Down at the studio....everyday day almost except I didn't go on Sunday. But today seems to have been the most productive, or at least it felt that way.
I realized that I have get a journal quilt done...oppssss....I know what I am going to do and have been thinking about it so I think I will do it tomorrow. Saturday I finished up the quilting on California Dreams III which turns out to be 57" x 84" or something or other. Now I have to decided on what fabric I want to use for a binding on this piece. Finished the quilting today on my new Color Blocks that is 48 x 36 and got started on the background of another Color Blocks of the same size. Also got Ashton's baby quilt worked on...did the animals and palm trees and fused them all down...now to find a backing for it and then I can put it together and do the satin stitching around the animals, grass, trees, etc. Then machine quilt it and get it bound with satin blanket binding. I also had found a chicken quilt top I had made four or five years ago while traveling around in our RV so got it put together with the backing and batting and it is ready to quilt.
So, now I need to cut timtex to size for 8 x 10 to take to Long Beach to work on color blocks while I am doing open studios there. I will be showing my working methods on Friday 12:40-2:40; Saturday 2-4; and Sunday 12.40-2:40. This will be a lot of fun but I have to drag my sewing machine down with me. Oh well...that, my tim tex and batiks and away I go! More little color blocks coming up!
Tomorrow I need to make my journal quilt...out comes the upholstery material, the lutradur and what ever else I can think of. But I will get that done.
Then if there is time I will put together Ashton's quilt so I can sew on it. I will also cut out the binding for California Dreams and who knows what else....maybe I can even quilt on the chicken quilt!
So much fun!
Come by and say hi and just chat with me in Long Beach! This, too, will be lots of fun!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Spending Other People's Money
Thursday was such a delightful day! We met again at the Alameda County Arts Commission to pick out the pieces of art work we thought we would work well for the space which was getting them. Three of the members of our committee were from the department that was getting the work. There was one other artist and then a member from the Arts Commission Board, who happens to be the chair of the art department at California State University East Bay. It was fun meeting him.
We walked in to the room which had lots and lots of art work. It was not all for us to look at as another agency was buying $60,000 worth, another agency had some money also, and, we found out our budget had been increased by $1000 so we now had $3500 to spend on art.
We saw all of the pieces that had registered highly on our voting from three weeks ago. What an interesting process. First we viewing them all, kept notes for ourselves (basically voting on them), had lunch and then started deciding which pieces we actually wanted to consider and which we absolutely did not want. That got the pile of 120 pieces down and we eventually settled on five pieces of art from three different artists. I tried mightily to get them to chose two woven pieces which were just stunning. But, the pieces that were chosen were all abstract and very different. The three guys from the agency took the opinions of the other artist and myself and carefully considered what we had to say. We were there to give voice to an artistic sense of worth, not just if we liked something, so issues of color, complexity of design, and composition were more important to us.
We ended up spending $3900 (we pleaded for an extra $400 to allow us to buy one very special abstract piece). What fun that was!
Now I know exactly what will be happening when the two calls for works are reviewed which I responded to. One is for commissions for a Sobering Center to do several pieces (there is a lot of money there) and the arts commission reserves a certain amount for emerging artists (which I was two years ago when they bought 4 pieces of my work), mid-career (which is what I am now) and I've forgotten what they called the last category. That work would be the most expensive and they would probably pick up only a couple of pieces from that last group.
We walked in to the room which had lots and lots of art work. It was not all for us to look at as another agency was buying $60,000 worth, another agency had some money also, and, we found out our budget had been increased by $1000 so we now had $3500 to spend on art.
We saw all of the pieces that had registered highly on our voting from three weeks ago. What an interesting process. First we viewing them all, kept notes for ourselves (basically voting on them), had lunch and then started deciding which pieces we actually wanted to consider and which we absolutely did not want. That got the pile of 120 pieces down and we eventually settled on five pieces of art from three different artists. I tried mightily to get them to chose two woven pieces which were just stunning. But, the pieces that were chosen were all abstract and very different. The three guys from the agency took the opinions of the other artist and myself and carefully considered what we had to say. We were there to give voice to an artistic sense of worth, not just if we liked something, so issues of color, complexity of design, and composition were more important to us.
We ended up spending $3900 (we pleaded for an extra $400 to allow us to buy one very special abstract piece). What fun that was!
Now I know exactly what will be happening when the two calls for works are reviewed which I responded to. One is for commissions for a Sobering Center to do several pieces (there is a lot of money there) and the arts commission reserves a certain amount for emerging artists (which I was two years ago when they bought 4 pieces of my work), mid-career (which is what I am now) and I've forgotten what they called the last category. That work would be the most expensive and they would probably pick up only a couple of pieces from that last group.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Some More New Work
I have spent the past three days at my studio. What a wonderful place to be! I am able to sit down and reach Alyson's book, think about it, write some notes, do some machine quilting, and work on my Color Blocks. I have started one that is much larger but I am not going to show it until maybe after it is done...if it really turns out then maybe I will enter it in a show.
Anyway, Color Blocks 23:
color Blocks 24:
Color Blocks 25:
Each of these is about 24 x 17"
I have really appreciated all the support from people on my blog about my anon. editor. She did make some good suggestions but it was a short conversation on my part for my blog which I sent to the Quilt Art list and the SAQA yahoo group...not an article for publication in a magazine or professional journal so I wasn't too worried about it.
Besides, I have other things to do. I am also finally getting a baby quilt made for my second grandson, Ashton, who is now 7 months old. I decided I had better before he was too grown up for it!
Tomorrow I am back down at the studio to do some more machine quilting with George, work on the new Color Block and work on Ashton's quilt.
Commercial Break!
I will be teaching at the Hudson River Valley Inn in New York starting Nov 2, 2008. We start with a wine reception on Sunday evening and then have five full days of learning about composition and color and working on individual projects. We still have some space so contact Kim either through the web above or by phoning 1-888-665-0044 to reserve your space at this beautiful, elegant historic country in New York where the food is absolutely awesome!
Anyway, Color Blocks 23:
color Blocks 24:
Color Blocks 25:
Each of these is about 24 x 17"I have really appreciated all the support from people on my blog about my anon. editor. She did make some good suggestions but it was a short conversation on my part for my blog which I sent to the Quilt Art list and the SAQA yahoo group...not an article for publication in a magazine or professional journal so I wasn't too worried about it.
Besides, I have other things to do. I am also finally getting a baby quilt made for my second grandson, Ashton, who is now 7 months old. I decided I had better before he was too grown up for it!
Tomorrow I am back down at the studio to do some more machine quilting with George, work on the new Color Block and work on Ashton's quilt.
Commercial Break!
I will be teaching at the Hudson River Valley Inn in New York starting Nov 2, 2008. We start with a wine reception on Sunday evening and then have five full days of learning about composition and color and working on individual projects. We still have some space so contact Kim either through the web above or by phoning 1-888-665-0044 to reserve your space at this beautiful, elegant historic country in New York where the food is absolutely awesome!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
On Being a Professional Artist-- I Stand Corrected
I came home today and found a copy of my blog about being a professional artist copied and with corrections to my grammar and the content of my sentences. How nice!
