The Allentown Art Museum has an exhibit: Fashion in Film with some of the original costumes from movies like Evita and Dangerous Liasons.

I AM GOING.

I'm thinking about early Sunday the 5th of July or Sunday the 12th of July. It's only there until August 9th. Sundays entrance is free but with a $5 exhibit fee.

http://www.allentownartmuseum.org/exhibitions/fashion.html

So things are going well. I just got done reframing The Lady of Shallot in our dining room over the computer desk. I had this awful 70's "painting" of an al fresco meal. It was in the bedroom where no one could see it. I took it out and mounted the Lady in the frame. MUCH better than that awful "poster" frame.

Greg replaced the faucet in the bathroom. Never let your plumber chose your fixture when you're getting work done. Never.

Greg installed the shelving in the bedroom. We have such little floor space that the big floor bookshelf really hurt. With all the books on the wall now, things are less cramped. I'm going to ditch the bad pressboard desk in the basement and move the sewing table (the one under the shelves in the picture) down there for even more room. My greatest dream is to have a comfy chair/reading nook there but it ain't gonna happen. We're getting a new bed frame and mattress set but I haven't decided what I want. Due to the cherry molding, doors, and furniture there already, we'll have to go cherry. I'm thinking something with cherry wood and black iron. I'm also thinking about a cherry Amish or Shaker style like so...( Bed )

I've gotten to two of the junk drawers in the kitchen and the dining room. Much more to be done. One of these days I must conquer the closets in Maddie's room. Right now they are jam packed with our crap; not hers. It's all got to go.

( Pictures of some of the stuff we did )

Yay Greg "The Tool Man" Fink!!!

Maddie drew a picture of Frigga.

Art History is now over and I'm sad. I really enjoyed it. I'm not making a career out of art, but knowing so many artists including my dad, I have a much deeper understanding of their craft. I'm also glad I took it because a good part of it was the art of Ancient History. Right up my alley.

So...here's what I learned in art class:

1. Never, ever, ever take Art as a compressed course. It's not that I couldn't do it because I could. I just feel so cheated that I could spend as much time analyzing as many images as I would have loved to. To that end, I've decided NOT to sell back my book and read it more closely at my leisure.

2. I really don't like The Renaissance. Sorry to all the art lovers out there. The art itself is interesting but to me, due to the fact that it was such a large movement, it appears like all the art is cookie cutter. There are variations of course, but it starts to blend together after awhile. There are certain standouts that I'm interested in only because they stand out.

The only artwork I really love during that period is the Byzantium "icon style" paintings. Duccio's Virgin and Child is gorgeous. We have a good collection of it in our very own Allentown Art Museum.

I am also in love with Bernini's Ecstasy of St. Theresa (which is technically Baroque) and Michelangelo's Pieta.

Mona Lisa? Meh.
Sistine Chapel? Meh.

Albrecht Durer rocks my socks. His painting of The Hare was something I loved as a child.

3. Gothic art and architecture rocks. Period.

4. Baroque and Rococo? Meh.

5. Neoclassicism rocks my socks as well. I like Jacques-Louis David.

6. Romanticism? Too flowery. Blech. Pre-Rafaelites? Right on.

Surprisingly enough (especially to me) I really liked Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Fauvism.

I still hate abstract and Pop Art. Jackson Pollack makes absolutely no sense to me. And while I'm there, I do a better job than he does when I paint my walls and use a floor canvas to prevent drips.

There it is. My foray into art. What a great time even though all the tests were essay. Blech.

1. I found the three footed bunny that was around earlier this spring. He's still hopping around and has gotten very nimble despite not having a back leg. We've named him "Lucky." (although I wonder how lucky he is considering he only has three rabbit's feet).

2. I get to do my art research paper on John William Waterhouse's interpretation of Greek Mythology. I get to examine:: Apollo and Daphne (1908), Penelope and her Suitors (1912), Echo and Narcissus (1903), and Jason and Medea (1907).

3. Maddie had her first dance recital rehersal. I was class mom (again). I was class mom for Meghan for about 7 years. Maddie's class is so well behaved. No problems or stress. I like it that way.

4. The inlaws are coming in tomorrow. I have to clean my house.

5. I hate allergy attacks.

6. There haven't been any "gray alerts" lately. The evil squirrels from the Christian Hell slide off the awning so they've had to settle for eating what the birds drop down from the feeders. HA!

7. I have SPROUTS!!!! Three beans and one pea. The strawberries, tomatoes, cucumber, and one of two pepper plants are still alive.

That seems like it. Got a new book called Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. It's about a carnival freekshow family. I can't really describe it other than to say asarotte, eretik and isadis would love it.

Greg is at the sweat in Delaware. He should be going in in a few hours. He left yesterday afternoon. I really, really miss my husband. Yeah, I know, it hasn't even been 24 hours but I hate it. Actually, I'm reacting better than when I'm not medicated. No medication=freakout hysterical crying. He'll be home tomorrow morning and I'm doing well. Only pisser (or to quote my NE friends...the only wicked pissah) is that we have no money so I can't occupy my time by shopping. Books make me happy.

I recently went book shopping with a little bit of found money from the return of some useless used textbooks. I got a little money, put gas in the car, got some McDonalds for the kids and between the buy one get one deals, remainder choices, paperback choices, and a coupon I was able to get a bunch.

Let's see... I got Ilium and Olympos by Dan Simmons, Fay by Larry Brown. Johnny Got His Gun by Trumbo?, a big art book on the search for Mary Magdalene in art and literature, and Ovid's Erotic Poems. Not a bad haul.

I found one of my favorite paintings in the Magdalene book. It's by Frederick Sandys. The first one is Magdalene and the second is another favorite of mine called Morgan Le Fay (that one wasn't in the Magdalene book...I just thought I'd post it because it's by the same artist).


I have to get ready for Maddie's gymnastics class. I'll go drown my sorrows in a little quiet time for me while she works out (OK, works out about as much as a four year old can. LOL).

Here is my picture of Frigga. I'm pleased. It was too big to scan in on my printer so I had to photograph it and upload the pic.