Sunday Song With Willow Creek Dress

I want artist Robin Barcus Slonina to have six wives so she can create 24-7. I can't cook, but I'll stitch for her!!

October 16th- Just realized I hadn't put her link so you can see the other amazing things she does. I was just captured by this Ophelia happening, but you can go see the rest by clicking on her name.

Accumulated Information on Frank Calloway, Artist 12/26/2008**Updated**

Frank Calloway

Frank Calloway was born July 2, 1896, and taught himself to draw. Diagnosed as schizophrenic in 1952 and institutionalized in various institutions in Alabama since then, he is currently living in the Alice M. Kidd Nursing Facility in Tuscaloosa. At 112 years old, his is a unique view of Southern America. Most of Mr. Calloway's art is of agrarian themes. His medium is ballpoint pen, marker and crayon on butcher paper often 30 feet long. Mr. Calloway puts in a full day of work considering his art as his job. He appears almost savant with his penchant for writing lines of figures and reciting multiplication tables.

Although he's always drawn, he really took it seriously when he took an art class in the 1980s.

He'll be be showing in an exhibition during the Fall at The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore where 18 of his scrolls will appear this October. Recently selling for around $50.00 each, his drawings are expected to fetch thousands after the show. See more about Mr. Calloway in the news release HERE.

I've turned the web upside down and have come up dry. I'll be posting links to his art as they become available. **

Mr. Calloway got serious about his art at about 86 years of age. He's getting in his stride at 112 years. Now. I don't want to ever hear an artist say that they're too old to start!!

**UPDATE: As promised, I am adding information I've found on Mr. Calloway's art, where it can be found, and his life and will continue doing so if you'd like to check back with me. Please let me know if you've found additional information on this amazing man.

This is an image of one of Mr. Calloway's works, entitled "Old Man".

A link to a photo gallery of Mr. Calloway HERE.

And some information from versions of the N.Y. Times article:

Quote: "Last year, after a trip to Alabama’s Gulf Coast, Calloway decided to draw boats. But the boats are big old riverboats propelled by paddlewheels, not the modern ones he’d actually seen.
Several years ago, when people started showing interest in buying Calloway’s art, Moncrief-Craig ( director of Alice M. Kidd Nursing Facility where Mr. Calloway lives) decided he needed a guardian. Since 2006, Zondra Taylor Hutto has filled that role. The attorney is the Tuscaloosa County guardian, conservator and administrator for several residents, including Calloway.(I will post info when I can find it)
Calloway used to give away some of his creations or sell them for $50, but Moncrief-Craig and Hutto have stopped dealing the work since an appraiser said they could be worth thousands. They hope to have more of an idea how much the art should go for after the Baltimore show.
Calloway has few expenses that aren’t covered by Medicaid, so any profits will go into a special needs trust in his name so he won’t lose his benefits. The money can be used for items such as art supplies that aren’t covered by the government. When he dies, the remaining money will go to the state or to the state Medicaid agency, which has provided his care all these years.
Plans are for Calloway to attend the opening of the Baltimore show. It will be his first trip on an airplane and likely the first time he’s left Alabama. Hutto said she looks forward to sharing his work with a wider audience.
"His art overcomes boundaries," she said. "People may say, ‘Well, he’s a folk artist. I don’t like folk art.’ But if you ever meet him, there is such life in what he creates, and you can’t look at one of his paintings without seeing that smile, without seeing that gentle man." (End quote)

7/24/2008:

New today, another image of a Frank Calloway drawing, above. Also a discussion on whether Calloway can truly be 112 on a genealogy site HERE.

August 03, 2008 Updated

I have a new image of Calloway's artwork and will also be posting additional information. This all would have been listed sooner, but my computer burped in the middle of posting and I lost all my work even though Blogger said it was saved as a draft.

I believe this work is called "Pink Cow".

August 10, 2008: I found these images of Calloway's:

Jus found a new slide show produced by the Associated Press HERE. If I can find the code, I'll embed it here as well.

Keep checking back occaisionally to see what I've gathered.

August 17th,2008: Michael D. Edens gave me permission to show these two sketches of Frank Calloway inspired by this post. I believe these will be available as limited edition giclees.

Click HERE to see Edens' other work.
If there are any other links with work on or about Mr. Frank, or of Mr. Frank as subject, I'd love to link to them as a clearing house spot for any and all info.

October 28, 2008 Updated****

I have scoured the web and have not been able to find much additional information on Frank Calloway's show at the American Visionary Museum in Baltimore other than these links below. If anyone knows of a show catalog, invitations or cards with any of his work, or information about sales of his art, I'd appreciate adding it. This post seems to have become a central spot with everything out there about him and I'm getting some international visitors. Please note that I have a translation widget at the top left of the page for your convienience.

