Last post in this blog!

Since I pretty much never use this anymore, I've decided that this will be the last post for this blog! For info about future art happenings, new paintings, and other news, visit my new blog at http://www.jessbarnett.com/blog/wordpress/.

Thanks for reading!! :)

New Web site!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have a new Web site! It's located at http://www.jessbarnett.com. Stop by and pay me a visit!

The Web site was designed for me by Jen Dicicco, of http://www.just4ugraphics.com.

Painting sales, new exhibition online!

Four new painting sales have occurred!! The following are now SOLD:

Alien Heart:



Machine:



Technicolor Sunset:



Pattern #3:



In other news:

I was just notified that I've been accepted into Projekt30.com's exhibition "Sanguine: The Temperament of Blood." Please check out my and others' work here: http://www.projekt30.com/sanguine.php.

Thanks for looking!

Beacon Hill Art Walk '09 = a success!

Wow, I have REALLY been slacking with updating this blog!! Sorry about that.

This weekend I participated in the Beacon Hill Art Walk, which happens every year on the first Sunday in June. It was fantastic! I sold one painting yesterday and have already had a few follow-up inquiries. A ton of my friends came out, which was awesome - thanks, guys! :)

To see the photos, go here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81016&id=837747972&l=3b181f62c4.

Photos from SOWA!!

Had an awesome time at SOWA. Saturday was a little slow, but yesterday the crowds seemed to pick up, and a TON of friends and family showed up. (Thanks, guys!!) I have posted all the pics on Facebook, and even if YOU are not on Facebook, you can view them at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76777&id=837747972&l=6d9e0c062d.

Thanks to everyone who came!!

Reminder: South End Art Walk this weekend!

This is just a reminder that I'll be showing my artwork at SOWA (South End Art Walk) this weekend!

Here's the info:

When: Sat., May 16, and Sun., May 17, 11 am to 6 pm
Where: 560 and 580 Harrison Ave., Boston
What: Annual South End Art Walk. Tons of artists/vendors gather to display their art and wares.

Stop by anytime for free muffins/cookies (while supplies last!) and to see my art! :) Feel free to bring friends.

Nework!!

Er, "new work." Hurray!

"Freedom Isn't Free" (unfinished, but getting there):


Untitled and unfinished:


"Medicine," 2009:


Upcoming events:
SOWA/South End Art Walk
Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17
11 to 6 p.m.
560 Harrison Ave.

Beacon Hill Art Walk
Sunday, June 7
noon to 6 p.m.
Beacon Hill--exact location TBD

Huzzah!

Life is good and busy!

Which is why I've been lax about posting.

In art news:

I am participating in SOWA (South End Art Walk) and the Beacon Hill Art Walk this year! I am very excited about both, especially SOWA, having not done it for a few years. Last year the Beacon Hill Art Walk was wildly successful for me--I sold three paintings and a bunch of cards--so I'm especially looking forward to that.

SOWA
Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.



Beacon Hill Art Walk
Sunday, June 7
Noon to 6 p.m.

More info at: http://www.beaconhillartwalk.org/.

More details will be forthcoming as these dates get closer.

Also, my friend Dolores is releasing a CD with her band, The Power of Suggestion, and has picked one of my paintings, "Girl at Night," as the release art for it. Here's a quick snapshot of how the CD looks so far (just a rough picture--not the finished product):



In non-related art news... Well, I've decided that this forum is just too public to post about my "real" life.. but let me just say that things are going really well right now.

Art = GREAT
Job = GREAT
Life = GREAT! :)

And I ain't lyin'.

Paintings sold, upcoming exhibitions, and art news galore!!

Quick update as to what's been going on with me artwise....

First, the following paintings are now GONE, to the lucky buyers!!

"Practice"


"Blue 1"


"Purple/Red"


"Red/Purple"


All of these were sold as a result of my show at Achilles.

I also have some exhibitions/shows coming up:

Exhibition
First Church of Jamaica Plain, Unitarian Universalist
Sunday Night Alive
March 29, 2009
6 to 8 p.m.
Dinner will be served.

