sorridi, ti fa bene

a friend sent me this- and I wanted to share!

just to show you how much I love it!

Park Slope.5th ave BID.zaidibirindilandia's 1st outing!

set up shop @ the market

park slope's 5th avenue Business Improvement District organized an art sale with over 85 artists registered to sell art including photographs, oils, ceramics, drawings, jewelry, wearable art and more.

zaidibirindilandia was one of them-and we made this event our first! I had been prepping stuff for the shop and had sales already, but the last time I sold art on the street was about 5 years ago at Martes de Galeria, in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. a bit nervous, but going. I only slept 3 hours the night before-i had to stay up making business cards(which I had to do twice because at 4:00am when i was saving the file my mac decided to crash), cutting earring "hangers" covering them with paper and newspaper, finishing headbands, making price tags, notching, etc...

thank goodness Don offered to drive me- and at 11:30 I was there and set up! It was a gorgeous day at Washington Park, sunny finally( this has been a fake summer) and I was ready. Unfortunately, it was a really really slow sale. I only sold ONE headband- to a colombian grandmother/granddaughter who made my day!

sushi for lunch -been craving them for forever- and at about 3:00 my friend/illustrator Mr. Roman Sharf showed up to sell his thingies as well. I helped him set up, and went back to my station. It was a bit disappointing, but It was a one time event and not very well advertised- so I took it as training. To end the day "con broche de oro" Christian Castro and Charles(friends from FIT) stopped by and chatted/caught up/spoke about italy,puerto rico and art/ hugs and fortune tellers. The support of friends is like gasoline-it keeps you going!

6:00 came! ... Don picked me up again-home I went and slept for 12 hours-I honestly do not remember A TIME in which I went to sleep at 7:00pm! I cant think about that... I seriously CRASHED. and it was good to blackout/recover. Sunday was a good day- we drove up to Hunter Mountain to pick up Mr. ITEN.

great weekend:

• had a private magic show,
• it was ☂ BUT we went to Storm King Arts Center and fell in love with ♒Maya Lin's "Bodies of Water"

• revisited Calder
• BBQ-ed,
• cleaned and
• wrote ♥ B-DAY letters, and broken ♥ B-day letters,
• watched a movie
• stayed up philosophizing w. mr. Iten
• ...
• SLEPT again

NEXT DAY I found out I was unemployed. BUT I made french toast and "posed/modeled" for DORIANO while he sketched/portrait-ed me. HE was able to capture me... and people's reaction asides from amusement- "how did you ever get her so quiet"? ... PALS: I can ponder and write. I was not quiet- its just - my loudness was being expressed with ink instead of vocal chords. I'll let you see the drawing later.

at least a peak! >.<

new business-new identity-

dear friends + FRIENDS OF FRIENDS
i have to excuse myself for being away for a while. summer has been a bit -weird- and confusing. but we never let it drag us down completely-and here I am -back to sharing.

the ETSY/zaidibirindilindilandia shop has been up and running for about a month an half, and although slow, starting something up is a lot of work. there are so many little things to take care of asides from THE PRODUCT/ART you create: there is packaging, business cards, events, promotion, mailing, an identity, etc..

-take a look at zagb's/zaidibirindilandia's new "biglietti di visita".

credits:

- logo x me

- b. card design x dorian-iten

.........................................

about how the shop came about:

i'm back from a WONDERFULL study abroad experience in Florence, Italy and as you may know I'm back in NYC.

just spent the last month between job interviews and preparing for ITALY again. however... most of my time and energy have gone towards putting together some of my creations and setting up a small line of accessories/online shop.

i came back to NYC to work, not realizing that things were so bad over here... we can't give up-and because we need to stand up for ourselves- i've gone ahead and started this online "business" which i hope you will enjoy. it will be my permanent job - from now, until as long as i can keep it, but specially throughout my next year studying in MILAN, Italy. you know what that means: zaidibirindilindilindilandia WILL travel with me!

zaidibirindilandia is meant to offer you some whimsical, very special and unique art-pieces that have been crafted with passionate thought and time dedication... just to share a bit of me... with the world.

right now there are mostly earrings and headbands- but i will soon post more items such as bags, vests, brooches, rings, etc...

make sure you pass by! www.zagb.etsy.com

share it with your friends. spread the word. support your local artists, grassroots/independent, self published, self photographed, friends are the real models (natural beauty), recycled goods, live green!

