Graffiti Follow-Up

I had to find it again, but a couple of years ago I ran across this amazing website, called Graffiti Archaeology, which has matched photos of various locations and the evolution of the graffiti found there. It is truly amazing. Check it out!
http://www.otherthings.com/grafarc/
There is one photo series in particular that is a train tunnel. The first photo taken in 1949 shows a train actually coming through it. Through the years it is fenced, then walled, all the while being covered in graffiti. A few pictures even depict some of the culprits/artists. Amazing stuff.

Graffiti=Art?

In the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, there was an article recently outlining a new rewards program for tipsters informing on graffiti taggers. The issue of graffiti has reach epidemic proportions in some areas of the Big Island, frustrating public officials and local business owners and costing a considerable amount of money to cover it. The taggers are becoming more and more bold, leaving larger tags in more prominent areas. It is an issue in Red Bluff too, with gang rivalry being expressed in tag speak. I studied graffiti a great deal for my master's thesis, and note the destructive nature of such vandalism as it instigates violence in some cases. But I also see the beauty of graffiti.

I have always been mesmerized by boxcars covered in tags, the cryptic messages, the color gradations, and the flowing design of graffiti. It is beautiful, and created using just a couple of colors and the difficult-to-control spray can. In Pahoa, there used to be a wall lining an alley (on the side of JoMaMa's, across from LaQuin's) that was a designated graffiti spot. Many local youth artists would create this cacophony of color and design. It was one of my regular pilgrimages to visit the wall, take a picture and see how it has changed. There was very little graffiti in other parts of town. The last time I was in Pahoa, the wall was white; the lovely little graffiti tradition had been lost.

Graffiti can be a major hot-button issue. So, yes, discourage the destruction of public property. Place bounties on tagger's heads if you must. But give these artists another venue to display their work. I can't say that it will eliminate their need to exhibit in more dangerous and visible locations, but it will give them a legitimate location for their work and it will not deprive the rest of us the opportunity to marvel at such gritty, interesting art.

The Great Trash Debate

Trash is the big topic in my two home towns. The Red Bluff Landfill is going to reach capacity in the very near future. It's phase two section will open at that time, which is supposed to last us until 2025. In Pahoa (Hilo) Hawaii, my other home town, the county wants to bring in a wheelabrator plant to incinerate trash and turn it to energy. It is meeting with lots of roadblocks, with arguments from the plausible (it will create more air pollution) to the ridiculous (with an incineration plant, people will stop recycling). Frankly, as far as the pollution is concerned, the trash run-off water seems to be a graver concern, and the pollution would be minimal, certainly far less than our active volcano puts out each day.

I wish that recycling was more of a priority to the average person, and that we could get away from all of our plastic use--plastic NEVER goes away. And it can only be recycled once, so those plastic grocery bags need to be reused--and reused and reused, as many times as possible. I refuse to take them at the store, but clerks always try to put stuff in them. I suppose they are easier to use than reusable bags or paper. I actually had clerks at Wal-Mart get frustrated with me, once for having to use my bags, and once because I refused bags and had her put everything back in the cart (I had left my bags in the car and bagged when I got out there). I have even had them put things with their own handles into bags for me--like gallons of milk (trying to get away from them too--plastic).

Big Island Hawaii makes recycling very difficult for the average person. You must carefully sort all of your recyclables yourself and drive them to the waste transfer station, but they don't take certain things (we tried to recycle glass liquor bottles. They would not take them). There is no home pick up (in the Puna district, anyway). People are lazy--we don't want to go to all of that effort, most especially since the government seems less than motivated to encourage it.

Victorian Homes

Red Bluff has an abundance of beautiful Victorian homes. In fact, one of our service clubs does a home tour as a fundraiser each year and showcases such homes. From my office window I can see a beautiful home, with its gingerbread trim and classically Victorian lines. Such homes are regularly depicted in paintings and photos here. Unfortunately, there are some formerly lovely homes that are rotting as they stand, or have been lost forever due to fire, decay or "modernization." It is tragic that such losses happen.