Group Exhibition/Sale
SOWA Art Walk
560 Harrison Ave., South End
May 16-17, 2009

Hope to see you there!! :)

p.s. more art news

ALSO, my friend Dolores is putting out a CD soon and using "Girl at Night" (above) as cover art. Check out her music here: http://www.thepowerofsuggestion.net.

I haven't been slacking!!

....despite the fact that I haven't updated in weeks. Really! To prove it, check out these photos of the painting I started this week (far from finished, but I'm in love with the insane, retina-burning color combination of the green and red):






Also, in a few weekends, I will be exhibiting some of my art at Sunday Night ALive at First Church in Jamaica Plain, Unitarian Universalist. For details, visit http://www.sundaynightalivejp.org/March29_2009.pdf.

Sunday, March 29, 2009
6:00—8:00 pm
6 Eliot Street
(corner of centre and south streets--the stone church
across from the monument)
Jamaica Plain, 617.524.1634
Child care will be provided; dinner will be served.

In other news, I've sold quite a few pieces thanks to the Achilles show. "Practice" and "Girl at Night" are among the several that are gone for good.

New photos of paintings!!

All photos taken by my friend Kurt Eidsvig.

From top:
"Practice"
"Blue 1"
"Girl at Night"
Untitled
"Machine"
Untitled
"Pirates"
"The Lovers"
"The Lovers," "Nightlife," and "Afterthought"
"Nightlife"
"Afterthought"
"Purple/Red"
"Red/Purple"
"Purple/Red" and "Red/Purple"
"I Promise (This Is the Last Time)" and "St. Elmo's Fire"
"St. Elmo's Fire"
"I Promise (This Is the Last Time)"

one more photo....

Another shot of the revamped "Alien Heart."

Photos of new paintings!!

As promised, here are two photos of my newest painting, "One of Those Nights." Here's the info on it:

"One of Those Nights," 18" x 24", acrylic/rose petals/eyeliner/pencil, 2009, for sale

Comments, questions, concerns, WTFs... email me!!

New photo of an old painting, and other stuff.

Quick update... First, above is one of the photos that Kurt (http://617midway.blogspot.com) took of my paintings, most of which are hanging at Achilles (283 Summer St., Boston) right now. The above one is called "Aftermath," and it's from the "Three of Many Stages" series. This series is actually pending sale at the moment, which is always exciting. More photos to come soon!

In other news, I have pretty much just been working my tail off at work, which is much busier--and more challenging--than my last job. However, budding workaholic/masochist that I am, I am enjoying it. Last weekend I saw Slumdog Millionaire, which was thought-provoking and fun to watch; also, the soundtrack was mostly performed by M.I.A., whom I love. I also saw my friend Danielle in the BU medical campus performance of The Vagina Monologues, which I saw with Allison and Nicole. Danielle and all the other women were great--I think my favorite monologues were "Because He Liked to Look at It," "The Angry Vagina," and "The Flood." Good stuff--I highly recommend checking it out. It's performed all around the country.

Painting extravaganza, February 22, 2009

Yesterday I went over to Kurt's studio, and we painted for a couple of hours. Hopefully he will post the photos soon.... 'Twas a smashingly fun time. And very inspiring--when I got home, I picked up a piece that I've been working on for a while now and was never fully satisfied with.

Above are the before and after photos... Let me know what you think.

The Worst Band Name Ever.

Hoobastank.

This also goes on my Gross Word List, effective immediately.

For my non-Facebook-reading friends ....

... I'm reposting a note I posted on Facebook a while ago. It's about words. Enjoy.

***
Years ago, in college, my best friend Aaron and I came up with what we called The Gross Word List. Several years later, my friend Rebecca and I amended it.

So here, now, I present to you...

THE GROSS WORD LIST. (There are also some phrases in here, too.)

