Hello Readers!
I know it has been quite a long time since I have posted to this blog, and I apologize. Do not fear, however! Simply because I have not been posting here does not mean that I have not been writing! Of late, I have been working on my graduate thesis, conference papers, editing manuscripts for others, as well as writing articles. One such article, I'm excited to say, was just published to the premier issue of the fabulous periodical, Sensheant Magazine! This magazine informs people about and promotes healthy sexuality and sensuality for women, and is an amazing new project. Digital copies are FREE!
The lovely women with Sensheant were kind enough to feature my article, "A Chakra Path to Sensuality Through Belly Dance", an article based on a workshop I had taught and which combines many of my passions. I'd strongly recommend downloading your FREE (need I say it again?) digital copy of the entire magazine, as it has incredibly pertinent information throughout. Get in touch and let me know what you think!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
"Pas de Deux"
While still an undergrad student at the Macaulay Honors College, I had the privilege of studying under poet Nicole Cooley (author of Milk Dress). Of the poems I wrote for her class, she had said this was her favorite. I enjoy it because it is a sonnet, which I think mirrors and enhances the structure, poise, and beauty of ballet, the poem's subject. Let me know what you think of it!
"Pas de Deux"
by Veronica Spettmann
Sounds of his faintest footfall on hardwood;
his rapture binds his body to the space.
Focusing, his support is understood
when she approaches him with perfect grace.
Together, sinuous and strong, they weave,
becoming a single body and mind.
She trusts him with a faith he can't believe;
they let the music put their fears behind.
Their muscles twitch beneath spandex and silk,
their costumes crinkle as they do their lift.
It looks as if they dance when they just walk;
the smell of dripping sweat is their prized gift.
Another day is done: their romance ends -
tomorrow they will stitch their love again.
Published first to this blog: January 6, 2014
"Pas de Deux"
by Veronica Spettmann
Sounds of his faintest footfall on hardwood;
his rapture binds his body to the space.
Focusing, his support is understood
when she approaches him with perfect grace.
Together, sinuous and strong, they weave,
becoming a single body and mind.
She trusts him with a faith he can't believe;
they let the music put their fears behind.
Their muscles twitch beneath spandex and silk,
their costumes crinkle as they do their lift.
It looks as if they dance when they just walk;
the smell of dripping sweat is their prized gift.
Another day is done: their romance ends -
tomorrow they will stitch their love again.
Published first to this blog: January 6, 2014
"Bill"
Happy New Year, One and All!
I have some very exciting opportunities unfolding at the onset of this year, 2014. I am publishing a couple of works to this blog in preparation for one of those opportunities.
This piece, "Bill," is a short story I wrote while studying creative writing in Greece in 2010. I had the privilege of studying with author George Crane (writer of The Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia). He told his students to write a complete short story - beginning, middle, and end - in as few words as possible. My chest swells when I remember how much he praised my story. I hope my followers will enjoy it as well as it came from the depths of my heart. I wrote it less than a year before my Opa, Bill, passed away, and I find the story has even more meaning to me now that he is gone. Please feel free to leave your feedback, good or bad.
"Bill"
by Veronica Spettmann
It's sad when those you love grow old and feel themselves dying. Opa died four years ago with his wife, though his facade is strong. He confided in me recently that he wishes to visit his roots in Germany. He hates traveling, but I think his desire to see it once more is stronger than his distaste for the size of coach seats.
"May I go with you?" I asked.
"I might not come back."
I know he does not mean he will like it so much, he'll move there. Maybe saying good-bye to roots is easier than saying good-bye to the ones that love you.
"I'll stay with you."
He smiled because he knew I meant, "I will not let you die alone." Sometimes, I remind him of his wife. It makes him cry. I am honored to look like her.
Tomorrow we embark on our journey to the old homes and hangouts of the Spettmann's and the Ritterbach's. I wonder how long we'll be there.
Published first to this blog: January 6, 2014
I have some very exciting opportunities unfolding at the onset of this year, 2014. I am publishing a couple of works to this blog in preparation for one of those opportunities.
This piece, "Bill," is a short story I wrote while studying creative writing in Greece in 2010. I had the privilege of studying with author George Crane (writer of The Bones of the Master: A Journey to Secret Mongolia). He told his students to write a complete short story - beginning, middle, and end - in as few words as possible. My chest swells when I remember how much he praised my story. I hope my followers will enjoy it as well as it came from the depths of my heart. I wrote it less than a year before my Opa, Bill, passed away, and I find the story has even more meaning to me now that he is gone. Please feel free to leave your feedback, good or bad.
"Bill"
by Veronica Spettmann
It's sad when those you love grow old and feel themselves dying. Opa died four years ago with his wife, though his facade is strong. He confided in me recently that he wishes to visit his roots in Germany. He hates traveling, but I think his desire to see it once more is stronger than his distaste for the size of coach seats.
"May I go with you?" I asked.
"I might not come back."
I know he does not mean he will like it so much, he'll move there. Maybe saying good-bye to roots is easier than saying good-bye to the ones that love you.
"I'll stay with you."
He smiled because he knew I meant, "I will not let you die alone." Sometimes, I remind him of his wife. It makes him cry. I am honored to look like her.
Tomorrow we embark on our journey to the old homes and hangouts of the Spettmann's and the Ritterbach's. I wonder how long we'll be there.
Published first to this blog: January 6, 2014
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Finally Settled
After a very very VERY long hiatus from writing, during which much happened, I'm finally prepared to settle down and begin again. This particular post will have no article attached to it as I have not been writing (at least nothing public), shame on me. However, the photo attached is the first ray of hope for a fresh start! While I have been away, I moved into my boyfriend's co-op (poor him). He was kind enough to give me my very own bookcase, which was filled in less than 10 seconds. He also gave me this fabulous little wall space, against which my childhood desk fit perfectly and upon which my Bachelors degree looks fabulous -- if I do say so myself. So, now that this Promised Land of Creativity is more or less settled, what's on the agenda? First, and foremost, I'll be editing the first 2/3 of my young adult fantasy novel so that I can finish it and start agent-hunting. I know I told myself I wouldn't edit it, but so much of it has to change in order for me to reach my desired ending, that there simply is no way around it. Trust me. It'll work out. Second, I have a fabulous article pitch that I'm going to start in on for a very prestigious website. That's all I'm willing to reveal at this time, but keep your eyes peeled. Third, I'm going to remember that every experience, good and bad, is a story in and of itself and I plan to utilize these experiences to my fullest advantage. Fourth, I'm going back to graduate school! Regarding grad school, I am certain I will learn much, read much, write much, and experience much. I am so looking forward to it. I hope to intermittently be able to post some of my graduate writings here, for your reading pleasure. That said, I'm off to achieve my four points, much like my political idol, James K. Polk. Later gators!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Long Island Art! Interviews Stained Glass Artist, Brian van Kuik
This is as up-to-date as it gets, at the moment. Since this piece I have focused primarily on a short piece for a contest sponsored by Author House and Carl Reiner, as well as my first full-length novel. While I, as yet, have nothing to show for either of those, I can assure you I am always writing and always looking to the next project. Please stay tuned for more!
Long Island Art! Interviews Stained Glass Artist, Brian van Kuik
Long Island Art! Interviews Stained Glass Artist, Brian van Kuik
Long Island Art! is always learning about
unique art forms and the talented artists who work in all of those
mediums. An old-fashioned medium is given a fresh life by artist Brian
van Kuik, who does his work in stained glass. Long Island Art! learned a
bit about what inspires Mr. van Kuik and what “foils” his productivity.
Long Island Art!: First, we’d love to know who inspired you to pursue a career in stained glass?