In Eureka, where I live for a short time and where many a happy family vacation took place, is the home of the Carson Mansion, a breathtaking marvel in Victorian design (it is the green beauty above). This Northern California wonder is used by a men's club and in unavailable for tours, so I have never seen the inside--which makes it all the more intriguing!

Many people, no doubt, have seen the Postcard Row of painted ladies in San Francisco. They are featured prominently in the opening of the 80's TV show Full House. San Francisco has an abundance of magnificent Victorians as well.

Anytime I am in a new town, I try to take in all of the home styles. It is amazing to visit the "old town" portions of various towns which have unique historic architecture.

Missoula Children's Theatre

Coming up April 21st-26th, the Tehama County Arts Council will once again host the Missoula Children's Theatre. The production will be The Wiz of the West, and will be an opportunity for 50+ Tehama County children to experience theatre production.

This program is really quite remarkable, in that two actor/directors come into town in a truck toting the makings of a musical. They spend a week in residence, casting local kids on Monday, rehearsing each night and performing a matinee and evening performance on Saturday. During the week they will also provide workshops at local schools on acting. While most of the children's roles are not large, each child gets exposure to what it is like to perform onstage.

The Tehama County Arts Council is offering a supplemental workshop prior to Missoula arriving that will utilize past MCT actors to teach those planning to audition for this year's production what to expect. Many children who may be afraid to attempt the audition process may feel more confident after attending the free workshop on April 12th, at 10:30 for 7th-12th graders; 11:30 for kindergarten-6th graders.

Tyvek

If you have ever built or remodeled a house, you are no doubt aware of the material Tyvek. It is a moisture barrier house wrapping material which is applied under exterior siding, etc. It is also the stuff many mailing envelopes are made of. It is also a superb art supply.

I have used it with great success at a surface to paint on. It is slightly textured and doesn't wrinkle or soak through, regardless of the viscosity of your paint. Others use it in heat applications--it tends to bubble and shrink when heat is applied, so very cool effects can be achieved. Dupont, the makers of Tyvek have realized that artists are using it in various applications and have actually developed an art supplies line. It is archival-safe, pH neutral, so it is okay to use with photos and in scrapbooking applications. It can also be sewn--it is actually used to make clothing and for quilting. It is highly durable. It is a wonderful art supply.

I am currently working through a leftover roll, inherited from my dad after he built and addition to his house. It is also great as a birdcage liner, as it is moisture resistant.

Springtime in Tehama County

Happy 1st day of Spring! Tehama County does Spring in a big way, with our orchards of plum and almond trees blooming, our tree lined streets and highways leafing out, and fields being plowed and planted. It is a beautiful place to be--though if you have seasonal allergies, stock up on antihistamines!

I happened upon this orchard near Gerber. Surprisingly, the picture was taken with my cell phone--I am forever amazed at the quality images it can capture. Obviously, I can get better with my 35mm, but not too shabby.

Tehama County Arts Council

I am pleased to plug the new blog for the Tehama County Arts Council at http://tehamaarts.wordpress.com/
I am honored to be the current TCAC chairperson. We sponsor three major events each year; Missoula Children's Theatre, the Children's Art Contest, and ArtWalk. We also provide arts-related support through mini grants, maintain and artists referral service database, and generally serve as an umbrella organization for the arts in Tehama County. Our website is www.tehamaarts.org

Consuming less, creating more

It is amazing to me, as I go about my daily life of information overload, the amount of advertising that I am bombarded with. I click on a news story, and before the story will play, a commercial does. I can't stand to read most magazines, since every other page is an ad--take a look at most women's interest mags for an example. I was at a friend's house, flipping through the Oprah Mag, one I don't normally read. Even on the pages of text are ads squashed on the far sides of the pages.

