I'm Back!

Spent some time in Arkansas with my parents. They are doing well, thank you!

You can see this sign in the Las Vegas airport. I was both surprised and disconcerted by it, but hope it will be as ineffective as the sign I saw on the LBCC campus yesterday:

Hope you are having a good day!

All Our Good Wishes Focus On Japan

The Great Wave Off Kanagawa

by Hokusia Katsushika, 1760-1849

These Just In...

Advanced screenprinters have finished Project 2, which involves using found or cut shapes with photo-emulsion to create nonobjective images. I think their results are stunning...

Sam Buenrostro

Melvin Mantanona

Amy Caves

Pablo Sandoval

Noah Gonzalez

Noah Gonzalez

"My Kid Could Do That"

A painting by Cy Twombly, one of my

 favorite abstract artists.

Researchers at Boston College conducted a study in which art students and non-experts were asked to judge which painting was better in each of a series of two in which one was created by a professional artist and the other was created by a child or animal. Even when  labels were reversed, participants preferred the professional abstract painting. So, it is more true that "my kid couldn't do that."

Today's Visit Was a Shocker

One of my favorite haunts in Long Beach is the local Fabric Barn, where they feature aisles and aisles of  gorgeous ribbons offered at deeply discounted prices. You can buy a yard or the whole spool. Fill a bag without emptying the coin purse.

THINGS HAVE CHANGED! All those aisles are gone. I couldn't even find the ribbon section and had to ask! But I still managed to come away with some great finds in happy spring colors.

So, happy, colorful spring to you, too! It's almost here.

KU BEATS MIZZOU 70 TO 66!!!

A Funny Story About My Aunt Janet

A few months after my aunt became a widow ten years ago, she realized she needed a new car. Uncle Bob had done the car shopping for them, so this project could have been daunting. Yet Janet embraced it. She bought a bunch of car magazines and read up on styles, mileage comparisons and emissions reports. And in a month, she'd successfully negotiated for a new Toyota matrix, naming it "Mr Zippy." This all happened just before Christmas that year.

She proudly drove Mr. Zippy to a club meeting during the first week of ownership. It was the annual Christmas party and the president opened the celebration with the question, "What would you like for Christmas?" and asked Janet to go first.

Janet said, "Well! I'm glad you asked! I want a front license plate for my new car that says 'Mr. Zippy.' I want a bright red one with big letters that show up really well. I want the letters to be white, but yellow would be a good second choice." And she went on and on about the importance of getting this thing just right and then ended with, "So, that is what I want for Christmas and I'm telling everyone that's what I want to make sure I get it."

The president thanked her and moved to the next person, who said, "I want world peace." And then everyone else said the same thing.

Janet loved telling this story on herself.

Sad News

My beloved aunt, Janet Carpenter, died this morning. She knew last week, at the end of a hospital stay with lots of tests, that she would go soon and chose to be home for her last days. She was surrounded with family and friends and many phone visits from those of us who were far away.

I'll miss her tremendously.