The World of Artist, Cynthia Cain-Bilbow

                                                           

On December 7^th at the Saxby’s Coffee Shop on 34^th and Lancaster Ave. my good friend and artist extraordinaire, Cynthia Cain Bilbow will be doing her Solo Art Show from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. I will be there to support her and maybe purchase one of her beautiful drawings.

Cynthia and I worked together at the Academy of Natural Sciences before I retired and although I thought I knew everything there was to know about this amazing young woman, there was so much I didn’t know. It was time for Steampunk Granny to do an interview.

Granny: Thank you Cynthia for taking the time from your busy schedule to chat with me and I’ll start off with my first question. How did you get involved with art? What was the moment that you knew?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: My brother and I use to have coloring contests. He would tell me, “If you can color better than me, I’ll let you watch TV.” He used to bribe me. It was my brother who influenced me because he was an artist, once upon a time.
                                                         

Granny: Was your brother older than you?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: Yes, he is eleven years older than me. Once I started drawing, I actually got better than him, but I hadn’t realized that it was my gift until I entered into a contest. I was around seven years old and won a mini scholarship for two hundred dollars, which I used at an art supply store. It showed me that I could draw. It was something that I could do and I took it further. Art is therapy for me.

Granny: How do you use art as your therapy?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: When you grow up in a house where there is verbal abuse and your parents don’t really get along, art was my way to go down the rabbit hole.

Granny: I’m guessing that you didn’t receive much support for our art.

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: No. I didn’t get any support from my parents when I was younger. The support from my mother didn’t happen until I was about thirteen or fourteen. My father never supported my art. He always said that it was better to be a doctor than it was to be an artist. He is still that way.

Granny: Despite the lack of support from home, you didn’t listen. You kept going.

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: Right.
                                                       

Granny: Did you receive support for your art in school?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: I did receive support from school. My first elementary school teacher to push me to do art was June Washington and my first art teacher to encourage me was Linda Keels from the George Worton Pepper Middle School in Southwest Philly, but they’re closed, now.

Granny: Didn’t you also go to Moore’s College?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: I went to Moore’s College when I was twenty-four. I was there as a part-time student and also worked part-time in the education department. I had a mentor while at Moore. His name is Moe Brooker. He is like a father to me and gave me my first teaching position and I am forever grateful to him.

Granny: Where else did you go to further your art?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: I left Moore when I became a single mom and I didn’t return to Art College until around five or six years later. I then went to Community College of Philadelphia for their art department. I completed CCP’s program in the spring of 2015. I’m now currently applying for Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

Granny: So excited for you. When will you hear from them?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: They’ve already given me approval and a scholarship, but I appealed it for a full scholarship. Right now, I am competing for a full scholarship.

Granny: I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: Thank you.                                                     

Granny: How hard is it balancing work, children and your art? Aren’t you also teaching classes?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: Yes, I’m teaching art at five different schools, Monday to Thursday, but because it’s part-time this allows me to be a full-time artist, full-time wife, and a full-time mom to a two-year-old and an eleven-year-old. I have so many job descriptions, but it’s the same job.

Granny: I know that feeling. Have any of your children inherited your artistic talents?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: Both of them have. McKenzie definitely does and Madison likes to tag along because she has fun being messy.

Granny: Your brother has certainly passed down this gift to you. Do you still see your brother?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: I do, but he hasn’t done any art in maybe thirty years.

Granny: Is he proud of what you’re doing, especially, because he started you down this path?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: Yes, he is very proud of me. I give my brother most of the credit because if it wasn’t for him...I probably would have recognized my talent at a later age, but it was he who brought it out in me.

Granny: Beautiful. Tell my readers more about your upcoming art show on December 7^th at Saxby?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: I’ll be showing a series of art that are done in water color. There is a piece called “The Giving Tree” which is a four to five piece series of my rendition of a book called “The Giving Tree.” This piece is dedicated to my late baby that I had miscarried.
                                                      

Granny: I remember when it happened. It was only last year.

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: Yes, it was last year. I illustrated two faces; one younger and one older. The little nook inside the faces is the baby. This is dedicated to our baby. The most recent piece is called “A Peacock Never Asks.”

I dedicated this piece to women because we always look validation on if we are beautiful and a peacock doesn’t ask if it is beautiful. It just is. I focused on the cockiness the peacock has when it walks around. I illustrated it as a woman instead of it being a male peacock.

I also have pieces done in charcoal that cover periods in my life; when I felt unwanted and pieces when I felt loved. It’s the many emotions of an artist. This is pretty much what the show is about. It’s not one thing, but many emotions.