I think I am highly susceptible to marketing in general. I will try a brand or switch to a new one if I like the packaging, I love funny commercials, even if I abhor the product. It is sick. That is why I am doing the Compact. I have pledged not to buy anything new for the next year, with the exception of a few basics (food, medicine, toiletries, socks and underwear). I also will buy consumable art supplies when needed. But I really processed the problem of consumerism at our local Wal-Mart. Yes, friends, I shop at Wal-Mart more than my fair share--it has become the biggest industry in our tiny town. I was first amused, then annoyed, and then really appalled at the holiday time line set by our Wal-Mart store. I was in the store a week before Halloween, and they were setting up the Christmas displays. As the holiday season wore on, the number of glassy eyed, angry faces I saw meandering the aisles grew and grew. The Christmas carols, which I love, were being scoffed at as people shoved and yelled and shopped their way into debt, rather than enjoying the holiday. Now, here it is in the beginning of January, and you can buy all the Valentines day schmaltz you can carry.

So far, being a Compacter is rad (yes, I said rad. Deal with it). I have been more creative in the kitchen--old baby food containers are a great size for ranch dip to take to work with me, a container that mushrooms came in works great for a waste basket while cleaning veggies, etc. I am looking forward to my trip to the Hospice store this weekend. I want to find some shelves to organize my art supplies, and I am looking for yarn to continue my knitting habit (its only 2 skeins a week, and I can stop anytime I want). Most important to me, whether I can go a whole year without buying new or not, is that I am less wasteful and more creative with what I already have. Paid off credit card debt, here I come! Oh, and its good for the environment, too.

Knitting

I have been knitting like mad with the Knifty Knitter tools. I have made 3 scarfs, 3 hats, and a couple of bags now. I am getting a bit more adventurous with the devices and have made some really quality stuff. I am thrilled with the Knifty Knitters!

I found a way to create your own durable and reusable plastic grocery bags by knitting the ones that you get at the store. This blog has steps for making plastic bag yarn: http://hellejorgensen.typepad.com/gooseflesh/2007/02/plastic_bag_yar.html while others still have instructions for using heat to fuse bags into a durable fabric.

Plastic bags are such a wasted item in our culture, and I am pleased to see so many people joining the movement to reuse the ones that are already out there as well as use more sustainable alternatives so that we will not be adding more to the world. I am excited to experiment with such alternatives.

Happy Birthday to Kilauea Eruption!

It has been 25 years since the beginning of the current Kilauea eruptions which has added 500+ acres to the Big Island of Hawaii and covered several populated areas, including the small town of Kalapana. To read the US Geological Survey's assessment of the lengthy eruption, visit their website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/current_issue.html

The activity of the volcano and the Volcano Goddess, Madame Pele is the subject for much of the art and lore that comes out of Hawaii, and with good reason. The terrible beauty and constant threat of the volcano is very much in the mind of any island resident or visitor. It is amazing to stand on new earth, as you can at the New Black Sand Beach in Kalapana, and frightening to imagine that possibly thirty feet below you was someone's home, covered in lava. While it is a difficult trek, to hike out to the lava, it is worth it to see the glow of lava coming over the hill, to see the steam plume as it hits the ocean, and wonder where Madame Pele plans to go next.

Happy 2008

Welcome to a new year. It is exciting to think about the new year, and to view it as a starting point for changes. It is really an arbitrary marker, but it is so ingrained in us that we can resolve to be a better person starting on this date. Well, I bought into the hype, and have made some resolutions:

-I will recycle, reuse and reduce more--I won't buy new things if I can help it (see the compact: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thecompact/)
-I will learn more and talk less
-I will be creative every day
-I will drink more water and eat more veggies
-I will give credit where it is due

It is going to be a great year--I know it!

My niece, the artist

I have a beautiful and amazing niece, Ryley, whom turned one on Dec. 22nd. Her mom gave me a large collection of art supplies--one of those giant kids art packs--for Christmas. Ryley and I sat down with it Christmas day and she colored! We have been doing art together since she could hold her head up, but she didn't really get the concept that she was making marks on paper until now. She used markers on paper--and chose her own colors. She stayed with earth tones, greens, blues and browns and she is definitely a lefty, like me. I am just so thrilled!

