That’s a pretty big promise, I know. But don’t take my word for it. Take a mere 10 minutes from your life and be moved by this amazing film, “Change for A Dollar,” by Sharon Wright. Don’t miss this. Watch here, or for a bigger view, just click the link above.
How excited was I to learn that I am a finalist in the Dog Writers Association of America’s (DWAA) national contest for dog illustration! My French Bulldog art has been appearing in Just Frenchies magazine, a quarterly publication for the breed, for quite a few years now, and they recently notified me that I was a finalist. The publisher and editor-in-chief had submitted my French Bulldog artwork to DWAA, unbeknownst to me, and lo and behold … I made the cut.
I’m particularly honored to be among other finalists who are artists contributing to Dog Fancy and the AKC Gazette. That’s some mighty fine company. The winner will be announced at Westminster this coming February 2012, but I understand all the winners are announced prior to the show at the DWAA annual dinner.
This is the kind of thing where I would be beyond ecstatic if I won, but am just so grateful to have been submitted by my publisher AND to have been named a DWAA finalist among many accomplished professionals.
The burning question may be exactly which piece was submitted? And the answer is, I’m not sure yet. But it might be this one.
Note: All illustrations, drawings and photographs are © Jeanne Balsam and may not be reproduced in any format without written permission. Thank you!
If you think carousels are one of the most magical creations of man, raise your hand. Really. Put it up. I thought so. You and me both.
So I expect you will be as excited as I was to learn that Jane’s Carousel gave its first ride on September 16, 2011. The carousel was manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (P.T.C.) in 1922, and was designated as P.T.C. 61. It was originally installed in Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio, once a prosperous steel manufacturing city. The carousel fell on hard times, and in 1984, Jane and David Walentas purchased the carousel, in poor condition, to prevent it from being sold off piecemeal.
Jane has been lovingly restoring the carousel ever since. Located in Brooklyn Bridge Park on the East River, between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, P.T.C. 61 couldn’t look more magnificent. It is housed in a square, acrylic pavilion designed by Pulitzer prize winning French architect Jean Nouvel. Jane’s years of work and the creation of its location and housing were all undertaken at the personal expense of Jane and her husband. Jane’s Carousel is their gift to the people of the city of New York. And what a gift it is.
However there’s one more truly magical element to this carousel. It’s what happens at night. Once every hour, the carousel starts on its own. Backlit from the center of the carousel, the horses’ shadows are thrown on the walls of the acrylic pavilion. Take a look.
To see the beautiful carvings and detail of the horses themselves, watch this YouTube video. The opening section gives you views from a distance and the dedication by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others. The film of the horses themselves begins at about 7:45, set to music a real joy to watch.
Jane and David Walentas, thank you for this extraordinary and magical gift. The history of the carousel and all the work that went into its restoration as well as details on visiting and taking a ride can be found at the Jane’s Carousel web site.
Here comes the onslaught – the endless ads and commercials on radio, TV and web -all promising you the perfect Christmas if you just buy from them. And who is ‘them?’ All the big box stores that have multi-millions to advertise, of course.
But while everyone is busy cramping about the crappy economy, they’re also busy running out to these same stores to get a deal. And this while the small businesses in your very own neighborhood are languishing and slowly shuttering their stores due to lack of sales. People … here’s the chance. Shop local!
“The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday® is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. On November 26, we’re asking millions of people to shop small at their favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. When we all shop small, it will be huge.” What a great idea.
How about it? Nirvana is not really at Wal-Mart, and by shopping at the small businesses in your town or county, you keep merchants alive who are trying so hard to bring you what they think you want. Got a car wash? Get some gift certificates for friends or family – who wouldn’t love someone else cleaning their car inside and out .. or detailing it? Gift and card shop? There’s always something special for a hard-to-get person, and you’ll most likely be buying Christmas cards. Have a favorite restaurant in your area? pizza place? cafe? Again – gift certificates to eat out are a real treat in this economy, and bound to please anyone. It’s not rocket science, just a shift in thinking.
There are so many options before blowing it all at a big box store. Help your local businesses thrive and get cool stuff for your gift recipients. And although Small Business Saturday is November 26, spread the wealth and expand the time frame. Think small – you’ll feel great.
In this post you see photos of just a small portion of the wide selection of what’s in store in a small business not too far from me. It’s primarily a card and gift shop with an amazing assortment of things inside; it’s called This `N That on the Corner, and it’s located at 38 Bridge Street in Milford, NJ. Shopkeeper Tracy puts her heart and soul into searching out great merchandise and also features local artists. You can come to my neck of the woods and shop here if you’d like – she’d love it! – or maybe take a look around your own neighborhood with new eyes. The season of giving is upon us – happy small business shopping!
One of my friends laughs at me when he stops by and looks at my computer. Why? Because my desktop is always different.
For the same reason that I have at least 6 calendars around the house, I change my desktop daily or have images rotating on an hourly basis. And usually on a theme. It’s a continual art show, and for whatever reason, it makes me happy. Right now, not surprisingly, my desktop theme is fall, and here is one of my favorite images from the photo folder of the same name.
Because my mind seems already primed to want to look at beautiful images, and I’ve spent a fair amount of my life engaged in photography, I am also quick to grab fantastic photos, (copyright free, of course), and squirrel them away. But it’s not as time-consuming as it sounds. It’s really more of a drive-by kind of experience.
I have folders on all kinds of subjects. The only one that is potentially problematic is food. When I have that dark chocolate bark with almonds on my desktop … well, you can only imagine what happens. Mmmmm … maybe I’ll put that up tomorrow.
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