the collected evidence is in. the findings in this case have been recorded, the proof is in the photos. the facts are faultless. i am not a photographer. i am an artist. i am different than a photographer, but the same because we are both artists. i never was, what i'd call a photographer and this is not a sad truth but rather something i have actually known for a very long time about myself. 
the weekend is now coming quickly to a close. it felt like a vacation what with the beautiful weather, autumn light and time to dwindle away. i forgot to bring along my camera for most of it, i missed taking the excellent opportunity to take any photos while with my nephews. i guess that means i will need to take them out again. but the nieces are next on the list. 
even though this week has just begun, i am looking at a booked calendar of a few meetings, a luncheon, and a few more meetings. two meetings to prepare for an open house//art exhibit event in my apartment building during mainx24. a meeting with the ever talented sarah n. and fellow jessica from createhere to go over installation plans for the summer dregs release party on november 7. there's luncheon my mom is speaking at on thursday afternoon and another evening meeting. i think this maybe exactly what i need. to be more active and productive in a variety of ways. it just doesn't feel all that bad. i like the hustle and bustle. putting the puzzle pieces together in a way that make sense and correspond. it leaves me feeling even more motivated.
and am now pretty confident of the next steps, to completion.
i promise if i had the time, the skillz, the wall, legal or not, i would be a graffiti artist. it must sound stupid right, i mean, who gives a flip? i want to hide in the dark corners, wait until the coast is clear and throw up all over a great big city wall. if only. i'm just a little white girl who dreams just a little bit, that she'd grown up understanding, developing and producing graffiti on the streets. my ideas in this context are completely romanticized and utterly embarrassing, because, really what do i know about being a graffiti artist. all i want to do is change the perspective and learn the ropes. all i want to do is bridge the gap between what is seen and what people hear about the "graffiti" genre of art. yeah, i know, it's been done, it's happening all over the world. just not on my street corners, not on the decaying dilapidated buildings in my city. 
last weekend i decided to pack away my summer sunshine yellow eggcup collection to make room for autumn, i've never done this before. i am learning to pace myself and the seasons within my ::apartment living:: decor . i found my 'happy halloween' banner and hung it up and am using a ledge between my kitchen and dining//living room space as the focal point for the season. it'll be fun to bring out the yellow again next year and absorb the freshness in color again. for now i'm embracing the warm cozy feelings of fall. with the ever beautiful hues and tones of this time of the year.
i gathered a couple of pumpkins and a handful of tiny warted gourds today, along with an assortment of baking ingredients. i'm thinking another round of sticky buns might be nice. 
so i started ::cool like fire:: before clothesline and am now wrapping it up, putting the last few touches on it before it goes into my etsy shop. i feel consistently inspired to create and paint trees. this time i shot a series of polaroids around and about the city and used them as the base for the "underpainting". from a technical perspective it worked out really well. there are visible seams but not enough to compromise the piece itself. instead the lines enhance and give a layer of texture. the triangle pattern is something i have been wanting to incorporate for a really long time. it only seemed fitting in a wintery snow scape, in which trees are bare and starkly mimic the triangle shape. i see how it could be perceived as being over simplified here, it's flat, i get that, but like i said i am still giving it a little more time, before the final sealant coating. i am excited to hear what people have to say about this piece. i know it's hard to say, without seeing it in person. 
in the mean time. part of my apartment living also becomes my studio space, my supply storage. i intentionally moved into a larger apartment so that i could continue making art in my place without it barging in. part of what has made creating in the same space that i live in, which in itself is not all that uncommon, has been keeping things simple. less is more. over the years i have bought less and recycled more. the other key aspect of living and working in the same space is having storage that is accessible and workable. this family hand me down, wardrobe piece has made organization a breeze. i have got a few drawers for the smaller items, like ink pads, ribbon, stickers, envelopes and cards. i've used milk crates for my magazines and have kept my paper collection spruced down to two bins. there are cigar boxes for thread and needle, tins for buttons, smaller boxes//bins for vintage photos and vintage christmas tags, and small holiday decorations, like my halloween mailorder banner. one day i'll incorporate some cork on the doors as a means to display my inspiration(s). for now i'm all about some thumbtacks. i hope this is all i will ever need. recently i accepted an invitation from a friend to hit up a craft supply swap at our local leo handmade gallery. i dropped off a bag full of unused scrapbook paper, pipe cleaner, stamps, and paintbrushes. ah! it felt good to leave it behind. really good! 
