The Mom stuff: Kevin is home safe and sound. He didn't leave anything behind (so he tells me ;-) and has wonderful stories and photos to share about his first trip abroad. As a mom, I laugh at myself that the thing I was most excited about was the fact that he ate soup. My super picky eater that I was sure would come home malnourished ate something I've not been able to get him to eat his entire life. He brought home a "Deutchland" scarf and refrigerator magnet (the one silly thing we all bring each other when we travel) for me, and a couple of beer steins for Dad. He bought himself a Swiss military watch, insisting that it just isn't reasonable to go to Switzerland and NOT come home with a Swiss watch. His buddy came home with $62 dollars worth of Swiss chocolate. Ah, to be 15 again and have such simple priorities. Hahaha. We are just happy to have him home.
The artist stuff: While my son was in Europe, my husband and I decided to play grownup. Among all of the silly fun stuff (including winning $3,200 on slots at the casino - woohoo!) and an adult dinner with our daughter and boyfriend, we also enjoyed a great visit to LACMA. There was an absolutely amazing Renoir collection on view, with a bit of Magritte and Picasso thrown in here and there. I must admit to breaking the cardinal rule about not crapping on other artist's work. I couldn't help it. I'm just going to say it. The work was idiotic garbage. How can someone stick a few carpet cleaners and a vacuum cleaner in acrylic boxes and seriously call it art? I get that there are people who love the stuff that Andy Warhol did like the stacks of cardboard boxes marked "Kellogg." My opinion differs, but I still get it. But this stuff? I asked one of the security guards if he could stand there all day looking at it and go home thinking it was great art, or could he just say it was the crap that it is, and he stammered for a while before giving me the "Well, it evokes conversation so it must be art" blah blah talk. I pointed out that the conversation is about just how nutbag the artist really is in my opinion. It doesn't make the guy an artist. It makes him a nutbag and the guy who bought the crap a fool. I am SOOOO over feeling timid about my work. There are a million people who won't like it for everyone that does, but I doubt seriously that anyone would call me a nutbag for calling it art.
The Mom stuff: Kevin is home safe and sound. He didn't leave anything behind (so he tells me ;-) and has wonderful stories and photos to share about his first trip abroad. As a mom, I laugh at myself that the thing I was most excited about was the fact that he ate soup. My super picky eater that I was sure would come home malnourished ate something I've not been able to get him to eat his entire life. He brought home a "Deutchland" scarf and refrigerator magnet (the one silly thing we all bring each other when we travel) for me, and a couple of beer steins for Dad. He bought himself a Swiss military watch, insisting that it just isn't reasonable to go to Switzerland and NOT come home with a Swiss watch. His buddy came home with $62 dollars worth of Swiss chocolate. Ah, to be 15 again and have such simple priorities. Hahaha. We are just happy to have him home. 
The artist stuff: While my son was in Europe, my husband and I decided to play grownup. Among all of the silly fun stuff (including winning $3,200 on slots at the casino - woohoo!) and an adult dinner with our daughter and boyfriend, we also enjoyed a great visit to LACMA. There was an absolutely amazing Renoir collection on view, with a bit of Magritte and Picasso thrown in here and there. I must admit to breaking the cardinal rule about not crapping on other artist's work. I couldn't help it. I'm just going to say it. The work was idiotic garbage. How can someone stick a few carpet cleaners and a vacuum cleaner in acrylic boxes and seriously call it art? I get that there are people who love the stuff that Andy Warhol did like the stacks of cardboard boxes marked "Kellogg." My opinion differs, but I still get it. But this stuff? I asked one of the security guards if he could stand there all day looking at it and go home thinking it was great art, or could he just say it was the crap that it is, and he stammered for a while before giving me the "Well, it evokes conversation so it must be art" blah blah talk. I pointed out that the conversation is about just how nutbag the artist really is in my opinion. It doesn't make the guy an artist. It makes him a nutbag and the guy who bought the crap a fool. I am SOOOO over feeling timid about my work. There are a million people who won't like it for everyone that does, but I doubt seriously that anyone would call me a nutbag for calling it art.
