And yes, I’m still loving the ShakeIt app.

While we walked up and down the seemingly endless aisles of gallery spaces, I noticed I was favoring sculptures more than usual. And it goes without saying that my favorite artist from the convention was Nick Cave. Although his pieces aren’t a textbook definition of a sculpture (he terms them sound suits), the amount of detail and beauty was fascinating.

I also saw Swoon’s piece in the Deitch gallery. To be honest, I really would have loved to see her participate in Primary Flight.

Today’s agenda involved a trip out to the Wynwood Art District, home to Primary Flight and also a stop inside the Graffiti Gone Global exhibit which I absolutely loved. There were so many great pieces in one space. I can only hope the curators keep this show going for years to come, because it was by far my favorite.

To top it all off, we made a trip to our new favorite cupcakery, LA Sweets.

Although Miami and I have a strong love/hate relationship, a weekend such as this tips the scale in its favor significantly.

Art Basel, thanks for stopping by. You were a blast.

I’m almost positive that I resided on the west coast of the country in one of my previous lives. For some reason it always feels like home when I visit, even though I’ve lived in Florida my entire life. However, it feels good to be home. I suppose that’s the sign of an extensive vacation. Plus, I missed having a closet full of wardrobe options as opposed to just a suitcase.

All of my JournalFest classes were great, each one helping me to think of new techniques to incorporate into my art journaling. By far my favorite class was Traci Bunkers‘ Love and Fear workshop. We share similar journaling styles (emphasis on the process as opposed to the finished product) and the iPod playlist she played during the class was killer (music is a must whenever I’m journaling).

Fort Worden was one of a kind with its ocean views, miniature castle, beautiful landscapes, and breathtaking sunrises; truly a place unlike anywhere I’ve stayed before. After this trip I’d certainly consider going to another festival hosted by Teesha Moore.  She and her husband Tracy did a great job with the entire event, and although I’m a newbie to all of this stuff, I could easily see myself becoming used to attending artist retreats. I’m already contemplating Art and Soul in Vegas next year.

Overall the time away worked well in providing  me a much needed mental cleansing and creative free-for-all. Definitely looking forward to doing it again soon.

I am going away for a while
I’ll be back don’t try and follow me
I’ll return as soon as possible
See I’m tryin’ to find my place
It might not be here where I feel safe
We all learn to make mistakes,

And run from them
From them
With no direction
We’ll run from them
From them
With no conviction

I’m just one of those ghosts
Traveling endlessly
Don’t need no roads
In fact they follow me
And we just go in circles

Now I’m told that this is life
Pain is just a simple compromise
So we can we get what we want out of it
Someone care to classify
Broken hearts and twisted minds
So I can find, someone to rely on,

And run to them
to them
Full speed ahead
Oh you are not
Useless
We are just

Misguided ghosts
Traveling endlessly
The ones we trusted the most
Pushed us far away
And there’s no one road
We should not be the same
I’m just a ghost
And still they echo me
They echo me in circles.

Off to the west coast to experience unfamiliar things.  See you soon.

photo by fusionpanda

7 days until

Photo by dactylx

And 10 days until

Photo by stewickie

Over the weekend I was visiting a friend in Stuart, Fl and we were lucky enough to see panoramic views of the intercoastal with different cloud formations in almost every direction. Can you spot the rainbow?

Our trip to the Elliot Museum was quite a gem with their exhibit A Circus of Small Wonders. Funhouse mirrors were in place for the kiddies, but I couldn’t resist the photo op.

And lastly, my JournalFest confirmation packet came in the mail. It was chock full of beautiful paper and art from Teesha. October can’t come soon enough!

Journal Page by Traci Bunkers

But, lucky for me the organizer of the infamous retreats (ArtFest, JournalFest, and ArtFiberFest), Teesha Moore, made an announcement this afternoon that spots were still available for October’s JournalFest.  Oh happy day! Even though it’s more than 2 months away (October 21-25) a wave of excitement swept over me as I began to sift through the information and pictures detailing the various classes.

With all the incredible teachers and techniques that are being covered, I’m almost positive this will be one of the best birthday presents I’ve given myself in quite some time.

• You thank the bus driver when you get off at your stop
• I have seasonal allergies
• Even the homeless are stylish
• House of Vintage is heaven on Earth
• It’s legal for women to be topless in public
• Bagdad was the best $3 I’ve ever spent
• Fashion is everything
• The air smells sweet
• Incredible cuisine can be found on nearly every street
• Bikes > cars
• Portlanders love their city
• It feels like home

Photo by Robert Crum

Tomorrow afternoon I leave to visit my best friend in Portland, Oregon.

With 5 different cameras and a bag full of film, I’m hoping to capture some good shots while visiting.

Bring on the Voodoo doughnuts! Maybe I’ll be able to grab some Peet’s while visiting. I love that stuff.

I wasn’t entirely a huge fan of O’Keefe’s work, but there was one photograph from Ansel Adams’ collection titled Moonrise, Hernandez, that I fell in love with. So many wonderful elements comprise this photo. The silky whispiness of the clouds and the eerie glow of the crosses in the graveyard are my favorite aspects. Unfortunately, I feel the online versions of the image fall short in comparison to the original print.

There was also an Impressionist exhibit, Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism, featuring works of famous impressionists like Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet. Hands down my favorite piece in this collection included Charles Courtney Curran’s On the Heights.

And of course what trip to the Norton Museum would be complete without a rest under the Chihuly Persian Sealife ceiling.

All in all, it was a stellar trip to the Norton Museum. My date was of the highest caliber and we enjoyed the following: a delicious breakfast at Maria’s Cafe, iced coffee, and salad/soup greatness at Sweet Tomatoes. “Comfort Food” month was officially ending at Sweet Tomatoes, so I had to enjoy the last bit of tomato soup while I had the opportunity.