Granny: What is the name of your art show?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: I haven’t titled my show, but if I had to, then I think it would be, “The Many Emotions of an Artist.”

Granny: You also do sculpturing?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: Yes, I work the wheel. I do pottery; bowls and vases

Granny: Will any of your sculptures be in the show?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: I will only have a couple of pieces during the show, but it won’t be there after the show. The pieces that I have during the show will be for sale. I also designed a coffee mug wrap, and the coffee mugs will be on sale for the show.
                                                             

Granny: What advice would you give to upcoming artists who may or may not have support from their family, especially since you didn’t receive support when you were young?

Cynthia Cain Bilbow: The first thing I would tell them is: don’t be afraid of your talent because there will come a time when you’re not going to be sure which way is up. When you realize which way is up, don’t look back. Keep on doing what you love. Don’t do everything someone else wants you to do. Do what makes you happy. If you can get up every day and, be proud of you and your work, then that is everything.

Granny: Thank you so much for your time, Cynthia.

Cynthia Cain Bilbow will be having her show on December 7^th. Mark it down on your calendar and come out for a wonderful night of art. I’ll be there.

Shadows of the Forest Indigogo is Live

                                                           

Exciting news for all my friends who ever wondered what's involved with making a film. Shadow of the Forest is Director Chris Eilenstine's creation.
                                                        

Shadows of the Forest is a dark fantasy and stars Edward X. Young, Nicolette Marie Davis, Mak Lowrey, Lori Reed, Brandon Allentoff, Sharon Smith, Bob Cleary and Michael Kay. Check out the IMDb page to see all the actors and actresses who will be in the film. Here is the link to an interview that I did for the film

"A best friend can enter our lives at any time. They can come from anywhere...and in any form."

I am so honored to be part of this film, but we'll need your help to make this happen.

Fargo S02 E06: Rhinoceros

                                                               

I’ve become a big fan of the Coen brothers. I’ve watched most of their films with “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” being my number one favorite. They have not disappointed me with their series Fargo.

Question: “What do you get when you pit the Kansas City Mafia against the Gerhardt Goons?”

Answer: “An hour worth of hit the ground action and suspense.”

Mike Milligan’s (Bokeem Woodbine) reciting of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky was just the tip of the iceberg on what was going down in episode 6. Ed Blumquist has been arrested and taken to jail. This poor man is really heading down the famous rabbit hole and it’s because his wife, Peggy, is a freaking nut job. Ed refuses to rat out his wife. Also in jail is young Charlie Gerhardt. Charlie should have been on his way back to college, but he thought he was Michael Corleone.

 

While Lou (Patrick Wilson) is talking to Ed, Hank (Ted Danson) is at the Blumquist house with Peggy. It doesn’t take Hank long to realize that Peggy (Kirsten Dunst) is missing a few days of the week, but he’s got bigger trouble riding towards him. Mike learns from Simone that her dad and his men are going after Ed, so he heads to the Gerhardt farm.
                                                           

Conclusion

 Jean Smart’s Floyd is so enjoyable to watch on the show. Floyd’s braggart son, Dodd, insists that he’s in charge because he’s the man and women are stupid, but it is Floyd who quietly gives the orders. Floyd suspects that her granddaughter is playing sides against her father and Floyd tells her, “This is our time and there is no such thing as men’s work and women’s work anymore.” Her speech for equality is cut short when Mike and his gang show up guns-a-blazing.
                                                            

Peggy may be crazy as a loon, but she has the survival instincts of a rattlesnake. This is a woman you want watching your back during a zombie apocalypse. Dodd and his men are able to knock out Hank, but Peggy uses Dodd’s cattle prod against him.
                                                           

With the help of Ron Swanson, who convinces Bear (Angus Sampson) to let him defend Charlie is court, Lou is able to sneak Ed from the jail and send him home. What no one realizes is that Hanzee (Zahn McClarnon), a quiet, loyal hit man for Dodd Gerhardt, knows where Ed is going.
                                                             

I am hooked on this crime show. It’s not for the faint of heart, but the writing is excellent and the cast top notch professionals who make you care about them. Fargo comes on at 10p.m. on the FX channel every Monday night.

Mutiny

                                                     

                         

                                                   

I’m not talking a ship’s mutiny or a revolution, but as every author will tell you, writing is a collective project. Many writers have Beta readers (other writers) who critique your manuscript as you continue working on it. I have my editor, who questions, prods and directs my work until it's the best it can be. Thank you, Patti O’Brien.