I thought, even though the corrections were appropriate, that there was no personal note enclosed, no return address, no signature...just something sent to me at home anonymously. My only thought is that it must have been someone from the SAQA list who felt that my writing was not professional (as professional in the title was circled) and felt it necessary to show me that I was not writing in a professional manner. I figure it must have been someone from SAQA as that group has access to my mailing address. The only clue I have is a post mark of Mamasota, Florida.
I have never claimed to be a complete, all- the -way -there, professional. I would not have minded the corrections at all if that someone had been nice enough to include their name and a note.
I thought, even though the corrections were appropriate, that there was no personal note enclosed, no return address, no signature...just something sent to me at home anonymously. My only thought is that it must have been someone from the SAQA list who felt that my writing was not professional (as professional in the title was circled) and felt it necessary to show me that I was not writing in a professional manner. I figure it must have been someone from SAQA as that group has access to my mailing address. The only clue I have is a post mark of Mamasota, Florida.
I have never claimed to be a complete, all- the -way -there, professional. I would not have minded the corrections at all if that someone had been nice enough to include their name and a note.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Doing the Work
I have just gotten a fun little article done for Fibre and Stitch magazine for the next issue. It is about making your own rubber stamps so I had fun making more and stamping fabric.
My goodness, my last entry has sparked a lot of commentary. I was chastised for not posting the piece directly on the lists (primarily the SAQA list) rather than sending people to my blog to read it. I just felt it was a little long for the list. Oh well.
The responses have been really interesting. There were feelings that I gave short shrift to "artists" but the purpose of the entire thing was to alert some people to the fact that becoming a professional artist, one who is making art their business, takes a lot of time, not just making the art but in doing the marketing. This fact seemed to get lost with a lot of people.
At not time did I intend to suggest that one way is better than the other. Only that in order to become a business, it takes a lot of time and energy.
There were a couple of comments about family members who had their own business and how much dedication and time it took. That is what I am talking about. Anytime you are self-employed, it is all on you.
I also didn't say that I was able to do all of the things I listed all of the time, either! I flake out, I space out, I play too much solitaire when I can't think straight, I am certainly not the picture of a professional artist.
However, I am working at getting more organized in the business sense and getting my responses in to calls for proposals for shows. I have also submitted portfolios for two calls for commissions from the Alameda County Public Arts program and am searching through other calls for those that are appropriate.
I have really enjoyed the thoughtful responses to my comments! Thank you all!
Now, back to critiquing my class work and getting some facings sewn down.
My goodness, my last entry has sparked a lot of commentary. I was chastised for not posting the piece directly on the lists (primarily the SAQA list) rather than sending people to my blog to read it. I just felt it was a little long for the list. Oh well.
The responses have been really interesting. There were feelings that I gave short shrift to "artists" but the purpose of the entire thing was to alert some people to the fact that becoming a professional artist, one who is making art their business, takes a lot of time, not just making the art but in doing the marketing. This fact seemed to get lost with a lot of people.
At not time did I intend to suggest that one way is better than the other. Only that in order to become a business, it takes a lot of time and energy.
There were a couple of comments about family members who had their own business and how much dedication and time it took. That is what I am talking about. Anytime you are self-employed, it is all on you.
I also didn't say that I was able to do all of the things I listed all of the time, either! I flake out, I space out, I play too much solitaire when I can't think straight, I am certainly not the picture of a professional artist.
However, I am working at getting more organized in the business sense and getting my responses in to calls for proposals for shows. I have also submitted portfolios for two calls for commissions from the Alameda County Public Arts program and am searching through other calls for those that are appropriate.
I have really enjoyed the thoughtful responses to my comments! Thank you all!
Now, back to critiquing my class work and getting some facings sewn down.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
The Professional Artist versus The Artist
I have been thinking alot about my role as a professional artist versus just being an artist. Whether one is an artist or not is brought up on the QuiltArt list regularly. It seems many people get the "professional artist" mixed up with "the artist" parts. Let me explain from my point of view.
An artist is one who creates art. The artist may or may not sell and/or show their work.
A professional artist is one who creates art and is making it a business...meaning constantly seeking out show opportunities, sales opportunities and other ways to make money from their creative endeavors.
Well, let me tell you, there is a really big difference between the two of them!
An artist may decide to just wait for the muse to strike and then create at that time. An artist might decide to not create art for a while although they usually keep something going somewhere. An artist does not spend many hours on the computer seeking show opportunities.
A professional artist keeps a complete catalog of their work, which includes images, descriptions and information about shows and awards involving each piece of work. The professional keeps up a current artist statement. The resume is keep up to date. Calls for shows, galleries, museums are all searched twice weekly and considered for appropriateness. Shows are entered on a regular basis. Packets are sent out regularly to different galleries and museums which include a digital submission of images, a list of those images including pricing, size, etc., a cover letter, that up to date resume and anything else that might be appropriate.
A professional spends a lot of time (probably more that half of a workweek) doing the business part of being an artist. Maintaining accounts, banking, writing notes, contacting different places to arrange for teaching, writing lessons, writing articles, keeping bills straight, shipping and mailing, getting postcards and business cards printed, getting images taken, resizing images multiple times to fit various requirement (why can't everyone use the same size and resolution?), etc. etc., etc.
A professional artist does not work a 40 hour work week but more like 60 hours per week which factors in time to create, time to reflect, time to contemplate, time to renew, time to view others' work, time to read professional magazines....ugh...maybe that workweek is more like 80 hours per week...I do take Sundays off...well, sort of.
Want to become a professional artist? Be prepared to create even when you don't feel like it, doing the business even when you don't feel like, meeting deadlines, fusing with little details, hauling stuff around, cleaning the studio, going to the studio even when you are tired, teaching even when you are really sick, and making nice to people you don't really like.
Want more information about how to do it? Read Alyson Stanfield's new book "I'd rather be in the studio". Her book is filled with lists of things you need to do! Don't just think about it...do it!
An artist is one who creates art. The artist may or may not sell and/or show their work.
A professional artist is one who creates art and is making it a business...meaning constantly seeking out show opportunities, sales opportunities and other ways to make money from their creative endeavors.
Well, let me tell you, there is a really big difference between the two of them!
An artist may decide to just wait for the muse to strike and then create at that time. An artist might decide to not create art for a while although they usually keep something going somewhere. An artist does not spend many hours on the computer seeking show opportunities.
A professional artist keeps a complete catalog of their work, which includes images, descriptions and information about shows and awards involving each piece of work. The professional keeps up a current artist statement. The resume is keep up to date. Calls for shows, galleries, museums are all searched twice weekly and considered for appropriateness. Shows are entered on a regular basis. Packets are sent out regularly to different galleries and museums which include a digital submission of images, a list of those images including pricing, size, etc., a cover letter, that up to date resume and anything else that might be appropriate.
