Fast forward a few months and I found myself awake at 1am in a recording studio listening to Todd record the lead vocals for a song called New Mexico.  After he finished, I would be recording my part.  I had heard the song only once before.  No pressure.  At close to 2am I belted my heart out and we called it a day….or night…eh, something.

Here is the song, I hope you love it!

New Mexico

Please check out the Todd Joseph Band page for more music!

*Update:  Todd Joseph Band is now on iTunes!!!!  Which means I’M on iTunes! Yay! 

*This photo is larger than the actual painting.

Uncle Jim wasn’t your average teenager.  Well, he was except he had decorated his entire room to replicate the Marine tents you’d see in jungle war time…Uncle Jimmy wanted to join Uncle Sam in the worst way.  The result of his room having camouflage netting draped all over, model Huey helicopters hanging from the ceiling, paired with the blinds closed, made for a very dark room — even on a sunny afternoon in Southern California.

So on this particular day, an unsuspecting four-year-old me went in search of my play buddy, Uncle Jim.  I looked everywhere for him.  The living room, which nobody used except Grandpa when he read the newspaper.  I checked the family room.  Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa all present….no Uncle Jim.  Kitchen?  Nope.  Backyard?  Nope.  I made my way back to Uncle Jim’s camouflage lair.

The door was open.  I peeked in.  It was so dark I couldn’t see into the jungle abyss.  I took a few steps inside.  I called his name.  No answer.  Then suddenly…

Jimmy Carter’s huge toothy smile is jumping out of the darkness from behind the door towards me, with a sound something like, “BLAAAARRRRRRHHHGGGGG!!!!”

I screamed bloody murder, and promptly tore out of the room with the speed of an Olympic sprinter, not that of a tiny four-year-old.

You see, my Uncle Jim thought it would be so funny to scare me with one of his Halloween masks, one that looked like (a scary) Pres. Jimmy Carter.  I don’t think he realized what kind of effect that would have on his preschooler niece.

I had nightmares of Carter’s big, over-exaggerated, mask teeth for weeks.

It’s a good thing Ronald Reagan was President at the time, otherwise I’d have to relive that memory whenever the President was on TV.

A “few” years ago, when I was in my early twenties, Uncle Jim – having two children of his own – came to WA for a family visit.  Uncle Jim never left me alone with his kids.  He later admitted he was afraid I’d get revenge by terrorizing his children the way he did me.

I told him that all depends….

Did he still have that Jimmy Carter mask??

The irony is that I am an Impressionist painter.  And my friends are looking to me to be the art “expert” and teach them how to paint like Pollock.  Critics of Pollock will say, “It can’t be that hard, my preschooler brought home something similar and it’s now hanging on the fridge.”  I know that during his lifetime Pollock struggled for acceptance within the art world… If only he could see how many artists now emulate his work.  Like this artist and her four church friends…

White canvases waiting. Paint brushes at the ready. At first there’s a little hesitation.  But soon enough the paint is literally flying, and no one is worried about messing up, or how much paint is actually ending up on our clothes not the canvas .  Each girl has her own unique style, which – whether they realized it or not – reflects their personalities.  Kelli is the first one to start splattering, and flings paint with reckless abandon, her smile reaching from ear-to-ear.  Christine is laid back in her approach, yet no nonsense with her karate chop action.  Hannah is more methodical, yet happy with whatever the paint does, as long as it’s her paint, and not “foreign” paint from another girl’s wayward stroke.  Rebecca is having fun, more because she’s hanging out with the girls, and less to do with the art.

Kelli & Hannah had a great idea to do a group paint on a large canvas.  Brilliant!  Up until this point I had been “supervising” but now I get to join in the fun!  Hannah figured out that we should splatter in our area for 10 seconds and rotate.  We do this while giggling and slinging paint on the canvas as well as on each other. The result would make Pollock proud…at least I think it would, but you can judge for yourself.

Beecher Town All-Age School – Week Two

Filed under: My Life, photography, Travel Tagged: Beecher Town All-Age School, Boscobel Primary, Great Shape, Jamaica, SuperKids ]]> http://creativeoutburst.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/jamaicas-superkids/feed/ 0 creativeoutburst DSC_0097a DSC_0270a DSC_0039a DSC_0257a DSC_0247a DSC_0091 DSC_0381a DSC_0321b DSC_0351a DSC_0386a DSC_0335a DSC_0331a http://creativeoutburst.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/i-like-turtles/ http://creativeoutburst.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/i-like-turtles/#comments Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:10:22 +0000 Michaela Kelly http://creativeoutburst.wordpress.com/?p=398 ]]> While I was in Jamaica volunteering there was talk that we might get to experience a turtle hatch on a beach nearby.  Each morning during our breakfast meeting before heading to school, we’d get a “turtle update” on whether the turtles might be hatching or not.  Monday morning…Nope.  Tuesday… No go.  Wednesday we got the much anticipated news.  Turtle hatch on Thursday!!!  Yippeeee!!!!!

Let it be known I kinda love marine life.  Okay it’s not “kinda” -it’s “a lot.”  Like a lot, a lot.  In fourth grade I figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up.  Marine Biologist.  Somehow that’s not the path I ended up pursuing.  Now at 33, looking back over a non-existent PR career, I can’t help but wish I could go back and tell my 16-year-old self to just muddle through the yucky sciences (Hello, physics.) and get the college degree needed for the career I dreamed about. Now I jump at every opportunity to experience marine life in its natural environment.  You should see me on whale watches.

