Elvis week is coming soon

A local Madison artist will have her portrait of Elvis Presley featured in a art contest and show at Graceland, August 8-15. Robyn Kaftanski greated a velvety looking "blue suede shoes" image of Elvis. Check out the full story in Madison's arts news publication, 77 Square.

Find out more about Elvis Week at elvisweek.com.

A couple years ago, I was in Memphis for the 25th anniversary of Elvis' death. The crowds, impromptu shrines, and tributes were amazing. The line to take a candle to Elvis' gravesite at Graceland wound back and forth through the street for probably a mile!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is as lively as eight 5-year-olds (that's 40)

For anyone age 45 and younger, the children's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, was part of growing up. Its author and illustrator, Eric Carle, is profiled in a recent Newsweek story.

His 200-word story about a caterpillar who devours a sausage, a cupcake, a watermelon and more—there are holes drilled into the book to represent all that nibbling—celebrates its 40th anniversary this week. "

In addition to discussing Carle's literary work, the Newsweek story tells of his childhood in Nazi Germany where he was able to connect with art in spite of Hitler's reign of totalitarian control. Ultimately, Carle ended up in the United States, working as a graphic artist and illustrator.

[At 80 years old now,] Carle seems to have reached a sweet spot in his life—he posted a picture on his blog recently of him eating breakfast with a spoonful of his favorite food: Black Forest honey. "I'm very happy," he says. "In fact, I told my wife I've never been so happy." It might have taken him 40 years, but Eric Carle is finally as free as a butterfly.

Obama, art, food

Recently, the Smithsonian Institution displayed a portrait of Presidents Obama and Lincoln--made from cupcakes. Here is the New York Times post on the exhibit, which became a party where everyone ate the cupcakes.

Also, here is the Smithsonian's video of the artist telling her story about how she created the "mosaic" of the presidents.

(Photo by Luce Foundation Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum; video by Meredith Bragg.)

"Happy Obama Day"--January 20

Last week after the inauguration of President Obama, I heard someone greet a friend on the street, "Happy Obama Day!" What a way to begin a fresh start.

For me, the historic inauguration was summed up with this story from NPR's Morning Edition about a 105-year-old woman who was on the national Mall for the event. Ella Mae Johnson said, "We were all there; we were there waiting. It didn't matter what my color was. It didn't matter what your color was. And I could not ask for anything better."

Also on the topic of President Obama, check out this story from Smithsonian magazine about the graphic artist, Shepard Fairey, who created the now iconic images of Barack Obama.

Reluctance by Robert Frost

Out through the fields and the woods

And over the walls I have wended:

I have climbed the hills of view

And looked at the world, and descended;

I have come by the highway home,

And lo, it is ended.

The leaves are all dead on the ground,

Save those that the oak is keeping

To ravel them one by one

And let them go scraping and creeping

Out over the crusted snow,

When others are sleeping.

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,

No longer blown hither and thither;

The last lone aster is gone;

The flowers of the witch hazel wither;

The heart is still aching to seek,

But the feet question, "Whither?"

Ah, when to the heart of man

Was it ever less than a treason

To go with the drift of things,

To yield with a grace to reason,

And bow and accept the end

Of a love or a season?

Artistic expression for all

Here's another fascinating arts story. A college woman with Chrohn's disease created this etherial dress (out of wax paper, no less) and won a national competition and award. She uses her art to cope, both mentally and physically, with her disease. The competition was sponsored by the national organization, VSA arts, which offers numerous arts programs for people with disabilities of all types.

Art AND food

Occassionally, I will include items about art or food because I love both. Here is where art and food meet! When I first saw a similar photo in the print Saveur, I had to read the caption to discover that it was actually WATERMELON. Wow! Check out the gallery (Click "Fine-Art Fruit") showing the carving process and a complete cover feature on watermelon (with recipes too).

Say "cheese"

Snapshots are interesting windows into people's lives. Photobooth images are even more interesting as the mix of public and private spaces and a spontaneous moment often with two or more friends.

Check out this story from Smithsonian magazine about a historian's collection and research regarding photobooths in America.

(Photo by Logan Antill, used by permission.)