Hill Rag - Properties Sold

When we moved to DC 13 years ago we always picked up the neighborhood publication called the Hill Rag. Even before we moved it wasn’t unusual to peruse the latest issue when we visited the city. At one time I was actually submitting written content about subjects like my blog that were published. One of the categories of interest to us was real estate. We always checked out who was selling their properties and what the asking prices were. Outside of that I always looked at the DC real estate market in general to get an idea about a lot of things -not just in our neighborhood, but in northern Virginia too. So I wanted to make sure we picked up the May and June editions of the Hill Rag because both of our condos would be listed. It would be used for more of a keepsake and also documentation that we actually lived there. I’m glad we did- especially when our family lived down the street and I worked at the Library of Congress. But our family moved a few years ago and I retired, so it was no longer necessary to deal with the “cons” of living in an urban environment two blocks away from the Capitol. The 1890’s Building and all the related issues were becoming more annoying than the fewer and fewer “pros” that were initially more enticing. We were younger then! So I have my copies of the Hill Rag and took photos of the important pages. Even now when we go in to town we will pick up the latest edition. It’s all so familiar. 

How About a Garage for $73,000 on the Barracks Row Heritage Trail?

We get the Hill Rag every month to learn about the goings on in the neighborhood. One of the sections we look at is the real estate activity. It is not uncommon to see million dollar plus homes routinely bought and sold on Capitol Hill. But two of the line items this month took us aback and we had to look twice. There were two garages sold on G Street SE to the tune of $70,000 plus each! This was so odd, we needed to actually take a look at where this place was. We understand that parking is a premium around here, but this was outlandish! So we headed on out on our morning walk and took a different path to reach this destination. Walking along G street, you need to turn off on to an alley and wind around to a row of garages in a very odd location. And there they were- two "active" garage spaces with a sign not to block them. It was dreadful walking around there in the daylight. I can only imagine how it must be at night. If the walls could talk, I am certain a lot of interesting things must have happened around here. I think I would prefer reading about it than actually living anywhere near it. I'd love to know who would purchase this space, and why? Any ideas? It's on the Barracks Row Heritage Trail - but there must be more to it. 

The Hill Rag vs Old Town Crier

Ever since we moved to Capitol Hill from Milwaukee I have looked forward to getting one of the few - if not the only - hard copy publications we bring in to our house. It has a dual purpose - a chance to read about the community (although it is also available on line) - and to display the cover as art in our tv room. This month the publication will be hidden by the few remaining Christmas cards we receive, and it will be removed completely if I ever get around to putting up holiday decorations. But across the river in Alexandria is another local magazine called Old Town Crier that is also published monthly. I usually pick it up at TJ Stones, a restaurant we go to at least at the same frequency. I have to say both of them have interesting local stories, but because I live on Capitol Hill I much prefer The Hill Rag. But I don't think I will ever be able to compete with the likes of Monet to get some art on the cover. I guess I'll need to rely on my own marketing strategies. 

Hill Rag Wall Art

Every month I look forward to picking up the hard copy publication of The Hill Rag.  There are several places it is available in the neighborhood but we typically get it from the newsstand box next to Tortilla Coast. It is probably the only hard copy of anything I read anymore. Everything in our house is pretty much digital, especially when the iPad came around about three years ago. But we also like to use the cover as ever changing wall art. We put it in our TV room as a change of pace. It seems less and less likely one of my digital prints will land on the cover, but I can always hope!

Hill Rag Wall Art

This week has been very weird in Washington DC. One of the few things that is on schedule and routine is The Hill Rag Community paper that was just published for this month. I always look forward to it for two reasons: to read about what is happening in the neighborhood, but also to use it as wall art in our TV room. It is probably the only hard copy reading material we have in our house. Everything else is digital. I even read updates to the Hill Rag on line during the month, but also to see if any of my short vignettes get published. I've been contributing short observations, photos, and art since August. One of these days I'd love to see one of my digital art pieces on the cover of the Hill Rag. Wonder what it would take to get it there?

Hill Rag Wall Art

As always at the beginning of each month, we find our way to the corner stand and find the latest edition of the Hill Rag. I really love all the cover art and am still hoping that one of these days one of my sketches makes its way there, or somewhere inside. I always hang the newest copy in our TV room because it offers a nice change and is always appealing. And of course, we like to keep up with what's going on in the neighborhood, especially the real estate section. Two of the apartments in our building sold within a week at the asking price. Hope that stays true when and if we ever find ourselves in that position. I would rarely if ever pick up a hard copy of anything when we lived in Milwaukee. But the Hill Rag serves a lot of purposes, and we look forward to each edition- even in hard copy.

