Condoville Art Display

Condoville Art Display
A taste of my artistry
Showing posts with label paintings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paintings. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The pool, the flower bed and the none-gardener rant

At long last, condoville today is bathed in sunlight for at least another day. It's amazing how a dose of sunshine brightens everybody's disposition. If I could, I'd do a sun dance if it would keep it around for a while.

On a positive note, the pool is already fit for swimming and we're only in May. This is quite a departure from past years when they didn't even start filling it until the beginning of June. According to those in charge, the cement pool bottom will not be re-painted this year. The pool company that did the job assured the condo board that its slippery surface will slowly wear off over time. It appears that the condo board are satisfied with this promise and are willing to wait and see if anybody complains and then act.. This means that once again as in past years, there will be rubber mats placed at the bottom of the pool near the pool steps to prevent people from slipping. Looks dumb if you ask me but then nobody did and even if they had, I would have told them it looks stupid. I suppose it's better than slipping. We'll see what the reaction of the pool users will be very soon.

Some excitement on condoville boulevard, today! A movie company used our street to shoot a scene. As expected residents living in buildings on the street were out in full force to watch. The movie company was supposed to start shooting at 3 p.m. but didn't show up until 4-ish. Some people took them at their word and sat on benches located in the park accross to guarantee a good vantage point since 2 p.m. They were subsequently informed that they would have to vacate their benches by the movie people. I'm surprised nobody brought along portable chairs. A real estate agent who recently moved into our building took advantage of the crowd, handing out her business cards. How crass - but inventive. I've always been tempted to walk up to a member of a film set and utter one of my favorite quotations from "Sunset Boulevard": "I'm ready for my close up, Mr. deMille." BTW - it was a cops-and-robber film and they brought along props that included a fake police car and a bullet-ridden car. As fast as they arrived and set up, they were gone.


My "favorite" person, the so-called gardener/garden designer/amateur/wanna-be, has finished her planting. After doing a thorough walk-around, I can say with absolute certainty, no doubt in my mind and complete assurance that her job sucks, big time. There are pink and red impatiens planted in a row too far apart giving it a sparse look, yellow and orange marigolds dotted here and there don't belong, along with yellow pansies, which I absolutely adore under normal circumstances. Also thrown in for good measure are a few hosta plants, four ferns jutting out here and there... and heaven knows what else. Meanwhile, the small flower bed near the placette/overlook is a mish-mash of you name it - it's there - somewhere. She planted hybrid tea rose bushes and four of the eight have gone to that great garden bed in the sky. I could have told her this would happen since she planted them without offering them any food and most likely not enough primping and babying. Roses love to be coddled and in return reward those that ignore them by dying. Ask me about it! Meanwhile, let us not forget that she had a drip water system installed - still can't believe it - specifically for the roses well being. A lot of good that did, huh? Eventually, she will return with her clipboard in hand to note which of her choices have thrived and which died. Like it matters at this point.

Lots more to report but we'll wait until after the condo board meeting. Right now a roofing company has arrived to re-roof our building. The crew is yelling instructions to each other - nobody heard of walkie-talkies? M
ore tomorrow after the condo meeting. Meanwhile, I'm going to choose paintings to be framed for the annual condo art exhibit. At least it keeps my mind off Madam le None-Gardener but not the noise outside.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Art show must go on...and other condoville stuff

The Art Show is a go!

After being in limbo for two weeks, there's good news regarding our annual art exhibition.
Actually found out this piece of information by accident when two of the artists living in the condo building next to ours posted a notice promoting merely their artistic output on our bulletin board. The person organizing the show for whatever reason, never bothered phoning or advising us one way or the other. Most likely the duo artistico took advantage of the opportunity, arranging to display their work. Upon realizing what occurred, the neighbor down the hall and myself who were justifiably livid, decided to create our own notice and hand-delivered it to all the buildings in our area. We'll show them! Anyway, who cares. The main thing is that the show will go on! Last year visitors were sparce but then perhaps Mr. Organizer didn't do his job in promoting the exhibition as he claims! In the end, it can be said that every effort was made this time to ensure that there would be people visiting the exhibition. The show is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Of course I'll report back...