I knew what my "Roof Oasis Series" would be about before I typed the first word and that is because my science fiction/apocalyptic romance series is based on dreams that I’d been having since I was a child. For those of you who don’t know, I’m a psychic and many of my dreams come true.

The story was already formed inside my head and I just had to put it to paper. But, something happened on the way to publishing my first manuscript, "Beware the Harvesters." There was a mutiny.   

 

It wasn’t me or my editor who had edited my original manuscript that had second thoughts. No, it was one of my characters to be exact. Emele wasn’t ready to present herself, so she encouraged me to write off-shoots of the manuscript which I did as a weekly serial on my blog and later as a short story called Roof Oasis. My intention was to have Roof Oasis as part of our South Jersey Writer’s Group’s first anthology, “Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey. It was too long for the anthology and our editor Amy Hollinger asked me to wait for the second anthology, using two of my shorter stories instead.
                                                               

 

But Emele balked at being in an anthology. “Write a series,” she demanded.

Could I? Would it work? Would I eventually be able to tie in the first manuscript with the short story that had grown into two books? I've learned through experience that when I listened to my characters; gave them freedom to direct the story, the writing was better. I wrote and self-published the first two books of my "Roof Oasis Series" which include book one, "Roof Oasis", and book two, "Saving Solanda."
 

                                                       
From the very start of my writing "Roof Oasis", my characters began to voice their opinion as new people were added to the story. Each character that was added wanted the spotlight, which I tried to deliver, but it was never enough. There needed to be a second book and then a third, all the while, I was trying to give each character an opportunity to tell their story.            

 

With the second book, "Saving Solanda", which came out this summer, I found myself traveling back and forth from Earth to the three moons of Paleos in order for Lucy, Michael, Bird, Razhep, Potate and, last but not least, Patty the robot to tell their story. My editor loved how seamlessly the story flowed.

I am working on the third installment of the Roof Oasis Series, called "Beware the Harvesters" and yes this is the original manuscript. This time, Emele is ready to tell her story, but what she hadn’t foreseen is that her story is tied to Bird’s.

Emele isn’t sure if she wants to be dragged into a battle that is being fought in another solar system, but what she doesn’t know is that the enemy she is tracking down as a special agent is the same one that Lucy and Bird are fighting. Emele is not aware of her real identity. Not yet, anyway.

                                                              

 

My biggest nitpicker for book three is Patty. She wants more power. She has evolved from a plaything and protector of a child to a sentient being. She has evolved into more than just a robot and we can thank Princess Bird for this. Bird had changed Patty without my knowledge.               

 

I have my story outlined, but only to keep all the people, planets, demons, angels and aliens organized. I was updating my outline when Patty demanded that she have more say in book three. “I’m a robot!” I’m stronger and smarter than the others,” Patty pointed out.    

 

I promised Patty that I would try to better accommodate her needs in "Angels in the Mist", but I have this sinking feeling that she has other plans for book four.

Larry Blamire's Masterpiece: The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

                                                        

Sometimes there is nothing good on television at 6:00 a.m. But sometimes, you just luck out and find a gem. I love B movies. I know when we think of B movies, we think: poorly made; bad acting; bad scenery, etc. etc. But, sometimes a B movie is freaking great. This is a repost of a blog I wrote in 2012.

                                                                   
My younger sister Lucy and I live on the east coast, but my mother and middle sister, Jane, live in Napa California. Lucy and I head out west once a year to visit. While there, my sister, Jane, plans a steady string of day trips to keep us pretty much out all day, every day. We had been at Jane’s house for almost two weeks and Lucy and I were wearing down from all the day trips.

                                                              

                                                               

This one particular morning Lucy and I awoke at 6:00 in the morning to get ready for lunch on the Napa Wine Train. We dragged ourselves out to the kitchen and made a pot of coffee while waiting for everyone to wake up. Lucy was surfing the cable guide to find something to watch until the caffeine took effect. She came across a movie called The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra.                                                        

“Let’s watch this,” I said, not wanting to watch the news or infomercials that are usually on during that ungodly time of day. We did and we became instant fans of the film and the man who wrote and directed this science fiction gem, Mr. Larry Blamire.