finally. finally. finally. i have updated my etsy shop. i can check it off my list! there are several new pieces along with several older works that have all been custom framed. they look beautiful, if i do say so myself. i am really excited because for much of the year i had just been creating a lot of work for various shows, exhibits and events. i have got two more pieces to add, along with a piece i am currently working to finish. 
it honestly feels like a thousand years have passed without, until this last week i gave in and gave myself a much needed, much desired vacation. thanks be to a couple of my good friends, my sister in laws, for a nice little break from the whirlwind life of construction, clothesline, and art making. words upon words have described the sensations of dragging yourself out of the norm to the side of the ocean. it's nothing new but it is everything and i needed the salt and sunshine, the sand and the pool.
i have found myself stretching and wishing for a massage all morning. after an overwhelmingly successful clothesline art show i am finding myself ready with a massive list of things i must do. after the dirt settles and i get back from the ocean i promise (promise!) that i'll update my etsy shop, i'll post all works for sale on my blog here, i'll make new cards of as much of my new work as possible and i'll give all of the rest of my attention to the two commissions i've been asked to complete. 
somewhere close to the middle of my neighborhood there's this parking lot with an abundance, filled to the brim yellow gold. close by in a building i heard the practicing tunes of a rock and roll band jamming out, instantly i began whistling norwegian wood and have had it in my head ever since. it just so happens to be my favorite time of the year, oh yes and there's plenty of the good stuff to go around. 
i find that i am not so interested. or rather interesting until the light is either rather bright or barely there. the making is rather slow these days. there is one new painting in the works but i am not in any rush whatsoever. no one reads. flickr is the better friend. i purchased a brand new bicycle, a bike, a.k.a. the purple fizz and though i have never been a purple girl, except for the time my bedroom, as a child was purple, i was drawn toward this one bike. there is this temptation to paint a large giant yellow stripe down the middle of the bike, horizontally speaking, right across the tires and all. then i would change the name of my bike to the purple pounder. i am leaving practicality in reality and my devotion to blogging is bombing. i used to be. until i have a new piece of art, there's no point. i am no longer open, except. and it's not that bad. recently the work on carl cadwell's summer dregs from gold to green hit the myspace waves. i have lost my account but i was very very very pleased to be asked to contribute my art work to complete the look and feel of this album debut. in my humble opinion the music is sick and my art works, five chosen are just like the tip of the iceberg. i really cannot wait to have this in hand. 
in the meantime, i've got clothesline on september 11&12 and then then then, a commission. i meet with h.p. tomorrow to go over the ins&outs of the commission piece(s) and am really looking forward to the process//challenge. i'm up for it. it's time to put away the laundry and drink the last of the coffee before bed. work week begins in eight or less hours.
the talented artist and author karen michel is hosting a book giveaway on her blog. the book, green guide for artists, was recently published and can be found on bookshelves and online. but being one of several artists who were asked to participate in this fantastic book, i thought you'd probably want to try your hand at winning a copy. i have read the book from cover to cover and it is a beautiful compilation of information and do-it-yourself projects. i was so inspired to read about how to make one's own paint and create art in away that conserves our earth's bounty. especially if you're first starting out, the task of gathering and collecting art materials can be overwhelming. karen's perspective of how to recycle and reuse is something we're all too familiar with but maybe not in the context of making. just as you are hopefully teaching your children that the french fries you get from fast food are actually made by planting a seed/spud, so are some pigments in paint made from natural dyes you've got in your fridge or from rocks deep beneath the earths surface. it's about applying our awareness in little ways that will renew the earth's promises.
coming up tomorrow evening. apparently there's still time to purchase tickets, supporting the local arts and education council. change could be, just about anything, anything at all. for what it's worth i gave it my "little brown jug" try. we shall see how it all pans out. i am excited, simply to spend the evening with kk1000, figuring out how to balance those itsy bitsy hors d'oeuvre plates, unga! 
