I have spent hours today and on a couple of other days resizing images and then today uploading those images and getting all the information on to my website. Then came the time to actually check the website and find all of the errors and go back and fix them.
I know why I don't do detail work...
So, come on by and check out the new work in the Abstracts Gallery and the Small Works Gallery!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Great Fun and Great News
Well, I got to my studio yesterday and finished the cleaning up and then was able to sit down for about fifteen minutes until I got a call that the group was only a few minutes away so I went outside to flag them down. This is the view from my door...BART travels parallel to my studio...when it is heading toward the left it is coming from a station so it isn't very noisy. When it is coming the other way, it is really so loud you can't hear someone talking to you when you are on the street. I am in an old industrial neighborhood.
The group from PIQF arrived and were able to park right in front of my studio. I had been outside sweeping the sidewalk before they got there as the street is so filthy from the cars, trucks, and BART, etc. I didn't get any pictures of the bus or the people as I was a little too busy.
So, they all came in to my studio via the first studio and then back to mine...the entry way is to the left of the window in the back...you are looking toward the front of my studio at my design wall. The table is one I use for sorting fabric, etc. Beneath are boxes of decorator fabric samples and I put out three boxes for the ladies to help themselves to...they had a a great time cutting out fabric and some took the books home...I have so much I just wanted to get them out of there!
This is from the same vantage point only looking toward the right side of my studio...you can see George int he background and get an idea of the windows that I have in this place...the light is wonderful but in the summer it gets hot. I have just realized that a lot of the windows have the caulking coming out so maybe if I recaulk some of them the wind won't come in so easily! That's what I get for cheap rent! You also see my big table on the right which had a lot of my 8 x 10 color blocks on them.
So, turning around from where I was standing, I am now looking toward the back section.
Going in to the back area, you see my metal shelving unit with dyes, etc and my paper table. This is where I am now doing my collages which is very nice to have as before I have been working on a little 3' table which is completely covered so I really only work on about 1 square foot of cleared space!
For decoration I have put up three of my collages which I dutifully put on mat board so they would look better.
And now we are just past my paper table and are looking at the big bookcase which is only slightly filled at this point. It is holding a few of my books that I use for collaging and I will be moving more down there along with other stuff.
You can see the table at the end which was put up for this and has some of my smaller works on it for show.
And then coming back around you can see my feeble attempt at further decorating by putting some of my many type blocks out right in front of two bins full of silk screens from my themorfax.
And here we are right back in the main area with all my paints and surface design stuff right handy for the big table.
Poke Bolton is never going to want my studio in her Studios Magazine! It sure doesn't look anything like Jane Davila's really nice and neat studio with her hand made furniture that she built...no exposed 4x4's for her!
This past week, along with cleaning and arranging the studio, I have been busy doing more color blocks. Each of these is 8 x 10 and I am really happy with them. The black and orange pieces use left over pieces from my Life Circles series but with turquoise added to them which I think is really cool.
When I got home last night I was checking my email and found a letter from the Arts Commission. I am one of several artists who are receiving commissions but the details are not available yet. I should get that information as to how many pieces they want and what type within a couple of weeks. And then there is a board meeting to attend so I can bring some examples to show them. Oh, I needed this to pay my rent! Happy days!
The group from PIQF arrived and were able to park right in front of my studio. I had been outside sweeping the sidewalk before they got there as the street is so filthy from the cars, trucks, and BART, etc. I didn't get any pictures of the bus or the people as I was a little too busy.So, they all came in to my studio via the first studio and then back to mine...the entry way is to the left of the window in the back...you are looking toward the front of my studio at my design wall. The table is one I use for sorting fabric, etc. Beneath are boxes of decorator fabric samples and I put out three boxes for the ladies to help themselves to...they had a a great time cutting out fabric and some took the books home...I have so much I just wanted to get them out of there!
This is from the same vantage point only looking toward the right side of my studio...you can see George int he background and get an idea of the windows that I have in this place...the light is wonderful but in the summer it gets hot. I have just realized that a lot of the windows have the caulking coming out so maybe if I recaulk some of them the wind won't come in so easily! That's what I get for cheap rent! You also see my big table on the right which had a lot of my 8 x 10 color blocks on them.
So, turning around from where I was standing, I am now looking toward the back section.
Going in to the back area, you see my metal shelving unit with dyes, etc and my paper table. This is where I am now doing my collages which is very nice to have as before I have been working on a little 3' table which is completely covered so I really only work on about 1 square foot of cleared space!
For decoration I have put up three of my collages which I dutifully put on mat board so they would look better.
And now we are just past my paper table and are looking at the big bookcase which is only slightly filled at this point. It is holding a few of my books that I use for collaging and I will be moving more down there along with other stuff.You can see the table at the end which was put up for this and has some of my smaller works on it for show.
