yay! i got off work on time, came home, made a pot of coffee, and dove right in to painting. i've got the day off tomorrow so while my sweetie is sucked in to the Superbowl, i'll be hard at work in the studio and plan to spend the entire day pushing paint around, spilling ink (as well as plenty of coffee), and taking care of a few business related things.
i sent off my application to Skowhegan tonight (finger's crossed but i'm prepping myself for rejection)and soon i'll have to find a way to force myself to start the whole grant research and writing end of an artist's life... something i've been putting off for too long, willfully letting myself get side-tracked, and welcoming almost any other obligation rather than just get down to it. i've got a horrible habit of second-guessing my portfolio selections right at the last minute and then staying up all night reworking everything i'd spent weeks putting together: fear: no good, no fun.
anyway, i'm just thankful to have a stress-less sunday on the way. i need one.
Jan 31, 2009
Jan 30, 2009
short and sweet... er, sour...
ugg. right when i get rolling in the studio, extra days at the jobby-job become the score. blarf. double blarf. extra blarf. and my feet are killing me.
Jan 29, 2009
day-job blues...
well... life happens, right? i've been getting more and more stressed out with my day-job lately and yesterday when i got home all i could manage to force myself to do was eat a bowl of cereal and go paint in my studio. no blogging, no writing, no talking, just silence and smearing around the paint. the easy, low-commitment gig i was seeking is starting to become pretty frustrating at this point but, given the state of the economy and the fact that the art-business is a fairly risky one, i don't want to up and quit just yet. it's been really nice to have some security in terms of paychecks and not really having to follow a budget since taking on this job. i don't want to give that part of it up, especially not right now when i know so many people who are out of work or are in danger of losing their jobs. it just doesn't seem smart. i can't let my feelings of frustration get the better of me... gotta keep looking at the big picture and practice patience and poise i suppose. i don't want to be fickle. besides, having a day-job is a great way of maintaining your humility. i never want to become too comfortable with being my own boss. for however wonderful that life is, it can also serve to skew your perceptions of self-worth and the value of what you do... in an over-inflated ego kind of way. no good. i think there's a tremendous benefit from being a worker-bee. i really do and i'm glad for the opportunity to remain humble. i see too many people who seem to have bought in to their own hype and it's just so unattractive. they become unprofessional and rude. they seem ungrateful for the recognition they receive and don't know how to politely accept compliments anymore. it's more than a bit disappointing to see this happen to artists and writers whose work i really admire... honestly, that kind of attitude sorta stops me from continuing to admire their work. i won't ever let myself become one of those people. EVER. besides, i'm not in this game as a fame-seeker anyway. that's the wrong motivation for art-work.
anyway, i've gotta start getting myself together for work. i just wanted to be sure to get a blog written beforehand so i don't risk missing another one simply because i'm worn out, frustrated, and discombobulated by my work day. :) hope everyone is doing well and feeling happy. angela
anyway, i've gotta start getting myself together for work. i just wanted to be sure to get a blog written beforehand so i don't risk missing another one simply because i'm worn out, frustrated, and discombobulated by my work day. :) hope everyone is doing well and feeling happy. angela
Jan 27, 2009
landscape...
sorry about missing a blog post yesterday, this whole daily blogging resolution is alot harder than i thought it'd be! my hat is off to all the many and varied daily bloggers of the world. it is not easy coming up with something interesting to write about every single day... interesting enough to publish anyway.
i've missed three days since the start of the year but i think i've already got more posts in 2009 than i did last year! yikes! i'm getting better about it and happy to have the challenge.
i am a bit ambivalent about writing so much about my day to day life, however: all the thoughts that flit through my head and all the non-art-related stuff. but i guess the life of an artist is about much more than just posting pictures of new work and going to shows and pointing out the work of other artists i'm attracted to. the hikes and jogs i take with my dog everyday are somehow a bigger influence on my practice sometimes than anything i've read or seen or critiqued. there's something to be said about really being involved with (and seeing) the environment you live in... the landscape and the community, who you spend your time with, the conversations you have, and all the little things that make a day.
today, after our hike, i took a few pictures of the vineyard we trek through everyday - a landscape that's starting to show up in my paintings. for the first time in my life i am painting trees and this is why:
the timber line has had a completely wonderful effect on my attitude and inside my work... it's leading me in a new direction, a direction i've never considered and never anticipated. i've never painted landscapes, never dealt in the picturesque, and i'm not really doing that in my work now so much as letting the land have an influence. i look out across the mustard blossoms in this wide open space and it's so quite out there that i can't help but feel lucky and clean and inspired to be better... to live better... to have a more intimate connection with the world and be thoughtful in every enterprise. even the NO TRESPASSING signs out here seem polite.
i've missed three days since the start of the year but i think i've already got more posts in 2009 than i did last year! yikes! i'm getting better about it and happy to have the challenge.
