HIGHWATERS, 'HILLY' AND HOPE

This week has been long and it’s only Wednesday! Thank God I get to go on vacation on Friday. It will be a nice respite from the chaos of New York City, hanging out in small Bellingham, Washington for ten days, sipping Wood’s Coffee and eating Mallard's Ice Cream. I hope they have the lavender and Matcha flavors--so good together. The irony, I usually don’t eat ice cream. The best part is I can throw on my flannel and Carhartts and have people leave me alone…not really. The break is well deserved, and I haven’t seen my family, including my niece for nine months. It will be great to spend more quality time with the little girl who keeps on growing up quickly.

Something, which I wish I’d never seen this morning was a guy crossing Broadway in a maroon dress shirt, tucked into gray cotton trousers that seemed at least three inches too short. What set me over the edge were the brown loafers, worn with…what’s that? NO socks? Is it fashion week again? Imagine…I forgot to wear my clam diggers with boots and fitted blazer! Maybe in September after the hair on my knees has grown back after the winter chafe of my jeans.

Back to the tough week…

Am I the only one who looks around and sees how miserable people (yours truly included) are? It seems like everyone I know is having some sort of drama in his or her life--from the friend who’s breaking up with her domestic partner after eleven years, to the smart, attractive and sweet friend, who just can’t seem find a job in the fashion industry where she doesn’t have to interact with nasty people, to the overworked, bored and unmotivated. Life seems a bit stagnant lately, no? Are we all Interneted, shopped and liquored out? Is that it? My friends are all keeping to themselves these days, and I wish I could dive under a rock. Even Ron Corning from “Good Day New York” was released from his contract. :( And things don’t give the impression that they are going to get better anytime soon. The state of the world doesn’t help. How many troops have been killed in Iraq up to now? The uncertainty of the elections and whether any of us are going to have jobs or money (the single most used word at work lately is ‘budget.’) has everyone in my world preoccupied. I am, however, excited by the turnaround that “Hilly” made in Pennsylvania, showing that anything is possible and that circumstances change quickly. I’m holding steadfastly to those two things and plan to “make it through the rain,” to quote my childhood idol Barry Manilow.

These are definitely the times that test one’s mettle. I’m of the opinion that most negative experience can be turned into a positive. Last week, for instance, my landlord shut the hot water off to have the boiler repaired. The catch…she forgot to tell me, and I wasn’t able to shave for a morning meeting. As you can imagine, I was thrilled since it wasn’t too warm outside. Under the circumstances, I was very grateful for the six months I lived in Costa Rica in my 20s. Cold showers there were the norm rather than the exception. I also reminded myself of all the homeless kids that I met in Albuquerque just two days before, who probably don’t get a shower or bath everyday. That's all it took to put everything in perspective. Suddenly, the water was a little warmer. It's debatable whether it was the numbness setting in, but regardless, the shower was actually quite refreshing and sent me off into my day with energy and moderately clean. Tonight, I’m still trying to find the positive in the “Sockless, highwaters guy” sighting. I think I’ll go pay bills to cheer myself up.

AND THE ENTITLEMENT GOES TO…

I’ve been flying since the mid-1970s, and I think I’m a pretty damned good flyer. When I was a kid, it was still a privilege and a special thing to get on a plane, a la Catch Me If You Can, in which, incidentally, I was an extra. My puss made it into a few scenes, but you can only “catch me” if you have a good eye or slow the DVD down 3x! The whole energy on the set was like 1963, when people were appreciative of their pilots and stewardesses ( I can of course be un-PC because it was, after all, 1963 and that's what we called them.) Now everyone is miserable, thinks that the airlines should cater to them, when we were the ones who wanted cheaper fares in the first place, thus causing the airlines to lose money and not serve us food and subsequently peanuts and then pretzels.

I remember when fares dropped drastically, and (I’m going to be a little unkind and judgmental now) white trash people could suddenly afford to visit their “kin” cross- country. We were then forced to be wedged in between them and their squawking chickens and dirty children screaming at the top of their lungs in the “three-fer” seats. Hey, what do you expect for a couple of hundred bucks? The good news—there was still legroom.

Now, they’ve taken away legroom…no, wait…they’ve given it back to us…no, no…they’ve taken it away again, AND we’re paying more to have our kneecaps smashed by the large and militant lesbian in the seat in front of us, who just can’t believe her seat won’t go back anymore. Oh, how I enjoy her insistence on jumping against it like she’s propelling herself up onto the flatbed of a pickup. No matter—it’s only six hours to Seattle. I’m strong, and since it will probably be raining, I don’t need to go out for a walk when I get there…or ever!