Hill Rag Wall Art

With great anticipation the August Hill Rag arrived in the corner newsstand boxes today. I always look forward to each issue because of the cover art. Every month is something entirely different and unique from the previous month. The best part is that the most recent magazine is displayed in our tv room. They always seem to match the decor. Aside from the usefulness it serves as a rotating art exhibit, we like to read about the events and real estate in the neighborhood. It is probably the only hard copy of anything we get anymore. Everything we read is on line, including the New Yorker. One of these days I'm hoping one of my digital works of art lands
somewhere in the publication. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Hill Rag Ad - LIT Digital Art & Such

I spent the weekend putting together some business cards that I want to publish in the classified ads in the Hill Rag, our local neighborhood newspaper. We like the Hill Rag because of the art on the cover, getting an update on real estate and events, and then hanging the publication in our TV room to actually enjoy the art. The neighborhood is full of dogs that we see, and cats that we don't see. The latest issue of the Hill Rag was filled with dog and cat photos. I personally like doing digital art around this subject matter, so decided to contact the Hill Rag for a quote to place an ad. The price is fairly reasonable for a three month run, so we'll see if it helps my hobby grow. I do get encouraged by the reaction I receive from friends and family when they see the art. The New Yorker selected my Borzoi art as a winner in the Eustace Tilley contest this year. Who knows? It's worth a try- I think. Someone asked me about the pricing for a project today. My website says $25 - $100 depending on the time and detail. I'm glad it's just a hobby, but it could be more entertaining than my real job!

Hill Rag Wall Art

As we were leaving Tortilla Coast on Saturday, I checked the Hill Rag box on the corner for the July issue. I was surprised to see that it was there. We always like the Hill Rag for the cover art and the news of the neighborhood. It is the only published "magazine" we pick up. We like to read about what's happening- from the real estate exchanges to the new restaurants. But I especially like the cover art because we hang each issue in our TV room. I am hoping that one of these days my digital art Capitol Hill will grace the cover. Back in March, I received notice from the editor that the art was "appropriate" and it was forwarded to the publisher. But I am sure I am behind another 1,000 others hoping for the same outcome. In the meantime, I'll just hang this issue up in our family room to enjoy. I like the cover this month because it is about dogs. Maybe I should put a featured ad in the Hill Rag about my website LIT Digital Art and Such at Loistavaf.com. I love creating digital art of just about anything, but dogs are a treat to do. Anyone out there want to give it a try? Check out the Brown Dog post and let me know!

Cute!

About the Artist

Hill Rag Wall Art

Having just returned from a long weekend in England, it was my first day back at work today. I realized that we had missed picking up the latest issue of Hill Rag, our community newspaper. On my way home for lunch, I found one of three copies left in the stand by the Mexican Restaurant. I really like the publication for the cover art, and then hang it in our TV room. I am hoping that one of these days my digital print of Capitol Hill will grace the cover. It was forwarded to the Hill Rag publisher, but there are about 1000 others in front of me. Since the digital file was submitted, a copy of it is hanging on the 6th floor of the Madison Building in the Library of Congress for the art show that continues through November. It is really great exposure. Since last month, I also published my website for digital art. Please check it out! loistavaf.com - LIT Digital Art and Such. My Picasa web albums now include our trip to England, along with Denmark, and Iran, and Capitol Hill. It's so nice to be home, but not so nice to be back to work. And that's the same way I felt in Milwaukee.

Maybe one of these days?

Now I have a website, a Facebook page, and a blog

Hill Rag Wall Art

Here it is the month of May and the Hill Rag finally came out on Sunday. We picked it up from the stand on the corner on our way home from our walk to Eastern Market, where there was a sort of Book Festival scheduled for the day. The Hill Rag is the only newspaper/Community paper we read, because it also serves as wall art in our family room. This month the picture is quite pleasing to my eye, but it would be more pleasing if and when my cover art is ever highlighted. I've been working on a website for my digital art work, and am hoping to go live with it in the near future. Then, when and if my digital work is ever used on the cover, the website could be referenced. I've been working with a really nice guy in the Congressional Research Service at the Library, who happens to know a lot about these sorts of things. And I really appreciate all his help and patience! It is very time consuming, but I guess you could say I've learned something new with this process. I'm not sure if I would have taken this route if I still lived in Milwaukee, but I am very grateful for having the opportunity to meet and work with so many new and different folks here.

