Thursday, November 4, 2010

Today I am grateful for...


IMAG0004.jpg, originally uploaded by Libby's World.

My friend Elizabeth. Elizabeth is an incredible person, artist, business person and most importantly, friend. This incredible paper sculpture (It is so beyond that I can't even tell you) was a gift this year for my birthday. Everything down to the flag on the bike was personalized for me. To have someone know you this well is truly a gift. Elizabeth, today I am grateful for you.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Today I am grateful for...

I am a few days late getting started on this but I just visited Lisa over at her 'Curious Girl' blog. I was very inspired by her 'Today I am grateful for' project she is doing during the month of November. As I have been a little lax in the blogging department, I am going to let Lisa inspire me and join her in posting something I am grateful for everyday during November. Thanks Lisa! Today I am grateful for....

My little Zombie Jane. 

Thanks for the inspiration Lisa!

How can this...


Structure, originally uploaded by Libby's World.

and this be within a half an hour of each other?


The road taken, originally uploaded by Libby's World.

I am amazed by the NYC area. Here we are barreling down the Taconic state parkway and in an hour we will be strolling through the lower East side?

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Art on the Avenue in Del Ray!


What a beautiful day we had in Del Ray this past weekend at Art on the Avenue! It was my first craft show and we had a fabulous time! A special thanks to my friend Elizabeth (yes, there are two of us) who you see in the above photo enjoying a plate of vegetable biryani from the great food vendors. She came up from North Carolina to help me and I will never be able to thank her enough!



We had great charms and baubles with bracelets and necklaces to put them on. I don't think one person left without having something customized, which is just the way I like it!


We also had some great monsters like Mr. Olive above and his friends below. Each monster came with his own life story in a little book so their new families will know how they like to roll. Mr. Olive was adopted by a wonderful family and I know he has a great road ahead of him!


Our first one eyed monster Ulysses was also adopted by a loving woman who left with a smile almost as big as Ulysses'!


Gentle little Iris, simple in her ways, won people over with her love of dance and her tutu!


This is where I spent most of my time, creating one of a kind pieces for one and for all. I can't wait for the next show! In the mean time don't forget to check the etsy shop, it will be back up and fully stocked by the end of the week! Thanks to everyone who helped make the day such a success!



Thursday, September 9, 2010

Lately I Have Become Obsessed With Graffiti.


Banksy, originally uploaded by Ben Heine.

It can have a sense of humour and make a statement at the same time.


One Nation Under CCTV, originally uploaded by Herschell Hershey.

It can be simple....

Or intricate


GRAFFITI ART, originally uploaded by endraum.

It can take a boring place and make it special.

It can be a medium that bring artists together in the same place.

It can turn the everyday into a party.


Graffiti (Recife Antigo), originally uploaded by Omar Junior.

Trains have a long history of being intertwined with Graffiti artists. Artists will tag and re-tag the same trains. Are they just defiling the trains, or are they adding to the trains story and beauty, chronicling where the trains have been and the people they have interacted with. What do you think?


Hmil BKF, originally uploaded by All Seeing.

This reminds me of a modern day Virgin de Guadalupe.


Velho chico da bahia, originally uploaded by anandanahu.

Do you think of this as graffiti?


The optimist, originally uploaded by mathiole.

How does someone do this? I wish I could take a class in how to handle a sraypaint can.


I'm singing in the rain I, originally uploaded by flavita.valsani.

And I Love the colors in this one...Even if I don't really know what it is! What do you think of graffiti?


Graffitti Art, originally uploaded by danakay.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

One of my favorite things is walking along...

and having an image like this catch my eye. All of a sudden the ordinary becomes extraordinary. The right combination of colors comes together and it is like a chord has been strummed on a guitar, it comes together and harmonizes in a way that moves me. I can't help but stop and look, taking in the details.

Find the color in your everyday life. Stop looking at the traffic and see the color in it.


Transito, originally uploaded by just what you see.

The subtle color of this Octopus and his home set the stage for the little pops of red that are my favorite part of this work.


Blue Octopus, originally uploaded by Rhys Alton.

Only something as funny as this little guy could tear my eyes away from the color of the sky behind him.

And I love this illuminated wall of color.


IMG_1057+, originally uploaded by ikakun20.

Friday, August 20, 2010

I just loved this photo and I needed one to go with the post below!

my love for you is a stampede of horses.

I just had to do a quick post about this wonderful blog I happened upon my love for you is a stampede of horses. It does in such a bigger way what I try to do with Libby's World. The diversity of work that you are exposed to on this blog is huge. So follow the above link, enjoy and let your creativity run wild!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Who knew that this...


P1010002, originally uploaded by Libby's World.
Was really made up of...

This.


P1010003, originally uploaded by Libby's World.
I happened upon this great sculpture earlier in the year when we had a day out for Jim's birthday.
 Lately, I have found a lot of things in my life that I am encountering look like one thing from afar, but when I get closer and take the time to really look at something 
I have been finding nice little surprises waiting for me. Now if I could only find a paint swatch the color of that 'club soda' bottle cap.

Monday, August 16, 2010

This Was Just a Strange Place.

Recently Jim and the girls and I made the pilgrimage to Baltimore to the home of Edgar
Allen Poe. Grace is a huge fan and we had to go not only to his house
but to his grave as well. We drove by the house on our first pass and 
mistook it for a place one might buy....well to be exact, crack. We finally realized we were in
the right place and we were buzzed in by the sole employee and I'm assuming founder
of the EAP museum. We were lucky that the man was not dressed as Poe, several 
videos being shown on the premises let us know this was one of his
favorite pastimes. Other than him, I found this to be a little strange.


