T.V. Show Weekend

Happy Happy Friday!!!

I am sitting here right now dying my hair and thinking about what I am doing for the weekend.

This week wasn't great in terms of how I was feeling.  I know the neurosurgeon said the spinal fusion could take 18 months to heal completely but honestly I am tired of how swollen my neck is at the end of the day.  Mer always teases me that I look like the hunch back of Maryland.

So for the last weekend at my parents house I plan to watch t.v., rest, and do some crafts to hopefully share with you next week.

Here is the t.v. I plan on finishing/catching up on/or starting this weekend!

HOMELAND:

Mer and I don't have the premium channels, but my parents do!  I have about five episodes left to watch of this show for their season and it is FANTASTIC!  I have been watching an episode every morning before I go to work and I just watched another one with dinner.  First, I love Claire Danes (My So Called Life was a favorite childhood show, did she end up with Jordan Catalano?).  Second, the plot is full of twists and turns and I still don't know who is "bad" and who is "good".  So worth watching!

HOUSE OF LIES:

Here is another Showtime show that I think is great.  The dialogue is  quick and witty and the actors all play quirky characters who you kind of don't like but are cheering for anyway.  Plus, I love, love, love, Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars rocked my world) so I was excited to start watching these shows too.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLATES:

Does anyone else miss Top Chef?  I don't like this show quite as much as that one, but it still satisfies my need for awesome cooking competitions and it also has amazing scenery.  So far the chefs have traveled to England, France, Morocco, and Italy.  I haven't seen the Florence, Italy episode yet and since I lived there for a bit I'm excited to watch it.


DESIGN STAR:

Last but certainly not least is Design Star!  My mom and I both love this show and I have a little crush on Vern.

Image found on HGTV website

If you haven't watched it I love it because I actually get good ideas from the competing designers and it is fun to watch the interpersonal relationships between the group.

Those are my T.V. suggestions for the weekend,  What is everyone else up too?

Love,

Jess

Artist Saturday and a Sorry...

Hello all you lovelies!

First let me apologize for slacking off this week with blogging!  I have now slept two straight nights in a row (hooray!) and I am now posting artist Saturday/Friday for you!

I am going to share with you some work by Illustrator Michael Sloan who went as Ewan Macleish in his early days.  I became obsessed with is work probably in 2007, but unfortunately I cannot find the paintings he did for his son that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED (sad face)!

However, I did pull other images that I like of his.  I find myself drawn to his blue work and I think his use of space and the way he draws cities is AMAZING!

He also does a graphic novel featuring Professor Nimbus who I have included in this set of images.

I might also be drawn to him because he loves Venice, Italy as much as I do.  His drawings are my dreams...

He is very talented and you should definitely check him out.  If I do ever come across the other images I will send out a big hooray and show you.

Now I introduce....Michael Sloan!

What do you guys think?  I also love his use of darks and lights.  This guy has got it going on!

Until tomorrow,

Love,

Jess

Artist Friday featuring

I was using the app Stumble which I am addicted too when I want find cool things on the web (I also talked about it in this blog post), and I came across this artist/photographer who I found to be really, really cool.

Her name is Ariana Page Russell and her photography is mostly about her skin condition.  She has dermotagraphia.  This is a condition where the skin is highly sensitive even when lightly scratched. 
With this touch her body produces an excessive amount of histamines which causes capilleries to dilate and therefore produces welts.

She is therefore able to painlessly draw on her skin.

I have always been fascinated by body image.  Being a woman myself and an artist I found in my late teens/early twenties I focused a lot on self perception and how that related to other's views. 

I am absolutely enthralled with how this artist has taken something that could have made her feel self conscious and instead shows it to the whole world as her art.

In some of her pieces she also uses photographs of her skin and turns them into collages or temporary tattoos and uses those in her photographs. 

I find myself comparing her to a modern day Francesca Woodman.  I think this comparison could be that both artist's images make me vaguely uncomfortable.

I have always found that the artists I am drawn to the most are those that push my boundries and comfort.   To me feeling unsettled by a work of art means that it is truly saying something.

Flora 2006

Flora (Knee) 2006

Index 2005

Cameo Deux

Net 2011

Interesting, right?  Definitely check out her website and read her artist statement.  I think she is really relavent and interesting.

What do you guys think?

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love,

Jess

Artist Friday featuring Kaitlin Zorah McDonough

Hello all you lovely people!

I am trying to provide some consistency in posts on the blog, so I am definitely going to do Artist Friday's where every Friday I feature a different artist. 

If you would like to be featured send me an e-mail at loveupaperly@yahoo.com!

This week I am featuring one of my good friends who I lived and went to school with in Venice, Italy.  She is an amazing painter and printmaker and is still living and working in Venice.  I am featuring just a few of my favorites that she has done so please check out her site for more.

Drum roll please!!!

Here is some of the lovely and inspiring work of Kaitlin Zorah McDonough

Dining Room

Winter at it's End

He Visits Home

He Can Think Her There Beside Him

H.S.H

 

I love Kaitlin's work.  It takes me to a place of dreams and travel and yearning and love.  I hope you enjoy her world as much as I do.

Have a relaxing, fun, and enjoyable weekend!

love,

Jess

Lovely Sunday Photograph

I had the opportunity to take some pet portraits for a dear family friend. She has two very large and pretty awesome golden doodles. I totally want one but we need a bigger yard! Hope everyone's weekend has been great.

Till tomorrow! Love, Jess

Lovely Sunday Photographs

Every Sunday I am going to publish a pretty photo.  Sunday's are a bit of a conundrum in my world. You know in your head you still have all day until you have to go back to work tomorrow, so that is... lovely.  However, I usually get a case of the Sunday blues.  Sunday blues happen because I know I have to finish everything that I started so excitedly yesterday because I won't have the free time once Monday hits!

So, from this day onward, lovely sunday photographs will happen so that everyone can find  a little beauty in the day and maybe help it will help me beat the Sunday blues.

Below is a photo of the cupcakes I made from scratch for the first time!  The icing didn't work, but they tasted pretty good and sprinkles make everything look delectable.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Love,

Jess