I was banned from Pinterest for no reason!

I’ve heard of more and more unfortunate artists who have gotten their Instagram account hacked lately, but I didn’t know getting booted off Pinterest was a thing. Until a few months ago, when I went to save the work of an artist I admired and I got a pop up telling me that my account was suspended. I followed the links to find out what the problem was, and got this email in response:

Hi kelly witmer,

Your account has been permanently suspended for violating our Community Guidelines. You won't be able to access your Pins or messages, and your account will not be restored.For clarification on our decision please review our Community Guidelines.

Thanks,The Pinterest Team

WTF?

I read through those guidelines, and could find nothing that applied to me. I didn’t pin adult content, violence, “messages of hate”, illegal substances, misinformation, human trafficking or sale of body parts or protected wildlife. I didn’t spam, I never commented or sent messages. I just used the platform since it began for what I thought it was meant for - to save images of things that inspire me.

Years ago a fellow artist friend told me that I should be pinning my own work, to “get it out there”, so I would occasionally do that. And by occasionally, I mean every few months and not the same work. But as far as I know, lots of artists do this and it isn’t listed in the guidelines as BAD. Plus, I had also graduated to a business account, and over several years occasionally paid to promote my artwork on Pinterest.

So anyway, I sent a message to the Pinterest “team” asking what I did wrong, and got the same unhelpful automated email. Then I did what I always do - I googled it. I could some help in descriptions of the same thing happening to others, like this one from a Pinterest manager, describing instances where she “put in a help ticket every few days for several months until it was quietly reactivated one day without even a “sorry” or “welcome back.””

I followed her advice and wrote polite and pleading help tickets twice weekly for over a month. I even wrote for help in the advertising section, pointing out that I had paid for advertising and wanted to give them more of my money. Exact same auto email response, nothing else. I can’t even buy my way back.

Other blogs offered similar advice, like this one called Simple Pin Media - a company devoted to helping businesses use Pinterest for marketing. This blog has some helpful tips as well on what could have caused the suspension, but I don’t think I committed crimes of repetitive descriptions either. She also said that she took losing her account as a sign from the universe and moved her business in a different direction. I don’t want to change careers at this juncture, but I tried to use that positive attitude and just start a new account.

But I couldn’t even start a new account, because my email was “taken”! I had to create a new email, and couldn’t even use my name, since it was also “taken”.

So if you’re still reading this and want to follow my scrawny new account, I’m at kellymakingstuff. Except I’m scared to pin too much of the stuff I make. My pins are mostly unusual art or interesting interiors. I can’t seem to pin new things form other sites since the pin tab no longer works on Safari. Seems like Pinterest wants people to keep pinning the same old things over and over. That is, when they pause from clicking on ads.

Airbnb options in Mexico City

One of the great things about being an Airbnb host is that you can rent out your place, go to another city and rent an amazing apartment that's completely different than your own. The options in Mexico City were plentiful, so much that it made my head spin.

I ended up renting three different places, and while they were all great, next time I think I'll stay in one spot longer. Since most have a check in time of around 3 or 4pm and a check out time around 11am (as they need time to turn it over, like a hotel), it makes for a complicated tango in the middle of the day with your luggage. Luckily, the hosts were accommodating and early/late check outs worked out, but I know what a hassle it can be for them and hated asking. And moving to a new place in the middle of the day ate up a lot of site-seeing time.

I wrote in a previous post about my first host - Tom, who was a super nice ex-pat from NY, and he immediately set me up with a map and suggestions of where to go. He really made me feel at home, which is something that's really invaluable when arriving into a foreign country you're not familiar with. The next night we hung out with some wine and commiserated on the ups and downs of being a host. Exchanging Airbnb horror stories is always fun. Above is a photo of his beautiful roof deck, which was a great place to hang out and read his guidebooks.

Next I stayed at a place that was like a glass tree house in the middle of the city (the patio shown on the top of this post, with me looking pensive). There was also a private rooftop patio with a BBQ, but I only used it to dry my laundry. I can BBQ at home.

There was a huge double jacuzzi tub off to the right, but since it was so large, the hot water would run out by the time it got to about two inches deep. So I would try to flatten out and splash water on myself, like a sad sea lion.

One thing I didn't expect was to be so cold in Mexico... January days were still pretty mild during the day, but it got chilly at night and apparently heating in homes is rare.  So one of the reasons I booked the 3rd place was for the old clawfoot tub (just like I have at home), and it was perfect to warm up in. And that TILE! I'm a sucker for concrete tile. This whole apartment was visually amazing.