A professional spends a lot of time (probably more that half of a workweek) doing the business part of being an artist. Maintaining accounts, banking, writing notes, contacting different places to arrange for teaching, writing lessons, writing articles, keeping bills straight, shipping and mailing, getting postcards and business cards printed, getting images taken, resizing images multiple times to fit various requirement (why can't everyone use the same size and resolution?), etc. etc., etc.
A professional artist does not work a 40 hour work week but more like 60 hours per week which factors in time to create, time to reflect, time to contemplate, time to renew, time to view others' work, time to read professional magazines....ugh...maybe that workweek is more like 80 hours per week...I do take Sundays off...well, sort of.
Want to become a professional artist? Be prepared to create even when you don't feel like it, doing the business even when you don't feel like, meeting deadlines, fusing with little details, hauling stuff around, cleaning the studio, going to the studio even when you are tired, teaching even when you are really sick, and making nice to people you don't really like.
Want more information about how to do it? Read Alyson Stanfield's new book "I'd rather be in the studio". Her book is filled with lists of things you need to do! Don't just think about it...do it!
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Three More
I have just been amazed at the positive comments made on yesterday's post about the work shown. It is so great because this is a very new style of work for me. After teaching my first on line class called Better Art By Design and spending so much time discussing the elements and principles of design and critiquing a lot of work, I just decided I wanted to go back to basics and work in the abstract with shapes and focusing on design principles. It has been so much fun and I am very happy others are enjoying the work.
And this is Color Blocks 19 which is 26.5 x 20":
Here is Color Blocks 21 which is 25.5 x 20":
And here is Color Blocks 22 which is 26.5 x 20.5":
So now I just have to get my images ready for my website and load them up there! What fun!?
Again, many thanks to all of you for such nice comments! You all made my day today!
And this is Color Blocks 19 which is 26.5 x 20":
Here is Color Blocks 21 which is 25.5 x 20":
And here is Color Blocks 22 which is 26.5 x 20.5":
So now I just have to get my images ready for my website and load them up there! What fun!?Again, many thanks to all of you for such nice comments! You all made my day today!
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Some New Work
I thought I would share three of my bigger Color Blocks pieces. I have just finished two more today but didn't get them photographed yet.
so, this is Color Blocks 20 and is 29 x 38 ":
Color Blocks 18 which is 26 x 19":
Color Blocks 17 which is 28 x 21":
I am having so much fun with these! The ideas and colors just keep rolling right along.
Not much else happening...I have been spending way too much time on the business end of things and not enough on the creation end. Oh well, that is the way it goes. Being ill for so long has really put me behind. I have to update my catalogue and my website....more computer time!
so, this is Color Blocks 20 and is 29 x 38 ":
Color Blocks 18 which is 26 x 19":
Color Blocks 17 which is 28 x 21":
I am having so much fun with these! The ideas and colors just keep rolling right along.Not much else happening...I have been spending way too much time on the business end of things and not enough on the creation end. Oh well, that is the way it goes. Being ill for so long has really put me behind. I have to update my catalogue and my website....more computer time!
Sunday, June 29, 2008
A Day Looking at Art
On Friday I sat in as a juror/selector for art for the County of Alameda, my home county in CA. I had been asked to sit in on this call as one of the two artists who would be looking at the work. The Arts Council for the county has three calls to artists out...this one which was due a month ago and two more, that I am submitting work to, that are due tomorrow. Since I was not eligible to enter this current one, they ask me to be there.
What an interesting day. This is all percent for arts money that is being used to purchase work. We were looking at work for one smallish office which only had a budget of $2500 to purchase work for the office which is a central starting point for people seeking building permits. There was one person who was in that office and then two others who are also located in the same building and are in the planning department. There was another artists, a painter and then one of the Arts Commission members who is an architect. He could discuss and voice his opinions but is not a voting member. And then there were two staff.
One of the Superior Courts has $60,000 to spend for art so they had already taken a look at the works and made some preliminary selections. The staff had reduced the number of works to view from over 1000 to about 230 pieces.
It was a very interesting process. We each had a list of the work, along with the artist's name, the medium used, and the retail price and size. Since our budget was so low, pieces of work over $2500 were excluded from our consideration. The first go-round viewing the work was fairly quiet as we each noted if we felt the piece was a yes, no, or maybe. Had a brief lunch break and then got down to business of running through them all again, this time with discussion about why we liked something. We got to hear other people's views about the work. Some, solicited no comments from us as we were all clearly a no on those pieces...the comments were on the maybes and the yeses. In the end, we turned in our choices on the sheet to the staff. They will tabulate and see which ones we are clearly interested in and contact artists to bring the work in.
In a month, we will reconvene to look over all the work we have selected, in person, and then make our final recommendations. Our recommendations go to the Arts Commission board who usually approves the recommendations.
We saw all sorts of work. A lot of "archival digital images" or what used to be photographs. Since there is so much work being done on the computer, the way these were put together was really interesting. One person created panels that were 36 x 60" and had three images (actually they were like strips of images) in a triptych on the one piece of fine art paper. One of the pieces had three different views from a freeway, but they were images of the freeway itself. Another had three images of the ground, but various kinds of ground. Lots of mixed media. One person had created two different plaid patterns out of shoelaces...it was interesting but I am not into all over patter which this was. One piece was painted with beads added. There were no other textiles in this bunch although there was one painting that had fine embroidery added to the work.
It was really great to sit in on this process. I called a good friend afterwards and told her that both she and her partner need to submit their work for consideration to the next calls that come out. There is absolutely nothing to loose....and so should you!
Our county is now using an on-line service which collects all the artist information. Each artist uploads images and then chooses which ones to submit for consideration. We also submit our resume which is uploaded from our files and also our artist statement. Then, with the push of a button, the entire package is submitted to the council. Last time I did this I had to submit slides, 10 copies of the slide list, ten copies of the packet which included artist statement, application, resume and whatever else they wanted. Everything had to be numbered and put together into ten different packets with only one set of slides. That was a real pain! This is so much easier!
What an interesting day. This is all percent for arts money that is being used to purchase work. We were looking at work for one smallish office which only had a budget of $2500 to purchase work for the office which is a central starting point for people seeking building permits. There was one person who was in that office and then two others who are also located in the same building and are in the planning department. There was another artists, a painter and then one of the Arts Commission members who is an architect. He could discuss and voice his opinions but is not a voting member. And then there were two staff.
One of the Superior Courts has $60,000 to spend for art so they had already taken a look at the works and made some preliminary selections. The staff had reduced the number of works to view from over 1000 to about 230 pieces.
It was a very interesting process. We each had a list of the work, along with the artist's name, the medium used, and the retail price and size. Since our budget was so low, pieces of work over $2500 were excluded from our consideration. The first go-round viewing the work was fairly quiet as we each noted if we felt the piece was a yes, no, or maybe. Had a brief lunch break and then got down to business of running through them all again, this time with discussion about why we liked something. We got to hear other people's views about the work. Some, solicited no comments from us as we were all clearly a no on those pieces...the comments were on the maybes and the yeses. In the end, we turned in our choices on the sheet to the staff. They will tabulate and see which ones we are clearly interested in and contact artists to bring the work in.
