Synchronized Chaos

Katy Hughes’ abstract artwork for sale

: Katy Hughes - relatively recent work

: Katy Hughes - her personal favorite

: Another Katy Hughes original

First of all, I’m adding an item to the Synchronized Chaos Wish List.

We’d love to see folks buy artwork from our contributors Katy and Liz Hughes, who are quite talented but live in their car for the time being while trying to get back on their feet. They’ve got work and housing in another state and are raising cash to move over there. Katy’s blog entry about the artwork is here, with some sample work and the family’s story: http://destinationanywherebuthere.blogspot.com/2010/02/for-sale.html

Some of her work’s about to get exhibited in the local Campbell library! If you’re interested in ordering art, please read the instructions in Katy’s blog and email hugheselizabeth@rocketmail.com

Katy sells sketches for $20 and larger pieces for more money - and accepts checks made out to her mother, Elizabeth Hughes (she’s a teenager) and PayPal payments to hugheselizabeth@rocketmail.com

Uncategorized | SynchChaos Staff | March 15, 2010 7:28 pm

12 Comments

By Grace, March 17, 2010 @ 10:53 am

Are these the same people they’re talking about on this site? http://my.lettersoflove.net/lettersforkaty/2010/03/05/an-estimate/
By Grace, March 17, 2010 @ 10:58 am

And this site? http://larissalytwyn.pnn.com/articles/show/49066-the-art-of-deception
By MOM, March 17, 2010 @ 11:01 am

Yes these are the same people.
By Cristina Deptula, March 17, 2010 @ 1:20 pm

Thanks for bringing these points up and for raising questions about the Hughes family. I am aware that several people have suspected that something’s not right because of how long they’ve been homeless, and other issues.

I’ve personally met and talked with Katy and Liz over time, and from what I could tell, they seemed ‘for real’ to me. I offered to take them to lunch to a place of their choice…and while they might have picked a fancy restaurant to get as much as they could out of the magazine editor…they just wanted two $7 sandwiches from Quizno’s, from which they saved half for dinner.

while I don’t have a way to ‘prove’ one way or another the claims against them, there are situations when it seems someone is not acting in good faith and it’s really due to some other factor. I myself live with family who have restricted my job-seeking ability as they don’t like the thought of me as a single woman on mass transit or driving too far alone at night. When I was younger, I had to cancel interviews I’d landed and turn down jobs for transportation reasons…so someone could theoretically, in a completely well-meaning, but mistaken, way look at my background and conclude that I was not accepting employment offers and thus not serious about improving my circumstances. There are a variety of different personal issues here - and it’s only fair to give Katy and Liz a chance to respond to and explain what’s being said about them.

Also, here they seem to be taking entrepreneurial action, offering a legitimate product for a fair price (I’m a regular visitor to San Jose’s Kaleid Gallery and pieces very similar to Katy’s sketches go for a LOT more than $20!) which is what people hope for them, that they will capitalize upon the skills they have and do what’s in their power to contribute and improve their situation. If you don’t feel comfortable thinking of this as charity, consider it as a small business venture, as one would any other artist who promotes and sells his/her work through our magazine.

By design, Synchronized Chaos Magazine accepts and curates artistic and written submissions sent our way, and simply promotes and curates them professionally. We help publicize and sell the work of any person who comes to us, and have provided this service for many people before and since Katy and Liz.

I’ve had all types of personal opinions about the people we’ve featured over the years, but feel my role as editor-in-chief is to present and curate and facilitate what comes our way, and let the people and work, and the readers, through the comment threads, speak for themselves. So it’s my job to facilitate and present, and your job to comment, discuss, and take it from there.

Thanks for your comments, glad to see someone commenting as it’s been quiet recently!
By Grace, March 17, 2010 @ 10:31 pm

The party in question can explain their side of this, it’s an open forum: http://larissalytwyn.pnn.com/articles/show/49066-the-art-of-deception
By Grace, March 19, 2010 @ 12:25 pm

What is the guarantee that the order will actually be delivered?
By admin, March 19, 2010 @ 7:25 pm

First of all, Synchronized Chaos and its staff are not affiliated with the Hughes family or any other person, company, or charitable organization advertising artwork through our magazine. We simply post the opportunities from our contributors as we hear from them - and, as a new policy, we do not endorse any religious or political or cultural opinions or vouch for the reputation of any person or organization. In other words…please feel free to contact and inquire about any of the work you see, or offer to mentor or network with anyone - but please take appropriate precautions, as we cannot take legal responsibility for the results of any interpersonal encounters among our readers/contributors. And the views of our contributors are not necessarily those of our staff and editors.

Grace - legitimate concern, please make arrangements directly with Katy regarding that if you choose to order work from her (i.e. meeting in person, only offering so much up front and paying balance upon receipt of the order, etc.)