The Film

The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a 20001 independent film that spoofs all those 1950 B movies that I grew up watching. Larry Blamire not only wrote the screenplay, but he directed the film and also had a part in the film.
                                                                 

                                                                  
He is a man of many talents. It stars Jennifer Blaire as Animala, Larry Blamire as Dr. Paul Armstrong, Fay Masterson as Betty Armstrong, Andrew Parks as Kro-Bar/Bammin, Susan McConnell as Lattis/Turgaso, Brian Howe as Dr. Roger Fleming, Dan Conroy as Ranger Brad, Robert Deveau as the Farmer and Darrin Reed as the mutant.

Plot

A scientist and his wife are searching for a meteorite that has crashed into the woods. This meteorite contains a rare element called atmosphereum. While searching for the meteorite, another scientist is asking a Ranger the location of Cadavra Cave. He’s looking for the lost skeleton.

Later that night, another meteorite crashes to earth and that is when the fun begins. We are introduced to two of the wackiest aliens to ever grace the big screen. Aliens Kro-Bar and Lattis from the planet Marva are stranded on earth with the ship’s pet mutant. They need the atmosphereum in order to return home. After disguising themselves as human, they are mistaken for the owners of a cabin. I’m still trying to figure out what the skeleton has to do with the story.                                                             

 

 

Fleming finds the alien’s device that morphed them into human shape and creates a helpmate from four different animals. Her name is Animala and she helps Fleming find the skeleton. From here on, the race is on when the aliens and Armstrong and his wife try to keep Fleming from resurrecting the Skeleton.

 

Conclusion

My sister Jane heard Lucy and me laughing out loud and she came out to investigate what had her two sisters so animated so very early in the morning. Plans to get an early start on the day’s events were forgotten as the three sisters watched The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. Like I said before, I’m a lover of B movies. Larry Blamire expertly kept his film true to the B movie formula, but with one great difference. He included his audience into the joke and it was amazing.
                                                              

I’ve learned that the actors were instructed to act weird to make the film even crazier than it was. The aliens played by Andrew Parks and Susan McConnell should have gotten some type of award for their performance...freaking funny!
                                                       

There is a sequel, The Lost Skeleton Returns Again, but I haven’t seen this. My bad and I hope to find it on Netflix if possible. If you want to see a great spoof on B movies, please watch this film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Angel's Wings Grand Opening

 

Next Saturday, on November 21rst, there will be a new shop opening in Burlington New Jersey. It is a Spiritual/Metaphysical shop that will also be offering Angel Card readings and psychic classes.
                                                          

There will lots of vendors there including, Steampunk Granny (me) I'll be selling the first two books of my science fiction/apocalyptic love story series "Roof Oasis"
                                                           

Check out On Angel's Wings Facebook site to see all the venders who will be there celebrating this new opening.

                                                                      

The Shop is located on 229 High Street in Burlington New Jersey. The store is open today, 12/14/2015. If you want to drop in and check out their items.
                                                      

Finding Yourself

                                                          

I’m not your typical granny and, my grandchildren are more comfortable introducing me to the music, literature and trends of their world faster than they will with their parents. That means that I am introduced to the world of art and fashion by my adult granddaughters and I get to drive my adult and teenaged grandsons around with Eminem blasting on the speakers while they talk martial arts, politics, and the Assassins Creed video game with me.
                          

What I found interesting is that I really understood what my grandkids were into with their music, fashion and outlook on life. You won’t be selling these kids the same crap that was sold to us. They are savvy about what’s going down both environmentally, economically and politically and I don’t think our religious leaders, our world leaders or the GOP understands this. They will come 2016.
                                                           

I like some of Eminem’s music, not all, but some. This young man has something to say and maybe we should listen. People are angrier than ever before. Families are falling apart. Drugs are one reason and missing fathers are another. Jobs are being sent overseas in order for Corporations to hide their income in foreign banks and, the music shows the desperation that is felt by the young.

There is one song of Eminem’s that I particularly like called Lose Yourself. Now I am going to use parts of the song to make a point on how Eminem is actually encouraging his fans to go beyond what they've been dealt in this life.
                                                          

The song was released as the first single from the soundtrack to his 2002 movie 8 Mile which was directed by Curtis Hanson and stars Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy and Mekhi Phifer. The film is about rap and about trying to make it in a world that looks down on people who don’t fit the mold. Here is information on both the film and the song.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_Mile_(film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lose_Yourself

I recently was at an event in New Jersey for the Pennsauken High School on careers. I had the opportunity to meet with and chat with some pretty amazing young people. They know what they want to do.They want to make the world a better place. I apologized to each and every one of them for the mess my generation and their parents' generation left for them to clean up. How do we expect our children to grow up to be honorable when Congress members behave so badly. How do we expect our children to think peacefully, when world leaders and our very own Congress members want to jump into every war that comes down the road?
                                                         

Our children will need to find their way in a confusing and angry world. Should they even try? I think you'll be surprised by how smart our future generation is.

