houston + july = fun?
making a one-day-only trip to houston for the sole purpose of getting gallery lighting at ikea on the cheap with two grumpy toddlers, an eight year old chihuahua, and a mama and papa who'd been out all night..... well, it doesn't make for the best of conditions to have such an adventure. but we did it and we're safe.
ikea was a madhouse of over-weight, over-heated texas folk complete with an under-construction parking lot. jiri and i spent about 2 hours wandering around alone in the blue-and-gold bowels of ikea with paul and eva off on another errand somewhere else in houston to conserve time, our babies' demeanor, and keep our toy dog out of the heat. we were outta' there by 3:30 and on the road back home by 4:30. but only after a quick run to whole foods for snacks. an eight year old chihuahua, as cute as she is, can't get us into any restaurants..... except in abilene.... at a thai place. true story.
Saturday, July 31, 2004 @ 10:40 PM my family | comments > 0
magnolia reception tonight!
tonight. magnolia bar gallery. leslie burns and her high five photographs. we hung the show yesterday and i have to say, it's amazing. some of them actually look like paintings. it's weird. 6:30-8:30 in the bar. 3699 mckinney avenue @ lemmon in dallas.
say, maybe a bunch a plastic surgeons will show. now that'd be cool. do plastic surgeons buy art, i wonder?
Friday, July 30, 2004 @ 11:16 AM gallery events | comments > 0
Best of D Magazine
'the best of big d' issue of d magazine just came out. look what i found:
sweet.
pick up the august 2004 issue to read all about the other "best of's" in town. there's also a fantastic selection of plastic surgeons listed in the back.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004 @ 02:56 PM press | comments > 0
IR Gallery
IR Gallery exists to provide a physical space that catalyzes and encourage artistic work, networking and display. It fulfills this purpose primarily by providing space within its gallery in a way that maximizes sustainability for both the organization and the artist.
The IR Gallery space functions as semi-public space, allowing for gatherings of artist-patron communities, both as events centered around the art displayed in the space and as separate events intentioned for the purpose of building and facilitating artistic communities in Dallas.
IR Gallery will feature fresh visual art from prolific local talent.
The grand opening reception is slated for august 20 and 21 from 7-10pm both nights. IR Gallery is located at 830 exposition avenue, suite 103 in the heart of the exposition park arts district. sarah jane semrad (oh, why that's me!) and daniel miller will be showing new work for the event.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004 @ 10:46 AM | comments > 0
magnolia exhibit this friday
this friday july 30.
6:30-8:30 pm.
magnolia theatre, upstairs in the bar.
in the west village.
dallas photographer leslie burns has taken over 5000 photographs of the high five interchange at 75 and 635. somehow she and i chose eight to display. far-out.
so please come. this has exhibit has been a real joy to curate thus far. i cannot wait to see it hanging.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004 @ 04:28 PM gallery events | comments > 0
ok, i finally saw farenheit 9/11
a 'fun' game to do while watching this movie is to imagine all the crusty old politicians as little kids. you can see it in most of them.... but a few, i swear, there's nary a glimpse of a tiny child left.
Monday, July 26, 2004 @ 07:51 AM | comments > 0
my sick baby boy
i have held my tiny boy in my arms all day long. i haven't even changed out of what i slept in last night. he's finally let me put him down on the couch for a nap. i had a whole list of things to do today and i don't even remember what they were.
Sunday, July 25, 2004 @ 07:02 PM my family | comments > 0
the space isn't ready, but we are!
gallery eklektikos is having a reception for artist stefan georg and his paintings tonight starting at 7pm. if you're planning on going, cool, stop by IR Gallery, right next door. i'll have several photographs on display and i may even dust off some collages and hang those as well. i don't show those much any more. we're still under construction at IR Gallery.... the lights aren't up yet, but you'll get the idea and also get a preview of the space before the official grand opening, august 20.
the IR Gallery address is 830 exposition avenue #103, right here in dallas.
as far as more info about IR Gallery.... that's coming real soon.
Saturday, July 24, 2004 @ 08:39 AM gallery events | comments > 1
this one's for you, sissy
photo courtesy daniel.
Thursday, July 22, 2004 @ 06:38 PM my family | comments > 1
indonesian junk
it takes approxomately 16 minutes to get to fry's on nortwest highway from my house in the cliff. i don't know this because i timed it. i know this because eva and jiri made me play 'surrender' by cheap trick four times over. eva knows all the words. sigh.
what are paul and i doing to our kids?!
