The Talented Jodi

2011-10-20T09:19:00.001-04:00

The way I paint, I like a painting to be able to be rotated -- different views please different people. Most of my artwork is signed in a way in which the painting can be rotated and either the signature will not be distracting because I've used a harmonious color to sign it, or I haven't signed it on the front -- but rather I've signed it on the back. Or, some, I haven't signed at all. This way, when I sell it, I can sign it for the buyer wherever they'd like me to sign it depending on how they like it. My signature is also able to be read from top to bottom or bottom to top ... it works either way. :)

Bespeckled Paintings

2011-10-20T09:17:00.001-04:00

Sky Paintings

2011-10-20T09:16:00.000-04:00

Tunnel Paintings

2011-10-20T09:15:00.000-04:00

Water Paintings

2011-10-20T09:13:00.001-04:00

Acrylics on Canvas - For Sale

2011-10-20T09:11:00.004-04:00

All of my paintings are acrylic on canvas. Most are for sale. I have so many paintings in my basement (they were all on display for several months at a church in Fairfax, but have recently been returned to me - as the church is about to get renovated!)

And now my basement is overrun with paintings! All paintings are $100 *if* they are for sale. The ones that are not for sale, I will mark those separately. It just means I love them too much to get rid of them. :)

2011-10-20T09:10:00.002-04:00

Well, I had a me.com website. It looks like Apple is having difficulty with the me.com transition (Mobile Me to iCloud transition) and my website has "fallen" so I'm going to put up many paintings here today -- so they may be seen online still! For folks who ask.

Paintings in February

2011-02-04T00:11:00.001-05:00

Riddle

Three of the following paintings will be in an art exhibit in Alexandria, VA, in March 2011.

Embracing Light

Saltwater


Oceanic

Bespeckle

Painting

2010-07-29T12:47:00.003-04:00

It's always nice to have new paint and big canvasses.

Yo-Yo Show

2009-11-21T10:02:00.002-05:00

So, I did a yoyo show for my son's elementary school a week ago. For the sock hop.

It was fun! I haven't done a straight yoyo show in 6 years (since he was born!) My kids "bought" yoyos from me (which I sold after the show & then taught kids skills) ... They are now enthused about yoyoing! What fun!

Thankfully right now, Toys R Us sells Duncan Freehands (invented by a friend of mine, Steve Brown). It's the best yoyo around for a beginner if you ask me. It runs about $15 retail. They are great for learning. Classic Duncan yoyo. Looks like a Butterfly. Performs tricks so easily. Really exceptional, great yoyo for a beginner who is old enough to really do their best to learn.

Age 10 for a smart & advanced kid who doesn't lose patience. Age 12-14 is the ideal age for learning. Kids sort of drop off around age 14, because that's when they discover "the other sex." And get interested in dating instead of yoyoing...

Blogging about DiscoverCard.com

2009-06-22T11:56:00.004-04:00

So - I got a brand new Discover Card several months ago. I love my new dolphin card & use it everywhere.

I received in the mail "Your Cashback Bonus is waiting for you!" And then... I hung it on the fridge-for several months. I was nervous about going to the website w/o having my husband's help. He's had his Discover Card forever. He was so thrilled to get Brooks Brothers gift cards & Starbucks gift cards. I think Macy's gift cards too.

So - it's totally easy. I finally took a deep breath, took the sheet of paper off the fridge, walked to the computer, and figured out how to log in. Smash-tastically-awesome!! Whoo hoo!!

No biggie!! I entered in all the information I already know by heart (for instance, my own birthday). Logged me in, no issues. (Wow! I didn't expect that!)

If you have like $40 cash back bonus due you, you see it in gray - and right next to it - in orange - is how much Discover will give you in gift cards!! Like for me, it's $45 I have coming back - and if I redeem it for Starbucks, I get $50. Fabulous-O!! I'm psyched!!

They also have cashback bonuses you can use right away - instead of waiting for the card in the mail - you print it & use it to shop online right away.

The website was fantascially easy. The only issue I had was there are so so so many retailers, it's hard for me, personally, to view them all. But it's not like Discover hasn't done their best to sort it. You can sort by "Browse All" "Fashion" "Restaurants" "Travel" etc.... they have it totally categorized. I found it easy to find the retailers I’m looking for. Yippeee!!

Gunston Hall Kite Festival

2009-03-17T16:15:00.004-04:00

I'll be bubbling - probably my last bubble "show" for Gunston Hall on Saturday. For more information, please click the title above. It has all the details of the Guston Hall Kite Festival (click on "events" in March)

UPDATE:
What I meant was - this will be my last time bubbling for the public. It will be at Gunston Hall on Saturday. Please come, enjoy the kites, the bubbles, the location, the people, the new & familiar friends.... it's a fabulous location!!