Brian van Kuik: A career? Um…I would have to actually say my friend Martha, and a bartender. Basically, two people I met one day who both said, “why aren’t you selling your glass?” I thought, Well, okay. So I had some business cards made up. Never thought of it as a career, though. Basically just something to keep the hobby going.
LIA!: What was the first piece you ever made?
BvK: The first piece I ever made is actually sitting in my office. It’s a yellow cross with red diamonds and ends. I had just gotten a kit as a gift and just wanted to make something. Really poorly made, too. So, of course it’s hanging in my office. I’d have to do a ton of work on it to ever make it “sellable.”
LIA!: How old were you when you started?
BvK: 5,375. I was living in my other place. I think I got my kit in 2006.
LIA!: Aside from custom works and craft fairs, do you have any events or galleries you want to attend to display your work?
BvK: I would like to get a few of my pieces into a gallery, but I don’t know which I’d like to get into. Whoever is willing to show my work, I guess. And only after I get a few more showpieces done.
LIA!: Have you tried to get into Ripe Art Gallery?
BvK: Not yet. I’d like to try.
LIA!: They’re great there. Any events you would like to tell the public about?
BvK: I don’t have any events coming up right now. I’m just working on getting pieces done. Though, I’d like to get into the New York Witch Festival in October.
LIA!: What’s on the cutting board at the moment?
BvK: My fingers! But really a piece for a friend who is redoing my business cards. A commission piece. I have a few other sketches I want to try to turn into glass, too. Some using glass my mother gave me from when she used to make stained glass pieces.
LIA!: When do you find you are best able to focus on your work? Do you think other artists would benefit from trying this technique?
BvK: I don’t know if other artists would benefit, so to speak, but I work best late at night. It depends on who is around, too. I have trouble working creatively around some people.
LIA!: The wrong company is definitely a distraction. Aside from that, what is the greatest distraction you have?
BvK: TV and video games. If I had Cable, I wouldn’t accomplish anything.
LIA!: No Cable? Wow! You must be really focused on your goals to eliminate Cable. With that in mind, what are your “big picture” goals for your creative work?
BvK: I don’t have any goals aside from some ideas I want to see through. Some will take more planning than others, but just take inspiration from products I see at the glass store.
LIA!: What are the overall goals for your business?
BvK: At the moment, I want my business to be self-sustaining. Ultimately, I’d love to be able to support myself on it.
LIA!: You can do it.
BvK: I could, but I have to get to the skill level necessary to do custom pieces for people who are really well off!
LIA!: We’re sure you’d already appeal to them. Regardless of what they like, what is your favorite piece you’ve made to date?
BvK: I would say it’s my Buddhist Knot. Then my Inushuk: that’s a nice finished-looking piece in a wooden frame.
LIA!: Looking back on your experience in your craft, what advice can you offer aspiring artists?
BvK: Dabble until you find the mediums that work for you. I have a lot of interests, but glass was just the medium that worked best for me.
LIA!: Where should people go to purchase from you or to order a custom piece?
BvK: Right now the best way is through my Facebook page, Taomoon’s Workshop. The “For Sale” folder has all available pieces with prices. As for customs, just send me a private message. We can meet to discuss it if you’re local enough. If not, we can just discuss it through chat.
To see Brian’s glass creations or to speak with him about his work, follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/TaomoonsWorkshop?ref=ts&fref=ts
Veronica Spettmann Reporting
Published: February 24, 2013
Long Island Art!: First, we’d love to know who inspired you to pursue a career in stained glass?
Brian van Kuik: A career? Um…I would have to actually say my friend Martha, and a bartender. Basically, two people I met one day who both said, “why aren’t you selling your glass?” I thought, Well, okay. So I had some business cards made up. Never thought of it as a career, though. Basically just something to keep the hobby going.
LIA!: What was the first piece you ever made?
BvK: The first piece I ever made is actually sitting in my office. It’s a yellow cross with red diamonds and ends. I had just gotten a kit as a gift and just wanted to make something. Really poorly made, too. So, of course it’s hanging in my office. I’d have to do a ton of work on it to ever make it “sellable.”
LIA!: How old were you when you started?
BvK: 5,375. I was living in my other place. I think I got my kit in 2006.
LIA!: Aside from custom works and craft fairs, do you have any events or galleries you want to attend to display your work?
BvK: I would like to get a few of my pieces into a gallery, but I don’t know which I’d like to get into. Whoever is willing to show my work, I guess. And only after I get a few more showpieces done.
LIA!: Have you tried to get into Ripe Art Gallery?
BvK: Not yet. I’d like to try.
LIA!: They’re great there. Any events you would like to tell the public about?
BvK: I don’t have any events coming up right now. I’m just working on getting pieces done. Though, I’d like to get into the New York Witch Festival in October.
LIA!: What’s on the cutting board at the moment?
BvK: My fingers! But really a piece for a friend who is redoing my business cards. A commission piece. I have a few other sketches I want to try to turn into glass, too. Some using glass my mother gave me from when she used to make stained glass pieces.
LIA!: When do you find you are best able to focus on your work? Do you think other artists would benefit from trying this technique?
BvK: I don’t know if other artists would benefit, so to speak, but I work best late at night. It depends on who is around, too. I have trouble working creatively around some people.
LIA!: The wrong company is definitely a distraction. Aside from that, what is the greatest distraction you have?
BvK: TV and video games. If I had Cable, I wouldn’t accomplish anything.
LIA!: No Cable? Wow! You must be really focused on your goals to eliminate Cable. With that in mind, what are your “big picture” goals for your creative work?
BvK: I don’t have any goals aside from some ideas I want to see through. Some will take more planning than others, but just take inspiration from products I see at the glass store.
LIA!: What are the overall goals for your business?
BvK: At the moment, I want my business to be self-sustaining. Ultimately, I’d love to be able to support myself on it.
LIA!: You can do it.
BvK: I could, but I have to get to the skill level necessary to do custom pieces for people who are really well off!
LIA!: We’re sure you’d already appeal to them. Regardless of what they like, what is your favorite piece you’ve made to date?
BvK: I would say it’s my Buddhist Knot. Then my Inushuk: that’s a nice finished-looking piece in a wooden frame.
LIA!: Looking back on your experience in your craft, what advice can you offer aspiring artists?
BvK: Dabble until you find the mediums that work for you. I have a lot of interests, but glass was just the medium that worked best for me.
LIA!: Where should people go to purchase from you or to order a custom piece?
BvK: Right now the best way is through my Facebook page, Taomoon’s Workshop. The “For Sale” folder has all available pieces with prices. As for customs, just send me a private message. We can meet to discuss it if you’re local enough. If not, we can just discuss it through chat.
To see Brian’s glass creations or to speak with him about his work, follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/TaomoonsWorkshop?ref=ts&fref=ts
Veronica Spettmann Reporting
Published: February 24, 2013
Long Island Art! Features Victor Bonacore
Long Island Art! Features Victor Bonacore
Filmmakers
wear a lot of faces: writer, editor, false church member, and
pot-smoker, immediately come to mind. At least that’s what comes to mind
when we think of Ronkonkoma filmmaker, Victor Bonacore. Long Island
Art! got the scoop on some of the wild things Mr. Bonacore has done to
get the right shot for the job, as well as some very interesting advice
to share with other aspiring Long Island filmmakers.
Long Island Art!: I think the first thing we’d love to know is how you got started with film-making.
Victor Bonacore: I’ve been making little backyard horror films since I was a kid, like “The Ronkonkoma Slasher” with my brother and sister. Then I got my own camcorder for Christmas when I was twelve, I think. I started doing re-enactments from films I liked. Every summer I would make really bad zombie movies with my friends and never finish them. Then I decided to go to college for it and try to really learn the technical aspect of film making.
