Fast and Foreign Fiction Writing Contest (June 2007)

As writers we have a wonderful array of locations to set our fiction in. This month Echelon Press challenges you to step outside your comfortable neighborhood and take us to someplace foreign. We want you to send us your stories of the unique and exotic, the bold and adventurous, the mystical and romantic. Take us far away. We want to read your stories that take place anywhere outside of the United States. For some this may mean where you live, but not where live!

Every author at every level should be committed to keeping their name in front of readers. Are you looking for your first publishing credit? Are you between books? Looking for a way to revive characters from books that have been out for a while? Want to introduce new characters for upcoming books? Looking for a way to build your readership? Have we got a promotional opportunity for you!

Echelon Press would like to publish your "Fast and Foreign" June story. The fast part means you have until June 11, 2007 to submit your story of 3000-6000 words. The winner will be notified by June 12, 2007 and have 5 days to edit/revise the story. Echelon Press will publish your story in its e-book division on June 18, 2007. Simple!

Send your submissions as a Word (doc) attachment to contest@echelonpress.com. Your cover letter should be in the body of an e-mail. Cover letters that do not adhere to professional standards will disqualify the submission from further consideration.

Our only real request is that the setting, anyplace outside of the United States be the catalyst for your story! You pick the genre. Stories must adhere to the following guidelines.

Standard Manuscript format:
 File saved in Word format (.doc) or (.rtf)
 8 ½ x 11 page
 Times New Roman 12pt font/black
 1-inch margin on all sides/ 1.5 line spacing
 Align text left, do not justify (aligning text both left and right)
 Header containing title, author name, and page number
 Capital letters at the beginning of sentences and proper nouns
 Indent new paragraphs .3. Do not add blank line between paragraphs.
 Show scene breaks with * * * * centered in the appropriate line.

All cover letters must include:
 Name (and pseudonym if applicable)
 Mailing address
 Phone number
 E-mail address (required)
 Web address (required)

Musician's curse?

Is it a curse or a blessing that we as musicians don't get to create a lasting thing?

Our art is an ethereal thing expression captured in the moment of performance. When done well, it is a perfect blend of the composer's intention, the artist's humanity and skill, the audience's attention and the place and time. None is more important than the other, but all are required. CDs, Videos, and the like can never capture the energy and spirituality of a musical performance. They are no better than a photograph of a great mountain range or building. The event is multidimensional and multisensory and exists at a moment in time. For most, it cannot be captured or duplicated because ultimately the experience and participation of the audience cannot occur asynchronously. It is possible to create music which reaches the audience through a recording, but it is a very special talent. I think of The Three Tenors, and Fantasia. Both are musical events which seemed to transcend their performances and found a way to utlize recorded media effectively.

As the performing artist, I am charged to find places to make music with as many people as possible, but not for too many.. ;) I can sing the same Lord's Prayer thousands of times and it will never be the same for me or for the audience. Finding the spark in the music is the key, I think. The divine inspiration.. Could that be the prize?

Change

I spent a wonderful afternoon on Monday talking about change with our friends. Our world is constantly moving. Maybe too fast.. maybe not fast enough. By placing value on people and relationships, I utilize my faith to carry me through the change. There is always someone happy, sad, grieving, joyful, ecstatic, depressed... You know the list.

What exactly is the "prize" at the end of all of this change? I get the feeling that even in the midst of all of my educated rhetoric, and phisophizing, sometimes I lose focus on it.

Relationships are hard things to acquire, maintain and they are even harder things to lose. The emotional toll cannot be measured. The physical toll is usually hidden until much later.

I change a lot these days. It is a struggle to keep up.


Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn't take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn't just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally. (1 Corinthian 9:19-25, The Message)

ooooh shit, POPPIN!

ok who remembers poppin...well this is asian style and they do it good!! ;-) peace

Double Beat...

...hi all, how is everything? Life is good here, had a great weekend but back at work now. It is still busy with training but I like it. Found this new video it is considered Women's Fancy but it has a Double Beat...pretty cool, I've never seen it though.