Everything in this place was thoughtfully and beautifully designed. Love how this beautiful wood counter was also a bottle rack. And the drawer under the sink pulled out and drawers fit in around the plumbing - an excellent use of space (something I've done in the past when converting a vintage dresser into a bathroom counter).

The downside was the stairs to get up to this rooftop apartment, which was more like a ladder. Difficult with luggage, but the worse part was the many doors with tricky locks and different keys to get past. My keys kept getting stuck in the door, so I would have to hide my valuables and hope for the best. This unfortunately led me to forgetting my hidden cash and passport when I checked out, and a resulting 2 extra long Uber rides across town to retrieve them. Duh.

One more shot below of Tom's roof patio... these open metal walkways are popular around Mexico City. An excellent use of space again, but stresses my vertigo.

Diego Rivera murals in Mexico City

There's no shortage of Diego Rivera murals in CDMX, but the Secretariat of Public Education was my favorite. Covering all of the walls of these two courtyards are 235 panels of murals done between 1923 and 1928. This was Rivera’s first major large-scale mural project. The themes center around workers, and the glorification of all things Mexican, especially the Mexican Revolution. Rivera named the two courtyards “Labor Courtyard” and the other the “Fiesta Courtyard” based on the themes he painted in each.

Entrance is free, you just have to figure out where to go and get past some armed guards. I don't know the hours, but I went on a Monday afternoon, which was perfect since most all of the museums in Mexico City are closed on Mondays.

Murales de Diego Rivera en la Secretaria de Educacion Publica, Calle Republica de Argentina 28, Mexico City 06000, Mexico

Guess who? My last post was on the Frida Kahlo Casa Azul museum.

I snapped this quickly, because I didn't want anyone to see me taking photos of trash cans in the midst of all these beautiful paintings. But I really dug these cans. They're the same color as my car.

Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul

I've always wanted to visit Frida Kahlo's house, and it was even better than I expected. But the crowds were insane. Luckily my Airbnb host tipped me off that I should buy advance tickets online, and after searching I found that it's a separate website, where I was able to buy a ticket a few hours in advance to skip the line. And the line went all the way down the block.  boletosfridakahlo.org

There's a small gallery of her works, an interesting collection spanning her life. I was particularly moved by an early portrait she made in 1927, though I wasn't quite sure why. Something in the eyes. I looked up the subject, Agustin Olmedo, and only learned that he was a friend and a member of the group known as "Cachuchas".  I also found an interesting story behind the damaged part of the painting in the center of his jacket. The damage was inflicted by Kahlo herself when she learned that Agustin was badmouthing her by saying that "she isn't worth not even a cent". Classic.

I especially enjoyed seeing unfinished works, as a glimpse into her process.

There was also something so stirring about seeing her home, personal objects and work spaces. 

The house was amazing, especially the beautiful courtyard. It's a walled-off haven from the busy streets surrounding it, a private vibrant jungle inside the city. 

This still life was made for the dining room of the Mexican presidential residence,  but was later returned, perhaps because its fruits were too voluptuously graphic. The fruits are very sexually suggestive, as is the frame she had made for it. 

Much of her work and collections focused on her infertility, a subject I'm all too familiar with as well. Probably one of the many reasons I'm drawn to her work. I also paint self portraits (link here), have a blue house, questionable taste in men and unmanageable eyebrows. 

Diego Rivera summed up her universal appeal better than I can: "Frida is the sole example in art history of someone who has torn open her breast and her heart in order to tell the biological truth of what she feels inside them."

Despite her life-long health issues, Frida apparently got a lot of action. She began a 10 year affair with Nickolas Muray (the photographer who took the portrait above) just a year after her marriage to Diego Rivera. Supposedly she also had an affair with Georgia O'Keefe, as this letter she wrote to her in 1933 suggests. I thought it was a charming letter, full of genuine sincerity.