The May cover

From the Hill Rag- about the artist

Hill Rag Wall Art

We rarely get newspapers of any sort any more- but we make one exception. The March issue of The Hill Rag community paper was late in coming. I picked one up on my way to work this morning because we like to check out the real estate, and learn about the upcoming events. Aside from checking the Internet, that's how we heard about the Cherry Blossom Fireworks Festival last weekend. But the real reason we like the magazine is to display it on the wall in our TV room. The cover is always a painting created by a local artist. I am hoping that my Capitol Hill digital image adorns the cover one of these days. Until that happens, a framed digital print will hopefully be on display soon in the Madison Building during the run of the employee art exhibit. The exhibit is scheduled to begin in May and last through November. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the image gets on the cover too.

This is a little different

About the artist

China Daily

One routinely runs in to all sorts of newspapers, real estate, advertisements, and otherwise types of publications located on street corners that are either free or have a minimum charge. Although lately, we rarely pick up anything from the corner box except for the Hill Rag- our favorite neighborhood publication with the great cover art. Most of what we read is on line. It almost seems odd to even hold a newspaper anymore. One of our friends always picks up the Wall Street Journal when he visits, even though I can get it for him on the Kindle, and now the IPad. Things are changing- although I am not surprised in the least. We came across a newspaper box that contains the China Daily- right next to Politico and all the others. It sits right outside of the Capitol Hill Suites across from the Library. Although this particular publication may not have been available just a few years ago, it certainly makes sense today. Our grandson is taking Chinese in 3rd grade on Capitol Hill. My mother spoke both Polish and English when she grew up. We learned Polish first and quickly forgot it. In high school we had to take Latin, and then had a choice between French and Spanish. I selected French and could read it quite well, but never used it. My husband speaks not only fluent Farsi, but English, and French. In this town, there is about every language on earth- at the Library, there are over 120 (?) or so? I started collecting Madame Alexander foreign land dolls when I was six and have always been intrigued with other cultures. Milwaukee has a huge Polish and German population- something not as common here. There sure are a lot more tools available today to help one learn and navigate their way through another country. How does one decide which language to learn fluently now? Or is it just a little bit of this and that?



Something of interest



Fits right in with the rest

Hill Rag Wall Art

Every month we pick up the new edition of the Hill Rag. This month it seemed to come out a little later than usual, but it's always a treat to see what the cover will look like. We use the magazine as wall art in our TV room, and also read some of the stories about the neighborhood real estate exchanges, and the school activities, and other stories of general community interest. One of these days I would love to get some art on the cover- but I just don't seem to know how to get it noticed! I can't say that I paid any attention to this sort of stuff on Milwaukee, but since the IPad came out two years ago I started to draw again and have had some luck lately as a winner in the New Yorker Eustace Tilley Contest last month, and submitted two pieces of art in the Library's art contest today. If you know anyone who might know somebody interested in this type of art, please let me know! All is takes is a jpeg/PDF document and it's yours on email. In the meantime, we continue to look forward to the Hill Rag- and it definitely serves as an inspiration!

Spring is here

Hill Rag Wall Art

At the beginning of the month we pick up the neighborhood newspaper The Hill Rag. It came out a little earlier this month. One of these days I would love to have something from my art collection highlighted on the cover. It is probably the only newspaper we look at anymore, and it is primarily for the cover...and also to learn about what is going on in the neighborhood. We always look at the real estate values, and the restaurants that are opening. And, it always looks nice hanging in the TV room. For some reason, the colors always seem to match.

A little early for February



The artist

 

The perfect wall hanging

Hill Rag Wall Art

I always like it when the Hill Rag comes out. It makes the day's blog entry a lot easier. We came across the January issue on the way home from a walk. I actually had completely forgotten about it. I've taken a few days off during the last week, and have off again today for the Federal holiday, and haven't been thinking much about anything- except how nice it is not to work! And since the last issue of the Hill Rag, my first digital book, The Four Promises, came out as a digital application through StoryChimes and can be found in the Apps store for the iPhone, iPad, or iPod. I'm still hoping one of these days one of my digital pieces of art makes it to the cover of the Hill Rag...but until that happens, we will continue to look forward to each issue and display it on the wall in our TV room because they always look so great. But they would look even better with an artist that we all know.

One of the few paper magazines I'm interested in

About the artist

Always looks nice on display