a m e l i a   f a i s   h a r n a s

These 5 are the best of the latest 3 rounds of winestains employing my new electric djanting for greater control & my new double burner hotplate so that I can work indoors (my first rounds were all done in the backyard using a propane grill) without having to maneuver things on a stovetop (too tricky). 

Plus, I'm thrilled to have a little setup out at Beulahland. Since the house is heated by a wood burning furnace, indoor temperatures almost reach sauna-level, which means the wine stain sets faster. Also, instead of using a drawing for the base that took me all of 5 minutes to sketch (because I felt that I could not afford to use up my staining time too much!), I'm actually doing portrait studies, taking more time to start with a better drawing. Fancy that!

All in all, I am absolutely tickled with this new progress. I simply cannot wait to begin new round after new round!

"52 Card Psycho," by G. Alan Rhodes, currently on display at the Black & White Biennial at Exhibit A, has been much too much fun for me (as shown in the video below). This installation makes it possible for you to play with the shots from the shower scene in Hitchcock's, "Psycho." So, I had fun with grouping and arranging shots - next on my list is a dance mix version... (maybe)

Yes, it is possible to draw the codes by hand & have them read properly. 
So, yes, in fact, my sketchbook now plays video.

It's up until mid-March. Please do come & check it out.

I've been working on my aim. With a spring day gifted from the heavens & the need for more rest and release after such a crazy January, what better way to spend a sunny afternoon than shooting stuff in the backyard.

Not bad for the sun being in my eyes - I did, however, lose my mojo right before those last two cans. Practice makes perfect (I'll have to drink more targets).

I put this together from scratch in two and a half weeks & when I say excerpts, I mean excerpts.

The 4 of us took turns creating the choreography over the course of 5 short weeks.
The entire piece is 18 minutes long, requires 16 chairs & 2 audiences facing each other.

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.


- Mary Oliver (via Kat Yeary)

This video sums up two major events on my horizon:
1) Halloween (my costume will be Chick with Steve Buschemi Eyes)
2) On Halloween Day, I will hop on a train (Amtrak!) and spend 3 days traveling to PORTLAND.

Just wanted to let you all know. Now please excuse me while I go dance like a 7 year old at a birthday party featuring a ball pit, candy and caffeinated root beer.

I work as a translator and enjoy it greatly. But (I will admit) I also enjoy Google Translate. It's a fast way to get the gist of something. Since my wine stains are now popping up on international sites, I'm enjoying Google translating comments or checking if anyone is getting creative in their translations with the mostly copied & pasted text from This Is Colossal.

So far, I've found translations in Hungarian, Portugese, Spanish, Russian, Romanian, German, Greek, Korean & Chinese. 

Of course, translation between English and Chinese is always fun. So, courtesy of Google Translate, I give you this:

On the site to see pictures of this one, really lamented, too creative, and see the beach before paint, did not think there is actually painting with wine. For everyone to enjoy, lamented about the art of charm.

Can not drink wine painting. American artist Amelia Harnas wine poured in cotton or paper to paint vividportraits created out of life.

Oh yeah - and then some very clever people figured out how to use Google translate to beatbox. I like this one.

Found this the other day & wanted to share it. There's something about Cocteau's special effects that make me giddy. Yes, they are so obvious, but they are still magical and still fresh. I need to get my hands on a full version of this film!

I was hoping to have my apartment be a part of the "Apartment Tour" on Market St., but, unfortunately, my landlords frowned upon the idea (for good reasons). Currently, I am very proud of my bathroom. I want to show it off!! So, I posted a photo on facebook last night, thinking people would find the absurdity of it amusing...

Moreover, years later, when I get all nostalgic (and if I still have this blog and this website) and read through archived posts, I can chuckle a bit myself.