-ETSY is an online community/marketplace where you can buy and sell all things handmade; special, crafty, ART!- ...huggs to all... thanks for the great vibes!

zaida adriana goveo balmaseda

Recessionary Artists Market @ Mompou Tapas Bar

WE ARE EXCEPTIONALLY CRAFTY and in these tough economic times OUR artistic talent comes to aid.

So this past Sunday August 9th, zaidibirindilindilindilandia AND Mr. Dorian Iten--- decided to participate in the first-ever Recessionary Artists' Market at Mompou Tapas Bar in Newark, NJ. I had never been there before, but It was a pretty cute/hip place, young people-neat music. I would say there were around 12 artists gathered to sell arts and crafts, cupcakes, cookies.. and free smiles. I didn't realize what a big/tight portuguese community in that area!

We sold some: one headband(venerdi, viernes, fridays-ita), and two headpieces ( matite-tite-tite-tá, & futures/thrive) Bummer that one of them got sold for $7 instead of $12. It's kind of weird when that happens... you see, the customer had come two times already to see my shop and I knew she was excited. she decided to buy-so I got super happy too- she gives me the money, I start packing the "gift" and think not to count the money in front of her.. it feels a bit as an act of mistrust-so as soon as she leaves I count, just to put the money away- and she has payed me less... I wonder how it happens and why??( did she count wrong, did she look at the wrong tag, or did she purposely do it??) ... agh! I think about asking her-since she is still around, but I feel even more awkward/rude about that, I mean-its golden time and unique art but -lesson learned-: business is business, I should count from now on.

money issues, I wish we could just -I don't know-, have a different currency, worry less about it, have it be less important/materialistic.

My friend Patricia was supposed come sell with us, but she couldn't make it. She is just a very special person- cultural studies and media major/interested in documentaries, "compatriota mia"- and she was doing some research about cinema and its history to incorporate it into her -corkjewelery- I can't wait to see what she has! Asides from that my friend Juan Carlos , also "compatriota" and graphic artist showed up and kept us company for a good couple of hours. He was commenting on how he recognizes how hard it is to be an artisan and work like we do. He asked me... "Do you really like doing this?, Because the more I see you, the more I convince myself that "I could never do it" Its soo nice when your friends come and support, to have some company especially when they understand and value your work. I truly appreciate it!

Dorian Iten, my swiss-amazingly talented-/florence art student-teacher/ friend was here-in the city- and decided to be my partner in crime for this event! He helped me put my b.cards together and "to newark" we went. He studies classical art at Angel Academy in Florence and - really- he has a talent that GOD bless him! Imagine, he was chosen to participate in this year's Hudson River School Painting's fellowship, to which only 22 artists get chosen!

Dorian came to NYC and stayed with us for a couple of days and then went up to Hunter Mountain to "paint landscapes for his first time". Only that his "studies" don't like like those of a first timer, HE REALLY OBSERVES, AND LEARNS. After that month was over, he came back to Brooklyn and to us, and spent about a week together. Its great having friend that inspire you and appreciate things like he does. It makes me realize all the things that I take for granted, and pause-and truly look at things-

For MOMPOU-I told him to make LITTLE somethings; sketches, studies, postcards and sell them- I honestly don't think he was pretty convinced, but he took his supplies and started "doodling". In an hour he made about $30. People were so amazed by his skill and he was loving people's reactions when they saw him creating-seemed effortless!But he is here to stay and to SURPRISE us with his amazingness!

We sat and crafted, and mingled and ate yummy cookies and granola all afternoon-the rain tried to scare us-but we survived... and at 9:00pm people were ready to go! My capoeira teacher stopped by-really nice unexpected surprise, nice to wrap up the day- and took us out to a Brazilian place to eat-yummy arroz con frijoles negros/turkey wrapped in bacon/fried bananas-!!!THEN back to brooklyn-crash and sleep.

WHAT DID I LEARN:

- make cheaper, smaller, simpler pieces that sell fast-to pay for my hours sitting down and let the other pieces(be artsy-er pieces) for people who can really appreciate the craft.

-Crafting is NOT really that profitable, Its a LOVE/PASSION/VOCATION thing.

-Time passes by faster/fun-er if you have great people around you-I think I had already learned that.

-got setting up experience, met the people at Mompou-to keep in touch with

- loved the brazilian food and bonded with people I never get to bond with

-Newark is not as scary anymore.

-don't give up- keep doing what you love!