This is my last show - that's my intention. (I've tried to retire over & over since 2003.... we'll see how it goes this time!)

Much love,

-Jodi

bubble pix

2009-03-16T17:09:00.000-04:00

Tom Noddy's Elephant in a Bubble

2008-03-12T09:57:00.002-04:00

I am putting this on here temporarily because I tried to e-mail it to a friend & she couldn't see the photo.

Bubbling at Bull Run for Boy's Birthday Party!

2007-06-13T01:03:00.000-04:00

A few things that I do in my stage show...

Bull Run Video 1

Bull Run Video 2

Bull Run Video 3

Bull Run Video 5

Photos from a (kind) passerby...

2007-06-12T00:06:00.000-04:00

I bubbled for a birthday party the other day... I don't usually do birthday parties... but these were special circumstances. A wonderful & kind passerby requested permission to take photos & I said "yes!! can you e-mail them to me?" And he did! Hurray! So I hope everyone enjoys the latest bubble show I did. Note: I am bubbling for Baltimore's Artscape, 2007, on Friday, July 20 at 3p.m. and 5p.m. Please do a web search for "Baltimore's Artscape."

Kendrick Hang's Website: kite festival photos, bubble machine

2007-05-19T07:43:00.000-04:00

An acquaintance of mine - Felix C. - [who made my bubble machine] is posted on someone's kite festival blog! Well, Felix isn't, but his bubble machines are. Pretty cool. See link below...

Kendrick Hang's Website: kite festival photos, bubble machine

My promo shots

2007-04-09T12:10:00.000-04:00

Festivals

2007-04-09T12:02:00.000-04:00

I am now advertising on http://www.festivals.com!

Welcome to my website if you navigated here from there!

I did a yoyo show for nearly 20 years. I did this act solo, or with my dad, or with my brother(s), and also with my husband, "The Wacky Yo-Yo Man." (I met my husband at my dad's yoyo club!) I am a 2nd generation family entertainer. I did a variety show for about 5 years at fairs like Baltimore's Artscape and the Alexandria Waterfront Festival. Last year, Artscape called me and wanted an all-bubble show. I was happy to oblige! Since March of last year, I have done this show for pre-schools, a camp in Missouri, Delaware Boys & Girls Club festival, Artscape, and a few friends & family's birthday parties. Every time I do this show, I am amazed that it attracts folks to watch, and *no one leaves until the show is over!* No other show I ever did had an audience-attraction rate like my bubble show does.

I am interested in doing my bubble show for festivals, fairs, schools, libraries, parades, corporate picnics... during the months of April, May, June, August, September, October of this year. (Parts of July are still available too.)

Please click on the links at the right to see photos of me performing for several of the events I've mentioned above. The first few photos are me bubbling for my Mum who lives in Vancouver, Canada as she visited for Christmas. Several of the photos are me bubbling for neighborhood children (including my own 2), and further down the blog as you click on the links, you will find the festivals and other entertainment events I have described.

If you are interested in hiring me to do an ALL BUBBLE SHOW for your event, please contact me at:

jodiarts@gmail.com
or
703-887-2211

I look forward to making children of all ages SMILE at your event!!

Bubbling on January 2 for Oma and my boys

2007-01-23T21:27:00.000-05:00

Bubbling with neighborhood kids

2006-11-13T09:43:00.000-05:00

Show in Delaware

2006-10-16T20:19:00.000-04:00

What kind of bubbles?

2006-10-03T09:40:00.000-04:00

Someone asked me the other day, "What kind of bubble show do you do?"

So I came up with this answer & want to share with everyone:

soap bubbles! :)
i do big bubbles, small bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, humungous bubbles, electronics making bubbles, pumpkin sized bubbles (a contraption i have to get built so i can use it in my next show), volunteers with bubbles, square bubbles, kids inside bubbles...

Brand new bubble promo shots!

2006-09-28T19:00:00.000-04:00

Enjoy the brand new bubble promo shots taken last night

Promo shots from yesteryear

2006-09-28T07:30:00.000-04:00

Recent Bubble Show!

2006-08-25T17:49:00.000-04:00

I wasn't able to take any photos, so these are taken from Cedars' Camps website (where I did the show)

Photos from Artscape

2006-08-03T14:23:00.000-04:00

My brother Andy had the good sense to take photos of the show I did in Baltimore!! I couldn't take any, neither could my husband (he was running sound & video for me) ... but my brother came to the Sunday show & took pix. Goooo Andy! ! Enjoy the pix!

Ready for Debut of my Bubble Show!

