halloween horror

Breaking News from Vermont:
There was a showdown captured in this still shot, from a security camera on this railroad lot.

last night

there was a realization last night of two things...
1) wish i had my "real" camera for this shot...
2) there are things to blog about....

wow, that's a good start.

cleaning before plane catching...

I'm not sure what it is and maybe I'm not the only one...
but does anyone else feel the need to clean before going on vacation?

It's 2:50am...and my bags are finally packed. Not to mention the rug looks clean enough.

Cheerios!

Okay, okay, I confess. I did not vacuum tonight. However, I did pick up....honestly! I even swept out the fridge for food that would go back over the next week. Packing my bags for my vacation took too long as I dawdled on last minute to-dos from car shopping, bill paying, uhaul reservations, house hunting, late night french fry eating with friends, and watching the fireflies outside.

The vacuuming shot...well, um, yeah. It's actually an out take from a current video editing project...

yawns & yawns

Ah....today, today.

My highlight of the day was bicycling home in the dark.

The streetlights were bright enough at first. As I got to the edges of town the light posts became further apart, and both darkness and rain started falling around me.

Tall leafy trees created dense shadows on the pavement -- and a bump or dip in the pavement couldn't be seen, only felt.

My bike tires whirled wetness through the gears and my rear cogs created sound, just like a field full of grasshoppers rubbing their legs.

Apples to Apples

It's terrific Tuesday today...

I am soooo excited to be on day four of my nine day ART extravaganza!

My big task of the day is organizing and downloading all of my new digital media, aka video files.

And I'm totally stumped. How do I import into my new Final Cut Express program? And do I really have to read my Sony users manual?

And so it's been Apples for lunch. Yum! Yum! And time spent on my Apple computer today. From apples to apples, progress is being made!

Deadlines, deadlines

Phew! It's been a busy few weeks.
I've been juggling a big project, which you can see on the walls behind me. As of today, I'm dedicating an entire week to catching up with myself.

Art projects, house cleaning & bills, outdoor adventures and my BIG NEWS are all on deck for this upcoming week....

I know I've been holding out from the daily blog...but all with good reasons. There's been a lot taking place behind the scenes and I haven't wanted to spill the beans before the time was right.

So really, what on earth am I up to?
Good stuff....good stuff....

I've been waiting to hear from you too....

That's right....fingers crossed.
What will the mailman bring today?

I just want to say thanks to all my friends and fans for getting in touch.
From emails to real letters, I've been so happy to hear from you.

Thanks for the positive messages -- these have been my inspiration.

A Daily Dose of Inspiration...served up hot via email.

---------------------
Oz,
So I finally had a few moments and I checked out your website and blog. It seems like you have been terribly busy, as usual!

Do I remember correctly that you are going to be in Colorado in August? You should send me the dates and where you are going to be and all that jazz, it would be awesome to see you!

I have been inspired by memories and photos of Red Cliff and am working on writing a posting that attempts to capture a small bit of the fun from last summer.

I hope everything is going well, drop me a line soon!
Josh

---------------
Last year at the Chicago Art fair I put colors in a book for you - just wondering if those neighborhood collections ever made it to your canvas - still think your art is neat...

Do you have anything hanging in Breckenridge or Vail anywhere - heading there soon for vacation.
Carolyn

-----------------
Hi Brooke,
Long time no talk. I was thinking about you. Just wondering where you are, how you are and what's new in life.
I hope you are well,
Caramie (Arts & Entertainment Editor)

----------------
Hi -
It was nice to see you Saturday night. We will need to catch up in Burlington - and I want to introduce you to a friend and budding photographer. (edit, edit, edit, describing said friend and then the note: I'm not in the business of playing match maker!)
We will be away the 11th to the 17th so maybe I can get to Burlington the following week. It would be nice to see your studio and what you are doing.
All the best,
Wink

---------------
Hi Brooke and Ben: Ben, I met Brooke on the bike path this evening and talked to her a little about what she does and told her about you as there may be some overlapping here!

