Getting away from it all

My getaway in New England.

my studio is a secret sanctuary unlike any other, bestowed to me by my grandparents for my graduation from art school. it’s a great space to escape the city and reflect on my busy life. with a view like this you can understand how it’s become my creative nexus.

Look who came to visit!

my summer hasn't been as progressive as i was planning, at least not in the studio. but in the classroom it's been crazy busy. i'm working as both teacher and co teen program coordinator. that's not to say i stepped away from the elementary age students. today i hosted a guest speaking event with wonder woman who spoke on being a real-life hero. my friend, maggie, rocked as the amazon princess. here she is signing autographs for a group of 1st graders and later rescuing me after a long day of teaching.

Continued work in progress --

two months ago i blogged about a painting i had begun and since that time i've continued working on it on odds days off or when time allows. hopefully the summer will afford me greater opportunities to work on my art. to date i have three paintings uncompleted. i would like to see at least two finished before the end of august.

"Buddha Glam" work in progress

2012 Sumer season men's fashion

i am so relieved to see color being added once again to menswear - 2012 looks to give me plenty of clothing options and inspiration.






Also check out:

British Vogue, Autumn/Winter Versace Menswear 2012/13

Final playlist of summer 2011

i personally don't feel this has been a great summer of music, but that's not to say i haven't discovered or rediscovered some classics from years past. this will be most likely my last playlist of the season that i post, but i'm pleased to report that although this year's summer has been -- blase, it should end with a bang as my boyfriend and i have plans to end the month with a tour of southern mexico. cheers to all!

Video Playlist Vol. !0

Summer music for 2011

i'll be honest, this has not been a great year for movies or music. i haven't felt driven to buy a single album this summer, when usually, i'm at my peak of craving for new sounds to listen to on the beach, long road trips, etc. of the four movies i've caught at the theater, i thoroughly enjoyed one, had fun with another, and the rest hardly met my expectations. below is a link of a few jams i can't get out of my head, unfortunately, not many of them are original, rather remixes from songs of old. while that does take a sort of creative genius, mostly it has me looking up music i listened to in the late '80s and early '90s. anyway, it's not the be all or end all of summer, but i had higher hopes for new music to help complete this, my favorite time of year.

Video Playlist Vol. 9










*if you've missed any of my playlists check out my YouTube channel!

Warming up for summer

summer is by far my favorite season, but i have a fondness for this time of year as spring comes closer to ending and summer prepares to begin. there's something about the energy of life that spreads throughout the world, wherever you are, it allows you to really enjoy being alive! the dog and i are enjoying longer morning and afternoon walks and jogs with the unseasonably warm weather and we're so much the better because of it. usually i have one or two major trips planned for the upcoming season, but i've been accepted as a youth art director/instructor for a nearby community center and i'm more energized than ever as i come closer to tackling a role that's destined to be a challenge (i'm basically restarting a dying program from its ashes). it's important to have your skills and talent tested from time to time and to strive for creativity - sometimes forcing yourself to stretch your imagination.

in the meantime, a herald of summer for my boyfriend and i is our penchant for summer anthems. remember a song that stuck with you from your childhood that you just couldn't get enough of and several years later it still invokes those same emotions when you first heard it? we still get excited for that one (or two songs) that we'll play continuously from june to august until the late night parties and long afternoons on the beach slowly end. right now there seem to be a few options for which song we'll enjoy the most in the coming months, but for your consideration i'm offering links to what we're listening to now.

Christina Aguilera, 'I'm Not Myself Tonight'

christina's new song is a forceful blast to critics and haters and empowering to those who want to cut loose once and awhile. the video is certainly controversial for many reasons, but i've deduced that's possibly why i enjoy it so much.

Kylie Minogue, 'All the Lovers'

pure pop and disco, kylie again produces a song that expresses exactly how i see myself, lots of energy, love, and bursting with positivity. the sarcastic b!tch in me loathes my upbeat bubblegum personality, but it's something that sustains me and i've learned to accept all of me (finally).

Kelly Rowland, 'Commander'

last year's summer anthem went to kelly and compadre, david guetta, who teamed up for the song, 'when love takes over'. this fierce jam forces everyone to the dance floor as soon as the beat begins to blare over the speakers and the word, "dance", ominously sounds repeatedly.