i am a bit ambivalent about writing so much about my day to day life, however: all the thoughts that flit through my head and all the non-art-related stuff. but i guess the life of an artist is about much more than just posting pictures of new work and going to shows and pointing out the work of other artists i'm attracted to. the hikes and jogs i take with my dog everyday are somehow a bigger influence on my practice sometimes than anything i've read or seen or critiqued. there's something to be said about really being involved with (and seeing) the environment you live in... the landscape and the community, who you spend your time with, the conversations you have, and all the little things that make a day.
today, after our hike, i took a few pictures of the vineyard we trek through everyday - a landscape that's starting to show up in my paintings. for the first time in my life i am painting trees and this is why:
the timber line has had a completely wonderful effect on my attitude and inside my work... it's leading me in a new direction, a direction i've never considered and never anticipated. i've never painted landscapes, never dealt in the picturesque, and i'm not really doing that in my work now so much as letting the land have an influence. i look out across the mustard blossoms in this wide open space and it's so quite out there that i can't help but feel lucky and clean and inspired to be better... to live better... to have a more intimate connection with the world and be thoughtful in every enterprise. even the NO TRESPASSING signs out here seem polite.
Jan 25, 2009
yay!
friday night i stayed up super late, completely engrossed by The Magic Toyshop and ended up finishing it somewhere around 2:30 in the morning. i just couldn't put it down. it caught me by my eyelashes and locked me in to its pages until i read the very last word. i actually felt a bit sad to have finished it. this is a story i'd actually love to see translated to film. though the the book always wins when it comes to that sort of thing, i think this particular story would make for a wonderful movie. wonderful, wonderful book. recommended.
so last night i picked up The Pollen Room by zoe jenny. i read it when i was 17 and an aspiring writer and the only thing i remember about it is thinking it was boring. well, comfortable with the fact that i didn't know shit about shit at 17, i decided to give it another whirl. 20 pages in and it is absolutely (so far) beautiful. i'm glad i decided to ignore the judgements of my 17 year old self and revisit this book with older, more thoughtful eyes.
i'm getting better about spending some time reading everyday. it's a hard habit for me to ingrain... which is sort of strange to me. maybe i'm still on homework hiatus since graduation? at any rate, it's something i think is really important. now that i begin everyday writing in my notebook, i'd like to end everyday reading the work of others... gain some perspective and insight, i suppose... get away from my own thoughts and hang-ups and obsessions for awhile and see the world through someone else's spilt ink.
so last night i picked up The Pollen Room by zoe jenny. i read it when i was 17 and an aspiring writer and the only thing i remember about it is thinking it was boring. well, comfortable with the fact that i didn't know shit about shit at 17, i decided to give it another whirl. 20 pages in and it is absolutely (so far) beautiful. i'm glad i decided to ignore the judgements of my 17 year old self and revisit this book with older, more thoughtful eyes.
i'm getting better about spending some time reading everyday. it's a hard habit for me to ingrain... which is sort of strange to me. maybe i'm still on homework hiatus since graduation? at any rate, it's something i think is really important. now that i begin everyday writing in my notebook, i'd like to end everyday reading the work of others... gain some perspective and insight, i suppose... get away from my own thoughts and hang-ups and obsessions for awhile and see the world through someone else's spilt ink.
Jan 24, 2009
the customer is always right...
...except for when they're a crazy, abusive asshole! i'm sorry but there's relatively no excuse for being belligerent and mean to a person who is doing their job the way they were trained to do it.
my day-job is in custom framing. as with any type of custom work, it can get pretty expensive pretty fast. and due largely to the rise of identity and credit theft in this country over the past decade, the company i work for mandates that i ask for an ID whenever someone wants to pay by credit card.
now, i know in our swipe and run culture this practice has fallen largely out of favor... i can't even remember the last time someone asked to see my ID when i paid with plastic. nevertheless, it is for the cardholder's protection, plain and simple. well... i got ripped apart today for requesting to see a lady's driver's license. she apparently thought that by my asking to see ID i was implying the credit card she'd handed me wasn't hers' and that i thought she was a thief. lots of people are turned off by it but this lady hit the roof. i don't want to make too big a habit of cussing on my blog so i'm not gonna publish exactly what she said but let me assure you it was the most brutal experience i've had with a customer in my entire life. EVER! i actually had to leave the sales floor, go around to the back of the building, and cry for a minute. i'm one tough cookie, believe me. it was just that damn bad.
on top of that, i am one of the nicest, most professional, helpful, and knowledgeable people when it comes to the ins and outs of this particular industry. i know my job and i do it well. my designs and craftsmanship are both flawlessly stunning. that's just the simple truth. this chic was obviously having a bad day (possibly a bad month) and decided to take it out on me. it happens. but it doesn't make it okay.
