Daylight and it’s hidden secrets

I had a chance, before preview, to take a few shots so the folks who can’t come…can see what makes up this years Halloween theme. This is esecially for Yumiko, an Artist from Anuvue Studio & Gallery, who had brain surgery and is at home recovering. High five and big hug Yumi!
This was a very “Green Friendly” year in that most everything is being recycled in some form. What the kids and adults see at night is created with blacklight paint, extremely minute details that they may never noticed,and a bit of mystery. Here’s a sneak peek in the daylight.

The entrance was made from recycled plywood, donated by our friend Gary, used previously for cement work. It was painted from the “not the right color” section of our local hardware store. I thought it was strange, every time I showed up, they had another can of practically the same color…I swear I have Halloween angels at work

This is the view as you enter.

I simply could not resist these clear tubes… You are looking at command central, where the ship is controlled…and every kid in the neighborhood wants to fly. All the neato controls were gifted by my neighbor Greg who works for KOCE. The channel was clearing out allot of outdated gadgets…just in time for a spacecraft. The edging on the desk is actually the stuff they put along lawns… sprayed silver. I think it looks like metal and is very spacey.

Do not touch signs are an absolute must bring the “touching” down to only “minimal madness”.

What a ship without a lab of bubbling jars with strange things. These aliens are cloning humans…with aliens. I love the doll heads so much, they are going in my house when this is over. They fit perfectly into the washing machine overflow tray I found

Fred and Ethel diligently in their tubes…along with a new 2 headed offspring. All the dials are old hairspray, paint and misc. lids with dial stickers. Anything white glares in the blacklight so they look quite real. All the tubes are cardboard that’s been mitered and heck, there’s even some cookie trays and mac computer box inserts painted silver up there.

Tonight, after second preview night, I’ll take some shots so you can see the transformation at night. We had about 100 guests on Thursday night. One boy was so cute in his hotdog costume. I love bringing the kids in to see the candy and watch their frustration of how to pick just one. With all the do not touch signs, one little boy kept whining “Dad, I can’t touch anything…DADDDDDD, I can’t touch anything…finally I let him touch some of the keyboards on the center table with the baby heads. The next thing I know there are 5 little boys jumping up and down, all trying to all touch the keyboard, all shouting “I want to touch it” !
I asked my friend Jamie to be the “don’t touch” person in the room. She raised 2 kids and her costume has a sword…;)

A spaceship in the making

It all started with a cardboard tube…yep. Someone at work was tossing it out about 3 months ago and I said “Hey, let me see that”. From there people began to save me tubes. Small, medium, large, gigantic. With that one tube, the idea of a spaceship popped right into my head. I think people are afraid to throw out anything before showing me now

…and from there…well…

Fluorescent painted tubes are being added to the custom wooden walls and ceiling. The grey walls are trimmed with strips of cardboard to give the appearance of panels. Then each strip has silver tack heads showing to lk like rivets.

Colored tubes that light up with blacklight…and yes, they all have been mitered! They are first nail gunned with strapping material and then they have connectors added between the areas joined. We cut strips from some foam insulation tubing. It all looks very spacey! I love using things made for something else!

The “Heavy” ship door made from swapmeet finds. The holes will eventually have fluorescent paint coming through to “light up”.

Making space rocks starts with chicken wire. This should bring back memories Kathy…

Bella paper mache’s for the first time.

and Cody helps with great enthusiasm.

Marina puts a second coat on the pipes to make sure they really glow.

Command Central coming along…(some of the aliens are extremely lazy)

Mike and Mitch (the Brothers Grim) build the entrance.
Look closely and you’ll notice an extra piece of wood holding the arch panels. They made me a template of paper (2′x8′) and said “you can only use 1/2 of the sheet of plywood. Well naturally I used all of it! The circular area cut away made a nice extension at the back. I knew they thought I make one piece, but hey, it was too narrow! Then the pieces were primered in grey and will soon be painted shiny silver.