LIA!: Where did you go to school?
VB: First, I went to community college because I didn’t have the money to go away to film school or anything. I made a really bad movie called “Zombie Gangster Massacre” there. Then I transferred to Adelphi University in Garden City and really started learning about 16mm film and how to edit and shit. It was there that I was able to really learn how to tell my stories and make them look good. I actually learned a lot at Adelphi. Some of the professors there were pretty cool and pushed me to do what I wanted.
LIA!: And wow, do they look good! We saw your last video on your YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/chainsawkiss), “Cool Cannon and Sixx Five ‘Bout That Life’ Official Music Video HD,” was posted around two weeks ago. How long does a music video like that usually take? And what major steps are involved?
VB: Thank you. Well, all videos are different but the same. There is a lot of planning and such that go into it, a lot of writing sessions, and back-and-forth late-night conversations. Then, to be honest, once it’s the day of the shoot, there is a lot of on-the-spot decisions, and a lot of weed, which totally helps the creative process. I really like to do music videos and turn them into little movies, and drugs usually play a big part in that. An example is Johnnie Lee Jordan’s video “Robotripping Through the Gates of Hell:” all the weed is real, and a few of the girls were even downing that “ Robitussin.” It was a wild shoot. Sixx Five & Cannon shoot was really crazy and a little different: it was just me, a little white boy with a camera, going into the hood of Newark, New Jersey, and just shooting, shooting, shooting, almost documentary style.
LIA!: You must have done a lot of different takes, too, because we noticed that there were a lot of seamless transitions from one background to the next. Does that style of filming or editing have a name?
VB: It’s really just micro-budget filmmaking. You do whatever you have to do to get your shot.
LIA!: Would you suggest marijuana as a cure to a creative block for other aspiring artists?
VB: Absolutely. A great friend and artistic mentor to me once said, “Weed is your friend,” and it really is true. It can help take an idea you have and bring it to another level or open artistic doors in your mind. My favorite thing to do when I’m having writers’ block or editors’ block is to take a bowl and go for a long walk in the woods and just smoke a ton of weed. I just come up with the best ideas that way. For some reason weed and nature just ease me, and I can think freely.
LIA!: You’re probably not alone in that mindset. You mentioned doing what you have to do to get the right shots. What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever had to do to get the perfect shot, and which piece was that for?
VB: That’s a really good question, actually. For my my film, “Ice Cream Sunday,” which is about a pedophile priest cult, I really, really wanted to shoot in a church. How could I make a film about religion and not shoot in a church? We were shooting on 16mm so I thought it would bring the production value up, and I wanted all the characters in front of authentic stained glass. So, I started going to churches in my town and trying to find the right one. I really had no money, so I wound up going to this one church in town and became a member. I went every Sunday for a little over a month and became friendly with the pastor there. I asked if I could shoot a short there and they agreed — and for only $100! So I wrote a fake three- or four-page script about a girl who is inspired by a church song or some shit like that, because I knew that if they actually read the real script for “Ice Cream Sunday,” there would be no way they would let me shoot there. In the end, I felt a little guilty because the church ended up being pretty cool: they were the only church I had ever attended that openly accepted gays and lesbians, and everyone was really nice. But, I worship art, not religion.
LIA!: Did that church ever watch your finished video?
VB: No way!
LIA!: That’s probably for the best. Do you show your work to public audiences or attend festivals to showcase your work?
VB: Yea! I like to put together little screenings when I have something to show, and “Ice Cream Sunday” has played a bunch of film festivals and cool little screenings. But short films come and go, you know? People really want to see features. I have had two features in production for years, and when they’re done, I want to do the whole festival thing again. I really enjoy traveling to different places. You get to meet some interesting people.
LIA!: May we have a little peek into what these features might be about?
VB: Well, one is a documentary that I am very close to completing. It’s called “Diary of a Deadbeat,” and follows the life of underground filmmaker, Jim Vanbebber. I started documenting Jim around four years ago, and it’s been a wild ride. I have all my interviews done for it and have collected a lot of footage of Jim. Now it’s just the editing process. The other film is “Blood Wings: A Satanic Fantasy,” and it’s really my baby. I started making that one almost five years ago now, which is scary to even think about, but it’s true. I was living and working with a bunch of filmmakers at the time, like Jimmy ScreamerClauz, Joey Smack, and Ruby Larocca. I will finish it and will continue to shoot it on 16mm, no matter what. It’s just a matter of getting the funds together. I have a shitty desk job now and aim to save all my money to put towards my films. So we’ll see!
LIA!: Is it one of your aspirations to see your work able to support itself and you so that you can quit said job and be a career filmmaker?
VB: Yes! That is my aspiration!
LIA!: You have obviously been doing this for quite some time. Who was your original inspiration in the film-making world and who continues to inspire you today?
VB: Well, my older sisters got me into weird cinema really early. My sister, Tia, worked with underground filmmakers Richard Kern and Tommy Turner, and my other sister, Ami, performed with GG Allin and Kembra Pfahler from “The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black,” so I was introduced to that underground New York scene very early. But on my own I got into Stanley Kubrick and became obsessed with him when I was in junior high. As I got older and discovered more filmmakers, it was filmmakers like Frank Henenlotter and John Waters that really influenced me.
LIA!: That is quite the list of inspirations! It’s no wonder your work spans such a wide range of genres and styles. What is the best advice you can give to other aspiring filmmakers?
VB: Really, don’t conform. Make what you want and listen to everyone but don’t listen to anyone.
LIA!: Excellent advice. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
VB: Break the rules and be an artist. Take your art seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. And never stop smoking weed.
LIA!: Who told you that?
VB: I can’t remember!
LIA!: It’s probably all that weed.
VB: Right!
LIA!: Well, we hope you’ll keep us posted when you’re ready to show your features at festivals! I’m sure the art community would love to see the works you’ve been creating!
VB: Will do. I definitely want to do a big Long Island premier when I am done!
LIA!: That would be amazing for the Long Island art community. Thank you so much for speaking with us!
VB: Thank you for doing this!
http://www.youtube.com/user/chainsawkiss/videos?flow=grid&view=0
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Long-Island-Art/183483648460253?ref=hl
Veronica Spettmann Reporting
Published: January 25, 2013
Long Island Art!: I think the first thing we’d love to know is how you got started with film-making.
Victor Bonacore: I’ve been making little backyard horror films since I was a kid, like “The Ronkonkoma Slasher” with my brother and sister. Then I got my own camcorder for Christmas when I was twelve, I think. I started doing re-enactments from films I liked. Every summer I would make really bad zombie movies with my friends and never finish them. Then I decided to go to college for it and try to really learn the technical aspect of film making.
LIA!: Where did you go to school?
VB: First, I went to community college because I didn’t have the money to go away to film school or anything. I made a really bad movie called “Zombie Gangster Massacre” there. Then I transferred to Adelphi University in Garden City and really started learning about 16mm film and how to edit and shit. It was there that I was able to really learn how to tell my stories and make them look good. I actually learned a lot at Adelphi. Some of the professors there were pretty cool and pushed me to do what I wanted.
LIA!: And wow, do they look good! We saw your last video on your YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/user/chainsawkiss), “Cool Cannon and Sixx Five ‘Bout That Life’ Official Music Video HD,” was posted around two weeks ago. How long does a music video like that usually take? And what major steps are involved?
