Do you smell that? It's the stench of Halloween and my blog.

So why do we hate movie re-makes so much?

Wasn't this the same poster for about 30 other movies, including Footloose?

I hope I never see a cloud like that above MY house.  Although he does look happy.

  I'm thinking about going to go see the new version of  "Frightnight" with friends this weekend.  I loved the orignal 80's film, but I am hoping this one has some merit.  I think I needed to kick off the unofficial beginning of fall (meaning that my kids are going to school, and it isn't 95 degrees anymore) with a spooky movie. Got to get in the Halloween spirit, right?.  But this is kind of a risk.  I mean, do I really want to see a remake of a movie I adored?  Will I be angry with this interpretation?  Maybe just disappointed?  Or will it hold its own?

I'm telling ya, teenage acne and dental work can be emotionally crippling.

Look out for the remakes.  The Crow, Robocop, Ghostbusters-- new versions are all in the works.  Frightening, huh?

  I think the reason many people despise remakes is not the remake itself- it's the idea (or lack of) behind it.  Just the concept of remaking movies somehow feels....well...uninspired and lazy.  Like it was easier to just re-write a great story with current actors, updated dialog, and hope the movie would fly just on popularity of the original.  It just feels like a creative cop-out.  No soul, if you know what I mean.  We tend to cling to movies as a part of our past, as a part of us that should not be touched or altered. And if someone messes with those precious memories- well, that feels like blasphemy.  Now, these are broad statements, and they may have a lot of truth to them in many cases.  However, really good movies (or any kind of art, really) CAN be made from an old classic.  Will it have the same feel?  Will it stir the same emotions or thoughts as the original? Almost certainly not- but sometimes it can be a true work of art, separate from the original.  That doesn't happen often, though.  A true work of art is hard enough to find.

Venus de Milo.  Old Classical work of art.

Faberge egg.  Turn of the century Russian work of art.

Hostess fruit pie.  Convenience pastry work of art.

  Okay, some of you may have noticed that I refered to the orignal movie "Frightnight" as a classic.  Yeah, yeah- go ahead and make fun of me.  But it is an almost a perfect piece of the mid-eighties interpretation of pop/teen/horror movies.  It was actually fairly well directed, too!  And come on- it has Roddy McDowell in a role that obviously was based on Peter Cushing!!  It was goofy, silly, but extremely watchable with fairly good acting and writing.  Like many things that I consider my favorites, I don't consider it a spectacular, thought-provoking artistic masterpiece--just a thoroughly enjoyable movie.  Get it?

If the cross doesn't frighten away the vamps, his snappy ensemble will.

  Well, I guess we will see how it turns out.  I think it's worth shelling out a few bucks to find out, I think.  And like I said earlier, I need a good scary movie to start off fall anyway.  I encourage you all to do the same.  Go look for Halloween decorations this weekend!  Michaels and Hobby Lobby have had their stuff out for over 2 weeks now! Menards is setting up their stuff, and I'm hoping Homegoods will be ready this weekend.  And let's not forget Big Lots!  I love their weird Halloween stuff.  Glaaaaahhhh... I'm almost drooling like Homer Simpson.

I'm gonna go watch some of the original Frightnight right now, and make some Halloween plans.  I also have to put together a couple new products I've been working on.  Mmmmmm....selling out........  8)  But this new item is COOL.  I test marketed it already, and it will work fine.  Wish I could tell you what it is- but you will just have to keep checking FB and Etsy!  They are updated more often than our website.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrowsFeetStudios?ref=si_shop

http://www.crowsfeetstudios.com/


Nighty-night, kids.  Pick up your bottles and trash before you leave.

-Christine

And here's where I should probably put down the bottle and go to bed.

Here's a handy quote that I googled. I'm not going to pretend I memorized this. I mean, come on.


Example has more followers than reason. We unconsciously imitate what pleases us, and approximate to the characters we most admire.

-Christian Nestell Bovee


I'm thinking about blind followers today.  And just about all of us are, to some degree.

Which way should we go?  Where's the guy with the big cane?

You heard me.  We don't mean to be followers (well, most of us don't).   It's not a conscious choice a lot of the time.  Those of us who are looking for something in our lives- whether it be honesty, truth, acceptance, or just a distraction- we tend to inject all of our ideals and hopes into that person or group that seems to be in line with our ideal.   Internally, we decide, "This person/group is EXACTLY what I want to be associated with.  I accept everything he/she/they says as truth because I've put all of my hope into them- and I cannot handle having my dreams turn into dirt because he/she/they are just another flawed human/group.  If I am wrong about them- that means I'm a fool, and I cannot accept that.  So I will cling to my fantasy for dear life, despite all facts and sense.  Plus, they seem very nice".  And that is how many cult leaders and other power-hungry self-serving liars stay in power!  The followers believe the illusion because they want to. It is very, very easy to manipulate people with well-rehearsed "kindness" and method acting empathy.

yeesh...people actually followed these guys...

