Stacyverb

Frida

As I was saying the other day, I nearly got kicked out of the High Museum because I was fawning over Frida and was reluctant to leave when it was time for the museum to close.

I can't remember how/where/when I first learned about Frida Kahlo and her art, so I have no idea which fascinated me first--her life story or her work. That seems fitting, in a way, because the two are really inextricably linked. Frida took up painting as a young woman while she was in bed recovering from serious injuries she suffered in a bus accident. Even before that, she had leg problems because of childhood polio, which made one leg smaller than the other. Self-conscious about the way her legs looked, she adopted her signature style of wearing full, colorful skirts. Throughout her life, she was plagued by physical pain, and that pain was a frequent subject for her paintings, especially her self-portraits.

Although I'm obviously not an iconic artist, and her ailments far surpass anything I've had to deal with, I relate to Frida on some level and find inspiration in her life and work. She used creativity as a way to deal with her physical limitations. When I was a kid, having frequent fractures because of my brittle bone condition, I had to spend a lot of time in bed as well. Or if not in bed, at least being fairly immobile. Those times when I had to "take it easy" fueled my ability to entertain myself, as well as my interest in pursuits like reading, writing, and making things with my hands. So basically, just about everything that makes me, me. (Not to mention my love of Frida-like skirts--most literally interpreted here.)

 

The Broken Column, photo via learner.org

This has always been one of my favorite Frida paintings, and at the High exhibit I finally got to see it in person. Spending so much time looking at this portrait was one of the main reasons the museum was about to close around me, and I won't lie, seeing this up close made me cry. In this painting, Frida is broken but beautiful, struggling but strong. Her gaze looks directly at the viewer, sad but also defiant, and says, "This is me." Frida had a hard life, but she created beauty from it. Through the pain, she approached her life and art with colorful intensity.

 

photo via milenio.com

One of my travel dreams is to visit the Frida Kahlo Museum (aka Casa Azul) in Mexico City. The museum is housed in the vibrant home where she lived and worked, and it displays, among other things, the wheelchair where she sometimes sat to paint, as well as her bed with mirrored canopy that she used for painting self-portraits while bed-ridden. Someday! Maybe I can get thrown out of that museum, too!

Title goes here

It's ridiculous how often I start to write a blog post, but then I can't think of a clever title, so I procrastinate writing the post. Anyway, title or not, it's time to catch you up on some things!

Last weekend was the official Grand Re-Opening party at my work. It was a great success! We had a big crowd and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Me and my workmates, in a rare moment when we're all together at the same time. After this photo, we declared that all staff meetings from now on must include champagne.

 

We had refreshments galore.  The customers seemed to appreciate our attempts to ply them with snacks and beverages.

 

DJ Lopi (aka my hubby) provided entertainment for the evening. Please note that he--a human--is sitting on the floor to create his playlist, while shop cat/diva Bibi hogs the furniture.

Also last weekend, Anthony and I went to the preview of the Frida & Diego exhibit at the High Museum. It was a perfect day to be inside at the museum, as we narrowly missed getting drenched in a downpour.

Not shown: me, almost having to be bodily removed from the exhibit. We were in the last room when the museum staff announced that they were closing for the day and we needed to proceed to the exit. I proceeded as slowly as possible, until I was the last person in there, and Anthony had to peek back around the corner past the security guard to tell me to get a move on.

What can I say? I was caught up in the moment. Frida's art is a great inspiration to me. That should probably be a whole post in and of itself for another day.

Judging from comments and messages I've received, the burning question on everyone's mind seems to be: did I finish the Library Dress? Yes, I did, and I wore it on Anthony's birthday as planned. But (of course there's a but) I'm not totally happy with the fit, so I want to make some adjustments before the dress makes its blog debut.

Finally, thanks to all of you who have asked about my wrist. It is gradually getting better. The main problem is that, using a wheelchair, I rely on my arms so much. So I don't really have the option of giving my wrist the total rest it needs to heal. Very frustrating. In the meantime, I continue to wear my brace, and I'm not in pain, so I just keep on keeping on!