Boniva with Sally Field!

why? why? why? She is such a great actress!! Why?!!! Ok you know what, she really believes in this product and that is WHY....I think. ;-)peace

Bang Up Party

Although my latest book hit the market a few weeks ago, I launched it last night with a bang up party right on the beach. Great food, live music, ocean breeze, friends, family... I couldn’t have asked for a better time. Here’s a pic:

Legacy of Babel

I read a post from a friend yesterday and was inspired.
Pandora's Box

I began to think that maybe I should be concerned about my legacy, what I am leaving to the world. What is worth investing in?

Then I was smacked back to reality.(first by the email below from a dear friend and elder) and then by the sermon of Dr Browning at HRBC this memorial day Sunday.

-----------------------> FROM BRUCE

Forgive me for taking this liberty, but I feel I must respond to words floating around about the present state of my cancer and prospects of survival.

I am dying of cancer - so what?, that's been going on for a long time.

If you have concerns about my latest PSA readings and the radiation maps proving, finally, that my cancer has metastasized, then realize that this is just another phase of the cancer which has had me in its sights for a long time, over 12 years.

If you have concerns, then the concerns are yours not mine. I have known of what I have been dying for the past 12 years. When a biopsy yields a Gleason score of 9, as mine was, then your days are numbered no matter what action you take - it's just that no one knows what that number (of days) is. A Gleason score above about 7 will almost guarantee that no matter what you do within the limits of today's technology, your days are numbered - you can cut the prostate out, you can burn it out (with all sorts of radiation, including ultrasound), you can freeze it out, but in a few years the cancer will show itself again because it never totally left. With a Gleason score of 8 or 9, it just might as well be 10 (which means it has gotten out of the prostate with certainty).

It pains me to see the concern people have when I just can't generate any concern. Don't get me wrong I'll fight this thing until it takes me, if that is what does take me, but it has no power over me any more than satan has.

Thirty-six years ago The Lord won a victory over me, and I became His. (See Attachment). As Paul said, "to be absent from the body is to be present with Jesus". I really don't quite see it that way. If anything, I feel more like I have expected to be absent from this body twice, but have been present with my Lord Jesus soon after the first began:
1. The first was 38 years ago when hypoglycemia had me by the throat, and I felt I had no future.
2. The second was when it was discovered that I had inoperable cancer, and I figured I had at most 5 more years on this earth. So I have contemplated my exit in some manner for some time. Now that I am 78, that contemplation is fast approaching reality no matter what. It is a given: All living things must die, we are born to die.

William Shakespeare says through Julius Caesar (Act 2, Scene II), "Cowards die many times before their death; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I yet have heard, It seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come."
I learned that back in the third grade or so. I have never felt "valiant", but I have always believed that about life, in a fatalistic way if not any other way. It is so logical that there is no reason to fear something which is destined to happen at some time no matter what. Believing in Jesus Christ and believing that He offers another life with Him after this earthly life comes to an end, just turns something which could be viewed as a negative into something which is extremely positive.

I have been contemplating writing something I will call MORTALITY. One of my key points will focus on time as eternal which makes an individual's life on earth infinitely short. Another thing I will focus on is that we continue to live our lives through our offspring, and in a real sense we (our unique DNA, that is) cannot "die" unless and until all our descendants die.

So have no concerns for me, your concerns should be about your "offspring". I will leave this earth, whenever that happens to come, a satisfied and happy man, not so much as because I have, "fought the good fight", but because I have lived at all, and have living descendants which would never have lived at all, but for me, and of course those of my ancestors who preceded me. The Lord has orchestrated through June and me a legacy which few enjoy.

I have a good friend more than 20 years my junior who is also dying of prostate cancer. His concern is because he is dying at such a young age. "It just isn't fair" he bemoans. He has no offspring. From an earthly view point that should be his concern. Thank God he too knows Jesus.

-----------------------------------

Attachment:

To understand me better you have to know what happened to me about a week after I finally yielded to the call of Jesus Christ. It was quite an experience and no one can understand another's experience without having had the same experience. But here's the best I can do to explain it. If you are familiar with the conversion of the Apostle Paul, then you might have some understanding of what happened to me.

