 This might be my new favorite thing...packing up a little bag and heading out to create poolside. Perfect. My new studio space. Got to take advantage of this weather before it starts to get steamy; today I finished up CED #107 and #108.
I guess I am at a turning point with these pieces. I started to really get into the textural quality of the modeling paste and having fun with the polymer clay 'sweets'...but in the last two pieces I am focusing more the texture of the paste and trying to incorporate some fiber techniques into my work, namely the beading/embellishing that I started to work with in grad school. I still have clay pieces from this weekend, I think I will save those for the monthly self-portrait. The only thing with the beading...it takes...well, it takes quite a bit more time. But...I love the process...so maybe I will just work with these for the rest of the week and then see where it goes.
 And tomorrow is the ANE show. This month's theme is Pop Art. I referenced Wayne Thiebaud and Claes Oldenburg in lieu of Warhol, hence my 'Sweet Thangs' series. Hopefully I will sell some work! I had intentions of packing up my art bag and loading my car with the table and chair...I guess it's still early and that could happen. Not sure what I want to work on during the show, I know that I will work on my CED for tomorrow...maybe start the self portrait? Finish up the enlarged version of CED #92? I bought a nice art portfolio to put my prints in, the ones that I will be selling, want to try that out instead of my usual basket of prints... Just like every night before an ANE show, there is so much to do. But I always manage to get it all done. One thing that has to happen- sleep. Staying up til 2am tomorrow 'artin' is going to be a beast! Especially without my business partner Jessie : (
Here is my Sunday, in pictures... (below). Got a busy week coming up...yearbook is due...FCAT...Art Nouveau on Wednesday, important phone call on Thursday...oh my!
(...and I did have captions...posted on the wrong page and couldn't transfer'em...blahhhhhh...it's 12:38...must...sleep...no captions...maybe I will add them tomorrow...)
So how did I spend the last day of the month? (Yesterday, I mean)
Hanging out with pretty gals in big floppy hats at the end of the year party for the cheerleaders.
Meeting up with my friend Jessie to pick up art for a show later in the month. (The pieces that I am donating are shown below in my windowsill.)
Having a fun 'art on the deck' night with Kristen, overlooking Fort Lauderdale...watching her paint wine glasses tentatively at first and then inspired and excited while I finished the final touches on my CEDs for the month and my self portrait. ...and so...it ends. March is over. I completed CEDs 89-91. My self portrait for the month is done. Looking to the new month ahead of me...the suggested Creative Every Day theme is 'Language'. My theme for the next ANE show is 'Pop Art'. I am more inspired by the ANE theme...looking to the works of Wayne Thiebaud and Claes Oldenburg...specifcally taking inspiration from their use of 'sweet' imagery. ...some notes to myself...I have got to sit down and organize these pictures. I have over a hundred new works of art that I have created since January and the photos of the finished works and the process...it is getting out of hand. Waaaaay outta hand. As in...crazy chaos. I was pulling pictures for the slideshow below and it was tough...the pics are out of order, which bothers me, but I am going to try to be okay with it. Sigh.
Three-day work week...maybe I can make some time to organize all of this art!
Per usual...the day after the ANE show...not as awesome as the night before. Definitely feeling it today, but that is what coffee is for. Made it through the day with my students...sixth grade is finishing up their darumas, seventh worked on their Pop Art Logo Painting (which, coincidentally is the next ANE theme!) and my new 5th graders got a great start on their portfolios...yeah, somehow I managed to not only stay awake today but actually teach and get some other things done. Wow. And then...the thirty minute commute home. The sunlight in the car. The view of...well, not much. As soon as I got home, I crashed. Naptime. Luckily my cat Scooter is always down to take a nap, so I had a partner in crime.  I started my CED #82 today. Not sure what direction I will go with the remaining pieces. On one hand...I am finished with the show, so I can start to venture out from the black cats and ravens that have haunted my pieces this month. However, I do want to have at least 1-2 pieces that transition into the remaining days of March...so, yeah, not sure where I am going with this. And I am not going to worry about trying to finish it tonight. Going to get some sleep and look at it again tomorrow. I might not try to finish #s 82-83 right away, might just start the figure, per usual...then wait and see what happens. So anyway...those are some of the thoughts swimming around in my head...as for the event last night...amazing. So cool to be a part of this monthly live art event. I made a slideshow...enjoy! (...and I felt like the Halloween template fit the best...try to ignore the jack-o-lanterns and focus on the scary BLACK CAT!)
Special thanks to Teresa Korber for putting on these events... Angela Tronick for pictures and being so fun...My husband for being my #1 fan/critic/EVERYTHING... Jessie, for being awesome...the 'Prugh Crew' for always coming out to support us at these events...Ash and Estefania for coming out to the show and hanging out...I don't always take time to say thank you but I hope all of you know I appreciate you!!
Rainy night...gonna go to sleep early to get ready for the Art Nouveau Event tomorrow night....
Edgar Allan Poe themed!
(...and my CED #80 is complete!)
 ...no time to think of anything witty or interesting...I am tired.