2006-07-22T09:33:00.000-04:00

I will be debuting a brand new ALL-BUBBLE show at Baltimore's Artscape today & tomorrow. Fun!!

Ian in a bubble!

2006-07-17T09:54:00.000-04:00

This is something I hope to have at my show in Baltimore... Baltimore's ArtScape on July 22 & 23 at 7pm, I will be debuting my first ALL-BUBBLE show!! Below is a photo of my son, Ian, in a large bubble. I hope to be able to do this "stunt" in my bubble show for the folks who come to my show -- Artscape. (Google it, please, if you want more information.)

Baltimore's Artscape

2006-07-17T09:53:00.000-04:00

I found the link... If you click above (on the title), it will take you to the page that shows my stage show... I'm down at the very bottom of the webpage.

Dick Stohr, "That Yo-Yo Guy," is a friend of mine. He'll be performing on a different stage from mine, at the same time as I am.

Casey Carle

2006-07-17T09:52:00.000-04:00

Got to see Casey Carle's show at the Baltimore Science Museum today, and then I purchased his book, gargled bubble juice for him, met his wife & him too, had him sign the book to my 2 sons, and just laughed at his show like crazy. What a crazy stage show!! What fun!!!

By strange "co-incidence?" he was a consultant for Cirque du Soleil's Beatles, "LOVE." To help them do bubble effects for that resident show in Vegas that we didn't get to go see. Small world. He has never met Guy Laliberte. (I asked him.) And, Casey lives in Conn.

Felix!

2006-07-17T09:51:00.001-04:00

I got to meet Felix today! At the Baltimore Science Center. He made me a wonderful bubble machine and was bubbling with another bubble machine that he made at the B.S.C. today. Very cool!! Nice guy!!

The Talented Jodi

2006-07-17T09:48:00.001-04:00

My promotional postcard shot - showing the variety I have in my stage show. Well, most of it. :)

Greg & Me

2006-07-17T09:48:00.000-04:00

From when we did shows before we got married & when we were newly weds. & when we used to have matching costumes that we no longer have!

Guy Laliberte

2006-07-17T09:47:00.000-04:00

Got to meet Guy Laliberte - founder, owner, Guide, C.E.O. of Cirque du Soleil. We went to Vegas a few weeks ago (and as I just started this blog tonight, I am adding the photo tonight.) In Vegas, we went to see Cirque du Soleil's "KA," "O," "Zumanity." The Beatles / Cirque du Soleil show "LOVE" was just opening as we went to Vegas, but Greg wasn't thrilled about seeing that one so we didn't go to see it, since we only had 3 nights to pick our show tickets from. After "Zumanity" we saw Guy Laliberte and I walked up to him & asked if we could have our picture taken with him. What a nice guy!!! Very kind & down-to-earth.

I will add photos of me with other famous performers / entertainers as I scan them from my photo album. I've met Penn & Teller, Tommy Smothers "The Yo-Yo Man," Dick Smothers (Tommy's brother), James Doohan ("Scotty" from Star Trek), Brent Spiner, Patrick Stewart, John Delancey, Doc Severensen to name some really big names. I've met a lot of other folks too.

Quidam!

2006-07-17T09:46:00.000-04:00

Greg & I went to Quidam yesterday! (July 15)

It just got back from an Asian tour & will be in 3 cities in USA + was in Montreal (?) Quebec, Canada, and then it's heading back over to Europe. Wow! We went to see it in Philadelphia. No pictures allowed in the tent. If you want more information, go to http://www.cirquedusoleil.com

Cirque du Soleil's VAREKAI

2006-07-16T23:25:00.000-04:00

Photos from when I was an usher with Cirque du Soleil's "Varekai." This was in Sept & Oct of 2004, I think. When the show was in Washington, D.C. That was so much fun!! The last day the show was in town, I took bubble soap & bubble wands and my violin. The cast had a BLAST playing the bubbles. And also, I showed the violinist (who I had already made acquaintace with) that I invented that I can spin a plate and play violin at the same time. He thought that was ultra-cool. I saw him a year later when the show was in Baltimore, MD, and he invited us to come back & sit with the band!! That was super hip & cool too. Greg sat in the drum pit - it's soundproof from the outside. He had a metronome going in his head-set the whole time. And I sat next to the bandleader (keyboard player) and behind Vuk Krakovic (the violinist). I **LOVE** violin music!! What a blast! It was ultra-odd to watch the show that I know so incredibly well, backwards. The show didn't read as well ... very odd to see the whole thing backwards. What an experience!!

I don't know why, but the photos seem to have odd black spots. If you click on the photo, it will open without the black spots in a seperate window.