Met up with Grand Junction's Annie Whiteley, Top Alcohol Funny Car Racing Champion

After a light dinner at Tequila's on North Avenue in Grand Junction last night, my husband and I crossed the street to look at what appeared to be a car show in the Teller Arms parking lot. Wishing we had a camera with us, we asked if they were going to be there the next day. We were told no because they're race cars showing before a big race Saturday night at the Western Colorado Dragway (Grand Junction).



Annie Whiteley with part of her 3200 hp Alcohol Funny Car.

Race? What race? That certainly explained why the cars we were looking at had cages inside them and parachutes on the back. There were also dragsters in the lot.

So, this evening, we decided to go check it out. We looked on the dragway's website, Facebook page, even looked in the local newspaper trying to find information on ticket sales, starting times, anything. We found nothing, but our curiosity was growing.

We jumped in the truck, headed to the dragway, figured we'd take a chance. We'd never been to the dragway so had no idea what to expect.

As we drove up the hill, following the signs to the dragway, rounding the corner we were stunned to

Freedom in Limits

Some people hit their breaking point early in life. Others hit it much later. And of course some never hit it at all.

I'd always considered myself a strong person; strong in spirit that is. The problem is, I never knew my limits, so I was always pushing the envelope a little more, a little more, the whole time wondering if I was about to hit my limits. From raising my daughter on my own, putting myself through college after having dropped out of high school, conducting research in international conflict zones, to flying airplanes and riding motorcycles, and yes, starting a magazine in a down economy late in 2008.

That's the problem with not knowing my limits my whole life; the fear of wondering if any second I would hit them. Oops.

And then it happened. Late November 2011. I broke. My daughter lay in a tented bed in the VA Hospital barely alive after a horrible drug overdose. ...

In loving memory of my beautiful Patsy Jean...

Patsy Jean Hartman 1/99-3/13

My shy loving beautiful whippit-labrador 14-year-old Patsy Jean left us today. She went peacefully, head across my lap, my husband Bob on the other side of her. I feel the loss of her so deeply...

So beautiful, so quiet, so elegant, exotic. Everyone who met her, was enchanted by her grace. She was with me through thick and thin, through... everything.

We weren't ready to let her go today, but we knew it was the right thing to do. I want to write about the wonderful memories, but I'm too overwhelmed with the loss and so many years of memories that I can't right now. I miss her so much...

Patsy Jean? I love you. Thank you for giving me so much comfort, love, joy. For your gentle nature, your awareness. I miss you. I miss you so much sweet puppy.... I love you.

I have two pieces in the members show at the Art Center!

Oh my goodness! I was so nervous but excited dropping off the two art pieces for the Art Center's members exhibit that opens this Friday evening.

I decided to take the plunge and create bigger pieces per artist and teacher Dianna Fritzler for the exhibit. And it turns out, I loved it! I don't know why I fought it so long and hard!

"Rail Tales" Collage on canvas

The first piece, Rail Tales, was inspired on a Saturday morning at the train station downtown Grand Junction; daughter Melody standing in the doorway of her train car.

That inspiration stayed with me as she sent occasional text messages and photos along the way: Glenwood, Denver, Chicago, and several stops in Pennsylvania. It was her first train excursion and she had a wonderful experience.

"Mom, seriously, this is the way to travel!" Considering she was annoyed when she first learned she would have to take the train rather than fly. Tsk tsk. "You were so right!" Don't hear that very often!

It is a collage with painted brass, powdered pigments, cornhusk (from a really good tamale actually), and alcohol ink on yupo.

The ground is canvas painted wiht copper, gold, antique gold, and ochre metallic paints. I like this piece!

The second piece I put in the show is called, "Quiver." As I was making it, my husband walked past and said, "oh, a quiver of arrows?" I looked at it and thought, yes of course, it does give that sense!

"Quiver" Collage on yupo

I had such fun with the metallic paint on Rail Tales that I decided to stay in the copper metallic theme for the second one.

The ground is antique copper metallic paint on yupo. The collage is made up of cork, painted yogurt top, and of course cut-ups of some of my smaller alcohol inks on yupo, sticks I rescued from the trash bin at collage artist (and teacher) Gayle Gerson's  house during the Rocky Mountain Collage Society workshop on Cornell Boxes.

