Only 365 Days left to Halloween

We are as ready for the masses as we ever will be…Hope to see you all at Anuvue. We have a live band who start playing at about 7:30, caricature drawings, costume photography and even an drawing to win the Senorita Skull photo. We’ve got alot of hidden beer and about 6 cement tubs of stuff for the kids. Let the games begin…

holy smokes….only 365 day to the next Halloween! 

The Doctor Visit

Ok, I haven’t told a story for a while…and well, today, I’ve got one. First, let me begin to tell you folks out there that still think it’s cool to have a tan, forget it. I spent my entire teen years burning…and peeling, burning and peeling, “repeat at will”… and now I’m paying for it. I now walk around with a giant black Joan Crawford hat and Chinese paper umbrellas; with SP…I don’t know…what are they up to…90? ya know…kind of vampirish.. (Not that I have any problems with vampires) Ok… that said. Preaching over.

Today was my “see the Dermatologist because you’ve had this thing on your cheek forever” visit. I actual refer to it as “My little friend” in a Scarface kind of accent. After securing a parking spot…that isn’t all that easy here in So Cal…I finally made it to room 204. When I opened the door to the office, I was greeted by a “spaciously challenged” room…maybe 9 feet wide by 10 feet long. It held a couch, a table and 4 chairs…2 facing 2 others…all shoved in with a shoehorn. There were no windows unless you call the slider door where the receptionist sits hidden with her own air… a window.

I crammed my way inside and saw a disgruntled looking 20 something guy with his equally disgruntled 20 something girlfriend sitting on the narrow couch. They were probably just mad because they now were forced to share their already limited air supply. Well, I did what any normal person would…I signed in for my 10:30 appointment, glared back and took a seat. The receptionist called me and gave me the ever-popular clipboard. It had more papers to sign than the mortgage I currently have and asked me more personal questions that my own husband has ever dared to ask.

While filling papers out, the narrow entrance door opened and in huddled an elderly lady with a large carved cane. She managed her way to the receptionist sign-in sheet and then took the second of the 4 chairs, opposite me…cane extending far into the room. Still filling out my paperwork, the door opened yet again. In came a long, lanky woman in maybe her late 50’s. She apparently was a repeat customer and had the routine down. She promptly signed and sat in the 3rd of 4 chairs, next to me. I had finished the first draft on my future life story and walked back up. It was at this time I noticed two things. One was that everyone signing in had an appointment at 10:30 and that thankfully there was a candy dish…with tootsie rolls. Well, all things considered, figuring trouble brewing, I naturally dug in, took enough to kill the pain and re-took my seat just in time to see the door open again.

In walked a very round, very tall man…with a rather large, round, pink woman behind him…and just as I thought the room couldn’t get any smaller…in came their daughter with the largest Afro I have ever seen in my life! It was at this very moment I started searching this tiny room for the hidden camera. Each person shuffled around, trying to get comfortable in a room where a family of Hobbits couldn’t get comfortable. I noticed the disgruntled guy get up and hi-tail it out into the hallway as quick as he could. He apparently thought it was “him”…or “her”…and he’d chose to save himself.. We all sat, trying not to stare at each other because there wasn’t anywhere to look…and just when I thought it couldn’t get worse…in walked a woman with a rather large incision at her throat with some very nasty looking sutures. I could feel my head spinning.

She signed, sat and stared with the rest. It was about this time my phone began to ring. It’s rather loud and I tried hard to get to it in time to turn it off. That’s when the elderly lady said “that’s a pretty song’…”who is it?”…all eyes on me. I swallowed and mumbled “Staind”. The late fiftyish woman yelled “Sting?”…. to which I had to reply “No, S-T-A-I-N-D”. “Well it’s very pretty…what’s the title?” she asked. I had to tell her “It’s been a while”…, to which I will not repeat the conversations of confusion that title lead to about my “remembering” but will tell you that Afro kid had a big smirk on her face, waiting to see how I’d get out of it. She and I were the only ones to know that the “Pretty song” was written by a recovered heroine addict confessing his life’s low moments…complete with profanity.

In my silence, the rather large, pink, round woman decided to ask each person his or her reason for being there at this momentous moment in time. I was treated to horrific scars, office treatments, surgery stories, chemo advise and just…just as they got to me…an angel with bright blue eyes and a pixie grin opened the second door and yelled “Heather”. I have never in my life catapulted across a room as if shot from a cannon…but I did then. I kissed her hand and said “THANK GOD YOU CAME FOR ME…!” I think she might have even understood.