I was sitting in a chair in the living room with my feet up on an ottoman reading the Sunday funnies. Linda Wetekamm, a Wheaton College student who was spending the summer with us contemplating whether she would continue at Wheaton, was sitting on a couch to my right side. Mind you, I had been a Christian for only 1 week. For some reason I asked what it was like when satan attacks you. She gave me some sort of answer and then for some reason left the room.

As soon as she had left, satan attacked me in a literal sense. I can still almost feel the jab/stab. It came from the center of my back at an upward angle toward the left ( that's the best I can do to describe it). I immediately reacted by shouting in my mind, "sic him Jesus". I don't like those words, but that is the way it was. Mind you all of this only took a second. Immediately, Jesus responded doing something I can only describe as dumping a ton of Love on me. The feeling was huge and intense. I knew that I cold not survive such an intense feeling. I was petrified, I couldn't move a muscle and felt like I couldn't even breathe. I very soon began saying to Jesus, "Thanks a lot, but I don't believe I can survive this, please take it away." Well it didn't just go away, but after a while, it slowly began to subside.

I just sat there wondering, "what in the world was that?" I was dumfounded. I had never heard of such a thing in my life. Why did He do it? Well I soon found out why, because Jesus used it during my ensuing training period. I know that Jesus needed me to be saved in order not to be a hindrance to His plans for my children.

Jesus took me through a crash training course building in me a firm foundation of faith. Which was not easy because He was working with a left-brain engineer. But during the 15 months of His "crash course" whenever I would wonder whether He was really there, I would think back on that Sunday morning and the "ton of Love", and kinda reach up mentally and turn a volume control. And here would come that Love feeling. I would immediately turn it back and say, "OK, Jesus, I know you are still there", and proceed with whatever He had for me.

I don't know when I reached the point where I didn't need the "volume control", but it was soon after my "training period". I know there were times during the past 35 years I have thought about that volume control, but never wanted to test it. Then a few months ago while in prayer I decided to try it out, and here it came, admittedly, in a much weaker version, but enough that I knew it was still there if I should need it. I could almost hear my Friend, Jesus laughing at me - which He has had plenty of opportunity to do through the years.

--------------------------->

Any accomplishment I might achieve, anything I might build.. all of these things are a waste of energy. If my intention is to bring glory to myself, or my legacy, then I have missed the entire point. Legacy is a blessing. Fame is fleeting. Reputation is based on more than just the outcomes. The journey and the people are paramount.

Hope, what exactly is it?

Two ends and a middle

The link above is to a really well written blog entry. This particular post uses a framework of interpretation for a verse from Isaiah that is strikingly similar to a discussion about Faith, Hope and Love from my Sunday School class on 5/20..

Maybe hope is best defined from the outside in by intersecting faith and love....

I couldn't help but do a little quick googling to assess the "worldly" definition.. below is a summary.. of some excerpts..

-----------------------------------------------------------------
From Wikipedia:

Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope implies a certain amount of perseverance — i.e., believing that a positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary. Beyond the basic definition, usage of the term hope follows some basic patterns which distinguish its usage from related terms:
* Hopefulness is somewhat different from optimism in that hope is an emotional state, whereas optimism is a conclusion reached through a deliberate thought pattern that leads to a positive attitude. But hope and optimism both can be based in unrealistic belief, or fantasy.
* Hope is often the result of faith in that while hope is an emotion, faith carries a divinely inspired and informed form of positive belief. Hope is typically contrasted with despair, but despair may also refer to a crisis of faith. Hence, when used in a religious context, hope carries a connotation being aware of spiritual truth. (In some religions, despair itself is considered to be a sin; see Hope (virtue)).
* In Catholic theology, hope is one of the three theological virtues (faith, hope, and charity), which are spiritual gifts of God. In contrast to the above, it is not a physical emotion but a spiritual grace.
* Hope is distinct from positive thinking, which refers to a therapeutic or systematic process used in psychology for reversing pessimism.
* The term false hope refers to a hope based entirely around a fantasy or an extremely unlikely outcome.