VB: Thank you. Well, all videos are different but the same. There is a lot of planning and such that go into it, a lot of writing sessions, and back-and-forth late-night conversations. Then, to be honest, once it’s the day of the shoot, there is a lot of on-the-spot decisions, and a lot of weed, which totally helps the creative process. I really like to do music videos and turn them into little movies, and drugs usually play a big part in that. An example is Johnnie Lee Jordan’s video “Robotripping Through the Gates of Hell:” all the weed is real, and a few of the girls were even downing that “ Robitussin.” It was a wild shoot. Sixx Five & Cannon shoot was really crazy and a little different: it was just me, a little white boy with a camera, going into the hood of Newark, New Jersey, and just shooting, shooting, shooting, almost documentary style.
LIA!: You must have done a lot of different takes, too, because we noticed that there were a lot of seamless transitions from one background to the next. Does that style of filming or editing have a name?
VB: It’s really just micro-budget filmmaking. You do whatever you have to do to get your shot.
LIA!: Would you suggest marijuana as a cure to a creative block for other aspiring artists?
VB: Absolutely. A great friend and artistic mentor to me once said, “Weed is your friend,” and it really is true. It can help take an idea you have and bring it to another level or open artistic doors in your mind. My favorite thing to do when I’m having writers’ block or editors’ block is to take a bowl and go for a long walk in the woods and just smoke a ton of weed. I just come up with the best ideas that way. For some reason weed and nature just ease me, and I can think freely.
LIA!: You’re probably not alone in that mindset. You mentioned doing what you have to do to get the right shots. What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever had to do to get the perfect shot, and which piece was that for?
VB: That’s a really good question, actually. For my my film, “Ice Cream Sunday,” which is about a pedophile priest cult, I really, really wanted to shoot in a church. How could I make a film about religion and not shoot in a church? We were shooting on 16mm so I thought it would bring the production value up, and I wanted all the characters in front of authentic stained glass. So, I started going to churches in my town and trying to find the right one. I really had no money, so I wound up going to this one church in town and became a member. I went every Sunday for a little over a month and became friendly with the pastor there. I asked if I could shoot a short there and they agreed — and for only $100! So I wrote a fake three- or four-page script about a girl who is inspired by a church song or some shit like that, because I knew that if they actually read the real script for “Ice Cream Sunday,” there would be no way they would let me shoot there. In the end, I felt a little guilty because the church ended up being pretty cool: they were the only church I had ever attended that openly accepted gays and lesbians, and everyone was really nice. But, I worship art, not religion.
LIA!: Did that church ever watch your finished video?
VB: No way!
LIA!: That’s probably for the best. Do you show your work to public audiences or attend festivals to showcase your work?
VB: Yea! I like to put together little screenings when I have something to show, and “Ice Cream Sunday” has played a bunch of film festivals and cool little screenings. But short films come and go, you know? People really want to see features. I have had two features in production for years, and when they’re done, I want to do the whole festival thing again. I really enjoy traveling to different places. You get to meet some interesting people.
LIA!: May we have a little peek into what these features might be about?
VB: Well, one is a documentary that I am very close to completing. It’s called “Diary of a Deadbeat,” and follows the life of underground filmmaker, Jim Vanbebber. I started documenting Jim around four years ago, and it’s been a wild ride. I have all my interviews done for it and have collected a lot of footage of Jim. Now it’s just the editing process. The other film is “Blood Wings: A Satanic Fantasy,” and it’s really my baby. I started making that one almost five years ago now, which is scary to even think about, but it’s true. I was living and working with a bunch of filmmakers at the time, like Jimmy ScreamerClauz, Joey Smack, and Ruby Larocca. I will finish it and will continue to shoot it on 16mm, no matter what. It’s just a matter of getting the funds together. I have a shitty desk job now and aim to save all my money to put towards my films. So we’ll see!
LIA!: Is it one of your aspirations to see your work able to support itself and you so that you can quit said job and be a career filmmaker?
VB: Yes! That is my aspiration!
LIA!: You have obviously been doing this for quite some time. Who was your original inspiration in the film-making world and who continues to inspire you today?
VB: Well, my older sisters got me into weird cinema really early. My sister, Tia, worked with underground filmmakers Richard Kern and Tommy Turner, and my other sister, Ami, performed with GG Allin and Kembra Pfahler from “The Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black,” so I was introduced to that underground New York scene very early. But on my own I got into Stanley Kubrick and became obsessed with him when I was in junior high. As I got older and discovered more filmmakers, it was filmmakers like Frank Henenlotter and John Waters that really influenced me.
LIA!: That is quite the list of inspirations! It’s no wonder your work spans such a wide range of genres and styles. What is the best advice you can give to other aspiring filmmakers?
VB: Really, don’t conform. Make what you want and listen to everyone but don’t listen to anyone.
LIA!: Excellent advice. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
VB: Break the rules and be an artist. Take your art seriously, but don’t take yourself seriously. And never stop smoking weed.
LIA!: Who told you that?
VB: I can’t remember!
LIA!: It’s probably all that weed.
VB: Right!
LIA!: Well, we hope you’ll keep us posted when you’re ready to show your features at festivals! I’m sure the art community would love to see the works you’ve been creating!
VB: Will do. I definitely want to do a big Long Island premier when I am done!
LIA!: That would be amazing for the Long Island art community. Thank you so much for speaking with us!
VB: Thank you for doing this!
http://www.youtube.com/user/chainsawkiss/videos?flow=grid&view=0
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Long-Island-Art/183483648460253?ref=hl
Veronica Spettmann Reporting
Published: January 25, 2013
Long Island Art! Features David Graham
As you probably noticed, a lot of the articles and creative works posted to this blog so far were written in late 2011 to early 2012. You might be wondering what I've done more recently. I'll admit, there was a spell during which I did very little formal writing, and certainly nothing that was published (though I'm always writing). This past December, I agreed to write interviews for a Facebook page called Long Island Art! It is a wonderful group which strives to unite the Long Island Art community. This piece is the first interview I conducted, wrote, and edited for the page.
Long Island Art! Features David Graham
Long Island Art! Features David Graham
Art is a lot of things, and many often debate what makes art what it
is. However, many people will agree that art is expression. Some art is
beautiful, some art is disturbing, and some art is beautiful because it
is disturbing. Such is the case with the work of David Graham. Long
Island Art had the pleasure of speaking with him about his aspirations
to destroy childhood memories, one work of art at a time.
Long Island Art !: Thanks for letting us pick your brain. Shall we start right in?
David Graham: Ask away.
LIA!: So when did you first begin making your art, and what was the catalyst?
DG: I have been drawing cartoons my whole life, but got into fine art in college. After college I started painting these celebrity death portraits and they became a hit. Soon after, I branched out into other ideas of creating projects. My theme for each is to be fun and childlike, but also morbid at the same time.
LIA!: Are you currently working on a specific project? And how has the focus of your work changed over the years?
DG: I am currently working on several projects. Two are in progress and the rest are still in the research/idea phase. When I first started in 2010, I was creating celebrity death portraits, which were great, but I knew if I stuck with it it would become tired. A good friend of mine took me to the MoMa to show me the works there because I had never been. I learned after that to basically create whatever I damn well pleased.
LIA!: Nice! So would you say your work is primarily self-indulgent?
DG: You can say that. I usually base my projects on fascination or any random idea that comes to mind.
LIA!: Where can the public view your work? Do you have a blog or a website, or is your work currently exhibited at a gallery?
DG: At the moment I am not on display anywhere, but I do have a website which has a link to my Facebook fan page. www.thedavidgrahamcollection.com On Valentine’s Day I will be showing a piece at Ripe Art Gallery in Greenlawn. It’s a very awful painting.
LIA!: We doubt that! What is the title of the piece that will be showing, and what time will it be open to the public to see?
DG: The name of the piece is “The Things You Do For Love,” and it shows Snow White with semen on her mouth. The semen is made with glitter. The show starts at 7:00pm.