I mentioned in my last post that I traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico this week and I flew American Airlines. It's usually my airline of choice, because I,too, love to get the deals, and they always have some reasonable rates on Orbitz.com. I haven’t flown in a few months, so I had forgotten how irritating people can be when they fly. It’s like people who talk loud on their cell phones on the bus or the train, but it goes beyond just the technology thing. In the last decade, I’ve noticed that people can’t just board the plane and get to their seat. This has a lot to do with the fact that no one likes to check their bags anymore, since lost luggage stats are up, especially on American (I’ve had mine lost two times in the last year.). Flights are fuller and that means more of those “rolely-poley” suitcases, as I call them. These pose many potential problems such as the fact that not all planes have the same overhead compartment dimensions. From Albuquerque to Chicago there was a kid who held up the boarding process for fifteen minutes because his suitcase was crammed too high with stuff and it didn’t fit above…annoying! The flight from New York to anywhere, whether Chicago, Dallas or St. Louis is always a little chaotic, purely from the natural chaotic energy of New Yorkers. “Destination NYC,” as I often call it usually chaps my hide (at least for the first half hour, after which people can put on their headphones, play with their video games, sleep or read a book. I usually choose to sleep.)

The trip this week involved an entitled group of marketing executives who were racing with something (the Devil perhaps?), but for no reason. They were presenting a PowerPoint on some kind of natural food and were revising their notes inflight. That was after it took them almost twenty minutes to find a compartment for their roley-poleys, swing both of their coats into my face, bump me like six times and then finally take their seats. Why could all the other 148 passengers find their seats right away and they had to put on a show? My favorite moment of all was when a man, who boarded late, realized that all the bins in the tail end of the plane were full. He started trying to make his way forward through “annoying, bejeweled marketing chicks (ABMCs)” as I called them in my head, in order to check his bag gateside. As a pushy male associate of the “ABMCs” approached the back of the aircraft, the guy moving forward said in a “you dumbass” kind of way, “Well, if my bag didn’t fit, yours surely won’t.” I’m paraphrasing, but it rolled pretty much like that. Of course the alpha male associate looked bothered, but said nothing. I just smiled. I love being an observer.

As an aside, I’d like to share a couple of my flying pet peeves for anyone who cares:

1) The fact that people insist on talking on their cell phones well after the flight attendant has instructed passengers to turn all electronic devices off.
2) The old guy, who’s in good shape and obviously moneyed, who insists on standing in the aisle to stretch and stare at everyone else on the plane.
3) The man or woman who realizes that they have to pee about one hundred feet from the ground, so when they get up, they force the flight attendant to scream into the intercom breaking all of our eardrums, “Ladies and gentleman—We’re landing, so please take a seat! (Again, “You dumbass!)”
4) The fact that people unbuckle their seatbelts as soon as the captain says “Please keep your seatbelts fastened until we are parked at the gate.” It’s as if people enjoy defying. It’s their way of saying “Ha! I’m paying you to drive me around. I’ll do as I like!” A play-by-the-rules kind of guy, I apparently have no entitlement, as I always keep my seatbelt fastened.

GOOD AS GOLD IN THE SOUTHWEST

This week seems particularly short for me since I had the fortune of being able to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico for my job. We were involved in a major charity donation to a center for children whose families are homeless for a national morning show. What a wonderful experience it was getting to talk to the people who benefit from the organization’s services there and see all the smiling faces of the sweet, beautiful kids. They were all so truly appreciative about all of the supplies they received.

While the charitable aspect of the trip was definitely a highlight, it was also a thrill to get to see some fantastic Southwest art. Since I sculpt my masks out of wire screen, I was particularly excited and validated by the work of master artist, Raymond Wiger. He lives in Taos and works with wire mesh to create the most amazingly beautiful sculptures of the human body. According to his bio, he received his training at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., where he participated in anatomical studies in the anthropology and art departments. He relies solely on his knowledge acquired in that discipline rather than using models or photographs. Truly magnificient and inspiring! Visit his site at www.raywiger.com.

Miguel Martinez is another well known artist, whose work I learned about while I was in Albuquerque. With an immediately recognizable style, Martinez was always inspired by the works of Rivera and Zuniga, those that gave dignity to common people. See his work and read his bio at http://www.mccormickgallery.com/martineztour.html. Giclee signed prints start at $1900. I hope to afford one of his originals just before I kick the bucket!