I just want to make your lives better!  And I want to have more reserve cash than the US government!  Come on, people- it's a joke.  Relax.

   Pretty words and a putting on a good show only go so far, though... when the chips are down and hard decisions have to be made, their true colors show.  See how "kind" they are when there's nothing in it for them.  Watch the plastic smiles fade away.

Quick- which smile is real, and which one will cause nightmares and siezures?

insert facial expression for desired effect.

Wow, that was a bit of a downer, wasn't it? Ha!  Why not just talk about sick kittens and the end of the world?  Oh wait- wasn't the end of the world already supposed to have happened a couple months back?  Or is it in October now?  I hope it isn't before Halloween, because I'm buyin' a whole bunch of stuff this year.  Now, this may shock you-- you ready for this?-- Halloween is my favorite holiday.  Yes, I know it is a big surprise, but it's true.  I CANNOT WAIT.  This year will be HUGE.  My hub is planning on making some animatronic stuff for the front yard, we've already got plans for a cocooned man to be hung upside down in the front, and we HAVE to make a terrifying scarecrow this year.  I am open to any ideas you folks might have.  Go nuts!  Maybe I should put out some Halloween-themed paintings or products...that's just crazy enough to be economically feasible...

Smiling vegetables are scary...

....But not as scary as this Future McDonalds Death Clown

Okay, my soapbox is collapsing now, so I will get off of it.  I gotta have one of those Hostess fruit pies again.  Man, those are good!  I swear if someone propped up a huge cardboard box with a stick, and put a plate full of Hostess fruit pies under it-- well, I'd be trapped inside of the box in 2 minutes. 

I would kill all of you for just 5 of these.

I'm hungry.  I'm tired of typing.  I'm going away now- do NOT touch anything while I'm gone.

-Christine

www.crowsfeetstudios.com

Occupational Hazards

So what is a job?

Is it just a way of getting money so a person can pay bills and buy food and have a roof over their head?  Simply put-- just a means to an end?  Let's start off with the topic of money, before we get to that.

Here's a little something about myself.  I regard money (in the context of MY money, not currency in general)  as simply a way to have fewer worries.  It's not power, it's not prestige, it's not a way for me to feel good about myself or to feel superior through the acquisition of "things", nor the conspicuous consumption that so many sad, foolish people try to convince themselves is great substitute for happiness.  Money is simply a necessity, and a way to have less anxiety in this life-  a way to enjoy my limited number of years on this planet a little bit more and make sure my family is a little safer.  When you forget that money is simply what I described-- then you use it as a crutch for your whole existance....and money becomes your life, not just an incidental part of life. And, if that money were taken away- you snap like a twig. Your world collapses.

  Some would argue, "No one NEEDS money!  It's a fabrication of man, and we don't need it to have peace in our minds or calm in our souls!"  Well, you may have an excellent point there.  But, I live in the United States, in the year 2011.  I am the mother of 2, with a mortgage, credit card bills, medical bills, a computer with internet access, 2 cars, and a  whole slew of worries about the future.  I am not a Buddhist monk who lives on a mountain with no family to support or future to plan.  But let me tell you, I certainly do admire and envy the Buddhist monks...  Anyway, I just wanted to let you know where I'm coming from.

No, not THAT kind of monk...

Mmmmmmmm.....

So- how does one get this money?  Providing goods or services, as my highschool economics class teacher would say.  And what I provide is both.  Art, and  the service of portraits.  Plus my day job, of course.  But I chose art as a career not because it was the sensible, practical choice.  It was because that's what I'm good at, that's what I enjoy, and that's what I need to do to feel like myself.  Anybody on the planet can choose an occupation just for the money.  They can hate every minute of it, but spend years doing it , just for the money.  Meanwhile they get more and more miserable, their souls shrivel up a bit more every year, and they get further and further away from the way they were before they made the decision to sacrifice their soul/happiness/family/peace of mind for an extra zero on their paycheck.  And year after year, they have to cling to the excuses and falsehoods that let them sleep at night even more.  But then again-- we all do that.

   Still, I can't criticize without reservations.  Money has its benefits, obviously.  Some days I can't decide if money truly changes people, or if it just allows them the opportunity to be what they truly are- good or bad.  I don't know.

A ha!  You're not a KISS reject, you are Max Weinberg, the drummer for Bruce Springsteen!