LIA!: That sounds spectacular. Do you ever sell your work? And do you do commissioned art or replicas of your older works for willing customers?
DG: My work is for sale. I am always up for commissions and can always make copies of my previous work. In my career, my work is still in the “too weird to be hung in my home” phase for most people.
LIA: In the frame of mind of your career, what are your hopes for the future of your art and your career?
DG: The overall theme of my work is childhood and how I am basically destroying it for people (a compliment I love getting). My goal is to always create something that will either be enjoyable, devastating, or both. I want to have a future still doing what I love.
LIA!: Do you want your art to be your only career or do you aspire to have other, equally interesting careers?
DG: To support myself with art would be nice, but for the most part won’t create full stability. I also have a degree in graphic design, so that can be a possibility. Recently, I was thinking about doing set designs because every October I work at a haunted house and create rooms for them. That could be an opportunity.
LIA!: That’s very exciting. Taking your entire collection of work — haunted house work included — into account, what project or piece would you say you are most proud of or happy with?
DG: At the moment I have a series called “Monster.” It was the idea of what the imaginary friends for 50 American murderers would have looked like. I created these adorable cartoon characters, drew them on paper, outlined them with a black Sharpie, then colored them with crayons. People have said the show was either extremely disturbing or really sad. Not many people want to think of murderers as children, I guess, but this is so far a crowning achievement in my career.
LIA!: That’s so unique! That was obviously a success for you, and we’re sure you have many successes ahead of you, so in your experience, what do you think will best help the Long Island art community to grow?
DG: Thank you. What would help the Long Island art community is all of us working with each other. The scene is landscapes or still life or other mainstream works. There are so many of us that have new ideas or warped visions, but many galleries won’t even consider us. If we ban together and maybe start D.I.Y. art shows or even find businesses and individuals who are interested in what we have, then maybe we have a fighting chance.
LIA!: Do you think that Long Island Art is a step in the right direction? And what would you like to tell us about yourself or your art in general?
DG: Long Island Art is a great step in the right direction. It’s very helpful in getting names out to the public. What I would like to tell Long Island Art is that I am most likely going to destroy your childhood memories. If you loved it when you were little, odds are I will find a way to ruin it. I won’t apologize for it, and no one should ever apologize for creating what they want. Unless it kills someone. That is illegal.
LIA!: Well said! What pearls of wisdom, then, would you like to bestow upon other aspiring artists?
DG: I guess my pearl of wisdom for artists is to create what you love. If there is a subject you are fascinated with, make something out of it. Never be afraid to do what you want. I once, in front of an audience, painted the singer, Prince, doing something graphically sexual. I didn’t care that the old people watching left in disgust, because it is what I love doing. Just create.
Long Island Art !: Thanks for letting us pick your brain. Shall we start right in?
David Graham: Ask away.
LIA!: So when did you first begin making your art, and what was the catalyst?
DG: I have been drawing cartoons my whole life, but got into fine art in college. After college I started painting these celebrity death portraits and they became a hit. Soon after, I branched out into other ideas of creating projects. My theme for each is to be fun and childlike, but also morbid at the same time.
LIA!: Are you currently working on a specific project? And how has the focus of your work changed over the years?
DG: I am currently working on several projects. Two are in progress and the rest are still in the research/idea phase. When I first started in 2010, I was creating celebrity death portraits, which were great, but I knew if I stuck with it it would become tired. A good friend of mine took me to the MoMa to show me the works there because I had never been. I learned after that to basically create whatever I damn well pleased.
LIA!: Nice! So would you say your work is primarily self-indulgent?
DG: You can say that. I usually base my projects on fascination or any random idea that comes to mind.
LIA!: Where can the public view your work? Do you have a blog or a website, or is your work currently exhibited at a gallery?
DG: At the moment I am not on display anywhere, but I do have a website which has a link to my Facebook fan page. www.thedavidgrahamcollection.com On Valentine’s Day I will be showing a piece at Ripe Art Gallery in Greenlawn. It’s a very awful painting.
LIA!: We doubt that! What is the title of the piece that will be showing, and what time will it be open to the public to see?
DG: The name of the piece is “The Things You Do For Love,” and it shows Snow White with semen on her mouth. The semen is made with glitter. The show starts at 7:00pm.
LIA!: That sounds spectacular. Do you ever sell your work? And do you do commissioned art or replicas of your older works for willing customers?
DG: My work is for sale. I am always up for commissions and can always make copies of my previous work. In my career, my work is still in the “too weird to be hung in my home” phase for most people.
LIA: In the frame of mind of your career, what are your hopes for the future of your art and your career?
DG: The overall theme of my work is childhood and how I am basically destroying it for people (a compliment I love getting). My goal is to always create something that will either be enjoyable, devastating, or both. I want to have a future still doing what I love.
LIA!: Do you want your art to be your only career or do you aspire to have other, equally interesting careers?
DG: To support myself with art would be nice, but for the most part won’t create full stability. I also have a degree in graphic design, so that can be a possibility. Recently, I was thinking about doing set designs because every October I work at a haunted house and create rooms for them. That could be an opportunity.
LIA!: That’s very exciting. Taking your entire collection of work — haunted house work included — into account, what project or piece would you say you are most proud of or happy with?
DG: At the moment I have a series called “Monster.” It was the idea of what the imaginary friends for 50 American murderers would have looked like. I created these adorable cartoon characters, drew them on paper, outlined them with a black Sharpie, then colored them with crayons. People have said the show was either extremely disturbing or really sad. Not many people want to think of murderers as children, I guess, but this is so far a crowning achievement in my career.
LIA!: That’s so unique! That was obviously a success for you, and we’re sure you have many successes ahead of you, so in your experience, what do you think will best help the Long Island art community to grow?
DG: Thank you. What would help the Long Island art community is all of us working with each other. The scene is landscapes or still life or other mainstream works. There are so many of us that have new ideas or warped visions, but many galleries won’t even consider us. If we ban together and maybe start D.I.Y. art shows or even find businesses and individuals who are interested in what we have, then maybe we have a fighting chance.
LIA!: Do you think that Long Island Art is a step in the right direction? And what would you like to tell us about yourself or your art in general?
DG: Long Island Art is a great step in the right direction. It’s very helpful in getting names out to the public. What I would like to tell Long Island Art is that I am most likely going to destroy your childhood memories. If you loved it when you were little, odds are I will find a way to ruin it. I won’t apologize for it, and no one should ever apologize for creating what they want. Unless it kills someone. That is illegal.
LIA!: Well said! What pearls of wisdom, then, would you like to bestow upon other aspiring artists?
DG: I guess my pearl of wisdom for artists is to create what you love. If there is a subject you are fascinated with, make something out of it. Never be afraid to do what you want. I once, in front of an audience, painted the singer, Prince, doing something graphically sexual. I didn’t care that the old people watching left in disgust, because it is what I love doing. Just create.
Hare and His Camels
This was a really great piece for me, through and through. I was able to attend this wonderful free event at LIU Post. John Hare, who you will read more about in the article, is an engaging speaker and had a very well structured presentation for us. I had the pleasure of speaking with him privately after the event, which was when I realized he was just as engaging one-on-one. The editorial staff of the paper also made virtually no alterations to this piece, so I'm extra pleased with it.
Hare and His Camels
by Veronica Spettmann
On October 3rd, at 12:30, in Room 119 of Humanities Hall, C.W. Post was graced with the presence of a man with a very unique calling in life. The honors program and merit fellowship hosted a special lecture with John Hare, a British explorer and the founder of The Wild Camel Protection Foundation, who has spent the better part of the last two decades traveling deserts in Mongolia and Chinain order to study the wild camel.
