Announcing Liliapiliaart, a yahoogroup

Most months when I am showing work, I send out an email to people I think might want to know about it. I worry that I'm spamming them. I wonder if they care. And I miss other people who do care and want to be informed. So, I divised a new system: a yahoogroup for my art activities, liliapiliaart. Please join.

I'll send about 2 messages per month when I have show up, not more. You can control at what frequency you receive them and to what address. More information about my art and activities is available thru links and photos associated with the group.

This month, I have up a group of small-sized photos in a grid on the wall by the window. You can see it even when the gallery is closed. The gallery is open W-Su noon to 9 p.m.

Peasant Blouse-Dress

You just never know when inspiration will strike. So, it helps to always be ready.
I was rushing to an appointment when this artful lady in peasant blouse-dress, vest, leggings, and half-boots pulled up along side me. Her bike was nothing special, but I loved the handlebars and front basket she'd added and the way she casually, yet gorgeously, placed her purse in it. I'm rarely quick enough to catch moments like these, but yesterday I did.

Teenagers

My friends love tv shows about teenagers: My So-called Life, Buffy, Gilmore Girls, etc. I liked the first season of Veronica Mars. The OC had me on board for about 5 minutes. So, I'm not sure if I believe what I am about to say. I don't like teenagers.

I don't know any teenagers. But I was trying once again to enjoy a show someone I respect likes, and I had trouble living in that world. Hating teenagers is the only conclusion I can come up with bc, afterall, I hated being a teenager so much it seems an obvious conclusion.

Teenagers are boring. I was boring as a teenager. I can't bring myself to care about what people are saying about them at school or whether or not they should have sex. Do it. Have sex. Try drugs. Get pregnant. Be a cheerleader. Go to Juvie. Become prom queen. Just please keep it to yourself. I don't want to hear about it bc none of it is going to matter in a few years. We'll all have trouble remembering those glory days, thank goodness.

I'm sending my kids to boarding school in France on their 13th Birthdays. I'll talk with them on the phone and spend solid quality time with them in summer, but I don't want to be there every day when every little thing is so incredibly important. And I don't want to watch tv about it either.

Critical-Mass Style

We sometimes feel a bit frustrated. Stylish cyclists must be everywhere, but we can't be everywhere all at once taking their pictures. To address this issue, we had the idea to go where cyclists congregate, in this case, Critical Mass. This is cheating, of course, bc the whole idea is to capture stylish cyclists in the natural habitat. People wear special clothes for Mass. At the same time, the very important Leap Year Mass Vogue was worth documenting.

I rode up with this guy (in green) and was so happy to have the opportunity to record his look once we arrived at Justin Herman Plaza.

When I asked if I could take her picture, the lady in the pink dress said "Yes, that's why I came!"
I replied: "We've been looking for each other."


Of course, there were lots of gorgeous cyclists at the ride, but I only had time to shoot photos of a few of them.

Dreams

I'm sitting here literally waiting for paint to dry on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. But the tide is low, and I'm still a bit sick. Last night I went out to troll for Velo Vogue, and the cold air doesn't do my throat any favors. My life is about the change dramatically but for now I am trying to get healthy again.

So, I've been listening to NPR, and the other day they surprised me with a show with a psychic. Several of my friends have sessions with psychics over the phone at least once a year. I find it fascinating, but I don't really get it. Is it reassuring to be told things? Is it more socially acceptable than therapy bc it's quirky?

Anyway, this psychic on the radio was talking about people and their dreams. Not the dreams we have at night, but the dreams we have for our lives. (G says maybe they have trouble being taken seriously bc they call them dreams rather than goals.) I'm talking about the kind of dreams like when I say I am going to be full-time artist or someone else says he's going to be a full-time musician. I know lots of these people, and these "dreams" are more realistic than I imagine.

The psychic was talking about the importance of risk-taking in life, how it is undervalued. Our collective consciousnesses has become drones to an idea of security. Meanwhile (and this is me talking) people are getting laid off right and left. Where's the security there? It makes no sense to me to let myself become a victim of my circumstances. I'd rather follow my bliss. Thank you very much.

The psychic also talked about the temptation of people to "stomp on other people's dreams." She advised against it. My family is getting much better about this as they learn that I can be trusted with myself. My friends who can't take it usually end up being left behind. It was an "aha" moment when Doug sent me a job posting with the preface, "I believe in your dreams. But if you are thinking of getting back into planning, this might be a good job for you." I loved that!