**Deep Fried Kudzu has a post on the AVM show, which was called "The Marriage of Art, Science, & Philosophy". Calloway was one of 50 artists at the show

***"The Marriage of Art, Science, & Philosophy" Show runs through April 28, 2009 and the gallery hours are HERE

***There are blurbs and news articles about Frank Calloway and the show HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE,

***There's a great article and wonderful VIDEO here by the Baltimore Sun.

***Blurb and photo from the Baltimore Sun:

AVAM honored and welcomed 112-year old artist Frank Calloway from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Calloway used crayon, pen and marker to draw on butcher paper stretching hundreds of feet long at times. His work is embedded with mathematical systems and rhythmic patterns such as the 18 times tables. He came to Baltimore on his first airplane ride for a welcome ceremony and the opening party Oct. 3. he seemed thrilled to see his work on display. Calloway was met and greeted by NAACP chairman Jullian Bond on Friday, the morning before the opening party.

****The Independent World featured this STORY.

***There's a great first person account of Mr. Calloway at the show at The Real Muck.

*** Reuters carried the following article 112 Year Old Self0Taught Artist to Be Featured in National Exhibition

*** Artist Mark Barry has these photographs from the show in Baltimore which he's generously allowed me to use here from his Flickr Photostream. Hang around and look at Mark's other work while you're there. If you are interested in buying a set of photos or a giclee of them, contact Mark directly.

Update 12/26/2008: Keeping with my promise to put any and all links and news about Mr. Calloway here on the Deepwater Journal, I have a few small additions.

Wikipedia now has a stub on Mr. Calloway which should be added to.

"Do the job right", video of Mr. Calloway at work.

A New Still of Mr. Calloway with his materials.

And here you can find links to Frank Calloways show at the AVAM with some links. Dated October 13, 2008. Nothing much new. Mark Barry already gave me permission to use his photos of the exhibit.

September 04, 2009: I want to share with you an account of an excellent first person encounter with wonderful insight. David Ettlin is a semi-retired writer with the Baltimore Sun. I won't rib him about the semi part of retired in his bio bits with the George Carlin factionale of "either it got a bone or it ain't". The Real Muck is worthy of a leisurely perusal. Good reads throughout. But in keeping with my promise to update anything Frank Calloway, I hope you'll visit and comment.

Funny this comment from David comes today: I was just thinking of calling the home and asking after Mr. Calloway's health and art.

Darla Nunnery - Artistic Instructor St. Leo Prodigy

Darla Nunnery is a visual artist specializing in professional henna body art, painting, and multi-media collage. She received her Bachelors Degree in Fine Art from the University of South Florida in 2001 and began her henna business, Starlight Mehndi Studios, that same year.

Darla has worked in children's art programs at the Tampa Museum of Art, AmeriCorps ArtsUSF, Hillsborough County's Artists in the Schools program, and is presently employed as a Cultural Arts Instructor with Saint Leo Prodigy. With over 10 years experience as an artist working with young people, Darla's gift is encouraging students to tell their personal history through their artistic creation. Her ideas for projects to create with her students bring together influences from our living environment and cultural history, while at the same time emphasize community perspectives and personal growth.

Darla's work has been shown at the Tampa Museum of Art, University of Tampa's Scarfone Gallery, and the Globe Coffee Lounge in St. Petersburg, Florida. Additionally, she has been curator at many art events and gallery showings for her students over the years.
Currently site director for Saint Leo University Prodigy Program.

*****

This is my Goth Other Chile, Darla that I'm so proud of! I've known Darla since her much younger years and have costumed for her during her reenactment days in some beautiful regalia.

She does more than painting and teaching art to children. Darla has a thriving business of doing traditional Mehndi. She's so good at it, making her own henna pastes from scratch and being a purist that the Bay Area Indian and Middle Eastern families use her for their traditional wedding rituals. She's beginning to experiment with henna on cloth as well. You can take a look at some of her Mehndi art on her MySpace page.

She's been featured in articles in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, Newsday and was chosen in Tampa's annual Best of the Bay for best body art.

Descended from a real French princess (she acts regal!), she also boasts a rarity in Florida: A real Florida Native from a long line of Floridians.

We're celebrating our birthdays tonight - mine past and hers coming up. Rituals are important to her as is family.

I'm giving her a reading from Madam Zucchini and she's taking me to dinner.

Happy Birthday Vikki!

Found these fun videos in lieu of an E card for Vikki North's birthday! Cook up some Creative Spaghetti today!