These camels are extremely endangered creatures, and, accordingly, find themselves under continued threat because illegal miners invade their sanctuary in pursuit of gold.
Though the sanctuary has rangers that can, theoretically, fend off these miners, there are only about 30 rangers employed to cover an area around the size of Texas. The miners left 74 empty and seven full drums of potassium cyanide at their mining site, which is the only site in the entire desert with fresh water. It poisoned the water, killing off many of the wild camels. The miners also shot the wild camels for food.
Wild camels differ from regular camels in that they have two humps, which remain small, even after the camels drink, and they have a different, flat skull structure. In his lecture, John Hare explained that this rare species of camels survives on salt water with a higher salt concentration than seawater and live in an area that has been used for dozens of nuclear tests, yet they have still managed to survive.
When asked what he would like to share with the C.W. Post community, John Hare said, "The camel is a remarkable survivor and is under threat. Although it isn't cute and cuddly, it is remarkable." And, although John Hare speaks to over 130 schools in England alone, he felt that the C.W. Post audience was a very good and interested audience in comparison to other student bodies.
At the event, John Hare was selling books and camelhair products, like scarves and socks, for the benefit of the camel population. If anyone in the C.W. Post community is interested in contributing to the efforts to protect the wild camel species or in buying the aforementioned products, he or she may go to www.wildcamels.com for more information or to become a donating member of The Wild Camel Protection Foundation.
Published: October 19, 2011
Hare and His Camels
by Veronica Spettmann
On October 3rd, at 12:30, in Room 119 of Humanities Hall, C.W. Post was graced with the presence of a man with a very unique calling in life. The honors program and merit fellowship hosted a special lecture with John Hare, a British explorer and the founder of The Wild Camel Protection Foundation, who has spent the better part of the last two decades traveling deserts in Mongolia and Chinain order to study the wild camel.
These camels are extremely endangered creatures, and, accordingly, find themselves under continued threat because illegal miners invade their sanctuary in pursuit of gold.
Though the sanctuary has rangers that can, theoretically, fend off these miners, there are only about 30 rangers employed to cover an area around the size of Texas. The miners left 74 empty and seven full drums of potassium cyanide at their mining site, which is the only site in the entire desert with fresh water. It poisoned the water, killing off many of the wild camels. The miners also shot the wild camels for food.
Wild camels differ from regular camels in that they have two humps, which remain small, even after the camels drink, and they have a different, flat skull structure. In his lecture, John Hare explained that this rare species of camels survives on salt water with a higher salt concentration than seawater and live in an area that has been used for dozens of nuclear tests, yet they have still managed to survive.
When asked what he would like to share with the C.W. Post community, John Hare said, "The camel is a remarkable survivor and is under threat. Although it isn't cute and cuddly, it is remarkable." And, although John Hare speaks to over 130 schools in England alone, he felt that the C.W. Post audience was a very good and interested audience in comparison to other student bodies.
At the event, John Hare was selling books and camelhair products, like scarves and socks, for the benefit of the camel population. If anyone in the C.W. Post community is interested in contributing to the efforts to protect the wild camel species or in buying the aforementioned products, he or she may go to www.wildcamels.com for more information or to become a donating member of The Wild Camel Protection Foundation.
Published: October 19, 2011
Nieces and Nephews: Books on the Go
And, for the moment, this concludes my list of contributions to Savvy Auntie! I hope you've enjoyed this part of my writing history!
Nieces and Nephews: Books on the Go
By Veronica Spettmann
Veronica Spettmann is a jack of all trades with a particular passion for writing. She recently graduated with her BA in English Writing from LIU Post and is excited to present herself to the real world. She writes for a food blog, The Flava In Ya Ear, and has her own blog, The Five Dollar Word, where she tracks her progress (or occasional lack thereof). An ABC (Auntie-by-Choice) and former intern for Savvy Auntie, she's excited to be invited back to contribute articles to such a wonderful information super-center for Aunties!
Do you buy books for your nieces and nephews at the airport, read with them during the flight, then wish you didn’t have to tote the books around your destination with you for the rest of your trip? Well then, wish no longer, Auntie. There are now a lot of options available to help you save money on books while you travel!
With the Read and Return program available at most United States airports, you can buy a book in one city and then return it at your destination airport for half of your money back! This program, instituted in 2003, is offered by any of the 500 Paradies Shops. Books that are returned to these shops in good condition will be bought back at half price. If your nieces and nephews are a bit too rough on their books during the trip, Paradies will take it back and donate it to charity instead. This is a great opportunity to teach your nieces and nephews about doing good for others while you travel. This program is not limited to just children’s books; any book bought at a Paradies Shop qualifies. For the price of one book, Aunties can buy a book for both departing and returning flights.
Books, especially Auntie-sized tomes, can be cumbersome during travel, even if you are returning them. E-readers like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook provide light and easy-to-carry alternatives to traditional books. Many classics are free, and the prices of these e-readers are dropping as the technology evolves, which also makes them an inexpensive Auntie alternative. Many libraries will also allow e-reader owners to borrow e-books, free-of-charge.
Are you not planning a trip anytime soon but would like to see where your books would go without you? A fun program called Book Crossing is a great way to get rid of books that you, your nieces, or your nephews have already read, while providing your nieces and nephews with a fabulous geography lesson!
Here’s how it works:
1. Register your books online using their ISBN numbers or by searching the titles and authors.
2. Put a label (like a sticky note) on or in the book with a short note with the registration number in it.
3. Leave the book somewhere. Anywhere. You can leave it on your nieces’ and nephews’ favorite park bench, at the bagel shop where you eat breakfast with them, or even at the airport when you travel with them. The possibilities are endless.
4. Go on the website and see who picks up your book!
Sometimes, your books will travel around the world without you. As soon as someone goes online and enters the registration code that you put in the book, you’ll be able to track its progress (and you can point out the different locations to your nieces and nephews on a map or globe, to help them feel involved). I once had a book make it all the way to China without me!
Whether you are traveling with books or your books are traveling without you, these are some fun ways to encourage your nieces and nephews to read, while learning all about the geography of the world around them.
Happy reading and safe travels!
Published: May 21, 2012
Nieces and Nephews: Books on the Go
By Veronica Spettmann
Veronica Spettmann is a jack of all trades with a particular passion for writing. She recently graduated with her BA in English Writing from LIU Post and is excited to present herself to the real world. She writes for a food blog, The Flava In Ya Ear, and has her own blog, The Five Dollar Word, where she tracks her progress (or occasional lack thereof). An ABC (Auntie-by-Choice) and former intern for Savvy Auntie, she's excited to be invited back to contribute articles to such a wonderful information super-center for Aunties!
Do you buy books for your nieces and nephews at the airport, read with them during the flight, then wish you didn’t have to tote the books around your destination with you for the rest of your trip? Well then, wish no longer, Auntie. There are now a lot of options available to help you save money on books while you travel!
With the Read and Return program available at most United States airports, you can buy a book in one city and then return it at your destination airport for half of your money back! This program, instituted in 2003, is offered by any of the 500 Paradies Shops. Books that are returned to these shops in good condition will be bought back at half price. If your nieces and nephews are a bit too rough on their books during the trip, Paradies will take it back and donate it to charity instead. This is a great opportunity to teach your nieces and nephews about doing good for others while you travel. This program is not limited to just children’s books; any book bought at a Paradies Shop qualifies. For the price of one book, Aunties can buy a book for both departing and returning flights.
Books, especially Auntie-sized tomes, can be cumbersome during travel, even if you are returning them. E-readers like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook provide light and easy-to-carry alternatives to traditional books. Many classics are free, and the prices of these e-readers are dropping as the technology evolves, which also makes them an inexpensive Auntie alternative. Many libraries will also allow e-reader owners to borrow e-books, free-of-charge.