Halloween Update

It is October 6th as I write this and the Halloween Team is well on their way to making another event come alive. This year has been extremely challenging (with funds at an all time low) but where there’s a will, there’s always a way…One must really use all the free resources available, be able to whine and beg convincingly and be ready with an extra creative noggin. I’m applying mine as best as I can and have a clear vision of what it will look like. Normally I have a schematic drawing of the set and the Brothers Grim build to that. This year it’s all in my head so the directing is crucial. I probably should have been shooting as the walls went up but I was very busy yelling so things all get done properly. I promise photos very soon. Saturday, the volunteer children slaves will be here to help. Excellent! I will put them to work at paper mache’ rocks, painting tubes and knobs with blacklight paint…and hey, maybe one of them can make me a sandwich at lunchtime!

You know, one thing I’ve learned this year…never buy any candy too soon before THE DAY, even if it’s on sale for a really great price…because dollars to donuts… you’ll eat it!

Raina Colvin

Recently, a friend of a friend (thank you Dan) was introduced to me through the webwaves. I took a look at the work of Raina Colvin through her beautifully designed, totally clean and uncluttered website and found myself immediately ooohing and ahhhing. I thought I would share this talented woman’s gift with all of you, still keeping one foot in the art world, via virtual gallery.

I should let you know I did liberate her biography (heck people…it was already typed!) from her website and the questions came from Red Ravine. (ybonesy and QuoinMonkey are more “Steinbeck” and I tend to lean towards “Bombeck”). Now all I have to do is sit back, enjoy the mesmerizing quality of Raina’s work and delete any spam comments!

Anuvue Studio proudly welcomes the Fine Art of Raina Colvin.

Raina Carman was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Being three months old when her family moved to Southern California, Raina has spent the majority of her life in California. Her interest and skill as an artist was evident from the time she could hold a pencil. As a child Raina found great pleasure in drawing. It was an excellent way for her to learn about the world around her.

At twenty, Raina began her formal education in art at El Camino College. There she found a wonderful community of fellow students and artists eager to develop themselves and their art work. Through this community, Raina found work first as a children’s art instructor. Later she found work as color separator at Morrosstudio making limited edition serigraphs. The process of recreating another artist’s work and analyzing the colors to mix each one for printing was an invaluable experience. After three years, Raina left Morrosstudios to study with several private teachers and to explore her own approach to creating art. This began a time where painting outside in nature was Raina’s passion. The Santa Monica Mountains were a particularly favorite place to roam with her watercolors in her backpack.

In 1993, Raina moved from Redondo Beach to north county San Diego. Establishing her own studio Raina felt it was time to allow her art work to be her own. At this time Raina began to explore her inner landscape, working with mandalas as a template. As her art life developed Raina began a career in the healing arts as a massage therapist and soon began to teach massage at Healing Hands School of Holistic Health. Raina finds great reward and inspiration teaching massage. She feels very blessed to have the ability to paint, draw and express her art freely. Raina is now Raina Carman Colvin and lives with her husband and all their critters in Valley Center, surrounded and shaded by the many oaks that populate their home.

How long have you been painting?

I’ve been drawing ever since I can remember. I started painting in 1982 when I began studying at El Camino College.

1. Transformational Goddess
2. Fluidity
3. Full Breath
4. Radiating Heat
5. Dynamic Balance
6. Oceanids

Mandalas

How has your work evolved over time?

Drawing has always been a way from me to observe the world around me. Throughout my adolesence, drawing was the only way I was interested in expressing myself. As I began college my focus was drawing and painting, working from life. I spent a lot of time in the life drawing studio as well as outside painting plien air with watercolors. After I left college I went to work as a color seperator. This really helped move my understanding of color to a greater level. All the work I did was all by hand, separating the images to be printed and mixing each color. When I left my position as color seperator at Morrosstudios I was very prepared to explore my own vision. I began studying under Don Blaisdell’s in Topanga Canyon. With Don I focused on plein air landscape. This was when I finaly understood watercolor on a visceral level and began painting in ernest in the Santa Monica mountians. My next big leap occurred the following year when in took an “Artist Transformation” course with Linda Jacobson through UCLA extension. I had many eye-opening experiences in this class. I discovered a passion for working with mandalas. By painting mandalas I learned to tap into my subconscious, work with my inner conflicts and look at my internal processes. I began to divide my time working from life and with my inner landscapes.

Who are your influences?