I have a lot of dreams, and some other of them did influence me to apply for that job but ultimately accept a different one. Tyler assures me that it is normal in this economy to change your job, or your emphasis, or to take time off, every year or so. But then, he's "younger and faster.... I'm older and I (need) more insurance." But that's not the point.

My point is just an observation about how we see our own and each other's lives. Good relationships are those where people support the each other's decisions, no matter what they are, when you trust people with themselves. Like in the Mary Oliver poem, you love what you love, but being able to love actively is about trust and letting go like in the Sting song.

NEWSFLASH: You CAN die from the flu.

I'm not asking for pity. I'm just saying that over the past few days I've wondered. My mother always told me that people don't die from the flu. This week, I doubted her. A quick internet search today proves my suspicions to be true. I hope you're feeling well tho.

Red

When it gets cold, you have a choice. You can dork-out in athletic gear or vogue-out on your own.

Vive Vogue, Red.

A Case for Drinking Locally

Languedoc wines to be shipped under sail to save carbon

My ex-boyfriend's ex-sister-in-law (that is, his brother's ex-wife) recently sent me a reverse getting-to-know you email. That is, you fill it out for your friends to find out how well you know each other. She knows me way better than I thought, and this was indicated with remarks on my laugh and my love for red wine... among other things. I was impressed.

I also recently clipped an article on reducing your carbon footprint with your drinking habits. I've been trying to buy organic wine (I like the Blue Hills Cabernet from TJ's best for the price), but when faced with a choice between organic and local, I'm at a loss.

Here in San Francisco, we are so blessed with beverage choices, it's almost embarrassing. World-class wine and beer is made a stone's throw from my house. This article I read explained that the carbon impact of organic vs. not organic is negligible compared with the carbon impact of transporting our beverages from overseas. In addition, glass is heavy -- a huge portion of the carbon footprint of your drinking habit is from it's container. So, when faced with a choice of beverage, I suggest the following order of priorities:
1) non-glass container, such as beer on tap or house wine from a barrel
2) locally-produced
3) organic

So Punk Rock

Brian, Sheila, and I went to see Steve's band, Onion-Flavored Rings, last night at Thrillhouse Records. It's a smoky basement venue with broken-concrete floor and greasy-haired kids in pegged jeans and sneakers; OFR was great and the experience profoundly authentic. Brian and I shared a couple 40s to set the mood. They collected donations at the door into a cereal box and the stage decorations were last year's xmas tree lights. I came away smiling uncontrollably, soul cleansed, and went to bed early to happy punk rock dreams. I think that makes me a freak.

Musician Fashion

Musicians Sonja Cotton and Shake your Peace transported their equipment home yesterday afternoon looking bright and stunning.

Red Basket

Her basket was wrapped with red tinsel matching her beret. Worn with a black fur coat and boots, the effect impressed.

Announcing Vélo Vogue

KT and I were profoundly inspired by the Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog. We vowed to get more stylish bikes. I would start biking in heals and short skirts again like I did to my office job in the financial district in the 1990s, but I no longer wear heals, short skirts, or... work.... And then KT thought of an even better idea: start our own bike-fashion blog based in San Francisco, Vélo Vogue.

Civilized Benefits and Relationship Durations

A Japanese firm provides paid time off for breakups and sale shopping. Now, that's a place with it's priorities straight! 20-somethings get one day off for heartbreak each year. 30-somethings get two. I read 2 implications into these policies: 1) older women feel more deeply and/or are less emotionally resilient; and 2) most relationships turn over once a year.

Japanese firm offers "heartache leave" for staff, Mon Jan 28, 2008

I have noticed relationship duration patterns:
3 months -- when you're still dating a representative. Even in relationships that last longer (< 1 year), things come up in the first 3 months that often end up being the deal breakers. I'm talking about personality incompatibilities or realizing you don't like the other person that much. I have a handful of data points.
under 1 year -- These relationships end more because they just aren't with the right people than because of some specific problem. Personalities are usually pretty compatible but you don't love each other enough and/or you realize the life you would have together isn't one that will make you happy. I have a handful of data points.
2 years -- These are relationships with increasingly smaller versions of the same problems as <1 year relationships.
...Relationships that end beyond that (time-wise), end as a result of growing apart/developing destructive patterns together or otherwise not being happy in the life you make together. Sometimes relationships go to the next time stage because breaking up seems like more trouble than it's worth. It's all pretty fluid actually.

Brian says that modern life breaks up into 3-5 year cycles, and you just can't expect anything to last longer than 5 years. I think it just depends on what you both want to do with your lives and how deeply you love each other.