I hope there is some conection for each of you through this introduction. If not, it's always nice to meet new folks.

Conni

---------------
oz,

i will use your red phone if i am in trouble, or even if not. it looks like you all had a lot of fun and you need to teach me how to fly like that.

i am working on my own little film, a stop action feature constructed from individual photos and will share it with you (and the breathlessly waiting world) as soon as i figure out how to convert the photos to film - i'm hoping imovie can handle it. this is my maiden voyage so the technology must be grasped before the art can fly!

Michael

---------------
Yo Broooooooooooooooooooooooooooookeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Thank you for the email to let me know you're posting on the blog again.
Cheers, jon

what on earth is she.....?

Steel plants.....
Wood warehouses...

What on earth?

Oh yeah.....
Too super exciting.

It required photo overload.
It's one of those weeks.
(Again!)

Two major projects are now underway!!

Can we say studio renovations with The Dad Factor this weekend?

And....well, the other project is currently undisclosed, grin.
Stay tuned.

Newsletter subscribers will be the first to find out...

Happy 4th

Back to Where It All Started

Wooooooow! Can I say more?

I got to return to the place/program where it all started for me in 1993: Governor's Institute for the Arts. This program changed my life.

Flash forward 15 years later and they asked me to be a guest model for their drawing class. Do you know how hard it is to maintain "fly-mode"?

Seriously.....serious post to follow.

Who Needs the Forecast

I don't listen to the forecast; not for the weather or for what might happen at the start of each morning.

Lake Champlain was a smooth as glass at five this morning. Everything was still and quiet. I only saw two fisherman and heard nothing other than the birds overhead and my paddle dipping in the water.


The island in the distance was not a destination, just the direction I was heading. I felt all alone. The water was so calm--almost eerily surreal. The kayak glided across the water effortlessly--almost too fast. In no time, I was halfway between here and there.

And then the water began to rock me, as visible ripples passed by.

Weather? The Loch Ness Monster Champ? I looked out at the island in the distance, it was now enshrouded with fog. At depths ranging from 60 to 123 feet, I knew seeing the bottom of the lake or Champ swimming below me was impossible. I looked anyway, only to see the reflection of clear gray skies.

Turning my kayaking around, I saw home in the distance.

I picked up the pace. Sloppy with my paddle strokes, water drops started falling on my face and arms. And then, as if on cue, heavy raindrops pinged the lake.

I zipped up my camera bag, smiled and thought, "Awesomeness!"
I was focused and fast, my arm muscles heating up, my clothes and hair becoming soaked.

At the end of it all, as I pulled the kayak from the water, I looked towards the island. It was aglow with the morning sunlight. And Champ? I think he keeps close guard at the inlet of Shelburne Bay.

Happy, Happy...Event, Solstice, Birthday, Ending

Solstices occur twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most oriented toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to reach its northernmost and southernmost extremes.... (source)

This was the most awesome-most of days. Eleven hundred and eight photos since 11am, and well, even this girl has to rest. Stories, crops, edits and uploads must wait until tomorrow.

G'night yo.

Contagious and Hilarious

The setting is the early 21st century.

"Oz" is an agent in an intelligence organization within the United States government so secret it reports only to the President. What she does is entirely unknown to anyone else. She is superbly trained.....

But nothing could have prepared anyone, not even Oz, for THE BLOG....


A phenomenon has started. Calls, emails and snail mail have started exceeding this secret agent's phone limits, filling her inbox and growing like weeds out of her mailbox!

"We want more blog," they exclaim! Agent Oz and Captain Obvious agreed...these messages were coming from desperate people who clearly weren't having enough fun on their own.

Wanting to avert national disaster, Congress and local elected officials had previously announced publicly their concern over the blog posting gaps. The political and public urging having reached a scale beyond her ability to escape it, Agent Oz has decided to fight the epidemic secretly termed: OPERATION BORED-FUN.

Hundreds of thousands of typed words later, Oz is nearly ready. Rare and unpublished blog posts are about to parachute into cyberspace to treat victims with laugh-dispensing funs.

