Green Corn Moon Art Show this Friday, August 15th

Announcing:

The Green Corn Moon Art Show
Books Beans and Candles at their new location
1620 20th Street South
Friday August 15th 6p 'til ?

Featuring work by Artists:

Greer Dauphin
Rhandie(blue dragon)
Sheenae
Grant M.Tatum
Judith Amanda Tindall
Jamie Jones
Lindsey
Kendal
Glen
Linsey


Don't miss it!
Rumor has it there will be a cash bar....

ART RELATED REQUEST

I am trying to update my student files, and many of you have either expressed an interest in taking classes, or have children who have taken or would like to take art classes from me. I am putting together classes for the fall, and I would really like to include you all, especially (Megha, Wendi...) the homeschoolers. Its been too long, and I miss them! I will be teaching child AND adult classes in various mediums. And I am hoping to introduce a new class for adults, provided there is enough interest, which requires less committment than previous classes. The idea is to produce complete artwork in a single night. Alcohol is allowed, so its a "grown-up" class. Its basically a reformatted "adult-art" class, for those of you who took the sessions before.

So ...If you are interested, PLEASE email me the following info at jcaltonwatters@yahoo.com
Thanks so much!!!!

Julie



Student Name -
Address -
Phone-
Email-
Age (Please include if a child)-
Birthday-
Guardian Name-


Are you interested in the following?:
Drawing -
Painting -
General Art -
Beginning 3d -

Special Needs or interests:

Anything else?


Again, this information is strictly for my records. I won't share or sell any of the information you provide.

Painting Blog

Sooooooo....I've been a little displaced lately. Mommahood, while full of bliss, has caused things that are important to me personally to take more of a backseat. I've managed to keep up dancing, but the group dynamic has helped keep that alive. I've taught classes, still, its that group dynamic that has kept those things alive. "Well, I really shouldn't miss this practice. The girls are depending on me" is an easier excuse than "well, I really would like for ME to stare at a canvas for an hour. I'M really depending on ME to do it. I wouldn't want to let me down." I seem as of late to be operating based on the needs or demands of others. Meanwhile, my own art, I feared might flicker out.



Because of my inactivity (and I would be remiss not to include the frickin' ridiculous cost of commuting) I've ended the lease on my studio in Birmingham. Yikes. I've always believed in that "room of her own" phrase. I need space. To think.
Home has NOT been that space.

I live in a 2 b 1 bath old house with a stupid fat (and adorable) lab, a prissy chow-mix, a full-time musician and a toddler. I've been known to leave the house and sit in my parked car to feel a sense of quiet. Truly. I mean, I know its a "blessing" that my child is "highly verbal." But when all you have is two high-maintenance dogs, a very verbal toddler, and a husband who can only hold a conversation while simultaneously picking the notes of his latest masterpiece, well, the "blessing" aspect of anything can be overlooked.

I am at the point where I could just jot down a mediocre, anticlimatic end to this little art drama of mine. I could close that book. Retire the brushes and the mess that accompany them, and just let go. Watch it float away...like a child watching the balloon drift away towards the clouds. The ribbon dangling beneath it. The ribbon they accidentally let go.

But there is another side to me that is either stubborn or optimistic. This side has decided to give it a try without the room of my own.
I cleaned out the nook that is near my washer and dryer, right off of out kitchen. I spend enough time in this area already. Laundry. Sweeping the endless shedding of dog hairs. Cooking for the poor souls who would die of starvation when left to their own devices were it not for pop-tops and microwaveable meals. I've decided to tilt the planet on its axis and spend some time in this space dedicated to ---*gasp*---ME.

So. As luck would have it, the heaves above finally answered my cry for childcare. I now have extremely inexpensive (albeit extremely random) childcare courtesy of a teen down the street. As if that isn't delicious enough, the daycare for which I've been waitlisted came through and my child has been accepted this year (there's a whole sordid tale of how I infiltrated the system and befriended all these important people to make this happen, but that's for another blog). Now all that's left to do is pray for more out-of-town gigs for the hubby and banish the dogs to the yard, and the WHOLE HOUSE will be MINE!! Mwah ha ha ha ha.

Now for the cherry-on-top: I've just been commissioned to do a conceptual piece by a couple in Nashville. The husband is white-bread American with a Christian upbringing. The wife is N. Indian and Hindi. The whole concept is based on some writing of the husband. After meeting with them, and understanding that the piece really needed to represent the both of them, I got a rush of excitement, and decided to incorporate her cultural richness and imagry of Hindu deities into the painting. They loved the idea. I'm super excited. For now, the ideas are still swimming. The piece will be contemporary and these elements of Hinduism will likely be subtle, but I'm so stoked. I'm considering Krishana and Rhada and some Yoga influence, but the focus for me right now is on Kali, and it just seems to bring everything I love full circle. Dance. Art. Cultural diversity. Wow.

I'm researching now and sketching, but I intend to blog (much more compact) installations as I go along and include images. Not so much for others. Just because I think its a neat idea. And I am depending on ME to do it.

; )

Mark your calendars for June 7th!!!