Hunker
Smear
Privy
Staunch
Loaf
Moist
Tinkle
Squat
Squelch
Quench
Tinker
Ointment
Salve
Slacks
Moist
Panties
Groin
Cranny
Nook
Crotch
Wimple
Meal
Caddy
Mulch
Follicle
Fanny
Batch
Crock
Commingling
Plow
Chisel
Straw man
Slam dunk
Jingle
Custard
Medicine
Eatery
Sippie cup
Clam
Clamp
Muzzle
Fresh
Pickle
Funnel
Fuddrucker’s
Dig in
Packet
Cheat sheet
Barf bag
Sloppy
Slop bucket
Comfy
Booths
Soothing
Kitchen
Milk
Lozenge
Massage
Sofa
Buttermilk
Therapeutic exercise
Slacks
Teat
Turgid
Cozy
Cougar
Nuzzle
Chocolate
Pizza
Hot meal

**
And here are some additional words I and others have come up with since:
Scabies
Gravies
Nostril
Gobs
Wound
Fickle
Fecal
Girdle
Dinghy
Stroke
Coddle
Muff
Fondle
Platter
Phlegm
Plug
Borscht
Bladder
Wipe

**
Other suggestions are welcome!

Weekend wrap-up

Man, I was hoping to update this over the weekend, since I had a glorious three days off... oh well.

I had a really marvelous weekend.

Friday: Went to the theatre/film showing sponsored by FPAC on Friday night with Kurt and Emily--that was fun.

Saturday: Met up with Becky at 10:30 a.m. to go hear her mom, Jane Sutton, read from her children's book, The Trouble with Cauliflower, at BookEnds in Winchester. Took Becky out for a belated birthday lunch in Lexington. Stopped home for a bit and painted. Went over to Danielle's with Laureen, Allison, Dagny, and Danielle's roommate, Rene, where we ate way too much food and watched Love Actually. We had originally attempted to have a "Putting the Sin Back in Single" party at her house, but there wasn't much sinning going on, unfortunately, unless you count gluttony. But it was really laid back and fun, which is exactly what I wanted for the evening.

Sunday: Volunteered at the Franklin Park Zoo for a couple of hours. Met Mayeti for a bit--fell on the ice for the first time this year. (Thought I'd make it through the winter unscathed, but alas.) Went to Central Sq. for a bit.

Monday: Met Kurt at Achilles, where he took photos of my paintings (yay!) and we drank really strong coffee. Michael from Achilles told me he plans to buy three of my paintings (the "Three of Many Stages" series) and that his business partner plans to buy "Red/Purple" and "Purple/Red." I will really miss the latter two, but money to make NEW paintings is always good. Had lunch at Channel Cafe with Kurt, and we checked out the exhibition there now (Brian Bresnahan and Tim Murdoch--a must-see for the mirrors alone). Went to see Gran Torino with Laureen--didn't cry but came close. I loved it. Met up with Kurt and Mayeti later.

Awesome weekend! I was sad to get up at 6:30 today and kept hitting the snooze.

Slacking. Sort of.

Wow, it's only week 3 of my new blog, and already I'm slacking. Well, I'm slacking in regards to my blog, but I have certainly NOT been slacking in all of the other aspects of my life.

Like my new job.

I like my new job. It pays much better, I'm working with friends, and the work is challenging and therefore interesting. However, it's the kind of job where I'm so busy that I literally find myself thinking, "I can wait another half hour to get up and use the bathroom..." It's a lot of editing, formatting, proofing, which means I'm glued to the computer for pretty much the entire day. The masochistic/workaholic side of me LOVES this--thrives on it, actually. So I can safely say that I'm happy with the new job.

However, all this actual *work* leaves me little time to do the things I used to do during the day, such as sending my Facebook friends virtual cupcakes, stalking ex-high school friends (although I don't do much of that anymore), and, of course, updating my wonderful new blog.

I do plan to write SOMEthing interesting in here this weekend, though, and perhaps I will post a photo or two of the new painting I'm working on.

A few things

I will post a full, length(ier) update tomorrow, I promise. But for now, just a few things of note:

1. I'm watching Teen Wolf with my roommates, and I have a little crush on Styles:

Or maybe I just appreciate his wardrobe (not including the shirt above, which is a little hokey).

2. I am REALLY, REALLY, REALLY glad to be back in Boston. Training in Bethesda was helpful but intense, and it's good to be back among friends and Gibson.