Big Bang Ball at the Goat Farm

Over the weekend, my sweetie and I went to the first annual Big Bang Ball at the Goat Farm.  The beautiful warehouse ruins of this urban anomaly made the perfect setting for the event's theme, "A Modern Dustbowl Carnival." 

 

A line-up of awesome bands (like Villain Family) performed throughout the evening in this gorgeous bare bones old factory building. 

 

I can't remember the details about this "lion" act, except that I think his name was Walter.  And I know that he was crocheted!  He was pretty impressive.

 

Snake oil salesman Dr. Cornelius Fizzywater promised to cure the crowd of "all ailments, darkening moods, and bad dancing."

 

Lera Lynn and her great band rocked the house as a freight train chugged slowly past, right outside the window.  Perfect for the atmosphere.

 

The always spectacular Sadie Hawkins performed on her aerial hoop, accompanied by the music of Flight of Swallows.

 

Because this is an equal opportunity blog, here are some scantily clad men as well!  These guys are part of the Empire Wrestling league (formerly known as Platinum Championship Wrestling).

 

Headliners Blair Crimmins and the Hookers ended the festivities on a high note with their trademark New Orleans jazz stylings.  Alert readers might remember when Anthony was an extra in the band's "Old Man Cabbage" video (shot at the Goat Farm).

 

Hundreds of people dancing their butts off to hot jazz in an even hotter room until one o'clock in the morning--now that's what I call a fun summer party!

 

Okay, so I can't really pass for an old timey person, even in sepia.  Oh well.  Also, my face was totally melting off.  That amazing old bare bones factory really provides an authentic old timey summer feeling (i.e. un-airconditioned).  It was worth it, though. :)

Bragging

For much of last year, my husband spent most days (and many nights) hunched over his drawing table, producing hundreds of illustrations. 

 

 

His clients were two publishing companies, each specializing in fun books for kids.  It was a lot of work.  Sometimes he didn't get much sleep.  Other times, he had to miss out on social occasions or other fun things because he was under the crunch of a deadline.  It's not for the faint of heart, this business of making the transition from unemployment to self-employment.

One of the books is full of simple science experiments for kids to try with basic items (baking soda, peroxide, food coloring, etc.).  The others are joke books that kept us groaning at the authors' bad puns for months on end.  Kids will love them.

Anthony will be modest and say he's not totally happy with some of his drawings, or grumble about how the pay for these jobs really isn't that great if you break it all down to an hourly wage.  To all this I say: WHATEVER.  He's getting paid to draw.  He's living the dream.

 

 

My husband is one of those people who just has a natural talent.  He puts pen to paper, and moves his hand around, and a picture comes out.  What he can do is like a superpower to me.

 

All that, and he's cute, too!

 

Found: Catlanta kitty!

Readers, I'm very excited today because I am now the proud owner of a Catlanta kitty! 

Some background for those outside the ATL: Catlanta is a local artist who makes these little painted cats.  Some are cardboard, like mine, and some are magnetic.  Catlanta is a mysterious figure.  No one knows who he really is.  He communicates with his fans via Facebook and Twitter, and announces when he's about to do a "kitten drop."  He hides the kittens in locations around the city and takes pictures of them in their hiding places, then posts the photos to give his fans some visual clues.  The real fun begins as the fans search for the kittens!  Read more about Catlanta in this CNN interview.

I've been stalking Catlanta for a few months now, and have been foiled every time until today.  Sometimes I recognize a location, but I can't make it there in time.  Another time I thought I recognized where the kitten was, but I was wrong.  So frustrating (yet fun!).

Today, my persistent sleuthing finally paid off.  My husband had just dropped me off at work, and I turned on my computer and immediately saw Facebook news of a kitten drop.  I recognized one of the hiding places as a coffee shop a few doors down from my work!  So I called Anthony on his cell, and he was still right outside, so he dashed down the street and swooped up the kitten.  Oh yeah...teamwork, baby!  *high five*

[Edited later to add: I received a comment from Catlanta himself letting me know that my kitten is magnetic, too!]