So...after hanging some student work in Stuart, working out, taking a mini-nap and a trip to Michael's...I didn't start working til about 9pm. I just stopped and cleaned up a little after 12am. The picture to the left shows my work at the start and end of my work session.
Alot can change in 3 hours!
CED #66...all done...trying to tie in the ANE theme for this month...Poe
Commission (on easel)...still not resolved. Just about ready, though. I feel like I was overworking it so I made myself stop. My client wanted more of the darker blues and liked the portraits that I have displayed behind my easel...I put those up so I could look at them and find direction in this commission. I feel like the colors are more what he wanted now, and the actual brushstrokes and style are getting a little closer to the pieces he liked...tomorrow, gotta add details to face, add the Cambodian details from the pictures he sent me and just pull it all together. Goal- mail this off tomorrow!
Current goal...go to SLEEP! (let's be realistic...that ain't happenin', folks)
 So it is the first day of March. I am excited about the new CED theme, mixed media. Wrote a few comments about it in the my blog dedicated this endeavor...
Got a little side-tracked today...haven't decided the direction for the series yet, leaning towards starting with some small pieces, those 4x4 canvases were a good size for the pieces I created in February. Then of course there are my random figurative pieces...it would be smart to just blend the two together, right? And add in the next ANE theme...Edgar Allan Poe...lot's to think of...
 Instead of officially starting my series...because I am still figuring it out...
I painted some wine glasses for a gift...and started a sketch.
So, I was creative after all. It is almost like I felt guilty for not knowing the next direction my work will take. Ummm...so posting these pics made me feel a little better.
 ...rambling on...oh, yeah...it's Youth Art Month!! Yay Art! My 8th graders helped me set up a display and some YAM signnage this morning...this is in addition to the art that is already all over the school. Wall = A place that needs my student's art!! (display shown below)
Oh yes, just remembered to post the pics below, these are from the weekend. I created some custom paintings for a friend's nursery. They just sent the pics of the finished paintings back home in NC, displayed in the window. I love those block canvases, you can hang them on the wall, stack them. Very versatile.  ...and they sent a pic of one of my owl paintings. I changed the color of the tie to go with the colors in the nursery. (left)
So...wow. Talk about stream of consciousness.
...and finally...side note, why can't I ever get to sleep before 11:30pm? Just sayin'..
Okay...I have ceased making sense and having any structure...must...go...to...SLEEP!
Random Scenes from the ANE show...guess which one of us is 'Love Struck' and which one is 'Love Sucks'? ...and...at long last...the CEDs from this week...gotta re-photograph in better light...
 So...tomorrow it is then. Another ANE Show...Jessie and I will drag our wares and assorted sparkly decorations back to Respectables for another evening of creating with just a really great group of people.Brief digression......being a part of these events is motivating for me. It gives me additional motivation each month and forces me to look at my own work in a new way. I get to hang out with my fellow Tipsy Girls, Jessie and Sofia...and just be a part of a really cool event with a group of talented artists. I am so tired the days before and after the event...but I can deal with the lack of sleep to making art,totally worth it.Ok...just had to get that out.So...I, uh...made many, many, many pieces of work that I will have at the show. One reason is that the way I chose my CED theme for the month was to include pieces that I could use for this event...and who doesn't like hearts during February, right? And I have a few pieces that I will be working on at the event...a few figurative pieces...some CED's...shown below;
...behind the scenes on the eve of the show...
 My husband before lunch today. He said, get that Etsy side made...and I did. So it's official. I have an Etsy shop. For real. I sat down and did it. Now, all I have posted is the CEDs from last month. So if you visit the site it is a bunch of shoe madness...but it is a start. Twenty-four items posted, right now at three different price breaks. It's live. It was tough to get started. ...ummmm...will it sound lame if I admit that I was just kind of scared? Makes me think of this quote from a speech by Nelson Mandela written by Marianne Robertson; "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? ...There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. ...It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
It is scary to put your work out there. But you know, if folks don't like it they just won't buy it...and somebody else will come along that appreciates my point of view and will want the work. It is scary to think about failure..but success, or the potential for it, is just as frightening. Another thing that was tough...making the decision for prints versus originals. Maybe I will go to prints one of these days. I did make some for the last ANE show and some sold. But in my gut I just can't get away from wanting to put the original work in the hands of the people that want it. So for now, the work on my Etsy shop is all original...not just my own ideas...but the actual piece of art. You can see where my hands have touched the work. That felt like the right thing to do...along with keeping the prices affordable. I just have to make the art, to get it out of my head and onto the paper, or canvas, or cloth...whatever. I just make it and once it is out there as long as I have a photograph of it I don't mind sending it out into the world. So...it was a very busy, beautiful day. From drawing way up in the sky on my way back to Florida...to a meeting with a client for an upcoming commissioned portrait...to an awesome lunch and afternoon in downtown Lake Worth with my amazing husband.. my cup runneth over. Regrettably...all of this excitement will not turn back the clock to give me more time to sleep. (Sigh)
|
RSS Feed