Chromotive

From my cold, dead hands

2012-01-18T20:23:00.000-05:00

A great metaphor illustrating why SOPA/PIPA are bad - written by my esteemed friend, Dr. Cary Gabriel Costello:

The problem with explaining the negative impact of SOPA and PIPA is that the people who need it explained to them generally don't rely on the internet in the same way we do. If they're legislators, they have staffers to run a Facebook page for them. If they're people next door, they put up photocopied flyers to advertise a yard sale to get rid of their old stuff.

We need an offline metaphor for them. Like: imagine your grandma loves Mickey Mouse, and loves doing needlepoint. She makes cute embroidery depicting Mickey Mouse in front of city landmarks, and decides to sell them at a yard sale. So she takes photos of the needlepoints and creates a flyer for the yard sale, and puts them up around town. But Big Brother sees one. And since Mickey Mouse is a copyrighted figure, grandma gets arrested and put in jail for 5 years. Not only that, the photocopy place where everyone in the neighborhood goes is shut down and nobody can use it. And the trees with the flyers on them are cut down. And when you cry, "But it was just grandma, it's not like she was cutting into Disney's profits! Five years in jail is insane! And I need to use that photocopy place! And my world is emptier without those nice trees!" you are labelled an anticapitalist pirate. It's like that.

More info:

Join the strike -- write to your congresspeople

Why SOPA is Dangerous

Un-comfort-able

2012-01-16T00:51:00.000-05:00

My mind has been driving me crazy lately - hah. Thinking, stretching, yearning... What the hell does this all mean? For as long as I can remember, from the moment in my young childhood that I became self-aware, there have not been many days that I haven't thought about this -- how the universe works, What It All Means, why am I here? What the hell is the purpose of all this? These questions are as much of my daily routine as is breathing. My head hurts. This is the definition of "uncomfortable" -- right now I am literally un-comfort-able. I can't find comfort in anything. I'm not exactly unhappy right now, but I have a headache from thinking too hard, and I can't stop. Music, reading, art, cooking, human interaction, I can't focus on anything, my mind branching out in a million tendrils, stretching out to the farthest reaches of the universe, looking for answers.

THINK ALL THE THOUGHTS

2012-01-15T02:07:00.000-05:00

TODAY:
I enjoyed the hedonistic pleasure of sampling many scented varieties of candles (Kringle Candle in Bernardston, MA)...

...had a tasty late lunch nearby at the Four Leaf Clover Restaurant (lobster bisque, fish & chips)...

....researched bird photos for an upcoming art project; made butternut squash sage pasta for dinner; and now am pondering higher dimensions, life, the universe, and everything. My brain! It never ever ever stops. THINK ALL THE THOUGHTS!

National Arts Program dropoff

2012-01-12T01:58:00.003-05:00

Brought my paintings in for the show which opens to the public on January 23rd.

Two group shows in January - Two opening receptions in one day!

2012-01-12T00:40:00.000-05:00

- 23rd January - 5th February 2012

21st Annual Exhibit of The National Arts Program® for Greater Hartford and Middlesex County, CT

Capitol Community College950 Main Street, Hartford, CT

Opening reception: 28th January, 2012, 1 pm

Info: http://www.nationalartsprogram.org/venues/hartford-ct

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/145733638874283/

These are the paintings I will have in this show:

- 28th January - 12th February 2012

Salon des Independents

Hygienic Art79 Bank Street, New London, CT

Opening reception: 28th January, 2012 , 8 pm

Info: http://hygienic.ning.com/events/hygienic-art-33

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/109852342468306/

This is the painting that I will have in this show:

Raven Study (Black & White)

2012-01-06T23:31:00.000-05:00

Raven Study (Black & White)
Ballpoint pen and felt-tip marker on paper
Approx. 17 in. x 14 in.
(2012)

This one is bigger than the drawings I usually do. I've added this pic to give it a sense of scale. It was difficult to scan due to its size -- I had to scan it in about 8 different portions, then carefully stitch it together in Photoshop.

Incidentally, this is the first artwork that I have completed for 2012.

Work in progress

2012-01-05T00:15:00.001-05:00

Adding some more detail today.

Happy New Fear

2012-01-01T23:24:00.001-05:00

President Obama Signs Indefinite Detention Bill Into Law
December 31, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON – President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law today. The statute contains a sweeping worldwide indefinite detention provision. While President Obama issued a signing statement saying he had “serious reservations” about the provisions, the statement only applies to how his administration would use the authorities granted by the NDAA, and would not affect how the law is interpreted by subsequent administrations. The White House had threatened to veto an earlier version of the NDAA, but reversed course shortly before Congress voted on the final bill.

“President Obama's action today is a blight on his legacy because he will forever be known as the president who signed indefinite detention without charge or trial into law,” said Anthony D. Romero, ACLU executive director.

THE NEW PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:

"I give my submission to the war banner of the United Battlefield of America; unto the Controlling Congress and Officials bought out by representatives of global corporations, for which it's own personal intentions stand, one Police State, under God, divided by class, race, religion, sexual orientation, social status and wealth; with liberty and justice for those that can steal or afford it."

-- Brett Kelley

Confusing

2011-12-27T01:14:00.001-05:00

Life is so fucking confusing. Maybe others have it figured out because they've stopped trying to Figure It All Out, whereas I can't fucking let it go and I can't stop thinking about it and trying to make sense of it all. I don't know.

Thought for the day

2011-12-27T01:07:00.001-05:00

Life lesson:
People like/are drawn to other people who are unique and/or special, but if you're TOO different, they don't really want to have all that much to do with you. They'll find you fascinating, but in an at-arm's-length sort of way, in the same way they might gawk at something in a circus sideshow.

Have A Nice Life

2011-12-22T03:32:00.000-05:00

"It doesn't have to be this way," zie said. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes," I replied. "Yes it does. And yes I do."

And that was my final word on it.

Time to say goodbye.

Title: Have A Nice Life
Year: 2011
Dimensions: 12 in. x 9 in.
Media: Ballpoint pen, felt-tip marker, colored pencil, pastel on paper

2011-12-20T20:41:00.002-05:00

Baby Scarf - now available on the Second Life Marketplace

2011-12-17T00:57:00.006-05:00

Prim babies were totally harmed in the making of this HOT item. Accept no imitations!
Features:

Made with 100% genuine real baby.
Fashionable winter accessory.
Makes a great gift!
Totally serious.
Haute couture.

