May The New Year...

...shine its blessings on you...or a chubby, white cherub in a hot air balloon. xo

Peace out 2010, I am ready to say farewell to you!

When All Else Is Fuckery...

...buy some stuff you've had an eye on to cheer you...right? Even if your funds are low from disastrous business decisions, or the holidaze...or fuckonomy, you can find a way...right? How worse can it be, right? In Dali's autobiography he said that when he and Gala were at their broke ass-est they would still tip the most and return to their Montmartre apartment that they could barely afford...
So here's what I snagged thus far:

You know that postcard is awesome!! Nothing like some creep sneaking up on you watching you sleep on a hammock to give you "Sweet Dreams".

This little lovely is one of my favorites to collect, an antique "calling card" lithograph or "die-cut". This one has a poem that reads; "Of all that is near, thou are the nearest. Of all that is dear, thou art the dearest."

This is an antique photo of a faceless dude and a horse...I effing love this! It's as if he is death or something coming to take the horse...or his pay? It reminds me of the guy who played the devil in Dr. Parnassus. It gives me the inspiration to create assemblage art again.These are some dope vintage horse medals or "ornaments for the harness of cart-horses were first made in the late 18th century; they became very popular in the 1850s, replacing an older style of adornment with ribbons, woolen fringes, and tooled leather. In some areas brasses were still in normal use in the 1920s, and can still be seen at horse-shows and parades." This is a little French lovely from the olden golden days, porcelain and I cannot wait to get my hands on it...and all my purchases as soon as possible.

Tricks

I feel like her...how she looks at least. I'm a bit sad, and I will have to do some serious tricks to stay sane, get happy and make my way. How do we get back on a road, if the road we took was not good to us? Find a new one? I don't know, but I am swallowing swords for now.

Life's Circus

Antique cabinet photo from victorian age Gustavo Arcaris and Kate ...Knife Throwing in their circus act.

I don't know which direction things are going...as an artist I am in a pickle. I am trying to push through to the next level...how? I need marketing and blah and blah and blah. I feel circus-ish these days. When I was in London I got violently ill, I was hospitalized for three days, I was there told I needed emergency stomach surgery. I opted to return home to be near my boys for the surgery with my own doctors. The issue was that when the hospital gave me paperwork they told me to show American Airlines so I wouldn't be charged a fee for missing my plane...well instead they wouldn't let me board. I had to buy a completely new ticket on Virgin. It was a mess...a circus indeed.
I arrived back in the states where my husband picked me up from Newark and drove me straight to Columbia Presbyterian where I eventually had the operation. Through it all, I worried most about the little baby in my womb. In the end it all turned out fine...isn't that something? Fine. Whatever spirit guides us; science, greater being...whatever, the revolving door of the up and down cycle of life is guaranteed and the gift of having things be okay is a blessing of whatever proportion you make it. I wonder how circus performers felt about their "next level".
"Sideshow-freak" photograph by Edward Kelty. c.1920

Adrian Buckmaster

I'm so feeling this work. Look at the Empire State...he has captured it as a mechanical, art deco, zenith...amazing...and it is.
www.AdrianBuckmaster.com

Merci a Kaight NYC

Basically a fashion staple downtown has given me a great shout out on her fantabulous blog:
http://kaightnyc.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-coins-will-make-you-blush.html

AND...now carries The Hand of Fatima Design at the Orchard Street Location. Stop in, the Brothel Token Collection is buzzin'.

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What about this photo is not absolutely amazing?

PERFORMA-The Red Party 11-5-2010

I sometimes forget to mention that I work for one of my dearest friends, and mentor Kyle Goen. Kyle is a fine artist who works out of his DUMBO studio in Brooklyn. I serve as his loyal assistant and get to learn his process while taking on tasks of management and we design certain projects together, it's a joy in my life seriously.

Most recently, one of the bigger projects Kyle was commissioned to work on was the designing and creation of the Performa Arts benefit named "The Red Party". PERFORMA is an institution founded by the amazing RoseLee Goldberg. It was hosted by Allen Cumming and honoured renowned visual artist and filmaker, Shirin Neshat. The party theme was Russian Constructivism, and Kyle based the work off of that period of time and style.



Kyle felt quite inspired to create a gift for Shirin herself...and in the Kyle Goen fashion, this took form in a five foot portrait which he hand-painted from a projected image he had recreated in halftones. On the day of the party we set up the instillations from 9am until 5pm, the banners, the canvas, the hundreds of hand-screened flags and finally the portrait. It wound up looking amazing.New York Times focused on, unfortunately not taking a single Anne Hathaway and Cindy Sherman were in the house showing support, and that is basically what the press from photo of the actual party....but the party was so fun, I was all pregnant in my red dress rocking out to Chica Vas who stole the show!
Marcus Hicks of SDN (Sara Dixon's Nova) Eco-Clothing Line

Alaina Simone curator at Damon Dash's DD172 gallery in Tribeca




Photo of Anne Hathaway and RoseLee Goldberg taken by: Amber DeVoss
Photo of Alaina Simone of The Dash Gallery taken by: Geraldine Visco

The Hand of Fatima is Pregnant...Again

In case I forgot to mention...
I am...in the words of M.I.A., "creating a baby". And this baby will venture to London (via my physical body)come November.