In addition to incredible art, Albuquerque offers tourists the opportunity to find some of the finest in native jewelry of the highest quality, at half the price of what can be found in Santa Fe. Lucky for me, the concierge at the Hyatt Regency downtown sent me to Gertrude Zachary’s wholesale jewelry showroom at 15th and Lomas in Old Town. The service was great, the salespeople were knowledgeable, and I got just what I was looking for at a great price. My pinky is soaring into FABULOSITY sporting a beautiful inlaid green and blue turquoise silver ring from the 1960s--in a hard-to-find style and cut by hand and not machine. After literally checking out all the galleries and boutiques in Albuquerque, they had the best prices. Visit their showroom online at www.gertrudezachary.com.

If ever I wanted to “find a husband,” as they say, Albuquerque would be the place for me to go. In the course of shopping and dining, I met some lovely, attractive, smart men who made the effort to engage me in intelligent conversation and are interested in staying in contact. Traveling is nice because it affords the opportunity to make new friends. Since New York is a "city of ambition," as a friend once put it, it's extremely difficult to make good, long-lasting friends with people here. “Extremely friendly” is how I would characterize everyone I met while in Albuquerque. While shopping in Old Town, browsing at folk art and jewelry, it seemed like I had the opportunity to get involved in some lively conversations with the locals about life in Albuquerque, the climate as well as art. One of my favorite interactions was with a female gallery owner who was immediately identifiable as a Texan just by the sound of her voice. Since I grew up in Dallas, we hit it off and chatted for more than an hour. I also showed photos of my masks to some of the artisans and they elicited positive responses. I have decided that Ebay is not the right forum in which to sell my art. They really deserve some wall space in a quaint folk art gallery somewhere and I am beginning the process of identifying possible representatives for my work.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have much of a chance to sample a lot of the local cuisine, but I did have the chance to catch lunch at the Church Street Café in Old Town. The service was great and their salsa is the stuff that “picante” dreams are made of. I may have to go online and have some shipped to me! You, too, can buy their salsa and check out their menu at www.churchstreetcafe.com.

Though it was a nice place to visit, Albuquerque was a little too chill for me. I’m glad to be back in New York. The dust-filled wind really got to me, and my skin feels like it just went through dermabrasion five times in a row. Next week, I’m off for a vacation in the Pacific Northwest. They’re expecting snow there this week. Hmm...I wonder what I’ll be packing for that trip? Decisions, decisions. The good news is that I will get to spend some quality time with my beautiful niece, whose going to be a movie star when she grows up…or a physicist!

THE BRILLIANT ART OF DANIEL PECI

(Study for "Hangover" by Daniel Peci, Copyright 2008)

Well, now that my addiction to Ebay has subsided (I didn't even need psychotherapy for it!), I can focus on making my own art. Lately, I have been creating some cool linocut prints and experimenting with making my designs smaller and smaller. The good news is that I haven't sliced a finger, so I think I'm off to a good start!

Now from my humble beginnings as an artist, to someone a little more accomplished. One of the best parts of my extended Ebay "vacation" was being able to check out and connect with some of the artists to whom I have been introduced there. One such young man is Daniel Peci, a native of Macedonia, who now resides in Los Angeles, where he runs a successful online fine art business selling his own pieces. I was very impressed his business savvy and marketing sense, but most importantly, by his sheer talent as a visual artist. Interestingly, he is one of the most followed artists on Ebay and his work generally sees buyers trying to outbid one another on a weekly basis for his pieces. This made me curious to get to know Daniel a little bit better, and he was kind enough to do a brief interview with me via E-mail:

Q: Through good instruction and encouragement, a person might learn to master art technique and style, however, an ability to see beyond the obvious—to delve below the surface of one’s subject--requires sheer talent. Your body of work clearly shows that you have that gift, as well as intuitiveness about the human experience that exceeds your thirty-two years of life. Would you consider yourself an old soul?

A: The Answer for this question might go in a spiritual or metaphysical direction since its really hard not to go there. My perception on this, on my soul and everyone else's souls is that there's no difference. It all depends how you use the time that you are given in the sequence called life and do you really use that time for the right reasons?On your question of the age of the soul, I do believe that we as spirits evolve through birth and death and previous incarnations might be crucial in our ability to see clearly and have a clean channel for intuition and similar 'gifts.’

Q: You attended the Academy Of Fine Arts in Macedonia. You mention on your Web site (www.danielpeci.com) that the competition to get in was stiff. What do you think set you apart from all the other candidates to be able to win one of seven
coveted spots in your class?

A: When you have seven open spots and one art academy in the whole country and a corrupt educational system you better pull some strings if you wanna get in. My artistic quality didn’t get me there.

Q: You look up to the masters, and that is highly reflected in your work. From which artists do you take your inspiration? Who has inspired you the most?