Check it out here! https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Baby-Scarf-box/3000241

Baby Scarf

2011-12-15T22:04:00.000-05:00

I made this in response to the controversy over "animal cruelty" regarding a FAKE/PRIM fox scarf made by Anya Ohmai -- read the article here:nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2011/12/faux-fox-fur-not-faux-enough.html

Comment thread is priceless.

"What's fashionable about death?" -- Lyrical Popstar

EVERYTHING.

"It's ugly and gruesome. I wouldn't wear it unless I were trying to portray the sort of barbarian who wraps her bloody nature in the trappings of civilization, at which point it'd be a tell-tale indicator of the inner life of the wearer." -- Arcadia Codesmith

Bitch, you couldn't HANDLE my inner life.

Also, if you're in Second Life, you can pick up your OWN Baby Scarf here! Only L$3!slurl.com/secondlife/Kress/231/151/154

** UPDATE**

Now available on the Marketplace!
http://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Baby-Scarf-box/3000241

Guinness beef stew.

2011-12-15T01:49:00.004-05:00

(This makes a ton of stew, so you will likely have to cook this in 2 large pots. Just split the ingredients evenly between the 2 pots; or, halve this recipe. I personally like to have a lot of leftovers to freeze.)

Adapted from my friend Emi's legendary Guinness beef stew. <3

This isn't really an exact recipe, just a basic guideline that can be adapted pretty much any way you want.

3 Carrots, 4 potatoes, 3 onions, 1 large yellow turnip, 2 containers of mushrooms, all chopped.
5 cloves of garlic, minced.
3 lbs of stew meat.
Flour (4TB), salt, pepper, garlic powder, other dried herbs in a gallon-sized ziploc bag.
6 cups beef broth or stock; couple pints of Guinness.
Bay leaf, red pepper flakes.
Bacon fat.
Butter.

Coat the meat in the flour/herb/spice mixture in the ziploc bag.

Heat about 1 TB bacon fat in the pot(s)over medium heat; add meat and brown on all sides, over medium-low; keep lid on to trap in moisture.

When meat is browned, scrape it over to one side and add a pat or two of butter; add chopped onions & coat them with the melted butter, and stir together with the meat. Let the onions soften with the meat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add minced garlic, stir, simmer for another few minutes over medium-low.

Scrape the bottom of the pot(s) with spoon and add the Guinness. Allow mixture to bubble for a couple of minutes, then add the rest of the chopped vegetables. Top off with the broth -- enough to cover everything, almost filling the pot(s) (leave about an inch of room from the rim). Stir everything together. Add a bay leaf and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, stir, then turn heat down to low and simmer with lid on for about 3 & a half hours. Check on it occasionally, stir, add more liquid if necessary. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Shipping another print today

2011-12-10T14:46:00.001-05:00

Blender gem thing

2011-12-10T00:55:00.001-05:00

Just messing around with materials and lighting.

Blender monkey - using different light sources

2011-12-09T20:38:00.000-05:00

Environment lighting combined with lamp lighting.

More Blender lessons.

2011-12-09T19:37:00.000-05:00

Two renders of the same scene (using a monkey head preset) and 2 different camera angles.

Ho-Ho-Horrible Holiday Music Playlist, 2011

2011-12-06T22:02:00.004-05:00

It has become a tradition of mine to compile a playlist of Bad Christmas Music and share it with the rest of the world.

Some of these are intentionally funny, some are horribly tacky and tasteless, some are overly sentimental/sappy, some are really geeky, some are god-awful and make you want to stick a sharp object into your eardrum, some are just... baffling.

So here's this year's effort. Over 2 hours of amazing-ness. Just press play and...enjoy?

(** Not safe for work/children)

-- Here is the direct link to the playlist, if the embedded one isn't working for you:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA4771D1666AF3EA4

My first Blender-made sculpted prim!

2011-12-02T02:56:00.002-05:00

My first sculpted prim made using Blender! Sculpted prims are a type of building block in Second Life. A 3D shape is first created in an external program, then converted to a UV map, then uploaded to Second Life and applied to an object to create that 3D shape.

If I had known it would be this easy, I would have done it forever ago!! Sheesh.

Finally learning Blender.

2011-12-01T15:40:00.002-05:00

I found some great video tutorials for Blender, so I figured I'd fire it up and give it another go (I attempted to learn it years ago, but there weren't many good vids on it at the time, and I found it a bit frustrating).

It's still a ton of information to process, but fortunately my years of working in Second Life has made it easier for me to catch on, since creating content in SL is essentially a 3D modelling work environment.

Anyway, here are the first test renders of stuff I've been messing around with. Still a long way to go, but it's a lot of fun!

Older work: XI

2011-11-28T01:03:00.001-05:00

One of my older works. This one has a pretty long history. It's also my first cut/stitched canvas.

Title: XI
Year: 2004
Dimensions: 31.5 in. X 30 in.
Media: Acrylic paint and thread on canvas.

Commentary: This piece has a lot of my history behind it. It started as a canvas I stretched for a painting class I took in college. The canvas was intended for a project that was barely started; only a preliminary sketch was ever done. I took it home with me at the end of the semester, intending to use it for another work at a later time. Another preliminary sketch was done on it and never completed. One night in a fit of rage I cut the canvas to ribbons with a box cutter. I didn't have the heart to throw it away, so I saved it. Some time later I moved into my grandmother's house and took the thing with me. I sewed it back together as neatly as I could and painted it with layers upon layers of gesso to cover the previously made pencil markings. I abandoned the canvas yet again until years later when I moved into a friend's. I finally completed it over the summer of 2004. I didn't add much to it; it needed to be cleaned to remove layers of dust and the stain of cigarette smoke. I added a simple coat of white and silver paint. I didn't want to detract from the simplicity of the stitching. In the end, I entitled it 'XI' because it took me eleven years to finally complete it.

It's Small Business Saturday! Shop local/small business!

