comforting is that among a group of four or five women, there is always one who is set apart from the rest by her erratic behavior. In New York it’s Kelly. In New Jersey it’s Danielle. I find that both enlightening and amusing. Human behavior in various situations has been of interest to me for many years. The way different personalities interact with each other and how any given situation may be construed as casual and non-threatening to one and blown out of proportion to another has always intrigued me. By the way, my favorite person is Caroline from New Jersey. She’s not only very attractive, but she seems to have a pretty good head on her shoulders. I like the manner in which she handles most any situation. A little note here: While watching the marriage portion of “Bethany Gets Married” (Housewives of New York), much to my surprise, I bawled through the whole thing. The woman’s had a rough beginning, a tough family life, she’s strong, successful, and beautiful, and she’s waited a long time for “Mr. Right” to come along. Mazel tov.
Next Great Artist on Bravo. By my estimation, there’s some pretty interesting artistic work and ideas going on there. It’s like being in class again, only now I get to watch others work. The critiques are always the most useful. The artists tend to let their egos emerge but I guess that’s just good TV and, I suppose, sleep deprivation. It reinforces the fact that I’m glad I commuted to college rather than living in a dorm.