Are you not planning a trip anytime soon but would like to see where your books would go without you? A fun program called Book Crossing is a great way to get rid of books that you, your nieces, or your nephews have already read, while providing your nieces and nephews with a fabulous geography lesson!
Here’s how it works:
1. Register your books online using their ISBN numbers or by searching the titles and authors.
2. Put a label (like a sticky note) on or in the book with a short note with the registration number in it.
3. Leave the book somewhere. Anywhere. You can leave it on your nieces’ and nephews’ favorite park bench, at the bagel shop where you eat breakfast with them, or even at the airport when you travel with them. The possibilities are endless.
4. Go on the website and see who picks up your book!
Sometimes, your books will travel around the world without you. As soon as someone goes online and enters the registration code that you put in the book, you’ll be able to track its progress (and you can point out the different locations to your nieces and nephews on a map or globe, to help them feel involved). I once had a book make it all the way to China without me!
Whether you are traveling with books or your books are traveling without you, these are some fun ways to encourage your nieces and nephews to read, while learning all about the geography of the world around them.
Happy reading and safe travels!
Published: May 21, 2012
Auntie's Anywhere Workout
As I mentioned in a previous post, I consider myself a bit of a guru when it comes to traveling lightly and on a budget. However, in my experience, I've also had to find ways to stay fit in small spaces while I travel. This article is all original information that I gleaned while I was on the road. I am very proud of this article and genuinely hope it helped some of my audience members! This was also the first piece I wrote for Savvy Auntie as a regular contributor, rather than Ms. Notkin's Editorial Intern. (My bio mentions a food blog, The Flava In Ya Ear, which is a lovely blog, but was not updated very frequently, so I have since stopped writing for that blog.)
Auntie's Anywhere Workout
by Veronica Spettman
Veronica Spettmann is a jack of all trades with a particular passion for writing. She recently graduated with her BA in English Writing from LIU Post and is excited to present herself to the real world. She writes for a food blog, The Flava In Ya Ear, and has her own blog, The Five Dollar Word, where she tracks her progress (or occasional lack thereof). An ABC (Auntie-by-Choice) and former intern for Savvy Auntie, she's excited to be invited back to contribute articles to such a wonderful information super-center for Aunties!
Are you short on space, Auntie? Do you travel a lot but don’t want to miss workouts on the road? Are you lacking the funds to buy expensive workout gear because you’d rather shower your nieces and nephews with presents? Are you looking to get toned without looking like a bodybuilder? If you’re anything like me, I personally have a space the size of a bathmat (about four feet by five feet), the budget of a college kid (zero!), and I’m never in the same place for longer than an hour.
With that in mind, I set out to find a workout regimen that would help me lose weight, tone up, and feel good. Through personal experimentation and a little bit of asking around (some personal-trainer friends proved invaluable), I have found the perfect workout solution for every Auntie.
Ideally, you should alternate cardiovascular exercise and strength training for about an hour, but the great thing about this workout is that you can customize it to your time restrictions, and involve your nieces and nephews in the fun. Here’s how you do it:
Make an hour-long (or shorter, according to the time you have) playlist full of music that gets you PUMPED! The key to this workout is to never stop your playlist, so that you’ll never stop moving. Use the first full song to warm up, moving and shaking around or doing a gentler version of one of the cardio options below. Explain to participating nieces and nephews why it is essential to warm up before any physical activity. You should never exercise without warming up, because it will put your muscles under unnecessary strain and could cause injury.
When the second song comes on, you can do any one of these cardiovascular exercises:
1. Jumping jacks: There’s a reason jumping jacks are a cardio standby. They’re easy to perform anywhere because they take virtually no space and require no equipment. If you aren’t familiar with jumping jacks, begin by standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Jump up and land so that your legs are separated and your arms are in the air above you, with your body forming an ‘X’. Jump back to your starting position, and repeat. That’s a jumping jack. (To raise the intensity, use weights, or the alternative suggestions I mention below if you don’t have weights, to strengthen your arms, or squat when you jump out to strengthen your legs.) Your nieces and nephews will love these because they’ll already know how to do them. Their energy may even inspire you to push yourself harder.
2. Jump rope: If you don’t have a rope, just pretend like you’re jumping rope, arms and all. This may take some practice if you’ve never used a jumping rope before (or if you haven’t used one since grade school). If you want to invest in a jump rope, it’ll run you between $7-$10. Or just borrow one from your niece; chances are she’ll have a perfectly suitable jump rope for you.
3. Run in place: Seems silly, doesn’t it? But if you actually run quickly instead of leisurely jogging, it’ll get your heart rate up so that your strength training will be more effective. Want to raise the stakes? Instead of just running in place, bring your knees up toward your chest while you run. This will simultaneously raise your heart rate and work your abs and buttocks. This would also be a great way for you and your nieces and nephews to be a little bit silly by adding wacky arm movements to your jogging!
4. Side-step: This is generally most effective if you have an aerobic step, or something similar, but you can perform this exercise without a step as well. Start with both feet together on the step. Touch one foot to the ground (if you aren’t using a step, touch one foot out to the side while bending the other knee into a lunge). Jump up and switch feet. Repeat. This movement will be great practice for outings in nice weather with nieces and nephews (it’s the same movement you make when you’re trying to catch them as they run past you).
When the third song comes on, you’ll want to target a part of your body for strength training. Here, I’ve listed one exercise that I do for each part of my body:
1. Arms: I have 2-pound weights that I use, but you could also fill matching soda bottles (or nieces’ and nephews’ baby bottles) with water, or use soup cans. Bent over from a standing position, with straight knees, a flat back and your arms flush with your sides, pull your elbows back behind you and straighten your arms again (this motion will work your triceps). Bend your arms again and re-straighten them. Do this ten times. Then, with your arms back at your sides, do a set of ten bicep curls. Alternate between the two for the duration of one song.
2. Abs: One of the most effective things to do is basic crunches. However, this becomes boring quickly. I like to spice it up by alternating different kinds of crunches, like side crunches to work my obliques. To do this, start in the basic crunch position, lying on your back, with knees bent and feet on the floor. Tip both of your knees to one side while keeping your shoulders facing toward the ceiling. Crunch up using the muscles in your side, so both shoulders leave the ground. Do ten repetitions, then switch your knees to the other side and repeat. As with regular crunches, be sure you don’t strain your neck. Let your nieces and nephews participate by asking them to hold your ankles in place (it’s great motivation to keep crunching if you try to tickle your nieces and nephews every time you come up).
3. Legs: Try squat jumps! You will hate these more than your young nieces and nephews hate broccoli, but they work wonders. These double as a cardio exercise and are very strenuous, so if they are too much for you, do regular squats until you feel strong enough to add the jump. With your legs shoulder-width apart, go into a squatting position (I find it’s easiest to get the right form when I clasp my hands in front of me). Then, using the muscles in your legs, jump up as high as you can, landing in another squat. If you can do more than 50 of these during the course of a song, you may just be a body-building Auntie! These are very tough, so don’t get discouraged.
4. Glutes: If you do glute exercises after squat jumps and some cardio, then it will almost seem like a break. Lying in the crunch starting position, place your arms on the floor at your sides. Using your booty muscles, lift your hips into the air as high as you can, and lower back down again. This is a really fun exercise to do to a beat or rhythm. Or to challenge your stamina, when you lift your hips, tell your young nieces and nephews to crawl underneath the space it makes. You can’t drop your hips until they’re out from underneath you, so it’ll motivate you to stay up!
