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Upcoming outreach events

the worcester art museum is starting to fill up my calendar with local events to attend as i host a table to entertain/educate attendees with mini-art lessons and fun projects. the goal of my presence is to draw more people into coming to visit this wonderful museum that offers so many various programs suited for everyone from in and around the worcester, ma area. see my current list of events and check back regularly as it's sure to grow in the coming weeks!

September 11th, Blackstone Canal Fest
September 19th, stART on the Street
September 25h, Main South Summer Neighborhood Festival
October 17th, Boys & Girls Club: Arts In the Afternoon

Community event announcement

worcester, ma has become a third home to me with all of the community outreach work i do as an instructor with the worcester art museum and i'm eager to see the city grow and prosper as a community of its size should (its the second biggest city in new england). through my work at WAM i've seen the best, and definitely the worst that is offered by worcester. unfortunately racism is still a strong factor in the city and threatens to undermine many of the chances of fulfilling the dreams that my students deserve. but thankfully there are like minded individuals who want to see that change. dr. ravi perry of clark university and other community leaders are coming together to formulate a plan based on affirmative action in an effort to organize the city's people. on september 9th, i'll be there at this roundtable event as a representative of the worcester art museum, but also as a concerned patron of the city i now consider a home away from home.

for more information on the Race In the Woo: A community roundtable, click on this link.

Holding nothing back

a key point in the process of a painting for me is the initial jump start, usually inspired by a song or image that germinate an idea for a stellar piece of art all my own. often times it's several songs and the music videos that correlate with each that become a play list for a series of several pieces that come together in my studio. this past weekend was intense in the regards that i've learned a lot about who i am as i've begun putting myself out in the world again after several weeks of breaking up with my ex-partner of three years. what follows is how i divided up my weekend into music. some songs absolutely describe what was pouring out of my brain or heart, others are more for the mood that can be used to describe an experience, and some songs are used for the narrative of others who were participants of my friday to sunday excursion. i'm curious to see what develops in my sketchbook and on blank canvases as i continue to listen to this weekend play list. the list is still a work in progress, but for now, this is what has developed.

friday morning

1. 'Since You've Been Gone' - Kelly Clarkson
2. 'Spotlight'- Jennifer Hudson
3. 'Looking For a New Love' - Jody Watley

friday night

4. 'Can't Handle Me' - Flo Rida
5. 'Speak 'N Spell' - Elin Lanto
6. 'Not Myself Tonight' - Christina Aguilera

saturday morning

7. 'Can't Beat the Feeling' - Kylie Minogue
8. 'Upside Down' - Diana Ross

saturday night

9. 'Take Your Time' - SOS Band
10. 'Go Deep' -Janet Jackson
11. 'Cooler Than Me' - Mike Posner
12. 'Whatya Want from Me' - Adam Lambert

sunday morning

13. 'Love Don't Live Here' - Bananarama
14. 'I Hate You So Much Right Now' - Kelis
15. 'Behind Those Hazel Eyes' - Kelly Clarkson
16. 'We All Sleep Alone' - Cher



August Weekend Playlist '10

Album review: Jody Watley, "Flower"

i’ve been a fan of jody watley since my youth, when this amazing artist first struck out on her solo career from the popular, shalamar. my mom, my aunt, even my regular babysitter were all fans of watley which ensured that I kept up with her career through the ‘90s. But somehow, I never discovered watley’s album, “flower”, so imagine how surprised I was when I found it on itunes! After some digging i found that the album was meant to be a comeback for jody watley, but problems with the label prevented a states-side release and prompting watley to almost decide on a musical retirement! After getting the album downloaded onto my ipod, i can understand watley’s frustration – this is an AWESOME album.

i received this album at a perfect time in my life as i was just separating from my partner of three years and for the first time in a LONG time, striking out on my own. “flower” is almost an echo of my own personal journey from start to finish as watley soulfully sings of love, passion, unfortunate breakup, but later emancipation, and inner strength. the ballad, ‘just one more time’, is ripe with such strong emotion and beauty that I thought I would cry at first listen, and – whitney who? ‘if i’m not in love’ is yet another powerful love song to add to the lengthy list owned by jody watley. watley doesn’t shy away from her dance roots either, ‘off the hook’, and ‘baby tonight’, are sexy tunes one can’t help but want to get down to!

i’m VERY pleased i now own this album and what’s more, that watley continues to produce quality music to this day. “flower” is a definite step between jody’s “intimacy” of 1993 and 2001’s “saturday night experience” -- highlighting the evolution of this inspiring artist. It’s been several weeks since I first obtained, “flower”, and i continue to play the album on regular basis for whatever mood I may be in. it’s THAT good.

five out of five stars.

