Entries for September 2007
Wanna catch social network fatigue?
Pownce
Streamy
If you're not already exhausted from Twittering your days away while making sure to Digg your favorite blogs, update your Facebook status on the hour, throw random thoughts onto Tumblr and pull your Flickr feeds onto your other accounts, then perhaps it is time to join Pownce or Streamy.
I have 2 Streamy and 6 Pownce invites available to anyone who 1) knows what I am rambling about, 2) promises to use the services or at least give them a solid try and 3) submits the most interesting/amusing reasons for wanting an invite in the comments field below.
If your comment is clever and you make sure to include your email address in the email field—and I've not yet run out of invites—I'll send you an invite. Every year I get a group of friends together to draw pictures at chalkfest. And every year I come up with some idea that is more ambitious than it should be. Over the years I've had better luck with buildings than with other subjects. This year the day approached quickly and in my rush to pick a subject I chose a building I know well, Adelbert Hall. So I printed out pictures, one with a grid, and traipsed over to the museum. As drew out my gridlines and stared at the pictures, I quickly ascertained that I had made the same mistake I always do. I'd bitten off far more than I could chew. The sidewalk was rough of texture, the colors of chalk were few (though I had more than the standard box of 24) and the details in Adelbert were many. I'd never noticed how many hues can be found in that stone. Daunted by the task I plugged away, and if nothing else can be said, the final output is clearly a building rather than a three-toed sloth. But the outcome isn't what chalkfest is about. The comraderie of friends drawing under a rich blue sky, live music in the background and the people who wander by is what makes the weekend. Scores of people turned out, all friendly, and many more complimentary than was warranted, but overall it was a great weekend and a great way to clear the head from one's every day world and just immerse oneself in the task at hand. Year after year, rain, shine, heat or chill, this is the nature of chalkfest. It doesn't matter if I try to draw an Egyptian sculpture that looks like an alien frog (my first year's effort) or a building that somehow has far fewer details than the original, chalkfest is a great way to clear the mind and enjoy the moment. This year a number of people asked me if I minded that all the work would soon be washed away by the rain. And I don't, it's not the result but the process. But for those of you who missed it, some of the results are quite cool. From the extravagant work of the professionals to the creativity of the kids, many moods and styles were expressed. As the skies are still clear, their results are still there, if but for a few more moments. So if life takes you to University Circle in the next few days, take a walk in front of the museum. There is much to be seen in the pavement. And if University Circle isn't in walking distance, you can see the photos I took this weekend at Flickr. I'll probably take more tomorrow and will add them to the same batch.
Cleveland Museum of Art Those of us on college campuses are familiar with seeing writing on the sidewalks. Announcements for clubs, parties and elections pepper the pavers upon which we daily trod. And while many of these are quite colorful, they're not quite as vivid as some of the work you'll see this weekend at the Cleveland Museum of Art. If you like to draw. come down this Saturday and Sunday starting at 11:00 a.m., buy a box of chalk and a square of sidewalk and help decorate the grounds of the museum. Whether you're the next Picasso or can barely draw a stick figure, it's always an enjoyable event. If you're too shy to share your artistic prowess (or lack thereof) come on down to look at the work of others. In addition to my more mediocre efforts, you'll see the work of everyone from professional artists to precocious kids. While you wander by the drawings you'll be entertained with live music by Blues Deville and the Panic Steel Drum Ensemble. Food and beverages are also available for those who need some sustenance to get them through the day. And if that's not enough, if you need to fully immerse yourself in the creative experience, join the Sparx Gallery Hop, and visit galleries, studios, major festivals, and art institutions throughout Cleveland. See ya at the museum!
I'm not giving up my Web career to become an illustrator
Adelbert Hall 
My chalk rendition of the photoGet your culture on at Chalkfest and the Sparx Gallery Hop
My friend Colleen drew this excellent tiger.
I'm better at photography than at drawing, yet,
if you're familiar with our campus, you can
still recognize the Peter B. Lewis building.
Me with my off-kilter drawing of Venice.
2007 Chalk Festival
September 15-16, 2007