Thursday, July 22, 2004 @ 11:18 AM my family | comments > 0
original blog action
i started here. then i moved to here. haven't touched them in ages. and even though the contents have long been deleted, i still feel like they are dirty little secrets that blogger can't seem to erase. ack.
i used to write about folks i'd see on the bus. specifically, this super cute little 17 year old kid with pimples. he was so cute. i wish i knew what he was up to these days. our commute times changed at some point and i never saw him again.
i miss riding the bus. i miss writing about riding on the bus. i met so many great people. one time, i picked up a hitchhiker from peru who was wandering around deep ellum like he was going to find a place to sleep. (?!) seriously, he was looking for a hostel. so i took him home with me via dart and fed him dinner. later, i tried to check him into the hotel santa fe, but they were booked for week-long rentals, so i dragged him along to an art meeting and then he slept at our house for the night. the next day, he got back on dart and was on his way. paul was so cool about it. i know i'm a little nutty and all, but i can remember numerous occasions while backpacking solo across europe that it would have been really nice to have had a native show me the public transport and feed me dinner and then save me 70 bucks on hotel. while that exact scenario never happened to me, i have to say, i have been treated with equally inexplicable grace and kindness before while traveling alone.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004 @ 08:45 PM | comments > 0
progress report
the gallery situation is coming along nicely. hanging system is almost completely hung. all i need to do there is bat my eyelashes and get some nice fella up at ace hardware to cut the last two rails to length and then that part's over with. the lighting fiasco was at first completely freaking me out, but then ole' IKEA came through for me and my problem may be solved at a fraction of what i first thought.
most importantly, the work is done. lith prints. 12 of them. i love the way they come out pink. pink just may be my favorite color right now. no, it's still red. close enough.
only a handful of things left (most of which are already in progress) and i'm done. ready to open.
so mark your calendars. august 20 and 21, 7-10 PM both nights. reception at... oh yeah! no announcement of the name yet! holy cow. it's IR Gallery. more about all that later.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004 @ 03:43 PM | comments > 0
napoleon dynamite
yeah, it's funny, i have to say. everyone else in the theatre seemed to think so too. the photography is great. fantastic clothes. the bass-ackward time warp thing that was happening..... some things had made it small town idaho and some things just hadn't.
my only criticism is that it's 'easy'. certain steroetypes are exploited to an extreme. the whole movie culminates with a superbly funny, although 'easy' dance routine by napoleon. the nerdy guy dancing to r&b. the nerdy guy gets a standing ovation. the nerdy guy gets the girl.
i'd see it again. it really is funny.
Monday, July 19, 2004 @ 08:34 AM | comments > 0
trust
i found myself panicking. and then out of nowhere, the solution found me. it found me and i was calm. something much larger than myself is going on.
on another note, i met ra - the sun god at minc. apparently he's from new orleans. who knew?
Sunday, July 18, 2004 @ 11:22 AM | comments > 0
haircut, anyone?
let me not lie. i must go see this place:
ok, truth is i was listening to 92.5 kzps, 'your classic rock station' today in the car. sad, it's true, but i tend to clear-channel surf like mad in the car because it's my only chance to listen to music i would normally never ever listen to. any hip-hop, possibly some rap are also a guilty pleasures of mine and i'm sure to turn my guilty pleasure up as loud as i can (children not in the car of course) for full effect. so the song ends, who knows what, probably boston or styx, right? and this commercial comes on. at first i thought it was a real-american-hero bud light ad, but no, it's for sport clips, where 'guys win'. i couldn't take my ears away from what i was hearing. apparently, one can get a real 'guy haircut' while watching your favorite game on one of the many monitors they have in the salon. they feature free 'neck trims' in between cuts and yes, one can even get a hot towel wrap (or something like that) in lieu of girly salon stuff. most importantly, there's no 'talking', just game watching. this isn't a bad or good thing, just completely bizarre. that's why i want to go. i don't watch 'sports'. but i sure do want to watch a bunch of guys getting their hair cut while watching sports, you better believe it.
the only catch here is i'm serious. i need a volunteer. paul has said, "no way, under no circumstances am i getting a 'guy haircut'." that's a good thing, he's so cute with those side-burns and i'm a sucker for side-burns. i just need a way in! i need someone i know to get a haircut so i can go hang out for a while. read men's journal. sports illistrated. popular mechanics. i have to know if the folks cutting hair are men or if they are women in knock-off hooters uniforms. i must know. i'll pay for the haircut....
Friday, July 16, 2004 @ 09:16 PM proof that i'm a nerd | comments > 2
this is terrible!
village station is closing forever this weekend! it's a good thing rachel and i had plans to go out on saturday. we'll be there, for sure.
when i was in the under-21 set, that was the place to go on wednesday nights. it was, at the time, the only night of the week underage college kids could get in. philosophy and the ethical life the next morning at 9:00 am? big deal. the ethical life can wait, we've got dancing to do!
