Big Bang Theory and other cool hair cuts

Other highlights from Hermitage

This guard lady's hair matched the Monet! Talk about being influenced by art.















Seeing this Matisse made me truly happy.

















Probably the most "pleasant" room I have ever been in.

My day @ the Hermitage

To the left is by Picasso, skull with basketball. ha ha!



Skull details from the Hermitage collection covering a 500 year span! They are forever cool!

At Peter Paul Fortress May 29

The Toilet Buses

You know those ever present port-a-potties at huge events...well in St. Petersburg they have toilet buses. One designated for males and another for females. As you can see everything goes right into the sewer and a fire hydrant provides clean water.

Living Urban Sculpure

As part of the 10 Anniversary of Pro Arte in St. Petersburg, a group of performers use the nooks and crannies of the Peter and Paul Fortress as the inspiration for creating living sculpture.

Friday May 29 St. Petersburg
First Impressions:

A gorgeous city I can tell already. It has quite a European flavor to all the architecture, from what I have seen in my one evening here. The one evening that lasted till 2am- and stayed light till 1am. It is so cool to see the sun moving sort of laterally just under and across the horizon.

We are staying in a sprawling beautiful apartment filled with a combination of hand painted folk furniture, ornate plaster ceiling work,incredible ceramic fireplaces. And woven rugs all over the place!

I find the young Russian couples interesting to notice, there is something different about the way they hold hands and walk together in public, than say, how New Yorkers go about.

I love the Russian alphabet and am trying to speed learn it. I was able to read the clerks name at the sims card store. His name was Vladimir! I was quite proud of that moment.

This is going to be fun...

Wed. departure! Not quite ready

Happy Memorial Day! I will not be going to the beach, but it doesn't matter because in two days from now I will be headed to Krasnoyarsk Siberia via St. Petersburg. I have a million things to do before I leave for JFK with Kendal on Wednesday. Mostly I have been moving myself out of 20 years of residing in the same work/live loft, into a small, but lovely apartment and a big storage unit.
Having a storage unit is very helpful. Today I plan to be done organizing it all and just cram everything in by the door- deal with it when i get back from Russia...

The other big thing I have to finish are presentation boards for my Arts for Transit project that will be presented to SHIPO (historical society) for approval. And of course spend quality time with my little boy Caleb.

ABOUT KRASNOYARSK!
I don't know what to expect. We will not have an interpreter, as in past years and neither Kendal nor I speak Russian. Kendal has been to Russia many times so he will be familiar with the culture and getting about at least. Our mission is to make a public artwork with a group of people/artists from the Krasnoyarsk arts community, culminating in it's unveiling on City Day! This is a big deal and I am very excited at leading and participating in a group like this. I am going prepared with scissors, wheat paste and brushes- what can we do with this collection tools- a giant wall mural collage using reclaimed paper! This is what I will propose- three weeks from now will be the moment of truth!?!?

6 days and counting

In preparation for my trip to Russia- specifically 3 days in St. Petersburg and two weeks in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia- I have started a pile on my desk which includes a Russian language phrase book, aspirin (Vodka anyone!), a bag full of so many electronic cords for laptop, camera, ipod, bug juice for mosquitoes which are currently in season and three pairs of my favorite sunglasses for the long stretches of daylight!!

Where On Earth Is Krasnoyarsk...

That's it there in the RED.