Check this out on Friday!

Another quick SEAF post. In in it up to my nipples and don't have much time for blogging.

I talked to an amazing artist, Genne` Laasko who had two piece of jewelery accepted in the this year's Festival. On Friday night, she will be wearing one of her creations, "Promenading in Elation" for a short period of time. The time is not set, but it will be in the evening. If you don't already have your tickets for the Opening Night White Tie Formal Gala, you can go online and pick them up.  Saturday is looking like it could very well sell out, so a two day pass to SEAF might be a good idea.

Btw, the show,  Cabaret de Curiosités, is showing in it's entirety both Friday and Saturday evening, so coming either .

Back to labeling art!

Almost ready!

Art. SEAF. SEAF. SEAF. Printing labels. ART. Art. SEAF! SEAF!

I am absolutely giddy that we are really moving along. All these months of preperation and stress melted away in the excitement of being in the Exhibition Hall on Sunday evening. I adore the adrenaline that comes along with these time sensitive, fun projects. I love constantly having tasks with deadlines that will ultimately have an incredible result.

Today I will put the art labels on the wall. This year we even have artist bios to go on the walls too! Please let everything be correct, oh please! I am not going to say we are ahead of schedule, since I don't want to jinx us.

Tonight is my last docent training and then I am making up the gift bags for the people who bought Velvet Packages. My fabulous assistant, Janice, is teaching me how to dip strawberries into chocolate so they look like they are wearing little tuxedos . How very Martha of us.

Tomorrow is filled with last minute stuff, which amazingly enough is a smallish list. Then, blast off!

SEAF Workshop w/ Jim Duvall

During the Seattle Erotic Art Festival this weekend, I will take a short break from giving tours and selling art to help the Mean Man with his workshop. No, I'm not the model. If I do help beyond paperwork assistant, it will be as an extra rigger.

(The photo to the left was taken by Jim at his SEAF 2009 workshop.)

JIM DUVALL: Fetish and Bondage Photography
A hands-on workshop for all skill levels.

Saturday, May 1, 12:00pm-4:00pm, Sharma Center  $125
To purchase tickets for this workshop, please email info@seattleerotic.org

In this workshop, Jim will show you:
* How to light fetish and bondage photography.
* Some simple ties to get you started.
* How to approach models for bondage and fetish work.
* How to work with models in a bondage and fetish context.

We will provide:
* An experienced nude model and all the tying.
* Hot light and strobe systems for you to shoot with
* Group and individual shoot time.
* Model releases for all photos you shoot and IDs for 2257
* Some great images of tying by Jim Duvall
* Feedback on your own images.

Note: Limited 10 people. Bring a camera. To purchase tickets for this
workshop, please email info@seattleerotic.org

Jim Duvall is an erotic photographer who shoots fine art nudes often
involving bondage and fetish themes. He lectures and teaches on the
subject of sex and sexuality at universities and for sex related
groups. He is a former Chair of the Board of Directors of the National
Coalition for Sexual Freedom and maintains involvement as a Coalition
Partner.

Want to be in a sexy play?

Little Red Studio is gearing to put on another round of Erotic Shorts! Below is the audition call. This is a great chance for you thespian types to work with sexier roles than usually found in the theater community.  Erotic Shorts is comprised of one act plays that explore sexuality, love and relationships.

Hi Everyone!

We'll be holding Erotic Shorts auditions on Tuesday, May 4th between 6:30pm and 10pm at Little Red Studio.

Thursday, May 6th will be callbacks - so you may want to block out both evenings if you are interested in auditioning.

I will have more info on the plays, roles, etc. soon - but for now please read the following and start thinking about coming out!

Erotic Shorts - June 16-20  (5 night run)

9 short plays - directed by 9 different directors. 

Rehearsals will be decided between each director and his or her cast.

Auditions will be held in time slots, which you'll need to sign up for.  If you already know you want to audition and have a time preference on Tuesday, May 4th, please let me know.  If you don't care what time we call you in, then let me know that too.

Thank you!!!

xoxo
Kerry

You can email Kerry at LRSadmin@gmail.com or call the studio at 206-328-4758.

Sunburned? Really!?

I have a sunburn for the 3rd or 4th time in my life.  Should have known better. Laying around, reading in the midday sun for two and a half hours usually has this result.  The last time this happened was when I was 17 and reading on a Santa Cruz beach for almost five hours. That was really bad. This time, just a little uncomfortable.

Anyway, it was worth it. Being in the watsu pool for 7 hours a day left me with tan lines even though the pool was covered.  Photographers and artists generally don't appreciate it when models have glaring tan lines. At least those are mostly obliterated. Also, I am pleased to be the colour I consider to be natural for myself.  I was a brown person before moving to Seattle and always feel better when my skin has a chance to manufacture more melanin than is possible in Washington.

This is the zipline I am supposedly going to encounter this weekend.  I can barely wait!