Everyone - Synchronized Chaos’ purpose and mission is to promote and help ensure the survival and continued development of various forms of art and creative endeavours on the global stage by facilitating people’s entry into the fields and their professional development through providing information, networking, and publicity and mentorship opportunities. Also, to create and provide an engaging magazine for the general public.

In the spirit of staying true to that mission, we ask from now on for comments to be kept to the topic of the intellectual or artistic content of someone’s work, rather than someone’s personal life. People’s personal lives are their own…and we will from now on hold to our end of that by presenting all personal art sales as strictly business and keeping comments to the elements of the work themselves, or strictly business matters, such as not receiving work as ordered.

So - upshot is that Katy and Liz are still free to submit work, and free to mention that it’s for sale. We’ll present it as a straight business transaction, you may follow your own hearts and minds, believe whatever you want about the stories in their blogs. We’re just taking their personal lives off the table in Synchronized Chaos, unless they choose to submit writing related to their personal lives. Anyone may choose to network with them, contact them for mentoring, and/or purchase work from them, or not purchase from them…and the arrangements you make privately are up to you.
By Grace, March 20, 2010 @ 5:13 am

Good points. I believe the public would be better protected if Katy’s artwork was not offered for sale until Katy turns 18. No one in their right mind is going to contract with a minor.
By MOM, March 20, 2010 @ 6:23 am

Unfortunately I did offer to buy some of the artwork last year. Liz said one picture would be over $200!!!! I was willing to help but not to the tune of $200. Another lady paid them for photography equipment Liz said she had…never ever got it. Sometimes people just can’t find a way to help themselves even when good hearted folks try to help. Sadly Liz is one of these people. I understand wanting to help. I understand wanting to believe her stories. BUT…they have hurt many people with their deceit and I’d hate to have anymore of you hurt by them. It might just be better to remove Katy’s work until like the other lady said…katy is a legal adult.
By bj, March 20, 2010 @ 6:32 am

“You don’t know me but I have been on PNN for about a year now. I haven’t posted anything for a bit because I have been very busy with my photography. Anyhow, I had commisioned the Hughes to do some photography for me for my website last year and paid them a sum of money upfront for camera equipment. I have not heard from them and read your posts on the other blog. Can you fill me in on who these people are and what is going on? I am holding out hope that they are still working on the photos and will be forwarding them to me soon. Thank you and have a great weekend” If this is accurate, it would be nice to settle up with this person before selling anything else.
By admin, March 20, 2010 @ 4:29 pm

Synchronized Chaos is not primarily an art sales or marketplace or fundraising site - we are a magazine and a place for people to learn about and follow the work of emerging creative people, and for people to meet and network with and mentor others in the field. The charitable services we provide are providing a place where people may find and collaborate with each other, providing exposure for artists and writers, and posting relevant calls for submissions and other professional opportunities and/or calls to donate work to charity events and auctions.

We don’t handle any transactions ourselves and simply allow contributors, as a very small part of the post dedicated to their work, to mention that their work is for sale, and to provide a link to their websites or online galleries along with contact information. This is to encourage and promote entrepreneurship in the art/writing world and because we acknowledge that artists must earn cash and eat! We do provide periodic announcements between issues where we mention that our contributors have started new sets of paintings, been reviewed in other publications, landed gallery shows, published new books, are interested in work in a certain field, are looking for mentors/offering to mentor someone, etc. From now on this will be handled in a more business and professionally-oriented manner and people may share personal stories through email conversations or their own blogs. We also plan not to solicit donations for private individuals in the future, but simply to mention that their art/writing is available for purchase. We have local spinoff writers’ groups in various areas where people may privately choose to donate as they wish to whomever they wish (some people gave to help build a library in Adamitulu Village, Ethiopia and I allowed the library project’s organizer to come invite our group to her fundraiser) but officially the magazine will simply provide a meeting place and clearinghouse of professional and charitable opportunities.

We’re an international publication and the age of adulthood varies around the world. Also, we encourage entrepreneurship and initiative from people of all ages, regardless of their life situations. There are wonderful stories where young people have taken amazing initiative and brought themselves up in the world out of the craziest situations - such as Lauralee Summer’s autobiography Learning Joy from Dogs Without Collars (which I’d love to see Katy read!)

In Katy’s case, I’m hoping she finds some young women mentors here who can help guide her - both artistically and in terms of finding work to support herself and finishing her education.
And I do hope Liz finds whatever she needs to empower herself to move forward in life.

Glad we’re having this conversation - this is a chance for us to develop and clarify some aspects of our mission statement here at Synchronized Chaos and become a stronger organization.

And, to our new readers from PNN - you’re invited to read the rest of the magazine, too! There are plenty of people here who would love comments on their work, mentors, information on editing services…and I’d love to see people discuss the literary and art works in the rest of this issue!
By bj, March 23, 2010 @ 4:46 pm

Hi, Two sites that might be helpful to Katy in planning for college are: http://www.calstate.edu/ and http://www.assist.org/web-assist/welcome.html