Georgia, 
Was wonderful to hear your voice again. Every day since I called you and many times before months ago I wanted to write you a letter. I wrote you many, but every one seemed more stupid and empty and I torn them up. I can't write in English all that I would like to tell, especially to you. I am sending this one because I promised it to you. I felt terrible when Sybil Brown told me that you were sick but I still don't know what is the matter with you. Please Georgia dear if you can't write, ask Stieglitz to do it for you and let me know how are you feeling will you ? I'll be in Detroit two more weeks. I would like to tell you every thing that happened to me since the last time we saw each other, but most of them are sad and you mustn't know sad things now. After all I shouldn't complain because I have been happy in many ways though. Diego is good to me, and you can't imagine how happy he has been working on the frescoes here. I have been painting a little too and that helped. I thought of you a lot and never forget your wonderful hands and the color of your eyes. I will see you soon. I am sure that in New York I will be much happier. If you still in the hospital when I come back I will bring you flowers, but it is so difficult to find the ones I would like for you. I would be so happy if you could write me even two words. I like you very much Georgia. 
Frieda

On the left is a pre-Columbian urn containing Frida's ashes. I read that Diego Rivera's last will and testament specified that his body was to be cremated and his ashes were to be mixed with those of Frida's and their ashes were to be kept in the Blue House in Coyoacán. However, Diego's two daughters and his wife at the time refused to respect his last wishes. 

I'm inspired by Frida's urn to make an urn for myself. That sounds creepy, but people buy their own grave plots, don't they? This photo is of an urn I made for my dog five years ago. RIP, Shaft.

Diego Rivera also stipulated in his will that sections of the Casa Azul remain closed off from the museum for 50 years past his death, and they were filled with their personal items. So about 10 years ago these items were finally uncovered. There's a temporary exhibit at the museum (though I think it's been up for years) of Frida's clothing, corsets, jewelry, shoes, photos, plus a selection of pieces by major fashion designers that were inspired by her style. One of her legs was shorter and thinner due to polio as a child, which is why she usually wore long skirts. It's speculated that it's also why she wore so much jewelry, colorful tops and elaborate hairstyles, to draw the eyes up and away from her legs. But I can't believe she was hiding these fabulous boots under long skirts! I'm really longing for a pair of boots like these.

Plaza Hildago

Coyoacan, where the Casa Azul is located, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Mexico City. South of the museum, it's an easy walk to the lovely Plaza Hildago, which has many restaurant options. I went to Los Danzantes, which I highly recommend. I made a poor ordering choice though, getting a dish featuring chaupilines (AKA grasshoppers). They were listed as the last ingredient, so I wishfully thought that it would be just a sprinkling of them, and I could just give them a try. But there were at least 100 little crickets piled up on this tostada, and I could only stomach a small amount. Years ago I somehow ended up rescuing a beaded dragon (long story), and had to regularly buy crickets to feed it. I just kept thinking of the horrible smell of that cricket container, and it wasn't appetizing. I wish I could go back to that restaurant and have a do-over! The artwork inside was amazing as well.

Carvings and mosaics upstairs in Los Dazantes. Embryos were the theme of the day.

Mexico City - in search of tacos. Airbnb experience tour

Contramar lunch of sopes and shrimp soup

The deco architecture is amazing! 

I'm in Mexico City right now on a whim of a trip I booked two weeks ago. The reason for the trip was simple (if a little sad) - some repeat airbnb guests who love my dog (and vice versa) were having an extended stay at my studio in Joshua Tree, and were willing to watch him in exchange for reduced rent.  I would travel a lot more if I wasn't so attached to that damn dog. So I opened up Google flights and started searching destinations and Mexico City popped out. I've been all over the Yucatán and Baja, but never in central Mexico. I had heard horror stories about traveling in Mexico City years ago (even from Mexicans!), but lately I've been hearing what a fabulous place it is.

My first evening, relaxing on Airbnb host Tom's roof.

It's hectic and loud,  but also beautiful with an energy that's hard to describe. Luckily my first airbnb host, Tom, was a super nice ex-pat from NY, and he immediately set me up with a map and suggestions of where to go. He really made me feel at home, and the next night we hung out with some wine and commiserated on the ups and downs of being a host.

The second day I decided to try one of Airbnb's relatively new "experiences", and did a taco bike ride tour around the city. It's a great thing for someone traveling alone, but also for anyone wanting to find "insider gems" in a new city. The host, Diego, was a charmer and his tour was very well organized. We covered a lot of ground in three hours, making five stops to experience a variety of tacos.

Diego talking tacos

First we went to a small Mayan taco joint, where we had conchinita pibil tacos, with about 10 different great salsas. Plus vibrant green agua Frescas made from a leafy green plant that I've forgotten the name of. I also didn't catch the name of the place, unfortunately... someone else on the tour told me it was called Habinitos, but I wasn't able to find it online. It was a tiny little place, and I went to use the bathroom and had to go through a little half-sized door that reminded me of Being John Malkovich.