2011-11-26T13:36:00.001-05:00

Want to help support my art career?
Buy some of my art so I can purchase more materials to make more art!

http://www.nebulosus-severine.com/artwork-for-sale.html

Support Artists, Artisans, and Handicrafters this winter

2011-11-24T21:56:00.000-05:00

My amazing and brilliant friend Bau wrote this passage in support of artisans and independent merchants. This holiday, instead of stampeding into overly crowded stores to fight over mass-produced junk, consider patronizing your local artists and businesses, and give a truly unique and thoughtful gift.

Support Artists, Artisans, and Handicrafters this winter
by Bau-Ur Secundum on Sunday, 6 November 2011 at 21:59

In your holiday shopping, please support your nation's artists, artisans, and handicrafters -- preferably local ones, for lower shipping expense and better community-building! But Etsy and Artfire are terrific too. So here's a wealth of great gift ideas:

Hand knitted cozy hats, scarves, socks, sweaters, dog coats, and baby blankets (the sure way to get something in your loved one's favorite color!);

Handmade jar candles, unscented or with the natural scent your loved one likes most (If it matches the living room decor, it becomes an ornament; if not, it's a great addition to the household emergency box, because jar candles typically burn for 15 hours or more!);

Several sessions of massage from a local massage therapist;

Local artists' prints, paintings, and cards. Consider a commission -- how about a sketch of your brother with his beloved cat? Almost all realistic sketch artists work happily from photos.

A framed professional photo of a special building or landscape, or a really good photoportrait;

Handmade herbal soaps, lotions, chap ointment, lip balm, shampoo, and perfumes;

Locally produced maple syrup or maple sugar candy;

Handcrafted repairs to an old bicycle, a broken pot handle, hiking boots, dear old damaged books, wooden chairs, car upholstery;

Beautiful embroidery on a shirt or jacket or jeans;

Fine soldering repairs to damaged jewelry, or custom silversmithing of a unique ring or pendant;

Glass lampwork or Fimo or ceramic beads from a local bead artist;

Home-made soft snuggly rag dolls and washable fluffy toy animals;

An awesome custom paint job on a motorcycle, car, van, or truck;

Traditional beadwork on a computer bag, messenger bag, gym bag, amulet bag, phone case, camera bag, or car sunshade pocket;

Whittled wooden spoons and trinkets;

Handwoven scarf, sash, guitar strap, necktie, or handbag;

Lathe-turned bowls or cups from local wood;

Really well-fitted clothing made by a local sewing expert;

Moccasins or locally handmade sheepskin slippers;

Locally created quilts and couch snugglers;

Locally grown dried herbs and botanical decorations;

Locally concocted hot sauce, barbecue sauce, chutneys, jams, and unusual pickles;

A carved cane or walking stick;

Home brewed beer and small-vinyard wines;

Hunter's venison jerky or smoked fish;

Farmer's co-op cheddar cheese;

Local carpenter repairs to staircases, cabinetry, or wood floors;

Local texture artist faux marbling, mural, or rosmaling on someone's wall or ceiling;

Stained glass art -- anything from a tiny candle holder to an entire window;

Locally made straw and cornhusk Christmas tree ornaments;

Lessons in sketching, watercolor painting, tea ceremony, martial arts, singing, sewing, or yoga;

Vase, dish, travel mug, or sink basin made by a local ceramic artist;

A beautifully calligraphed poem, scripture, motto, or message of love fixed on a fabric banner;

An airbrushed or original silkscreened tee shirt;

Decorative painting on a screen door, address sign, pet carrier, or mailbox.

*** A handcrafted gift like one of these is truly special. It is always more unique, more personal, more expressive, and probably more ethical than that corporate department-store thing made in China that crossed the Pacific on toxic bunker fuel. Please buy local art and crafts whenever you can, and -- for sure!--pass this reminder along to others. Thank you!

"There are no men like me. There’s only me."

2011-11-24T03:20:00.001-05:00

Second Life self-portrait.

New Media art page update

2011-11-23T17:48:00.001-05:00

I've updated the New Media portion of my webpage a bit to include a brief explanation of what Second Life art is. I do have a couple of pictures and videos posted to it already, but I'll be expanding it even more soon.

www.nebulosus-severine.com/new-media.html

Whilst browsing around Wikipedia today...

2011-11-23T15:08:00.001-05:00

G+ suggested this after I uploaded the pic...HAHAHA!

New work in progress

2011-11-22T23:40:00.001-05:00

A Day In The Life

2011-11-20T01:52:00.001-05:00

So yeah... I'm pretty intense.
(2011)

Rage-faces from le Ragebuilder (www.ragemaker.net/); additional doodles, composition, and concept by me.

Artwork now available for sale on my website

2011-11-19T04:05:00.001-05:00

I have updated my site to make my art available for purchase. The artwork I'm offering here includes original paintings for under $200, and prints for only $5.

Help support my art by buying some so I can go out and make more of it!

Check it out!http://www.nebulosus-severine.com/artwork-for-sale.html

YES

2011-11-19T04:03:00.001-05:00

"The truth is this, ART in all its forms including writing, poetry, sculpture, painting, music, design, photographing, and more is an accumulation of knowledge. Each painting, novel, poem or photograph is the embodiment of the artist’s lifelong experiences, emotions, education, and intuition. For me, how long did it take, can be easily encapsulated, calculated and condensed into a simple answer…This is what I say, “A lifetime, this painting took a lifetime to paint.”
~Lori"

(From http://www.finearttips.com/2011/11/how-long-did-it-take-to-paint-that/)

Paintings for sale

2011-11-16T17:14:00.001-05:00

I need to sell paintings to make more money so I can make more paintings, so that I can sell more paintings and make enough money to take on bigger and better art projects, gallery shows, etc., etc. If you are interested in owning a piece of original art, here are a few of my current offerings.

(Click here to make a purchase.)

Title: All Loveliness Is Anguish
Year: 2008/2009
Dimensions: 11 in. X 14 in.
Media: Acrylic on canvas.
$250

Title: You Taste Like Memories
Year: 2011
Dimensions: 12 in. X 12 in.
Media: Acrylic and permanent marker on canvas.
$250

Title: I Am The Blood
Year: 2011
Dimensions: approx. 11 in. X 22.5 in.
Media: Acrylic paint and wire on canvas

$250

* SPECIAL FACEBOOK SALE * -
Become a fan of my Facebook page and get special, reduced prices for all artwork listed.