I was then settled into a room of quite lovely, Zen like, decor. The designer, no doubt, had at one time been left in the waiting room and felt some form of moral responsibility to those who “made it through” boot camp lobby. I found it interesting that a dermatologist has the same type of bed thing you’re supposed to hop up on. The angel asked me the routine questions, “What are you allergic to”…oh so innocently. My smile confirmed she had hit the jackpot. Upon completion I sat there re-living, in my mind, the stories I had just heard in the Hobbit cave until the Doctor walked in and looked at me over her glasses. She questioned me rather bluntly about “my little friend”…”How long?”….“Um, well, a while”…quite a while”… No eye contact. To which she said “Are we talking years?… Hummmmmm…

She put her rather large glass over me with its rather bright light and pulled and prodded my cheek. She pulled her glasses upright and said “We can go about this one of 2 ways”…”I can give you a topical cream and we can try it for 3 weeks…or we can biopsy now…. which could leave a scar”. Now I knew damn well she thought I’d pick the cream being a woman. I replied, “Well, you know… I’ve always looked kinda innocent…let’s chance the scar!”… And finally, a smile. She then did her thing, finally presenting my cheek with a very un-fashionable band aid that could not be more noticeable if it were hot pink and I left with a “thank you very much” getting the hell out. I actually ran the 3 steps I needed to pass the waiting room.

I returned to work and promptly told the boys I was happy to have “Shaved off” a little weight and that I had now provided them with a target for all those rubber bands. My first comment, from a friend was…”Oh, Nice look”… I expected no less…

When I got home I promptly went to the store in search of the “cool band aids”. I had a choice of “Nascar” or “Hello Kitttie”…neither of which suits me. I was looking for a scull with crossbones but selected “Hello Kittie” because I figure I can draw fangs on her…

And, when I return to the Doc’s office, I think I’ll get some use out of my old lawn chair and sit in the hallway until they call… 😉

Anuvue Reception

Kweli

This past Sunday, I spent traveling to Long Beach to visit with two of the Studio Artists. My second stop was about 8 miles from the first, at the home of Kweli, a very talented jewelry Artisan. I met Kweli at a show a few months back in Santa Ana. The city of Santa Ana has an emerging group of Artists that either live or frequent the downtown Grand Central Art Gallery, subsidized by a local State College. A few times a year the folks that live there open their studios allowing regular folks and potential art buyers to walk through and see their work. I love to go and talk with the local Artists and see what’s new.

I was there with my camera one night when I happened upon Kweli. She was there selling the most eye catching, intricate, one-of-a-kind jewelry…something I can never pass up. I spoke to her briefly about her work and found her to be such a gentle spoken, sincere lovely woman, that I took a chance about letting her in on my little secret about a future gallery. I think it was then that we argued back and forth about her insisting I take a pair of earring with her card attached so that I would remember her. We went back and forth until I finally I caved in…well…you have to see those earrings to understand my weakness 😉

Kweli lives in Long Beach and works as an Electrician by day and finds time for her Art and show events in between. When I arrived at Kweli’s house I was greeted at the porch with a hug and a big smile… and when I entered her house, I realized quite quickly that not only was Kweli a jewelry master, she’s a painter and potter too. She had paintings displayed around the room showcasing magnificent colors and graphics, intricate African motif pottery and oh yes…a fabulous collection of necklaces and matching earring sets…and absolutely all of them could be hanging off my neck and ears! I totally gawked at everything!

She showed me all around her lovely home and I got to see the studio she has set up, complete with some of the most amazing beads I’ve ever come across. A friend back from a recent trip to Africa, had brought her some large, glossy pieces of deep red coral to work with and I can’t wait to see what she creates with it… Some large, golden, oval shaped beads also caught my attention and if I remember right, they were from Afghanistan. I know she’ll make something wonderful with them.

Kweli has a sparkle about her…a certain grace that drew me in. She and I are close in age and she totally understands where I am at at this part of my life. I believe she and I will be great friends. Meet Kweli, one inspiring woman.

