From CatalinaLoves

It’s no secret that I have a ridiculous crush on Lochai, and maybe a part of it is because I fell in love with his work as an artist. On top of all that I got to actually meet him yesterday and put my hands on his… prints (I know what you thought I was going to say!)

I know a lot of my readers are people who share my opinion about Lochai’s erotic and bondage images and also share my belief in supporting the art and the artists they love. That’s what this post is all about. Your opportunity to own real art while supporting the arts. It’s a win-win situation.

Lochai has a few gallery shows coming up. He talks about them in the interview we did recently here. In response to my question about his upcoming gallery shows, in particular the exhibition at the World Erotic Art Museum in Miami Beach, FL, this is what he had to say:

Wow…. To hang in a Museum is an amazing thing. To hang in this Museum is even a greater compliment in that the owner/curator, Naomi Wilzig, does not normally collect photography & has only just started to. She has thousands of painting, sculptures and other various articles that have moved her over the years and only a few photographs including ones from a good friend of mine, BT Charles. She has had many one person displays exhibited in the galleries in the 3 years WEAM has been open, but she asked me to be the first photographer. I am also a local so this adds to the pride I feel. Art gallery shows are wonderful but to say that you are displayed in a museum, for me that is something I am very proud of. I will also have Beach Bound added to the permanent collection. I was also the first heterosexual male artist to have a special “Guest Gallery” show that lasted a year of 30 of my images in the Leather Archives & Museum in Chicago http://www.leatherarchives.org/ which just came down in May.

So now here we are, it’s almost time for Lochai’s big show and now it’s time for me to get involved in the only way I know how. I’m holding my own Lochai Pledge Drive to help support Lochai’s upcoming gallery projects. He has never done this before and he may never do this again, it’s truly exclusive (and it will give your grandkids something to bring onto The Antique’s Roadshow!) Think of it is the kinky version of the PBS Pledge Drive - you know, you donate some money and they give you a nice gift to say thank you.

Here’s the rundown - you donate to Lochai’s upcoming shows. Donations are simple and easy - log into PayPal and use Lochai’s email address (nawalochai@kirinawa.com). You can even use your credit card. In return, as a thank-you gift, you receive one of Lochai’s signed prints. The print you will receive will be chosen by Lochai and is from his award-winning gallery.

Donate $25 and receive a signed 4×6 print. This is perfect to frame and put on your nightstand

Donate $50 and receive a signed 5×7 print. This is a perfect size to have on your desk, no?

Donate $75 and receive two signed 5 x 7 prints - a nice little complimentary set for your boudoir. I love the idea of having two complimentary, beautiful images, nicely framed and hung next to each other. MDS says he thinks it would be neat if you’re a couple to frame them and then put one on each of your nightstands. I love MDS. He’s so clever!

Donate $100 and receive one signed 8×10 print - perfect to hang on the wall. Actually Lochai gave me an 8×10 as a gift yesterday and it’s matted, framed, and perfectly placed on my desk, so an 8×10 is really a nice size - you can hang it or place it somewhere special.

For donations more generous than $100.00, please contact Lochai directly. Those donors will be considered sponsors and will not only have their name associated with the show as a sponsor, but as a thank-you gift will receive a signed, limited edition print in a larger size. Again, just contact Lochai directly to discuss this option. He’s a very friendy man!

Midori wrote this great article. It's basically about how to help you figure out if your potential master really is a good fit for you, and things to look out for that might set off red flags.

I think it is important, really. I could imagine how hard it must be, to have that NEED to submit, and to be so excited about beginning a D/s relationship that you want to jump right in. The sad truth is that, for some, they find they have leap straight into a trap, or worse, and it's hard to get out of. Ending a relationship is hard, even in a D/s situation. I like Midori's article because it could actually prevent someone from jumping in too fast.

If you want to read it, click here

This topic was brought up at socialkink.com and there was an article about it as well. I really thought it was interesting and I wanted to share it and get some feedback.

Here are some excerpts from the article:

In our star-spangled land of democracy, all citizens are fancied to have equal rights under the law. This equality is even encouraged to extend to the realm of sex and love. Marriages are supposed to be 50/50, give and take. Sex is idealized as an erotic extension of the Golden Rule: do your partner as you would have them do you. BDSM seems to be a complete departure from this mindset, a whips-and-chains autocracy. In reality, BDSM scenes or relationships are just as much of a give-and-take as vanilla sex. Both people in a BDSM relationship are there to have their needs met...
This is the paradox that makes BDSM so appealing. Subs are set free by completely giving up control to another...
The rest of the article is here, clicky


xpost

This is from My mia's blog, and I thought I would share it:

( Part 1 )

( Part 2 )

Wow it has been a while since I posted. I've been having severe back problems and I've been more like an alien abductee, what with the drs poking and prodding. Oh if only my fetish were of the medical variety, then I'd be a happy camper right about now lol!

Other than that things have been great and I've had a lot of time to relax online and read fanfic. I've been doing a lot of surfing too and I came across this great article about feminism in BDSM!! here's the link you might have to have a profile, but it's free.

I'm curious ladies...that article talks about sexism, patriarchy, gender roles, and feminism. I'd like to see what you all think of it, from all perspectives from Domme to female slave.

Hey all!! My little cousin is a semi-finalist for Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader!! And that's as it should be because he's like the smartest 5th grader I know!!!

The only way this little guy can get through to the show is if he gets LOTS of VOTES!! Right now, only votes count...so I really need your help getting him there.

You can vote as many times as you want!!!

