Halloween 2008

Here are some photos of me and Jessica Frelinghuysen preparing for our Halloween celebrations. Jessica was whipped cream and I was a mini-fridge. I think we got on the news last night, but we're not sure.

Jessica was keen to point out my likeness to a mime in some of these photographs, especially the one above left. Below we appear to be in a modern dance performance...

Read this carefully. Classic, truly classic.

I was fortunate enough to encounter this eloquent invitation to a soiree while walking through campus recently. I only wonder what they were thinking, and if they will ever realize how hilarious their message was.

More recent art

Here's some more recent art. Still more coming down the line. I just need to photograph it.

Prune Juice: The Drinkable Oxymoron

Is that the best title ever or what? I made it up. I love being a teacher. The following is a portion of the homework I just sent to the discussion sections I teach on Tuesdays:

2. Bois, "The De Stijl Idea": Cite a specific part of the reading (a paragraph or quote) by page number** that you believe to illuminate an important concept relating the reading to today's lecture. Very briefly explain how it relates, and be prepared to share it and your thoughts in class Tuesday.

**You don't need to type out the quote for me, but I should have some way of knowing what specific paragraph or sentence you are referring to. For example (using an imaginary essay so that I don't steel any of your thunder): In reference to the two paragraphs above the heading "Prune Juice: The Drinkable Oxymoron" on page 100 of the "Plum Crazy" article, the author states "there is an inherent contradiction in juice that claims to be extracted from fruit that is, by definition, dried..."

3. Optional, but recommended: Eh-hem...In your opinion, what is the funniest/best you-tube video ever? How might Kyla find it and watch it on the internet? I highly recommend "Aussie Party- Australia", anything from the "Drunk History" Series, and of course, the ol' stand-by, "Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama".

The art I've been doing

I've been promising to post the art of done, and I'm finally getting around to it. This isn't everything, but its some. Some I'm happy with, some I'm not, but you all have been asking, so here it is. Okay, I thought I had more images on my flash drive. I'll post more soon.

Coincidence?

Does it mean something when you break 5 glasses and need to replace 4 light bulbs in one week following a year of not breaking or replacing any?
It feels like it should.
I like to think that it does.
I'll just pretend that it does.

Vacation Bonanza

I've just returned from what, by all means, can only be called a vacation bonanza. There was a week at the lake (Waupaca?), then home for a week, then to Iowa to help my sister Samara move, then home for a week, then I drove east to NY state, taught a week long screen-printing course at Women's Studio Workshop (Rosendale, NY). From there I drove south to Delaware, and spent a week at the beach (Rehoboth, DE) with my family. Now I am back and find myself lost in a steady, immanent sense of dread at the barrage of responsibilities that will accompany the new school year.

But let's keep things light.

What can I say, the extended vacation is a luxury that few can have. The beach was lovely. Dolphins swam up and down the coast line every day. The weather at the beach was flawless.

I also got to do a fantastic photo-shoot of my sister Jesse. Last spring, for reasons I don't care to share now, I sewed an adult version of a Disney princess dress. It's gold, poofy, and I'm very proud. The following are photos of Jesse on the beach in the dress. My apologies to Samara, who also looks lovely in the dress, for not having time to photograph her as well. Maybe next year.

Need a laugh? I thought so

Thomas (my hubby) just introduced me to the wonderful world of "Mascot Bloopers". Here's a sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTg3e-rnFG0
As Thomas describes, there is something so hilarious about their unflinching optimism. Just watch their smiling faces and plump, plush bodies, as they experience one physical tragedy after another.

here she is again

as she progresses

You asked for it.

My sister, Jesse, keeps bugging me to post more of my recent work. I've decided to catalog some work as I go. Here's a piece I started the other day that will be one of several to be shown together. Each will be a young lady offering fruit, all the same scale. Eventually their will be pattern on the walls and floor as well. I don't know how I like the idea, but I'm just trying to get more work done, and regain the creative momentum that I had going before I moved to Madison. It does feel good to put in some real time in studio.

Quail pulls cart

Another gem from the journals of Aldo Leopold.

finding myself.

I had created a blog years ago. The problem was, after I created it, I couldn't find myself. I just couldn't find my blog to add to it. I just now found it. Apparently, in August of 2006, I thought an entertaining name for a blog would be "kyla zoe, art to know" (zoe rhymes with toe). Here's the link, but don't expect anything: http://kylazoe.blogspot.com/

That explains why I couldn't get that address for this blog.

Too bad I can't remember what user name I signed that account with--that means that I can neither edit it, or delete it. Sigh, an forever stagnant ode to the wonder that is internet culture.

Purple Rain

Yesterday I was driving from Madison to Des Moines and Purple Rain by Prince came on the radio. They love Prince out here. Anyway, I was reminded about a specifically bazaar event that occurred in the summer of 2001. I had been living in St. Paul with my sister Samara for the summer and my father came out in August to help us both move, Samara to Keene, NH, and myself to RISD for my senior year. Everything would have been normal except my father showed up with his hair dyed bright purple. My father was 61 at the time. In a typical manner, my father simply explained that he had "run into some teenage ruffians in Indiana" friends of a cousin's kid, who had asked to dye his hair, and he said yes.