3. I saw The Uninvited last night, without knowing beforehand that it was the shitty American remake of the Korean movie A Tale of Two Sisters, which I saw a couple of years ago and loved. And yes, the Korean version was much better and also much scarier. See it.

4. Pineapple has anti-inflammatory properties and also tastes very good. Especially when it's fresh. It's worth the effort of cutting it up and taking off the rind.

5. My pal Kurt (http://617midway.blogspot.com)'s poetry will be featured this coming Friday at 7pm in a movie screening at Flour Bakery + Cafe in South Boston. Check it out!

Scarface!!

I finally saw Scarface last night, which I was very excited about--I love Al Pacino and have been meaning to watch the movie for ages.

Basically, I adored it. I will probably watch it many more times in years to come, despite the fact that it's rather depressing (well, the latter half, not really the first). I also appreciated the use of the chainsaw during the first drug deal, being as I am a huge fan of Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the original, of course--don't even talk to me about the remake). The movie was, as you can imagine, at times excessively violent, but then again, the drug world is a rather violent place. And this is Hollywood.

For those who aren't familiar with the movie, here's a brief synopsis, thanks to my friend Wikipedia: "Scarface is a 1983 epic crime/drama film directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana. A remake of Howard Hawks' original 1932 film of the same name, the film tells the story of a fictional Cuban refugee who comes to Florida in 1980 as a result of the Mariel Boatlift. Montana becomes a gangster against the backdrop of the 1980s cocaine boom. The film chronicles his rise to the top of Miami's criminal underworld and subsequent downfall in Greek tragedy fashion."

A pleasant surprise was Michelle Pfeiffer, who starred as Elvira, an ice-cold but beautiful cocaine addict who becomes Montana's wife. I've always loved Pfeiffer, and her acting was impeccable here. I don't know how much weight Hollywood made her lose for this role, though, because her ribs were clearly visible on her already small frame.

Pacino was...just amazing, as usual. The film's only downfall was the super cheesy montage halfway through, meant to show Montana's rise to gangster fame--quick shots of thousands of bills being counted, Montana and his cronies drinking at presumably schmoozy restaurants, Montana and Elvira getting married, all set to what I can only describe as an outrageously dreadful early-'80s postdisco soundtrack. I really could have done without that one.

Otherwise the movie was perfect, and I highly recommend it. However, it's not recommended for anyone for whom large piles of cocaine could be a trigger (there's a LOT of it in this movie), those who can't handle violence and the occasional gory closeup, and those who aren't down with profanity.

Explication of this blog's title

Those who know me well know that I have a deep and abiding love of cliches. I adore them. They fill me with glee. Because of my love for them, I often peruse this Web site, http://www.westegg.com/cliche, which helpfully provides a Cliche Finder tool. Let's explore it together, shall we?

Since I am very fond of "leg" cliches (don't ask why, because I don't know. I'm odd.), I typed "leg" into the Cliche Finder tool. Here's the list that came up (minus the words that have the phrase "leg" in them, such as "legion" and "legislate"):

went off with his tail between his legs
put on his pants one leg at a time
pull his leg
doesn't have a leg to stand on
on his last legs
he has a hollow leg
get a leg up on
Busier than a one-legged man at an ass kicking contest
He was on that like a pack of dogs on a three-legged cat.
I've seen better looking legs on a table.
Busier than a three legged cat in a dry sand box.
shake a leg
pull my leg
He can talk the leg off a chair
her legs go clear up
busy as a one legged man at an ass kicking contest
Break a leg.
Crooked as a dog's hind leg
Break a leg!

Now let's see how long--and coherent--a sentence I can make using leg cliches.

Let's shake a leg so we can get a leg up on the last leg of our journey; the road we're coming up to is as crooked as a dog's hind leg, and we're on our last legs because the car is almost out of gas.

Wow. I must be really bored.