******************************************************************
The Community Collection video, unpublished posts, galleries and all kinds of goodies and news will be out soon!

NEWSLETTER Subscribers always get the exclusives...so be sure to sign up before you miss the June edition of my email NEWSLETTER...

Patty Priket's Pitiful Pranks

I'm still working on unloading my car from a recent visit to the folks house.

And so it came to be Thursday when I finally carried in my old Trapper Keeper. I was in a cleaning frenzy that night, couldn't sit still, and decided that it was time to rock this old school genius organizing tool. I mean, really, I've been carrying around a bunch of assorted file folders with no steeze or style. This Trapper Keeper would be the ideal solution to upgrade my organizational capabilities.

So, I was excited already. I mean, as Trapper Keeper says themselves, a classic never goes out of style. And yes fans, they are still making Trapper Keepers!! I will be sure to do a 2008 product review, grin.

So I was ready. Let's hear that infamous Velcro I thought as I pulled the seal apart. And then, a surprise was stuffed inside. Shocked at the contents, handfuls of old stories were stacked together. WOW! How cool! These were written when I was four feet tall or shorter!

I sat down with the "manuscript" titled Patty Priket's Pitiful Pranks. Impressive I thought! Probably just as cool or cooler than the Trapper Keeper...

so in closing, expect to see me hitting the streets with this new-found-awesomeness and also stayed tuned for some literary throwbacks; kid style.

i get to go back...

to all the places I've been.

One of them is Governor's Institute of the Arts.

It all started for me in 1993.
I was one of the lucky students able to attend an intensive arts program for high school students.

It was there that I met Wosene.
He took away my paint brushes and gave me palette knives.

Over the last 15 years I haven't picked up a paintbrush.
Over the last 15 years, I've always imagined myself as a real artist -- someone that will and is making a difference through the arts.

It is with great excitement, I've jumped up and down more than once, that I'll be returning to the place where it all started. It's a place where art and exploration is encouraged and fostered. That place is Governor's Institute for the Arts.

The date has yet to be set, but I'll be debuting my *new* video about my Community Collection and bringing my project to the 2008 Arts session between June 22 and July 4th. I can't wait to meet all of the high school students.... I was one of them once.

I can't wait to go back...to all of the places I have been.

Stacked Up

Have you ever walked by a stack of papers and that was your clue-in for how fast time is passing by?

It happened to me this morning.

I always grab the weekly paper put out by Seven Days. It comes out once a week, on Wednesdays.

My usual routine is to grab a copy and flip through it over the next few days.
Then it quickly hits the recycling bin and I'm ready for the next issue.

This morning, I walked by a fresh stack of papers.
And then it struck me...

Another week had already passed by.
I'd picked up a paper on Wednesday the 4th and Wednesday the 11th.
Both issues have been on the corner of my desk at home, untouched.

In clear view, I've glanced at them every day---but for one reason or another haven't had the time to crack open the front page.

Unbelievable.
My brain all of a sudden wanted and started to crunch the time span on that. Two weeks? Three weeks? Okay, it decided, two weeks sounds good.

Ideally there will be a break, a low spot of activity this summer, where I can catch up and stay current. I'm not sure, after all, if the neighbors would appreciate an outdoor sculpture or my housemates some new furniture....


Too Cool:
Someone actually has made 'honeycomb-like' expanding furniture out of newspapers.
Click to check it out yo

And Funny Enough:
This artist, Steven Siegel, is also an alumnus of my alma mater Hampshire College. He and I roll way back....to a phone call I made when I was 19 years old asking if I could be his intern...
I proposed the idea out of the blue, one of my more memorable cold calls. This happened sometime in the month of October, late '90s.
Alas it didn't happen. I headed to the Southwest instead...but wow! How fitting that this post is about "time gone by" and I randomly find Steven's artwork, displayed on the North Carolina Museum website today? I wonder if he'll remember me....

View from My Window

As previously advised, The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for all of Vermont until 6 p.m. this evening. A strong cold front will approach and cross the region this afternoon with widespread severe thunderstorm activity. These may contain damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes in and close to the watch area.