Wish is a hope or desire for something. Fictionally, wishes can be used as plot devices, and in folklore, many things are believed to be chances to "make a wish." In fiction a wish is a supernatural demand placed on the recipient's unlimited request. When it is the center of a tale, the wish is usually a template for a morality tale, "be careful what you wish for" writ large; it can also be a small part of a tale, in which case it is often used as a plot device.

Magical possibilities aside, the act of formulating a wish can be beneficial. The wisher has an opportunity to identify what they most desire ("I can have anything at all in the world--what do I want?"). Often, wishing is a time for first becoming aware of a previously-unarticulated hope. Once identified, these hopes can become personal goals.

Crow Hop!!

I may have posted this before, not sure....the last part is what we call the crow hop! enjoy ;-) peace

Channing Tatum

I'm watching Step Up....a cute movie, but more importantly...Channing Tatum is hot!! In the movie he doesn't look like he would be a person who models. He does photograph well though...enjoy the pics ;-) peace

Rolling Sculpture. Red Ferrari Enzo Upstaged!

This is part of the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at www.3dssc.com.

It’s not often that a red Ferrari Enzo gets upstaged! Yet it happened and I witnessed it on Saturday morning, April 21, at 7:00 a.m. at the weekly Cars & Coffee show in Irvine CA, the successor to Crystal Cove Car Show in Newport Beach CA.

I go to southern California about twice a year from my home in West Chester PA, and I make it a point to get up early Saturday morning and go to the car event. This time I took my daughter and she loved it. The last time I went, last October 14, happened to be the last time at Crystal Cove, as the landlord of the Crystal Cove Promenade strip mall pulled the welcome mat.

The same red Ferrari Enzo was the most photographed car that Saturday at Crystal Cove. And there were some even rarer cars that day. There was beautiful silver Saleen S7 (just like the one I saw last week at the Saleen showroom at the Irvine Spectrum Mall). And Henrik Fisker brought a beautiful blue Fisker Tramonto with all the Kleeman engine mods (610 hp, 650 lb-ft) for an Illinois owner, and talked up his cars. Fisker told me it was the latest one and only number 11 off the production line in Milan Italy. Both Fisker and Saleen have HQ’s in Irvine.

You’re probably wondering what could upstage the red Enzo. It was another spectacular red Ferrari, a 2003 Formula 1 race car, S/N F2003GA/R16. The F2003-GA is the model that won Ferrari’s 5th straight Constructor’s title and earned Michael Schumacher his 6th Driver’s title. I’ve seen them at the racetrack and on TV, but I’ve never done the pit walk at Monaco or Indy, so the closest I’ve been is in the grandstand. Up close they are even lower, narrower, and more fragile than they look on TV. The wheels are only 13” and the cockpit looks so small it’s a wonder the driver can fit in at all, let alone move his hands and feet. The race commentators talk about the carbon fiber suspension, but I never imagined it was so delicate. A beautiful work of art!

There were about 100 cars exhibited, although the regulars said it was a light day, and it certainly would have been light at Crystal Cove. There was a black Ferrari F430, silver F430 Spider, and a number of Ferrari 355’s and Ferrari 308’s. There was a stunning black Lamborghini Diablo with a dramatic black and yellow leather interior. Porsche was represented by a black GT3, various Carrera 4S’s, Carrera 4’s, 911’s, 356’s, and even a beautiful mid-50’s Speedster with a nifty hardtop.

A big hit was a new Audi R8 which looked beautiful in medium gray with a silver accent panel. And seeing the new Audi TT in the sheet metal shows that the TT really has grown up. BMW was well represented with a Z9, and lots of other beautiful cars. Two Ford GT’s attended, an all black model and a white with blue stripe model. There were several vintage Cobras, both 427’s and 289’s, and lots of Mustangs. There was a Maybach, the family car carrying the wife and kids of the Enzo driver, and a Bentley Continental GT equipped with 2 car seats in the back. There was a classic Jaguar 150 coupe, a classic finned Chrysler 300, a classic Dodge Charger R/T, several old VW Beetles, a new Lotus Elise, and many more too numerous to mention.

