Grey Days

Been working my butt off to get ready for the Brooklyn Flea next week. Stumbled into Michael's Craft supply store.... and bought a woodburning kit. Perhaps pyrography is in my future now.

Another weekend of work, little time for art and no hiking again. And another grey March day..... I posted this image this weekend I guess it suited my mood.

The Gowanus Lounge: Brooklyn Flea is Big & Cool & It's Coming

The Gowanus Lounge: Brooklyn Flea is Big & Cool & It's Coming

The Brooklyn Flea is Fast Approaching

I am really excited about the press I am hearing concerning the Brooklyn Flea... which will take place in my hood.... Fort Greene Brooklyn on April 6th. I am helping my friend Futopia Co. who has a booth. I will be selling some vintage and plaques. Here is some more info and their website.

www.brownstoner.com/brooklynflea/

I also linked them and Futopia

The last issue of New York magazine had an article about it.

It will be at Bishop Loughlin High School, corner of Lafayette Ave. and Vanderbilt and runs from

10 am - 5pm. So far they are saying it will be the biggest Flea Market in New York City.

I have been thinking of starting a street team for Etsy vendors who will be there. 

And another photo to add. Non-flea related but will be for purchase at the Flea and Etsy.

Woke Up....

I woke up this morning... at 4:30 am in a bit of a panic. Money issues revolving in my head. I think I was dreaming of Leona Helmsley for some reason. I don't want to be greedy and selfish, but this starving artist routine is getting tired and stressing me out. It's like part of my mind is not able to function.. the creative part is in flight mode because that survival part has taken over.

So I think about a more peaceful existence. Like fleeing to the woods. This fall I was invited to attend an artist's residency in the Catskills for a week. I will be living in a rustic cabin on 200 acres of land and be able to devout all my time to art. I wonder if it will be a bit like Walden?  I think there is at least electricity.

Taxes and Hell and Stools

So I just returned from my CPA, a wonderful woman who has been supportive of all my hardwork, but concerned about little return for it. Every year I make a vow to concentrate on seeking out ways to make money, market myself and not sell my soul. It just doesn't come naturally to me... I think some people have the experience of being given that kind of road map while growing up but I grew up in a metaphorical jungle with no easily recognizable trails. But my CPA told me the stool story, that every business (and art is a business too !!!) is like a three legged stool. The first leg is production or making the art... most people get very caught up on this one, especially in the beginning. The third is office stuff, finances, record keeping etc. You eventually learn the value of this soon and hopefully keep up your tedious paperwork. But the third leg is marketing and promotion (and thus selling). This is the leg that gets the least attention sometimes, as artist get caught up in the first leg. So what happens is you have a shaky, unstable stool that could collapse. You need to learn to make all the legs equal length, and balance out your business. She told me that you need to devout at least 20% of your working time to marketing and selling. At this point I couldn't agree more. On the subject of green, I love this photo... I took it last year while camping. But I keep thinking I might end up living in a trailer back in Ohio someday.

La Luna

I decided to add a moon photograph  every full moon.... I have plenty already and of course can photograph more... here in Brooklyn there is a big beautiful moon out right now. I just don't have the inclination to go out in the night in NYC alone. But the moon is as much mine as anyone else who thinks the night is theirs..... take back the night for all those feminist out there.

So here is the one I choose for this evening. It was taken at the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. I belonged to the Gowanus Dredgers for a year. It is a great canoe club located in Brooklyn dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the Gowanus Canal. As you can see there is much that is rustic and natural left even in Brooklyn.

Vintage Spring Smells

Spring is here officially and it is also close to full moon and it is also Good Friday.....

make of it what you will. I am trying to see this as a positive. Right now my home is filled with the smell of hyacinth... I bought a plant at Home Depot last week and it is in full bloom. There are some smells that are very "old fashioned" or vintage to me. When it comes to certain perfumes that I remember my Grandmother having, I think of spring flowers such as hyacinth, lilacs, and my favorite Lily of the Valley. I think they are not so popular now because they seem so "feminine" but I have certain fondness for these smells and look forward to having them around each spring. I will have to wait till May for the lilac and steal some off my neighbors bush.