MaryBeth

I spent Sunday visiting two of the Studio Artists to see what they were working on and talk about what we will be showing for the opening. The first stop I made was to the south end of Long Beach to see a lovely young woman named MaryBeth. MaryBeth lives in one of the cutest, vintage, single bedroom apartments I’ve ever seen along with her adopted cat, Mr. Kitty. Her home has all the old colored tiles I remember from the 40’s in the bathroom and kitchen and she is blessed with wonderful natural light filtering throughout…just perfect for painting. As and added bonus, because her apartment sits on the end, it gets a very pleasant, crisp ocean breeze.

MaryBeth works full time for one of the Deans at USC and finds time to paint, draw and be creative in between. Right now she’s working on a series of trees from photos she took on a recent visit to her home town in Humbolt, California. One particular painting she’s currently working on really caught my attention because of its likeness to a photographic negative. It’s colorful, graphic and visually quite stunning.

She also works on very small, intricate illustrations produced on vintage paper from Europe. My lack of a proper lens does not even begin to do these illustrations justice and I will attempt in the future to get a better likeness… enabling you to see the detail and time that goes into them. She said she liked working on them because she could take them virtually anywhere and draw when she felt inspired with a limited amount of space to work in. I love that idea.

I met MaryBeth at a small show in Long Beach a few months back after a tip off from my Family and I was not disapointed. She had one painting of hers on display amongst a group of other Artists. It was from her “Under Water” series…work based on moving away from things familiar to her and feeling overwhelmed. That explanation got my attention…and stuck with me. We chatted about her life and the evolution of her work, I met Mr. Kitty, took some shots and then headed on my way to the second Artist. I found MaryBeth to be a sincere woman with a warm smile and gracious charm. I am so happy to see her excitement and very proud to have her aboard. Meet the talented MaryBeth…oh…and her side kick…Mr. Kitty 😉

Anuvue signage

One room almost down…

You’ve seen the sneak preview of the classroom and now the Sony Bravia is in place. I watched the latest James bond flick on it and I am here to say…I was in 007 Heaven. ( I know you may be shocked, but yes, I am a BOND Fanatic…even have a secret agent watch!) Anyway, this beautious flat screen will allow a Teacher to show demonstrations to the Students from a lap top… while the Students themselves follow on screen.

The Teacher’s desk, files and shelving just came in from San Francisco…And where else was I to get orange furniture …people? It’s all so cool, powder coated in bright orange… with everything on wheels…and it was quite reasonable to my pocketbook. I SIMPLY LOVE IT.

Check out the hour glass on the desk. It has bright green sand and it really pours for one hour. The Teacher can flip it to allow a break at the end of each sand cycle! The 2 bright orange chairs behind the Teacher’s desk will actually be under the flat screen…waiting for use by a Parent wishing to participate in their child’s Art Class. I know how much my own Friend’s loved being involved when their children were young so…well, you get the idea.

All the white student desks and chairs fold up so that everything in the room is portable. It allows me to basically fold it all up from a classroom and turn it into a photography studio. I’ll add some roll down backdrops, a few props and voila…instant studio! Oh yeah… a Model might be good too! 😉

There is a tiny model changing room in the back…or a storage place for openings when I don’t want to use all the furniture. The Teacher’s desk can roll in front of the flat screen and with a laptop, a Model can see shots taken just moments after the action.

And…all the student desks can be pushed together to become one big banquet table to hold appetizers for the openings… while some artsy video, portfolio or whatever is playing on the flat screen to entertain the gathering. I’m all about multi-purpose and I think this room is up to it…and even better…won’t interfere with the gallery itself.

empty studio, blank canvas

1. Anuvue from Back wall, shows windows, patio and vaulted ceiling and lovely flooring

2. Shows entry and half wall. The other side (where the window is currently) will have freestanding 6 foot walls with stainless steel tubing (for the price of a very good lens) above and below for architectural interest. I don’t need windows, I need walls (in this case). Then that little area between the half wall and new freestanding wall will house the Artisan “Gift Area”. Cabinets are being custom made in the shape of a square horseshoe from Baltic birch plywood ( where the plies will show). That wood is the hottest thing going right now. And then custom 8″ jewelry cases from stainless steel will fit on top. These cases will house beautifully made jewelry, hand made baskets, hand made Tibetan items, pottery, devil ducks and crazy cameras. Above the jewelry cases, against the back wall, there will be 6 suspended glass cubes (more of that dog-gone stainless tubing) to house a collection of fused glass. One both the left and right walls will be flat screen TVs. They will rotate digital photography (of course) and Artist portfolio’s..the latest trend in Galleries. On the far right, past the glass entry door there is a little alcove. Where you see the white spools wire). That area will house grand kitchen central. I have a Cuisinart family of items just waiting in my garage. There’s even a small wine fridge (and I don’t even drink!)