My parents were and are strong individualists who taught me to think and act following my own sensibilities. My teachers at El Camino College and those who I sought out helped me with the mechanics of visual art. They guided me expand my bounderies and grow my understanding. Both my teachers and my life experiences have shaped who I am as a person and as an artist.

Oil Paintings
1. Family Nova
2. Malibu Flood 1

What living artist do you admire most?

I don’t really follow many living artists. I can only think of Alex Grey, Helen Nelson-Reed and Laurie Anderson. Most of the artist I admire are now dead.

What drives your art.

Creating art is the most successful way for me to make sense of the world. When idle I’m restless with a need to create. Art brings me peace. I feel satisfaction when I have communicated my intent. Art is what I use to understand myself and find deeper meanings of the connections that bring us together.

Landscape
1. Old Castle Ranch

What messages are in your art?

I hope to kindle a passion for life, encourage exploration of mysteries, expose how fear shapes our lives and the beauty that is everywhere.

Where do you go for inspiration?

I get inspiration from dreams and life experiences. Sometimes I explore themes like numbers, colors or ideas. Sometimes I just get a bug in my ear to do… whatever.

Innerscapes
1. Green Man
2. Dance of life
3. Three Graces
4. Mysteries of Birth

How old were you when you knew you wanted to be an artist?

As a child with dyslexia I found it painful to be anything else. It was an outlet for my passions and the only thing that earned me praise.

Where do the themes in your work come from?

I work from life because I have a passion for it. I love to commune with nature. I also love to see the underlying patterns that connect us all – numbers, symbols and events. I like to observe the similarities in my experiences of nature, human interaction and whatever else is happening in my life. I choose to be captivated by the magic that surrounds me and express it in my work.

To view more of Raina’s work, please visit her website

To purchase, please see her detailed price list for inventory still available.

Our thanks to Raina for allowing Anuvue to exhibit and share her work and inspiration!

Chiura Obata’s wisdom

There is a new Ken Burns documentary coming out at the end of the month about our National Parks and the people who were instrumental in saving them for generations to come… I was very lucky to have a sneak preview.

Chira Obata was one of these rare and gifted people and this particular remark (or a portion from it) hit home with me. He was speaking about Yosemite National Park.

… the coyotes howl in the distance, in the mid sky the moon is arcing, all the trees are standing here and there, and it is very quiet. You can learn from the teachings within this quietness. …Some people teach by speeches, some by talking, but I think it is important that you are taught by silence.” I, too, think you can learn a lot from silence…

Chiura Obata

Angel Face

I saw this young girl the other day. She had the sweetest smile and the face of an angel. She was without tattoos, make-up or teenage attitude.
I don’t know about you but I think we should clone her.

Magically Delicious

Ok, I admit it. I am a charmaholic. I have been eating Lucky Charms since they came out in 1964. Granted, for the first 5 years, I only ate the magic marshmallows. For years my Father could never figure out why “his” cereal never seemed to have any “Charms”. Little did he know, after leaving for another hard day at work, the old oak table was covered in nasty toasted oats while busy hands sifted through… carefully gathering up all that magical goodness. In my teens, I finally succumbed to eating the oats. I found them tolerable…as long as the charms were there to sweeten the deal. As an adult, now I seek out the largest box on earth. Last month I was so excited to find a 1lb, 8oz (28oz) box on sale for 3 bucks. Tonight (OMG) 2lbs, 12 oz (44 oz) of goodness! I was so proud I shot a picture next to my teapot (the only thing in my kitchen that gets used beside a cereal bowl) so you could share in both my happiness and the sheer enormity of the box.

An advertising agency convinced General Mills in 62 to create a cereal for kids based on a charm bracelet and all these years later…the legend lives on. The original 64 charms were pink heart, yellow moons, orange stars and green clovers. I can remember the jingle. The blue diamonds were added in 75, purple horseshoes in 84, red balloon in 89, rainbows in 92, pots of gold in 94, leprechaun hats in 96, shooting stars in 98 and the hourglass in 2008 while others were removed.

Oh and the Leprechaun mascot, Lucky (also known as Sir Charms and originally called L.C. Leprechaun) was born in 1963 and now has his buddy Emerald Elder.