In a month, we will reconvene to look over all the work we have selected, in person, and then make our final recommendations. Our recommendations go to the Arts Commission board who usually approves the recommendations.
We saw all sorts of work. A lot of "archival digital images" or what used to be photographs. Since there is so much work being done on the computer, the way these were put together was really interesting. One person created panels that were 36 x 60" and had three images (actually they were like strips of images) in a triptych on the one piece of fine art paper. One of the pieces had three different views from a freeway, but they were images of the freeway itself. Another had three images of the ground, but various kinds of ground. Lots of mixed media. One person had created two different plaid patterns out of shoelaces...it was interesting but I am not into all over patter which this was. One piece was painted with beads added. There were no other textiles in this bunch although there was one painting that had fine embroidery added to the work.
It was really great to sit in on this process. I called a good friend afterwards and told her that both she and her partner need to submit their work for consideration to the next calls that come out. There is absolutely nothing to loose....and so should you!
Our county is now using an on-line service which collects all the artist information. Each artist uploads images and then chooses which ones to submit for consideration. We also submit our resume which is uploaded from our files and also our artist statement. Then, with the push of a button, the entire package is submitted to the council. Last time I did this I had to submit slides, 10 copies of the slide list, ten copies of the packet which included artist statement, application, resume and whatever else they wanted. Everything had to be numbered and put together into ten different packets with only one set of slides. That was a real pain! This is so much easier!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Feeling Better
Yesterday I woke up actually feeling good! I was so excited! I fooled around with email and then was about to get ready to go down to the studio (I haven't been there in ages!) and my good friend called to see if I was going to church. Sure, tomorrow, I said...no, today she said...I said oops I am ushering and reading a prayer...I had best get myself going! So I did and I got there on time but was tired afterwards. Still not up all the way.
But, today! I got down to the studio to take pictures of my new color blocks that had been in open studios as I am determined to get them all cataloged and up on my website.
Meanwhile, I keep having fun with my little collages, which are 5 x 6" mounted on 8 x 10 mat board. Several have found their way to other homes. They cost $20 each (plus tax if you are in CA) and $5 for shipping. Just let me know if you are interested.
So, the new ones are:
Wisdom Words 10: They are not dead who live in the hearts they leave behind. Native American proverb
Wisdom words 11: to know the road ahead, ask those coming back. Chinese proverb
Wisdom Words 12: A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers. Chinese proverb
Wisdom Words 13: The absent get further off every day. Japanese proverb
But, today! I got down to the studio to take pictures of my new color blocks that had been in open studios as I am determined to get them all cataloged and up on my website.
Meanwhile, I keep having fun with my little collages, which are 5 x 6" mounted on 8 x 10 mat board. Several have found their way to other homes. They cost $20 each (plus tax if you are in CA) and $5 for shipping. Just let me know if you are interested.
So, the new ones are:
Wisdom Words 10: They are not dead who live in the hearts they leave behind. Native American proverb
Wisdom words 11: to know the road ahead, ask those coming back. Chinese proverb
Wisdom Words 12: A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers. Chinese proverb
Wisdom Words 13: The absent get further off every day. Japanese proverb
Friday, June 20, 2008
My Turn
Well, I have had my turn at being sick, sick, sick...at least I knew what was coming and that it would last about 12 hours and then I would be exhausted for another day...but now I am much better.
I have a very appreciative daughter and son-in-law. I am trying to be the grandmother I had never had not had my children. My own mother was very formal and did not play with the children...I get down on the floor and have fun. It's about not needing to be the center of attention. But I also think it is a generational thing too. My family moved around so I did not see my grandparents very often. My maternal grandmother would come and stay with us for several months at a time (when we were in Japan and Hawaii) and it was fun to be with her. My paternal grandparents were very formal and my grandfather would pay me a nickle if I would be quiet and not say anything...what a message! Oh well, new generations, new times, and a very close relationship with my daughter's family...for better and for worse!
Some more Wisdom Words for your enjoyment. Again, these at 5 x 6" mounted on 8 x 10 mat board and are ready to frame, sell for $20 with $5 postage. Contact me if you are interested in purchasing one.
Wisdom Words # 7
Wisdom Words # 8 SOLD
Wisdom Words #9
I have a very appreciative daughter and son-in-law. I am trying to be the grandmother I had never had not had my children. My own mother was very formal and did not play with the children...I get down on the floor and have fun. It's about not needing to be the center of attention. But I also think it is a generational thing too. My family moved around so I did not see my grandparents very often. My maternal grandmother would come and stay with us for several months at a time (when we were in Japan and Hawaii) and it was fun to be with her. My paternal grandparents were very formal and my grandfather would pay me a nickle if I would be quiet and not say anything...what a message! Oh well, new generations, new times, and a very close relationship with my daughter's family...for better and for worse!
Some more Wisdom Words for your enjoyment. Again, these at 5 x 6" mounted on 8 x 10 mat board and are ready to frame, sell for $20 with $5 postage. Contact me if you are interested in purchasing one.
Wisdom Words # 7
Wisdom Words # 8 SOLD
Wisdom Words #9
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Sandwich Generation-make mine ginger cream!
Yesterday I took my father out to go to a class on cataract surgery which he is having next week. He did not bring his hearing aids so he could not hear the woman who was talking, nor could he hear the audio visual presentation. Because he has macular degeneration in addition to really bad cataracts, he cannot see at all out of his left eye. And his right eye isn't much better. So he couldn't read the booklet they gave us and could not see the TV screen either. After that, I spent time explaining everything to him and then drove him around running several errands.
I had been so tired from a very busy weekend that yesterday morning I went down to the studio for just a couple of hours in order to move everything back where it belonged so it would be back in working order and then took off to take my dad out. It takes me about 40 minutes, depending upon traffic to get to his house from mine. My studio is about half way there but out of the way.
So, after I dropped my Dad off yesterday at 5pm I got a call from my daughter. She was dreadfully sick, vomiting and spending too much time on the toilet. Her husband was also pretty sick but not quite as bad as she was. Jacob and Ashton were ok but could I come over and help with the kids as both adults were too sick...so grammy to the rescue!
Got there, fixed some food for Jacob, fed Ashton, played with Ashton, stayed out of the parent's way and then just as I was going to get Jacob to bed he started vomiting and vomiting and vomiting. All over the floor, all over the bath room, all over his clothes, all over the towel we got, etc. So into the bathtub he went while I cleaned up messes and cleaned him up. Then got him out of the bath and he proceeded to vomit all over me and the bathroom so back into the tub he went. I had nothing to change into. Yuck! Finally got him to bed and before I could even get him settled in, he started vomiting in bed...which of course meant clean bedding including mattress pad, sheets, and pjs and back into the bathtub to clean him up again. Got a big tupperware storage container for him to hang on to and that worked. Every 20-30 minutes he was up vomiting again. At one point mother and son were both in the bathroom vomiting together...