New drawing

2011-11-15T13:06:00.001-05:00

Shot Down In Flames
Ballpoint pen and felt-tip marker on paper
Approx. 5.5 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

"Hey, I know you've been interested in me for awhile, but I'm not into you like that. Also, is your friend single?"

THAT happened.

Opening Reception - "Paint the Ta Tas" Breast Cancer Awareness Group Show

2011-11-14T10:51:00.001-05:00

Come see the show that has been gaining a bit of recent infamy in the Manchester, CT area!
Opening reception: Thurs. 17th November, 6pm-9pm
Manchester Memorial Hospital Art Gallery, 71 Haynes St., Manchester CT

-- Town official: No 'Ta-tas' in town hall
MANCHESTER, Conn., Oct. 12 (UPI) -- The general manager of a Connecticut town said he will not allow a "Paint the Ta-Tas" breast cancer awareness project in the town hall lobby.

Manchester General Manager Scott Shanley said he supports the message of the Manchester Art Association's "Paint the Ta Tas-Celebrating Life" exhibit, which would have aimed to raise breast cancer awareness with painted and decorated life-size plastic torsos in the town hall lobby, but he decided not to allow the exhibit due to the possibility of someone being offended by the artworks being shown in a public place, The Hartford (Conn.) Courant reported Tuesday.

Sponsored by the Manchester Art Association, 'Paint the Ta Tas' is an exhibit to celebrate the lives of those touched by Breast Cancer and the battles they face.

All work may be for sale, and artists have been asked to donate a percentage of the proceeds to Relay for Life of Manchester.

I have set my piece, 'The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten' at $500 and will donate 50% to Relay For Life of Manchester if it is sold. A preview of the exhibit can be found by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.302318263127797.98553.289012297791727&type=3

Exhibit runs until 1st December, 2011. Gallery hours are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Hope to see you there!

Open Studio Weekend!

2011-11-12T20:22:00.001-05:00

My setup in the Artspace Hartford lobby:

New painting

2011-11-12T20:11:00.001-05:00

Title: Thou Shalt See My Scars
Year: 2011
Dimensions: Approx. 16 in. X 25 in.
Media: Acrylic, permanent marker, and wire on canvas.

When I stand before thee at the day’s end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing.
~ Rabindranath Tagore

(detail)

(detail)

New painting

2011-11-11T17:46:00.001-05:00

The Devastation of Inner Longitude
Year: 2011
Dimensions: 8 in. X 15 in.
Media: Acrylic, permanent marker, thread, and wire on canvas.

(detail)

(detail)

Open Studio Weekend - installation day

2011-11-11T17:28:00.001-05:00

Preview of my paintings for Open Studio Weekend

2011-11-09T22:25:00.003-05:00

These are the paintings I've selected for Open Studio Weekend. Three of these are new. One, not pictured here, is already hanging in the main gallery.

More details about the show here --

http://openstudiohartford.com/

...and also here:

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169962586425313

New painting - first look

2011-11-09T20:46:00.003-05:00

New painting, Thou Shalt See My Scars - just completed tonight. More pics and details to come.

New painting

2011-11-07T13:53:00.003-05:00

You Taste Like Memories
Year: 2011
Dimensions: 12 in. X 12 in.
Media: Acrylic and permanent marker on canvas.

Preview of new painting I finished tonight.

2011-11-07T00:59:00.000-05:00

Better pics and more info soon.

New drawing

2011-11-05T21:17:00.000-04:00

You're Not Real, Girl
Ballpoint pen and felt-tip marker on paper
Approx. 8.5 in. x 11 in.
(2011)

More prints for Open Studio

2011-10-27T18:04:00.001-04:00

Just picked up my final prints for Open Studio! Hope to see you there!
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169962586425313

Wooo, pears

2011-10-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

10-min breaktime Still-life!

Art Patronage Wanted -- UPDATE

2011-10-24T13:26:00.000-04:00

Open Studio is rapidly approaching, and I have made some excellent progress toward being ready for it. I'm getting the last of my prints done in the next few days, finishing up paintings, etc. Thanks to your generous contributions, I have been able to check off almost everything on my list of Stuff To Do!

I do, however, have a few more additional expenses -- the biggest of which will probably be the car rental I need for Open Studio Weekend (Nov. 12-13). I will need the transportation from Friday afternoon/evening through Sunday night, not only to get myself there, but to bring all of my art along with me.

Any contributions that you can make for this fund would be really, deeply appreciated! I hope you can all come to the event as well, I would love to see you there! The opening reception for Open Studio is on Thursday, Nov. 3rd from 6-8 pm, and Open Studio Weekend is Nov. 12 & 13, from 11 am to 5 pm. The event is FREE and open to the public. Please check out this link for all of the event details!https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169962586425313

If you are willing to make a small donation to my art cause, please follow this link:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZALQ6JJ9TWTRY
You don't need a Paypal account to donate -- most major credit cards are accepted.

Thank you SO MUCH in advance!

Expenses Checklist Progress:
-- Business cards -- DONE!!

-- Printing costs for art prints -- DONE!!

-- Mats and frames -- DONE!
-- Website costs -- DONE!!

-- More molding material to fill the other half of the Bunnyken casting (I underestimated and didn't buy enough the first time I ordered it) - DONE!!!
-- Plastic/resin or other materials for filling the finished mold
-- New folio to archive new drawings -- DONE!!

8x10 Digital prints

2011-10-23T14:01:00.003-04:00

First run of 8x10 prints (not yet mounted)

High quality Digital photo art prints, mounted on acid-free foamboard.
Each work is limited to a print run of 50.
Hand-numbered and signed by the artist.
$25 per print (+ shipping), unmatted/unframed.
Dimensions: 8 in. X 10 in.
To inquire about a purchase, contact me here - www.nebulosus-severine.com/contact.html

Attn: Smartphone users -- BETA TESTERS WANTED - Help me prepare for Open Studio!

