Some Tiny Town exhibit photos

Entrance to Tiny Town

Tiny Town was installed in the small gallery in Artspace Gallery. It was a perfectly tiny space for my work.

I was able to install 20 of the digital images of the Mail Art collages that I made, starting in the spring of 2011, using the Maurice Utrillo postcard. The original painting is in the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. It was painted in 1911, 100 years before I altered the image.




I made tiny food for the reception. Can you see the contrast? For sure. My little cookies, miniature candy, and tiny wrapped chocolates, which resembled "kisses."

 I made tiny salmon/tuna cakes, had tiny cubes of cheese, and small crackers. Again, I think you can spot the size difference. There were 4 other people showing work in larger galleries and they provided the BIG food.








My honey wrapped chocolate chips in aluminum foil so that they looked like those "kisses." What patience. It's was an idea that my friend Ann came up with, but I'm not sure she thought we'd actually do it.

After taking the food photos, I learned that my honey's camera had no more battery power. I was able to catch this one photo of people in the gallery space, so you can see scale. At one point, it was like high tourist season! The space was filled with visitors. Wish I'd gotten a photo of that.

Here's a photo right after the work was installed by our good friend Matt Lively. I couldn't have done it without him. Actually, He did it all!

I sold  7 prints the evening of the opening. 2 each of two of the images. I'm doing an edition of 5 prints per image on the suggestion of my honey, which was a very good idea. I'll also offer them in my Etsy shop. I was pleased with the positive response. I wasn't sure how that'd go as this was such a different concept than the other shows, which were paintings and drawings. I gave an explanation on the reverse of the price list, of both my Tiny Town project and of Mail Art. The framed piece on the left shows how I framed one of the original postcards, an altered one, and the reverse of one. I may even have convinced some people to become Mail Artists. I hope so!

Into the new year

 On New Year's day, we went to TWO open house parties. What fun. We met up with old friends, and met new people, spoke in French and in Spanish, drank eggnog and ate home made gravlax. A good way to start the new year, no?

 For New Year's eve, I made tiny salmon/tuna cakes. Tiny, a mouthful. They were quite tasty and now my honey thinks that this is the size that I should make them always. Okay. I can do that.

 And this is the 151st card that I made for my 2nd 365 Mail Art project. "Cheers for a new year and another chance for us to get it right" Oprah Winfrey - this is the quote on the reverse.

 And I have, crazy though it seems even to me, started 365.3 - yes a third year of one-a-day. This is card #1 of the year. I pulled out the rest of the "Tiny Town" cards to alter, since I haven't made any of these for awhile. Here's what I wrote on the reverse: The residents of Tiny Town were fond of birds, but when the enormous goose showed upon New Year's day, all they could think of was - "Yum!"

 Here's the holiday gift that I received from N. Incredible! This is so amazing! Do you know the musician Beck? Well, this is his new "album."  You have to make the music yourself in order to hear it. How amazing is this?! This "box" opens up to 20 pieces of sheet music, which is for the piano with guitar chords. See more here. Now to get busy learning this music.

As a Mail Artist, I appreciate stamps very much. Here's the newest USPS commemorative, which was issued yesterday. I ordered some last week as I couldn't wait for them to arrive at my local post office branch. This is the billboard that was in Times Square (NYC.) The stamp is letter press done by Hatch Show Print. 

Sunday #2 (Dimanche)

Chuck took some photos of a building detail this morning as we headed out to the Bastille Market. It was chilly and grey but we were somewhat dressed for it. I got this clearer view of Notre Dame from the window this morning because of the leaves being almost totally gone from the trees out front and the sun sort of appearing. I had to post the cakes here. They made the grey day a lot more cheerful.

Salmon cakes

We had a family gathering last night. Everyone brought food and what a feast! I made salmon cakes, which is becoming my usual pot luck item (with apologies to the vegetarians in our group.) I "discovered" panko, the Japanese breadcrumbs and love the way they work in the salmon cakes. I use it inside of the cake and on the outside. It makes them crunchy, but then I like to add water and finish the cakes by steaming them. They get fluffy, which is the way my grandmother used to make her burgers. Very yummy~ if you want my recipe, such as it is, let me know.

At the market

I had to post this image. I love the way the produce looks, as much as I love cooking and eating it. Amy had set up some of our produce shares at the end of our market time. The only items missing from this group are our eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. If you'd like some of my recipes, check out Sprout Organic.
Cooking is so relaxing for me. I'd been feeling kind of down since returning from vacation, oh no wonder, because aside from the humidity (did I mention how humid it was?) the trip was sooo good. I spent some time cooking today, and it's lifted my spirits. We're having family and friends (who are like family) over tonight for dinner to celebrate the new year. We're putting together food. which is so fun. I made my radish spread (see Sprout for recipe,) some tiny salmon cakes, farfalle with my home made pesto, a honey cake, some honey butter to spread on it, and a bread, which is still in the bread maker. I borrowed the bread maker from my friend Phyllis and this is the first time I'm using it. I'll let you know how it turns out. It smells good. I used to make bread from scratch years ago, same time as I made my own yogurt, and sewed clothing and crocheted and ........aaaagh, I was so crazy busy!