I ended up spending the night there just to take care of Jacob. Fortunately, Ashton did not get sick. But I was up until after midnight and then up several times during the night to empty the bowl and comfort a sick child. My husband's car was at the shop so he couldn't bring my pj's , robe and slippers over so a friend came to the rescue and brought them over. Finally I got into something dry and was able to avoid more stuff on my clothes.
This morning I took care of the boys and then finally left their house at 10am to come home, shower and change and then go off to Berkeley to pick up my father for more medical appointments regarding his eye surgery. Finally got him back home at 3: 30pm, stopped by a scrapbook store which has neat things, stopped and got a Foster's freeze ice cream and then headed home. Just as I got off the freeway I got a call from my daughter...Mom....where are you? Can you come help us some more because we have no energy to fix dinner or whatever.
So, super grammy to the rescue again. This time it was to cook chicken flavored rice, wash dishes, feed Ashton after his mom nursed him, play with Jacob who just wasn't going to eat, get clothes out of the dryer ( oh yeah, all the stuff got washed last night including my clothes), threw the ball for the dog for a while, changed poopy diapers, etc. I finally got home at 7:30 to a husband who tells me he is sick and has spent too much time on the toilet too and now has chills and fiver...
I think I will run away!
Tomorrow I am supposed to have the day to myself except that now I have to get the car from the shop. At least my dad doesn't have another medical appointment until Thursday and then that is it until his surgery date.
But in the meantime I am three days behind in doing critiques for my on line class. Well, I do plan to get those done tomorrow....
So, since I have fallen in love with Paul Newman's ginger cream sandwich cookies, I guess that is the one I will be!
But, in the meantime, here are some more of my Wisdom Words collages. They are again $20 each with $5 for mailing.
Wisdom Words #4
Wisdom words #5 SOLD
Wisdom words #6 SOLD
See you all tomorrow!
I had been so tired from a very busy weekend that yesterday morning I went down to the studio for just a couple of hours in order to move everything back where it belonged so it would be back in working order and then took off to take my dad out. It takes me about 40 minutes, depending upon traffic to get to his house from mine. My studio is about half way there but out of the way.
So, after I dropped my Dad off yesterday at 5pm I got a call from my daughter. She was dreadfully sick, vomiting and spending too much time on the toilet. Her husband was also pretty sick but not quite as bad as she was. Jacob and Ashton were ok but could I come over and help with the kids as both adults were too sick...so grammy to the rescue!
Got there, fixed some food for Jacob, fed Ashton, played with Ashton, stayed out of the parent's way and then just as I was going to get Jacob to bed he started vomiting and vomiting and vomiting. All over the floor, all over the bath room, all over his clothes, all over the towel we got, etc. So into the bathtub he went while I cleaned up messes and cleaned him up. Then got him out of the bath and he proceeded to vomit all over me and the bathroom so back into the tub he went. I had nothing to change into. Yuck! Finally got him to bed and before I could even get him settled in, he started vomiting in bed...which of course meant clean bedding including mattress pad, sheets, and pjs and back into the bathtub to clean him up again. Got a big tupperware storage container for him to hang on to and that worked. Every 20-30 minutes he was up vomiting again. At one point mother and son were both in the bathroom vomiting together...
I ended up spending the night there just to take care of Jacob. Fortunately, Ashton did not get sick. But I was up until after midnight and then up several times during the night to empty the bowl and comfort a sick child. My husband's car was at the shop so he couldn't bring my pj's , robe and slippers over so a friend came to the rescue and brought them over. Finally I got into something dry and was able to avoid more stuff on my clothes.
This morning I took care of the boys and then finally left their house at 10am to come home, shower and change and then go off to Berkeley to pick up my father for more medical appointments regarding his eye surgery. Finally got him back home at 3: 30pm, stopped by a scrapbook store which has neat things, stopped and got a Foster's freeze ice cream and then headed home. Just as I got off the freeway I got a call from my daughter...Mom....where are you? Can you come help us some more because we have no energy to fix dinner or whatever.
So, super grammy to the rescue again. This time it was to cook chicken flavored rice, wash dishes, feed Ashton after his mom nursed him, play with Jacob who just wasn't going to eat, get clothes out of the dryer ( oh yeah, all the stuff got washed last night including my clothes), threw the ball for the dog for a while, changed poopy diapers, etc. I finally got home at 7:30 to a husband who tells me he is sick and has spent too much time on the toilet too and now has chills and fiver...
I think I will run away!
Tomorrow I am supposed to have the day to myself except that now I have to get the car from the shop. At least my dad doesn't have another medical appointment until Thursday and then that is it until his surgery date.
But in the meantime I am three days behind in doing critiques for my on line class. Well, I do plan to get those done tomorrow....
So, since I have fallen in love with Paul Newman's ginger cream sandwich cookies, I guess that is the one I will be!
But, in the meantime, here are some more of my Wisdom Words collages. They are again $20 each with $5 for mailing.
Wisdom Words #4
Wisdom words #5 SOLD
Wisdom words #6 SOLDSee you all tomorrow!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Wisdom Words Series and the end of Open Studios
I have started a new group of paper collages. These have been a lot of fun to do and I call the "Wisdom Words" as I have searched for various quotes that I have found to be so true, funny, or just plain important to remember. These have been incorporated into the collage. Many have raised images, image transfers, rubber stamping, stamps, images from my own photos and images from my huge collection of cabinet photos. Each of these sell for $20 plus $5 shipping USPS priority mail. Just let me know if you want one. I will be posting new ones each day! Each of these is mounted on an 8 x 10 mat board and is ready for framing. The actual collage size is
5 x 6".
Wisdom Words 1 "One does not discover New Lands without consenting to lose sight of the Shore for a Very Long time." Andre Gide SOLD
Wisdom Words 2 "The more you give, the more good things come to you" Native American Proverb SOLD
Wisdom Words 3 "A man without a smiling face must not open shop."
Additionally, today was the last day of Open Studios...two full weekends of interesting people, issues with my studio mate and 6 sales of my work! What was so very nice was the fact that I received many compliments on my work from other artists who are not fiber people but painters and sculptors, etc. That really feels good!
I met several more people from the studios where my studio is...only two of the many at the foundry are not live-work...all the rest have people living in them. One artist there, who makes electric cars and is 32, bought a piece of mine. We then had a fascinating conversation about how to apply fabric to the car he is creating that will be a bright green snake with the car as the head of the snake. We discussed various ways of coloring the fabric and how he is going to do this! It really sounds interesting. It has been fun to meet so many young artists who have new visions.
oTmorrow it is back to the studio to get things back in order to create! Find things my studio mate moved, clean up a dye pot that got broken, and start work on the design wall. Those batiks are calling me....liz....liz....liz...come to us! Well, I must answer, right?
5 x 6".
Wisdom Words 1 "One does not discover New Lands without consenting to lose sight of the Shore for a Very Long time." Andre Gide SOLD
Wisdom Words 2 "The more you give, the more good things come to you" Native American Proverb SOLD
Wisdom Words 3 "A man without a smiling face must not open shop."