What was missing because it was a light day? If it was your first time there you wouldn’t notice that anything was missing. It had rained hard the day before, a rarity for this area. Maybe that’s what kept away the dozen F430’s and 360 Modena’s, a couple of 360 Challenge Stradale’s, and the 3-4 Lamborghini Murcielago’s and 6-8 Gallardo’s that graced each Crystal Cove event I attended. Hopefully it was just an off day, not the 20 minute drive from Newport Beach or the lack of Starbucks’ cappuccino that kept them away.

Cars & Coffee features whatever shows up, but mostly exotics, foreign, and classic cars, at 7905 Gateway Blvd, Irvine CA. Up the coast in Huntington Beach (Surf City USA) there’s another event at the same time which features, so I’m told, mostly muscle cars, hot rods, and classics. So there’s a lot for car buffs to choose from on Saturday mornings in Orange County CA!

Violent Femmes

ok I'm dating myself here, but who remembers the violent femmes? I love this song of theirs, I'm not sure what the lady is saying at the end, but I'm sure it's good!! ;-) peace

Happy Hump Day!

...how is everyone? Life is wonderful here, work has been crazy then slow, and now it's picking up again. My cube is still gray I need to fix it up but not sure how..zen? :) here are some pretty things to look at while I decide. ;-) peace

New video for my website.

Jay Rolfe had video taken as he created a 3DSSC painting titled "Girls Just Want To Have Fun," a bright fuchsia stiletto pump 8 feet high and 8 feet wide. I started editing the video today, and will put it on my website in the near future.

This is the latest step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at www.3dssc.com.

"Beach Tan"

This is the latest on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at www.3dssc.com.

Here's a photo of Jay Rolfe's new 3DSSC (3-D Shaped Stretched Canvas) painting titled "Beach Tan." It's one of my new "smaller" paintings, 72 inches (6 feet) high, smaller than a similar one I created at 96 inches (8 feet) high. This new "smaller" size will fit into a home with 8 or 9 foot ceilings. At this size, it's an "Uplifting Conversation Piece For Your Home."

Completing paintings ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Jay Rolfe has completed another new painting. He'll post some photos soon. Meanwhile, here's a photo of the painting jigs and some of the body parts for paintings that are part of Jay Rolfe's 3-D "Adam and Eve" series.

You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/. That's the latest step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Music Sundays...

....I couldn't think of anything new, so I am going to post another video of Fancy Shawl Dancing... ;-) peace

time passed

I looked at the last post here and was abruptly shocked by the date. It really was a month ago that I last wrote. I can't say that I really know where the last month went and that is a bit scary in itself. I think we did a lot of good things and made a lot of good decisions. Couple of things I have written or read elsewhere that are worth our time IMHO.

Balance - Two ends and a middle

From a letter to Bel Canto:
"...every event/performance is a living entity. We interact with the music, the audience and ourselves to try and "make" something. Exactly what the "output" becomes is often ambiguous, but the results are clearest to the participants both performer and audience. I believe that music is divinely inspired and that it is unique and precious language with which our souls can communicate directly. "

Red Stiletto Pump ... From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Jay Rolfe painted and finished painting two paintings today. They both need some drying time before all the pieces can be assembled into the finished shape. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

I love the color of red I was using today, cadmium red medium hue. It's so bright. It's great for a stiletto pump shaped painting. Here's a photo of Jay Rolfe using that color.

This is today's step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

I Love Fan Letters!

I love fan letters! They make all my hard work rewarding. They make me fuzzy warm. They make me glow. And they let me know someone out there is actually reading every single word I typed!

Here’s one I got this week:

Hey im a 14 year old girl and im probably one of ur biggest fans! Shannon I LOVE your book, The Specialists: Model Spy! I just read it like yesterday and im reading it again now it is the best! It makes me want to become a spy as well! It so beats my favorite book, Once Upon A Marigold! I love it! I only wish you would print down to the wire sooner and get to stores faster! Are you finished writing it? And one more question...does GiGi and David stay together in the next novel? cause i really like them to gether!...well like i said i love ur book! And Will You Please email me back?

This letter has inspired me. I’m going to visit my favorite author sites and email them. Maybe I’ll make them all fuzzy warm, too.

We need something pretty....

