Jenny Macc’s blog

The dog days have hit....I'm not sure what to do. Trying to get some good shots for stencils. Here are a few I am working on.....

This is one I did of Erik.....

Everyman

It turned out the best so far. I am thinking of giving it to his girlfriend on her b-day...think she'll like it?

Here is on of me I'm working with....

um

I like this one a lot except you can't see any of the face.

Oh yeah, I have been making purses too....

Woodie Tote

Woodland Hobo/Shoulder Bag

So there you have it.

I went white water rafting last weekend...loads of fun.

Umm, I had a lot of fun this weekend. In fact, since I got out of school for summer vacation its been just about nothing but fun really. I drove to Portland on Thursday and tried to sell some stuff at the Alberta Street 4th Thursday fair...not too many sales but I did make some gas money. I closed up early and cruised the streets with my sister Megan. Tons of art and stuff to look at. I also got a glimpse of another Vox blogger, faerwear.....riding around on this bus. Have a great time in Brooklyn Faerwear!

Saturday morning I woke up at Megans house and she showed me this painting she was working on.....

Watercolor by Megan Hyde

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This is Vincent, my son. Its from a photo she took a few years ago when they were all sitting around and decided to have a mean face contest.....Vincent won of course, he has been practicing his mean face for a long time. Any way I just love it....she was inspired by the quote she wrote on the painting that says, "You have more freedom than you are using". And, because Vincent is in jail right now, it seems very fitting.

So then I told her to go get her sketch book and sketch me while I was sitting on her patio.......

Sketch by Megan Hyde

She did this in about 5min.
I love it that my sister can do this because my mother used to and now she can't see well anymore and having someone to do portraits of our family is important to me.

100 degrees it was on Saturday in Portland. Thank the gods my brother-in-law had his pool set up!

Portland Heat

         

Portland Heat

I love the heat......keep it coming.

On Saturday Tom found a note attached to our mailbox, It said,

The Girl Next Door

Do you remember a while back I posted about borrowing shoes from the neighbor? Well, when I returned them I gave the neighbor a note thanking her and I included a link to my blog here. She and the others began reading now and then. So there you go peoples, you think your just borrowing a pair of shoes one day but really you are forming a connection that goes out like a ripple in a pond. Oh sure, I am lots of things but being someones first "real" neighbor is an honor I will cherish. So, goodbye girl next door, thanks for leaving the sweet note, and remember, no matter where you go, there you are......barefooted........

Stencil Nation

On Friday night I went to the Last Word bookstore to hear a guy speak about his new book called Stencil Nation. He had a bunch of free stickers and some artwork for sale (cheap) so I bought a few things...

Russell Howze, Stencil Nation

I have started collecting a lot of "street art" lately....mainly because it is so cheap. This gets me to thinking...why are these artists undervaluing their work? One of the things this guy, Russell Howze, mentioned in his presentation was the idea that everyone can do it. But can everyone do it well? And if someone does it well  it can create a superstar, (banksy for instance who does a wall in England and it becomes a registered landmark, protected by the city). When does the tag or stencil become art? Is it art from the beginning or does only become art after it is photographed or put up on a wall? Is it art if it sells? Some people still only see it as vandalism but once we have a gallery filled with banksy's work does it up the ante? Hummm and whats next?

After the talk we went outside to the Olympia free wall where some artists  were painting up the wall Soule had done a great piece that another person "cut" out a piece of. So she decide she wanted a piece too. Pretty soon we all had cut out a piece of her work......

Soule

And now I feel really bad for not paying for it.....

But I think I will go to her etsy store and buy something .......

Well, I really have been doing some work aside from babysitting at the elementary school I work at. Only 7 more days until I start my summer vacation! I can't wait....here are a few new bags available jmacc.etsy.com.....

Tattoo Hobo/Shoulder Bag

Yesterday I went to a new book group meeting with some of the folks over at goodreads.com. I didn't actually read the book but I really just wanted to hang out with Agatha Frye. She is very cool.

Opium Den Hobo/Shoulder Bag

Here is the caplet I am working on writhing the pattern for .....

So, there you have it.

Glacier Caplet

I think I am falling in love. I think about it all the time, I stare and stroke it when I lie in bed. I examine it closely in the mirror and think up ways to show it off.  It's my scar. Now I know why people get tattoos...it's a kind of scar, there to remind you of something. I have no tattoos, I never really wanted one. This scar, in my opinion is way, way better than a tattoo anyway. It tells a story all its own, even beyond me.
I was recently on etsy and someone started a thread called "Tell us About Your Tattoo" When I wrote that I had no tattoos, just an amazing scar well, it went over like a fart in church. Nobody wanted to talk about it. Nope, everyone wanted to hear stuff like,
"Well, I just always wanted Tweedy Bird on my butt".
Or,
"It's a beautiful symbol that means "hope" in Swahili".
Or,
"I wanted to have my boyfriends name with me forever, we broke up years ago but I still like it".

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These are the kinds of things people want to talk about, especially younger woman who  enjoy taking their beautiful un-mared faces and filling them with holes and markings. Sometimes I feel like screaming, "Wait! You will get your scars alright, ugly, gnarly things that hurt so deep the pain never goes away"!

But I guess that is what they want, they want to show the pain, and that I can understand. I feel like a walking zombie sometimes, cut, bruised, sore from the pounding life gives me.That I give myself.  Oh, its not as bad as some, worse than others but having this scar is something that shows, proof of pain. And its not just physical pain. Really, most of us can handle that. Its the deep emotional pain that lingers....festers.....makes you feel so sensitive.

My scar feels like a zipper,  I fantasize about having my skin flayed open and being able to see inside my body. What would it look like?  Does it all show, can anything be fixed?

It separates the men from the boys....I wore low cut jeans the other day for the first time. I notice how people look at it. I like seeing them wonder, stare...

I don't think my husband loves it as much as I do. I don't care.

It's my beautiful scar, my reminder of the hurt that will never really go away.

Well her it is, SP Thursd

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Hell yes, spring is here finally, so,  to celebrate we ran for the hills.......

Skokomish River

Jenny Macc

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Tarzan and Jane

I have also been having a great time reading the "shit" about etsy over at etsybitch. A new blog designed for calling out, complaining and roasting the whole etsy site.....check it out!

It been three weeks now and I feel MUCH better. Tonight is Tom's opening night and he is excited. It's also visiting night at juvi so I am torn....see Tom on opening night or sit with Vin for a very unsatisfying 30 min? Not sure yet...
Self portrait Thursday is here. I decided to take pic's at work.....

Xing Guard Duty

Playground Duty

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