Where did they go? I suspect the Poe wanna be running the place may have taken them
to some laboratory to attempt to clone Poe. Alas, that is not to be as Poe lies here...



waiting for his birthday, when every year some mysterious person leaves a snifter of brandy and
a red rose on Poe's grave.    Gee, I wonder who that could be.    Well, at least
the Poe guy is following his passion and living his dream
We should all be so lucky!

Saturday, August 14, 2010

BlogHer 2010....Better Late Than Never?



Not that I am showing off, but there will be some name dropping in this post. I recently travelled with my blogging partner in crime Anne Marie of Military Martha to New York City, this year's home of BlogHer 10. There were lessons and lectures but most of all there were parties. And on that note...



Yes, that is the queen of domesticity, non other than the grand dame of 'Good Things' Ms. Martha Stewart. Now, let's be clear right off the bat. This was an invite only party and I did not have an invite. Would I let a little detail like that stop me? Anne Marie had an invite, I had to get in too. This it where it becomes clear that sometimes stalking does pay off. I had launched an all out campaign on Twitter to get an invite. Martha's people were SO familiar with my name that they thought they had invited me. I'm going with the theory that they did and I somehow missed that email (even though I was checking my inbox on an hourly basis waiting for it) and that I am not really a Martha Stewart party crasher. No matter how I got in, it was worth it!




After we walked through Martha's New York headquarters, a beautiful industrial building with 360* views on the Hudson river, we were handed champagne and entered this gauntlet of loveliness.




I'm still wondering if this woman was a prop or an actual blogger. Her dress matched a little too well. I could see Martha hiring people to stand around and match the decor.




When we finally got into the real inner sanctum, this heavily tattooed, vegan, Martha fan took a picture of MY tattoo. I wonder if Martha has a tattoo? Maybe of a chow chow or a French bull dog, or "It's a Good Thing" right above her a&$. It was great to meet so many different people at the martha party. The owner of this beautiful artwork blogs here at Pink Velvet Bird. Check it out. While chatting and wildly gesticulating, I of course almost had to trash the place when my large man hands almost took out this...




lovely Oreo wedding cake that I know Martha herself must have taken hours to build. Crisis was averted when my tattooed buddy grabbed my hand, averting disaster. 




While these were an example of very attractive party bags, I am glad to report this is NOT what we left with. Martha and her people were very generous and every blogger left loaded down with not one, but two tote bags full of loot, ranging from magazines, to hole punches, to paint and more! Thank you Martha!

Our next stop was The AOL Daily Kitchen party, featuring Jim's favorite Top Chef Master, Marcus Samuelson.




Here we got to watch Marcus cook, taste Marcus' food, get pedicures and drink martinis. Oh, and they had the best bathroom in town.




We had a great time at Blogher. The partying slowed down after the first night. We continued to hobnob with the celebrities. We met Mrs. Potato Head, the Pilsbury Dough Boy, and Tamara of The Real Housewives of OC fame, just to name a few. 
It was incredible to be surrounded by so many talented women. Women who are writers, photographers, activists, chefs, techies, doctors, health specialists, lawyers, mothers, meat eaters, vegans and everything in between. I came away from the weekend with a fire lit under me, to be true to myself and to share that truth with the world!
But the best part of all...




Was spending time with my brother. In the end, no brush with celebrity can trump family! 
(I know this picture is smaller and poor quality but it is the most important one in the post!)

Friday, July 23, 2010

THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI

One person can make a difference and we never know who is doing the helping. The Cats of Mirikitani, is a moving documentary about Jimmy Mirikitani a homeless artist in NYC.

We follow Jimmy and a woman as they befriend each other and their lives are forever intertwined as they experience September 11, 2001 and the changes it brings to their lives and their relationship.

Jimmy shares his lifelong love of art that has seen him through Japanese internment camps in California, as well as his world wise views on a post September 11th world. A need to help him along in the world rewards his female companion with a lifelong friendship with a man who needed her help as much as she needed his.

Treat yourself to a summer movie afternoon. Draw the shades and watch the Cats of Mirikitani. You won't be the same after the credits roll.

Independent Lens | THE CATS OF MIRIKITANI | PBS

 

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

DC Rollergirls at the DC Armory

Yes, I have been away for awhile. I have been in training....I have a try out on Friday to enter a roller derby boot camp. Stop laughing! I'll keep you posted.

Creative stuff tomorrow---I promise. Off to practice!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

My fixation on Gaudi


Casa Mila La Pedrera, originally uploaded by vgm8383.

Several years ago Sarah (eldest daughter) and I took a little holiday weekend to Barcelona. The official goal was to brush up on our Spanish. The actual goal became to ingest as much of Antonio Gaudi's world as possible in three days.

If I could crawl inside of anyone's brain for a day, it would be this revolutionary architect. I can't fathom having his vision, let alone actually bringing it to life and leaving it as a gift for those who have come behind him.

Check your expectations at the door and enter a small corner of the world of Gaudi.

Deep breath.....Heaven!


gaudi gaudi gaudi, originally uploaded by Mr. Mark.

How does this get from brain to paper to reality?


Gaudí details.-, originally uploaded by ancama_99(toni).

How did these people get in my house?