5. Back: The back can be challenging to work out safely, so if you feel any pain at all, stop. Lying on your stomach, put your arms on the floor in front of you, fingers pointing forward. Using the muscles in your back, lift your arms and legs off the ground. Try to get your shoulders and pelvic muscles off the ground as well, to add intensity. Lower to the ground and start again. Ask your nieces or nephews to hum the Superman theme song for you if you’re struggling to keep it up!
Your pattern will be: warmup, cardio, strength one, cardio, strength two, and so on. Use your last song to cool down and stretch out the muscles you just worked so hard. Share a cold drink of water with your nieces and nephews and thank them for their help.
You’ll want to alternate one day on (doing the workout), and the other day off (resting). As with any toning or weight loss goals, it helps to have a healthy diet. Eat when you’re hungry; stop when you’re full. Stop eating about two hours before you go to bed. Get a good night’s sleep every night. Soon you’ll feel great about taking your nieces and nephews to the pool while donning your own bathing suit this summer, Auntie!
Published: March 20, 2012
Auntie's Anywhere Workout
by Veronica Spettman
Veronica Spettmann is a jack of all trades with a particular passion for writing. She recently graduated with her BA in English Writing from LIU Post and is excited to present herself to the real world. She writes for a food blog, The Flava In Ya Ear, and has her own blog, The Five Dollar Word, where she tracks her progress (or occasional lack thereof). An ABC (Auntie-by-Choice) and former intern for Savvy Auntie, she's excited to be invited back to contribute articles to such a wonderful information super-center for Aunties!
Are you short on space, Auntie? Do you travel a lot but don’t want to miss workouts on the road? Are you lacking the funds to buy expensive workout gear because you’d rather shower your nieces and nephews with presents? Are you looking to get toned without looking like a bodybuilder? If you’re anything like me, I personally have a space the size of a bathmat (about four feet by five feet), the budget of a college kid (zero!), and I’m never in the same place for longer than an hour.
With that in mind, I set out to find a workout regimen that would help me lose weight, tone up, and feel good. Through personal experimentation and a little bit of asking around (some personal-trainer friends proved invaluable), I have found the perfect workout solution for every Auntie.
Ideally, you should alternate cardiovascular exercise and strength training for about an hour, but the great thing about this workout is that you can customize it to your time restrictions, and involve your nieces and nephews in the fun. Here’s how you do it:
Make an hour-long (or shorter, according to the time you have) playlist full of music that gets you PUMPED! The key to this workout is to never stop your playlist, so that you’ll never stop moving. Use the first full song to warm up, moving and shaking around or doing a gentler version of one of the cardio options below. Explain to participating nieces and nephews why it is essential to warm up before any physical activity. You should never exercise without warming up, because it will put your muscles under unnecessary strain and could cause injury.
When the second song comes on, you can do any one of these cardiovascular exercises:
1. Jumping jacks: There’s a reason jumping jacks are a cardio standby. They’re easy to perform anywhere because they take virtually no space and require no equipment. If you aren’t familiar with jumping jacks, begin by standing with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Jump up and land so that your legs are separated and your arms are in the air above you, with your body forming an ‘X’. Jump back to your starting position, and repeat. That’s a jumping jack. (To raise the intensity, use weights, or the alternative suggestions I mention below if you don’t have weights, to strengthen your arms, or squat when you jump out to strengthen your legs.) Your nieces and nephews will love these because they’ll already know how to do them. Their energy may even inspire you to push yourself harder.
2. Jump rope: If you don’t have a rope, just pretend like you’re jumping rope, arms and all. This may take some practice if you’ve never used a jumping rope before (or if you haven’t used one since grade school). If you want to invest in a jump rope, it’ll run you between $7-$10. Or just borrow one from your niece; chances are she’ll have a perfectly suitable jump rope for you.
3. Run in place: Seems silly, doesn’t it? But if you actually run quickly instead of leisurely jogging, it’ll get your heart rate up so that your strength training will be more effective. Want to raise the stakes? Instead of just running in place, bring your knees up toward your chest while you run. This will simultaneously raise your heart rate and work your abs and buttocks. This would also be a great way for you and your nieces and nephews to be a little bit silly by adding wacky arm movements to your jogging!
4. Side-step: This is generally most effective if you have an aerobic step, or something similar, but you can perform this exercise without a step as well. Start with both feet together on the step. Touch one foot to the ground (if you aren’t using a step, touch one foot out to the side while bending the other knee into a lunge). Jump up and switch feet. Repeat. This movement will be great practice for outings in nice weather with nieces and nephews (it’s the same movement you make when you’re trying to catch them as they run past you).
When the third song comes on, you’ll want to target a part of your body for strength training. Here, I’ve listed one exercise that I do for each part of my body:
1. Arms: I have 2-pound weights that I use, but you could also fill matching soda bottles (or nieces’ and nephews’ baby bottles) with water, or use soup cans. Bent over from a standing position, with straight knees, a flat back and your arms flush with your sides, pull your elbows back behind you and straighten your arms again (this motion will work your triceps). Bend your arms again and re-straighten them. Do this ten times. Then, with your arms back at your sides, do a set of ten bicep curls. Alternate between the two for the duration of one song.
2. Abs: One of the most effective things to do is basic crunches. However, this becomes boring quickly. I like to spice it up by alternating different kinds of crunches, like side crunches to work my obliques. To do this, start in the basic crunch position, lying on your back, with knees bent and feet on the floor. Tip both of your knees to one side while keeping your shoulders facing toward the ceiling. Crunch up using the muscles in your side, so both shoulders leave the ground. Do ten repetitions, then switch your knees to the other side and repeat. As with regular crunches, be sure you don’t strain your neck. Let your nieces and nephews participate by asking them to hold your ankles in place (it’s great motivation to keep crunching if you try to tickle your nieces and nephews every time you come up).
3. Legs: Try squat jumps! You will hate these more than your young nieces and nephews hate broccoli, but they work wonders. These double as a cardio exercise and are very strenuous, so if they are too much for you, do regular squats until you feel strong enough to add the jump. With your legs shoulder-width apart, go into a squatting position (I find it’s easiest to get the right form when I clasp my hands in front of me). Then, using the muscles in your legs, jump up as high as you can, landing in another squat. If you can do more than 50 of these during the course of a song, you may just be a body-building Auntie! These are very tough, so don’t get discouraged.
4. Glutes: If you do glute exercises after squat jumps and some cardio, then it will almost seem like a break. Lying in the crunch starting position, place your arms on the floor at your sides. Using your booty muscles, lift your hips into the air as high as you can, and lower back down again. This is a really fun exercise to do to a beat or rhythm. Or to challenge your stamina, when you lift your hips, tell your young nieces and nephews to crawl underneath the space it makes. You can’t drop your hips until they’re out from underneath you, so it’ll motivate you to stay up!
5. Back: The back can be challenging to work out safely, so if you feel any pain at all, stop. Lying on your stomach, put your arms on the floor in front of you, fingers pointing forward. Using the muscles in your back, lift your arms and legs off the ground. Try to get your shoulders and pelvic muscles off the ground as well, to add intensity. Lower to the ground and start again. Ask your nieces or nephews to hum the Superman theme song for you if you’re struggling to keep it up!
Your pattern will be: warmup, cardio, strength one, cardio, strength two, and so on. Use your last song to cool down and stretch out the muscles you just worked so hard. Share a cold drink of water with your nieces and nephews and thank them for their help.
You’ll want to alternate one day on (doing the workout), and the other day off (resting). As with any toning or weight loss goals, it helps to have a healthy diet. Eat when you’re hungry; stop when you’re full. Stop eating about two hours before you go to bed. Get a good night’s sleep every night. Soon you’ll feel great about taking your nieces and nephews to the pool while donning your own bathing suit this summer, Auntie!
Published: March 20, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)