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| I am your classic Red Personality and find beauty in almost anything. I love the bright, tropical colors found in Hawaii, the scenery, Hawaiian shirts, pineapples, and that all-around happy feeling you get when visiting Hawaii. The natives are friendly, and I'm usually called "Island Girl" or "Princess" whenever I'm there. Paradise! |
It all began with crushing aluminum cans and attending a recycling seminar when I was in junior high. I have been recycling items for 35 years.
So, fast forward to 2011. For months, the Sacramento News & Review (SN&R) has been putting ads in their publication picturing their Newsstand Art Project. Their goal is “Making News Beautiful”. They have 600 newsstands available for local artists to design. After completion, the newsstands will be put to work somewhere in the Sacramento area.
More than anything else, I consider myself a writer. After decades of Writer’s Block, I’ve returned to writing as my #1 passion in life. I have always been a highly creative person, but in order to create, I need to pursue activities other than writing. I love to draw and paint. As a photographer, I’ve been told that I have “the eye”. These days, I’m trying spinning and weaving, but failed miserably at basket weaving. I’ve been creating my own greeting cards using different mediums. So far, I like picking up a different kind of gun—a heat gun to put permanent designs on paper.
The SN&R has been a free, alternative newspaper for Sacramento and has other similar newspapers published in Chico and Reno. The newspaper comes out every Thursday and provides interesting reading which includes local politics, entertainment, reviews, interviews, etc.
It took me a little over a month to design and paint my newsstand. At the time, I had Hawaii on my mind and set a goal to save for airline, cruise tickets and expenses for me and Jack. I have no patience with people who cry and whine that they don’t have any money to go places. Since I am retired and don’t have any money coming in as someone who works for a living, it will take almost a year to save for our travel expenses. But if you stick to a schedule, stagger your savings and stretch them out over a year’s time, travel goals become reachable.
Some people write down their goals and tape the piece of paper it’s written on to a place where they’ll see it every day. I only know that by painting big red flowers and turtles on my newsstand, it’s a vow for me to get the two of us to Hawaii next year for a cruise of the islands. We’ve cruised the Hawaiian Islands before, and we’ll do it again. I have finally found someone I can travel with.
I have nothing against recycling things and giving them a new life. But I am thankful to SN&R for allowing me to participate in their Newsstand Art Project. I don’t know where my newsstand will be located, but somewhere in Sacramento, it will be holding issues of the SN&R and will be considered a work of public art. At the same time, it will be a reminder and a promise for one of my travel goals which will most likely take place next fall.
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| My newsstand is #248. I signed my work and have shamelessly plugged SheRetired.blogspot.com and ArleneVPoma.hubpages.com. |
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