Additionally, today was the last day of Open Studios...two full weekends of interesting people, issues with my studio mate and 6 sales of my work! What was so very nice was the fact that I received many compliments on my work from other artists who are not fiber people but painters and sculptors, etc. That really feels good!
I met several more people from the studios where my studio is...only two of the many at the foundry are not live-work...all the rest have people living in them. One artist there, who makes electric cars and is 32, bought a piece of mine. We then had a fascinating conversation about how to apply fabric to the car he is creating that will be a bright green snake with the car as the head of the snake. We discussed various ways of coloring the fabric and how he is going to do this! It really sounds interesting. It has been fun to meet so many young artists who have new visions.
oTmorrow it is back to the studio to get things back in order to create! Find things my studio mate moved, clean up a dye pot that got broken, and start work on the design wall. Those batiks are calling me....liz....liz....liz...come to us! Well, I must answer, right?
Saturday, June 14, 2008
East Meets West
Tonight was the opening reception, which, unfortunately I was not able to attend, of a Running Fence-reclycled show. The show is at the Palette Art Cafe in Healdsburg, CA and runs until July 13. Dianne Smith, a fascinating woman who owns lots of the Christo running fence panels that went through Marin and Sonoma Counties in 1976, has a group of artists who use the fabric to make art.
I had completed a rather large piece which included the running fence fabric and also some of the orange squares from the Gates in New York. Hence, the title, East Meets West. It has its debut this week at the show. If you are in the area, do stop by and take a look at the work.
Today was the second weekend of the ProArts Open Studios tour. Do come by my studio tomorrow between noon and 6pm at 4401 San Leandro St., Oakland, CA studio 27. There are three of us at the studio with all different work. I am happy to say that I sold three things last weekend and one today and had some nice people coming through. We have food and wine!
I had completed a rather large piece which included the running fence fabric and also some of the orange squares from the Gates in New York. Hence, the title, East Meets West. It has its debut this week at the show. If you are in the area, do stop by and take a look at the work.
Today was the second weekend of the ProArts Open Studios tour. Do come by my studio tomorrow between noon and 6pm at 4401 San Leandro St., Oakland, CA studio 27. There are three of us at the studio with all different work. I am happy to say that I sold three things last weekend and one today and had some nice people coming through. We have food and wine!
Friday, June 13, 2008
San Franciso Bay Area Arts Town Hall
This past Monday I attended the SFBA Arts Town Hall meeting with Marion Colemen. It was at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, a beautiful building and area in the heart of arts in San Francisco. SFMOMA was right across the street and the grounds are filled with fantastic water art, gardens, grass to relax on and fascinating high rise buildings.
I took a bunch of notes during the plenary session, the topic being "The Arts in the Bay Area--the Future is Now" with a rather distinguished panel of presenters.
Michael Morgan, the music director and conductor of the Oakland East Bay Symphony had some fascinating comments which are apropos to any art. He raised questions about the need for us to decide who we are and where are we likely to fit? What impact do you want to have? Of course, young people want to impact the world, as an older person, I will settle for impacting my neighborhood. The need to collaborate rather than competing between various arts providers was also discussed. He made the statement that if you are not doing something for the next generation of artists, you are failing. One of the negatives from our area was that he is not seeing the connections with other groups and artists.
Favianna Rodgrguez, an printmaker and social entrepreneur, a Chicana, spoke a lot about art by women of color. She also spoke a great deal about immigrant art. She felt that technology is an artist's tool. Strengths in the Bay area of at multi-culturalism (some schools have over 50 languages spoken in them) and the redeveloping for people who are there. She felts that we are not fully taking advantage of technology, that artists are not collaborating with community organizations, that we need to reach out more to artists under 35, we need to work for long term impact and that we need financially viable models.
Moy Eng, the program director of the performing arts program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation spoke about the need to support cultural appreciation. She also felt that groups really need to collaborating when chasing the money. One big challenge she discussed was the fact the the new generations feel everything is free...ie, music and movies off the Internet, etc. As artists trying to make money, she raised the question of how do we deal with this.
Alan Brown, who studies audiences and patterns of cultural participation was really interesting. He states that we need to understand how cultural participation is changed. He also felt we need to understand how people express themselves creatively. He felt we need to reach beyond in order to grow, to reach out, and to collectively reach out for a central purpose int eh arts. He indicated that people's taste is changing much more rapidly due to the Internet and that, with technology, come fragmentation. For instance, he said that there are few places for people to come together to discuss art they have seen, be it a play, concert, poetry reading, art show, dance, etc. Where is there a place to b ring people together right after an event to process as a group? He said we are lacking the social aspect of an experience. He also indicated that we need more opportunities to have critical discussions about the arts.
He raised the question of how are people changed by experiencing art? What is the impact of a single artistic moment on an individual. He indicated that he is developing ways of actually measuring such reactions. Other questions he brought up were What is your value agenda? What is your program trying to improve. All very interesting to think about.
Luis Cancel, Director of cultural affairs with the San Francisco Arts Commission also dropped some big information on us. He said one of the biggest problems artists face in the Bay Area is finding affordable space to create work (not live-work). He also indicated that 50,000 people in San Francisco have liquid assets of over $2 million (this does not include property) and that 296,000 people in the Bay Area have over $2 million in liquid assets. We need to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit to engage those with the money. Curiosity excites the new money people. He also pointed out that CA state government is dead last in all of the US, including protectorates and territories, in supporting the arts.
A blog has been set up for further discussion and can be reached at http://www.cciarts.org/blog. There is a great recap from someone who paid more attention than I did and also covers all the breakout sessions and other events happening. It is a very interesting look at arts in the future.
In the after noon, I took a one hour workshop on percussion and learned from Zeke Nealy a few basic Haitian/Afro drumming rhythms...I have always wanted to learn to play a conga or bongo drum and am now on a quest to find an appropriate teacher!
I took a bunch of notes during the plenary session, the topic being "The Arts in the Bay Area--the Future is Now" with a rather distinguished panel of presenters.
Michael Morgan, the music director and conductor of the Oakland East Bay Symphony had some fascinating comments which are apropos to any art. He raised questions about the need for us to decide who we are and where are we likely to fit? What impact do you want to have? Of course, young people want to impact the world, as an older person, I will settle for impacting my neighborhood. The need to collaborate rather than competing between various arts providers was also discussed. He made the statement that if you are not doing something for the next generation of artists, you are failing. One of the negatives from our area was that he is not seeing the connections with other groups and artists.
Favianna Rodgrguez, an printmaker and social entrepreneur, a Chicana, spoke a lot about art by women of color. She also spoke a great deal about immigrant art. She felt that technology is an artist's tool. Strengths in the Bay area of at multi-culturalism (some schools have over 50 languages spoken in them) and the redeveloping for people who are there. She felts that we are not fully taking advantage of technology, that artists are not collaborating with community organizations, that we need to reach out more to artists under 35, we need to work for long term impact and that we need financially viable models.