...been awhile since I posted something nice to look at! Today was my first 12 hour day at my job, I'm exhausted...I hope all days aren't like this but I get the feeling there will be more. I really like Intel, it's a huge campus and with like 6,500 people working there...it's definitely it's own culture! I have had a great week so far and the people I work with are awesome. Just hope I can keep up. As usual click the pic to enlarge it! ;-) peace

Power Flower

That's the nickname a writing friend bestowed on me. Power Flower. I'm not quite sure what it means, but I love it! To me, it indicates someone who is generally gentle and kind, but can also pack a wallop.

So, tell me. What is your interpretation of "Power Flower?"

Surprised? My journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Guess what? Jay Rolfe painted some more on his 3DSSC paintings today! No surprise there. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at www.3dssc.com.

This is today's step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

I'm painting different parts and colors of several different paintings at the same time. It should all come together pretty soon. I'm looking forward to the completion of several paintings. That will feel great!

Happy Hump day!

some more Fancy Shawl Dancing...I just love it. ;-) peace

More painting ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Jay Rolfe painted all day. Here's a photo of some work in progress. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at www.3dssc.com.

I bought another 3 tine hayfork for a new 3DSSC painting of "American Gothic." It will be interesting.

That's today's step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

One Writer's Accomplishments

Monday was a great day. I accomplished soooo much! Did I finally finish my long-awaited series? Or, was the editing completed on my latest manuscript? How about receiving a much-anticipated review from School Library Journal?

No, no, and…NO!

I cleaned out my closet. Yep. Probably the most uplifting experience I've had all year. I threw away clothes that Goodwill wouldn't touch. Salvation Army would've turned up their collective noses. I did find a few decent items that I either couldn't, or wouldn't wear, so they went in a bag to be given to charity.

Answer this question, if you will. What made me think that clothes I bought ten years ago (packed and moved at least four times), would STILL FIT?? Have I not looked in a mirror lately??

Anyhoo, my closet is clean. Clothes are neatly hung on color-coordinated hangers. And, I have nothing to wear.

Mary
www.marycunninghambooks.com

3DSSC painting completed today ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Jay Rolfe completed another 3DSSC painting today! What a long process it is. This one is slightly smaller than usual, only 6 feet high instead of 8 feet high. It's still big and impressive. Hopefully I can post a photo of it tomorrow. Meanwhile, it looks like "Tan Lines" on Jay Rolfe's website, www.3dssc.com.

I worked hard painting Saturday, Monday, and today, Tuesday, to finish this painting. I did take off Mother's Day, as we had a visit from our son, daughter-in-law, and two and a half month old grandson. Then we went to Lambertville NJ for the afternoon and had a great time, before visiting Randy's mother and going out to dinner. Phew. A busy day.

I'm taking the rest of the evening off, as it is our monthly anniversary (we were married on March 15, the Ides of March, and we celebrate out love and commitment every 15th).

That's today's step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Songs of Monday...

...ok I was so nervous about starting my new job today, I totally forgot about Song of Sunday! Today was my first my day and it was insane! but I liked it...it went well. Have a great week everyone and more tomorrow!
Strawberry Switchblade...now really...who, who reads this has EVER heard of them? don't lie... ;-) I tell ya, I am 80's alternative all the way!! ;-) peace

MySpace...

...I have fought for the longest time to do anything with my MySpace page. Until a friend said "why should I add you, there is nothing on your page!" hmmm... #1) eeww! add me 'cause we friends, shit! #2) I really only registered (to show my support, obviously not returned!) so I can check out my friends pages. So after I researched I found I could really do a lot with it, it's kind of simple now, but for the last two fricking hours, this is what I've done. My blog will remain here though. ;-) peace

www.myspace.com/wonderfulworldofleonard

so I posted Womens Fancy Shawl earlier, and now I want to show the Men and their Grass Dance. As with all Native Dance...keep your eyes on the feet.

Stanford Powwow

The annual Stanford Powwow is this weekend, if your local you should check it out. Below is a videp of Womens Fancy Dancing, Team Style...it's really hard to be in step with the three other people, especially when the drums pick up and you have to keep in time with everyone else! ;-) peace

New 3DSSC Painting ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Yesterday Jay Rolfe cut out the framework for a new 3DSSC painting and assembled the framework yesterday and today. Jay Rolfe also worked on his other works in progress. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at www.3dssc.com.

