Springcity, UT

NO time for a real post. We are just running out the door to Storytelling Festival. Here are a couple of shots from our day in Springcity. Some how we escaped with out buying a pot!? I guess we will be back down soon to rectify that issue.

Here we are with Joe Bennion of Horseshoe Mountain Pottery. Hey, Marco, would you fill in the text for these post while I am in Colorado? Thanks, dearest.

Strike a Pose.

Exhibit AExhibit B

After watching the Women in Art movie several times, I noticed a pattern that reminded me of something I read recently in a book called, Math and the Mona Lisa by Bulent Atalay. But first, help me with an experiment ... I want you to strike a pose, well two poses.

First, think for 30 seconds of someone you are really fond of -- your kid, your favorite dog, your significant other, me. Now, pretend that you are posing for a picture that will be given to that person/dog/me. (Did I mention you can NOT be looking straight ahead into the camera? You can't look directly into the camera. Tilt your face slightly either direction.) Take your time and really visualize it. CLICK.

Next, take 30 seconds to visualize posing for the Official Portrait of You that will be hung in the hallowed halls of SIU (some important university.) Again no straight ahead faces. CLICK. Which of your eyes came forward, right or left during each pose?

In portraiture bilateral symmetry is quite rare. Usually the subject is presented with one eye and one check compositional dominate over the opposite eye and check. Simply said, her nose points either to the left or right of the picture. If the nose is pointing left from the viewer's perspective, then the subject is presenting with the left cheek and eye. If the nose is pointing to the right, the subject's right side is dominate. (If you are doing the experiment on yourself, your nose will point to your own right hand when the left side of your face is dominate and to the left hand when your right side is dominate.)

You may have noticed nearly 75% of the women's noses in the movie pointed toward the left side of your screen. (They are left presenting portraits.) Why is this? One hypothesis is based on our experiment. The idea is that the presentation is actually determined more by the subject than the artist. It would appear that the emotional frame of mind of the subject effects the direction in which she turns. Warmth, endearment and emotion are feelings associated with LEFT presentations (like most the paintings in the movie.) RIGHT presentations are associated with rationality, power and suppression of emotion.

WHY? Maybe neuropsychology explains. The right side of the brain - the hemisphere associated with emotive functions, like endearment and love, also controls the left side eye and cheek. The left side of the brain controls rational, calculation and confidence controls the muscles in the right side of the face. Possibly, the emotional state of the subject subconsciously dictates which eye comes forward. Not to forget that the viewer is also conditioned to expect a certain "look" from a certain kind of woman.

It is most likely bunkish psycho-babble, but it was interesting for me to go back and look at all the portraits of the movie asking myself what each woman was thinking. Who did I want to get to know better? Which were saying, "I care deaply about your well being" and "I'm pregnant, the father is dead and I am going to throw myself out the window." (Exhibit A and a true story about Modigliani's common law wife.) Or which seem to be thinking, "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." (Exhibit B)

Next week we will discuss the golden mean, Baby Bear Rectangles and Fibonacci's rabbits. (It was just too much for one post.) In the mean time, ask your friends to strike a pose.

P.S. Thanks, Marco, for the mental health break. xoxoxo

TGIF

Happy Friday, everyone! That's right, today is Friday and you know what that means when you are a MOM?

It means NOTHING -- ABSOLUTELY NOTHING AT ALL. It means Mothering should be the next verse in "If you could Hie to Kolob." There is no end to no end to no end of infinity. It means "they" (read angel children) somehow know how old you are and how old they are and who, ultimately, is going to live longer. They have done the math and deduced that can whine your entire life away and still be left with several productive years for themselves! (Maybe the time has come for me to take a two hour mental health break. Anyone what to go to the movies with me?)

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Women In Art

Curious and beautiful. Thanks, Raquel.

Total Eclipse of the Heart.

You may or may not know that I am not much of a sleeper. I don't know if it is due to my children or my parents -- via genetics. For once, my insomnia came in handy the other night during the total eclipse of the moon. Zina and I sat out on the balcony and snuggled at 3:00 in the morning watching the moon get darker and redder. She asked me who turned the moon down. It was a miracle we could even see the moon with all the light pollution in Utah. Marco says we have to have our street lamps and porch lights extra bright so the burglars can see exactly what they are doing while they are picking the locks to our cars and houses. Because, in Utah, we are nice to everyone.

Two views of the moon are seen during the eclipse, which happened early Tuesday morning. The image on the left was shot at approximately 3:00 a.m. and the image on the right was shot at approximately 3:30 a.m. They say this is the first time a lunar eclipse has been visible from Utah since 2004. Another eclipse will not be visible from Utah until 2010. Now if we could just have a total eclipse of the street lights. (Then maybe I would sleep better.) Good night Moon.

... and the Homecoming.

Thanks to cousin Jonathan, I have a picture of me taking pictures of our friendly Homecoming party guests. (ps. I just posted more wedding pictures so scroll down to see even more.)
Katie, the guest of honor, is wearing her hand-made African shirt. She gave a great talk and inspired me to fill out my mission papers tomorrow. Just think, what would it be like to go on a mission again right now? I bet Erin would do it.

Here's a close up of juicy Rosie Jo, blessed bundle of Matt and Becca. Those cheeks!

I love this happy shot of Marco. I think Jonathan took this one.

The rustic and rugged look of Brandon the drummer. I hear he's available, ladies (and 22).

Yeah, yeah ... Lindrew, the honeymoon was so last year.

Becca with cousin Abby and baby RoJo.

Did you know Marco has a twin brother? Meet Alan Davis of Mesa, AR. Of the eight Davis brothers, Mark and Alan have the most similar kind of lives. They were born exactly 10 years apart, went to the same Rome mission, majored in exactly the same thing in college, went to same law school and even worked at the same firm for the first part of their careers. Their whole lives they have had parallel journeys and alway seem to randomly cross paths with the same people and places.

Just like Marco, Alan has left the mega firm and branched out in a new direction. He is a lawyer for US Air in Mesa. Now, he and his family can travel for free on US Air (which is how the came to Katie's homecoming.) It is super funny he is working at US Air because, all I am saying is, this family can travel! Alan has says his yard is in bad shape from spending every weekend in a different city.

(Pssst, Marco, maybe it is your turn to follow your brother and get a job with an airline.)

She tossed a frisbee, not flowers.

Thanks to Whitney and Jonathan I have more pictures of the reception than you ever really wanted to see. Tough, it's my blog and you will just have to indulge me.

A very special thanks to the Parking Sheriffs. You saved the day more than you will ever know!!! (Let's just say my dad is really particular about his grass and nothing makes him crazier than a rogue car parked on the wrong spot of green.)

But of course Liz tossed a frisbee instead of a bouquet. I love that girl.

I love these lemonade jars. Twenty gallons of juice never needed refilling!

This one is my favorite.

Sistahs.