R8 Train Today

My Dual Doors Photo Was Put in this Treasury:

Featured on a Door Treasury and the blog below:

http://www.adarosman.blogspot.com/

New Frames and New Paintings

These are paintings I reshot today since I had some time

to work on etsy. I forgot most of these were in my closet

and since I sold three of the larger paintings this week,

I thought it was time I upgraded my pictures.



These are the frames my co-worker Mark made for me last
week. I'm so happy with how beautiful they came out. They
make the paintings look so crisp and clean on the wall.

The Genius Of William Eggleston

I found William Eggleston's website after a visit to DC's

National Protrait Gallery and American Art Museum.

I bought his monograph "The Democratic Forest" a decade

ago after a photography teacher at University of the Arts

brought a copy into class.

New Neighborhood Photo Series

I've been walking around photographing with new eyes with my new camera and shooting in amazing light in my neighborhood. Click on the photos to see all of the new ones.

Jesse Whitacre Show Opens Friday, Jan. 9th, 5-7pm

This is an artist I love, Jesse Whitacre, who is having an opening at Gross McCleaf Gallery at 127 S. 16th Street in Philly tomorrow night, January 9th from 5-7. I got to see some of his work in person and they are fantastic, but these new pieces look amazing, especially the Philadelphia skyline "Philadelphia City". They are collages and large sizes (24" x 60" for Philadelphia City) and the subjects range from South Philly at Christmas to portraits to nature and animals. Everyone in my office is going there, so come join us!

2009 Art Car Photo Calendar IS HERE!

Just in time for calendar sales for 2009!
The ART CAR CALENDAR. I photographed all of
these cars and trucks in New Orleans and Houston
over several years. Most were in my neighborhood
in the garden district or lower garden district
(yeah Camp St.!) and some I shot at Art Car Day at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

I'm selling them for $30 each since landscape printing something 40" long is pricey, but really, that's not much to pay for a one of a kind colorful calendar unlike any other out there! They are for sale now on my etsy site:
allisonostertag.etsy.com

I could only find the names of some of the artists through Art Car websites or "Art Cars" a book by Harrod Blank, the art car king, so if you know any of these people, please contact me! (I'll be happy to cut the artists in on the proceeds or send them a free calendar)

This calendar took me years to finally complete
and I am so psyched it's finally designed, printed and assembled!

New Etsy Treasury with My Red Leaves Rising (center bottom)

Favorite Etsy Sellers

Krista Peel from SanFrancisco

Junk Prints from Brooklyn

Invisible Fountain from Easthampton

Ralph Nuara from Minneapolis

Cyrus the Potter from Pine River, Minnesota

Jack Procter from Vancouver

ClayLab Detroit

mck254 from Arlington, MA

redsonja designs from Ottawa

Fretz Fotos for Cystic Fibrosis

Second Line Frames from Orange Beach, Alabama

Montagyoo from Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Mariposa Avenue from Salt Lake City, UT

Bonnie Jones from San Angelo, West Texas

Pearson Maron from Southern California

Kinchi from Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Snappy Shop from LA, California

John Heinz Wildlife Refuge

You probably haven't heard of it or you haven't been there, but John Heinz is an awesome nature space in Philadelphia. A large round trail surrounds a lake and surrounding wetlands are home to great blue herons, egrets, barn swallows, owls, wild turkeys, shore birds, ducks, geese, plus the woodland trails and birds like black capped chickadees, juncos, nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, goldfinches. They keep a list at the desk of birds sighted that day. They have a huge education center that won many awards for green and sustainable design and they have nature walks every weekend. You can bring your dog, use the new wheelchair accessible part of the trail across the boardwalk/bridge, or hike all the way around, which takes quite a while, especially if your stopping to look at things on the way, which I recommend.

Today I stopped by to drop off my photographs at the gift shop (stop by and support the refuge!) and take pictures. The sky was beautiful and the winter takes away the foliage and the big birds, but you can suddenly see the architecture of the trees, the fungus growing on decomposing trunks, the rocks on the beach, the seed heads of dormant plants and the icy water reflects the blue sky.

ETSY TREASURY

My orange and blue branches painting got included in this awesome treasury!

Finally A Break From Craft Shows!

I'm enjoying my first weekend without a craft show in weeks and I was out enjoying the sunshine and shopping today. Last week I was at my friend Carrie's house for a holiday crafting party (see photos), last night I was at the zoo photo club's holiday party and tomorrow I'm headed to a Philly Etsy Team holiday craft swap, which could be really cool. I keep ending up at potlucks, too, but I have no time to cook (or even grocery shop, I've been out of milk for over a week and now I'm out of oatmeal, too).

The Prescience of Desperately Seeking Susan and Read Beans And Rice Make Everything Better

I came home feeling really sad, mostly I think because the weather's so cold and grey and there won't be any more craft sales for a while and the garden's done with for several months and I started making red beans and rice while listening to 80's new wave and eating the read beans is making me feel so much better. And it's Monday, traditional red beans and rice day in New Orleans. There must be some metabolic reason why read beans are so perfect for dinner at the end of a miserable back to work day.

I was watching Desperately Seeking Susan yesterday, a movie I had a birthday party around when I was probably 10 and I haven't watched since, and I can't believe how many famous actors are in the film, from the bell boy to the cigarette girl to the sunglasses salesman on the street, even Dez's ex-giflfriend's new boyfriend, all actors who went on to bigger and better roles (as in the coroner on CSI NY or a supporting role in a Spike Lee film).

"Lust for Life" was playing from Jim's Band's van.

Susan is Madonna, Roberta is Rosanna Arquette, Dez is Adian Quinn, even John Tuturro is Ray the magic club mc in his second movie role where his character actually had a name.

Then there's the 80's night at the Shim Sham crowd in the mini Madonna video "You Can Dance." The whole movie is like an advertisement for Madonna's persona, but I loved it and I remember I had a zippered hat box I painted to match the one with skulls she carries around in the movie. I was so cool.

Philly Made Crafts Holiday Sale

I'll be at my last (I think) Holiday craft sale at Studio 34 Yoga this Sunday from 1-6ish at 45th and Baltimore Ave. I'll be selling new photos (gardens, animals, parks), new cards, Philly card sets to buy for your friends or send to far away relatives, magnets and original paintings! Scroll down to the item on Vix Emporium and Made in Philly sale.

It will be great!



Then I'm running off to the Mill Creek Farm fundraiser at the Ethical Society on the Rittenhouse Park square. Five Philly Etsy team members donated items to their silent auction including necklaces, card sets, framed photos and vegetable prayer flags. The event was great last year with plenty of free food, awesome auction items like acupuncture, dinners, art, etc. and live music and free beer. Tickets start at $20 and it's from 3-7 pm.