Thursday, June 16, 2016

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared


As the story goes...A reluctant centenarian decides it's not too late to start over . . .

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he's still in good health, and in one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn't interested (and he'd like a bit more control over his vodka consumption). So he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant (not to mention a death by elephant).

It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: Not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the twentieth century, but he has actually played a key role in them. Starting out in munitions as a boy, he somehow finds himself involved in many of the key explosions of the twentieth century and travels the world, sharing meals and more with everyone from Stalin, Churchill, and Truman to Mao, Franco, and de Gaulle. Quirky and utterly unique, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has charmed readers across the world.

This book made me laugh out loud. At times it seemed like a story that I started and then paused and you picked up the next sequence only to pause again. Just when you think Allan is caught, some hilarious twist shows up and a new path is presented. Death by elephant was perhaps my all time favorite and then I read about how Allan and his friend who made up things in their war on double espionage.  A real treat for some light hearted reading. Give yourself a summer break.

Monday, June 13, 2016

An Urban Conversation

The MIX exhibit for this year is called Urban PDX. After photographing the city, I chose to work with two bridges: the 1930's built St Johns bridge and the newly introduced Tillicum Crossing. Our task was to create one large piece, with dimensions of 30x40 inches in portrait orientation and one piece that is 8x20 Inches.

For the large piece, I knew that I did not want to have a typical colored sky. I love this piece of discharged cloth  that to me resembles a sky at sunset and so the background is whole cloth. I chose to give the St Johns bridge elder statesman status and feature it very boldly. The new younger sister is juxtaposed across. She is created with a contemporary floral and a black and white graphic print. I don't usually put borders on art work but the sunset needed to be reigned in. This piece is named
An Urban Conversation.

For the smaller piece, I stepped out of the box completely. This bridge backdrop was created on my IPad with a photography app that distorted the bridge. It was then taken into Photoshop where the orange colorations were created and grunged. This was printed on my home printer and the black bridge was appliqued on top. I love working this way.




Sunday, June 12, 2016

The Margerie Glacier

I am reminded that my word for the year is to stretch, to experience for the first time...



We were in Alaska last week on a cruise ship and spent the day in Glacier Bay National Park. Oh my!
In spite of the grey and rainy weather, these views were spectacular!