3. The row of windows, that alas, except for the lucky guy on the very left, all will be covered by the freestanding walls. Hey, ya can’t exactly hang a painting in a window people. The one on the left opens so I can crawl out onto the little balcony in front. Wish there was a door!

4. The bonus room. A very large balcony…my favorite part. If you go out to it, that street running along side is 1/8th of a mile from hitting the ocean front 😉 (I am no fool)

Sunlight, shadows and a greeting for you

A moment of peace inside Anuvue…

This week’s lesson

What a week! Today is March 8th and I finally just got into my new studio. I learned a very valuable lesson about people and business this week. I learned to not trust and to get things in writing. I met my landlord about 2 months ago when I signed my rental agreement. I paid 3 months in advance and he told me the previous tenant would be out by the 1st…no later than the 3rd…and that he would take care and adjust my rent if it ended up the 3rd. Sounded good to me. Now I have, from time to time, popped into the building to measure this and recheck that and have even brought people with me to make some drawings. There are 2 guys, one being the actual tenant and one being his longtime friend, councilor and CPA. These guys are Mormons and both were very nice to me when I initially met them. Then, most of time I re-visited, it would just be the CPA guy there working away, trying to fix the other guy’s financials (because he was losing his business). I grew to really like this guy. He used to work a very unhappy 9 to 5 job (which I understood) and he was humble and sweet. He gave me some brief financial business advise and I designed him a new logo (for his new self employment), printed him some business cards and brought him cookies That I mercifully didn’t make).

On the 29th of February, a long awaited leap year, I showed up at the building, peeked my head in and yelled hello. They were both there on this occasion…along with all the furniture, desks, computers, files and gigantic tv . Nothing had been moved, boxed or organized. I asked what was up and they both said” Is this the end of the month already?” ALARM BELLS GOING OFF IN MY HEAD. Yes, yes it is. That’s when the tenant spoke up and said Oh, we’ll be out of here by the 3rd, no worry. Well, I wasn’t going panic because I had heard that it could be the 3rd. Sadly, I wouldn’t have that weekend to clean. I left after a brief, friendly conversation with the CPA guy, who at that time felt bad and actually gave me his own key. He walked me down to the mailbox to show me where it was while I asked him how his buddy was doing. I’m a nice person, I wanted to be sensitive to the guy losing his business. He had after-all, done alot of work to the room I would soon occupy…I didn’t want to rub salt into the wound.

I left and everyday, I would drive by. This guy has about 50 cases of bottled water on the patio outside the office and I knew when I didn’t see them, he would be gone. I at one time asked him if he was taking it with him (he had gotten it free from the beach games they have in the summer where vendors pass it out). I told him that it could be donated to the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts but he said he would be leaving with it and I dropped it after that. So I drove by on the second…still water bottles, the 3rd…still water bottles and on the forth day I finally called him. No answer. Later that day he called to say that the guy buying his furniture had not come to get it so he needed to stay until the 5th. It was at this point that I said I would have to call the landlord because he needed to adjust my rent.

Now you must keep in mind…this tenant guy called me on the phone once to warn me that after I had already verbally told the landlord I would take the office, he showed someone else the space…the tenant said “you seem like a nice lady, I just want you to know that this happened. My husband told me to calm down and that the landlord was just covering his rear, in case I backed out because I hadn’t actually signed the contract, just verbally said yes. It wasn’t my deal that the contract hadn’t been signed. It was the landlord’s not coming down with a contract for me to actually sign. He said, no worry.

Anyway, back to why I was willing to trust the tenant. It was because of this call of warning. I felt he was looking after me knowing all the plans I was making and times I had visited with his buddy to measure something. So when I said I needed to call the landlord to tell him…the tenant said no, no need to bother him…I’ll just pay you. I did not want to do this. Everything in me told me no. But that call… I really had no choice when he said the 5th because none of his stuff was gone yet and I couldn’t very well carry it out myself.

Well you guessed it. The 5th came and went and no phone calls to say, I’ll come give you the keys to the space and the bathrooms. I drove by and yes, same lovely water bottles. On the 6th I drove over before work..and low and behold…a moving van!. I went to work happy, knowing this would all be over. No phone call came that evening so I called him. No answer. Tried the next day..same water bottles and same no answer…and no returned calls.