20th Annual LGBT PRIDE Parade
Refused by Mayor Langford on May 21st, then authorized following Rep. Patricia Todd's conversation with the Mayor. The 20th Annual LGBT Pride Parade WILL TAKE PLACE as originally scheduled.
Registration begins at 6:30 PM (near 22nd Street South and Highland Avenue, just past the Chevron station as you head west on Highland Avenue.)
Parade Step-off is at 8:30 PM and covers approximately one mile through the historic Five Points South District of Birmingham.
The annual Mardi Gras Style parade is open to all participants. Individuals may "walk" the parade route for free. Organized groups, motorized vehicles, or those riding on floats should refer to the Group Pride Parade Registration Form for a list of the nominal fees for each level of participation. Participants are reminded that you may NOT "throw" items to bystanders, however you may, and are encouraged to do so, hand beads, give-aways, etc. to those along the parade route.
The theme for the parade this year is "PRIDE365 - Building a Stronger Community." Floats and organized groups will be judged on their use of the theme as well as lights, music, etc.
All participants MUST COMPLETE the Individual Pride Parade Registration Form which must be signed and turned in at Parade Registration beginning at 6:30 PM on June 7, 2008
Participants are also reminded that the annual LGBT Parade is a "Family Oriented" event. Central Alabama Pride, Inc. reserves the right to remove any inappropriate displays from the parade.

A Vacation? REALLY? AGAIN?

Its been two years since I went to the beach, and I am soooooo looking forward to it. My sis and I are going for a whole week.

This year is the weirdest year, i am not a world traveller. Not even a Continental traveller. Or in-state traveller. Yeh. I do most of my travelling in my mind. Or on the internet. And thanks, to Conde Nast.

Anyway, the year of '08' seems to be looking up. It was kicking me in the butt for a while, but this mom is getting some "me" time in the form of some travel, and I intend to focus on that truth when mean people start to surface and piss me off:

-4 day trip to Santa Fe in February
-7 days *gasp* trip to the beach right now (May)
-4 days coming up at Bonnaroo in TN (woohoooooooo! This festival saved my life last year. I found my inner hippie, and I intend to renew it every year)
-4 days at a resort in July for my BFF's big 40.

Hmmmm. I'm hoping this means a big awesome job is in my future and I better get my vacationing in now...

Whew! It's over!

Okay. So today is Wednesday, but I think I'm just now coming out of a haze from the weekend performance of Macbeth at Sloss.

Not only did I get to play one of Hecate's Minions as a bellydancer, but I got a last minute invite to do a part in the play.

It was only about 20 seconds on stage, but it was fun.

It was also the part of a HOOKER. Hmmmm.

Wonder what inspired them to ask me. Do I scream "hooker?"

Let's hope not.

Here's a pic of me trying to "hook" it up while concealing my bellydance garb (not an easy task. I left the Bindi off).

F Y Eyeball

ultrahiprevue.com/

just a picture now, but still....

: )

Looking for a good fast

Yeh. Its that time. My regular diet "fixes" aren't cutting it for me. I feel sluggish and oily and itchy and congested. Bleck.
I've been thinking a while about fasting, and I think I'm gonna try it.

Any suggestions for plans? I've looked into raw (duh. usually what I tend to do anyway) and different juice fasts and various takes on a cheater's water fast. I'm not ready for a long one, so I'm looking at 1 to 3 days of fasting, which can extend up to a week to include tapering. My ideal time frame is between now and mid-may.

If it matters, my fave fruits and veggies are acai berries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries,pears, grapefruit, mint, honey (sorry vegans), sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, carrots, avacado and asparagus, broccoli and spinach. And yes, I will drink celery and apple in juice form.

Bad news: I don't have a juicer.

I welcome your ideas!

-J

Way to go, stupid

So. I go to the India Shoppe to look for some of those dance slippers. I talk to Mark for like a million years (fortunately a lot of it was spent discussing bellydance and all the dancers in town, and looking at the awesome calendar - I need one of those. bad), then I get a sweet little ring. Sounds cool, right? Then I realize this guy, who was perfectly nice in passing (he pointed me to the slippers) had this stupid shirt on. I read it twice before I said, "Oh my God. Are you REALLY wearing that shirt?"
Then I proceeded to talk to him about the shirt and what it meant, and how interesting it was that he chose to wear it (can you swim through the sarcasm here?) blah blah blah.
I wasn't belligerent or mean. Just inquisitve...ad nauseum.
I think he left feeling kinda stupid.
Serves him right.

For those who can't read it, it says "Help stop rape. Consent"
Translation: "I am a giant buffoon. Never have sex with me. EVER."

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)

Thought you should know.

Research:
www.myspace.com/raisethevoice2007
www.crisiscenterbham.com
www.rainn.com
www.malesurvivor.org
www.acar.org/
www.ncvc.org/tvp

Recover:
*If you are a survivor, know that your pain is real, no matter how much time has passed since your assault. Please visit the above links to find ways and people to help you move through your pain.

Witness:
*Visit the Wounded Heart Exhibit at Crestwood Coffee Company.
*Share your story with someone
*Be brave and compassionate enough to listen to someone else's story


Help:
*To learn about how to be a Rape Response volunteer medical advocate contact Rape Response at 205.458-8981, or find your nearest Rape Crisis center sign up for the SANE assistance.
*Volunteer to answer the rape crisis hotline in your town
*Visit RAINN and learn about training to be an online counselor
*Buy NOT A PIECE OF MEAT merchandise, available at www.myspace.com/notapieceof OR at Crestwood Coffee OR by calling Meg McGlamery at (205) 458-8981

Interesting facts:
*Rape Response of Birmingham provides literature in English and in Spanish.
*The 2008 Raise the Voice art auction attendance was upwards of 350. That's a lot of people. The number of rape victims that received medical advocacy through Rape Response in 2007 was 330. In one year (which typically only contains 365 days).
*advocates at Rape Response are comprised of both survivors and non-survivors
*many crisis centers, including Rape Response, understand that teen sexual violence presents a unique set of challenges. Rape Response provides teen support groups to help encourage teen victims to work through their feelings.
*More and more crisis centers, including Rape Response are actively seeking ways for concerned males to become part of the fight against sexual violence



Thanks for reading.
Pass it on.
: )
Jules