Even more work in progress...

OK, I'll admit that this one is strange...

It'll be finished just as soon as I add some more areas of solid color.

Last Supper - finished for now...

I'll have to come back to this canvas to finish off some loose ends (adding some solid areas of color, the names of the books, working on the details of the eyes...), but for now, I'm done. If you like, click on the image to see it a bit larger. The embroidery took 14+ hours to complete (not counting the time spent drawing and the layout of each of the elements).

Memorial Day

Anevay showing off her belly filled with enough food to feed ten grown men.

Yesterday we enjoyed a relaxing day in the neighborhood. We spent the morning and much of the afternoon with some of our best friends in the park, and on our way home stopped at a rooftop BBQ, where Anevay devoured a hotdog, cheeseburger, salads, watermelon, and chips...

On our way home we noticed a flag tacked against a building, and I remembered that Memorial Day commemorates U.S. men and women who have fallen while in military service. Now, there is no one as against war as I am, but my heart does go out to anyone who has lost a loved one, no matter what f-ed up things they might believe. My grandfathers both fought in WWII, and I believe very strongly that at the time what they were doing felt right and true, despite being of the mind that fighting in a war appalling. Even when our government makes damaging decisions, I don't think soldiers- especially those who have joined up just to get a college education- should be blamed...

Make it tight...

One of the canvases for my up-coming show that opens June 12th at Spacecraft...

Laura and Lucas get married!!

The lovely bride and groom.

Note the embroidered handkerchief that Lucas is sportin'... (yep, I had a hand in making them!)

Yes, they were every bit as tasty as they look.

Me and the talented Courtney Webster, who has been one of my best friends since third grade!

Sebrina snapped this one of me as I came down the stairs outside the reception hall.

Dan and Anevay.
The back of Laura's dress...

Sebrina and Courtney tearin' it up.

Anevay and Jasme, also tearin' it up!

This photo makes me laugh!

I felt sorry for the poor guy in the background... (terrible picture of me, but seeing my expression makes it almost worth it!)

We laughed all afternoon... Good times! In this photo we were laughing because we realized that strewn out over the stairs we looked a little as though we belonged in an MTV 80s rock video...

Dan joined in on the action.
View of the new and old Yankee's stadium from the balcony of the couple hosting the after-party.

Congratulations to Laura and Lucas!!

A glimpse of how the other side lives...

Two school field-trips in one week = one incredibly stressed out mom...

Anevay's charter school was funded and conceived by a philanthropist who had already started a successful private school in the Hamptons. This past Friday I went with Anevay's class to visit the school as well as a swamp just minutes away from the campus.

I was shocked to hear that many of the children had never experienced being in the middle of the woods- this was made obvious by watching their reaction to the various critters and bugs one finds in the middle of a swamp- Oh! The screaming and the yelling!!

I was even more shocked to get a glimpse of the school in the Hamptons. The school keeps a small farmette, a climbing wall, and a large green-space and play equipment for the children to work off their energy.

It made me sad that Anevay doesn't have access to the things the kids in the Hamptons have... I overheard a teacher telling one of Anevay's classmates that it would be difficult to keep animals in the city... But that's not exactly what I was silently feeling sorry about. It's more the relaxed environment, the green open space, the obvious care that goes into the envirionment.

Granted, Anevay's school is lovely, and she has access to a lot, but the area where she's allowed to play is devoid of grass, there is no play equipment, and no effort has been made to develop even a single box garden...

Sigh.

Bonnie Prince Billy at the Apollo!!

The man himself... (although I admit I stole this pic from somewhere on the Internet... I wasn't able to get a good pic, and the worker-bees at the Apollo were diligent in bitching at concert-goers to NOT take pictures)

Walking up to the Apollo.

Anevay messing around with our friend Geoff's phone.


Mayhem after the show.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I adore the music of Will Oldham, AKA Bonnie Prince Billy. Back in March my friend Geoff gave me a ticket for the concert last night at the Apollo, and I waited for the last couple of months in excited anticipation!

Amazingly, the day before the concert, Geoff told me he had an extra ticket and wondered if I might want to bring Anevay. I couldn't get over our amazing luck!

The night was truly special...

Bonnie Prince Billy didn't disappoint- the musicians who play with him are fantastic- Cheyenne Mize (on vocals and violin) has a gorgeous voice. Matt Sweeney even graced the stage for a song, which was lovely.

On our way home Anevay sighed contentedly and said, "This was one of the best nights of my life." I think her comment confirmed for me that keeping her out late on school-nights is, on occasion, well worth it...

Living and breathing embroidery thread

Lately I've been up to my ears in embroidery thread.

Really...

I wake up with strands of it in my hair, it's littered across the floors of my loft, I even found a yellow length of the stuff in my bathtub!

I've been incredibly busy finishing the canvases for my upcoming show, which opens on June 12th at Spacecraft... Save the date!

South Street Seaport

This past week was filled with school trips, a concert, BBQs, a pool party, a wedding, and a lot of work. I am feeling utterly exhausted, and definitely need a break- the problem is I have a difficult time slowing down the pace... It's always been hard for me to prioritize, as I want to take on everything! Looking through my pictures of the week, it's easy to pinpoint moments that made the frantic pace seem worth it...

Wednesday I went on yet another trip with Anevay and her class- this time to the South Street Seaport to walk around on a huge ship called the Peking. It was a sunny, warm day, and despite the insane behavior of some of the kids, it was fun for me to see them get into learning about the ships and drawing pictures of what they were seeing...

Christian Bale or Melvil Poupaud?

Sorry, it's springtime... I can't help falling in love just a little bit...

Weekend review

The girl who inspires me the most, on a second grade field trip Friday afternoon.

When I was a kid my mom always made these little bird 'noses' out of tree-bits. I made one for Anevay at the park, which prompted many of the other kids to ask for them. Soon there were about ten kids running all over the place with sticky tree-bits on the ends of their noses.

Sculpture outside the Tribeca Arts Center, where Anevay's second grade class caught a show put on by the Paperbag Players.

Quilts hung up in the Tribeca Arts Center!

Cute little monkeys at the park...


Meditating amidst the madness.


I laughed at these signs that I saw on the way back from the field-trip... And heard more than one parent comment, "Man, I need a drink..."

The kids were also wiped out!

Saturday night we were fortunate enough to babysit the adorable Dakota! (seated here with his lovely mama, Shay)

Greg makes fun of me for taking too many pictures.

My girl is great with babies...

Sunday morning we trekked to Greenpoint to help a friend with a video project. We lived about a block from here when we first moved to NY.

Um, Okayyyy... I just wondered what prompted someone to write this?

And what does Elvis have to do with it? I didn't point this out to Anevay, who, as the biggest Elvis fan on the planet, would have been very offended.

This Leviticus character/artist leaves his/her work all over Bedford Avenue...

Sunday we went to Orit's place for brunch. Afterwards we relaxed with movies. (Anevay and Clare seated in this photo)

And yet another 'piece' by Leviticus. Any of you the face behind the name?