Chihuly in Nashville, TNa

A few photos from my 4th of July trip to Nashville. One of my favorite parts was the Chihuly exhibit at the Botanical gardens.

A book for B

My friend Cindy has a little boy who turned 1 in May. She asked me if I'd like to make him a book. I said YES. Here is the result. My friend Laura helped me, so she's the official editor :)

Another baby gift

One of my food blogger friends is having triplets! Three boys!!! So I decided to make her a little painting using the pattern of her nursery decor as inspiration. I think it turned out well, and she loved it! I'm so happy!!!

Fingers and toes crossed that everything goes well and the boys enjoy this picture in their nursery.

2nd Gallery Show

Friday at Touchstone Gallery in DC will be the second time that I'll be showcasing (and maybe even selling!) some of my photographs. Below is a picture of how my photos look on the wall of the gallery (labels will be added later)...hopefully they'll make my "name tag" a bit nicer :) [Please click on images for better details!]

Below are beautiful oil paintings by my friend Radha. Our spaces are right next to one another!

And here are all of our masterpieces.

I'll update you on our success!

August 12 - September 4, 2009

“My Space on 7th”

NON-JURIED GROUP EXHIBITION

featuring 90 local artists

Opening Reception: Friday, August 14, 6 - 8:30pm

Touchstone Gallery

406 7th Street NW

2nd Floor

Washington, DC 20004

Phone: 202.347.2787

Fax: 202.347.3339

Baby Shower Project

I've known Cindy and her family for almost 8 years! I used to baby-sit her two daughters, who are now 10 and 12: time flies! When I found out Cindy and her husband were expecting again, I was very excited and wanted to do something a bit more special than just get them a gift from the registry.

I was inspired by the theme of the baby's room and decided to make a watercolor painting (Special Thanks to Paige for teaching me this technique a while ago).

What you'll need for this project is plain paper, watercolor paper, pencil, watercolor pencils, watercolor brushes, water, eraser, time, patience, imagination, ruler, something round (I used a coin), permanent marker, and willingness to have fun :) If you are planning to frame your final project, use a mat and a frame.

1) I outlined my project on a plain piece of paper using a ruler and a coin for round edges. I then taped that piece of paper on my window, and taped the watercolor paper on top of that.


2) Using a soft pencil, trace the design onto the watercolor paper.


3) Using the watercolor pencils color in the shapes.


4) You'll need special watercolor brushes (that's what I was told...but I really think you might be able to use any brushes you have. I used the middle-sized one for this entire project). Using the brushes dipped into water, start "painting" over your colored-in shapes, but stay within the lines and do one color at a time to avoid bleeding. Also, try to be sort of careful and go in the same direction for a neater look.


5) It is very important to let your project dry well before moving to the outlining part. I used a permanent black marker to outline every individual shape.


6) Once you are done, mat and sign your project and put it in the frame!


I'm thrilled with how this turned out and hope Cindy will like it too! Can't wait to see this inside the baby's room.

Anyone looking for a baby shower gift? You can totally commission me :)

(Sorry that the photographs are sort of dark: I was doing the project at night)

First Sale!!!

On Saturday I sold my first photograph! I am so excited. My friend Theresa bought The Silver Spoon photograph, and I was at the gallery and got to place the red dot on the label to indicate the sale! So far this is the only one I've sold.

The exhibit goes on until this weekend, and alas I don't have much hope of selling any other photos. I guess I'll just pack them up and take them home.

But still, this was very exciting!

By the way, on the last photo you can see my new haircut: what do you think?

Tourist in My Own City

Sometimes I forget how fun it is to be a tourist in your own town. This past Sunday I met up with Jason and "the ladies" for lunch at Chipotle (one of my favorite fast food restaurants) and then a trip to the Textile Museum. I'm not sure I knew this museum even existed (and I've lived in DC area for 7 years!).

I was really glad I had my camera with me and was able to take a few photos on the way. On the left is a very pretty (at least in my opinion) old door. Below is a super cute yellow car (an added bonus is that my friend Jenny is from Wisconsin, so I had to take the photo for her!).

The three photos at the end are of a fountain in the garden behind the Textile Museum. I can't wait to go back in the spring or summer to see how pretty that place is once the fountain is working and the flowers are at bloom. I think it'd be a beautiful place to have a wedding (I should find a groom first, of course).

Next time you are strolling around through your neighborhood, take your camera along and see what wonderful things you can discover on the way.