Back at Mama's

Well, that was interesting.

Done with Watsu camp and not ready to talk about it.  What I will say is that while you can't choose your family, sometimes the family you end up with is so damn cool there is no thought of wishing for replacemants or substitutes. In the middle of the Sacamento Delta, I am reminded of why I like this part of Cali so much: because my Mama and Papa live here.

Lounging in the sun is the plan to recuperate from the Watsu Camp Debacle, as it will henceforth be known. Another day of this and then I am off to San Francisco to visit with the dear man who got me interested in performing with fire. I adore K and his sense of adventure.  His suggestion that he take me to a nearby 700 foot long Zip-Line sounds dangerous and exciting. Like Bart Simpson says, "The man knows me."

Off I go!

Today I start Watsu camp.

Three and a half years ago I took a few Watsu lessons from an incredible bodyworker.  It was an amazing experience that revitalized my interest in massage and bodywork.  I started playing around with incorporating my massage style while floating someone.  It has been an interesting journey fraught with delightful discoveries.

I must admit to being a little nervous.  What if I have been doing it all "wrong" all these years and that makes it more difficult for me to learn?  Silly, but true. I keep focusing on all the new tricks I might learn.

Wish me luck!

New corset

*squeeeeeeee*

Got my new corset from Jack of One Wilde Knight.  It's beautiful black with forest green ribbon along the stays and eyelash yarn trim with red silk roses. With the metallic dark red long skirt I found in the back of my closet, I now have on of my outfits for the SEAF weekend.  I will definitely get a photo taken asap.

This is by far the most lovely garment I have ever owned. I am already planing on the custom corset I want next. Too bad my brain shut off after trying the 3rd one on. There was a denim corset that was long, so that it went halfway down my hips and covered my bust. The Mean Man & I loved that style best, but agreed that the fabric was all wrong for me.  We decided that meant we would have to put a custom corset in that style on the future purchases list.

Jack was incredible to work with during the sizing. Respectful and appreciative throughout the whole process, giving advice, historical information and including snippets of stories about each corset I tried on. A consummate artist, each corset went on with ease and within seconds an assessment of how it could be altered to fit my body perfectly ensued. Even though this was a commercial transaction, I feel gifted, not only by the Mean Man who arranged this transaction, but by Jack for making sure that I look gorgeous in his creation.

Eighth Annual Seattle Erotic Art Festival
Explore the Cabinet of Curiosities, April 30 – May 2, 2010

SEATTLE – Thousands will enjoy three days of events at the eighth annual Seattle Erotic Art Festival, April 30 to May 2.  This year the Festival opens the Cabinet of Curiosities, showcasing visual, performance and literary art, interactive installations, film, after parties, workshops, and a museum-quality Festival Store.

Festival jurors and curators selected a variety of art from over 1,600 entries submitted by more than 400 artists. “We’re excited to present a comprehensive collection of international art, diverse in medium, sexual proclivities, body type, age, ethnicity, and gender,” says Festival Director Anna Hurwitz.

For 2010, the Festival commissioned an original piece of performance art theater to complement the world-class visual art exhibition on Friday and Saturday nights. Award-winning NYC-based director Roger Benington writes and directs this work in collaboration with locally and nationally recognized performance artists, including an original score composed by John Woods from the internationally acclaimed comedy cabaret duo, The Wet Spots. This all-star production will bring to life a colorful, glittering tale of erotic liberation.

This year the Festival offered its first artist grants for the creation of interactive installations. Audiences are invited to help artist Nancy Peach complete a massive canvas; write and receive love letters in a special bedroom designed by award-winning artist Ellen Forney and Jacob Fennell; lounge on luxurious, metalwork beds, and engage the art in many other ways.

Returning for its second year, the Literary Art Showcase will present jury-selected poems, short stories, and plays, in intimate readings.  The Festival will feature the popular Naked Girls Reading on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Festival takes place at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, Friday, April 30, 12 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday, May 1, 12 p.m. to 4 a.m.  Returning this year is the well-attended Sunday open house, May 2, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., where admission is free.  18+ until 6 p.m., 21+ after.

Tickets (1-Day $25 advance/$30 door, 2-Day $40 advance/$50 door, Velvet Package $500) may be purchased at BrownPaperTickets (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/1659). $10 Exhibition only (12 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and $10 Saturday night after-party (12 a.m. to 4 a.m.) tickets will be available at the door.

The Seattle Erotic Art Festival supports a vibrant creative community, promotes freedom of expression, and fosters sex-positive culture through public celebration of the arts.

Vertical Tango

Watching this inspired me to go work out and polish up on performing.

Even though I don't celebrate, Happy Easter!

And what better way to celebrate than by making peepshi! I was reading the directions and realizd that it would be far too easy to make all manner of sushi out of peeps.  In all honesty I probably will resist the temptation, as I have already eaten my yearly allotment of peeps. Someone please  make peepshi and tell me how decadently yummy they are.