I smooshed the cork into the wet paint on the yupo before it dried then turned it over to give that mottled effect with the metallic on the cork. I attached the sticks to the cork with scraps of waxed linen thread from our bookmaking projects.

When I accidentally got some of the copper metallic paint on a piece of netting it was love at first mistake! I love tactile art and have sooo wanted to incorporate it someway into my art pieces. I tied the netting to the piece using the same waxed linen threads that I used to attach the sticks to the cork.

Lovin' these metallic paints and inks!!!!! And I am so thankful that we have an Art Center that opens up to member artists -- including us beginners -- from time to time. We are soooo fortunate!

Small collage called "Industrial Evolution"

"Industrial Evolution." Collage 8"x10"

The art piece is only 8" x 10" but it is a step on the road to making bigger art pieces per my homework assignment from artist Dianna Fritzler.

"Go bigger," she said after learning that all my art pieces are only 5" x 7".

I like making the smaller pieces because I can do them in one sitting while thinking or whatnot.

It is a collage using cut shapes from my little alcohol ink art pieces on yupo paper, bits of brass scraps (that I painted), powdered pigments, and some netting from something (I can't remember where I got the netting).

The ground is a mix of copper and antique copper metallic paint on yupo. It was fun!

GV Magazine, Melody, and Coptic-stitched books

The December issue of Grand Valley Magazine is on the newsstands and subscriptions on their way to readers. The comeback has been nice. I haven't blogged since early October because we had to create a sample issue followed immediately by the November re-launch issue. And of course right after that we were in production on the December issue. Whew. The reception has been wonderful.

I do maintain a GV Magazine blog on topics relating to the magazine at grandvalleymagazine.com/blog/ but I have missed writing my personal blogs here!

Daughter Melody is living with us right now and doing really well. She also helps out at the office and is even doing a little photography for the magazine too. We're so blessed to have her home and getting healthy.

Coptic Stitched book I made in the bookmaking class.

Bob and I so enjoyed the bookmaking class taught by Maxine Buchholtz we took together at the Art Center from mid-September to mid-October.

We made a Coptic stitched book (my favorite;  I even wrote a little ditty about it in the current issue of the magazine), a leather wrapped book, and a mini leather book.

Maxine is a master of handmade books. Such an honor to be taught by her.

I use this book as my "art notes" journal. I also put my small alcohol ink paintings in there. I used a handmade paper with leaves between the paper layers (I did NOT make the paper) over the davey board. The thread is a 4-ply waxed linen thread. Took six needles threaded at the same time to do the stitching.

The technique allows the book to lay flat when open. The technique is quite ancient as far as books go! I love the way the book looks, feels, and it is wonderful to write in. I want to make more but can't remember how to start it, ugh. I'll have to get a review from Maxine.

My latest alcohol ink and collage pieces

"Moon Over Red Rocks" by Krystyn Hartman

I attended an excellent artist marketing workshop taught by popular Western Colorado artist Dianna Fritzler late last month and my homework per Dianna is to make a 16x20 piece.

Becauase I'm not sure what to make that big, I am making some smaller pieces with the bigger piece in mind.

This one with the dark and cloudy night sky over the red rocks is an idea I'm considering for the big 16x20 piece. The moon in the upper right is actually silver metallic, but its hard to tell in the photo. The dark red is a lot more vivid than came through in the photo.

I'm also making smaller pieces to use as covers for the handmade books we're learning to make in Maxine Bucholtz's bookmaking class.

The black tree with cranberry flowers that will be used for a cover on a handmade book was inspired by the two rhinestones.



Book cover with rhinestones

I had the two rhinestones and wanted to incorporate them into something so I chose the black, purple, and cranberry alcohol inks for the piece, then added the silver metallic circle (an orange juice bottle top), and the two rhinestones. And voila!

I will make the book that it will cover after we get through the bookmaking class. I want to do the coptic stitch book for this one. We've learned three book stitches so far.

Love the class! My husband and I are taking the class together, which is wonderful!