2nd stop was seafood at Tres Galeones, at Calle Jalapa 117, Roma Norte. It was so good that I went back the next day and got the same thing - a soft shell crab taco and shrimp sopes - both amazing.

Tortillas being made at the market for our carnitas  

3rd stop we rolled our bikes into a busy market all the way to the back for pork confit tacos. They showed us the big vat of oil the pigs are cooked in, and the guy demonstrated how he could cut right through the bone, "like it was guacamole". at least I think that's what he said. My Spanish really sucks. 

Diego answered some of my silly questions - like what they were chanting out of megaphones from circling trucks? I thought it was some sort of political thing, but turns out they're just announcing that they buy used microwaves, mattresses, refrigerators, etc. He also told us to look for men going around at night with two metal sticks, explaining that people pay them for an electric shock. He showed us a photo of him doing it with friends a few nights prior. They hold hands in a circle, the current passes through everyone, and the first person who lets go has to pay the shock man. Another woman on the tour asked if the shock wasn't dangerous for his pregnant wife, and he just laughed and said "Nah!"

Me sporting my growing butt, about to eat more tacos.

The last stop was for Asian fusion duck tacos with a sauce reminiscent of Peking duck. El Autintico Pato Manila, Calle Culliacan 91, Condesa. I thought about going back there as well, but needed to make time for the amazing Contramar that every person that had Mexico City tips had recommended. With good reason - it was excellant

I also discovered a great Oaxacan place called Pasillo de Humo, Avenida Nuevo Leon 107, Hipodromo, Mexico City 06100. I think it's only open for lunch. There was a crowded scene on the first level, with several different counters, but I ate at the more quiet upstairs. Mainly because a hostess asked me a question and gestured upstairs, so I said "Si" and that's where I ended up.

Duck tacos at El Autintico Pato Manila, Calle Culliacan 91, Condesa

We wrapped up the tour with a shot of mezcal, with an orange and worm salt on the side. This was the first of lots of mezcal during my trip. Apparently we were lucky to have Diego lead the tour, because his employee was on a paid vacation. He's only been giving these experience tours since August, and has an employee on vacation!!

I was going to try and go to Oaxaca and then meet up with a friend in Puerto Vallarta, but ended up deciding Oaxaca could wait. Too much to see and do in Mexico City. I know, I know, I'm missing out, but hopefully it won't go anywhere and I'll see it next time.

Spiderweb metal work. And that PINK!

Venice Biennale 2017 Part 2, the art

Claudia Fontes, The Horse problem

So so so much art... too many favorites to even post, but I'll try.

bread books by Italian artist Maria Lai

Liliana Porter - amazing work, check out her website: http://lilianaporter.com

All of a Tremble (Encounter I), 2017, by Anri Sala 

Lee Wan, "Mr. K and the Collection of Korean History", Korean Pavillion.

Anne Imhof, Faust. "i'm .... too sexy for this shirt..."

Tang Nannan, "What's at sea?", China Pavillion. More of his work: http://www.tangnannan.net

Venice Biennale 2017 part 1 , where I stayed

For years I dreamed of visiting the Biennale in Venice some day. I was lucky enough to go to Italy this year, and I decided to spend a week in Venice. That was a hard choice to make, since there's so much to see in Italy and only so much time. But there was so much art to see, and I thought it would be amazing to really get to know Venice. Of course, I only scratched the surface, but it was still amazing. I saw so much art... and my feet paid dearly. Oh, so much walking in Venice. I would end up soaking my feet in the bidet each evening, trying to build up the strength to go out to dinner. I stayed in three Airbnb rentals, giving me the chance to get to know different parts of the city. Although it would take two days figure out the path to get back without getting lost, as it's such a labrinth. The apartments were so great, that I'm doing one post on them and another on the art.