Friday after work and after calling him 2 more times, I went over and let myself in. I saw the tenant’s desks and files and immediately left making sure another 2 tenants saw me leave quickly and with nothing that did not belong to me. I called the landlord. I told him the situation. That his tenant just would not leave and that I didn’t know him, didn’t want to be involved and just wanted him to know that I still had not been able to move in.

Now this is where it gets really good. The landlord told me that once I gave the not-leaving tenant an ok to stay (which I didn’t really, I just never had a choice) and that he had an agreement to pay me, it was my problem to get him out. He said I had a key to let myself in and that I could have asked him to get out and that he (being the landlord had nothing to do with it). His contract was now only with me!

I will give him that one credit. He was right when he said I did not call him on the first and tell him. I didn’t and I didn’t because he told me himself it could be until the 3rd! I was so dumbfounded at this point I know I was yelling into the phone. I simply could not believe what I was being told. That it was my space, the contract was for the 1st and I should have moved in. If I didn’t want the space, I didn’t have to take it and that he would rent it to someone else. I explained that I would never move into a building that had someone else’s belongings inside and he said, well, you should have because it was yours to move into! My contract with him ended and mine began with yours. At this point I decided I was dealing with at least 2 lunatics and started to really wonder if it was all going to be worth it. I got in my car and drove to another building that had just come up for lease, called and was told how much…too much…and too much work.

A friend of mine accidentally called my number and while on the phone, I needed an ear and vented my story. It was at this point he “hostage negotiated” me into calmness. He said to go to the building, change the locks and pack the guys sh– up. He actually told me to toss it onto the parking lot but I’m just not that person (in this life anyway). I called the tenant again. No answer. Then, while talking on the phone to my husband, or rather yelling into the phone with frustration…the idiot chose to call and leave a message. My guess was the landlord called him (and threatened him) and magically he called me back to leave a freaking voice-mail. I immediately called back and you can guess…no answer. I drove over to the building, opened the door for the second time with the key his friend had given me and stood in the space. The tenant’s desks were still there, office junk, computer stuff and many (what looked to me) important personal files… But in those few minutes I allowed myself to walk and really look at the room, a calm came over me. I looked at the space…really looked at it. I knew it was meant for me…even if I almost allowed 2 complete assholes to destroy a dream for me.

I went home and called a locksmith. 😉 At this point I had my husband step in. He was actually working this weekend but he made the call to the tenant warning him that the locks would be changed at 5pm and that he had better get his stuff out and also bring me 8 days of rent…in cash. I waited all day at home for him to call or show up. At 5pm I went to the building and yes, the water bottles, desks and all the other were still there…no call. I hoped at this point the guy was in jail…and couldn’t call. I had the locks changed and never once was I worried about the tenant showing up. I had told the locksmith my dilemma and that I was a bit leery about the guy, knowing changing the locks would piss him off. The locksmith smiled, told me he was one of 5 brothers, all from Israel…Military trained in Special Forces…and I had not a reason in the world to worry. How lovely it was that he came (or was sent to me). And that, my dear readers, was the first laugh I had in 3 days…

Later, my husband and brother-in-law came and we packed all the tenants crap up. I had to talk them out of throwing it into the dumpster…because I really want to dump it on his front lawn…and I will!

After everything was packed, the floors were swept and I looked at the room and I was finally happy. I will, from now on, mail my rent to the landlord without further communication, unless he begins it. He has a job so I doubt I will hear much more from him as long as he can smell his dear old money. As far as the tenant, I will have no further dealing with him..and sadly, nor his friend. One will forever be part of the other’s sins in my memory. This guy was going to be my new CPA but who in their right mind would trust a friend of a jerk with their personal information? Not this gal.

So, if any of you out there ever decide to begin a business of your own, where you are involved in a lease and another previous tenant, be wiser that me. Don’t trust anyone. Get it in writing…because if you behave kindly, you will be run over flatter than a cd! I’m keeping the space because I know this was my test. I know most landlords are probably like Cinderella’s wicked stepmother anyway and that the worst is over. I know that once they have their money, their interest in your problems is harder to find than comfortable heels… so be ready to fend for yourself. I believe very strongly in Karma. So Adam and Alex, watch your heads…because something is coming for you…and I hope you feel it…hard.

But now it’s time for the Artists to have their day. Now is the time to build! 😉