Whatever.  As usual, I am babbling about an obvious topic way too much.  It's all opinion- think what you want.  Hey, I can wrap this up by letting you know that I've got a couple people interested in my paintings!!  Cool, huh?  Also, I've gotta send some prints to family members.  I've got an in-law in Italy that needs a print, and I'm making a custom painting of a crow for my artist friend Sam!  She's so cool.  Plus, the backpacks are selling!  WOOHOO!  People are asking for different characters, now.  Gotta get crackin'.  Here's my Etsy sight, for those of you who want to contribute to feeding my kids and putting gas in my barely-functioning car. :) http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrowsFeetStudios?ref=si_shop  Plus, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that the art you purchase is made right here in the USA, and no steroids were used, or animals abused in the making of this art.

Gotta run, boys and girls.  Time to turn the air conditioning on and wear my FEAR NO ART t-shirt.  Now please exit in a quiet, orderly fashion.

Peace out.

-Christine

www.crowsfeetstudios.com

Mmmmm....cheese.....

I like Wisconsin.

I didn't actually see these guys, but I probably would have if I stayed a couple more days. They seem like the quiet, introspective type...

  Every year we spend a few days in northern Wisconsin.  My parents relax and visit with friends up there, and we usually bring the family and hang out, cook, float on tubes, and listen to the loons.  I mean the actual birds, not crazy people.  I can listen to crazy people whenever I want right at home.

This is an actual loon.  They make cool sounds, and they carry their babies on their backs.

This is just a the crazy kinda loon.  Amusing, but kinda dangerous at times. He breaks things, dresses inapproprately  and  makes noises that offend people.

  Northern Wisconsin is different from the south end.  People are a bit tougher, the food is heartier, the lakes more plentiful, and cell phone towers fewer and farther apart.  All of which is can be good or bad, depending what kind of person you are and your purpose for going there.  In my case, I didn't want to fish for muskie, or birdwatch, or kayak (which seems to have been taken over by pretentious granola-eaters that have too much time on their hands) .  I just came there to eat grilled steaks, drink some Amstel and float around on a lake- and possibly check out a couple antique stores for my usual items.  When I say "usual items", I mean vintage Halloween postcards, old horseshoes for my husband, and animal skulls.   I got 2 out of 3 on this trip- my favorite place only had one skull, and it was a little too pricey.  But, we got a horseshoe that was big enough to come off a  Clydesdale, 3 or 4 Halloween postcards (one was from 1912!) and some sort of trap that was probably meant for raccoons.

"Stop talking!"

I'd like one of these skulls- but I don't think the museum will let me borrow it.

Here are a few random photos of my silly trip, in no particular order.

The dock in front of our cabin.  No, this photo is not photoshopped!  The lake really looks like that.

This is what greets you as you go upstairs...

This was my dinner on my last night. Lots of cheese, fried fish, starch. One of those fries is still stuck in the left ventricle of my heart.

okay, so what the hell is this?  Are the 3 elves going to eat the pigs after the goats trample them??

Now THAT is a nice looking ashtray.

Thank goodness for the reading material in the cabin.  And all this time I thought geography was boring!  Boy, do I feel like a fool!

I kept Death and my iphone on my nightstand.  There's some sort of deep symbolism there, but I choose not to get into it....

...And then I came home.

Back to reality, back to my vinyl box in the 'burbs that has depreciated by 28 percent or so.   Whoopedee-doo.  Well, at least my garden had 4 big bell peppers and 2 cucumbers when I came back.  :)  And yes, I brought home cheese and fireworks from Wisconsin, just like everyone else on the planet.

 I've also gotten some orders for the backpacks I'm selling on Etsy!  People are requesting a large version, so that will be for sale by Sunday.  Watch for it, you Etsy lurkers.  http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrowsFeetStudios

 My vacation set me behind schedule and I gotta catch up.  I should be working instead of writing this nonsense for you people.  Moderately-priced artwork simply doesn't paint itself, you know.  Oh, I joined the Plainfield Art League by the way.  They are a VERY nice bunch of people!  I like 'em.  So now I'm part of the Chicago Artist Coalition, the Plainfield Art League, and the Society for the Resurrection of Vincent Price.  Okay, I made that last one up, but I am thinking of forming that group.

Gotta make some more backpacks, and paint stuff.  I don't care what you do, so long as you do it quietly.  Now I've got work to do-- go make something out of clay or do some macaroni art.

- Christine

www.crowsfeetstudios.com

If I squint really hard, I can see the monitor.

I think I need new glasses.

Maybe this guy heard that Evil Dead and The Crow are being re-made, and he lost all faith in humanity and was weeping uncontrollably...

Actually, I don't even wear glasses-  yet.  I wear reading glasses (on sale at Menards,  and quite fashionable), but I've never worn glasses in my life until now.  Apparently I am far-sighted, because I have to keep my work at arm's length to be able to focus on what I'm drawing.  I am officially old.  I'm in my early forties, but my eyes are apparently slightly older.  Stupid eyes.   I'm trying to wrap up this commission I'm drawing, but my eyes aren't cooperating.

