Randi Feuerhelm

2008-06-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.brenthouzenga.com/

Mail Art

2008-06-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

The mail art train is picking these babies up today and taking them

to you. You know who you are.

Entitlements

2008-06-17T12:03:00.000-07:00

This weeks journal pages and sketches

I Come From a Land of Seagulls

2008-06-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

I noticed last night at my husband's softball game,

I am the only one who looks up when the geese fly over.

I still can't get used to the large

V shaped silhouettes that routinely tower over my head.

I came from a land of seagulls

who grabbed at left over sandwich crusts,

while the sandwich owners were busy with magic castles

and sloshing buckets of water.

More Mail Art

2008-05-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the great mail art you guys!! I just received a envelope sewn together out of a screen, tapeology, found object painting and a meaningful visual diary of deep feelings about Katrina. You guys are way too creative. Maybe this all stems from me having boatloads of pen pals when I was a kid.

A journal page from one of my smaller books. Aluminum tape, stencils, photos, sketches, found object prints, decorative tape, and journaling all make up this spread. See how I cut out part of the photo on the right and included it in the chest of the sketch? Try drawing off of your photos and don't worry about "getting it just right" whatever that means.

2008-05-11T09:32:00.001-07:00

New Travel Journal

2008-05-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Attach a extra long piece of paper to your journal and then fold it over to make a file folder like this one. Hold the whole file together with a piece of elastic. Attaching pages and making folds is a great way to improve a boring journal. These pages are spraypainted, have glued fabric strips, and see that red stripe? That is a paper napkin from Target. Use masking tape and sew on the pages to add some other textures too. On the inside of the folder I have a list of things I saw when I was on my trip.

Grapefruit Graffiti

2008-05-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

Grapefruit graffiti mail art on it's way out to some mail art buddies. I always get the mail art bug this time of year, enjoy it while it lasts you guys.

Rick Rack

2008-04-26T16:57:00.000-07:00

I went to a wedding today and when I saw this cake, two words came immediately to mind. I mean it's obvious right?

Rick rack.

I mean, look at all the wasted years of round, plain white, wedding cakes when you could have something cool like this. AND look at all the years of wasted maternity tops with obnoxious rick rack around the sleeves and neck. What is that? Why did we have to look like I love Lucy when mothers to be, today, look like they could walk out of a fashion magazine. Why were we punished because we had wedding receptions and got pregnant in the wrong century? Life just isn't fair. Kind of like the whole ironing pillow cases thing.

I remember my grandma telling me as a young bride she was sitting on the front porch one hot summer evening hemming white cotton fabric. The nieghbor asked her what she was hemming and she mumbled "dish towels". Her face was red with imbarrassment knowing these were really diapers for her first little baby, my mother. Being pregnant, even when you were married was something you didn't talk about. Then they went right into the next century letting us tell people we were pregnant by our circus clown costumes.

I am sure the bride today didn't have rick rack on her mind when she looked at the pink flowers on her cake. Most likely she was thinking how she wanted to get out of her uncomfortable shoes, and on that plane to Hawaii, so she could work on her tan with her handsome new husband and come home to open wedding gifts.

Knowing she will never, ever have to do two things in her entire life.

Hem diapers or wear rick rack.
I can't think of a better way to start a marriage.

Congrats Kevin and Whitney.

Self Portrait

2008-04-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

Personal shrouds left behind.

Forever imprints of once was.

Blurry from lack of purpose

thick stains from not giving in

or maybe you didn't leave a mark at all

blending in with everything around you.

Living Life From the Air

2008-04-16T07:37:00.000-07:00

When you think of Wisconsin you think of cheese right? I mean not just the cheese you wear on your head at football games but like the string cheese you buy at gas stations. It's kind of like when you think of California you think of cross dressers and traffic. Or Oregon you think of Birkenstock's or Alaska really really depressed people. But while I was eating my string cheese from the gas station (really), I took these photos and realized that Madison, Wisconsin is just a place to be.

http://www.converse.com/index.aspx?bhcp=1#c1

Personalized Door Art

2008-04-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

These are some of the door signs I made for Camp Runamuckus at Artfest. I can't believe I didn't get to go this year. There are ball chains hanging from the bottom of each one for everyone to hang their swaps, charms, business cards or whatever else they can find from their trip. At least they will get some sleep this year because I won't be there keeping everyone awake all night. Thanks Nikki for all your work decorating and bringing food, I know you all are going to have a great great time.

The Gaze

2008-03-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

March 29 Journal Entry

I have decided that I completely missed yesterday. And the day before that. And maybe even the day before that. I didn't look out the window or stand on the porch or even look up from my keyboard. I remember I did make a couple dozen lattes. and pee. and brush my teeth. But other than the days all blended. But you know what? I think even when I am not writing I still miss days. I am too busy looking at "what was" and "what could have been" and lots and lots of "shoulds". The gaze has become bigger and louder and wears a disguise.

I did find a guy who knows how to do it. I mean he knows how to be in today.

With hot sauce, mashed potatoes, bed sheets and bell peppers he just lets things happen the way they are supposed to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3VDNaikh1w

http://blip.tv/file/450008

If I could spend a day with anyone I think it would be him....

2008-03-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

So we think that Sodom was this way bad place that was destroyed because of all their sin right? I heard someone say that we are so much worse now in our society than Sodom ever was.And then I found this verse today. Ez. 16:49 "Sodom was arrogant, overfed and unconcerned they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things." I keep thinking about that word unconcerned and how easy it is not to do something. Not read my bible. Not make that phone call. Not go to church. Not pray.

It's kind of like we are these little gods running around living our lives based on what we want and when we want it. Sacrifice isn't in our vocabulary and neither is the word inconvenience.

So as the day's go by we continue to put God in our God box and leave him there until we have a really big problem. The blood continues to drip and we don't even see the trail it has left behind us.

Pick a Team

2008-01-24T19:24:00.000-08:00

22 steps.........that's how many there are in Hastings bookstore from the Christian books to the porn. 22 steps, one after the other, like no one will notice if they are far enough apart.

It made me think how we position things to our advantage.

Kind of like my dog , when he knew he did something wrong, would hide around the corner and peek just one eye out enough to see thinking no one else could see him.

Positioning ourselves. If I distance myself far enough away it won't count. From that person, that place, that memory.

But in our hearts, we secretly know it is only 22 steps, from dark to light.

From seeing, to being blinded.

2008-01-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

Hands

Studying body language in art this week reminds me of something a drawing teacher said, "When you can master drawing hands and feet you can draw anything." I have decided to let the hands I draw be what they want to be.

And I will be what I want to be as well.

Not lowering the bar or making excuses for wanting to do my best. This is a year to proceed.

"To proceed; to go forward after an interruption. Continue. Move on, in a orderly fashion".

I saw a exhibit recently of Enrique Chagoya's work and he uses a lot of hands. Micky Mouse hands, chopped off hands, sign language hands, menorah hands, the more fingers the more powerful for his 9 fingered hands.

And Jesus with holes in his hands.