He may be embarrassed but I am proud

My husband is hot. I know this. And now he knows it too. Thanks to RateMyProfessor.com.

"RateMyProfessors allows students to anonymously rate their professors in each of three categories: Helpfulness, Clarity, and Easiness. Now, students can see who the hottest professors are at their school..."

The rating system is very simple: Good, Average, Poor and Hot. Hot includes an icon of a red chili pepper. Hotness Total: 3. That's right people! My husband has 3!

How early is too early?

It isn't even Thanksgiving yet, and the Christmas decorations are already plastered around the city. Most notably the Union Square area, near our apartment. The tree is already up, and there were multiple cranes loading people up to decorate it last week. It is even weirder to see all this considering the heat wave San Francisco has had for the last week or so. While we are sleeping with windows wide open and fans blowing, Starbucks cups are the holiday season red and Victorias Secret mannequins sport santa hats. It's very strange. To be truthful, this is the time of year I miss the east coast. The Fall weather, leaves changing color and blowing in the wind. Pumpkins on porches and the smell of snow in the air. It's quite magical. Perhaps over time, San Francisco will reveal new nostalgic traits, but for now I simply feel like I'm in a holiday season movie.

Bits and pieces

My mom sent this to me, and I think it's great! The shpiel below certainly gives you some insider information that makes it more interesting, but ultimately you could just watch the clip.

You should understand: there are NO computer graphics or digital tricks in the film you are about to see. Everything you see really happened in real time, exactly as you see it. The film required 606 takes. On the first 605 takes, something, usually very minor, didn't work. They would then have to set the whole thing up again. The crew spent weeks shooting night and day. By the time it was over, they were ready to change professions.

The film cost 6 million dollars and took three months to complete, including a full engineering of the sequence. In addition, it's two minutes long so every time Honda airs the film on British television, they're shelling out enough dough to keep any one of us in clover for a lifetime.

However, it is fast becoming the most downloaded advertisement in Internet history. Honda executives figure the ad will soon pay for itself simply in "free" viewing. (Honda isn't paying a dime to have you watch this commercial!)

When the ad was pitched to senior executives, they signed off on it immediately without any hesitation --- including the costs. There are six and only six hand-made Accords in the world. To the horror of Honda engineers, the filmmakers disassembled two of them to make the film. Everything you see in the film (aside from the walls, floor, ramp, and complete Honda Accord) is parts from those two cars. The voice over is Garrison Keillor. When the ad was shown to Honda executives, they liked it and commented on how amazing computer graphics have gotten. They fell off their chairs when they found out it was for real. Oh. And about those funky windshield wipers. On the new Accords, the windshield wipers have water sensors and are designed to start functioning automatically as soon as they become wet. It looks a bit odd in the commercial.

As amazing as this is, the commercial is actually based on an earlier film from the 1970s called "How Things Move" by two Swiss self-destructing artifacts artists. In that film, a similar set-up with household objects goes on for thirty (count 'em 30) minutes with air jets and fire and chemical reactions. You can get the video on amazon.

She's still got it

Last night Max and I ventured out to Pleasanton for a Shawn Colvin show. I've seen her perform many times, some with a band, some with nothing but a guitar. The solo shows with just a guitar are by far my favorites. She is such an amazing guitar player and singer -- it gives me goosebumps. As always, she told some fantastic stories and played beautifully. She opened with Paul Westerberg's 'Even here we are'. It took just the first few words out of her mouth for my eyes to fill up with tears.

While Max went to get the car after the show, I stood and waited near what I assume was her limo. Secretly I was hoping she'd walk out, so that I could see her and wave to her. It was cold, and I could see my breath in front of my face. I started to have this conversation with her in my head.

If I were ever to have the opportunity to tell her, I would say how much I love her and her voice. And even though we don't know eachother she has been a part of my life for almost half of it. With just a few weeks until my 30th birthday, I have to remember the first time I ever heard her, I was watching VH1 during my freshman year of high school. I went out immediately and bought the tape. (TAPE!) We have all her albums, and listen to them a lot! So much of my artwork has been made listening to her records. Indirectly she has been woven into many of the paintings you see.

I would tell her that the songs she has sung have helped me through some dark times, and others have held me up high. She really helped me to understand just how powerful music can be. Sitting alone in high school, drawing in my room, I remember thinking she was a 'real' artist. That she was doing the same as I was -- what HAD to be done. Making something for the world that HAD to be shared. And I've always carried that with me. She is without doubt, my favorite performer and musician. And I will ALWAYS be a devoted fan.

Charity

My cafepress store has been updated again. All sales profits on the new items will be donated to charity this holiday season. So please consider buying some goodies. New items include women's tank tops, doggie t-shirts, tote bags and boxer shorts. The Winter Edition images include two of my newest text paintings, a life sized stuffed bear and a urinal filled with gold.

Thank you Alan

A special thanks to Alan Bamberger for the kind words on his site about my exhibition.

"Lori Gordon paints watercolor gouache words on paper, and I like 'em although time constraints prohibit my chomping down on antecedent, context, and intent (I'm a light eater anyway). No biggie-- the art takes time, talent, and steady-hand skill to produce and...that's enough to get me happy."

There Is No Failure Here

The opening reception of my show was great. Thank you to everyone who showed up in support - there is a lot of love! Thank you also to Bruno Mauro for putting together such a nice opening event: personalized fortune cookies and wine. The gallery space is one of my favorite in the city, and I loved seeing my work hung there. It was a very happy occasion indeed.

For more pics, click here.

Striped Roses

I am about to head off to the opening of my solo show. I am nervous, but also excited. If I think of how much has happened to my art-life since I moved to San Francisco, it is actually amazing. I never imagined how cool it would be. My parents sent the most beautiful flowers for good luck. They are the most exquisite roses - some of which are striped. I have never seen that before.

So I'm heading out the door, and hope to see everyone there. Photos and anecdotes to follow.

Eat my own words

Ok, I take it back. Deborah's costume was the best Halloween get-up this year. An iPod! Made from scratch using the latest technology, including the orange HOLD button on the shoulder. Amazing...

Not the best day to visit the dentist

Happy Halloween everyone! This is the day I chose to have a cleaning at the dentist. I just didn't have the heart to have a lot of candy in view of all the hard work my new dentist did this morning.

I apologize for the slim pickings as far as blog posts have gone lately. I suddenly feel very busy and grown up. I am now working part time, and spending the rest in the studio. My first solo show in SF opens this Friday and I've been getting ready for that too.

Max and I rode the BART home from the east bay tonight. The subway car was filled with people dressed in costumes going into the city for Halloween. Most of which were highly unimaginative. BUT! There was one guy, dressed up like a Magritte painting, and I loved it. This guy wins a gold star on my chart for something simple, original and totally believable.