Art Con 5 Art

I just realized I never posted the artwork I created for Art Con 5. Maybe it was because it went for $120 less than last year. Boo. :(

Here's the train.

Art Con 5

As long as I own my red coat, I will be there year after year after year...

2009.

2008.

In case you hadn't heard...

I had a really great time at Art Conspiracy 4 this weekend. Here's what it looked like in case you couldn't make it:


Art Conspiracy 4 - Deconstructed from Cindy Chaffin on Vimeo.

First show in... forever.

And it's not really a show. It's a show/charity auction/concert/party.

It's Art Conspiracy, and here's how all this works:

A couple of months ago AC4 sent out an APB stating they were accepting 150 artists this year -first come, first served- and I emailed back in time. That was it. No portfolio, no nothing. My cat could be an artist in AC4. As a matter of fact, if my painting doesn't work out tonight, I might claim he painted it.

This afternoon after golf (that's right- I'm a golf coach today) I pick up my charcoal/paints/brushes from home, change into many layers of sweats, and head down to an unheated warehouse in Dallas.

I check in, get my badge and a 2' x 2' piece of primed plywood, and start painting. I have about 3 hours to create something that will auction for at least $20... because $20 is not only where the bidding starts, it's also the amount I'm going to need at least one person to yell out tomorrow night or I will jump off a bridge.

Have I mentioned that a few of my friends are also participating? What happens when their paintings sell for $200, but when the bidding starts on mine, the record scratches and all you hear is crickets? I'll tell you what happens. Read the last six words from the previous paragraph.

Back to the countdown. Tonight after I have completed my masterpiece (of s?), I turn it over to AC4 to be installed, then pop over to a pre-AC4 party. What happens after that isn't any of your business.

Tomorrow night at 6:30 all 150 artists, along with the volunteers, bands, and gen pub converge on the warehouse and start the "show." It goes a little like this, or so I'm told:

Drink
Auction
Drink
Band
Can't feel my toes...
Drink
Auction
Drink
Band
Can't toes my feel...
Final Auction

And yes maam, I will be sure to post my creation. I'm actually pretty excited about it.

Note to Self (Art Conspiracy IV)

"When filling out information, remember that you have TWO email addresses."

I could kick myself. Again.

This Saturday I will have a painting up for auction at Art Conspiracy IV in Dallas, benefiting Preservation LINK, Inc. The whole reason I signed up (other than charity) was so I could get re-introduced to the Dallas art community. Other than the auction, there is a pretty little printed program that will contain the 150+ artists' information... except mine. See, I forgot which email I sent the Art Con peeps, so I have been missing all the deadlines. :(

But listen, just because I'm not in the program doesn't mean I'm not participating. I am. So please some out and support the kids. Tickets are just $10 at the door.

More info here.

Hope to see you there!

The 3-Day

This past weekend my college roomate and I walked in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, a 60 mile journey benefitting Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. I've been meaning to post about it for days... but I haven't had time to sit down and really reflect on the experience until now. And now that I have reflected I don't have the words. Maybe the slideshow above will do the weekend justice. Or maybe...

"Don't you write it down, remember this in your head. Don't take a picture, remember this in your heart. Don't leave a message, talk to me face to face... talk to me face to face."

3-Day Honor Roll

Being that it is the eve eve of the Dallas/Fort Worth Breast Cancer 3-Day, I would like to use this post to thank every last one of my GENEROUS donors. But first, as if I were taking home a VMA, I'd like to thank God. Without Him none of this would have been possible, including the outrageous forecast. Really? 77ºF and not a cloud in the sky this weekend? Scoreboard!

44 friends/family members donated a total of $2,247 towards my 3-Day Walk fund. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

ROLL CALL:
Becca B.
Lacy B.
Niraj B.
The Bravos
Tiffany B.
The Bushwars
Carrie C.
The Chapmans
Wendy C.
Holly D.
The Duncans
The Ellises
Kristin F.

Katie G.

Tara G.
The Grummers
Heather H.
Abby H.
The Hlads
The Holleys
The Hollises
The Johnses
The Kings
The Madisons

Sean M.
Sarah M.
Jon M.
Amy M.
The Morrises
Kate N.
The Pareckis
Rachel P.
Roxana P.
John Q.
Angela Q.
Danielle R.
The Reaveses
Rachel R.
The Rosars
Paige S.
The Stouffs
Elisa T.
Jim T.
Laura T.

If you have not donated there is still time. Please consider giving to Kim Caraway, my tentmate and partner in crime, who has not yet made her goal. Click HERE to donate to Kim.

Again, thank you!

Ἀχιλλεύς

He may have been the hottest and fastest Greek in the Trojan war, but he got his butt kicked by an arrow to his heel. I feel your pain, Achilles.

Here we are, a week from the Dallas/Fort Worth Breast Cancer 3-Day, and I have developed achilles tendinitis. Splendid.

I've logged over 90 miles during my training, raised the required $2200, borrowed an air mattress and sleeping bag, spent gobs of money on pink activewear that I will most likely never wear again, made plans for my tentmate to fly in from DC... and I can barely walk from my living room to the kitchen for more ice.

How does one develop achilles tendinitis, you ask? Well, let me just preface this by saying in the 14 years I played soccer daily, I never developed tendinitis. It took just 2 months of teaching in heels and then training in sneakers to do me in. Man, am I 30.