Moy Eng, the program director of the performing arts program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation spoke about the need to support cultural appreciation. She also felt that groups really need to collaborating when chasing the money. One big challenge she discussed was the fact the the new generations feel everything is free...ie, music and movies off the Internet, etc. As artists trying to make money, she raised the question of how do we deal with this.
Alan Brown, who studies audiences and patterns of cultural participation was really interesting. He states that we need to understand how cultural participation is changed. He also felt we need to understand how people express themselves creatively. He felt we need to reach beyond in order to grow, to reach out, and to collectively reach out for a central purpose int eh arts. He indicated that people's taste is changing much more rapidly due to the Internet and that, with technology, come fragmentation. For instance, he said that there are few places for people to come together to discuss art they have seen, be it a play, concert, poetry reading, art show, dance, etc. Where is there a place to b ring people together right after an event to process as a group? He said we are lacking the social aspect of an experience. He also indicated that we need more opportunities to have critical discussions about the arts.
He raised the question of how are people changed by experiencing art? What is the impact of a single artistic moment on an individual. He indicated that he is developing ways of actually measuring such reactions. Other questions he brought up were What is your value agenda? What is your program trying to improve. All very interesting to think about.
Luis Cancel, Director of cultural affairs with the San Francisco Arts Commission also dropped some big information on us. He said one of the biggest problems artists face in the Bay Area is finding affordable space to create work (not live-work). He also indicated that 50,000 people in San Francisco have liquid assets of over $2 million (this does not include property) and that 296,000 people in the Bay Area have over $2 million in liquid assets. We need to tap into the entrepreneurial spirit to engage those with the money. Curiosity excites the new money people. He also pointed out that CA state government is dead last in all of the US, including protectorates and territories, in supporting the arts.
A blog has been set up for further discussion and can be reached at http://www.cciarts.org/blog. There is a great recap from someone who paid more attention than I did and also covers all the breakout sessions and other events happening. It is a very interesting look at arts in the future.
In the after noon, I took a one hour workshop on percussion and learned from Zeke Nealy a few basic Haitian/Afro drumming rhythms...I have always wanted to learn to play a conga or bongo drum and am now on a quest to find an appropriate teacher!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Up to my Eyeballs in ART
The past four days have been art, art, and more art.
On Friday, my husband went down with me to the studio to help clean, paint, and move furniture around before open studios on Saturday and Sunday. What a major job! I really appreciated his help. His big shop vac went down with us and I must say, he is a masterful vacuuming guy. He will vacuum for hours with that thing. But he did get a lot of cobwebs, paint chips, pieces of falling apart flooring, etc cleaned up. Then we moved my big table. I also got everything put away, including a huge pile of fused batiks I had been using which had been left in a big messy pile on top of my George table.
And then we went home without getting anything up on the walls. That night I spent time finding what I wanted to take down and also stitching some of my new work to the stretched canvas. Went down early Saturday and started working like a fiend getting everything up...that also meant that I was drilling holes for the screw eyes, putting the screw eyes in and adding the wire for hanging. Fortunately, help arrived in the form of my daughter and her husband. I put poor Dave to work adding screw eyes and doing the wire and then he ended up hanging a lot of them because they were too high for me to reach. Then my daughter went around and added price labels. What would I have done without my family!?
This is the wall (above) that my husband painted. He thought he had white paint but it turned out to be a nice gray which will work well for photographing work. These pieces are all mounted on canvas which I think makes a nice presentation.
This (above) is my design wall with my piece in progress "Whitewashing the War" which will be going into a show in a couple of months. Other pieces have been added to the wall with price tags. You can see the spread that my studio mate did (which I felt was way overboard) but nice.
And above is a view of my big 4 x 8' table, covered, which is hiding tons of stuff underneath. It has paper collages, fabric pieces that haven't been mounted onto canvas yet, and a couple of other pieces.
I did sell three things this weekend which was nice. Hopefully a few more will sell this coming weekend!
Yesterday I spent the day in San Francisco with Marion Coleman at the San Francisco Bay Arts Town Hall. It was really interesting and I will talk about it later and show some pictures from the area.
On Friday, my husband went down with me to the studio to help clean, paint, and move furniture around before open studios on Saturday and Sunday. What a major job! I really appreciated his help. His big shop vac went down with us and I must say, he is a masterful vacuuming guy. He will vacuum for hours with that thing. But he did get a lot of cobwebs, paint chips, pieces of falling apart flooring, etc cleaned up. Then we moved my big table. I also got everything put away, including a huge pile of fused batiks I had been using which had been left in a big messy pile on top of my George table.
And then we went home without getting anything up on the walls. That night I spent time finding what I wanted to take down and also stitching some of my new work to the stretched canvas. Went down early Saturday and started working like a fiend getting everything up...that also meant that I was drilling holes for the screw eyes, putting the screw eyes in and adding the wire for hanging. Fortunately, help arrived in the form of my daughter and her husband. I put poor Dave to work adding screw eyes and doing the wire and then he ended up hanging a lot of them because they were too high for me to reach. Then my daughter went around and added price labels. What would I have done without my family!?
This is the wall (above) that my husband painted. He thought he had white paint but it turned out to be a nice gray which will work well for photographing work. These pieces are all mounted on canvas which I think makes a nice presentation.
This (above) is my design wall with my piece in progress "Whitewashing the War" which will be going into a show in a couple of months. Other pieces have been added to the wall with price tags. You can see the spread that my studio mate did (which I felt was way overboard) but nice.
And above is a view of my big 4 x 8' table, covered, which is hiding tons of stuff underneath. It has paper collages, fabric pieces that haven't been mounted onto canvas yet, and a couple of other pieces.I did sell three things this weekend which was nice. Hopefully a few more will sell this coming weekend!
Yesterday I spent the day in San Francisco with Marion Coleman at the San Francisco Bay Arts Town Hall. It was really interesting and I will talk about it later and show some pictures from the area.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
What Happened to my Groove?
It got sidetracked....my daughter's babysitter went off to Mexico with her husband for a vacation so last Thursday, and Monday-Thursday this week I have been babysitting. I am so tired when I get home I am practically useless.
Last Friday I did get 14 new small pieces done and completed them over the weekend.
This is good because this weekend and next weekend are Open Studios and my studio will be open Saturday and Sunday each weekend. Which means I needed some new work to go up.
Meanwhile, back at the studio, I had made a huge pile of fused batiks which are all over the George sewing table. Tomorrow Doug and I go down (when I wake up...and it won't be at 6:30 AM) to paint one wall white which has a been splotch of brown paint on it from the previous people. Then to clean up everything, get everything organized and put up work.
So, if you are in the area, or even aren't, come on down to my studio at the Vulcan Foundry at 4401 San Leandro St., Oakland, CA. My studio space is 27 and I have a door right on the street. We will be open Saturdays from 11-6pm and Sundays from 12 noon to 5 pm this weekend and next. We will also have snacks to keep you going. This is the big ProArts open studios which has about 400 artists participating.