We were all very proud of my father's brilliant purple hair. It was thrill for all of us, there were confused youngon's "mommy, that man has poo-poo hayah", there were photo ops...but it got better there was Prince...

The day after my dad arrived in town we went to downtown Saint Paul to go the the local children's science museum to see an exhibit on germs. My father went to find a parking space while Samara and I idled outside of the museum. After a considerable amount of time, our father returned and we asked him why the delay.

As it turns out, Prince, a native of Minneapolis, and purple enthusiast was in town for a concert. As my father was returning from the car, he was stopped my a news crew, and they, probably mistaking him for a Prince fan, requested that he sing Purple Rain for the camera. My father then responded with "Who's Prince?". Eventually they convinced him to just "sing after them". So that's how my father ended up on the Minneapolis evening news, with bright purple hair, singing Purple Rain for all the world to see.

Is that a Wisconsin thing?

I was also mystified by a shop at Wisconsin Dells advertising "Cheesecake on a Stick"

The Greatest Show Without H20

A couple of days ago, Thomas and I decided to take a trip to the Wisconsin Dells, and on that trip, we decided to check out the Tommy Bartlett Watershow that (unfortunately for them) takes place on Lake Delton, a lake that several weeks ago, due to heavy rain, breached it's banks and drained. Here's a picture. Note the folks in the background who are walking on what used to be water.

As it turns out, the show is not quite what it was without the water. Nonetheless, we had a great time, my favorite was this old sound effects guy who came back from retirement to help support the show. The death-defying acts of any show are always a joy...

I love my job

This summer I got a job at the library scanning Aldo Leopold's journals. I didn't realize what a big whoop that was. Apparently, according to my father and my sister, Samara, that's fantastic. Aldo Leopold was a very important naturalist, and a pioneer in the field.

For me, in addition to the honor of handling his personal journals, the bonuses are numerous. To list a few perks.

1. I can make my own hours
2. I can check my e-mail while scanning
3. I can listen to the radio, watch things on the internet, etc...

But above all the greatest bonus is the dearth of interesting, and oft times curious imagery I come across. For example, take a look at this image:


Need I say more?

I will. This "duck" has a preternaturally sized head and seems stunned to be featured in such a way, just look at those eyes... I am especially pleased with the small tag pointing out the location of its anus. Nice touch.

Rainbow Brite and our carpet.

I just used this deodorizer on our carpet. My husband describes it as smelling "like Rainbow Brite's Vagina". He always has had a way with words...

Kyla, Lyla Zoe

Turns out their is another Kyla Zoe in the world. I nearly shit a brick! Thank god she's in Australia, or, as my sister Samara put it, I'd have to "take that Australian bitch down". Poetic, truly poetic. I tried to friend The Other Kyla Zoe (facebook), but she hasn't responded, in fact, it seems that she may have even blocked me. Does she think I'm making this up? I want to know how she got her name, and if my parents beat her parents to the punch, in other words, how old is she? Hopefully this will all be resolved soon... But just as I was calming down, get this, when Thomas was looking for my brand new blog (this one) he came across a blog by a certain someone named Lyla Zoe. In other words, if you type my blog's address, and then switch the K with an L, bingo! You've got Lyla Zoe's blog! SHIVER ME TIMBERS! Has this whole world gone mad? My delusions of individualism are fading fast. Egad, what will I do?

Halo (hello) Thomas!

Here's my hubby, Thomas. Thankfully, he doesn't play Halo too much, but it is a short, yet daily ritual. He has been bored of it for a long time, but for some mysterious reason, continues to play, even if sometimes by 'playing', this really only means that his character stands, unmoving, and obediently shoots unrelentingly into the air until some gremlin-type thing kills his character. It's all very fascinating.

Several of Thomas' brothers (he has 7) collaborated on a video parody of the trailer for Halo 3 which somehow was picked up by bungee and became a minor youtube hit. Here's a link to the video.
As of now it has 208,546 views and 868 comments. Not bad...

Grow baby, grow! My first garden

I have been spending many an hour procrastinating from other things by occupying myself with a lil' garden on our 4'x5' porch. I'm growing basil, early girl tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, oregano, snow peas, parsley, mesclun mix lettuce, buttercrunch lettuce, and red-leaf lettuce all from seed. I am delighted to watch the things grow. Nothing's gone wrong yet, and fruits are starting to develop. I'm very proud, hopefully nothing will go wrong with my crops, they will ripen fully and be enjoyed without delay. Like an idiot, I forgot that I'd be out of town for three weeks late in summer.... let's just say, thank god they're in containers! Here are some pictures.

Sorry kid, party's over.

My husband pointed out this hilariously pathetic image to me this morning while we were eating a waffle breakfast. Its amazing that such utter futility can be expressed in a single image, and equally amazing that this image no doubt passed numerous editors, none of whom cared to wonder what the hell a child is doing in the middle of a field of wind turbines, or how he could possibly manage to fly a kite there.