ArtOMatic in the Capital Plaza Building from the metro station at night.  Yep, all those floors are filled with art!

I spent yesterday getting the pictures I have taken to date in order.  Ladies and Gents:  I have a ton of blogs just sitting ready to write with these pictures.

I’ve tried to be eclectic in the things I’ve taken but the underlying them is that each artist grabbed me somehow and made me want to share their work with you.  I am sure there is other art that would be of interest, and those of you close enough, please do take a day (yes a full day) to visit.  Those of you far away, just start googling "Artomatic 2008"  or "Artomatic 08" – different things come up for each.  Just like the show, there is no single tag that works for everything.

Kim Reyes is my first presentation for many reasons, not the least of which she is an amazing sculptor and also makes beautiful jewelry.  We have much in common!  I first say her work in 2001 at my first ArtOMatic – handmade jewelry in a shadow box – and fell in love.  Our paths crossed but we did not meet until 2006 when we shared a space in a now-closed shop in Silver Spring, MD.

As it turns out, Cynthia from British Ink was browsing the web this week and came across a YouTube with my and Kim’s work in it…neither of us know the photographer, so apparently someone besides me sees our work in common.

Here is some of Kim’s work, in order:  Body Image, Identity, Untitled (my favorite), and Who Am I.

Kim’s artist page in the Artomatic catalog says: "In many ways I feel my ourney as an artist has just begun even though as a child I was always creating.  I learned the basics of ceramics in my late twentis from my mother and father, both accomplished potters.  Later I enhanced my techniques by studying at Penland School of Crafts and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.  After giving up my plans of becoming a famous fashion designer, world class mogul skier and veterinarian, I’ve resigned myself to being a quirky artist who resides in Silver Spring with my 2 dogs and always amusing husband.

"My lates work ‘Personal Secrets,’ will address the dark and twisty side of my life…"

Kim pit fires most of her work which is where the lovely smokey finish comes from.  You can also see her inclination toward masks, another of my favorite areas.  While Untitled is my favorite, Who Am I is a smaller version of the work she   did last year (Self Discovery, here right) that inspired my works Hope is a Feathered Thing and Empty Nest (see below – I’ve never quite got a handle on how to make photos go exactly where I want them).  Kim’s new work this year is smaller but just as intense as her previous work.

Just recently I found some of my photos from that first ArtoMatic (01 or 02 – now I’m not sure which year it was).  While the framed pieces that I fell in love with were not in the pile (I know I have taken them somewhere for inspiration), I did find this photo to share (below left), which harks speaks to another from last year’s show,  Envy (below right).

thought for the day: isn’t a thought, it’s a video that longest friend, Linda, sent via email.  It takes about 15 minutes to watch this presentation by Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist (don’t let that scare you:  she does brain work) on observing her own stroke and the meaning she took from it for the larger good of humanity.

[and then after that the two pieces of mine inspired by Kim’s work]