Excellent - time for another blog post, the best procrastination around! Especially when I fiddle faddle with my photos. Like this:
Autumn is officially here in this hemisphere. And I know that elsewhere, you're breathing a huge sigh of relief now that you've hit summer weather.
I'm particularly happy to see this autumn, having not been blown up by men with big toys. Aren't you? (Oops, did I just write that?)
If you've been wanting to wear something outrageous and been too afraid, now is the time to put it on and fill yourself and the world with positive energy.
Below, a close-up. Except for this fabulous hand-made scarf by Sevya, which Sherry of Petite Over 40 gave me, these are all things you've seen before, worn in a different combination.
The coat laces up the back corset-style and dips low. Plum, purple, eggplant, aubergine. What's not to love? And that's an old striped dress/tunic and my Rip Curl pants from My Sister's Closet, where I find so many of my treasures. Finally, my magic loupe by O.
Really, the whole thing is so over-the-top that your eye starts to see it as neutral, don't you think? I definitely walk with mega-'tude when I wear this. And I swung around my toolbox hand bag from O, not shown here, like I was somewhere far more glamourous than on my way to the supermarket in search of frozen corn.
For example, in this outfit I imagine hunching over a huge glass desk in the loft of my converted monastery, writing psychedelic poetry or a pop opera called, say, Menopausoff, with a quill pen, with a purring black cat on my lap, my manuscript illuminated by a battery- or solar-powered candle. Modern concessions. Lots of treats are on hand as well, for me and kitty.
And a HAIR TRICK.
The photo below was taken by the very talented Vancouver Barbara when we went to the Rennie Collection in Chinatown for a tour of Bob Rennie's works by Ian Wallace, a renowned local photo/conceptual artist, a genre Vancouver is famous for. It's exactly the kind of intellectual art that constipated me for several decades after I studied it.
There was a faded candid Polaroid of the artist sleeping called Artist at Work. "Genius," everyone enthuses. "$$$!" the artist enthuses. Hahaha. Of course, it's the historical context of its invention that makes his work endure, as is the case with much art. [Edit: And the artist's continuing development of and passion for the work.]
And, yeah, good on him for making a self-admitted throwaway a collectors' item. How can I do that? Anyone interested in my old sweatsocks? If I call it art, will it be so?
Uh-oh, I need my journal for some Kitty/Turnip Head sketching to cleanse myself of such thoughts. But I enjoyed revisiting my past and debriefing at The Sylvia with Barbara after the tour.
[Edit: I attended a talk by Ian Wallace at the gallery on Oct 4 and I'm so glad I did. It was wonderful seeing the passion he has for his work. Beauty in all its forms was a phrase that kept coming to mind.]
Note the short hair? Haircut by O. He's so good at it!
Barbara's direction to me at the gallery was, go sit on the those stairs and look sad. I did, and a couple more looked really, really sad, yes, tragic even. And we of course burst out laughing between shots, oh so unladylike!
And what's that on my legs? Beige?!! I was readying my black tux pants when suddenly I thought, gaaa, too much black, and grabbed these: Missoni, perfect fit, knit, with cuffs, also from My Sister's Closet. They were perfect with this brown Pierre Cardin tie, Windsor-knotted, and my velvet blazer.
My first run-in with these pants was HERE, a post called "Clothes the Colour of Porridge."My hair looks really short up there, right? But below is that same short cut styled into peaks. Who would have guessed? O cut it so I could wear it both pixie and foppish. I love being able to play with these divergent looks.
Sherry interviewed O by email and wrote an amazing post on his art and magic loupe, HERE. Her writing is truly professional and expresses his views so well. Her generous support of his art is amazing. And she's got fantastic style. I LOVE that red lipstick!
And another huge hug is in order for Sylvia of 40+ Style, who put up an Instagram post on the stainless steel/synthetic ruby ring she bought from O. Thank you so much for including it in a movie clip on your Instagram, below.
If you want a loupe or ring like these, head over to O's Etsy shop, OSK Micro-art Studio.
And that's it for another week. Stay clean. Stay fed and watered. Stay happily clothed whenever possible. And most of all, stay positive. I'm doing my best here.
