Christmas Disaster.

Why Girl and her partner returned from a lovely Xmas dinner with family.  An hour later, BN tried to take out the dog.

We were locked in!  Imprisoned in our own apartment.

Madness. A cranky lock—30 years old—stopped working, frozen in time.

To the rescue, action locksmith Michael Ben of Rockalock.com came to the rescue. He was there in ten minutes. Jumped onto the balcony, came in and saved the day—actually saved Christmas night.

What a weird feeling to be imprisoned in your own home on Christmas night.

HO-HO-HO.

Copyright WhyGirl.com; Webmaster—Regina Cleveland; Graphic Artist—Mel Dominquez

Mel Dominguez—friend and graphic artist of Why Girl—introduced WG to the “Magic Z.” What is it?  “The whole thing is conceptual,” explained Mel.  “It’s a theory about the direction the eye moves across an image taking in information and using this recipe to have a successful flow across a painting.”

An example of the “Z” is found in the art of Z. Vanessa Helder.  Her name and artworks after her debut in the 30s have all but been forgotten until now.  The rediscovery of Vanessa’s work and personality have been brought back to life in a one-woman show — “Austere Beauty: The Art of Z. Vanessa Helder”  — at The Tacoma Art Museum (July 27 through October 20, 2013).  See it online.

Helder’s rare and striking talent and the “Magic Z” are alive and well.

Profile: Z. Vanessa Helder was a one-of-a-kind, nationally recognized master watercolorist from the Northwest in the 1930s.  She was forgotten to be rediscovered. Vanessa was an unconventional woman who could be seen strolling the streets of 1930s Seattle, dressed in her finest while taking her pet skunk, Sniffy, for a walk on a leash.

The Magic Z lives on…

Z. Vanessa Helder_Grand Coulee Dam

Copyright WhyGirl.com; Webmaster—Regina Cleveland; Graphic Artist—Mel Dominquez