This photo is of a few of the things on my mantle. The painting is a still-life of gorgeous,creamy magnolia flowers – my mom bought it for me while I was going through a rough time – and I love that she knew that art was, and is, a healing thing for me. The small shrine was my grandfather’s, he was a sea captain and took this object of faith with him on his voyages. I’m not a believer, but I love having this piece of him with me everyday. The bottles are from the glass graveyard – an old dump here in Albuquerque – I love that place to a ridiculous degree.
So yesterday I received a letter in the mail advising me that I am one of 26 entries accepted into a photography show at Matrix Fine Art! Apparently they had 158 entries! And it was judged by the curator at the Albuquerque Museum. How cool is that? The show is opens in July. Will post more info about it as it gets closer. Here’s a look that the piece that is going in the show. It is of the railyard (of course, I can’t stay away from that place). This pic is particularly special to me as it is from the first time I actually went into the railyard (as opposed to just taking pics from the outside) with Leighanna.
There is a major fire raging on the other side of the Manzano mountains tonight – 3700 acres have burned so far. The area that is under attack is beautiful yet desolate. We have been in that area a few times on our weekend photohunts. Here’s a a shot I took in February outside of Torreon – one of the towns under evacuation. I hope they have more peaceful night tonight and wake up to find that the fire has been contained.
So this month’s theme at my ATC group is “Fool”. I bounced around a lot of ideas but finally bought a few high end fashion mags and set out to find the perfect “foolish” fashion shot. Let me just say there were a lot to choose from. I ended up with this one because of the incongruity of a stick thin model gorging on a doughnut (bulimia much?) – so odd! Did the photographer feel the irony as he was shooting it?
Here’s the weird thing, I haven’t bought a fashion mag in at least eight years. I must be getting old because it was like looking into an alien world. Can things have changed so much? I used to be a dedicated reader of W, Vogue, and the special fashion mags inserted into the NY Times occasionally (I LOVE the NY Times – if I could read only one magazine or newspaper forever it would be the Times). At that time I spent all my disposable income on clothes, makeup, and going out. I had a lot of disposable income too – I paid no rent or utilities (being an apartment manager rules!), no car, no cable, no computer, no debt. Seriously, besides food, I spent everything on going out and making sure I looked good while going out. And I had a good paying job at a rather conservative office. I had people that would come over to my cubicle just to see what I was wearing everyday – I was like another species to them. Sample ensemble – vintage red kimono-style shorty robe, black palazzo pants, and five-inch heels.
Now, every clothing purchase is carefully considered based on need, cost, and ” will this survive being covered in applesauce?”
I cringe at how much money I would have if I had saved any of it instead of spending on clothes. But clothes were my creative outlet then. Now, I’ve found art and found the mediums I enjoy most. The old me would have laughed at the current me’s wardrobe – so pedestrian, so mom-like. And the old me would be blown away by what I spend on art supplies and other art-related stuff.
But that’s ok, I love my current life, have never been happier.