Eminem from Lose Yourself:

Look, if you had, one shot, or one opportunity
to seize everything you ever wanted. In one moment
would you capture it, or just let it slip?
Yo

I spoke with young men and women who want to save the world, but many of them don't have money for college. The major reason being that America's middle class has been dismantled by greed. And, let's be really honest about this; the price of attending college is a nightmare for both the middle class and the poor. Shame on us! Are these kids giving up? Has our greed foiled these young people who are our future and our only hope?

Hell no! Most of the kids I spoke to said that they will find a way to attend a college. A lot of them are joining the military because they want to serve our nation and in return, get a good education. I have two grandsons in the military now doing the same thing. Jimmy is in the U.S. Marine Corps and when he gets out, he wants to be a State Trooper. Josh is in the U.S. Navy and when he gets out, he wants to work for Elon Musk and Space X.

I told each and every one of these students to never allow anyone to destroy their dreams and hopes for a better world. I also told them that everything is possible if you believe in yourself. We are not losing ourselves. We are finding ourselves.

I'll end this post with another part of Eminem's song that I hold as my mantra and I will share it with all my readers to claim, no matter what age you are. I'll go one step further and say that it's never too late to take that shot; to live the dream; to heal the earth. Yo!

Eminem from Lose Yourself:

You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime (yo)

Here is the video with lyrics included.
 

Fargo S02 E02: Before the Law

                                                        

I’ve already told you my opinion of Fargo and why I think it’s one of the best dramas on television. I’m going to watch this show and do short reviews for all my friends. Enjoy!

Wives

We pick up where we left off on the end of episode one. Poor Ed Blumquist is so in love with his pretty wife that he’s even willing to go against his own conscience and civic duty: don’t call the cops; don’t let anyone know how the car got damaged; clean up the blood; get rid of the body.        

We don’t know much about their marriage except that Ed wasn’t getting any loving between the sheets and, if he did, it was only when he begged for it. Peggy looks like a girl who is comfortable telling lies. She tells Ed, she hit a deer when he heard movement in the garage. She stole toilet paper from her boss. Those lies are going to trip her up. Peggy may think she has everything under control, but she’s out of her league with Mama Gerhardt.                               

Floyd Gerhardt is a smart woman, certainly smarter than the three boys she gave birth to. She is very involved with her husband’s business and I’m guessing she knows the location of several bodies. She’s tough. With hubby out of commission because of a stroke, Floyd has to keep on top of things and that means speaking to her business associates and the Kansas City Mafia who wants to take over.                                        

Her son, Dodd, has no respect for women. He should move to Iran.  He has a bad temper and even disrespects his 19-year-old daughter, saying she’s too young to learn the family business. Floyd, bless her heart, reminds Dodd that girls grow up to be women who change little boys’ diapers. The meaning is not lost on Dodd.

Kansas City Mafia

Mike Milligan and the Kitchen brothers have to be both one of the funniest and scariest killers I’ve ever seen on the screen. Mike (Bokeem Woodbine) is a smooth talking young man, but his smooth tongue only softens the intended threats.
                                                           

 
Maybe, it’s the way Mike smiles as he’s handing out options that show just how dangerous this man is. His encounter with Sheriff Larson is outright scary, but luckily Larson understands what the smile means. I love Mike’s Afro hairstyle and disco clothing. The Kitchen brothers, who are obviously twins, never speak. They don’t have to. They’re busy scaring you to death with their silence and big guns.

Conclusion

While Ed puts his butchering skills to work making Rye-burger-meat, Lou stops at the Waffle Hut with his cancer-stricken wife, Betsy and little Molly, who is already proving to be a good observer. She finds a balloon that leads to mom finding Rye’s gun; the gun that killed the people at the Waffle Hut.          

The gun has Rye’s prints on it. Now, we have three separate teams looking for Rye. Lou and Hank the story’s protagonists are like sitting ducks in a pond filled with sharks, but they are smart law men who take their time putting the clues together.

This show, even with the gore and horror of dealing with gangsters, is easy on the mind. The scenery is a stunning contrast to the blood that drips on the floor of the butcher shop as Ed, his mind numb and probably regretting his choice of life partner, grinds Rye into the industrial size meat grinder. What I’m especially enjoying about this season is the use of the split-screen that shows what each character is doing at that same moment.