Spin me right 'round (like a record)

So excited! Hit by major artistic inspiration today, and everything just fell into place like a row of perfectly poised dominoes.

First of all: at Starbuck's, I used my occasional nom de guerre of "Lucky" …and it set the tone for the day.

I was at the Los Angeles County Art Museum for the second time in a week, enjoying the Drawing Surrealism exhibit before it goes off to New York, just taking it all in, and I saw a beautiful bright chalk drawing on black construction paper, and then in another display, I saw a manhole cover turned into art. That is when the idea to do something on vinyl records struck me. As my mind was percolating with possibilities, I turned a corner and what should be on the wall but a large semi-flat 3-D sculpture of a record album on the wall? It seemed like a "sign" … and they did not stop there.

When I get inspired, I run with it. No over- planning, prepping, pondering, etc. Just do it. So, I figured on my way home I'd stop by a used record store, and Michael's Art Supplies. But first, I had a lunch date with a friend. So, I was telling her about my idea, asking if the Goodwill across the street from the Thai place we were eating at carries vinyl. She said no, but she just happened to have a big stack of old records she didn't want, sitting in her apartment (which is right next door to the restaurant). The one on top is The Real Thing live LP by Taj Mahal (released in 1971, which just happens to be one of my favorite years in pop culture).

So, we finished our lunch, got our fortune cookies, and mine not only said I'd be successful in a business of my own (I'm already thinking: "Etsy!"), the numbers also lined up: 08 and 23 for my birthday.

After I got the records, I looked up the nearest Michael's. But the GPS must have had outdated info, because at the address given there was instead a Staples Office Supply. I was pretty tired by then, so rather than search for another Michael's, I decided to see if Staples had paint or anything (still didn't have a clear idea of what I'd put on the vinyl, and only a few vague notions of theme… definitely sexy things, ladies' legs and high heels, and stuff like that) and what should be the first big stand-up display the minute one walks in the door?

Yep: paint pens, glitter glue, etc. That's maybe a little more kitschy and less fine-artsy than I had in mind, but I went with it and I'm going to see where it takes me!

While I have directed a couple of short films entirely on drive and instinct, I am pretty excited for this feeling now, because it has been so many years (three or four, I guess) since my last ambitious artistic project, which was my Friends at the Friendship Bell photography exercise and exhibit.

That was a wonderfully fulfilling thing to do, but this is even neater in a way, because it's all me… even unlike the films, it's not a collaboration. It's more like writing, but a visual outpouring of my sensibilities.

Can't wait to get started!