So for this week it's R.I.C.E. - rest, isolation, compression, elevation. Considering I teach Mon-Wed, I'll get right on that...

Your prayers for my healing would be appreciated. Pun intended, winners.

There's a Snake loose at HQ.

I've been listening to Sportsradio 1310 The Ticket (1310am/104.1fm) ever since a friend of mine - an older, male friend - introduced me to the station in 1998 while I was home on Summer break. When I headed back to school I was devastated to find that Jub-Jub and Rhynes broke up right before Hillsboro... but I continued listening after graduation and have been a P1 ever since.

Skip to about a month ago. I get not one, not two, but THREE phone calls from different people telling me that Corby "Snake" Davidson will be speaking to the Junior League of Dallas. Oh yeah, and also, The Hardline stated on-air that there are no attractive women in the League. Thanks.

Well, Corby's big night was tonight at JLD HQ in front of a packed room of 200+. The Insight labeled this October Group Meeting as 'Football 101 with Corby Davidson.'

It was more. Much, much more.

I have to admit that no matter how many times I see the Ticket guys on location, I get a little stupid. I mean, like they're celebrities or something. And I guess in their own right they are. So as I see Corby walking to the podium I mutter, "Snake." Surprisingly enough, he answers back, "Hi," as friendly as a little snake could.

Then the fun begins. I cringe as Corby is introduced. I'm not sure if it's because this woman has never listened to The Hardline or if she was just given bad info, but she mentions Corby's exclusive interviews with Charles Barkley. Umm... that would be Shaq. Wow.

Anyway, Corby gets on the mic (and props to him for putting up with the ridiculous JLD sound system all night) and jumps right in. Literally. I'm pretty sure he cut his introduction short to start talking. All I know is the next thing I hear is this:

Snake: "I may have to excuse myself to the restroom..."
JLD: "Well, we don't really have a Men's restroom. It's a family one."
Snake: "So you have a unisex bathroom? What is this, a club?"
[Pause]
Snake: "You wanna go drop some X in the unisex bathroom?"

I sh*t you not. To the Junior League of Dallas.

Oh, and see how I censored myself there? Well, Corby didn't. I mean, he did... he talked to us like he talks on the air. So, no F-bombs, but a scattering of A-word and B-word shrapnel. It's not his fault... nobody was there to dump him.

Still, I have NEVER had so much fun at a Group Meeting. You have to understand, most Group Meetings are about how to cook a perfect soufflé or when to potty-train your child. I like hamburgers and have two cats. But you know what? I love me some Ticket, and I love me some football. So thanks, JLD, for booking Corby.

And thanks Corby, for entertaining the League.

Breaking the Silence

Pink.

Once upon a time pink was mostly associated with sugar and spice and everything nice. Today, thanks to a myriad of activists and volunteers, (specifically Nancy Brinker) the color pink is forever linked to finding a cure for breast cancer.

Teal.

Anyone? Not even a few of you? I'd like to change that.

Three years ago my aunt wasn't feeling quite right. She was bloated and had some mild abdominal discomfort, so she (like everyone should) went to the doctor. What the doctors eventually found was a tumor the size of a small loaf of bread inside her abdomen. My aunt had ovarian cancer, and after a complete hysterectomy, rounds of chemotherapy/radiation and even a short remission, my aunt lost her battle in the Summer of 2006. She was 61.

When my aunt passed away a friend of mine made a donation to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition (NOCC) on my behalf. Because of this, twice a year I receive the NOCC newsletter. Yesterday I got the Fall/Winter 2008 issue. Yesterday would have been my Aunt Lydia's 64th birthday.

It is my hope that every person who reads this blog will take the time to educate themselves and a loved one about ovarian cancer. Please read below, and PLEASE... break the silence.

Facts
• All women are at risk
• Symptoms exist—they can be vague, but increase over time
• Early detection increases survival rate
• A Pap Test DOES NOT detect ovarian cancer

What are some of the risk factors linked to ovarian cancer?
While the presence of one or more risk factors may increase a woman’s chance of getting ovarian cancer, it does not necessarily mean that she will develop the disease. Risk factors include:
• Genetic predisposition
• Personal or family history of breast, ovarian or colon cancer
• Increasing age
• Undesired infertility

What are some of the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
Some symptoms of ovarian cancer include:
• Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort
• Vague but persistent gastrointestinal upsets such as gas, nausea and indigestion
• Frequency and/or urgency of urination in the absence of an infection
• Unexplained weight gain or weight loss
• Pelvic and/or abdominal swelling, bloating and/or feeling of fullness
• Ongoing unusual fatigue
• Unexplained changes in bowel habits
If symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks, consult your physician.

For more information on ovarian cancer or the NOCC, please visit http://www.ovarian.org/.

We're walking, we're walking, we're walking... we're not stopping.

In November I will walk 60 miles over 3 days (and sleep in tents along the way) in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I've been training since July and have logged over 70 miles plus cross-training. As of this post I have raised $1080... only $1120 to go. To track my progress, please visit my 3-Day personal page here. Do donate, please click here or DONATE TO MY 3-DAY FUND under the check these out links on the right of this page. Thank you... because everyone deserves a lifetime.