Jen Rides a Bike.

A source says, "Jennifer (Aniston) said she wanted to start bike riding because it's such good exercise. So Courteney (Cox) sent her the new, ultra-chic Chanel bicycle."
The designer cycle has eight speeds and features a quilted leather seat and saddlebag emblazoned with the famous Chanel logo.

Dapper Couple

This dapper couple was on the BART train late Saturday night.

crazy pattern

I chased this woman down along the Embarcadero on Saturday afternoon. Once I caught up with her, we had to chase down her boyfriend who was about a block ahead. I loved the crazy pattern on her dress and the matching, totally gorgeous black and blue "milano" frame and wheels. drool!

She said she'd borrowed the bike.

Quote

On Hillary not calling her support of the Iraq war a "mistake":
"We seem to be hung up semantically--what is a mistake?--something that one should have done differently at the time, or something that one regrets having done in light of what has happened since?"
-Stephen Whitney

...But with much broader applications re: being human on earth....

February Art at the Gallery

I have a new show up at the gallery. So far, it is very well-received! I particularly love this month's postcard.

February the back room houses the erotic art show, and the party is meant to be particularly steamy (but inexplicably did not have strippers this year). I dressed up.
photo by Geoff Horne at the end of the night

Grateful

Sunday night, my mother, 2 longtime friends (the Shafarman's), and I went to a benefit poetry reading on gratefulness at the Herbst Theater. It also included musical performances including a tambora (Indian drone instrument) and singing, and spiritual conversations with the movement's leaders. I took notes in the dark on a scrap of paper from my mother's notebook.

Brother David and Roshi Jones reminded us that happiness comes from gratefulness. It is gratefulness without reference -- that is, you aren't keeping score. Every moment is an opportunity to enjoy, even if it is a lesson. Maintaining and element of surprise in life also contributes towards happiness. As I type this, I remind myself of this poem I particularly loved, "Misgivings" by William Matthews, about keeping a freshness in relationship. If poetry is not surprising, they said, it isn't good poetry.

My mother and the others were particularly excited to hear Jane Hirshfield read her poetry, and I found her poetry particularly surprising. She talked about being cleansed by poetry. Her poems called to its listeners to be grateful and open to all of the gifts life brings us. The Shafarman's were also very excited about Coleman Barks, who was completely adorable and did a little dance when he read some of his translations.

I don't know much about religion bc I mostly enjoy people one at a time in the freshness of their own ideas. But I have enjoyed many wonderfully thoughtful conversations with people who get a lot from organized religion. The distinction between religion and spirituality makes me a little uncomfortable for my own purposes. But I was inspired by the event to approach life with more gratefulness... to see all things as opportunities, as gifts.

Barack or Hillary... or McCain....

I've been enjoying the tremendous e-traffic on whether to vote for Barack or Hillary... or McCain. I feel very lucky that I don't get to decide; I'm registered Green. As my father likes to say, "I'm not interested in what I believe." It's a great privilege for a person who usually has trouble deciding what to eat for breakfast (or whether to skip the meal all together).

My friends and family each believe strongly that the issue is:
the war
healthcare
experience
background (NPO -- you know who I mean!)
charisma/personality/electability (different or the same?)
the economy
reproductive freedom

For each of these, there's often a counter-argument. For example, the people who say that Barack could bring new blood to the White House hear back that that was the argument that brought us our current Bush. When a person says: "The war is the issue" or "It's the economy, stupid" (no one actually calls anyone stupid, it just sounds good), I am overwhelmed with the arbitrariness of these values. It's Democracy; so, YOU get to decide what's most important to YOU (and you only).

Most of us found our last 2 presidential elections profoundly depressing. I, for one, vowed to discuss these matters with people who value different things than I. And yet, so far anyway, I don't even need to have my own opinion bc I don't get to vote in the real primaries. (Green Party primaries don't count in America bc their candidates won't become president.) Talk about undermining the progressive movement (maybe).

My liberal media (KQED radio) yesterday took calls from several conservative Republicans who said that if McCain is the candidate, they'll vote for Hillary... and such like things. I wonder if Hillary really is more fiscally conservative. I wonder what motivates people to label themselves and how we can cut through that to find out what people MEAN when they call themselves conservative Republicans. I assume it means they wish the government would stop collecting taxes and go away, but I'm not sure.

So: VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE
...And to those of you who are allowed to cast an opinion on the candidates, I wish you all the clarity and wisdom in the world.