Alberto's Airbnb in San Polo

My first host was Alberto, (find his listing here) and even though I felt sure I could find the place on my own, he insisted on meeting me at Piazalle Roma. Thank God - it would have taken me forever to find it, and going over those damn bridges of stairs with a rolling suitcase is no picnic. It was four winding steep steps up to the flat (I'll be Eurotrashy and call them flats), but the view was worth it. The sounds of wailing children and scolding mothers (both of which seem to be in endless supply in all of Italy) would waft up to the windows. I keep hearing an odd noise, which sounded like the cry of a human baby mixed with a cat. I pinpointed it to an odd creature on the rooftop across from my window, and realized it was a pair of baby seagulls. They look a bit like fuzzy aliens. I took to chucking bits of bread and cheese over to the roof, and the mom would snatch them and feed the kids. Here's a video on my instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BUr9dtYFKnT/?taken-by=kellywitmer

photo by Brian Hazell snatched from a google search ( I was not so lucky with my iPhone camera)

Alberto was kind enough to invite me to dinner, can you believe that? His girlfriend made lasagna, while I helped Alberto and his twelve year old daughter practice their English. A retired French photographer and a young archeologist joined us as well, and we went through a lot of wine. I was exhausted, though, and jet-lagged, and was dozing off in a sitting position. When Alberto took me back to the rental, he did the double cheek kiss thing, and I was so tired my timing was off and I think I sort of pecked him on or near the lips. I was mortified and apologized profusely, explaining how tired I was. Hopefully he understood, but I still feel horribly embarrassed.   

Giardini - away from the hustle and bustle, yet near the Biennale.

I thought the bathroom in this place was cool, until I got to the next stop....

ANYway, on to the next Airbnb. I got a beautiful FLAT in Giardini, where it was an easy walk to the main Biennale exhibitions. This garden district is on the outskirts of Venice, and it was a quiet break from the hustle of the city center. There weren't a lot of options in that area, so I splurged on a place that was way too big for me. The top photo on this post shows the big main room, which would have been wonderful for a dinner party. But alas, it was only me. But I thoroughly enjoyed sitting on the balcony with wine or coffee. Find this listing on Airbnb here.

over the roofs of Venice

Next stop, another splurge - I was on a roll. I got a place near the Rialto bridge and San Mark's square. Besides the location and killer terrace pictured above, the insane tile in the bathroom sold me. PLUS it was connected with Hotel Da Bruno (Bruno is my dog's name). It was easy to check in, I just went to the hotel and they had one of the nice guys working there take me to the apartment. You can find this listing here on Airbnb.

I didn't want to leave this bathroom. God, I love tile.

The kitchen tile was also great. I enjoyed some of The.Best.Cheese.InTheWorld. up on that roof deck. (I know, people who write Like.That. are worse than people who say "flat")

I'm really glad I rented these amazing places - I had a wonderful time and felt like I got to know Venice pretty well in just a week. Years ago I visited Italy and stayed in "pensiones", which are rooms rented out in private homes. Europeans were doing this long before Airbnb came around, but finding them was the difficult part. Some were listed in guidebooks, or often owners would loiter the train stations to offer housing to foreigners as they arrived. I was lured to several places that way, which was strange and scary but luckily worked out fine. Still, I'm certainly glad Airbnb has made the whole process easier for everyone.

Comedy break

I haven't posted much this year... I've been on kind of a sabbatical. I've still been making art, but my focus has been in a lot of directions.

The chain of events went kind of like this: I woke up one morning to find all three of my remaining chickens had been eaten/mauled by something (bobcat? fox? Something smaller than a coyote). I had lost many chickens over the past few years to illness or predators, so the mourning felt almost constant. I REALLY loved my chickens - they were pets, and I became very attached to them. I still had the goats, but frankly, they're a lot less affectionate. I felt broken with the chickens gone, and I faced a decision - should I start over and get more, or is it time for a change?

I was feeling more and more isolated living out in Joshua Tree by myself. I would go days without talking to any humans, and that was fine for a while - the animals were pretty good company. I had pretty much accepted the fact that I was on the fast track to becoming a crazy desert lady. But I started to wonder... is it a little too soon for that? After five years, I started to feel like I really needed a change. I needed to get out of my shell, and stop being a hermit. I had been renting out my place in LA on Airbnb regularly, just coming into town for a day or two here and there. But I started raising my rates or blocking off days, so that I could spend more time in the city. And going on Tinder dates. I started looking for a new home for the goats.

While this craving for change was in my head, I randomly came across something online about improv classes at UCB in LA. I had seen a show at their theater years back, but doing it myself had never occurred to me. I signed up for an intro class. I was so nervous when I took that first class that I had intense stomach cramps the entire time. But it was fun! Most of the other students were much younger than me, so I felt kind of out of place, but I still really enjoyed it. I was physically ill from nerves going onstage for our final performance, but it went well. I signed up for Improv 201 and increased my search for someone to take the goats. I found another crazy desert goat lady a few miles away with tons of goats and space. She was willing to take them, and said I could always take them back whenever I wanted. That was perfect, as it was so hard to let go after raising them from babies. 