You should be alert for rapidly changing weather conditions. Seek safe shelter indoors, preferably in secure basement, should threatening weather approach.

Due to the conditions, the President has authorized employees to depart the agency unless they have been designated by their supervisors as essential to the operation of the agency. If you are not able to depart immediately, it is recommended that you defer travel until the alert is canceled or expires and seek shelter indoors at the lowest levels of the building.

Stay tuned to media for up-to-date information.

(Photo Credit: Sean Kelly)

Breaking News

News Flash: the blog is back online


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brooke had posted more than 175 times on her blog until August 26, 2007 when it appeared as though her stories had gone off line. Mayors and local elected officials across the United States today announced their concern over the posting gap and called on both Congress and the Administration to boost efforts to fight the problem.

Citing a sharp rise in summer weather conditions-- officials say they could not endure another summer without Brooke's blogging phenomenon continuing.

The infamous blogger was recently spotted and photographed in Waterbury at an undisclosed location (see above). Armed with her SLR camera and a sense of adventure, no one is safe from potentially being written into future posts.

The Associated Press has received confirmation from reliable sources that Burgee's recent blogging trend will be announced to her fan base later this month. In the meantime, take a sneak peak as the Adventures of Summer 2008 unfold.

Coolest Bathroom Ever

I was starting my morning off in the usual fashion; 5-by-5 minutes late.
There was no time for breakfast and no time for looking beautiful.

Today, I was not headed to my office, but instead to a computer class.
Yes, a computer class -- and yes, I am in IT.

I still think it was a hiring error, maybe comedy, whatever their reason was...the truth has surfaced that I actually don't know squat about computers. This dilemia is commonly referred to as the "oh shit" factor.

"Sorry," Lucy said, referring to the empty seat next to her in the back row, "That computer is broken."

As I took the only other alternate seat, front and center, I thought, "Ohhhh jeez man, bad news bears."

I really didn't care, I was just feeling sorry for the full house behind me. There was the potential for the entire day playing out like some strange movie they would be forced to watch. Their retention for learning? It would have been totally compromised.

Within about ten mintutes the day was saved by none other than Lucy herself. Drum roll please.... she realized she was sitting too far away to read the whiteboard. So up she went to the front and away I faded to the back; her abandoned chair still warm.

Ahh............it was going to be a good day.
How could it possibly get any better?

I'll tell you what....
Anyone that believes good things happen in threes is brilliant.

Good Place #1:
My seat in the rear of the class

Wicked Stuff #2:
I learned how to build a map. A really cool map.
I don't know how this will improve my non-existant cross-functional flow charts. But I now know how to design future scavenger hunts and treasure maps.

Shizzle Dizzle #3:
Coolest Bathroom Ever
As if I hadn't mentioned it already, I arrived 5-by-5 minutes late to class. There was no time for breakfast and there was no time for looking beautiful. So it was just my luck to enter into this public bathroom fantasy.

Max Hair Volume Finishing made with Sage Leaf Extract!
No kidding...
Saline for Sensitive Eyes
Not needed for someone with 20/20
Soft Tissues
Perfect for my runny nose, a phenonmenon that happens after a hot shower and no breakfast
Fragrance Spray Selection
Pinapple Mango Fragrance Spray
Magnolia Blossom Fragrance Spray
yum....fruity
And for the killer legs that walked me in there?
Peony Body Lotion
Sheer Freesia Body Lotion

and the absolute penultimate?
Warm Vanilla Sugar Body Lotion........."Special Edition"
The day ended with brains and beauty in check. Awesome.

What are you doing today?

Please click on map image to enlarge and view directions.

Fan Mail

There was no return address. But a trail of postage stamps this long could only lead to one place - Burlington. It's a bustling town, Burlington, back in Vermont, a small state in the East nestled between New York on the left and New Hampshire on the right. Burlington itself sits on the unrecognized Sixth Great Lake Champlain. That's one of the few places where there is enough water to moisten all those stamps; anyone attempting to lick that much postage would surely die of toxicity. Then again, if my hunch was correct, there was no telling what the great and powerful Oz might do now that she had gone....Postal!