The Mustache Party at the High

This week I won free tickets to attend the High Museum's Mustache party!  It was a fabulous evening that included viewing the Dali exhibit, grooving to the sonic stylings of Lyonnais, and watching the French film La Moustache.  Of course, everyone in attendance was encouraged to sport a wacky mustache, whether real or fake.  Adverb and I had a great time, as you can see.

By the way, did you know that November is also Movember?  Men all over the world are growing mustaches this month as part of the campaign to "change the face of men's health," raising awareness and funds for men's health issues (especially prostate cancer).  You can learn more here.

The Future of Tomorrow (is now!)

Last night, Adverb and I were part of the big turnout for the preview show of Blast-Off Burlesque's latest Sci-Fi-A-Gogo show, The Future of Tomorrow, at 7 Stages.  It was an exciting evening of wit, music, dancing, scantily-clad people, awesome aerials, fabulous costumes, double drag, and strategically-placed flashlights...among other things!

If this sounds like fun to you and you're in Atlanta this weekend, then you're in luck--there are two more shows on Saturday night!  Click here to buy tickets.

SUMMER BLACKOUT: Day 6 & Art-B-Que

I apologize in advance for the less-than-fabulous photography in this post.  Night photos are clearly not my forte.

Adverb took this one, so it's actually okay.  The top is another version of Coachella, this time in Louisa Harding Albero yarn.  The skirt was originally blogged here.  The shoes are another treasure from Cinderella of Boston.  The bracelet is really a strand of cheap red beads I picked up at a yard sale and just wound around my wrist. :)  If you liked this photo, you'll love the full version.

Saturday night we were at the Art-B-Que in Avondale and I thought this giant flaming skull would be a great spot for a photo shoot.  And speaking of flames...

...people in the crowd were invited to come up and perform feats of strength.  When someone swung the hammer and rang the bell, it produced a giant ball of fire.  Cool!  Or should I say, hot?  By the way, this was around 11pm and the air temperature was still 88 degrees F.

Hot Toddies Flaming Cabaret provided more fire-based entertainment.  Think of the blur as a cool effect caused by flames in motion at night, not by me being a crappy photographer.

Um, hello, I struggle to keep a virtual hula hoop spinning on the Wii Fit, and this woman is twirling an actual hoop while it is in flames?  Someone clearly needs to step up their game.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention the fact that she's doing this while balancing on a guy who's lying on a bed of nails.

There was plenty of entertainment for the ears as well as the eyes.  Here's a blurry (yet awesome) performance by Gringo Star.  A wide variety of bands played at the Art-B-Que all weekend.

Sorry, I didn't catch the name of this troupe of bad-ass baton twirlers.  They performed their routine to this song, which has now been stuck in my head for the past 36 hours.  (Before that, I had totally forgotten this song existed!  A blast from the past, for sure.)

Around midnight, we headed back to the parking lot.  I really wanted to steal this car, but we drove home in ours instead.  Sigh.

Boink! at Alcove

It was another fun night at Alcove last weekend, this time a show called Boink! featuring the art of Justin Kauffmann, John Tindel, and Michi.

Fine tunes were provided by our friends Floating Coats, with a couple of special guests sitting in on the set.

Here's Adverb, admiring the art and, of course, mingling.  We're always guaranteed to run into plenty of people we know at Alcove.

The artists were creating a live, collaborative painting throughout the evening. 

Thanks, Alcove, for always providing a fun, welcoming, and creative atmosphere!

Xperimental Puppetry Theater (XPT)

Last night I got to attend a preview performance of the annual Xperimental Puppetry Theater show at the Center for Puppetry Arts.  XPT is an opportunity for artists to showcase new works and push the boundaries of what puppetry can be.  About a dozen short pieces are featured in this year's show, ranging from hilarious to sad to frightening to just plain cool.  I've attended a lot of XPTs over the years, and I have to say, I think this year's is one of the strongest I've seen.

XPT officially opens tonight and runs through Sunday, May 16.  Get your tickets here!  If your exposure to puppetry has been limited to kids' stuff, I urge you to check out this or any of the Center's adult-oriented* shows and expand your horizons.

Here's a video that shows a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process leading up to this year's XPT:

* XPT contains mature content, including nudity, and is restricted to ages 18 and up ONLY.