Album review: Jody Watley, "Intimacy"

i vaguely remember listening to this album in my youth – i think it was a CD owned by my babysitter, mary, who fueled my love of jody watley. not owning it personally now as an adult has always tugged at me since i lovingly own all of jody watley’s more current material. so finally, early one Saturday morning, i downloaded it from itunes. i instantly remembered two of the tracks through their music videos that had aired on tv, two classics of the ‘90s from my childhood, ‘when a man loves a woman’ and ‘your love keeps working on me’. i didn’t realize it at the age of nine or ten, but ‘when a man loves a woman’ is powerful poetry with a heartfelt message from watley herself to all men and women. I applaud the artist’s unique approach with this song in an era full of violence and obnoxious decadence. “intimacy” is slightly dated with its house club beats, but for the most part, this record is a sexy and playfully soulful journey from start to finish. the ten tracks were perfect for my leisurely saturday morning at my pool and will work for a more romantic setting some evening with a special someone.

three and a half out of five stars.

Album review: Kylie Minogue, "Aphrodite"

i’ve been anticipating kylie minogue’s new album for some time, ever since it was announced several months back. kylie made me a pop princess years ago with her debut album, “kylie”, and I’ve been a long-time fan ever since. minogue explained that “aphrodite” would be a full return to her pop/dance roots that have made her so famous. i found this an odd comment, because her last album, “x”, was more or less the same. although there’s a definite distinct disco flavor to her latest work, it’s fun and happy, much like the persona of the celebrity that kylie minogue portrays. i like it, but it’s all too much of the same – a little too routine – all one flavor. And some of the songs like, ‘closer’ and ‘looking for an angel’ seem very much like filler between more noticeable songs like ‘get outta my way’, ‘aphrodite’, ‘cupid boy’, and ‘can’t beat the feeling’. ultimately there’s more to like than not, so i’m pleased with “aphrodite” as a whole and will forever relate the summer of 2010 with it for giving me constant opportunities to dance!

four out of five stars.

EDIT: Album review: Kelis, "Flesh Tone"

the hard and infectious beats of kelis' first single 'aceppella' and the poetic lyrics over poppin' music of, '4th of july', hooked me and i knew i had to purchase the artist's album, flesh tone. looking at the track list with a three minute intro and multiple segues between songs, i was looking forward to quite the experience. unfortunately i was almost immediately disappointed upon first listen. "almost" being my key word, because there are a few tracks that i enjoy, but ultimately the album will remain a forgettable list of electronic dance songs on my iPod. i enjoyed following kelis' journey of self discovery and independence through her music of being a single woman and a new mother. 'brave', being the most dynamic track, is a song co-written by the singer and produced by benny benassi and will.i.am. songs like '22nd century' and 'scream' are fun, but not quite as dynamic as i was hoping. while these songs will remain on constant replay in the upcoming weeks on various personal mixes for the end of the summer, i'm finding fewer words to describe the album as a whole. there just isn't enough diversity to go further into detail about, flesh tone.

three and a half out of five stars.

Summer art 2010

i've begun to upload some pictures taken of artwork created by my summer campers of the worcester jewish community center. i've been incredibly impressed by the creativity of each individual and their eagerness to learn. it's been hard work, but a great summer! the final piece you see is a "memory book" dedication to me as, "the best art teacher ever!!" with a detailed drawing of my favorite super heroine, wonder woman!

The evolution of my painting process

recently it seems friends have grown more curious to the evolution of my paintings. unfortunately, there's no easy way to explain as every painting's origin is different. i've promised to document the creation of my next piece in more detail, but for now you can see the formation of my oil painting on canvas "My Real" which was on display at the worcester art museum the winter of 2009. i'm not normally a still life artist (i prefer the human form in one fashion or another), but this was an attempt at getting back to form (well, sort of, obviously i added my abstract twist). i was successful in some aspects and ultimately failed in others. one never stops learning. what's not shown are the original painting and photographs of the pieces i used for reference. in the future i'll post a strict still life painting i did using the actual objects. i'm sure you'll see a difference between the two.