Some could have seen it coming if only their eyes were open. The signs were all there. It began seemingly innocuously: a decade of dominance on the Upwords circuit. But soon, score sheets were being sent cross country; Oz was not content for only Burlington (any maybe parts of Connecticut) to know of her successes. Next, stories of dustings on 50 mile rides made their way across the country. Co-workers no longer wanted to bike with Oz; they could see that glint of crazy in her eye.

No one was aware that Oz was biking into work, and then walking into work, within a two hour span - who else could arrive at the office twice in the same morning? Yet she did not stop there. People around town started catching glimpses of orange - Oz had purchased the latest Swiss moon-walker footwear, complete with bright orange stripes. (Was she preparing for a space walk?) Oz was even spotted running one night, yes running, round and round a building. She is not a runner. The signs were all there.

Then, Oz had a hotline installed in the office so that she could respond to a Code Red at anytime, and anywhere. Her co-workers were unsure what a Code Red even was, what it meant, but they laughed and played along. That glint in her eye was now steadily gleaming. Who knew of what Oz was capable?

No one heard that red phone ring, but Oz answered the call - it was probably not the first time she had heard it. (It never is.) The line wasn't even plugged in, but out the door she went in a flash of orange, disguised as Barbie.

Oz said she was walking over to the Post Office, but she quickly returned to work for stamps. That's right, stamps. And then back again to the "Post Office" where she claims that they tried to refuse her parcel based upon its weight. Oz threw a leg up onto the counter - this is true, verified by a security camera recording - hoping her charm would convince the person behind the counter to mail the parcel anyway.

Whether it was her charm, the gleam in her eye, or the fact that she had come and gone twice in the last half hour and countless times over the previous few days, only the clerk knows why he accepted that parcel. And he cannot be found; all the clerks either retired or moved away. They know as well as anyone when someone has gone Postal.

So, if you see this girl, do not approach her. Oz will probably approach you. She is disarming with a great smile, positive attitude, and mad energy. Just watch out for her bite.

-JS
5/28/08

Who Wants to Walk When You Can Fly?

The last time I zipped across this stage, I was wearing a baby blue too-too and pinkish ballerina shoes.

Best day ever? Totally was.

It all began with a quick flight to Chandler Gallery. "The community is invited to join nationally-known artist Brooke Burgee, for an intriguing live demonstration," began the article in The Herald.

It should have also said, "Expect the unexpected. Bouncing rain and flying artist."
The last time I painted with my dad in the studio, it was the 90's. I was in high school.

Best company ever? Totally was.

"Burgee is known for involving the community in each of her pieces.
The public is invited to be part of her "color choice" for her latest project," the article continued.

Had the reporter been able to predict the future, she would have noted that "My dad will be the surprise guest of honor. I'll paint his colors. All thirteen of them."

The last time I dropped in on The Lazy Pear Gallery, it was last summer, maybe fall. I hadn't started the Community Collection then.

Best ending ever? Fo' Shizzle

Instead of hot of the presses!
It was wet out of the trunk!
The new work was a must have for the gallery.

Maybe she was awed by its beauty, or maybe she was overwhelmed by watching me flop around on the sidewalk in front of her place of business.

this place i'm in

It's weird, this place I'm in.
a mix of cleaning up and closing out the past -- while taking on the future.


12:10 PM
That actually sounds pretty awesome.
Someone said back.

finish this thought...

It all began with a phone call to let her know I had extra buns, if she'd like them for her saturday bbq.

The "I'm near your neighborhood" response and a seemingly quick drop-by turned into the perfect easy-going-good-company evening. After fire and food, the bbq buns were nearly forgotten about...

every passing minute

My gray superman t-shirt. Collar ripped out, paint down the side.

It just turned out to be one of those days. I had to keep saving the world. And a little extra super hero power tagging along didn't hurt.