Great article on Obama and the White House

Seriously worth the read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/us/politics/29whitehouse.html?_r=1

Ode to the Facebook status

I've always been amused by--yet appreciated--the third-person construction of the Facebook status update. It makes it somehow easier for me to be descriptive about what I've been up to, as if the Facebook Jess B. is some fictional woman with a fabulous life who doesn't mind occasionally gracing her friends with a casual description of the wonderful things she's been doing. It also seems a bit schizophrenic, however (see the previous sentence--it's a bit schizo, no?)

For those unfamiliar with Facebook, and thus the status construction I'm referring to, here are a few examples taken from my friends' pages. I've shortened the names to initials for privacy reasons (then again, if you're on Facebook to begin with, you must be OK with a certain amount of scrutiny):

A.B. is so tired...she didn't sleep well at all.

M.R. can't give up on the past because the past never ends.
(Er, a little dramatic, M.R.?...)

And some people blatantly ignore the suggested construction completely. For example:

L.B. Good Morning :)))))))))

Y.K. OK after the ice storm do you think we will ever learn to be calm on the road?

I prefer to stick with the guidelines that the Facebook powers-that-be have suggested.

I also wanted to share in this blog post where I'm at today, and in the spirit of things, I'll do it the Facebook way.

Jess B.:
...is happy the sun was already rising when she woke up at 6:30 today.
...is wearing a skirt and her red heart necklace (and nothing else!).
...has a headache for no reason.
...wonders why she's always ravenously thirsty when she wakes up in the morning.
...has caught the 8:15 bus to Lexington from Alewife for four days in a row and is proud of herself (and thanks the red line) for doing so.
...is nervous (but slightly excited) about the trip to Bethesda next week.
...had a dream last night that she was in a restaurant, and the fire department showed up to evacuate us because the scientific lab next door was about to explode.
...saw someone she vaguely knows last night on the bus ride home from work; he was screaming obscenities and chugging out of a plastic vodka pint bottle.
...is very excited it's Friday; it's been a long week.
...has a framed portrait of her cat by her desk at work and doesn't care who knows it.
...is reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri; it's good, but I like her short-story collection better.
...is ending this blog post now.

Best store name ever

Store name: Master Bait & Tackle
Motto, apparently: "You Can't Beat Our Bait"

CLASSIC

Virgin post.

So I've decided to create a blog. Again. Those who know me know how obsessed I am with the Internet, Facebook, and social networking sites of all sorts. I'm also slightly narcissistic and yet extremely self-critical, and I generally feel that sharing my feelings and thoughts via an online portal is helpful and somewhat necessary for my well-being. So this is my new blog.

I started my new job on Tuesday this week. The commute is much farther--to get to my previous job, I walked. I always enjoyed the walk--exiting the North End, past Christopher Columbus Park and the Aquarium, past the supremely elegant Boston Harbor Hotel with their stuffy doormen and limousine ladies, and over the bridge near the Barking Crab--and it only took 15 minutes, not long enough to be annoying but long enough for at least three songs on my iPod. I usually set my alarm for 7:30, hit the snooze at least four times, and got up a little past 8. As long as I left my house before 9, I could get there between 9 and 9:30.

Alas, the commute to my new job is not as short or sweet. In order to catch the 8:15 bus to Lexington from Alewife, I need to rise at 6:30 (6:40 at the latest), leave my house by 7:25, hop on the T at Haymarket, switch to the red line at Park St., and take that to Alewife. I have made the bus for the past three days, but on my way to Alewife I am constantly worried that the T will break down, stop unexpectedly, etc., and I will miss the bus. I am trying to "let go and let God," but it's hard for me. For my whole life up till now, I have enjoyed worrying, relished it, and it's hard to let that habit die.

The job itself seems great. The people are friendly, my workspace is nice, and there are free snacks and coffee in the kitchen. (Hurray!) I'm flying to Bethesda on Monday morning at 7 am (which will require me to get up at the ungodly hour of 4:30 am *gasp*) for a week of training. I will enjoy the perks (free hotel and meals), and it will be great to meet the people I'll be working with, but change of any sort terrifies me, so I am naturally anxious. Again, I'm doing my best to let go and let God. But doing so goes against every natural instinct I have. Progress, not perfection, however.