Savannah, Day 2: Sunday, Jan 18, 2009

Sunday was the only full day I had with Paige in Savannah. If you've ever traveled with me or read some of my vacation recaps, you know I like to plan and do/see as much as possible! I don't want to miss a moment. This vacation was no exception. Luckily, Paige is a pretty easy-going person, and having already been in Savannah before, she said she'll pretty much go with whatever I plan. Perfect!

When I decided to go to Savannah, Jenn recommended I read Midnight in the garden of good and evil; the book was truly helpful in learning some of the city's history, getting familiar with street names, and also finding out where to have breakfast. Paige and I made our way to Clary's Cafe for some Southern cooking: it was a delicious way to start the day.

After a filling breakfast, I wanted to visit Congregation Mickve Israel, the third oldest synagogue in the United States. Let's just say I'm not surprised why my people spent 40 years in the desert. With 2 maps, we still could not find the synagogue. We ended up walking all the way to the end of Forsyth Park, asking for directions, and continuing to walk even farther, only to realize the directions were wrong. We turned around, and figured out that the synagogue was only a few blocks away from our breakfast place! Truly hilarious.

The building, however, was worth finding. The architecture resembles that of a church, and the glass windows are amazing. We were allowed to listen to a 10 minute tape telling us about the history of this congregation in Savannah. Alas, the gift store was closed; we left and took a 90 minute Oglethorpe tour. It was nice to relax a bit and see Savannah from a relatively comfortable trolley. The price of this tour was only $10, 50% less than its competitors, and I thought it was worth it.





Here is a fun building we saw while we were walking around: turns out it stands right outside of the Historic Society Preservation (or something like that) area of control: thus, it is painted a bizarre combination of pink, purple, green and yellow. Most of the other buildings we saw were subdued compared to this one.

Turns out that if you wanted to restore an old building in the Historic District, you had to paint it the same color it was originally painted. Who knew?

Before I forget, the first photo you see (at the very top) is representative of many oak trees growing in Savannah. The interesting fact I learned on my trip is that Savannah has evergreen oaks: the leaves don't turn yellow, but instead stay green year round! The "thing" growing on the trees is Spanish Moss: it's everywhere!

Just like many of the cities I've visited, Savannah is full of churches. One of the most famous churches, Cathedral of St John-Baptist, is truly beautiful. Unfortunately, there was a service in the church at the time of our visit, and we were not allowed to take any photos inside.





While we were on the trolley tour, it began to rain. I was not prepared for this: my umbrella was in the safety of my Virginia apartment. Great! At this point Paige and I decided to go our separate ways: I wanted to visit a few museums, and Paige wanted to take a tour of a house knows for its ghosts.

At first, I went to the SCAD Museum of Art. After walking 15 minutes in the rain, I was hoping for a slightly warmer reception than what I received. Let's just say a highlight was seeing beautiful orchids all over the museum. There were several exhibits, but my favorite one was a photography exhibit showing the works of Robert Mapplethorpe and Cindy Sherman.

I then made my way to the Jepson Center for the Arts. OMG, just the architecture itself was stunning! Clean lines, glass, high ceilings, wide staircases: it was beautiful! And then of course there was the art itself. Whoever says that size doesn't matter is wrong. When I came into the Anthony Palliser exhibit, I was overwhelmed by the size of the portraits (not to mention the lifelike faces looking back at me from the walls). I have never heard of Palliser before, but I found his work touching, emotional and refreshing. Below are some photos of the inside of the museum (I wasn't allowed to take any photos of the exhibits themselves). Notice the giant raindrops in the last shot (it was a glass ceiling).



What to do after the museum? Go to the gift store of course! I love buying jewelry whenever I travel as a reminder of a good trip. I was happily surprised to find a pendant that perfectly matched a pair of earrings I bought last year in San Francisco!

It was still pouring by the time I was done. Luckily, the trolley tour offered shuttles back to the hotel. I hopped on one of those and waited for Paige in the dry and warm hotel room.

I took this last photo on the way to the hotel...and I thought I was lost :)



I just realized I forgot to mention we had lunch at a Wild Wings restaurant in City Market. The wings were great, but I did not bother taking any photos. The funniest thing about lunch was how our server identified us on the bill: two girls. Paige told him he should have added "hot." :)

Dinner, on the other hand, was worth quite a few photos! Paige and I went to The Pink House, which was highly recommended by Paige's co-worker. It was a bit of a splurge, but so worth it. I will let you know what we ate tomorrow :)

...to be continued.

Dai (Enough)

This past Wednesday Jason, Theresa and I went to see Dai (Enough) play at the Studio Theater.

