In the spirit of using this blog to promote area artists, I would like to take a minute and tell you about one that is showing over at the Ground Cafe. I wrote this for the Amarillo Globe News and it was an article that hghlighted three artists out and about in coffee shops at the time. Ralph Duke was showing at Hastings at that time and he has since then moved his show over to the Ground Cafe. I think the review is still appropriate, so I hope you enjoy and go out and see some local art!
Over at the Ground Cafe on the ground floor of the Chase Tower in Downtown Amarillo, Ralph Duke has a series of photographs there for the art lover to enjoy. These rich pieces invoke a sense of the most revered of coffee drinks, the beloved espresso. The subtle intricacies in Duke’s photographs are what make them so very successful. The Remains Series Image 4 most accurately captures this. Here, Duke presents us with the 4th photograph of the old Southwestern Public Service Company’s East power plant, which Duke was allowed to document before its last day standing. This piece so accurately captures the architectural sharpness of the rafters of the room which lead one’s eye to the large bright window at the back of the expanse. This, in turn, brings one to the floor of the which is littered with mucky, dark chaos. It is a study in contrasts; that bright, steel airiness of the ceiling flanked by the dismal mess of the bottom of the shot. Rich, bold overtones work as one to leave a deep impact in the receiver of the work, much like that shot of espresso works for any coffee aficionado. The Remains Series will be at the Ground Cafe for the month of March.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
New stuff
Hello blog world
So it has been such a long long time for me that I feel like a disgrace in the blog world.
I read over my past efforts at this and shame on me!!! I became that senseless babbler of life. No one really wants to read about that!!!
I am deleting most of those past posts today. I will leave my poetry on there as I feel it may have some sort of artistic merit.
But from now on, this blog will be devoted to getting the word out about Amarillo artists and shows going on in the area!!!!
I am starting a new column in Style magazine in April and I hope to use this as a vehicle to further those artistic needs. Now, it is my hope that if you are showing somewhere in the upcoming months that you will send me your bio and tell me where and I will post something here for the digital world to check out and I will even twitter about you!
We need to get Amarillo artistically activated!!! It's a whole new decade-let's embrace it!
Send me your stuff!
Your challenge today is to look at something upside down and describe it to me! Better yet take a photo of it and send it to me!
Be artsy fartsy! There is no shame in it at all!
Ande
So it has been such a long long time for me that I feel like a disgrace in the blog world.
I read over my past efforts at this and shame on me!!! I became that senseless babbler of life. No one really wants to read about that!!!
I am deleting most of those past posts today. I will leave my poetry on there as I feel it may have some sort of artistic merit.
But from now on, this blog will be devoted to getting the word out about Amarillo artists and shows going on in the area!!!!
I am starting a new column in Style magazine in April and I hope to use this as a vehicle to further those artistic needs. Now, it is my hope that if you are showing somewhere in the upcoming months that you will send me your bio and tell me where and I will post something here for the digital world to check out and I will even twitter about you!
We need to get Amarillo artistically activated!!! It's a whole new decade-let's embrace it!
Send me your stuff!
Your challenge today is to look at something upside down and describe it to me! Better yet take a photo of it and send it to me!
Be artsy fartsy! There is no shame in it at all!
Ande
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
3ww-what a dangerous keepsake the restless spirit is
What a dangerous keepsake the restless spirit is
writhing through the night
searching day by day
for more meatier experiences
for a place to finally stay
waltzing amidst the jungles
tightroping through the throngs
of people and of places
of instances and wrongs
that constant continuous search for something
anything there
that spirit that falls off your curio shelf
that breaks in the thin air
oh what a dangerous keepsake that restless spirit is
its breaking its ribs
and jumping off cliffs
to find out where it lives
what a comforting thought to inside know
that somewhere there is a home
a solitary chunk of wilderness
that spirit calls its own
writhing through the night
searching day by day
for more meatier experiences
for a place to finally stay
waltzing amidst the jungles
tightroping through the throngs
of people and of places
of instances and wrongs
that constant continuous search for something
anything there
that spirit that falls off your curio shelf
that breaks in the thin air
oh what a dangerous keepsake that restless spirit is
its breaking its ribs
and jumping off cliffs
to find out where it lives
what a comforting thought to inside know
that somewhere there is a home
a solitary chunk of wilderness
that spirit calls its own
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
3ww-alliteration alley
Drat on the dum dum dreary day
discounted duties dragging on
does dilly dally drink me down
spread me around
like butter on burnt toast
Early easter eves eager
eyelight on everyone's eulogy
even I eked out entertainment
behind a movie theater
at 2 in the morning
Too too timidly touching
tasty tidbits of total tenderness
thunderroll taking tremendous toll
on you and me
and what I suppose to never be.