I kept taking improv classes, and my classmates encouraged me to try stand up. That was a whole other world. I signed up for a stand up class and learned the strange art of writing jokes. I started going to open mics regularly, which were mostly soul-crushing but with occasional highs that kept me at it. Once I started, I really wanted to give it all I could - it’s kind of an all or nothing thing. I've been booking small spots in clubs, not really sure where I'm going with it. I just figure that I can't help but grow if I do what scares the shit out of me.

Here’s one of my first performances - it’s pretty painful. I can’t even talk into the mic.

My improv 201 teacher at UCB was the amazing Brian Finkelstein, who is a regular host of the Moth shows in LA. This got me interested in storytelling, and I've done a few Moth shows.

So has all this experience onstage with comedy and improv cured me of my shyness, awkwardness, etc? NO! I don't really feel like it has! But surely it's changed me, maybe in ways I don't see. Now I can get on stage with a microphone by myself and bare my soul, without even getting sick to my stomach. Well, just moderately queasy.

Margret

I regularly collect old images off of pinterest for painting subjects, and was kind of thrilled to discover a 2nd and then 3rd of the same woman, sporting a big red beehive and what looked to be a post-coital cigarette. She kept popping up from time to time, and finally one image linked to an article on a book all about her. The book documents all of the photographs, paraphernalia and notes found in an abandoned suitcase found in an apartment in Germany. The estate was obtained by Delmes and Zander Gallery in Cologne, ( who have an amazing roster of outsider artists) and was made into a book and a show: "Margret – Chronik diner Affäre", which then traveled to White Columns in NYC. 

The photographs, paraphernalia and notes in the suitcase documented a 1969-1970 affair between Gunter, a 39 year old businessman, and Margret, his 24 year old secretary. Despite both being married, he photographed their many trips together, and apparently kept obsessive notes on the details of their sexual encounters. He collected her hairs, empty birth control packets, even a scab and a bloody tissue. 

I also became obsessed with Margret, and wanted this out of print book. I found one online for $195, and discovered it happened to be in a local bookstore. Alias Books in Atwater, Los Angeles - very cool shop. I wrote and asked if they would consider less if I came in with cash, and I ended up buying it for $160. I felt a little weird as the guy was counting my money, so I tried to lighten the mood by saying "That's my mom there on the cover. We're trying to get all of these out of circulation."  Awkward pause.  "...OH." he says.  "Uh, just kidding." I say. He looked at me like I was nuts, and I scooted out.

I knew the book was in German, but I underestimated what a hard time I would have translating it. But maybe I'm better off just painting Margret, and wondering.

procrastination - story of my life!

I love this short film by Johnny Kelly:

carrion flower cactus : I smell dead things...

  One of my finds - a pair of big heavy ashtrays hanging from a chain. Ah, the good old days.... I'm going to use them as planters instead. The macrame beast has yet to be hung - stay tuned...

I went thrifting with my friend Catherine the other day in Morongo Valley, and bought a whole mess of crap. The dumbest thing I bought was probably a massive floor-to-ceiling macrame hanging lamp - it's truly hideous, but it's my sarcastic tipping of the hat to the new macrame trend I've been seeing everywhere. I got it at a strange little store tucked behind a house, where there was also quite a collection of cacti for sale. And not for sale - all the cool ones had "sold" stickers on them, which I figured out was the proprietors way of keeping them. When we first walked in, he said to Catherine, "I'll give ya ten bucks if ya sit on oneof em!", gesturing to a huge coffee table full of prickly phallic plants. She's British, and only responded with a shocked "OOOOooooH!"

On our way out, I spotted a "sold" plant with an eye catching flower, and recognized it as a carrion flower, which I've only read about. This kind is actually a succulent, native to Africa, and it's flowers look and smell like the rotting corpse of an animal in order to attract flies for pollination (some carnivorous species attract them for food). I got all excited, because I thought these were really rare (I was thinking of a massive species at Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, which is news-worthy when it's 5 foot corpse flower blooms every few years). Like an idiot, I stuck my nose right up to it and took a big whiff.... dead animal smell, alright. I was sick to my stomach for over an hour. The guy said he would give me a cutting next time I visit (probably only if I buy more macrame fails).

On Aug. 23, 2014, a rare Amorphophallus titanum or Titan Arum (a.k.a. the "Corpse Flower") bloomed at The Huntington in Pasadena, CA. It's 5th blooming since 1999.

