One swift move...able feast

The Literary Lush Book Club had its first official discussion tonight at The Foundry. What a great group of people holding a diverse, interesting collection of thoughts about Jack Kerouac's "Big Sur." Next up is "A Moveable Feast" by Ernest Hemingway with discussion taking place a month from tonight: March 11th, once again at The Foundry.

One last ode and farewell to Jack before I get 'on the road' to sleeping in.

That's a wrap.

Was it fun? You know it!!

The 1st First Friday of the year had so many exceptional sights, sounds, and tastes--it was impossible to experience everything the night had to offer. Below is a peek into one fabulous show: "WordPlay," at The Foundry, featuring photography by The Shutter Clique.  (What a privilege to be part of this show!)

Having fun in the interactive photo booth created by MySortedAffair!

"That photo is so funny!" Shutter Cliquers Jen Williams and Jessica Frey share a guffaw.

Crystal "Chiili" Alvarez welcomes you to The Foundry. :)

LissaFudge loves playing with words...and pictures.

Shutter Clique... simply yummy.

Sword play and WordPlay

I was lucky enough to go photo hunting this afternoon and to go "Shutter Clique-ing" tonight. This is a late post because I was out shooting later than is typical for me. 

Scouting out locations, earlier in the day, I came across some recent bridge construction near Lake Truxtun and the bike path. These posts rather look like a mirrored optical illusion to me.

Tonight some of the photographers from the photography club Shutter Clique got together and shot a fun and interesting show at The Gate. The all-ages show featured the heavy metal band Heralds of the Sword, and there were quite a few swords also in attendance! 

Speaking of the Shutter Clique: "WordPlay," a new exhibit of work by SC photographers will be on display beginning First Friday, February 4th at The Foundry. The idea for the photographs began with each member randomly choosing two words--a negative one and a positive one--then creating an image to express both. I'm excited to be part of this group and hope you'll stop by to check out the show!

Saturday Night Special

Some days I get to create, other days I get to be inspired.

Today was one to savor the atmosphere of art and find some inspiration...downtown. Jen Raven had another delightful opening for her solo show "Dine-in, Take-out" at The Foundry and afterward, Phillip and I, plus my son and his date, ventured over to the beautiful Fox Theater to catch the Banksy film, "Exit through the Gift Shop." It was a nice, cultured evening for us and the teenagers! I hope to do a little shooting tomorrow and be back with something new to share next post. For now, I leave you with a sample of my evening:

The Fox Theater

Jen Raven

Congratulations! It's been a good day.

A good day, and a long day.

1) The "Literary Lush"Book Club got off to a great start and chose "Big Sur" by Jack Kerouac as the first title to read.  I had a super fun time with friends and family, met some cool new people,  had some wine and far too many cream puffs... Join us 02/04/11 from 6 - 8 p.m. at The Foundry to discuss the book.

2) We do it again tomorrow at The Foundry for Jen Raven's "2nd opening" of Dine-in Take-out at 6 p.m. followed by Flics at The Fox at 7:30 p.m. (Tomorrow night's feature is "Exit through the Gift Shop.") Check it out!

3) After a long search and lots of prayer, Phillip was offered a job today!! Congratulations babe!!

And now here's a picture:

Just to be different, I thought I'd post a non-photo.  Actually this is a photo of a "doodle" I drew. It's not a great photo nor a great drawing, but it was a fun use of time...

And one more thing: I've heard it said that it takes 21 days to make a habit. Well, congratulations to me too--it has been 21 days since I started this blog--I believe the habit has formed!

Thirsty Thursday

In honor of the upcoming "Literary Lush" Book Club's first meeting tomorrow night, I am posting a few photos taken not long after last year's opening of The Padre Hotel. A friend and I were lucky enough to sample a few of their scrumptious cocktails and I, of course, had to get a few "shots!"

The "Literary Lush" Book Club is made for those who want to stimulate their intellect, enjoy a beverage, and hang out with other like minds on a Friday night.  The name implies that we will be "overindulging in literature!" At the first meeting, tomorrow from 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. at The Foundry (corner of Chester & Truxtun), we'll be deciding on which book or books the group is going to read. Wine and light refreshments will be available. I am so excited that many people have already RSVPd for the meeting; I think it's going to be a lot of fun!!

Epiphany: Dine-in Take out at The Foundry

Jen Raven is a fabulous local ball of energy who also happens to be a terrific artist. Tonight The Foundry hosted her first solo exhibit entitled, "Dine-in Take-out."

Amidst abundant Chinese take-out boxes, smiling friends, and imaginative hors d'oeuvres, Jen's abstract art found its audience.

Below, some photos of the event (DSLR) and a few of the art (iPhone). If you're in Bakersfield make sure you check out this event during the month of January.

Jen Raven, artist extraordinaire 

Dine  In Take Out, now on exhibit at The Foundry