discounted duties dragging on
does dilly dally drink me down
spread me around
like butter on burnt toast
Early easter eves eager
eyelight on everyone's eulogy
even I eked out entertainment
behind a movie theater
at 2 in the morning
Too too timidly touching
tasty tidbits of total tenderness
thunderroll taking tremendous toll
on you and me
and what I suppose to never be.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Keep on Truckin
Trying to move on
searching for something new
to do
just need to get through
Too damn old to be feeling
like this
little lost frosty cool
without much in my head
Waking up is hard to do
My fingers keep talking
searching
lurching everyday
The littlegirlbirthday party
with too too many presents
not enough time
to make one mine
and find that one find
that I have been dreaming of
forever
Married to a day to day
that needs to get away
It's damn near time for a divorce
The little girl will suffer the most.
searching for something new
to do
just need to get through
Too damn old to be feeling
like this
little lost frosty cool
without much in my head
Waking up is hard to do
My fingers keep talking
searching
lurching everyday
The littlegirlbirthday party
with too too many presents
not enough time
to make one mine
and find that one find
that I have been dreaming of
forever
Married to a day to day
that needs to get away
It's damn near time for a divorce
The little girl will suffer the most.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
3ww-Alex's night
Bwak bwak bwak
bicker backed sstrut around the room
pecking at the little things
he tells us all how we have failed
We see this fainting finger pointing
as its trajectory closes into the space behind my daughter
My daughter on the roof
crying over daddy do dahs
and daddy wah wahs
and her nervous looks down at me
on the concrete below
just wishing there was a way out
of this little luau of lackluster laments
burning holes in her self esteem
taking pills that don't make her better
he fires away
another round of babble
with shrapel of shit
and circumstance
So I hold her and tell her to breathe
this too shall pass
and when these boomers give us clean skies
we will bask in their sunshiney goodness.
bicker backed sstrut around the room
pecking at the little things
he tells us all how we have failed
We see this fainting finger pointing
as its trajectory closes into the space behind my daughter
My daughter on the roof
crying over daddy do dahs
and daddy wah wahs
and her nervous looks down at me
on the concrete below
just wishing there was a way out
of this little luau of lackluster laments
burning holes in her self esteem
taking pills that don't make her better
he fires away
another round of babble
with shrapel of shit
and circumstance
So I hold her and tell her to breathe
this too shall pass
and when these boomers give us clean skies
we will bask in their sunshiney goodness.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Maya Angelou!
Oh Madam Maya
how you have touched us all!!!!
Last night had to be one of the most amazing things! I don't even care that the sound was screwed up because I got to see a living legend. She was one of the most motivational speakers I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. What positivity! One woman able to lift the spirits of a whole coliseum full of people. How amazed I was to be able to share that moment with my daughter and with Lana. They will always remember that they saw her speak in Canyon, TX.
She got me to thinking about the rainbows in my cloud and I decided it is time to give props to them. So here they are in no particular order just in a list!
Alex-when I got pregnant with her at 17 I never knew if I would be able to do it-to have a baby and grow up and take care of it. My ex's family accepted us as we were and for that they were a rainbow in my cloud. But Alex, oh Alex, she gave me a reason to grow up and a purpose in my life. She taught me so much about myself that I didn't even know at the time. She has been a staple in my life for 13 years and I know she is one of those rainbows in my cloud.
Jojo-I know it must be easy to count your children as your rainbows, but Jojo has given me patience. When I was all about go, go, go with my oldest schedule, Jojo showed up in my life and taught me that you can't always plan out your existence and that it is ok to walk a little slower and check out the little things you may over look. She has taught me that tutus and grocery stores go hand in hand and that passion is sometimes a wonderful thing. She cares so deeply about everything and for that she is a rainbow in my cloud.