October is mating season! At least for tarantulas and goats in Joshua Tree.

I encountered an unsettlingly large tarantula marching across the patio a few days ago.... I pulled out my phone and filmed it (I couldn't handle getting too close), then set it to music on instagram: (click here to see the video)

Then today I saw another post on Instagram from Desert Sun magazine, announcing that October is mating season for these guys, and the time you will most often see them out and about in Joshua Tree. I found more info on the National Park Service site:

When a male tarantula reaches sexual maturity, between eight and ten years of age, he begins a journey that will both aid the survival of his species and cost him his life. Should you observe a desert tarantula in Joshua Tree National Park this autumn, it is likely to be a male in search of a mate. The male follows the scent of a female tarantula to the receptive female's burrow, which she has typically excavated in dry, sandy soil and lined with silk webbing. Tarantulas are solitary animals; there is only one spider in this burrow. (sounds familiar)               To alert the female of his presence, the male taps one of his legs against the ground until the female emerges. The male must then participate in a dangerous mating dance, wherein he fends off the female, who wishes to devour him, by using hooks on his front legs. His death will give the female a needed boost of nutrition, as she must now produce 500 to 1,000 eggs and a silk cocoon where the eggs will be protected. Even if the male escapes being eaten by the female, he will still die within a few months. Females, on the other hand, often produce eggs for 25 years or more.

They also say a bite is no more dangerous than a bee sting to humans. Good thing I passed on the idea of taking it down - I never imagined the little guy was eight years old! It's also goat mating season - and mine are being as loud and obnoxious as ever.

Video Block

Double-click here to add a video by URL or embed code. Learn more

airbnb - how do I love thee?

I used to rent out this studio attached to my Joshua Tree house regularly, but now I just do occasionally as a pet-sitting exchange, giving me some goat-free time in the city.

I owe a LOT to Airbnb.... I started hosting almost four years ago, and then crafted it into a full time job. I've managed to pare it down to a part time job, and dream of phasing it out almost completely. Yes, it seems odd and I'm ashamed to admit it, but I daydream about quitting my day job (that isn't even a 9-5 job). Though I am super grateful to be able to have set up my life this way - I rent out my house in Los Angeles most of the time, which allows me to live out in Joshua Tree with lots of land, beautiful vistas, space to work and keep a little flock of chickens and a few goats. And then I get to go into the city about once a week, so I can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Small-scale, it's a great little side business with flexible hours, but I've been renting out four different residences between LA and Joshua Tree (which are 2.5 hours apart), and then co-hosting two more listings in Palm Springs. SO I've been feeling like an Airbnb machine.

It can be anxiety-producing.... while it's not 9-5, it can be a 24 hour job. You never know when you're going to get that call - the toilet is backed up, the lock box won't open, the key won't work, we lost the key, the cleaner forgot to come, I gave the cleaner the wrong dates, wifi is out, the water heater failed and flooded the house, the fridge died, the AC died and it's 112 degrees, the police have been called at 4am because there's a huge party.... all of these and much more have happened (some several times).

One of the perks of co-owning this lovely Airbnb listing in Palm Springs is staying here and swimming in the pool when it's not rented! (not a perk - cleaning the toilet after guests! ;P )

And while the vast majority of guests have been quite lovely, some can be a BIT of a pain in the ass. Many will not treat your space as if it was their own... you'll find your cherished vintage dish or souvenir from Italy used as an ashtray or in broken pieces in the trash. Dirty foot prints on the couch, or even on the walls! Unattended children coloring the sheets and bedspreads with markers (happened on two separate occasions). A steady flow of guests really takes it's toll on a house and furnishings. It's a delicate balance - you want to have an interesting space with nice things, but it's hard to watch those things become gradually trashed. You start to realize why hotels have bulletproof furniture and everything nailed down. You start to realize why you should always tip the hotel maid. I've had to clean up some things so disgusting I don't dare write them here. I don't have the time or the stomach to do all of the cleaning, so I juggle a few cleaners in the different locations, and live in fear of pissing them off and losing them! And then there's the looming fear of bad reviews. In this Yelp age, people use reviews as a weapon. Even when they've told you what a great time they had, many will still drum up some negatives to write about - I suppose to give a thorough survey of their experience. Recently a guest who crammed several of her friends into the house, complained in the review that it was "too bright" for those sleeping in the living room, and that I should get curtains for the big windows. The big curved 1920's window is my favorite part of the house! Why would I cover it up, to be a flop house for a bunch of 20-somethings to sleep off their hangovers?

