allison bilge hippo

"It is true that when we begin anything new, resistances fly in our face."  Natalie Goldberg

Made it to the studio finally yesterday (OK, so it was only one day I didn't make it...), got the bug carcasses vacuumed up which was a major accomplishment.  I live in fear my $35 vacuum will be giving out soon and Wal-Mart won't have another one.  But I also got the book pages ready-  flattened and assembled so today I will try to stitch them up and decide on a cover.  I also was able to locate a blanket pattern I want to use, now will go order the yarns and start working on something at home at night that I like!  

I am hating the linen scarf that keeps me rooted to 'Justified' episodes-  I get too involved in watching people get their foreheads shot that I make mistakes, even though it's a simple repeat pattern!  (We alternate between 'The Americans' and 'Justified' every night.  Fortunately they have the same really evil woman in both and her name is Margot Martindale, and that was my grandmother's name.  She is a terrific character actress and so much fun to watch her at it!  She was unfortunately recently killed off in 'Justified' and I have a few seasons to go so I'll miss her.)  

Got my hotel confirmation for my weekend up in Melbourne (FL, not Australia, unfortunately) where I've been asked to be on a panel.  I accepted quickly because it'a an opening weekend for a SAQA show and will attract people from across the state.  I was sent some 'talking points' last week for the panel discussion that I read in Amsterdam and promptly deleted by mistake, but most of the points had to do with marketing and promotion.  Oops.  Not my forte, for sure.  So I am trying to formulate some thoughts on this today from my perspective.  I know I will never have an art rep, gallery representation, or 'collectors' that everybody keeps talking about.  I've been pretty lucky with sales out of shows the occasional commission, and private people wandering by and dropping off their money, so I've never actively done much in the marketing department.  But the reaon they asked me is to talk so talk I must!

Now for some more pictures of my trip!  Yeaaa!  So long ago...  Today we're talking about collections of things. 

First a window full of Delft china-  the shop was closed but I could smell the dust through the window!

Next, a collection of stacked Edam cheeses, like cannonballs out in the sun (yeah, I think that's me over on the left- rarely do I take the time to actually make a shot on purpose!)  

And a visit to the Het Loo Palace where there were vast collections of dead animals-  here a bear and a cheetah.  Right behind them was an actual stuffed full size alligator you would have to step over to get to the lovely damask sitting area  (someone stepped in front of the camera for that picture and I had to move it along.)  There were also smaller animals arranged on tabletops and in shelves, some with glass domes.  Creepy.

The adjoining room with two elephant feet to hold coal by the stove and to keep the badger pelt warm I guess.  On the walls above were thousands of small antlers and lots of huge antlers up to the ceiling:

Only one wall, it extended all the way around.

 I was taken by the amount of taxidermy I saw-  every pub had either a skeleton of some odd animal or a stuffed version of something-  usually more than several on display.  It seemed that peacocks were the favorite and I saw them mounted over a lot of fireplaces- both the colorful ones and occasionally an albino (at least I am assuming they were albino unless that old taxidermist knew how to bleach feathers...)

And last but not least, the canal swan collection

A little pal peeking out.  'Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.'

Off to work.  Oh, BTW, Molly caught the runs from Pepper who caught it at the kennel, we are still on pumpkin and rice here and I make runs out to the street with buckets of water to wash things off.  Welcome home to me.