2011-10-19T18:42:00.001-04:00

Open Studio 2011 is rapidly approaching, and I have been busy making preparations for everything. During Open Studio Weekend (Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 November, 2011 - 11 AM - 5 PM), I will have artwork for sale (original, one-of-a-kind pieces as well as prints, and more).

Mostly, I figure I will be accepting cash -- HOWEVER, I thought of an idea that might just be crazy enough to work but I need help testing it!

My bright idea was to give people the ability to make a payment or a donation via Paypal. I generated a QR code, which I will print out if this works, for people with Smartphones to scan. It will direct them to my Paypal page, which will enable them to pay using a credit/debit card or a Paypal account. Since I get my email sent to my phone, I should theoretically be able to get payment confirmation pretty much the instant their payment is sent.

But will it work...? Here's where I need your help! If you have a Smartphone and are willing to make a very small donation (even a few cents), please scan the barcode below to see if it takes you to my Paypal page. If it does, see if you can make a payment via your phone. I am not looking for big donations here, just a tiny amount to see if this idea of mine will actually work.

NO PAYPAL ACCOUNT NEEDED TO MAKE A PAYMENT/DONATION! Paypal accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. Any help you can all provide me with is HUGELY appreciated!

New drawing

2011-10-17T20:38:00.002-04:00

This Time No
Ballpoint pen and felt-tip marker on paper
Approx. 11 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

"...And my head told my heart,
Let love grow;
But my heart told my head,
This time no
This time no..."
(Mumford & Sons, "Winter Winds")

Open Studio 2011 Event Info

2011-10-16T12:28:00.000-04:00

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169962586425313

Hartford ArtSpace Gallery
555 Asylum St.
Hartford, Connecticut

Opening Reception: Thursday, 3rd November, 2011 - 6-8 PM

Open Studio Weekend: Saturday & Sunday, 12 & 13 November, 2011 - 11 AM - 5 PM

I am one of about 120+ artists who will be exhibiting work for this year's event, which is my FIRST Open Studio show (and probably the FIRST major show of my career)!

Opening Reception will feature my entry for the themed show Double Digits, and during Open Studio Weekend, I will have a selection of my art on display for sale, including original paintings, prints of my drawings, and more. There are TONS of other Hartford-area artists participating, too -- this is a GREAT opportunity to come out and show your support of local art and artists!

(For additional gallery hours, please check the main Open Studio page)

Open Studio Hartford main Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/OpenStudioHartford

Website:http://openstudiohartford.com/

My website:http://www.nebulosus-severine.com/

If you are a fan of my art, please visit my fan page and 'Like' it!https://www.facebook.com/nebulosus.severine

New drawing

2011-10-14T05:52:00.001-04:00

Finally, a new fucking drawing! Yeah.

Hey, you! Click on my Facebook page and hit the 'Like' button if you enjoy what I create. Do it.

https://www.facebook.com/nebulosus.severine

Flagellate

Ballpoint pen and felt-tip marker on paper

Approx. 8.5 in. x 11 in.

(2011)

— vb
1.( tr ) to whip; scourge; flog

— adj
2.possessing one or more flagella
3.resembling a flagellum; whiplike

Control.

2011-10-14T05:26:00.002-04:00

One of the things I like most about art, especially lately, is that I feel that in those moments of creation, I am in control, that have seized control of my universe, have directed my focus into this laserbeam of control...

Metaphor

2011-10-12T04:02:00.004-04:00

I just came up with this weird metaphor for life as I was just sitting here drawing.

Not sure how many of you know how the process works when I draw in the style I've been using lately. Basically, it's all improvised. Of course, I do have recurring themes and imagery (the eye/s being the most obvious thing), but I start with some lines and just kind of see where it goes. I don't draw anything in pencil first. I allow that there will sometimes be mistakes and marks that I don't intend. I work those into the drawing and make it fit into it somehow. It's not all perfect and it isn't meant to be.

Anyway, as I was filling in some lines in this current drawing, I realized that possibly the key to surviving and thriving in this life is to kind of do the same thing. That life will throw random chaos at us. What we have to do is work it into place somehow. We have to catch what is thrust at us and shape it somehow to fit into the picture. It's our fucking destiny after all, isn't it? If we focus hard enough, we have more control than we know.

Or maybe I'm completely batshit crazy.

Breast cancer show controversy

2011-10-11T00:43:00.000-04:00

MANCHESTER— —

The town's general manager has said no-no to "ta-tas."To promote breast cancer awareness, the Manchester Art Association planned to display painted and decorated mannequins in the town hall lobby. The "Paint the Ta Tas-Celebrating Life" exhibit features life-size plastic torsos covered with various designs and messages about the deadly disease.

General Manager Scott Shanley said Monday that he supported the artists' message and their "amazing" creativity, but the issue for the town was whether people had a choice in viewing such an exhibit in a public space.

Read the rest of the article here.

Keith Olbermann reads the first collective statement of Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-06T12:03:00.003-04:00

"As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.

We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known.

They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage. They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses. They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization. They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless nonhuman animals, and actively hide these practices. They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions. They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right. They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay. They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility. They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance. They have sold our privacy as a commodity. They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press. They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit. They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce. They have donated large sums of money to politicians supposed to be regulating them. They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil. They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned asubstantive profit. They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit. They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media. They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt. They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad. They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas. They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.

To the people of the world, We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power. Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutionsaccessible to everyone. To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal. Join us and make your voices heard!"

I think I am going to have to label everything I ever do or say ever with this sign.

2011-10-06T03:06:00.000-04:00

I should just put it on a t-shirt or lanyard, because, yeah. I suppose if I come into your life in some way, I owe it to you to at least warn you what you'll be getting.

Emotionally Explicit Content
Media: Original digital composition
Dimensions: Variable
(2011)

Manchester Art Association exhibit promotes breast cancer awareness

2011-10-05T16:16:00.000-04:00

“Everyone has a story,” said Christiane O’Brien, president of the Manchester Art Association, when talking about the MAA’s current exhibit for breast cancer awareness, “Paint the Ta Tas,” on exhibit at Manchester Memorial Hospital and Manchester Town Hall through the end of the year. “Art and healing go together,” added O’Brien. Many hospitals now feature art exhibits to promote this connection.

