OK, first a hearty shout-out to all you groovy subscribers and commentators. Much love coming to you from Brooklyn, New York, wherever you may be. Yes, I’ve been in a non-stop job crunch, squeezing my capacity to focus on the artwork, and the world is in its usual utterly disturbing turmoil. So, I’ve decided to create some alternative news:

Many thanks to Sandi Freeman for sharing her memories of teenage life and creativity. (See comments at “Like Trying to Wash Grease Off of Plastic.”) A close-up of the Jimi Hendrix poster appears below, grainy and oddly cropped, but I don’t have the original anymore so hope it’s enough of an image for her to work with.

Meanwhile, Susan Scutti and other talented wordsmiths continue to rock out at the poetry site, October Babies. Sometimes, words can rescue us from the mundane. May I suggest subscribing for a regular dose of refreshment? Yup, I just did!

My Church Avenue mural is still in progress. The photo shows both the first stripes (orange and yellow have since been added) and the dilemma of scratches and scrapes. At some point, much of the blue background will need to be sanded and repainted.

Victor Ingrassia has recently updated his spectacular website, Victrolux.com, and I continue to discover great work by him, e.g., “Color Abstractions.” May the screenshot below entice you to make your own discovery.

Thanks to Peggy Roalf, editor of Design Arts Daily, I’ve found out that Sergio Baradat is the artist behind one of my all-time favorite sets of stamps. Along with enjoying the luscious “Tropical Fruit,” I highly recommend Baradat’s extraordinary visual essay “Photo/Havana.”

And coming up real soon, the one and only Tbyrd will celebrate his birthday. In honor of that occasion, this set closes with a pic of us in my studio.

Until the next time, Cat

Catherine Rutgers © 2012