I learned today that Catalina Island, about 25 miles off the coast of CA near Long Beach, is having serious brush fires which led to the evacuation of the main town on the island, Avalon. It was only a few weeks ago that we visited Catalina on a Sunday with our daughter and had a great time. It was very beautiful. It took an hour or so to get there via ferry. I'm sure the location hampers the firefighting efforts.

That's the latest step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Heather Waters

My cool friend Heather Waters (also an author) featured me on her blog. Check it out at: http://ideaboutique.blogspot.com/

More 3DSSC paintings ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Jay Rolfe has again been working hard on his newest 3DSSC paintings. While paint drys, he's started another 3DSSC painting. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at www.3dssc.com.

We just got back from seeing "Spiderman 3." It's really action-packed. That's the latest step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Is it wrong that this excites me??

I love cars by the way, I will read Road & Track before OUT or The Advocate. My bro sent this video to me, it's the fastest car in the world, it's a Bugatti Veyron with 1,001 HP! *shiver* it has a top speed of 253mph!! Insane! It is the fastest production car out there. Imagine burying the needle in that! Enjoy! ;-) peace

3DSSC Paintings ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Jay Rolfe has been working hard on his newest 3DSSC paintings. They're coming along, but it will take maybe a week to finish all the details. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

Yesterday I also worked hard, had coffee with one of my artist friends, and visited the new exhibit at the The Arts Scene. The new exhibit was a group show that was very interesting and included a number of nice works.

Right now I'm waiting for paint to dry to go onto the next step. That's the latest on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Happy Monday

Today was a nice day, went site seeing with a friend. The weather is nice and hot and yet I'm thankful for A/C in my car and home. Still haven't heard about my start date at Intel but for now it is the 14th (next Monday), I'm hoping sooner though, did I mention I get to wear shorts to work!?? Nothing new going on, so I posted an ad to make new friends here in Sacramento, I want to meet people to go bowling and golfing with (both sports I'm new at) or maybe even an outdoorsy friend. The things is...no takers, well like two. You think it's because I put "I'm gay" in my ad? I mean I think that needs to be disclosed right? I didn't want to spring it on any body on the 4th hole of golf or first frame of bowling. In anycase, I'll post an ad again. Hope everyone has a great week! ;-) peace

Painting and more painting ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

On Friday, Saturday, and today, Monday, Jay Rolfe painted and painted my new 3DSSC paintings I'm creating. I made a lot of progress, but it takes a lot of time for these large paintings. I also had to buy more supplies Saturday and today, so I was on errands both days.

On Sunday I rested, recuperated, or took it easy, however you want to look at it. We also watched the movie "Blood Diamond" which was very well done and quite a brutal and emotional story. No wonder it was nominated for so many Academy Awards. And I watched "Khartoum," a 1966 movie I don't think I'd seen before starring Laurence Olivier, Charlton Heston, and Ralph Richardson. The period scenery of the Nile area from the Great Pyramid at Giza up the Nile to Khartoum, where the White Nile and the Blue Nile join, was breathtaking, even without the Cinerama or even widescreen.

That's the latest on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Song of Sunday...

...wow I can't believe it's been that long since I posted. Well first of all, I got the job at Intel...so very happy, start next week. Still being a bum and enjoying the countdown until I go back to the corporate world. Today's video is from awhile ago, Shakespear Sister's "Stay"...enjoy! ;-) peace

Peed for two days straight

My awesome webmistress redesigned my site in prep for next week’s release of The Specialists: Model Spy. Check out my new site at www.shannongreenland.com

And I got very techno and put a slide show up on MySpace. Check it out at http://www.myspace.com/shannongreenland

Now here’s a funny story for you, and I’ve already told this to a few people. So if you are one of those few people, just ignore the fact you’ve already heard it. Anyway, here goes:

Earlier this week I went and swam laps. It was just me and this geriatric in the lane beside me. Geriatric is code for “old fart”. So anyway, I’m busy lapping it, breathing heavy, got the ole heart rate up, and here’s what happened.