A: Rembrandt always inspired me, I started doing copies around the age of 18--also did a lot of drawings after Leonardo and Michelangelo, but the Dutch masters have
always been my favourites. I liked Rembrandt's dramatic lighting and compositions and Vermeer's quiet meditative interiors with figures doing seemingly random daily actions.

Q: When you paint or sketch a subject, what do you most hope to capture? What types of things in the creative process do you obsess about?

A: I usually have a concept before I begin sketching. I try to get the essence of things, make it truthful since that will be evident in the artwork--you can't hide it. I observe things outside and within and get ideas that are transformed, or better said, interpreted
into a painting. The most common underlying theme in my work would be a spiritual quest, I think even if you look at a simple still life of mine you'll get the same idea.

Q: Is there a style or medium in which you have not worked that you would like to?

A: There's lots of styles there. I've tried experimenting with a few, but I always came back to the realistic approach since I find it most suitable for expressing my ideas and I'm gonna stick with it. I want the audience to be able to read my message as clearly as possible.

Q: Since all artists are self-aware, I’d love to know what you think draws people to your work.

A: I think people see things that are familiar to them in my work or maybe things that they want to see or things that make them think. One of my collectors told me that he never noticed that the sky can be yellow until he saw it in one of my paintings.

Q: You live in Los Angeles. How long have you lived there and do you have a large following of collectors there?

A: I've been in L.A. 6 years now and I have a few regular collectors mostly from USA.

Q: I first discovered your work on www.dailypainters.com and instantly recognized that you are an artist to watch. Since I was an Ebay “virgin,” I was surprised that such an accomplished artist, with representation in the “brick and mortar” world, would opt to sell his work online. What motivated you to create a store on Ebay? Are more people finding your work there than in galleries? Also, are many artists of your caliber doing the same thing?

A: As probably you have noticed I sell only really small works online, most of them 5x7 or 6x6 works that Galleries don’t really sell. It’s a great daily practice for me and the paintings are affordable…I also think some self-promotion is never wrong. I'm also seeing some real good accomplished artist doing the same thing. It's good that the real artists started emerging from the shadows in new ways and redefined and reestablished the values of art just when the whole art world was going in a wrong direction.

Q: The Internet is constantly changing the way we live our lives. How has the Internet changed the way artists communicate with collectors? Do you think that the Net is the future of art buying?

A: I think the Internet has changed a lot of things and this is just one of them. It's constantly changing and breaking barriers. The future of art buying? I don’t know but I'm sure it will change it.

Q: Here’s a question just for fun...If you could go back in time (or not!) and host an artists’ feast at your home, who would you invite and why?

A: Leonardo Da Vinci--it's just a chance that I wouldn't miss--an "old soul" like him as you would say it, and as eclectic as that is, more than a great opportunity for a meaningful conversation.

Q: Are there any exciting projects in the works that you would like to talk about?

A: I'm working on some larger paintings and I have new ideas constantly about them. I'm aiming for some big galleries. Hopefully I can get in one of them soon.

...and I'm SURE we will. My thanks to Daniel for taking the time to answer my questions. You can see more of his work at www.danielpeci.com.

DOES GOTH HAVE TO MEAN THE UNDEAD?

As I was racing to work yesterday morning, I boarded my usual train to take me to SoHo. As I stood on the opposite side of the car from the door, which would open when we arrived at Broadway/Lafayette, I noticed a man in front of me waiting to exit the train. He had long, black hair, pulled back in a rubber band and wore tight embroidered jeans. A puke brown leather jacket, which tightly fit his feminine back, complemented the outfit, which looked pretty edgy and worn.

As we glided between stops, I occupied my time by noticing every detail--his demeanor, bodily movements, as well as his hands, which were tightly wrapped around the pole to his right. They blinded me with their pasty whiteness. I then focused in on how dry, cracked and almost inhuman they were. It was at that point, since I was sleep-deprived and in need of some morning excitement, that I went into a whole, fantastical scenario, in which his fingers, which currently sported the worst manicure ever, suddenly sprouted talons. He dramatically whipped around, revealing the most sinister red eyes and the sharpest of fangs. Then with all his strength, he grabbed me, forced my head to my shoulder as he leapt for my neck with his mouth.

