my phone's wallpaper

Eye Charts

I discovered a great resource: Custom Eye Chart Maker.
Look what I made in honor of my current obsession:

 

So excited

I want to live an art life

Of the many things going on in my life right now my favorite things revolve around... for lack of a better word... art.

There is a certain quality that speaks to my soul. And I love it. I don't yet know exactly what it is, but I see it in many documentaries, contemporary art, specific music, graphic design and occasionally I see its potential in the world. I call it art, because I don't have a better word.

I don't have the skills to take that potential for art that I see in the world and express it properly, but I appreciate when others can. Hence, the hours spent on Pinterest.

I want the elements of these things in my life. Things that are stirring and thoughtful. Deep roots. Resonating. Unscripted. Visceral. Things that are genuine. Things that last. Connections.

I am tired of shallow. Tired of mean coarseness and vulgarity.

I love reading the blogs of people who are eloquent or clever or just plan good writers. I am frustrated that I cannot explain myself well.

Confession: I really loved the first season of the Work of Art- the Next Great Artist from Bravo (and I am excited for the second season beginning soon). I liked to see the different ways the artists interpreted the tasks. There are a few pieces I loved, and I remember loving them not because I completely understood them, but because of how they made me feel.
You know how all the reality contest shows have a slogan for when they give the eliminated contestant the boot? For this one it was something like... Great art makes you feel something, and your work didn't make us feel anything... or something like that. That has become my definition for art- something that makes you feel something.

So that's what I want. I want to invite that great art feeling into my life.

Here are a few places I have found it recently. Enjoy!

The short film Flawed

Any of the StoryCorps films. 

This one made me laugh.

Miss Divine

The work of Shea Hembrey

Check out his TED talk

The music of the White Lies is the sound of my heart right now.

This is the video from the song Bigger Than Us

The Commission Project by Paul Ferney is fantastic

The paintings of Pixie Campbell

Let me introduce you...

This is my dad. 

This photo is from when he was employee of the month at the Flamingo. He worked in the security department for over 20 years.

 This is one of my favorite pictures of dad. It is from when he lived in Kinderhook in upstate New York. I have had this picture sitting on my desk for years.

 This was actually a recent find. I just love it, because often baby pictures don't look much like the adult person, but for me I see my dad in this little person. Mostly in his eyes, the little bags under them. Plus, the smile.

 This is from a camping trip... I think at Big Bear. 

 Here is a school picture. I like that it is dated and tells his school.

 This one is from Disneyland. Dad took us there lots. Despite his back and neck pain he was a good sport and loved the rides as much as we did. We also always made sure to eat at the Blue Bayou, another of his favorites. 

Found these old photos.

Doing a little file retrieving and found these old photos.

This one is my favorite. It is my grandma and grandpa in Everett, WA right after they got married and grandpa was deployed to Hawaii.

 This one is years latter (plus two kids latter) in Hawaii. Grandma took up hula. She loved it so much she taught hula lessons. I still remember her showing me some moves when I would visit her in Provo.