I was going through my computer bookmarks and came across the web page of an artist that I’ve been eyeing. I’d originally bookmarked the page because she’s a San Francisco Bay Area artist who does work that is kind of sexy. I have a blog, San Francisco is Sexy, that I’d planned to write about her for. However, that blog’s been going through some changes and I haven’t written it up yet. I didn’t want to just delete the bookmark without doing something about the site since I like it so much. So I figured I’d share it here.

The artist is Jennybird Alcantra. She has paintings as well as dolls that she makes. Both are of interest but it’s the paintings that really captured my attention. It’s really difficult to describe them because they’re so unique. Some of the words that come to mind include ethereal, fantasy-based, beautiful, captivating, bold, unique, frightening, sexy and a little bit morbid.

What I really like about the site – beyond just the fact that she has great artwork - is that she shows her work from each year starting in 2004. This gives us as viewers a chance to see how her work has developed in the past five years. I feel like this is of interest to people who like the process of art and it’s also interesting because it adds a new dimension to the way we can perceive the art that she’s creating today.

Great stuff! I hope you like it too!

Tags: art, artist, jennybird alcantra, kathryn vercillo, painting, san francisco art, san francisco artists

One of the cool things about being a freelance writer is that you get asked how to do all sorts of different things. Because I’ve researched such a diverse range of topics, people will ask me about random stuff in the hopes that I’ve had to learn about it for an article in the past.

For example, someone might ask me how to paint block walls. Even if I’ve never done this outdoor design task before, there’s a good chance that I would know something about it because I’ve done a lot of writing about various building, landscaping and design topics.

Indeed, I do have a basic idea of how to paint block walls. They have to be smoothed out with the right materials, painted with the right type of paint and then sealed over so that the paint doesn’t peel off easily as a result of being out in the elements.

If I wanted to actually do this task myself, I’d do more in-depth research into the specific types of paints and sealants that should be used for the material of the block wall that I was painting (cinder block for example) but even without doing this research, I do have a basic idea of how to do the job. That’s the kind of smart stuff that freelance writers get to learn about all the time!

Tags: design, ehow, freelance work, how to, kathryn vercillo, landscape, painting, writing