Whooo ARE yooou?

So here we go. The inaugural post of what I like to call Ramblings of an Art-Obsessed Mama. Maybe I'm being a little pretentious to put my blog name in italics...but then again, I'm blogging aren't I? And isn't that really just admitting to a pretentious streak? I'm assuming that what I have to say is so interesting and so just-what-the-world-needs that I needed to start a blog, aren't I ? Well don't you worry, it's going to get a whole lot more pretentious when I move this bad boy from here, its temporary Google home, to my soon-to-be website.

But I'm still not answering the question posed in the heading, am I? So let's get down to it. I'm Manda Spadaro and hopefully I'll be hanging in your house someday. Some of you reading this may know me better as InsaneArtGurl. I'm an artist in my second decade of existence. I have two kick ass midgets, one sea god creeping up on four and a horse goddess that's just over halfway to her first birthday. I'm married to a charming madman whose obsessions alternate between computers and writing. We have a gloriously trashy home that I hate cleaning.

Painting was my first art-love, but while I was working on my associates degree at Onondaga Community College, I found myself drawing more than anything else. Then during the one-year failed experiment that was my enrollment at SUNY Oswego, I discovered printmaking and sculpture. So now, as I attempt to repair the damage of aforementioned failed experiment so I can get on with my BFA (and while I figure out what I want to do as my day job when I grow up), my medium of choice is all over the place. Most recently I got my hands on a screen printing kit and sticker paper, so look for lots of raunchy bumper stickers once I open my Etsy shop.

As for the aim of this blog, I'm hoping to expose myself and others (did I mention this blog was going to be rated somewhere between PG-13 and R?). There are a lot of great artists I know and have discovered that I think ought to be household names. So primarily, this will be my thoughts and theories on art and artists that I think you need to know. My passions also lean in many other directions, so occasionally you'll find more than art here.

And so you have something to do, I'm going to kick-off the actual content with some of the more-than-art stuff. A few vlogger and blogger reviews for your viewing pleasures.

First up is new kid on the block vlogger, Dark Libertine. I first “met” DL a while back (maybe two years ago...possibly as far back as three) on a Gothic magazine's message board. I wasn't there terribly long before a large group of us, for reasons of internet drama and general BS, migrated to The Crypt. Recently, DL has decided to share his intellect and insight with the world via YouTube. With vids posted so far about racism, whiners, and the nature of goth, Dark Libertine is sure to be engaging for everyone. Check out his channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/tremzozero

Next up is Semyaza. Sem is actually the administrator of The Crypt and another wonderfully insightful mind. So far he's only got one video, on the nature of friends and family. So let's all go pester him to make another! You can find Semyaza at http://www.youtube.com/user/semyaza666

For those that like to read, there's the brand-spanking new blog Sarcasm Not Included written by Erin, aka Kasmira, another Crypt citizen. Kas has a funky, fun writing style and an eye for handmade treasures if her first Freaky Fashion Friday post is any indication. Read Sarcasm Not Included at http://sarcasmnotincluded.blogspot.com

And last but not least, there's the various blogs of http://bitchmagazine.org. The official website of the wonderful magazine Bitch, bitchmagazine.org has numerous blogs that will satiate your need for biting pop culture criticism between issues. It's also your place to subscribe to the magazine itself, which is something everyone should definitely do.

Thanks for joining me on this first trip through Mandaland. Come back by tomorrow for an important Artist You Need to Know post!