I've also prepared an art portfolio with photos and information on all the paintings I've created so far. Not sure how many paintings I'm going to exhibit but most likely, as many as possible. Last year people actually showed their paintings on the grass but I have two easels and two table easels that could hold about nine canvases altogether.

Finally the contractors in charge of preparing the swimming pool actually showed up this past weekend. Seems that they claimed to be extremely busy according to the people in charge of the swimming pool portfolio of the condo board, who were most likely bombarded with condovillers asking when the pool was going to be filled. To date the pool has been spray-jet-cleaned and prepared for painting. Period. It still has yet to be painted and then filled for the opening day this Saturday. I don't think so. If not, the condo board better prepare for a mutiny.

The neighbor living in the condo opposite ours is still obsessing (my opinion) over his new floor. While discussing the art show dilemma last week with my neighbor down the hall in front of our apartment, his door suddenly flew open and with measuring tape in hand, he dropped to his knees and measured the wooden floor entrance to his apartment. Of course I glanced inside his apartment and its really sparsely furnished. I call it Extreme-Sparse-Modern.

Meanwhile, aqua fitness is scheduled to start next week. Of course they first need water in the pool...

UPDATE: THE POOL HAS BEEN PAINTED!!!
Today in late afternoon, the white truck with the painted picture of a swimming pool on the side, showed up and an hour later when it drove away, the swimming pool was a rich deep shade of blue. No water - yet - but at least it's one step closer. According to the powers-that-be a.k.a. the condo board, a new and supposedly more efficient pool company was hired to care for the pool this year. This new company claimed to be very busy and hence the reason for the delay. Just realized it's the first time I used the word "hence" in any of my blogs. Maybe I'll use it again in the future.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Bummer - no condo art exhibition this summer

Real downer. Found out there won't be an art exhibition (and sale as the case may be) this summer between our condo building and the one next door. Go know why.

A couple of years ago, a few of the condo-ites living in the building next to us showed off their artistic renderings outdoors. Some people stopped to look them over while on their way to the pool including me. Last year somebody took charge and the event was expanded to include artists or people who believe they're artists, including those in our building. Loved the idea especially since I paint and the most difficult problem was to select canvases to frame. In the end I chose five landscapes and two floral paintings. Truly amazing the degree in which frames enhance a canvas. But I digress.

We were about fifteen artists with varying degrees of talent (painting is subjective as they say) and we set up our displays outside around the two condo buildings. In spite of perfect weather conditions, there really weren't a lot of visitors but it was wonderful to have strangers comment and examine one's work. The surprise was that I sold my first canvas. I'm told this means that I can call myself a professional artist, now. Go figure!

However, as is the case in life, nothing lasts forever and in this instance, not even for one year. A phone call to the man in charge last year who lives in the building next door to find out the exhibition dates, indicated that it wasn't to be. He mumbled something to the effect that there wasn't enough interest and other stuff I couldn't make out. His response was very vague, which indicates to me that perhaps - just perhaps - the artists living in the building next door want to keep the show solely for themselves. We'll see next month if this is the case when the exhibit usually takes place. I mean - even if they do set up shop, not much I can do. I suppose I could boycott them or make snide remarks about their art work... Or a better idea would be to find out if there's any artists living in our building and if so, we can set up our own show. We'll show them!

Meanwhile, no work has started on cleaning out the pool. It's still filled with yucky, grey, murky water. Hard to believe that it will be ready for swimming in a month. I've already washed the beach towels in preparation.

There's dandelions growing everywhere in wild abandon, since it's forbidden to use harmful weed killer. Meanwhile, the multi-color tulip display in the park accross the road is magnificent.

And so it goes...