MAA utilized Facebook to put a call out to all artists to participate in the exhibit, which was meant to promote breast cancer awareness and celebrate those touched by cancer. Thirty-five plastic torsos, 10 of which are in the male form, were given to the artists to create their own message. Other art media, such as painting, photography and mixed media, are also included in the show.

Read the rest of the article here.

The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten

2011-10-01T01:49:00.001-04:00

Title: The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten
Year: 2011
Dimensions: approx. 18 in. X 26 in.
Media: Acrylic paint, cotton t-shirt, permanent marker, QR code on plastic mannequin torso.

This is my entry for "Paint the Ta Tas - Celebrating Life," a Breast Cancer Awareness art event in Manchester, CT (September 30th - December 1st, 2011).

Camp Lejeune, a U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp in North Carolina, was the site of one of the worst public drinking water contaminations in the nation’s history. Waters there were tainted with dangerous chemicals for 30 years, ending in 1987.

Chemicals found in the contaminated water included trichloroethylene (a degreaser), benzene, and perchloroethylene (also known as tetrachloroethylene, a dry cleaning solvent).

Extensive investigations are being undertaken to determine whether the contamination is linked to higher rates of cancer and other health problems among Marines/Naval personnel, dependent family members, and civilians who resided at or around Camp Lejeune. Those disorders include a significantly higher rate of male breast cancer.

The risk of breast cancer in men is much lower than in women. The lifetime risk of breast cancer in the United States is 1 in 1,000 for men, compared to 1 in 8 for women.

At least 20 male Marines from Camp Lejeune developed breast cancer. The average male breast cancer patient is over 70 years old; only one of the men was over 70 when diagnosed.

More information and links can be found here.

I will add more pictures and more information about the show, including details about the opening reception, soon.

Stop everything and watch this now. Seriously.

2011-09-28T23:37:00.001-04:00

My first matted print.

2011-09-28T19:22:00.001-04:00

Glue Meat Together

2011-09-28T16:22:00.003-04:00

Uhhhhh... so I was doing some research on matting prints, since I haven't matted anything since high school, and um. Yeah, thanks, Google -- that's really helpful. Thanks.

New drawing

2011-09-27T22:38:00.000-04:00

Orchis
Ballpoint pen and felt-tip marker on paper
Approx. 11 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

My business cards came in today, finally!

2011-09-26T20:33:00.001-04:00

Nice.

New drawing

2011-09-26T00:47:00.003-04:00

Temperance
Ballpoint pen and felt-tip marker on paper
Approx. 11 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

Quote of the Day

2011-09-25T21:32:00.000-04:00

We need to make books cool again. If you go home with somebody and they don't have books, don't fuck them.

-- John Waters

Couldn't have said it better myself. If I owned my own bookstore, I'd have this printed on a poster, on prominent display.

Last-minute art project

2011-09-24T17:01:00.000-04:00

I have until September 30th to do something with this:

The artists participating in the show (called Paint the Ta Tas, a breast cancer awareness theme), were given blank torsos to decorate. I got the last one, a male torso. The show will run during the months of October through December. I have some great ideas for it and I'll post more soon, including more photos of my project as well as the details for the opening reception, with relevant dates, times, and locations.

3 of my drawings now available as wearable art!

2011-09-21T12:59:00.002-04:00

Like my drawings? Now you can wear miniature versions of them!

My friend The Mushroom Lady (aka Tracy Rotkiewicz ), a Connecticut crafter and artist, has collaborated with me, transforming a few of my drawings into necklace designs!

You can check them out here:

Cm Pauluh design To The Pain memory wire necklace

Cm Pauluh design Panspermia memory wire necklace

Cm Pauluh design Aphonic memory wire necklace

All sales directly help to support both artists and help us to make more art!

New drawing

2011-09-21T03:03:00.001-04:00

Seasons of Pain
Ballpoint pen and felt-tip marker on paper
Approx. 5.5 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

New drawing

2011-09-18T02:38:00.000-04:00

Untitled (September 18, 2011)
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 5.5 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

I have a (REAL) website now.

2011-09-12T02:47:00.002-04:00

FINALLY.

http://www.nebulosus-severine.com

The Obligatory "Tenth Anniversary of 9/11" Post, or How I Learned to Overcome My Trauma and Get On With My Life

2011-09-11T12:46:00.000-04:00

I'll spare you most of the details of my "I remember where I was when it happened" story, and instead tell you how I transformed my trauma and pain into a virtual-reality art installation that eventually healed me.

It was 2006, and I was just starting to get the hang of creating things in Second Life. I was offered a spot to build in the then-annual Burning Life festival (their virtual version of Burning Man). My installation was based on my emotional reaction to the events of September 11, 2001. I titled it Paranoia / Watching the Sky for Planes.

I was at work when it happened, so one of the main focal points of the site was a recreation of where I was exactly when I first heard that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. (For those of you who don't know me, I work at a bookstore.)

From the information card I had written for visitors to my installation:

Although it may not seem that way at first, this installation is highly personal and is not primarily a political piece. In other words, political issues were not my main reason for building it. Rather, this installation represents the emotional chaos I personally experienced on and after September 11, 2001.

To put it bluntly, it fucked me up pretty badly, although I was very lucky to not have been directly affected by it. I had been at work (at a bookstore) when one of my co-workers told me the news. For a long time after that day, I was terrified every time I heard or saw a plane fly overhead. I lived near an airport at the time, and what had once been an everyday sound now sent me into a panic.

I am a highly empathic person, and being acutely aware of the emotional state of literally everyone around me, I often became completely overwhelmed in the months following. I was like many who couldn't turn off the television or stop watching. Since then, I've pretty much stopped paying attention to the news altogether.

In 2008, I built a smaller revision of the installation at ArthOle (a collaborative Second Life gallery that I shared with Steve Millar (aka Arahan Claveau).

Building the installation helped to purge me of any remaining trauma I had in the wake of 9/11. Now that a decade has passed, I just want to, finally, be over it for good. It happened, it was awful, it was sad, it was a tragedy. It's over now. I want September 11th to be just another ordinary day again. I don't WANT to keep unearthing the trauma and wallowing in it for fucking ever. I don't know why the fuck the majority of Americans do. Getting on with life is not a disservice to the dead.