At that moment, the train jerked on the track and began to slow. It was then that I realized that, apparently, I hadn't been too observant. I happened to glance down towards “Goth Guy’s” left side and saw the most hideous purse made from cheap fabric with a faux tapestry print on it. I’m not sure, but it might have had a Teddy Bear on it, which made everything seem to fall out of focus—mostly because I was in denial that someone could match that bag to any kind of footwear. While my head was spinning, contemplating a mixture of the items on my "TO DO" list for the day and trying to sort out the whole Teddy Bear thing, he gently turned revealing his profile, some out-of-date eyewear, and the fact that he, indeed, was a “she.” I exited the train completely confused. Maybe it's my eyewear that needs some updating.

DOES THIS SHOPPING EXPERIENCE MAKE MY ASS LOOK BIG?

Can we all agree that we go to the Levi’s Store only in the case of energencies--that moment, between paychecks, when you really need a pair of jeans, but you don’t want to spend a bundle of dough (and your local sample sale, which for months seemed to happen every week, has all but gone away like the circus)? At that point of desperation, we go to the Levi’s Store for convenience to find inexpensive and fashionable quality, right?

A couple of years ago, Levi’s upped its appeal factor in an attempt to revive the name and jump into the luxury market to steal some business away from the 7s and Lucky Brands of the world—the folks who have managed to convince us and unemployed college students with new credit cards and no income, that $120 for a pair of jeans is reasonable. The difference then was that the prices were better and the styles more interesting. Of course, it roped some of us in and we bought Levi’s. Since then, I have yet to find a pair of Levi’s that I like. It’s also not surprising to me, given the fact that the fashion industry is trying to get everyone thin in America by pretending that a 31 waist is really a 34. My problem is that the larger sizes fit my waist but are too baggy and make my ass look like a sideboard. The size down is too tight everywhere, and I might as well wear nothing because they leave nothing to the imagination. (Do you hear that? It’s my mother saying “that’s TMI, Paul!”)

At this juncture, I’m desperate for a new pair of jeans. Let me preface this story with I LOVE my William Rast’s, but I’m not willing to shell out $239 for a new pair since I only paid $80 for mine in the first place at a sample sale. They are a little too baggy, but they flatter. Pardon me, I digress.

Today was that moment of desperation and resignation, so off I went to the Levi’s Store in SoHo to see what I could see. There were a couple of styles, reasonably priced, that I liked. I should have known at that moment, though, to cut my losses. Just my luck they did not have my size in any of them! To top it off, every time that I even slightly touched another clothing item, some gay, shaved-head Latino boy with faux Prada glasses and a soul patch would fly up behind me to ask me if I needed a size. I could have been looking at cufflinks and they would probably have asked me if I needed a size. “Yes, I need a size, but apparently, you don’t carry it,” is how I should have responded, but I was too tired today to be a jerk. I simply thanked them and went back to the office. Fast forward to complete exasperation, depression, feelings of inadequacies, and a sense that Club Monaco wasn't going to be any better. In spite of the sweet saleswoman, I was right. To add insult to injury, I went to Old Navy and wasn't sure where I was. Who decided that all things Hawaiian are back in (Sincere apologies to my colleague, Jen)?

This story pretty much summarizes my shopping experiences of late. I’m giving it up to buy art! The only problem now, is that my wardrobe is old and falling apart and I’m not sure how long it will be before I look like a homeless man. God, give me the strength to hold out for a pair of jeans that fits well, is priced reasonably and makes my ass look good!

E-BAYWATCH

(Pirate ACEO by Lydia Velarde 2008)

No, it's not me in a red swimsuit flying down the beach in slow-mo with my floatie under my armpit (Seriously, me in a bathing suit? I always just do the favor and refrain...unless I'm in another country or at a beach where people look worse than I.),but it is me swimming through the art listings on Ebay, yet again. It's not so bad today, and I am pretty pleased with all of the items I have purchased. For the most part, I bought ACEOs (Art Card Editions and Originals), which are guilt-free and great for gifts, etc. In the process, I discovered some pretty amazing artists, who not only sell their mini-wares in cyberland, they also sell in the real world for hundreds and even thousands of dollars at brick and mortar fine art galleries throughout the country.

One of new favorite artists is Lydia Velarde of San Diego, California. As you can see in the preceding photo, Lydia celebrates whimsy in her work, with themes ranging from pirates to VW buses to sheep, which I love! It's impressive to me how she captures so much detail in a 2.5" x 3.5" gouache painting. In reading about her, I learned that she has been away from painting for a while, but is now working on all thrusters trying to regain her spot as a top artist in the San Diego area. Her full-sized paintings are lovely and are priced very reasonably for the quality of the work. Someday, it would be great to own one of her still lifes or landscapes.

In the meantime, you can visit her blog at http://artyvelarde.blogspot.com/. I also recommend going to http://www.lydiavelarde.com/ to learn about the woman behind these fabulous miniature creations.