Beret and a Geode

I finished Sheree Rensel's glorious little summer beret! Her request was that it be light and airy. I 'wore' it on my knee for about 40 minutes this afternoon in a room without AC. This is the most scientific experiment that I could muster. But. No sweat. And best of all, no weight. As she is just a tiny little sprite of 4'8", she needs nothing to make her more dear to the Goddess Gaia than she already is.

This has always been my theory on small beings and animals. The more the Earth loves you, the smaller and closer you get to be, ergo, closer to Her. Diminutive people have always had something of the Fey in them to me. I've never known one to be totally world bound. Instead, they always seem to be a little bit in a place none of the rest of us can go.

I used to sew for a tiny woman named Sherry Lucas. You only just needed to see her to know that you were in the presence of faery folk. When Sherry smiled, Ireland would light up. When she frowned, it would rain. The Goddess blesses little beings of all ilk.

So. Sheree's beret is done. I adore the pin that I made out of scraps for her. There are glitzes and blings and sighs of yarn. The hat and pin look like they're made of moth butts and butterfly haloes. You can't see how airy it is. The pictures are courtesy of Windows without any editing so the color isn't true either.

I'm happy. I feel complete with it. I hope she does as well. Or. I'll be making another one more to her taste.

Fetish

Cucamonga. I haven't said it in a long time and thought I should.

It's the name of a California town that always reminded me of calls we had to each other as children. Meant to be mysterious and Native American-like as we crept around the swamp and palmettos that surrounded the house. All of us had our own particular signal. Megaline's was 'E-awk-kee', Tootie Middlebrook and my sister Lynda's signal changed depending on how drunk they were on Silly that particular day - the more dumb and doofus, the better. Bobby and Billy Tilly's sounded an awful lot like farts and burps, but we ignored them. Their red orange hair made it pretty plain where they were amongst all the green without a call. Mine was "Cucamonga".

I know I must have heard it somewhere, but it became my talisman against all things dangerous and nefarious when I was very young. It also reflected surprize and angst as in, "Your mama is whistling for you!"

"Cucamonga!" I'd say. The child's equivalent of, "Oh, shit!"

Talisman's are very important to us as adults. Many of us college educated and grown up folks don't think we need such things, wouldn't admit it, but almost to the one of us, we have them: Rabbit Feet, a lucky coin, our daddy's sweater or our granny's afghan, we're all attached to something physical as a shield Against IT at some point in our lives.

That's why I took to making Fetish Dresses for friends and special occasions. I start with a Dolly Dress (* see explanation below) and then decorate the hem or edges or seams or somewhere with fetish charms. As I make the dress and string the charms, I think about the person who will be wearing it and what I want for them. I want protection, a sense of specialness, health and security, full bank accounts, and mostly just love. Lest the men in my life felt left out, I've made Fetish Shirts, too.

There's a sort of alpha state that I get into as I work and bead and embellish. I often light a candle because I realize that this is a special ritual piece, just as important as any surplice a priest would wear or asfidity and bag a shaman would have. The pieces that go on the fetish are important. After the basic ritual garment is finished I sit in front of all my embellishments in piles of trays around me and think of the person, what they need, what would be most efficacious to them. The resultant choice often looks like there's positively NO rhyme or reason, but I know that there is.

I start beading and they just fall into place, making sense as they are placed next to each other like a sentence in a long paragraph. This works with an unknown person as well, when I'm just 'called' to make a piece and put it out THERE.

I've had people run across a lot crying with outstretched arms as if seeing a lost child or parent. They go straight up to the dress, remove it from the hangar and clutch it as if someone else might try to take it. This happened at a benefit art sale for a local feminist book store. "Her" story was that she was to go home and would see the father who sexually abused her for years. She was to testify at his trial for molesting another child. She had 'asked' for a special something to protect her when in his presence in the courtroom so that she could tell him and the world how he had damaged her life and sense of innocence. She didn't find it in a department store and she'd looked.

Her Fetish Dress was a serene peacock blue linen with handmade Celtic Runes sewn and painted on it around the hem. I used: FEOH- Protection, to hasten all affairs to their next stage; ANSUR- Education, communication, writing and debate; RAD -Safety in travel; KEN -Physical well being, confidence; JARA- Help in legal matters, YR- Protection, to remove obstacles, PEORTH- Legacies, finding lost things; EOLH- Protection against the evil thoughts of others; SIGEL - Health, physical strength and self-confidence, clear thinking; BEORC- Domestic, family; TIR -Recuperation, healing, victory; ENG -Successful completion; DAEG- Growth. Of course it was HER dress!