Another Visit

Some of you know I’ve been battling some very persistent skin cancer on my left cheek (no, the one on my face). Today was my meeting with the plastic surgeon. Naturally I was curious since my Doctor is from Newport Beach, the plastic surgery capital of the world. Thank God for good insurance (even as it runs out). Little did I think I would ever be in a plastic surgeon’s office…ever!

I knew the place was close to work, but realizing it was my first visit, I figured the polite/smart thing to do was to arrive 15 minute early. I made my Internet driving map (when will I ever learn) and found it to be about 10 minutes away. I got in my car with a cool 30 minutes to spare. I started on my way and realized right away…I was outta gas. That big annoying gas can light showing up in my face, glowing from the dash. I have a problem remembering about gas. The car needs it. I forget it about it. Not the best combination. Isn’t that what husbands are for? I decided to chance it. I took off and it was at some point up the road I noticed the name of the street on the map had an additional SE (south east) attached. Well, I knew where the road with the name “Bristol” was…but hell, how did I know there was a N, S, SE, SW, NE and God knows what other streets criss-crossing like a heated chess match. I started to freak out because not only had I left my dang cell phone on my desk…(apparently I have some issues I need to address) but the last time I ran out of gas…a friend from work had to rescue me off the freeway offramp…and he brought a camera to make sure he got a good shot of my dilemma before the gas was handed over. So… I pulled in to Chevron to maintain my dignity.

After an enormously long time, the tank and I were on a first name basis and I had only 14 minutes left. Oh so many Norths, Souths, etc. to choose from. I took another chance. Hey, I am a Sagitarius. I found a parking lot with a maze of buildings scattered and interlocked. On the outside of the lot, I saw my sought after address (along with 12 others) on a big sign. I drove around all of them, like a child on a scavenger hunt, searching for that last item to win the grand prize. I found every bloody address but the one I needed. I parked. I walked. Finally I found the address tucked behind a tree, climbed the stairs and went inside what I presumed (ya know how that goes) was the lobby. In reality, it was a series of halls and doors sent from the bowels of Hell to confuse the unsuspecting patients. I noticed I was on the 100 level and needed the 200 level so at the end of the very long dark hall, I saw the stairway continue just outside of the last glass door. I exited and went up one flight to the next glass door. It was locked. I went back down the the first floor to re-enter where I’d just left. It was locked. I went up to the third level. Oh yes…Locked. I went down to the basement and found myself standing in some strange underground parking structure. By now, I had 5 minutes, I was wheezing and I was pissed. I ran across the lot swearing at parked cars. I embarrassed a postman (and myself). I went back to the front of the building with the first flight of stairs, carefully checking my way onto the second. I opened yet another glass door and low and behold! Mecca! I entered the Doctors office with one minute to spare and promptly inquired if new people had any problems locating them. The receptionist replied “Only half” ONLY HALF!!! I muttered “Probably because the other half die on the stairs”…

Ok, Now I get a chance to look around. I’m a plain ol regular person but I do enjoy design and I see stainless swirled around walls, glass blocks, real paintings and exotic looking floral displays. Now I know I’m in Newport Beach. I’m secretly thankful…well hell..it’s my face! I take a seat. I am surrounded by women that have had just a bit “too much” done. Too much boob, too much lip, too much tight skin. They are talking about needing a massage and how their poor little necks are so tight with knots. I can hear this weird zen music being piped in and as it continues to get louder, the women keep talking. Somewhere in the middle of a particularly weird instrumental sound I calmly asked if they knew when the Mother Ship was landing. The room was suspended in time. My bad. Hey, Don’t blame me… it was all the stairs and a lack of oxygen. At last I had peace…and lots of personal space too!

Within 10 minutes I was called in by the “ONLY HALF” receptionist. She then admitted, when she’d applied for the job, she had taken quite a few “misguided detours” of her own… It’s a wonder she ever made back without a long rope! I was ushered into a very creatively decorated room and plopped onto the usual patient table. When the Doctor showed up, she looked like something out of a fashion magazine. She was beautiful…and lucky for me, very normal. I instantly like her. She joked with me and laughed a good hearty laugh. I don’t trust people who can’t laugh. I’m in good hands.

Paper Lanterns

Driftwood