Hope we do another coptic stitch book in the class because I can't remember how to start the stitches. I remember what to do once started, but just can't remember how to start it. We have three more classes left so if we don't cover it again, I'm going to ask Maxine in the last class to show me again!

Only a month away from the re-inaugural issue of GV Magazine!

Wow, so much progress since the last time I blogged about the GV comeback!

Our offices are perfect for us and I love working there every day! We finally have phones and internet, and the temperature is finally close to comfortable in there. And we have a real sign on the door! We still have a ways to go when it comes to furnishings, but we're getting there.

Our test/sample issues for web, iPad, Kindle, and Android tablets have been uploaded to our digital vendor and they are busy getting them optimized.

Most of the stories for the re-inaugural November issue have been assigned. The GV Style photo shoot is complete and the feature will be beautiful!

The special re-introductory offer to advertisers have been sent out and we're already getting a great response!

Our ad agency, RSW Partners, is busy working on our new website at GrandValleyMagazine.com. Had a fabulous meeting with ad agency Cobb & Associates the other day and really looking forward to working with them too!

Am excited about getting the subscriber letters out next...

My last regular column for the Daily Sentinel and the return of Grand Valley Magazine

This post was published as my last regular column in the Daily Sentinel Sunday, September 16, 2012.

This is my last regular commentary with the Daily Sentinel. Writing a weekly column and publishing a high-quality magazine at the same time is, well, quite unrealistic. Yes, it’s time to bring back Grand Valley Magazine.

I’ve worked in media, directly and indirectly, since high school.

Our cheerleading squad did a fund-raising promotion at a local radio station one weekend, and by the end of it, I practically begged the station manager to hire me. I was fascinated. He gave in, and for more than a year I twisted knobs and pushed buttons for the weekly Top 40 and Denver Bronco football games.

From radio, I moved on to ad agencies, then newspapers, books and magazines. That’s where I discovered the ink in my blood. The in-depth features, rush of a breaking story, ...

Too big to fail; too small to matter

The official reasons for not including third-party candidates in national and local political debates are based solely on those parties’ small size. This idea of too-small-to-matter has become too much of a cliché these days (and not just in politics either).

I, for one, am curious about what these smaller third parties have to say. Do they have platforms? How are their goals and objectives different than the too-big-to-fail parties? Are their ideas in common with or opposed to the big party machines? Might they have solutions to problems that the big machines have been unable or unwilling to solve? Is it possible that those candidates have something worthwhile to say?

It’s bad enough that the voices of the small are drowned out by the boisterous shouting of the giants, but to deny the smaller parties a seat at the political roundtable in a government by the people seems, well, a bit authoritarian.

Perhaps if the other political parties were given the same opportunity to tell their stories and share their ideas as the two behemoths, they...

World-renowned innovator has roots in Mesa County; and I got to interview him!

The opportunity to gain firsthand insight from a world-renowned innovator is honor enough, but to find out that innovator got his start at Colorado Mesa University (then Mesa College) is downright exciting.

Thomas W. Osborn, a virtual rock star in the world of innovators as featured in a new book from Stanford University Press titled Serial Innovators: How Individuals Create and Deliver Breakthrough Innovations, entered Mesa College as a struggling student with attention deficit disorder back in the 1960s.

“The quality of Mesa’s undergraduate education gave me a very good base,” Osborn told me. The encouragement from and “the influence of professors like Drs. Lenc and Putnam and Mr. Perry” helped him build a strong foundation for his scientific interests.

From Mesa, Osborn went to Colorado State University, then on to Oregon State University where he earned a Ph.D. in chemistry and studied the chemical evolution...

Ancient aliens or unfettered human ingenuity?

A series of TV programs aired recently on History's H2 channel called "Ancient Aliens." I listened as countless self-proclaimed alien experts pointed to all kinds of ancient artifacts that defy their idea of our ancestors' capabilities, and most concluded that they must therefore be the work of advanced extraterrestrial visitors. Entertaining thought it was, there was no doubt in my mind that the marvels they pointed to were the work of humans.