Now there is this new one for Tary Peace's birthday. She almost didn't get it because I lost her measurements and had to cut it from memory. When she finally got them for me, the dress was a done deal and I used them to check it. I was pretty close. I took two days to choose her talismans and bead it - I have to be in the right place to work on it.

What you're seeing above is the finished work. Even though she's a water sign, her soul is like fire. I thought that the one picture I took below expressed this best. I discovered on this particular blog that the fetishes don't like to be photographed. The last shot is what happened when I tried to clean them up. I feel like I'm getting the 'call' to make five more!! If it's you, could you please let me know your bust/waist/hip measurements and your height? It will help.

(Note* The name Dolly Dress is what I call the very free flowing, draping dresses with odd hems and gores, I've made for almost 30 years. They came from a dream I had where I was Dolly Parton in a room full to the walls with dresses of the most beautiful colors and fabrics. My Dark Man applauded approval in the dream, so I started making them. Women love them. Men think they're sexy because they just slip over the curves of a woman like a whisper.)

Phewwww!

Opening night. Over 5,000 people showed up to look, shmooz, buy art, eat, drink and just be there. Thank Goddess that there's only one opening night! I worked one of the front doors taking donations, slipping on pink and yellow wrist bands and giving directions to the bano, "Ou'est dans la salle de toilets, ya'll?" (First wooden door on the left, ladies; Second door, gents).

Friends came. I hugged them over the counter. Some stayed for a bit with me. If they went inside, I never saw them again. I was supposed to work one hour and ended up doing at least 5. I'm not complaining, mind you - I'm glad that the show was a success and they definitely needed help!!

I would definitely do it again if they'll have me back and judge me in next year. But when I got home at 2:00 last night, I fell into bed and slept for 14 hours - right through the artists' luncheon today!

All of this has been said with a smug, self-satisfied smile!

Gala Press Night

So. I am recuperating from the last months frenzy of preparation. Still not settled back in my skin. I imagine that it will take me some time to regroup. But tonight was wonderful!! Gala held the private press party along with a private viewing for our site sponsors' circle of friends. Hard to tell who were the doctors and who was press. Most of the artists were recognizable. We have that certain elan, don't you know. Besides. I wore my high top PF Fliers.

I have found some kindred souls there. Their art is so cogent to me that I cannot ignore them. You already know that I'm in love with Martha Brooks Marshall's art and sally forth merrily anytime I can cheerlead her on. Her paintings are just flat world-class good.

Another artist I have a creative crush on is Apatx Latorre. Besides being a spiritually kindred soul, he has a painting called "The River" which is so close to my visual view of the universe, is so rich in metaphor and technique, that I would own it if I could! Oh for all the money in China!! Martha says he's Gustav Klimpt on steroids! I will ask his permission to show it here, but not before he says so. That you have not heard of him yet is just because he's been busy doing life and travel as he sees it. That he's exotically gorgeous AND loves his family devotedly has earned him heart space with me. I will shamelessly promote him as I do me some Martha. He's that good!

Steve Sperry is another artist just discovered. I like his quirky style that's so reminiscent of fractal art. He's got a fractured sense of humor and a boy-next-door charm in a craggy sort of way. You want to bake him cookies and slap him around when he does dumb stuff. And he cleans up nicely!

Cathey Conte follows the legacy of art in a dynasty started by her mother Margaret Conte. Cathey's photos are just microcosmic. And. I WILL own some of Candace Knapp's pieces!

There were several others at the show who awed me. I intend to cultivate them and just hang, hoping to absorb some of their goody. I am humbled to be counted among such incredibly talented people. If you're in the Tampa area, get your butt down to 3965 Henderson Blvd and partake. This is a huge happening and a movement. I love my place in the back of the wagon!

Opening is tomorrow night, Friday from 7 until 1:00 and they have an open bar, incredible fashion show/living sculpture, DJ's playing in 2 rooms, food, an enormous floor space and will also donate to the Humane Society. You really didn't want to go clubbing tomorrow anyway, did you??

(The picture is of me peeping behing Lotus Robe, one of 4 I installed in the show.)

I'm An Artist. Again.

So. Martha Marshall took me by my little hand almost 20 years ago when I announced that I wanted to 'do' an art show. I corraled her into doing this since, a: I'd never been in a real art show, and b: didn't know how to 'do' it, and c: had never been to art school, and d: passed along the fact that we all hang onto someone when we need to get our sea legs under us.

My sister, Linda clung onto me for balance at our tap dance lessons when we were gangly little girls, me only slightly more graceful and able to stand on my one leg while the other did a step-ball-chain. So. I clung onto Martha.