I threw down paint tonight---first time at the new studio. My treasure chest of colors busted into. An old school album, Gish, cranking on the JBL speakers and I was in a different world.


"There has to be so much energy in you because its out here. Beautiful, crazy, fun energy. Don't you dare lose it," she said.
"The world needs you. Seriously," he said.

Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around. I'm coming back and I'm holding on; my life as a double-agent superhero energy saver and color storyteller rambling writer...

Twenty

One, two, three, four...
How many sailboats can I count out my back door?

Five, six, seven, eight...
This picture perfect moment could not wait.

Nine, ten, eleven, twelve...
I grabbed my camera from the shelve.

Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen...
An evening sunset exploration of the marine.

Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty...
Sailboats and photos, of each there were plenty!

Undercurrents of my surroundings...

New 2008 Work: The Lakehouse
24" x 24" x 1.5"
Completed during Open Studio Weekend during a live painting demonstration at Art On Main, Bristol, VT.

studio glimpse: created by the neighborhood gang

This video was filmed and edited by two frequent visitors to my Lakehouse Studio during the summer or 2007. Emily and Alden, both 12, were always engaged in projects--from photography to video. They were also part of the creative team that started the Art with Oz blog.
Everyday during that summer, my studio was always filled with kids and adults. The energy and excitement was inspiring.

If you listen closely, Alden mentions The Runaway Potato Chip movie. The first full feature mini-film will soon also make a debut on this blog. Stay tuned.

So, as I gear up for summer of 2008 -- expect to see hidden treasures, such as this video, pulled off the hard drive and go live.

Before I delete....

this diddy from my website, I thought it needed a place to live in the memory blog. Even though I've moved studio locations from the Basin Harbor area to the southend in Burlington.....time spent at the Lakehouse Studio will always make my heart beat faster and smile spread from ear to ear.

With that intro, here's my old studio description. Cheers.

ode to THE VERMONT LAKEHOUSE STUDIO........written Aug 2007

located a stones throw from
Vermont's Lake Champlain

two garage doors open to views
of the Adirondacks and blue lake water

my space for hand building frames
cutting, stretching, priming canvas

all current works are part of either
The Neighborhood or Community Collections

come sit down, my friend
we'll build snowmen

code red

STEP ONE: make an observation. Does one of your co-workers perhaps wear a Hawaiian shirt every day to work?

STEP TWO: At a teambuilding meeting discussing strengths, weaknesses and threats...secretly submit a post-it note that mentions the said Hawaiian shirts.
STEP THREE: time your delivery of the secret package. Pick the perfect moment, say during a scrum meeting. Knock on the door and show the goods.




STEP FOUR: Watch as they cautiously open the bag labeled "CODE RED" in big letters.

Remember not to giggle. Maintain low profile.




STEP FIVE: Strut into the office, proudly sporting a red Hawaiian shirt tied fashionably around the waist.

Observe that they are experiencing total confusion.




STEP SIX:
Call it in.
"Code Red!!!
Code Red!!!!!!
We've got another Hawaiian shirt on the loose!"


STEP SEVEN: Walk away. Leave the phone behind. Laugh, laugh a lot.

WARNING: unless you plan on an alternate shirt to change into...you may end up sporting the red Hawaiian shirt all day.

r-e-s-p-e-c-t

artist's reception - Chandler gallery show

one day i'll drive a green convertable....

all over the back roads of Vermont and New England.

I'll have the top down and music playing loudly - maybe something classic, old school or even brand new.

Maybe I'll get a license plate that says something like "FLLWME."




My map will be circled with bed and breakfasts, hikes and hot spots.
I'll drive fast...because I like to.

I'll keep spare sunglasses in the glove compartment and extra change for parking meters. A red plaid picnic blanket in the trunk.

Maybe by then I'll have dusted off my 35mm, loaded it with new batteries and film. At every destination I'll send a postcard and won't forget to keep extra stamps and pens on hand...

mary, mary, oh contrary....

the making of

Game On?

road trip, road shoes

hidden corners, hidden treasures