And then coming back around you can see my feeble attempt at further decorating by putting some of my many type blocks out right in front of two bins full of silk screens from my themorfax.
And here we are right back in the main area with all my paints and surface design stuff right handy for the big table.
Poke Bolton is never going to want my studio in her Studios Magazine! It sure doesn't look anything like Jane Davila's really nice and neat studio with her hand made furniture that she built...no exposed 4x4's for her!This past week, along with cleaning and arranging the studio, I have been busy doing more color blocks. Each of these is 8 x 10 and I am really happy with them. The black and orange pieces use left over pieces from my Life Circles series but with turquoise added to them which I think is really cool.
When I got home last night I was checking my email and found a letter from the Arts Commission. I am one of several artists who are receiving commissions but the details are not available yet. I should get that information as to how many pieces they want and what type within a couple of weeks. And then there is a board meeting to attend so I can bring some examples to show them. Oh, I needed this to pay my rent! Happy days!
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Studio, Almost There
Last weekend my husband, son-in-law, David, and Spider Man helped create the shelving unit.
Then, during the week my husband came back and finished it up. This is a very primitive unit but is 24" deep and 16' long. They have been created to hold bins of fabric.
This area is the new part that I have just acquired. It is 20 feet deep and ten feet across. Below you can see one of the tables I have put just across from the shelves. There is also a six foot bookcase along the same wall back in the back.
To the right of the table, which I am using for paper arts and am currently working on altering a book, is the industrial strength shelving unit that I have moved around and it holds bins of dyes, paints, all the stuff I use with them and assorted silkscreening stuff. The book case in the back holds books for ephemera, old type sets, some art books that have worked their way down to the studio, and assorted other stuff but it is only 1/3 filled at this point. Against the back end of this space is some stacked lumber, etc that I need to get out of there so I can hang art work on the wall.
Below is back to the main part of the studio with California Dreaming 3 hanging on the design wall and a table in front piled high with batiks that are already fused. They are there because I am currently working on more of the Color Blocks.
Below is a color block that I was working on today but when I got everything fused and hung up to look at for a while, I have decided that I am not happy with it but may be able to salvage part of it by cropping.
This is just the start of the piece. I work standing up, either at the design wall for big things or on my 4x8' table that is counter height. This is a great table and I have made a 2x4 ironing board that sits on the end of the table or can be taken off to get it out of the way for painting fabrics. I also have a large cutting mat that covers half of the table.
What you don't see is where George sits in his table. As you can also see, the place is not very exciting and I have to get it "decorated" with my work in the next two days so the space is presentable for the tour coming on Friday from PIQF.
I did take a little time off this weekend to care for the grandsons for a little bit while their parents went shopping. Ashton is becoming my drum player...we play my drum together. He is the only one allowed to use a stick on the drum as he can't strike it strong enough to make a problem but he also can't hit it hard enough with his hand to make a good sound.
He is very serious about what he is doing and will play with me for half an hour. Sometimes he stands at the drum but he only reaches three inches over the top but he will flail away at it.
Tomorrow I meet with the Alameda County Arts Commission to discuss my proposal for art work for the Juvenile Justice Center. I got through the first round and there are 22 artists going in for presentations during the next three days for the Juvenile Center and then another 11 are going in for another project. Two weeks ago I took in my written proposal and tomorrow I will take in work to show. Then I have to wait several weeks to see if I can any commissions. In my category, mid-career artist, they have commissions up to $8000 but all the work must be smaller than 50 inches so I have presented several plans. Wish me well!
Then, during the week my husband came back and finished it up. This is a very primitive unit but is 24" deep and 16' long. They have been created to hold bins of fabric.
This area is the new part that I have just acquired. It is 20 feet deep and ten feet across. Below you can see one of the tables I have put just across from the shelves. There is also a six foot bookcase along the same wall back in the back.
To the right of the table, which I am using for paper arts and am currently working on altering a book, is the industrial strength shelving unit that I have moved around and it holds bins of dyes, paints, all the stuff I use with them and assorted silkscreening stuff. The book case in the back holds books for ephemera, old type sets, some art books that have worked their way down to the studio, and assorted other stuff but it is only 1/3 filled at this point. Against the back end of this space is some stacked lumber, etc that I need to get out of there so I can hang art work on the wall.Below is back to the main part of the studio with California Dreaming 3 hanging on the design wall and a table in front piled high with batiks that are already fused. They are there because I am currently working on more of the Color Blocks.
Below is a color block that I was working on today but when I got everything fused and hung up to look at for a while, I have decided that I am not happy with it but may be able to salvage part of it by cropping.