Lana-Who came to me when I needed a confidant. She has not been like a daughter to me, she has been my friend and something like a little sister. I want to keep hr under my umbrella but I know she must get out and move on sometime. When I have needed to talk, she is there and will listen for hours if the need be. She also let me be her guardian-she let me help her out. She let me be maternal when I Jojo had gone to her dad's. She didn't replace her but she gave me a good distraction. For that she is one of my rainbows.
Brandon-I was lost and tired and ready to never ever love someone again. He came out of nowhere and blindsided me with a relationship I haven't ever had. He accepts me as is-he lets me try new things and supports me-he genuinely enjoys my company and who I am-he is who he is, there is no trying to figure it out-he is loving-he is emotionally there for me-he picks me up when I am down-he lifts me up higher when I am up already. He is a rainbow in my cloud.
I can think of some many more and I could list them all-
Courtney-for keeping me grounded when I was trying to get away from reality
Crystal-for offering hugs and caring words when I needed them most
Jan Ragsdale-for teaching me things I never would have known in life without a little mothering which I so desperately needed. For sharing interests with me when I wanted to discuss things and for listening when I was down about what seemed like everything.
my stepsister Brandi-who came to the wedding even though my whole family had forsaken me and won't speak to me. Just seeing her face there was a rainbow in my cloud.
I could go on and on and on-but this is the thing that Maya Angelou did to me-she had me see that so many people in my life have "paid" my way by being the rainbow in my cloud.
So today I am going to spend some time getting back to writing and pick up a pack of thank you notes and let these people who are rainbows in my cloud know that that is what they are.
One amazing woman-and I am so grateful to have heard her.
how you have touched us all!!!!
Last night had to be one of the most amazing things! I don't even care that the sound was screwed up because I got to see a living legend. She was one of the most motivational speakers I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. What positivity! One woman able to lift the spirits of a whole coliseum full of people. How amazed I was to be able to share that moment with my daughter and with Lana. They will always remember that they saw her speak in Canyon, TX.
She got me to thinking about the rainbows in my cloud and I decided it is time to give props to them. So here they are in no particular order just in a list!
Alex-when I got pregnant with her at 17 I never knew if I would be able to do it-to have a baby and grow up and take care of it. My ex's family accepted us as we were and for that they were a rainbow in my cloud. But Alex, oh Alex, she gave me a reason to grow up and a purpose in my life. She taught me so much about myself that I didn't even know at the time. She has been a staple in my life for 13 years and I know she is one of those rainbows in my cloud.
Jojo-I know it must be easy to count your children as your rainbows, but Jojo has given me patience. When I was all about go, go, go with my oldest schedule, Jojo showed up in my life and taught me that you can't always plan out your existence and that it is ok to walk a little slower and check out the little things you may over look. She has taught me that tutus and grocery stores go hand in hand and that passion is sometimes a wonderful thing. She cares so deeply about everything and for that she is a rainbow in my cloud.
Lana-Who came to me when I needed a confidant. She has not been like a daughter to me, she has been my friend and something like a little sister. I want to keep hr under my umbrella but I know she must get out and move on sometime. When I have needed to talk, she is there and will listen for hours if the need be. She also let me be her guardian-she let me help her out. She let me be maternal when I Jojo had gone to her dad's. She didn't replace her but she gave me a good distraction. For that she is one of my rainbows.
Brandon-I was lost and tired and ready to never ever love someone again. He came out of nowhere and blindsided me with a relationship I haven't ever had. He accepts me as is-he lets me try new things and supports me-he genuinely enjoys my company and who I am-he is who he is, there is no trying to figure it out-he is loving-he is emotionally there for me-he picks me up when I am down-he lifts me up higher when I am up already. He is a rainbow in my cloud.
I can think of some many more and I could list them all-
Courtney-for keeping me grounded when I was trying to get away from reality
Crystal-for offering hugs and caring words when I needed them most
Jan Ragsdale-for teaching me things I never would have known in life without a little mothering which I so desperately needed. For sharing interests with me when I wanted to discuss things and for listening when I was down about what seemed like everything.
my stepsister Brandi-who came to the wedding even though my whole family had forsaken me and won't speak to me. Just seeing her face there was a rainbow in my cloud.
I could go on and on and on-but this is the thing that Maya Angelou did to me-she had me see that so many people in my life have "paid" my way by being the rainbow in my cloud.
So today I am going to spend some time getting back to writing and pick up a pack of thank you notes and let these people who are rainbows in my cloud know that that is what they are.
One amazing woman-and I am so grateful to have heard her.
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