My dog, Bruno, loves our trips to the city (and this big window) as much as I do.

One thing I think is really important when hosting, is to once and a while be a guest yourself. When traveling, it's great to be on the other side of the fence and rent from another airbnb host. It helps you to discover what little comforts are really important, what details are easy to overlook. Apparently it's also good to blog about it, because doing so made me realize what horrible photos I have on some of my listings! I'm embarrassed to put in a link to my LA house, but maybe doing so will force me to go update the terrible old cell phone photos I have on it! It's easy to leave it on autopilot, and forget to check and update your listing. 

   I had a giant 2000 lb TV I was going to throw out, but as kind of a joke I instead bought a VCR at a thrift store and several odd VHS tapes. Turns out, people LOVE it! I keep adding to the collection, as there's usually an abundance of cheap choices at thrift stores. I keep meaning to print up "be kind, rewind" stickers.

So while I love Airbnb and all it's done for me, I am down-sizing and renting some of my places long term so that I can preserve some of my sanity. Not to mention focus on making a living as an artist, instead! I also want to keep from getting too bitter - I really enjoy hosting people from all over world, and am so thankful that a platform like this exists.

Santa Rosa ceramic tile installation project

For the last few months I've been working on a public art commission for downtown Santa Rosa, CA, and traveled up there to install it last week. It was funded by the city for a program called "Downtown Connect", and four artists were commissioned to create works in an attempt to connect walkable points of interest in the downtown area. The call for proposals had a wishlist of themes, including a treasure hunt, so I crafted my proposal to be a series of nine installations spelling out the name of the city. I thought this would be a fun activity for children and their parents, when walking through downtown.

The reality of hand-forming, glazing and firing all of these hundreds of tiles was a bit more than I bargained for. It was a really fun way to experiment with different textures and glazes, though. Some I built into little craters and melted glass in them during the firing process. I carved my own stamps to make most of the letter tiles. I made similar tiles for my Herrudura Tequila project last year.

The original plan was to install them on various surfaces - building corners, light posts, utility boxes, the ground, etc. But on my initial trip to meet with the planner and walk through the targeted areas, we realized that acquiring all the different permissions and possible damage problems (skateboarders!) made my plan pretty complicated. There were large planters around downtown, and most being city property helped to simplify things. The plan was to start in Railroad Square, continue down 4th street, and end up at the Old Courthouse Square. Still not simple enough - some permissions never came through from the mall and in front of some storefronts, so another game change was done the morning I was set to install them. 

If you've ever installed tile, you know that water is pretty important to have around - not only for clean up, but when grouting you end up rinsing and ringing out a big sponge more times than you can imagine. When I asked the organizers where I could access water, they told me I was on my own figuring that out. Okay.... I ended up buying big buckets at Home Depot and filling them up with a hose at the Airbnb where I was staying, then hauling them to each site. Luckily the Airbnb hosts were cool with that. I was staying in a cute little vintage trailer set up in their driveway. An added bonus was that they had chickens that they let me play with. Not that chickens are much for "playing", I just miss having them, and was happy to be able to briefly hold one.

Being a shy person, I was just a little terrified to spend several days installing these - sitting on streets and sidewalks in a busy area. But I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Most all of the comments from passersby were of a positive bent, and I met some interesting local characters ( a boisterous hot dog seller, a few odd wandering/drunken souls, a youth who asked me to glue one of my tiles to his prized bong). The most common remark was "Is somebody paying you to do this?". When I was scrubbing the grout off (which was very difficult with the textured tiles, complicated by the sun beating down on most which dried it too fast, plus limited water), several people thought I was doing some sort of penance by cleaning the planters.

It was a totally new experience to have strangers call out sanctions of approval from cars or walk by and give the thumbs up while I was at work. I'm used to working in solitude, often with a sprinkling of self deprication. All in all, a great experience! Which is why I keep pursuing the public art realm.

interactive acrylics

Trying out some new paint - atelier interactive acrylics. They have an "unlocking formula" medium that you can use to prolong the drying time or reactivate the paint when it's completely dry. Although I've been finding that just water will reactivate the paint and let you rework it (though this may be with just thin washes? I'm not completely sure if it's a good thing..... I splashed a little wet paint on a study that had been dry a few days, and when I went to wipe it off, it took off the paint beneath it. And not in a way I intended! So I'm guessing these have to be coated when finished. It does open up a lot of possibilities!