A wise friend of mine, Bau, recently posted a spot-on update to Facebook, and with hir permission, I am sharing it here:

Not memorializing 9/11. Not turning on the radio or TV until tomorrow.

The more we memorialize the date with emotional displays and rhetoric, the more we show how much it harmed us psychologically and how much we have been driven by it ever since. And that's the wrong thing to do.

Anybody that ever got beat up by sadistic bullies as a kid would know this. You don't let them see you cry any more than strictly necessary. You don't, the next year, announce that, because of them, you pay a taxi instead of walking home, and you don't, five years later, notify them that you still have nightmares about what they did. You certainly don't, after ten years, contrive little public ceremonies where you display your scars and remind your tormentors of how effective they were.

I grieved the rescue workers who got killed trying to help, the police and EMTs and firefighters, because even though I did not know them, they are "mine" in the sense that they are "ours" -- they were the kind of people that try to help everybody, and everybody therefore has a connection to them. And I recognize the grief of the people who lost loved ones.

But that is individual feeling and individual harm. As a *nation* (and the *nation* was, after all, the target!!) with as big a population as we have, the *number* of people that died was insignificant. The harm to our infrastructure was negligible. Prolonging and exaggerating the emotional elevation of that harm is irrational and counterproductive.

The orchestrated conflation of mourning and patriotism surrounding 9/11 has accomplished no good in the past ten years that I have seen.

It has, however, served to fuel hatred against Muslims and fearful compliance with useless, expensive security measures, and slavish concession to the Patriot Acts which did violence to our Constitution. That was, indeed, a harm to our nation, and we did it to ourselves.

In my opinion we as a nation should have acted as if we hardly noticed the damages of 9/11 and we should have hardly ever mentioned that it was done by "Muslims". It was done by theocratic extremists.

If we really want to disempower them, we should stop re-enacting their drama for them. By overreacting and continuing to overreact to those events, we have been doing their work for them, ever since.

Exactly. And with that, I am off to get ready for work.

Art Patronage Wanted

2011-09-02T12:39:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, I have a part-time retail job. I'm absolutely grateful to have it, especially because of the health/dental insurance and other benefits I get, but it barely pays the bills. In the past few months, I have been working hard to get my art career really going. Unfortunately, there are a lot of expenses associated with it -- materials, entrance fees, transportation costs, etc. -- sadly, it takes money to make money. I have been dipping into my savings fund (which was originally started to save up for a car), and it is dwindling, but I have a lot of things to prepare in order to be ready for Open Studios Hartford in early November. I have the potential to get a LOT of good exposure and to make a lot of sales. I have a few paintings to sell, and I can make prints and postcards of my drawings. I'm working on making a mold of the Bunnyken head too, and can make various sculptures and art dolls based on that. (I'm also totally open to suggestions about what to make/sell. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!)

Here are some of my upcoming expenses:

-- Business cards
-- Printing costs for art prints
-- Mats and frames
~~-- Website costs (Going to pick up a .com soon and have a REAL website, not just a blog)~~ - DONE!
-- More molding material to fill the other half of the Bunnyken casting (I underestimated and didn't buy enough the first time I ordered it)
-- Plastic/resin or other materials for filling the finished mold
~~-- New folio to archive new drawings~~ - DONE!

If you can find it in your heart to donate something, ANYTHING, even a few bucks, I would seriously be eternally grateful. For anyone who donates $5 or more, I will send you a print of your choice of ANY of my drawings and a thank-you note. I have a Paypal site where you can donate directly. You don't have to have a Paypal account, just a credit card or debit card will do.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=ZALQ6JJ9TWTRY

I hope to make enough of an income someday from my art to be able to support myself, but I've got a LONG way to go and a LOT of work to do until then. I'm on my way, but it's going to take awhile. I love you all for your encouragement and support. Art means everything to me.

Want to buy: nebulosus.com

2011-09-01T22:11:00.002-04:00

I want to set up an official .com website soon, but the domain name I want, nebulosus.com, is not available. However, it IS for sale. Anyone out there familiar with the process of buying a domain? A link to the information is here:

http://whois.domaintools.com/nebulosus.com

My art on deviantART

2011-09-01T15:03:00.003-04:00

I recently created a deviantART page and have slowly been uploading things over there. Check it out! Friend me there if you have an account yourself.

New drawing -- goal reached.

2011-08-31T18:26:00.002-04:00

Hand Study
Pencil, Ballpoint pen, and unknown substance on paper
Approx. 8.5 in. x 11 in.
(2011)

The hand was sketched in pencil first. The rest of the drawing was completely improvised, straight in ink.

This drawing completes the folio I had started sometime in mid-June. My goal was to fill it by August 31, 2011. I did have a head start on it, filling it about halfway with drawings I had previously completed.

New drawing

2011-08-31T04:00:00.003-04:00

Panspermia (Spiritchaser)
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 11 in X 8.5 in.
(2011)

Broken

2011-08-29T15:19:00.004-04:00

It gets to a point in your life when you realize you are too fucked up to fix yourself or to be fixed by anything or anyone. And that your brokenness will prevent you from the things you really want, because you are too defective, and that will thwart and destroy the things you desire. It's like some kind of infectious disease. You will destroy the things you desire or love simply by touching them. The rot will spread and disintegrate everything.

From all the mistakes and mishaps and setbacks and pain and misfortune and heartbreak I have been through, I hoped and wished I could have at least learned something from it. The only thing I've learned is bitterness.

New drawing

2011-08-29T13:18:00.000-04:00

Phantom Limb
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 5.5 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

Fortune Cookie roundup

2011-08-25T21:18:00.004-04:00

I've been amassing Fortune Cookie fortunes on my desk for some reason or other, and some of them have had somewhat wise things to say:

Only the person who risks is truly free.

Have a vision. Be demanding.

This is a good time to consider formally helping others.

Awaken your divine nature within.

If you promise someone something, keep it.

Understanding the nature of change, changes the nature.

What is right is often forgotten by what is convenient.

The truth always shines through.