My black eye is almost completely healed. This means I don't have to cancel the rematch between PopeBacon and I. We choose the Bondage is the Point party to pick up where we left off when I was injured at Kinkfest during a Take-up scene. Wish me luck!

Soliciting set-up volunteers for SEAF

The Seattle Erotic Art Festival is looking for folks to help with setup starting Sunday, April 25th. We start by moving over 100 walls into the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and getting them assembled and painted. The fun continues with moving pedestals and all the material that gets the Festival up and keeps it running. We need as many folks as possible to help carry things and to do simple carpentry on Sunday and Monday. On Tuesday and Wednesday we need folks to do all sorts of odd tasks as well as help us hang lights for the art.

 If you're interested in helping, please contact mailto: volunteer@seattleerotic.org. For your help during setup, you and a guest are part of our Thursday evening Artist Reception (which otherwise you can only attend by invitation or by purchasing one of our exclusive Velvet Packages). If you work a total of ten hours Sunday through Thursday, we are happy to provide one weekend pass to the festival for your personal use.

-Stuart
Logistics Director, SEAF 2010

PS: We’ll also need help with striking the event on the late afternoon of Sunday May 3^rd and all day on Monday May 4^th.

PPS: Set up is a lot of fun because of the fact that with all the carrying of heavy objects many shirts come off.  The Artistic Director is notorious for being shirtless, as am I. Just making sure you know all the perks of heling the Festival with set up.

KinkFest Report. Pt. 2

A bit late, but it's always best to let your play partners know whats going on with you directly, rather than through your blog. This is especially true when new and more serious information is involved.

For Saturday's play party, I had arranged with PopeBacon to do a "take up" scene.  This is a resistance scene where the goal is for the top to fully suspend the bottom while they are fighting back to prevent that event from occurring.  A fairly dangerous sort of play, and not something that should be entered into without the full understanding that there is a high probability that everyone involved will get hurt.  Like Rugby, no one plans to get hurt, but it is going to happen.  The protocol starts with a simple chest harness and one up-line to the suspension ring.  From that point forward, the bottom can fight back. 

We picked out the suspension rack we wanted to use and waited for our turn.  Both of us were quite anxious and excited.  We talked, teased and looked hungrily at each other as the energy built.  Finally, the rack opened and we commenced setting up the suspension rig and preparing the space. He set out his ropes and I stretched. We shared a breath and I did my best not to fidget while he put on the chest harness.  When he finished, I tested it by turning it into a suspension. Satisfied, I gave him the thumbs up.  He stepped back and we squared off.

We circled each other. I had a foolish grin on my face, giddy with the adrenaline.  He dove for my legs, encircling them both.  I brought my knees up in an attempt to pull out of his arms but he had clamped down.  No chance of slipping out so my best bet was to kick free.  I began to butterfly kick, pulling my torso forward for added leverage.  Unfortunately, he rose up and we collided: the back of his head with my cheek just below my eye.  "Stop!"

Our scene was 15 seconds long.  Within 60 seconds, there was so much swelling I could see my own cheek without a mirror.  The pain was severe and the inflammation came on so fast, I could feel fluid moving and for a moment, I thought my skin had split open.  Ice was fetched and far too much attention was given to me.  I tend to feel embarrassed when I get hurt, and this was no exception. I just wanted to crawl into a hole, hiding from the pain and the repeated questions: Are you ok? What happened?

The ice did a great job of bringing the swelling down.  I slept on my back in hopes of avoiding the pooling of blood in my eye.  It worked, too, until morning shenanigans had me laying on my belly with my head turned out to the left.  Hello Black-Eye! 

Fast forward 4 days.  There is a palpable bump on my zygomatic arch where the impact occurred.  Uh oh, that doesn't feel right.  Is it a clot, scar tissue or swelling in the periostium?  The pain is no longer localized so I schedule time with my chiropractor.  He points out that there is a slight chance that there is a crack in the bone.  I elect not to have x-rays since there is nothing to be done if I do have a cracked bone.  So, I process that info, let the Pope know and reassure him I'm ok.

Turns out that isn't even my main concern.  I am recovering from a concussion.  It was the fourth minor injury that caused me to do a little research.  We had noticed the day after the incident I was having difficulty with basic tasks.   Here I am, a week and a half later, and I am still having problems.  My balance has been off.  Mostly, I have just been stumbling a little on stair steps, though I did have one fall that left me with another nasty bruise.  Keeping focused on a single task has been a challenge. (I.e. "Can we talk about xyz."  And I immediately start checking SEAF email.)  I now have a very good idea of what it is like to have ADD.  Thank goodness the tearfulness is finally over.  I am not a fan of being over emotional, unless it's in exuberance over something fun and happy.

 At first, the social stigma of walking around with a black eye was fascinating.  Now, the physical recover process from the concussion is what fascinates me.