Jeez...point those things away from me!

I don't like the idea of wearing contacts.  I don't relish the thought of touching my eyes with ANYTHING.  It just bugs me.  My husband told be about the time he was using a bench grinder, and a piece of metal got lodged in his eye.  When he went to the optomotrist, the dude literally used a credit card to flick the metal fragment out of his eye.... Glaaahhhhhhhh.....

Get that thng away from my eye!!

The French impressionist Monet started painting on HUGE canvases later in his life.  Many people thought it was just so the viewer could see the detail, or it was a new phase in his style of painting- but the truth was that he was going blind!  It was the only way he could see what he was doing and produce something beautiful.  Sometimes the best outcomes are simply a result of getting around an obstacle.  One of my favorite quotes (it's actually hanging on the wall in my office) is by the English author T.S. Eliot.-

  "When forced to work within a strict framework, the imagination is taxed to its utmost- and will produce its richest ideas.  Given total freedom, the work is likely to sprawl."

He may have been a brilliant writer, but he shouldn't be allowed near a comb, or Wesson oil.

So basically, he is saying that true creativity comes from getting around restrictions and obstacles.  I completely agree with that.  Creativity hardly has any need to exist if there is nothing in the way of reaching your goals.  Without obstacles, without challenge-- we atrophy, we become lazy and ungrateful and unimaginative.  Like spoiled children.  That's just the way we humans are.  So once in a while we have to be grateful for some of the adversity in our lives, because we need it to become fully human. 

I will motivate you, Private Pyle!!

Apparently it doesn't mean you have to spell correctly either.

 Okay, enough of the existentialist poop.

There's a statistic that might come in handy...

Anyway, I've still got some work to do on the pencil drawing, and lots to do on the adult size back packs.  We had some quality issues with my source for the bags, but it should be worked out now.  Hopefully the rest of the items I am selling will be flawless and perfect.  Yeah, and I might be eating unicorn-kabobs for lunch tormorrow.  Anyway, I'm tired of blogging for tonight.  If  I'm going to stay up this late, I should be either eating pizza rolls, watching a horror flick or getting reacquainted with my friend Mr. Bacardi.  Or some combination of the three.  Check out my stuff on Etsy, if you so desire-http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrowsFeetStudios

Now go away.  I can hear you breathing.

- Christine

www.crowsfeetstudios.com

A Mime is a Terrible thing to Waste...

Why is it that some people feel the need to make themselves feel morally superior when the opportunity arises?  Why can't they fill the emptiness in their lives with donuts or infomercials or ping pong or something more entertaining?  There is a big difference between doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing (which is often thankless and difficult ), and simply picking and choosing when and how you can display your morality and depth of "feeling" simply to make yourself feel good, with no real sacrifice on your part.  Ugh.  Never mind.  It's like shouting at a mime-  it doesn't do any good, and you end up looking foolish for trying.

So who was the first professional mime?  Were there at one time roving packs of mimes spread across Europe, but they were eventually hunted nearly to extinction and only survive in mime-protected areas?  Should mimes be a protected species, or are they more of a menace than anything?

Seriously, where did they come from?  Who first thought, "Hey, I'm going to paint my face, wear a beret and a striped shirt & gloves, and pretend to walk against the wind for people!  Yeah, that sounds like a solid career path!"?  It doesn't make any damn sense.  Mimes have been infuriating people for well over a century, I would imagine.  You'd think that after the first mime-beatings,  most would consider pursuing the miming arts a bad idea.  How many mimes have been beat up just in the last 20 years?  I'll bet the numbers are pretty high. I suppose I could simply just look it up on this internet doo-dad, but I find it more entertaining just to rant and rave and speculate on the origin  and statistics of mimes and mimery ( I think I just made up the word "mimery").

It's the Mimetrix.  "I know kung fu..."

He could at least wear some normal shoes.  Look at those things.

 Hope I didn't offend any mimes out there.  Well, that's not true.  I really don't care very much about offending mimes, because I'm pretty sure they're evil.  Or at least kinda evil.  Or just annoying.  Is there a crime based on annoyance?  "Creating a public nuisance", maybe?  That sounds like it was written with mimes in mind....  Maybe we can make a new law about practicing mimery...

Well, that's a little extreme...

Admit it.  Less believeable movies have been made.

This is so fake.  In a real match, this dude wouldn't have made it to the ring without being beaten with 26 folding chairs.

I'm pretty sure the guy in the blue has a gun.

Ok, I'm out of  witty remarks and clever observations.  I think you've had enough, anyway.  I need some food.  Pizza rolls should do nicely, tonight.  Mmmmm...pepperoni....

Now put the mouse slowly on the floor, and kick it away. 

-Christine

www.crowsfeetstudios.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/CrowsFeetStudios?ref=si_shop