Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a "foot friendly" town. There is a system of trolley cars that get you all over the downtown area and points beyond. The line I need to get from my hotel to the Convention center is 25 cents! I wonder how something like this would work in Atlanta. We had dinner at the Columbia last night. On the way there the trolley was delayed by an accident on the line (cars challenge trolley cars and the trolleys bellow back and win) so my party all got off and hot footed it through the heat and humidity to make the 7pm reservation. My hip was aching so I opted to "wait & see" and possibly be there in time for dessert. After a few minutes the motorman got a signal to proceed a few blocks to the next station where an air-conditioned SUV was waiting to drive me directly to the restaurant. Friendly town! I had forgotten how much I like Sangria. After the wonderful fresh bread and appetizers I didn't really have room for dinner.

Hello Jelly

Colin is contemplated by a jellyfish at the Georgia Aquarium.

travelling

Tomorrow I leave early for Tampa Bay, Florida to spend a week working in the temporary HGA office that we will set up at the Tampa Convention Center serving all the people who are coming to Convergence '08 Tampa Bay - Textures in the Tropics I have not packed, not even done laundry and what is on my mind? What hand work to bring, as if I will have any time to work on anything. Then I fondly remember dragging this one around with me at the last Convergence in Grand Rapids and working on it mostly in the evenings when I could not fall asleep despite being exhausted. You know what exhausts me most? Being polite and diplomatic when the real me wants to grab someone, shake the crap out of them and lecture them at length on their incredible stupidity, disgusting self-involvement and low rate their mamas for good measure. Self restraint is tiring but it's integral to my job. I think my next job will be taking care of pigs or chickens. No emotional politics involved at all. Feed 'em, clean 'em, kill 'em, eat 'em. So here are some snippets of a piece that I will miss working on - it's right at that place where the free motion quilting becomes fleshing out the details of the places I want the eye to rest and absorb. Laying out the secret codes and signage. The jungle shot is looking out past the pool.It's been steamy here in Georgia. I killed the ivy on the tree looming closest to the pool on the advice of an arborist who was consulting for my next door neighbor. Now I spend my time dipping crisp brown leaves out of the pool instead of the steady rain of bugs.

what's afoot

This is the third in the Environmental Apocalypse series. No titles yet but lots about forgotten highways. America's love affair with the open road is in for rude awakening. Finally, the Three Blind Owlets can see! This one is a companion piece to "Freida Brings Home the Bacon" I've been following this Barn Owl family on a web cam from CA , not quite obsessively this year. Still, last night I dreamed this crew was experimenting with cigar smoking.

Clown College Graduation Day

(addendum up frontum - wiser birds that I have advised that I keep this one under my hat for a while. Since I don't plan on finishing it until some sanity returns, that's fairly easy to accomplish.) At least this one has a name. This has to come first under the "What the HELL was I Thinking" chapter.It's so big I can't even get a proper picture of it unless I stand on the picnic table and that's not likely to happen. All this because I liked the way two pieces of fabric looked snuggles together. Sheesh. I have to calm myself and remember that I had the same frustration and trepidations while I was making this piece which turned out well enough although I still wonder which me made it. They were both started with the same technique of making a discharged monoprint followed by lots of raw edge applique and hours and hours of painting to bring some sort of cohesion to the design. Talk about being seduced by details (and being blinded to the very messy whole!) -> I had better put this one away before it gets made into a doggie blanket.