Tomorrow I will take a picture of before and after!
Hope to see you!
Last Friday I did get 14 new small pieces done and completed them over the weekend.
This is good because this weekend and next weekend are Open Studios and my studio will be open Saturday and Sunday each weekend. Which means I needed some new work to go up.
Meanwhile, back at the studio, I had made a huge pile of fused batiks which are all over the George sewing table. Tomorrow Doug and I go down (when I wake up...and it won't be at 6:30 AM) to paint one wall white which has a been splotch of brown paint on it from the previous people. Then to clean up everything, get everything organized and put up work.
So, if you are in the area, or even aren't, come on down to my studio at the Vulcan Foundry at 4401 San Leandro St., Oakland, CA. My studio space is 27 and I have a door right on the street. We will be open Saturdays from 11-6pm and Sundays from 12 noon to 5 pm this weekend and next. We will also have snacks to keep you going. This is the big ProArts open studios which has about 400 artists participating.
Tomorrow I will take a picture of before and after!
Hope to see you!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Back in the Groove, Finally
I am almost done with this stupid bronchitis.....took all the antibiotics, and then broke out into some sort of strange rash with all-over body itching that drove me crazy. So then I was on Benedryl which put me to sleep...finally I am no longer itching, no longer sleeping most of the day and almost not coughing.
I even spent the day, for the first time in three weeks, down at the studio working. And then came home and worked some more. The only thing that has kept my sane was working on collages.
Anyway, here are some pictures from the opening night of the show at the Adobe Art Center. Below are three of the larger pieces I have just done.
A small group, one of which sold that night.
A couple of Marion's pieces:
some more of mine....they are mounted on unprimed stretched canvas:
Marion and me...
another one of Marion's
and another one:
and two more of mine:
and two more:
and the smaller ones:
and California Dreaming:
My daughter and Jacob:
people chatting:
More people chatting:
some of Sue's work:
I went home half an hour before the reception ended as I was just really sick.
Tomorrow I will finally get to do some machine quilting demonstrations as artist-in-residence at a local gallery for a couple of hours. I was supposed to do it each Saturday this past month but have been way too sick to do so....
well, onward and upward! I have work to do!
I even spent the day, for the first time in three weeks, down at the studio working. And then came home and worked some more. The only thing that has kept my sane was working on collages.
Anyway, here are some pictures from the opening night of the show at the Adobe Art Center. Below are three of the larger pieces I have just done.
A small group, one of which sold that night.
A couple of Marion's pieces:
some more of mine....they are mounted on unprimed stretched canvas:
Marion and me...
another one of Marion's
and another one:
and two more of mine:
and two more:
and the smaller ones:
and California Dreaming:
My daughter and Jacob:
people chatting:
More people chatting:
some of Sue's work:
I went home half an hour before the reception ended as I was just really sick.Tomorrow I will finally get to do some machine quilting demonstrations as artist-in-residence at a local gallery for a couple of hours. I was supposed to do it each Saturday this past month but have been way too sick to do so....
well, onward and upward! I have work to do!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Things are Happening
I received word the other day that my piece, Fargo, has been accepted into the special display of film quilts for the Long Beach Festival.
I also received a picture of my piece, Life Circles 2, from the show, Artist as Quiltmaker in Oberlin, OH. The grand opening was this past weekend.
And here is a picture of part of the crowd that was there.
Well, tomorrow Marion Coleman, Susanne Scott and I open at the Adobe Gallery...will post pictures of that on Friday. Wish us luck and I hope to see some of you there!
I also received a picture of my piece, Life Circles 2, from the show, Artist as Quiltmaker in Oberlin, OH. The grand opening was this past weekend.
And here is a picture of part of the crowd that was there.
Well, tomorrow Marion Coleman, Susanne Scott and I open at the Adobe Gallery...will post pictures of that on Friday. Wish us luck and I hope to see some of you there!
Monday, May 19, 2008
On Dreams and Dreaming
I have always had a very rich dream life. At one point when I was a probation officer and had 7 teenagers in juvenile hall for homicides, my dreams were very disturbed, dark and unpleasant but they served a purpose. I was able to work out various feelings that I had...sometimes against the perpetrators whom I was to get to know and write about what they did and why. Things that I could not give voice to came out in my dreams. I would frequently remember them in great detail.
I always know when creativity is at it's best because my dreams start becoming very vivid. I am practically producing movies in my sleep. They become long, convoluted stories. If I am not happy with the way things are coming out, I seem to come up a level in consciousness, realize I am not pleased with the way things are going, and then drop back down to resolve the story in a more pleasing manner.
When I was at UC ( as a psych. student we had to be guinea pigs for graduate students) I found out that I had the ability to retrieve dreams on successive nights. I have several different locations that repeatedly come up in my dreams. These are not real places but they might as well be as they have become embedded in my thoughts. A house on a street, with great detail, about the streets around it, how to get to it, what the entry way is like, the four different living areas, the strange kitchen that had huge old appliances and a strange basement with various little rooms that I was trying to figure out how best to use. I can still describe in great detail the various living areas, including the downstairs beauty parlor and spa. I can describe the bathtubs, tiles, etc.
And then I have action movies. Very involved stories that would rival Frances Coppola...vivid, detailed and interesting.
Sometimes I have dreams about resolving issues in my art. A clear image of how to do something. A clear sense of where I need to go with an idea. A way of completing a piece of art. How to construct something. In my dreams I will go through the entire process of creating a piece of art, troubleshooting as I go.
I know when I am healthy because my world becomes enriched by all this dream activity. I am very fortunate that I am able to remember at least the basic ideas and sometimes much more from these episodes.
I have been having lots of dreams lately....
I always know when creativity is at it's best because my dreams start becoming very vivid. I am practically producing movies in my sleep. They become long, convoluted stories. If I am not happy with the way things are coming out, I seem to come up a level in consciousness, realize I am not pleased with the way things are going, and then drop back down to resolve the story in a more pleasing manner.
When I was at UC ( as a psych. student we had to be guinea pigs for graduate students) I found out that I had the ability to retrieve dreams on successive nights. I have several different locations that repeatedly come up in my dreams. These are not real places but they might as well be as they have become embedded in my thoughts. A house on a street, with great detail, about the streets around it, how to get to it, what the entry way is like, the four different living areas, the strange kitchen that had huge old appliances and a strange basement with various little rooms that I was trying to figure out how best to use. I can still describe in great detail the various living areas, including the downstairs beauty parlor and spa. I can describe the bathtubs, tiles, etc.
And then I have action movies. Very involved stories that would rival Frances Coppola...vivid, detailed and interesting.
Sometimes I have dreams about resolving issues in my art. A clear image of how to do something. A clear sense of where I need to go with an idea. A way of completing a piece of art. How to construct something. In my dreams I will go through the entire process of creating a piece of art, troubleshooting as I go.
I know when I am healthy because my world becomes enriched by all this dream activity. I am very fortunate that I am able to remember at least the basic ideas and sometimes much more from these episodes.
I have been having lots of dreams lately....
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