After school on Thursday we head over to Gibraltar Beach to meet up with Mel, the unofficial baby turtle guardian.  Mel (pictured below) is a retired teacher from the UK.  He moved to Jamaica and discovered that Hawksbill Turtles had chosen the beach in front of his house to dig nests and lay their eggs.  Mel tracks and maps and logs everything.  So our group wandered down the beach following Turtle Mel to the location of the nest.  We each looked on in awe as Mel gently pulled out a handful of baby turtles from the nest. Even though I knew what to expect, it was still amazing to witness.  There were “oohs” and “aahs” and even squeals – okay maybe I was the only squealing.

And then, we got to hold one!

(Yes, I squealed just now.)

Thank you Turtle Mel for all the work you do to help these endangered sea turtles.  You also helped me check “Baby Sea Turtle Hatch” off my bucket list.  Although, if I get the opportunity to do it again, you know I’ll be there!

Warning: Extreme cuteness beyond this point.

*Blog title is in reference to the viral video.

One Love, One Heart
Let’s get together and feel all right
Hear the children crying (One Love)
Hear the children crying (One Heart)
Sayin’ give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Sayin’ let’s get together and feel all right.

We all know the song.  Just one of those favorites you can’t help but sing along to, usually at the top of your lungs.  And One Love lives and breathes in Jamaica.

My journey to Jamaica was the result of volunteering with the SuperKids literacy and educational enrichment program with Great Shape! Inc.   Even though I had a friend who had volunteered in previous years and  “recruited” me — I still had no idea what to expect once I got to Jamaica despite our conversations about the project.  I can tell you now, it was a roller-coaster.  Good thing I like roller-coasters.  I experienced such a wide range of emotions in that two week time frame.  Anticipation.  Nervous.  Tired.  Frightened.  Unsure.  Relieved.  Awkward.  Happy.  Challenged.  Sick.  Fulfilled.  Connected.  Assured.  Bliss.  Joy.  Loved.  Most of all…Loved.

It’s amazing how much love filled those two weeks.  Love from a group of strangers who all shared the same desire to help, somehow. The connection made with your fellow volunteers is so genuine, no matter your background, that you do not remain strangers for long.  Love from sweet Jamaican children so joyful, that you felt it wash over you like a wave.  You literally receive a hundred hugs a day.  And because you are surrounded by all that love, you can’t help but give it in return.  To everyone.  It may sound corny.  But you there’s no mistaking the swell of your heart — so full — spilling over.

Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel alright, let’s get together and feel alright.

One LOVE.

*If you would like to volunteer with SuperKids, please click the Great Shape link above, and tell them Michaela sent ya!

I have loved taking pictures since high school. My main source of inspiration: documentation. I wanted a pictorial of my life in high school. Every important moment, like winning a state-wide essay contest. To the the not so important, out-of-focus picture of my cute kitty cuz she was trying to paw at the camera. (Aww!)

My junior year I took Photography as my elective. I learned about depth of field, and apertures, and contrast. I could deftly develop a roll of film (yes film!) in complete darkness. Enlargements? No problem! This was also when my olfactory senses were forever ingrained by the smell of developing solution.

During my class I used the school’s loaner SLR camera. There was no going back after that. Eventually while in college my parents sprung for a Canon Rebel G. That was a great camera. (They still have it.)

But then technology offered something new & crazy.

Digital SLR!!!!!

Problem was, I didn’t have the money to afford such a fancy camera. I didn’t have enough money to buy a simple point-&-shoot digital camera. So I decided it was best to not even think about it. Which I accomplished…until one of my co-worker friends got a Nikon DSLR. *drool* He worked in the “photography” department (taking pictures of tourists)… so he got to use a fancy camera at work. As a result he decide he needed a DSLR of his own. He mostly just used it for taking pictures at parties. Lots of pictures, many of which were candid, crazy angles, and often unflattering. One night, he let me use it. Since that moment, I was ruined; wishing I had my very own DSLR to use whenever I pleased. That was back in 2007.

Flash forward two years….

I finally got my very own Nikon D5000 DSLR complete with 55-200 mm lens. Yay!!! I’m am more than satisfied with my camera. It’s got a lot of “bells & whistles” but I’m having fun learning what all it can do. I watched the instructional video that came with the camera.  Afterwards I was over-whelmed and even more super charged that I am going to suddenly become this pro-photographer.  But before National Geographic calls with a job offer, I think I need another refresher in all the stuff I learned in high school.  Minus the film developing.  So I will take my time getting to know my new camera.  I feel like I should give it a name. Maybe “Niko?”

*So I’ve actually had my camera for over a year now.  But since I’m still learning all it can do, it’s still new.  Like the above picture is me trying to get the self-timer to work.  I was attempting to get a picture of my camera taking a picture of itself.  Instead I’m in it.  Fail. Oh well, I’ll keep trying.

In addition to painting, I will post some of my newer photographs.  I want to share stories of my travels.  Because in the last year I have become quite the travel bug.  (How did *that* happen??)  Las Vegas.  Mexico.  Jamaica.  Italy.  New York City.  And Hawaii in a couple months.  So there’s a lot of new photos from all those adventures.  Plus I enjoy writing and plan to post more about my silly life.

For the past couple months I have been doing some “behind the scenes” stuff on my blog.  I changed the theme to a more photograph/image friendly layout.  Now my photos will be larger than life!   Okay.  Not that large.  But close.  I have gone through some of my older posts and increased the picture size.   I’ve also started a number of blog drafts, stay tuned.

Welcome back! 

At the Roman Forum

Spanish Steps

Holy Spirit stained glass in St. Peter’s Basilica

Michelangelo’s Pieta

Me at the Trevi Fountain

…and everyone else!

Hard Rock Cafe Roma for our farewell dinner.

Thus concludes my trip down memory lane.  I had a fantastic month in Italy that I will not soon forget.