Please Vote for Austin B. (it's the button to the LEFT of his photo and name)

THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!

mia and I planted the daisies the other day. It is getting warmer and the flowers have already wilted. Afterwork today we are going to snip the plants back and let them settle in the new bed. Hopefully this will save them and they will bloom later. We also have to plant the rhododendruns and the rest of the flowers for the bed, plus we have to figure out where we are going to make the rose garden.

The past little while have been nice, at least with our family. I count myself as very fortunate.

I had to meditate between two of my VERY close friends. They are going through some hard times with their relationship and are thinking about splitting up. They also have recently moved a girl into their home to be a third. But here they are, just a few short weeks from the move-in, ready to split completely apart. It's breaking my heart because I love them both so much, yet I do support them both in what they decide...I just was happy that they called on me to help them sort out some communications issues. However, if they aren't a good fit for each other no amount of good communications is going to "fix" this. I just let them both know that if they needed anything I am here for them individually as well as a couple.

In fact out of all of my "couple friends" all but one set are going through this sort of thing. They are either getting a third (or a fourth) or are begining to swing or are splitting up all together. It's not that it's weird or that I am judging (which, I mean really, um, I can't seriously do that, esp considering my own family life lol) it's just that this has all happened within the past month and a half!! With all but ONE of my couple friends!!! That's just odd to me.

My mia has been wonderful, though!! she is doing these little things that show me that she is learning, paying attention, and loves me. she also stood up for herself at work and turned down a promotion because they wouldn't work with her schedule...I am very proud of that.

Last night the Hubs, mia and I all snuggled together and went to sleep. And even though I went to bed sick and woke up sick I still felt better than I have in a long time.

I'm working on a new project at work, very stressful. I've also been scheduling out a lot of time to photoshoots. I promise I will start to actually make money doing this, but when it boils down to it, I end up volunteering for things simply because I love the art of it, eventhough I am over taxing myself.

As a result my body is rebelling against me and I'm having to take some inhaled steriods along with another inhaler and some antiboitics (which make me sick, nice). In the meantime, though, I have been able to spend a little time editing a TFcd project and planning other projects. This month is pretty much dedicated to making as many different kinds of photoshoots as possible and trying out new styles.

mia has been amazing.

Yesterday she brought me chicken noodle soup and crackers for lunch, it was so sweet because she know's that's what I like when I'm sick.

I am excited about settling down in a few and planting a garden with her. I have never really tried to garden before, but I love pretty flowers and I have always wanted a garden of my own. Yes I know I could just hire a gardener to make one for me, but I'm stubborn and I figure if I get one I might as well do it myself. Now I will have my mia to help me. she's even bought some seeds and some starter plants!!!!! I can't wait til they get here.

I love doing things with mia, like little projects or shipping trips that are just for Uus. Lately I've been so busy with photos that Oour weekly breakfast dates have suffered and I miss Oour special time. I think that getting out in the yard and growing things together will be a lot of fun!!

You know those silly ideas that you have as a child of who you want to be and what you want to do when you grow up? I've had lots of those. Though I was an odd child, I had a 5-year and 10-year plan when I started middle school. Since then I have acheived all of my "dreams" except two.

I have traveled Europe. I have had my words and my photography published in various media from books to creative loafing to a german publication about art. I have won medals for my music. I have graduated with honors and acquired a double major and minor in a highly acredited university. But there are two things that I wanted "to be when I grew up" that I had yet to accomplish....a ballerina on stage and a princess :)

This past weekend I got to do both with House of Deville. In the 5th grade I took ballet on flats and I loved it, but I had to give it up so that I could work afterschool and I never got to take pointe. When Lilith Deville asked if I would be a princess ballerina for the show I said hells yeah!!! I quickly taught myself how to go up on pointe for the first time, spin, step, dance and choreography while looking as graceful as possible, and I'm not exactly known for my grace :p So there, I guess I can strike these off the list lol!

The show went great...considering the stage was exactly half the size we had practiced for and some drunk ass sat on one of the props and split it in two just before the second act!! The hubs is the propmaster and was able to fix this as it was an essential element in the show (it had to explode and collapse on cue, and thus needed to be upright to begin with). We were all very upset about this, as one of the sides of the prop collapsed before it was time...but we played it off and all was well and in the end the crowd went nuts so it was well worth it.

The weekend itself was highly unorganized and we ended up being rushed, which I hate, but it's part of it all so I've learned to take it in stride. mia on the otherhand is still new to this and she is still sensitive to the rushing hustle that goes into any live performance...she's a good girl though and was the picture of everything that makes me proud of her. I know that all of that was hard for her to process and I appreciated her hanging in and being so good throughout the whole ordeal because it showed me how much she was willing to go through for me. I told her as much, as much as I could while rushing here and there. In the end, though, I was happy to end the night with mia tucked into my arms.

Getting back into the work week has been a drain. But I informed mia that she and I will be taking off of work tomorrow to spend the day in D/s bliss and I for one am looking forward to it.

This weekend will be a busy one indeed...but honestly that's just about each weekend of late.

I will be performing with House of DeVille and with Anders Manga at Cirque Macabre in Releigh, NC this weekend.

The House of DeVille show is all ready to go, just a few last minute props and costuming left to be done.

We'll be going to Raleigh Saturday morning, load-in is at 2pm and the doors open at 4pm...then the show goes to like 4am or something crazy like that :)

I am excited...this will be a nice break from all the craziness at work. Isn't it nice to just get away for a weekend and be a pretty pretty princess ballerina on stage, and then an assistant to an evil doctor on stage, and then a random partier for the rest of the event? Yeah...this life has it's perks at times ;)