Thanks to the blog "Baby Gum" for this image.
xo

London, here I cometh....Again!

Gritty, Elegant, Olde, Mysterious city that left me enchanted, I will return to you. Thank you for having me. CLICK

Feliz Dia De Los Muertos....

Absolutely enchanted. Some day I hope to be in Mexico on this day. What a rich and beautiful part of Mexican/Mayan culture. My Dad said to me yesterday, "You should have gone to the festival in East Harlem. I like that Mayan thing, it's great." LOL. If you only knew what that meant coming from my dad! Who will you honor today? Even though I am not Mexican or Mayan, I celebrate this to the fullest, let the ofrendas be built and the ancestors be pleased with us.




ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF Flickr.com!!! Artists copyright on these photos.
Johnathan Barker:http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbphotographer2/
John 300: http://www.flickr.com/photos/john3000/2982471924/
Steve Hopson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevehopson/

Thirsty Pixels

Friend to the arts and amazing artist Emily Heochowicz is raising money to keep her work ALIVE...as a college student in NYC, I can imagine. Check out her blog here she has signed prints on sale and original sketches for $20.

Eye See You....

There is something undeniably intriguing about conspiracy and the history of organizing around the theory of ruling the world. How's this image for you? This is from a few years ago, fashion photographer Emma Summerton took it, I love it. Who is watching? Why? If they are should we care? I guess if they are, we might as well look dam good, check it...get your Masonic on:

Who are these folks in NYC???

Little Syria it was...please, let's all read and absorb education.
Beloved NYC belongs to those of the world.
Learn: In the year 1890...

I'm Baaaaaa-aaaack

Creativity can be soooooooooooooooo scarce when a well deserved break is needed. I am amped up and ready to move one way...forward. Check out the fresh blood in the shop!

Belated Nowrooz Mobarak!

It's 1389, I want to wish everyone a happy, beautiful New Year full of freshness. This year I got a really great photo of the family babies in the grass in my Baba's backyard. The small joys of life are not so small, they are just as recognizable and grand as they are.

On another note we're moving! Two blocks away...LOL. I won't be listing or creating for at least two weeks, try moving with two kids and hardly any help! It's hard.
So the first show of my season will be one of my favorite places EVER, The Brooklyn Lyceum. Be there the very first weekend of May, it'll be tons of fun.
http://www.bkcraftcentral.com/
Check out the classes that are available those days, Deb Klein has made them insanely affordable, I'm talking $5 to $10...

wow

another inspiring picture from mr. jacob riis who has newly brought great inspiration into my life with his turn of the century new york city (particularly 5 points area) photography.

New Item, Inspired by Jacob Riis

Jacob Riis was a photo journalist of Danish origin in New York during the 1800s who was part of the "muckraker" movement in journalism where photographers and reporters used their talents to benefit the impoverished and suffering. His work is amazing, and I added a new piece in the shop where the story is inspired by the above photo taken on Mulberry Street in the Five Points in 1880 something.

Thanks Ana Ottman!!

I recently had a really inspiring interview by creative coach Ana Ottman. She's dope...she's out of our nation's capital and found me at Crafty Bastards '09. She is such a wonderful and strong woman with great resources for women entrepreneurs. Have a hear and snoop HERE.

In addition, I never really shared, but I am a serious cook, I throw down in the kitchen. Cooking is really an art in its own right, the color, the smell, the taste, the inspiration to do it! I have to say it's my family and friends' joy that pushes me to create in the kitchen. I will share with you what I made the other night. Eggplant (my favorite non-meat main dish), because I couldn't grill it, I pan seared it, then baked it, then made separately a Bruscetta of some sort from fresh basil, yellow pepper, red pepper, vine tomato, garlic and salt cooked in olive oil then spread on the eggplant, followed by a slice fresh mozzarella, a fresh basil leave, dash of olive oil and devour! I served this with a side of Moroccan lamb murgez. Balsamic vinegar around the plate.
Also, if you're game for a Brooklyn party with artists and designers, forget the snow and come on through to the Grand Opening of Better Than Jam, CHECK IT.

la petit chose.

some little treasures make there way to the shop just in time for Valentine's Day...My little collection of vintage charms salvaged from a New England warehouse on simple gold filled chains were a HIT during the holidays. People adored these simple, yet unique pieces and layered up with them or wore them single. The tiny skeleton key is really something, what's great is that on the gold filled chain the gunmetal patinated charm pops, as does the tiny copper padlock. Practical price of $20 for the key alone, $23 for the combo. Also wholesale available for my beautiful boutique buyers.
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