And then, there was this one:

"To rule with virtue is like the North Star has it place in the sky."

Amazing.

New drawing

2011-08-25T02:08:00.000-04:00

Cut and Clear
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 8.5 in. x 11 in.
(2011)

Business card test designs

2011-08-18T21:54:00.003-04:00

Going to get business cards printed soon, finally. Here are my first attempts at the design:

Front

Back

**Revision

New drawing

2011-08-17T05:03:00.000-04:00

Hovering Above
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 5.5 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

New drawing

2011-08-16T05:16:00.001-04:00

Galactic Cannibalism
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 5.5 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

New drawing

2011-08-15T00:22:00.001-04:00

Thrust
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 8.5 in. x 11 in.
(2011)

Four new drawings

2011-08-11T14:43:00.004-04:00

Done while visiting my dear friends in Wisconsin.

Fracture I
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 8.5 in. x 5.5 in.
(2011)

Fracture II
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 8.5 in. x 5.5 in.
(2011)

Fracture III
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 8.5 in. x 5.5 in.
(2011)

Fracture IV
Ballpoint pen and felt-tip marker on paper
Approx. 8.5 in. x 5.5 in.
(2011)

Financial struggles

2011-08-11T13:02:00.006-04:00

I have several canvases for sale and REALLY need the money - I have overdue bills that have REALLY piled up...! Please have a look at my Etsy shop.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Nebulosus

I also accept donations via Paypal! Money received helps me to keep my art projects going, to pay my bills, etc. -- Thank you in advance!!

Flight.

2011-08-08T20:37:00.000-04:00

Just survived (mentally, emotionally) my first plane ride EVER. In Detroit now, came from Milwaukee. Gonna be heading home to CT in a couple of hours. I think I am gonna have a beer.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Destination

2011-08-05T03:27:00.000-04:00

I can't even remember what time we arrived. Was it 11 pm or midnight? We're on Central Time here, so that has me a bit disoriented. In the span of about 1,000 miles, we didn't get stuck in traffic at all except for the last 10 miles or so - fucking figures, right? But we got here in one piece and I am relieved on multiple levels.

I'll spend the next few days hanging out with some near & dear friends, some I've met several times, some who are new to me. There will be music and food and non-specific funtime hanging out.

Then, the next phase of my journey begins. But more on that later. Time for me to pass the fuck out. Peace.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Chicago.

2011-08-04T22:14:00.000-04:00

Just passing through. Will be in Milwaukee soon-ish.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

On the road, part 2

2011-08-04T19:10:00.000-04:00

Frequent stops today for rehydration (and the resulting restroom breaks). It's warm, not hot, but miles and miles on the road are draining.

It's so flat out here. Currently, we are in Indiana, less than 150 miles to Chicago. Almost nothing but miles and miles of farmland as far as the eye can see, puncuated by occasional trees and barns and homes.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

On the road

2011-08-04T00:59:00.000-04:00

Today (or rather yesterday, since it is now technically Thursday), I set out on the first leg of a journey that would seem perhaps simple to most people, but a huge challenge to me.

I have not traveled more than a hundred or so miles from home since I was 12 years old. I am 35 now.

Today alone, my traveling companion and I have driven over 500 miles, I think. We have that much and more to travel tomorrow before we reach our destination in the suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

I have also never traveled for very far with anyone who wasn't a very close friend or family member. My traveling companion for this trip is a dear friend who I've known for about 4 years, but have only met in the flesh for the first time late Tuesday night. We spent much of our time on the road discussing topics like the interconnectedness of all things, and whether jellyfish have the mental capacity to make choices, and other matters of life and love and wonder.

It was at some point passing through New York state, after the rains had cleared up a bit and the sun was blindingly bright, that I realized that this is a huge spiritual journey for me on a personal, emotional level. I'm not simply going to visit friends, I am going to help find myself. Two years ago, even ONE year ago, I would not have had the bravery to overcome my anxieties to make this journey. Even now, I am a bit scared.

From my hotel room in Erie, PA - goodnight, world. I'll keep you posted.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Test post.

2011-08-02T03:39:00.000-04:00

Test.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Last chance to see 'Soul Mending'

2011-08-01T15:48:00.004-04:00

I will be taking down my Second Life installation Soul Mending on Tuesday, August 9th, 2011.

I have no plans to set it up anywhere else, so this will be the last chance to experience it.

Teleport here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SaliMar/63/65/87

New art piece in new gallery show

2011-07-31T13:50:00.004-04:00

At 6 pm yesterday evening, I started work on a new project.

As of 11 am today, it is hanging in the Salacious group show (at the Gallery at the Wauregan in Norwich, CT).

I pulled an all-nighter and somehow managed to get it done. Took less than 36 hours from concept to completion. No idea how the hell.

I'm not crazy about the piece, but I've lost most of my cognitive function at this point anyway so I have lost any capacity to have an objective viewpoint about it.

Title: Physical
Year: 2011
Dimensions: approx. 20 in. X 50 in.
Media: Mixed Media / Canvas

Anyway, it'll be here until August 27th. The opening reception is on Friday, August 5, 2011, 6-9 PM. I won't be able to attend since I will be on holiday.

More pics here:

http://www.flickr.com//photos/nebulosus_severine/sets/72157627199615187/show/

Facebook fan page

2011-07-30T03:21:00.001-04:00

I now have public Facebook art page, for anyone who is interested in following my work there!

http://www.facebook.com/nebulosus.severine

New drawing

2011-07-24T13:10:00.000-04:00

Untitled
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 5.5 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

New drawing

2011-07-22T01:34:00.001-04:00

Untitled
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 11 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

Shrug

2011-07-22T00:48:00.001-04:00

Oftentimes, it doesn't matter how much you want something to happen, or want something NOT to happen; you're not going to get what you want no matter how much your soul and heart and guts cry out for it. Sometimes you just have to shrug and walk away and keep on living because what else is there to do, really?

3 new drawings

2011-07-18T21:58:00.001-04:00

Scatter the Ashes
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 8.5 in. x 5.5 in.
(2011)

Untitled
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 11 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)

Sunday Night, Descending
Ballpoint pen on paper
Approx. 11 in. x 8.5 in.
(2011)