 

Contemplate, if you will, the laser-machined precision of the intricate block cuts of Puma Punku at 12,000 feet in the mountains of Bolivia, the Nazca lines stretching 50 miles across the top of a high plateau in Peru, 2,000-year-old writings describing Vimana flying machines in India, the monolithic statues on Easter Island in the South Pacific, the light bulb-looking Dendera wall carvings and Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, Stonehenge in southern England, and the Antikythera Mechanism with its 29 finely tuned interlocking gears found in an ancient shipwreck off the coast of Crete. The list of mysterious marvels from antiquity is seemingly endless.

Not counting the effects of sleep deprivation, junk food and pharmaceuticals on our modern brains, the brains of our ancestors were probably little if any different than our own. We can never know of all the extraordinary...

I highly recommend the film "Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Wow, just home from seeing the film "Beasts of the Southern Wild" at the Avalon Theatre in downtown Grand Junction. I really loved this film. There was absolutely nothing predictable or formulaic about it -- nothing at all.

A Sundance Film Festival winner, I hope to see it on the Oscars list. Truly brilliant, timely, and touching. I highly recommend this film.

Cars, refrigerators, TV sets and nuclear warheads

I intended to write a light piece on how we live in the context of the times, beginning with the industrial complex of the 1930s and World War II, which set the stage for the military-industrial complex of the 1950s that spawned the financial, medical, educational and entertainment complexes of the 1980s that led to the interdependent web of today’s global economy. Whew!

For example, in the 1950s, the automobile, refrigerator and television were key consumer products that supersized our economy and secured a large, robust middle class.

In 1955, nearly 90 percent of the cars on our nation’s roads were American-made, with more than 8 million new cars sold that year. From 1945 to 1985, we paved 42,798 miles of interstate highway and bought 300 million cars. As a result, car-related businesses — from petroleum to drive-through restaurants to tourism — sprang up from coast to coast, while refrigerators redefined domestic life.

“A few years ago it took the housewife 5-1/2 hours to prepare daily meals for a family of four,” Time magazine reported in 1959. “Today she can do it in 90 minutes or less — and still produce meals fit for a king or a finicky husband.”

In a nation of 150 million in the 1950s, there seemed no end to...

Extraordinary rush: Singing with the symphony orchestra!

Wow, what an extraordinary experience! I sang two songs with the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra during their annual Wells Fargo Evening Under the Stars free concert in Lincoln Park in Grand Junction Saturday evening. I'm still pinching myself to make sure it wasn't a dream.

The symphony kicks off each season with the free pops-type concert. Lucky for me, they included some vintage swing arrangements this year, and invited me to sing with them!

There is nothing like being surrounded by strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion played by wonderful musicians and friends. I still can't believe I got to sing with them!

We are so blessed to have such dedicated musicians who come together as a symphony orchestra in our community. I'm looking forward to the upcoming symphony season! The first concert is in September! Here is a link to the Grand Junction Symphony's website:

http://gjsymphony.org/

The double-edged sword of Colorado's Gallagher Amendment

I never understood that old saying, “All politics are local,” until recently, when one innocent quest for office space brought it to light — a glaring bright light.

I thought with all this empty commercial space around the valley, finding a smokin’ deal on just the right office would be a piece of cake. Not only did I discover that’s not the case, but I got an instant education on something called the Gallagher Amendment in our state constitution.

“At that rate per square foot, the building owner barely covers his taxes,” said Bray commercial real estate agent Sam Suplizio in response to my offer to lease space in a building that’s been vacant for nearly a year. For all the talk about needing to be business-friendly in a tough economy, that sure sounded like a whole lot of...

GV Magazine "brick" at Colorado Mesa University

What a treat! About two years ago we (Grand Valley Magazine) "purchased a brick" as part of a Colorado Mesa University Foundation fundraiser. Because we were the first corporate sponsor of the school's budding women's rugby club, we chose to acknowledge that support on our "brick."

Yesterday was the official unveiling of the brick walkway in front of the CMU Foundation office. Great timing as we are only a few months away from re-launching the magazine!

What is really cool, is that our once budding Women's Rugby Club now has a full-time coach and is an official team of the university! (Our corporate sponsorship purchased their first team jerseys, which were top of the line pro-quality, of course!) We featured the original team of tenacious women in the January 2010 issue of the magazine as photographed by the fabulous Ken Redding.