Here's a bit of information:

Israeli-American Iris Bahr leads the way into the colorful world of a Tel Aviv café and the lives of 11 inhabitants from every strata of Israeli society only minutes before a terrible calamity. Through Bahr's remarkable characterizations, these eccentric, humorous, lost souls come to life in this moving and important play; one that The New York Times says packs "a jolt that is undeniable," that you "are likely to feel for days after." Bahr's ability to find the humor and humanity in even the most dire and tragic of circumstances makes this show an emotional roller coaster, veering from the hilarious to the serious on a subject close to her heart and mind, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

I thought the play was emotional, honest, and raw. If you are in DC area, please go see it (till Jan 18th), and if you aren't, see if it will be in your city soon.

While the play definitely deals with Israeli issues, it also covers universal themes that are understood by everyone. I laughed at some points and almost cried at others. Several times, I almost jumped out of my seat. The play brought back amazing memories of the time I spent in Israel during my college years, and reminded me once again why I don't think I'd ever be able to make Israel my home.

I'm amazed at the courage the people of Israel have. Living with a reality of being bombed daily and still going on with their lives...I guess at the end, what choice do they really have?

Say What???

I feel like it's been ages since I've posted one of my "Say What???" stories...not sure if my life has been boring, or I just did not feel like writing. What happened last night, however, definitely made me think of "Say What???"

The scene: The Studio Theater in Washington DC
The time: around 9:30 pm
The players: me, Jason, people in line to the men's bathroom
Say What??? Theresa, Jason and I attended a superb play last night at the Studio Theater. It is called Dai, which in Hebrew means Enough. After the play, I could not believe my eyes when I saw there was a line to the men's bathroom! When does that ever happen? I came over to Jason and said "Maybe I should take a picture?" (I actually had my camera in my bag because earlier I took some photographs at the Ben's Chili Bowl.) But I wasn't actually serious about taking a photo of random men standing in line to go to the bathroom.

Just then, the man standing in front of Jason turned around and told me "Just make sure to take the photo after I leave." I thought he was joking, although his tone was a bit unfriendly. I decided to brush off his comment and answered "Or you can just turn around." He then became rather irate and said "Or you can just not take the photo!!!" I honestly thought he might have lashed out at me! At that point I muttered "J.C." and removed myself from the situation.

I must admit, I was rather tempted to go back and stand in front of the door with my camera in hand to take the photo of the jerk just as he was leaving the restroom. But then I did not want to risk my safety, as the guy would obviously not have understood the joke.

My First Photography Exhibit!

If you have ever received a Snapfish photoalbum from me, you know I take a lot of photographs. Maybe it's because I have fond memories of watching my dad develop black & white photos when I was a little girl in Russia. Maybe it's because after receiving a digital camera from my parents 7 years ago I feel like I can take a ton of photos without worrying about editing them as I go. Mainly, it's because I like documenting my life: places I go, things I see, food I taste, and sharing these memories with the people in my life (and my blog readers!).

About a few months ago I received an email from Touchstone Gallery about a semi-annual event they were having: "a unique, non-juried opportunity for local artists to exhibit at Touchstone's gallery." On a whim I decided to email the gallery, pay $65 for the space and put some of my photographs on display.

This has been such a learning experience. Did you know you can't translate a 4x6 photo into an 8x10 photo? Did you know an 11x14 frame actually measures 13x16? I did not. But I do now.

Everything from choosing what photographs to print, to choosing mats and frames, to naming the photos and writing an artist statement has been somewhat stressful [I apologize to all of you, who had to listen to me talk about it!]. At each and every step part of me wanted to quit. But I did not! As I'm typing this, all of my photos (9!) are hanging in the gallery! They've all been named, priced, and all I'm waiting for now is for my business cards to be ready from Kinko's and for the art lovers to come and see my and 87 other people's work. When, how and where? You can find all the information you need right here. I will be at the gallery on Friday for the official opening. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

The first 5 photos below show my 55 inches x 5 feet space and how I filled it up. Thank you Anna for your help, and thank you Jason for the level!



The photographs below are of my matted and framed photographs. Excuse the poor quality.

1. Puerto Rican Dancers
2. The Silver Spoon
3. Light & Movement, 1
4. Young Man
5. After the Meal
6. Light & Movement, 2



7. Reflections
8. Pretty in Pink (Thanks, Anna, for the name!)
9. Danger Averted



I have another 4 photographs that did not fit in the exhibit. Maybe I'll wait for the next one, or just give them as gifts :)