Geriatric: “Hi.”
Me (having to stop my laps): “Hi.”
Geriatric: “Guess what?”
Me (do I know this lady?): “What?”
Geriatric: “I lost 19 pounds. Not twenty. Just 19.”
Me: “Ummm...that’s great.”
Geriatric: “And guess what else?”
Me: “What’s that?”
Geriatric: “I peed for two days straight.”
Me: “Ummm...that’s great?”
Geriatric: “Of course its great. How do you think I lost 19 pounds?”
Me: “Ummm...”

And then she waggles her fingers at me, “You may continue on now”. As if I was the one who had interrupted her. Ha! Gotta love old people.

Painting today .. my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Today Jay Rolfe started painting the 2 new 3DSSC paintings he is creating. Here's a photo of him painting. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/.

When that dries a bit, I'll paint some more.

That's today's step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Pissarro ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

The Baltimore Museum of Art beckoned to Jay Rolfe today. He's been intending to go to see the "Pissarro: Creating the Impressionist Landscape" exhibit since he read Ed Sozanski's excellent review in the Philadelphia Inquirer on April 1, 2007 (no fooling!). I mentioned Sozanski's review in my post of April 2. The exhibit was all Sozanski said it was, and I enjoyed it. Since it was landscapes, it didn't include Pissarro's great paintings of crowds on Paris' plazas and bridges. The development of his landscape style over about 10 years, from 1865 to 1875 covered by the exhibit, showed the development of impressionist style. Here's an sample from 1873 lent by the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, "Hoarfrost at Ennery." The first Impressionist exhibit was in 1874, and Pissarro had spent many months painting separately with Cezanne and Monet by that time. I can see the cross influences. Here's a link to the Museum's page on the exhibit. www.artbma.org/exhibitions/index.html

This was my first visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art. What a great museum. They've got scads of Antioch mosaics, great old master paintings such as this Botticelli, "Madonna Adoring The Child With Five Angels," and a great 20th Century collection which is especially rich in Matisse paintings and other materials. Here's an example of Matisse, "Striped Robe, Fruit, and Anemones" from 1940.

It was a wonderful day today! You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at http://www.3dssc.com/. That's today's step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

Stretching canvas ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Jay Rolfe stretched canvas over 2 stretcher frameworks for 2 new 3DSSC paintings today. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at www.3dssc.com.

I've got a number of other things to do the rest of the day which don't involve creating art.

That's today's step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.

It's All About the Eyes...

...it's been awhile since I posted some beautiful eyes, of course I had to put a pic of William Levy in there!! Second interview went very well, I should know this week. Other than that not a whole lot going on, other than I'm getting bored! The first week off was nice and much needed, this week, I'm a bit restless...on the other hand...all my laundry is done!! I've also watched more DVD's than I have in the past year, in the past week and a half. The return of Heroes has been awesome also! Who would have thought Sylar was president!! You could have knocked my ass over with a feather!! Only 3 episodes left this season...then I go insane over the summer waiting for the new season! Ok, yeah um, I'm a bit obsessed with this program!! At least I'm not out getting into trouble (which means this summer I will when the show is on hiatus!) have a great night! ;-) peace
p.s. as usual click the pic for a larger image!

New paintings ... my journey From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso

Today Jay Rolfe built stretcher frameworks for 2 new 3DSSC paintings. Phew! That was a lot of work. You can see some completed expressions of Jay Rolfe's unique artistic idea on his website at www.3dssc.com.

The Sculpture Garden of the National Gallery of Art that I visited last Wednesday was about equal to the Sculpture Garden of the Hirshhorn Museum, although the average sculpture was more recent. Alexander Calder's "Red Horse" was cool - a stabile of his was in the Hirshhorn's Sculpture Garden. Louise Bourgeois's huge "Spider" was typically creepy. The large "Typewriter Eraser" by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen was playful. Roy Lichtenstein's "House 1" created an optical illusion, one of those optical illusions that even when you know it's not what it seems, it still looks like it is. I really enjoyed all of them.

That's today's step on the journey of Jay Rolfe From Starving Artist To 21st Century Picasso.