This is just the start of the piece. I work standing up, either at the design wall for big things or on my 4x8' table that is counter height. This is a great table and I have made a 2x4 ironing board that sits on the end of the table or can be taken off to get it out of the way for painting fabrics. I also have a large cutting mat that covers half of the table.What you don't see is where George sits in his table. As you can also see, the place is not very exciting and I have to get it "decorated" with my work in the next two days so the space is presentable for the tour coming on Friday from PIQF.
I did take a little time off this weekend to care for the grandsons for a little bit while their parents went shopping. Ashton is becoming my drum player...we play my drum together. He is the only one allowed to use a stick on the drum as he can't strike it strong enough to make a problem but he also can't hit it hard enough with his hand to make a good sound.
He is very serious about what he is doing and will play with me for half an hour. Sometimes he stands at the drum but he only reaches three inches over the top but he will flail away at it.Tomorrow I meet with the Alameda County Arts Commission to discuss my proposal for art work for the Juvenile Justice Center. I got through the first round and there are 22 artists going in for presentations during the next three days for the Juvenile Center and then another 11 are going in for another project. Two weeks ago I took in my written proposal and tomorrow I will take in work to show. Then I have to wait several weeks to see if I can any commissions. In my category, mid-career artist, they have commissions up to $8000 but all the work must be smaller than 50 inches so I have presented several plans. Wish me well!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Time in the Studio
I have been spending a lot of time in my studio, which has grown. Unfortunately, it hasn't been to get art quilts made!
Previously I had a space that was almost square and another woman was renting an area just past mine which was about 10 x 20'. Not really much room but she was a painter and stored most of her work there. There was a large cabinet about 18 x 4' within which paintings could be stored as in vertical racks. Our land lady asked her to move out due to some difficulties with her and she was supposed to be out Sept 15. Well, since I was going to be gone in Texas for part of that time and she wanted to do a last open studio and sale before she left, the exit date was moved to Oct 1. She didn't get out, completely, until late Oct 4.
So, since that time I have been really busy working in that space to get things organized. My dear husband and my son-in-law have taken that big storage thing down and are remaking it so that I will have three shelving units that are 24" deep and 18' long. So while they were working on Sunday, I was busy doing other things there...like sorting through stuff.
Monday I went back in to really work on sorting things and getting the bins straightened out. I have now moved a big heavy shelving unit which had my paints on it to another wall, added a table to work on, and have made two trips to Wal Mart which is just down the street from my studio in order to lug in more storage bins of assorted sizes. Things are getting much more organized and after I did a lot of work yesterday, I sat down at my table and was working on an altered book that I am doing for some friends about their two trips to Paris. It is a lot of fun and I will be posting pictures of it and my studio.
Tomorrow, DH and SIL will go down and finish the last of the wooden shelving unit for me. My DH builds things to last...or rather, he tends to overbuild. I have learned through the 39 years that we have been married to just get out of his way when he decides he will build something for me.
Once that is done, I can finish getting things organized. Then, I need to decorate it!
All of this is in preparation for the PIQF tour coming to visit my studio on Oct 15! I do hope to get some work going so they won't see an empty studio!
Previously I had a space that was almost square and another woman was renting an area just past mine which was about 10 x 20'. Not really much room but she was a painter and stored most of her work there. There was a large cabinet about 18 x 4' within which paintings could be stored as in vertical racks. Our land lady asked her to move out due to some difficulties with her and she was supposed to be out Sept 15. Well, since I was going to be gone in Texas for part of that time and she wanted to do a last open studio and sale before she left, the exit date was moved to Oct 1. She didn't get out, completely, until late Oct 4.
So, since that time I have been really busy working in that space to get things organized. My dear husband and my son-in-law have taken that big storage thing down and are remaking it so that I will have three shelving units that are 24" deep and 18' long. So while they were working on Sunday, I was busy doing other things there...like sorting through stuff.
Monday I went back in to really work on sorting things and getting the bins straightened out. I have now moved a big heavy shelving unit which had my paints on it to another wall, added a table to work on, and have made two trips to Wal Mart which is just down the street from my studio in order to lug in more storage bins of assorted sizes. Things are getting much more organized and after I did a lot of work yesterday, I sat down at my table and was working on an altered book that I am doing for some friends about their two trips to Paris. It is a lot of fun and I will be posting pictures of it and my studio.
Tomorrow, DH and SIL will go down and finish the last of the wooden shelving unit for me. My DH builds things to last...or rather, he tends to overbuild. I have learned through the 39 years that we have been married to just get out of his way when he decides he will build something for me.
Once that is done, I can finish getting things organized. Then, I need to decorate it!
All of this is in preparation for the PIQF tour coming to visit my studio on Oct 15! I do hope to get some work going so they won't see an empty studio!
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