Hometown Holiday

Our town is really lovely in the holiday season. Since I was visiting my other hometown for most of December, I didn't really get to appreciate it until the last couple of days. We have a misshaped Christmas tree downtown that looks beautiful, in a Charlie Brown sort of way. All of the trees downtown are adorned with white lights, the lampposts in the Cone and Kimball plaza are wearing ribbon and light-up wreaths and store fronts are painted with holiday scenes. We were around for the Christmas parade, and that was great--the theme was The Twelve Days of Christmas, and so many groups really took it to heart with their entries. There were several musical groups, and even the low-rider car club entered. (Note: Photo is from www.downtownredbluff.com)

The season of mass consumerism has, for the most part, passed. I am interested in and pursuing a movement called "the Compact" through which you make the pledge to avoid buying anything new for a whole year. It has been neat learning of people's creativity with gift giving and their ingenuity for necessities. Of course, a variety of items are excluded from the Compact; food, of course, toiletries, and medicine. But even in little ol' Red Bluff there are a plethora of second hand stores and antique shops that can yield a variety of necessities throughout the year. I don't know how true to the compact I can be, but it will be interesting to try. It is an especially nice way to encourage myself to be crafty.

Speaking of crafty, I have begun using the Knit Wit and Knifty Knitter knitting devices, and so far love them. I have recently learned how to knit traditionally, but find it frustrating and tedious. I am using the Knifty Knitter loom to make a scarf for my brother (he got to be my new "technology" guinea pig) and while the weave is really loose, I am enjoying the process. I made one Knit Wit rosette, and it turned out poorly, so back to the instructions I will go, hopefully getting the hang of that.

Unexpected Art part 2: Hawaiian Cuisine

Culinary opportunities abound in Hawaii--though you have to be up for anything. Last time we were there, we went snorkling with our neighbor, Fish, who disappeared for a while during the excursion and returned with a giant fish, which he proceeded to clean and we ate. I have never had sashimi that fresh in my life.

This trip I discovered haupia, a coconut jelly/pudding snack. It is made with fresh coconuts and is just amazing. We had haupia cheesecake, a tart/sweet cheesecake topped with the thick, rich and creamy haupia. They also sell it in bricks at the farmers market.

Some of the best Thai food I have ever had came from a restaurant truck at the Hilo farmer's market. I had some fabulous chicken satay, basil chicken and pepper pork.

Our favorite Hawaiian BBQ was at the Pahoa farmer's market. We had the usual smokey/sweet BBQ pork and some spicy grilled Hawaiian sausage--ono grinds!

Fish and his wife, Faith, fired up the imu (BBQ pit) and grilled ham and turkey with taro and breadfruit. I'm still not sold on taro, but the breadfruit was okay when eaten with ham. Both are very dense starches with very little flavor on their own.

We've gotten over the novelty of hibiscus growing everywhere--even the Wal-Mart parking lot. But there is still something magnificent about wild white ginger, anthurium and orchids growing unchecked in our backyard. Sitting at Pohoiki--Isaac Hale--beach and watching the waves is awe inspiring, not just for the surfers but for the crystal blue of the water. The coastline bears many similarities to Northern California in that it is mostly rocky with little beach. Remember, Big Island is the newest and is still growing, so there hasn't been enough time to break it all down into sand. But most of the beaches you visit (on the East side, anyway) are black sand.

Our favorite ocean activity is to snorkle, and our favorite place to go it the tide pools at Vacationland. It is like swimming in a giant aquarium. The water is clear blue and the fish are relatively undisturbed as the area is a nature preserve, so there are huge tropical fish everywhere. There is also coral, a whole rainbow of it in greens, pinks, blues and electric purple. Another favorite spot, Richardson Center in Hilo, gave us a solid half hour swimming with two honu--green sea turtles. We got some great photos.