I have great memories there. drag shows. figuring out gay folks are really just like me (except for a few minor details, of course.) getting my first few real tastes of freedom from small-town west texas.
yep, we'll be there. that place is legendary.
Thursday, July 15, 2004 @ 11:18 AM | comments > 0
on being married
being married is hard. so much to think about and be committed to. no wonder everyone breaks up. there's the issue of ill-timed attraction to someone else. there's kids. there's real life drama about money and lifestyle and faith... it's weird. if i'd known all this when i was 21 and about to get hitched, hmmm, maybe i would have waited. doubtful, but maybe. it's a good thing i married paul. he is a great guy simply because he allows me to feel the way i do about whatever and accepts me in spite of it. i'm not at fault because i'm attracted to someone else. or at fault because i'm a nut. and there's nothing wrong with me in his eyes because the kids are temporarily driving me out of my mind. i count myself to be a lucky gal with paul at my side.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004 @ 03:21 PM my family | comments > 1
the sweet smell of selenium
did i mention i love to print? i feel so sorry for folks that have gone completely digital and aren't participating in this part of photography. kay and i were talking about this subject in a round about way on saturday, before i fainted. she said her customers know the difference but don't know they know the difference. they always seem to prefer to real deal. yep. it's good stuff.
lith printing is especially fun because every print is a surprize. i rarely have to do a print over because the surprize is so much better than what i could have done using traditional chemicals. oh and the paper i use is divine. forte. i actually had a moment tonight where i put my hands in the sink and rubbed my hands all over the print and sighed. the texture of this paper is like a wet vinyl record, the kind that's square and red and flimsy..... remember those? so soft. then i pulled my hands out and took a big whiff. the rotten-egg smell of sulphur. nice. of course my hands are buring now, but whatever. nothing a little soap and water can't handle.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004 @ 08:49 PM proof that i'm a nerd | comments > 0
tithing
every month when i write that check, i cringe. to me, it ends up being like something i'd pay no matter what, like the gas bill or my lab payment. but i still struggle writing it. i think, damn, that could've been a huge chunk of the really cool hanging system i just bought for the gallery. or man, that would get me enough sheetrock and supplies to re-do my office.
i write the check though. it's in my blood. my step-mom has always told the story about how when i was growing up, we always tithed. my dad was in seminary and had two tiny little churches he was pastoring. we made no money. there were times we literally had no food except what was growing out back in the form of tomatoes and okra. and barely any clothes, if it weren't for the generosity of extended family. one of us kids (uninsured, of course) would get hurt and my step-mom would think, well, that's it, we gotta stop tithing. and then lo and behold a random check (for exactly the amount we needed) would come in the mail from a church out west that had a fund for my dad and his new ministry. apparently it happened more than once. to the point where it's spooky.
point is, i guess, i write the flippin' check every month and sometimes wonder how on earth it's gonna' work out. sigh.
Monday, July 12, 2004 @ 08:28 PM | comments > 0
insert punk rock hand signal here
eva rocks! not only did she just put up with me for an hour and a half while i printed, but she put up with tom petty too! there's something pretty funny about printing an exhibit called 'paris tabletops' and listening to cheesy americana sounds.
she wanted to know when she could start printing. it's a good question. when do i let her get her tiny little fingers into hazardous chemicals? so it's ok if mama does it, but she can't? i mean, i do use tongs for cryin' out loud, but stuff still gets everywhere. i told her after she turns six we can talk about it again. she's been hanging out with me in there since she was a baby in a backpack. she knows the process. she probably is itching to give it a try.
Sunday, July 11, 2004 @ 03:03 PM my family | comments > 0
a day in the life
got up, fell out of bed.
home-made pancakes. coffee.
bye-bye to kids and paulie.
photo shoot, highland park.
to the gallery.
hung g-rated nudes.
talked to daniel awhile.
new amsterdam coffee house to figure out collaborative photography show with rachel, steve, and alex that opens septemebr 10 at the magnolia.
drove to plano to see kay about show we're having together august 6.
passed out in her studio. (not kidding)
drove (somehow) back to gallery with cards.
dropped off/picked up some stuff.
talked to daniel awhile.
home.
dinner.
passed out with kids.
awoke, wondered if i'm dead, figured out i'm not.