As we gear up for the re-launch of GV Magazine, we're wishing the CMU Women's Rugby Club much success in their upcoming season!

Leading indicator for our nation's economic recovery? Chicken

The whole Chick-fil-A kerfuffle last month was downright inspiring. All that passion from consumers ready to support or not support a business based solely on what that business stands for! That could be the spark needed to rebuild our stagnant economy. No government assistance needed.

What if all businesses actively touted the causes and values they stand for so that customers and prospective customers could make informed choices to spend their dollars with companies aligned with their own causes and values?

Don’t like socialism? Don’t buy from businesses that sell products manufactured in socialist nations.

Want to support American jobs? Buy only made-in-America products from businesses that sell only made-in-America products.

Want to see small local businesses thrive in our community? Don’t spend your dollars in big-box chain stores that crush the mom and pops with their low, low, low prices.

We have the right to do business when, where, and...

I've gone alcohol ink crazy!

"Chili Glut"

I made five more pieces using the alcohol inks over the past few weeks! I still can't believe how much I'm lovin' this!

Yesterday was the monthly get together of the Grand Valley Art Students League at the Art Center. I went in with a blank piece of yupo paper and my little box of inks and, admittedly, I mostly visited with the other artists and looked at the "wood" exhibit throughout the gallery for the first hour, then stared at my blank yupo for another 15 minutes before put ink to paper.

This is the piece I made, starting with chilis. I'd been hankering to use the black ink, so decided the jar had to be black.

The silver circle is an orange juice bottle top that I painted half black. I'm learning!

It was so great to have Sara Oakley and Faye Timmerman-Traudt there to answer questions! They are so terrific! We all had such fun!

This month's "practicum" was taught by Daphna Russell, who was in a particularly chipper mood because she'd just made a major sale!

"Dreaming"

My mother and I took Daphna's one-day workshop on clay sculpture back in June, so it was fun to hear her again -- she is so funny!

Overall, as always, I love the league's monthly sessions!

I painted the little tree with the purple metallic circle in it late the ohter night; I was just feeling purple and painted the underside of a Pelligrino foil top.

Then thought, hmmm, what to do? So I created the sky and tree for that little purple circle and voila!

I created the butterfly piece while praying for my daughter Melody, sending her love and strength for her continued journey through a challenging transition.

"Reaching Melody"

The butterfly was created on a separate piece of yupo, then I cut it out and added it to the background, then painted a large yogurt top purple and added that.

I call this one, "Reaching Melody."

The tryptic (three side-by-side related pieces) was created a little at a time over the past two weeks while watching the Olympics -- I couldn't help but want to paint with a sense of celebration! Celebration, energy, and lots and lots of medals of course!

"Celebration"

I call it "Celebration," but what else could it possibly be called?

We're watching the closing ceremony of the Olympics as I post this. I am so going to miss the Olympics, sigh; its been such a beautiful world peace break from all the political hostility. Sigh.

The adobe house is the result of trying to paint an adobe house. I just couldn't get the color right! I tried blending orange and latte, but the orange completely overwhelmed the latte!

"Adobe"

Wendy Videlock, who is an amazing artist who specializes in alcohol inks, told me that each ink color will behave differently. And she was so right about that!

I think that covers my latest pieces!

I don't know how much time I'm going to have to make art over the next few months, but am determined to make time as I can! There is just something so incredibly fulfilling in the creative process! Gotta do it!

Our community doesn't care about education? Hogwash.

I’ve heard several people say the same thing recently: “This community just doesn’t care about education.” And why? Because last November a majority of voters elected not to support a mil levy override for District 51 funding. I bristled the first time I heard that remark the day after the election, and it still bugs me to hear it nine months later.

First of all, the population of Mesa County is about 147,000 and has about 102,000 registered voters. A mere 21,951 voted against the override while 14,415 for it. And just because 21,951 voted against the override doesn’t mean they don’t care about education.

Of the many different reasons those folks have said they voted against it, not a single one of those was “I just don’t care about education.”

There is simply no evidence to support the claim that “this community just doesn’t care about education.” In fact, the preponderance of the evidence indicates that our community cares deeply and actively about education.

During (and despite) the rough economy, Mesa State College became Colorado Mesa University last summer. That happened only because...