Anne Reinhardt, Olneyville Documentarian

George must have been practicing for Charlotte's performance.
I couldn't resist, I stole this right off of Annie's Flickr page.

Click here for this and more of Anne's great pictures.

Thanks Annie.

I Get Older, It Gets Better

new collages

I am having fantasies of going to Key West to visit Nellie, but I'd have to sell a lot of collages to do that. Maybe I should join Etsy and see what happens.

The Carnival Opening!

The Carnival show opened Thursday night, and I think everyone had a really good time.


George Terry, Banjo-Playing Minstrel for The Medicine Show,
Charlotte Pottter's performance. Adam Lucas lent us his beautiful banjo.


Matt and Brett seeing Eye to Eye through Charlottes' miraculous glass lenses. We were healed.


The Baloon Royale! Charlotte and Kim invited me to perform with them in the most bad-ass performance. I got over-excited and shrieked a couple of times, Charlotte did some biting, and Kim really just TCB'ed.....here's the whole performance:



Only slightly silly. Totally therapeutic.


My excellent neice Paige Windham came to the show and after the performance, she asked if she could pop a balloon too. She's a natural.



The Carnival opening was a great success. And Mme Fortuna, here's the footwear for the evening...courtesy of Betsey Johnson and you...!

Many thanks to Mary Burge for inviting me to participate, and to Charlotte for being the best ringmaster I know. Sometimes grad school is totally awesome. Photos courtesy of Charlotte, Mary, George and me!

Photos of my difficult, elusive room-sized installation are forthcoming.

at the opening

just before the opening, testing out the live feed projection on the stage

After the opening, projecting the shadow puppet Charlotte in front of the mess we made..and Charlotte in the blue jacket.

getting there

new installation is almost finished.
here's a little preview, mocked up in my studio...

the opening

Suddenly, I'm in a show that's opening Thursday night.
So are a bunch of my favorite people.

I'm showing an installation and...
duh-duh-duh....performing! (?)

Some combination of these three is what I need

new project

the leg is 3 feet tall, and the curtains are 9 feet,
but all's fair in HP photostitch at 2 am.

however, there is very little time left.
and so much must be accomplished:

1. the sound file is finished, the stage is primed.
2. there is so much more to do.
3. the shadow puppets must be assembled.
4. the glue must be painted onto the curtains.
   
5. the swagging must be swagged, the wheels and the bike attached.
6. the curtains must be hard, and must support themselves.
7. the leg is operated by a pulley, because i don't know how to make things kinetic.

all will be made clear by thursday.
i must like all this pressure.
wish me luck.

Thanks Laura!

Smarty-Pants on top of it Laura Baran posted a thing aobut this contest, so I entered it. The uploading page for images was a total nightmare, so I finally kinda gave up and just entered three pictures...more affordable anyway.

http://www.artistswanted.org/brettday

witch-madonna triptych

I've finally finished and photographed the triptych of drawings that comprise the most important work I made while in Italy this summer. They are made with pencil, watercolor, collage and squid ink. If you click on the image you can see it big.

In a strange coincidence, here's a drawing I made when I was about five, probably with the same intention but maybe with more chutzpah.

Bloggo-Pay-Off

When I started this blog a couple of years ago, I wasn't sure how I would use it, and was pretty sheepish about having it at all. I have come to rely on it more and more, and have been writing in it lately as a way to keep records, put things where I can find them, and write things down before I forget them. I have gradually become more confident in telling people about it, and have been so happy that it's been a way for my far away friends to check in on me.

This week, I finally used a blog posting from my summer residency/assistantship towards the rough draft of my MFA written thesis (cut and paste, yo!) and got an email from my friend Allison that made me incredibly happy. She watched the movie Bye Bye Brazil after I mentioned it here, and created a piece of jewelry for her latest line based on the film. I love the idea of each of us, holed up and staying warm in the dead of winter, watching this 70's Brazilia carnival movie and being inspired by it.

Here's the ga-ga gorgeous necklace:


There are more views of it, and Allisons other amazing work here:
Salome by Madame Fortuna on Etsy

and here:
Madame Fortuna Website

20 10

Before the show

For New Years Eve this year, my excellent friend and roommate Charlotte invited me to her family "Potters' 30th" party in Vermont. George and I had an epic journey driving up to Vermont through unbelievable snowstorms and traffic jams, toting wine, prosecco, strawberry-rhubarb pie and bags full of outfit changes. When we finally got to the party, it was in full force, complete with a champagne room and snow-covered outdoor living room. Incredible. I had so much fun when we got there that I forgot to take pictures.

The next night we all were invited to see her sister Grace's band. We all rallied and made our way into Burlington for the annual-secret-movie-themed New Years' Show. We were very graciously given VIP passes for extra fun. (Seriously, I love a VIP pass, it really greases the wheels). George and I ran upstairs before the show and helped out with some minor last-minute flightsuit patches, and had delicious cocktails and truffles with the manager, Ben, a total sweetheart. Grace Potter and The Nocturnals are fantastic, by the way. I have never seen them before, and it was awesome. I hope they go and get themselves good and famous. This year, the top secret theme was Top Gun. After the set break, they returned in costume and played the whole film soundtrack. Here's someone's very zealous video of the opener, from YouTube:




The sets and costumes were all finished and so cool by the time we got there, so hopefully, next year we will be invited back, and can get there earlier to help out. I am so happy that George and I got to go this year! It was incredibly fun, and the Potters are such great hosts and friends.



After the show

At some point, apparently, a bunch of RISD hooligans sat on the leopard print rug in the green room and played with the band's toys. Apparently, I have a very magical hand, albeit one that was bitten by sweet little Kick. Drunk-Orz.