Saturday, July 10, 2004 @ 10:22 PM | comments > 0
julie christie, the rumors are true
it's official. i am self-employed. it's rather bittersweet, actually.
the thing i'll miss most about having a daily commute is mass transit. i was getting pretty good. if my car ever breaks down, i can handle dallas, no issue. i even hugged my number eleven bus driver this morning. we have had a chit chat relationship for months now. he's told me all about quail, eggs, snakes, spiders, cats.... he's great. today he told me he wants to open a wingstop franchise come february when he retires from driving. i sure hope he does. i sure hope he does....
the other thing i'll miss is the women. i'll miss talking and being welcoming and being this integral part of their lives. i'll miss watching births because i absolutely love watching babies being born. it blows my mind every single time. i'll miss holding the babies and helping women breastfeed.
bittersweet. glad to be moving on. overjoyed at the prospect of what i can create for myself and what i can offer other artists and patrons. most importantly though, i am thrilled to be with and know my children and actually BE their mother; instead of this elusive person that frantically tries to get all her art projects done around the terribly-inconvinient-hours-day-job because if she doesn't she might go stark-raving mad. it'll be great to have time be mama and artist.
Friday, July 09, 2004 @ 09:38 PM | comments > 0
particles, boxes, and good-byes
i said bye-bye to one of my favorite pieces. the particle in a three dimensional box collage. it's about how math can describe many things, but not relationship. neils bohr, the father of modern atomic theory, is olivia newton john's grandfather. i think that's hysterical. besides, there's a math error on the piece. i pointed it out to joshua. it'll make a great party game.
it used to hurt a little bit to see stuff go. people always say, well you can print another. ok, maybe, but why? i have about a million projects in front of me. why would i stop and re-print a piece that's 12 prints big? forget it.
it doesn't hurt anymore to say good-bye to a piece. i created it, sure, but it's not a child. it's meant to be beauty-and-inspiration-and-generosity and the fact that it will probably live on a lot longer in someone else's home rather than mine is enough to sustain me. if i kept it, i'd probably hide it under a bed after a while and make room that way for more work.
with all this gallery planning stuff, i'm not shooting very much. talking and coordinating makes my jaw hurt. unfortunately-fortunately i'm really good at it. after the launch, i suppose i'll make some pictures. or paint. or collage. or just go for a long run.
Thursday, July 08, 2004 @ 09:16 PM | comments > 0
james allen, as a man thinketh
Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become.
Your Vision is the promise of what you shall someday be;
your Ideal is the prophesy of what you shall at last unveil.
The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream.
The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg;
and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs…
Dreams are the seedlings of realities…
Wednesday, July 07, 2004 @ 10:20 PM | comments > 0
new gallery
daniel miller and i are opening a new gallery on exposition here in dallas. it's a natural extension of the non-profit he has formed with partner dan hughes called 'integration research.' we'll be leasing wall space to local artists and hosting receptions as well as other community events in the space. i will hold an office there as well. there's no name yet, no opening date, heck, the papers just got signed to day. but we're excited and truly believe this will be an amazing adventure. please contact me if you are interested in showing work. more information to come!
Tuesday, July 06, 2004 @ 10:17 AM | comments > 0
insert clever title here
ever think: holy cow, i'm a part of something much, much larger than myself and i don't know how i got here???? something like that. it's wierd, i can't even remember the steps that got me to right here, but well, here i am. the planets are aligned. mother-father god is with me.
time to print. i've got stuff to wrap up. no time to lose.
on another note, i sure hope i'm not torturing anyone with my school-girl ramblings. is it terribly unprofessional or just authentic? i wonder. i look at other artists/professional photog sites and, well, i just feel sort of unconventional. like i shouldn't be spilling all the beans on what's going on inside my wee head. but then i suppose it's not torture if you could just stop reading and click around frantically, trying to get off this page, like a teenager caught looking at, well, you know.
Sunday, July 04, 2004 @ 06:23 PM | comments > 0
experiment
and this is not courtesy of the artist's way or whatever that book is called. i shall abstain from all media:
tv (that's easy),
newspaper (does quick count i wonder? i mean, i do have exactly one more week commuting on dart...),
npr (oh, now that's a hard one, i'm a total junkie),
magazines (unless my new pdn comes in.... then it's off) for one week.
it's only because i have a lot to think about.
stuff-is-a-brewin' in sarah-jane-land. of course it could be the newcastle talkin' right now.
but yeah, seriously, a lot to plan/ponder right now. more details soon.
Sunday, July 04, 2004 @ 12:42 AM | comments > 0
first time out side texas
that's my work on the wall courtesy of gallery 925 in the 'hardin showroom' at the, uh, something-really-big-in-chicago-conference-for-designers-thing-ie. (that was brilliant and well thought out, no?) it was a photograph i took during one my urban exploration missions with rachel. i like the way it turned out.
Friday, July 02, 2004 @ 09:11 AM | comments > 0
purkinje effect
a phenomenon associated with the human eye, making it more sensitive to blue light when the illumination is poor and to yellow light when the illumination is good.
page F-116, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 58th edition.