Now. That Martha consented to hit the ball and drag Fred with me is a-mazing in itself. She's like this world-class, very well known American artist who exemplifies hard work and success. The fact that she's been my friend for almost two decades makes me puff up big with pride. Google Martha Brooks Marshall or even just Martha Marshall and you'll see what I mean. Her works are all over the planet and she has at least a dozen shows and projects going on at any one time.

She's generous with more than just me. She mentors others about their art like a mother hen, pushing, coaxing, giving art supplies and instant support and tries to pass along what she's learned. She's no dilletante about that.

Okay. So almost 20 years ago, I decided I wanted to show what I call my Dream Coats. Back then, this title was exclusive to me and my work. Now, the phrase is kind of hackneyed. I could truly call mine Dream Coats because the ideas for them, nay, the entire design, color, writings and construction come to me in a 3-D, Panavision and Technicolor dream. If you're a past reader of my blog, you know that my dream life is very vivid, rich and detailed.

An alter personality I call Miss Lufthanza (because the 'voice' she uses in my dreams sounds very much like a stewardess on an International flight giving directions for the exit, fasten your seatbelt and no smoking signs), does a sort of drum roll in my sleeping brain and announces that I'm about to get instructions for a coat. I ignore many of these because there's just not enough time and material to make them all. As Martha says, "So much art, not enough lifetimes".

So. Lufthanza shows me in my dream mind a coat. I get to scan inside seams for construction details, the colors, materiels and then she gives me a counterpane that is mostly to go on a panel inside the back of the coat next to the wearer's back so it gets absorbed. The pockets turn inside out so I can see if anything is to be written there. All I have to do is wake up, sketch it, write it down and make it. As I said, many of them never get made. But I'd done a few and wanted Marty to show me how to get them out in the public to be seen.

Sometimes, there are moving parts and lights in them. One coat called "Paper Dolls with Bishop's Mitre" featured a photo of me in my underwear pushing a vacuum and several paper doll figures with various forms of women's roles - like a June Cleaver mother, Nun, School Girl, Las Vegas mannequin complete with crystal chandelier headdress, a pinup coming out of a cake all lit up with flashing lights, Maids, Teachers, Professional Call Girls -- you get the idea. There were also a pair of silicone breast implants next to a Frederick's of Hollywood ad for a padded butt enhancer.

I played "I want a Paper Doll" by the the Mills Brothers on a continuous loop and hung a purple and white Bishop's Mitre above the coat for the installation. It won best of show but was not allowed to travel with the rest of the art because it was considered too controversial. Secretaries are scary you know. Or maybe it was me in my underwear.

Another one is my signature piece. Called "Lotus Robe", it has 3 very detailed lotus blossoms petaled in 3-D parts with metal dew drops, crystal stamens and a stuffed fish in a pond in the train of the coat. Several other fishes are swim between the layers of the pond. The fact that this piece is brilliant shot violet and hot pink makes it one that you can't sneak around in. That one's won me lots of ribbons, money and has been worn on stage by director Anna Brennan, been the bride's coat at a wedding and has appeared at several operas. I have no idea where it is now. I'm hoping to find it in some of the mountains of fiber and trims I have here at Dog Patch.

I've since done many gallery shows, been invited by colleges and universities, even the State of Florida to participate in shows. Then I stopped. The reasons are too convoluted to explain here, but I've only made a very limited few since showtime. Most of them were for private collectors like hispanic artist Pedro Parra who wears his every year to the local gay film festival and other events. And Jan Roberts who heads up a national green movement owns one. Director/actor Anna Brennan finally got one of her own. My friend, Annie Shanahan owns the most of them and wears them around the house for empowerment. I'm willing her all the remaining coats because she loves them the most.

Now another flood of coats have come up and I can't ignore them. I applied to Gala Corina in Ybor. It's a very prestigious show and I knew that only the best of the best would be judged in. I've never been turned down for a judged show, but figured that this could be my first one since humility seems to be a theme in my life just now. Glory. I got in! They deposited my entry fee check and I'm a participant. I'm so excited I could pee my pants!!

I just started the first coat for the project this past weekend when I got notice. My coats are usually very attractive and it's only on closer inspection that you see the gaffs, barbs and uglies. This one is no different. If I can figure out how to get my camera loaded onto my new computer, I'll take a few photos for you to see as I construct it. It's called 'Swept Under'. When you see it, you'll know why.

(Note: The three coats above are construction pictures of "Elemental Fire", "Donatatus' Tragedia et Comedie", the the missing for now "Lotus Robe". My gallery pictures of the completed coats are buried on the hard drive of my defunct old computer.)