by the time she left the shop, i could see she was starting to feel pretty ashamed of herself. other customers were staring at her in horror and disgust and i didn't lose my cool (until i was outside and out of view)... and you know, she should feel ashamed of herself. the crap that she said to me was not only needless but heartless. maybe one day when her credit card turns up missing she'll learn this lesson the hard way and feel thankful for honest people like me who care enough to check IDs... until then, she's out in the world giving hell to worker-bees that are just trying to do a good job. stupid.
i guess it's needless to say that i'm so relieved to be off the clock and back at home.
my day-job is in custom framing. as with any type of custom work, it can get pretty expensive pretty fast. and due largely to the rise of identity and credit theft in this country over the past decade, the company i work for mandates that i ask for an ID whenever someone wants to pay by credit card.
now, i know in our swipe and run culture this practice has fallen largely out of favor... i can't even remember the last time someone asked to see my ID when i paid with plastic. nevertheless, it is for the cardholder's protection, plain and simple. well... i got ripped apart today for requesting to see a lady's driver's license. she apparently thought that by my asking to see ID i was implying the credit card she'd handed me wasn't hers' and that i thought she was a thief. lots of people are turned off by it but this lady hit the roof. i don't want to make too big a habit of cussing on my blog so i'm not gonna publish exactly what she said but let me assure you it was the most brutal experience i've had with a customer in my entire life. EVER! i actually had to leave the sales floor, go around to the back of the building, and cry for a minute. i'm one tough cookie, believe me. it was just that damn bad.
on top of that, i am one of the nicest, most professional, helpful, and knowledgeable people when it comes to the ins and outs of this particular industry. i know my job and i do it well. my designs and craftsmanship are both flawlessly stunning. that's just the simple truth. this chic was obviously having a bad day (possibly a bad month) and decided to take it out on me. it happens. but it doesn't make it okay.
by the time she left the shop, i could see she was starting to feel pretty ashamed of herself. other customers were staring at her in horror and disgust and i didn't lose my cool (until i was outside and out of view)... and you know, she should feel ashamed of herself. the crap that she said to me was not only needless but heartless. maybe one day when her credit card turns up missing she'll learn this lesson the hard way and feel thankful for honest people like me who care enough to check IDs... until then, she's out in the world giving hell to worker-bees that are just trying to do a good job. stupid.
i guess it's needless to say that i'm so relieved to be off the clock and back at home.
Jan 23, 2009
diary...
i've got a morning wake-up ritual that is working wonders for me, let me tell ya. i get up, put the coffee on, and grab my notebook and pen. i spend the first hour (at least) of my day writing. no matter how early i've got to get up, i get up early enough to do this. it helps me whittle down the plans for my day so that i don't try to take on too much, but it also gives me a hefty confidence boost to try things that i'm daunted by or scared of. largely, the morning writing time serves as a jumbo pep-talk and encourages me to maintain my focus, continue doing the work i'm doing, and not to feel defeated by circumstance.
right away, i started writing about the new painting i started and just art stuff in general. i've been feeling a bit discouraged with oil painting specifically lately, and writing about my frustrations really clarified a few things for me.
not to keep harping on the color issue, but it's really been bothering me and choking my practice as a whole. this is part of the rant i wrote this morning:
"...the important thing is to get painting again. obviously, the turn to color hasn't worked for me and i need to get back to what feels right. i just want to work... do GOOD work and not worry about anything else. black and white is where my heart is and it took me a long time to get to this place with my work. i hated my paintings for too many years to welcome that horrible feeling back. i simply do not like colorful paintings and i don't want to make them. that's not what my work needs, it's not what my subject matter is about, it's just not where i'm at right now. i want to make big, beautiful, black oil paintings that are sincere, intimate in spite of scale, maybe a bit hard to look at sometimes but stunning nevertheless... haunting and invasive. i don't want to sugar coat my work. it's not about making pretty pictures. it never has been. it's about honoring the subject. it's about doing what's right for the work. it's about Jon Benet Ramsey and Shura Hughes. It's about Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath. it's about my sibling's childhood, my childhood, my 5 year old nephew... it's about longing and loss and trauma and searching out a genuine comfort. it's about becoming safe, being okay. it's about resilience. it's about trusting the path, trusting that GOOD really does exist. it's about clearing away the rubble and making a home, finding poetry in the smallest, darkest corners. it's about practicing compassion and cultivating opportunities for understanding and affection. it's about coming to terms with harshness, dealing with it as a fact, and getting through it. it's about stopping the horror... it's about so much more than whether or not i paint in color. it's not about decor or pleasantries. the work isn't meant to be polite, it's meant to be sincere... and that's not nearly the same thing. not even close..."
after that, i went directly to my little studio and got to work. i put down a layer of paint on the new canvas and then forced myself to stop - respect the process - but i was still so in love with the act of painting at that point that i went back to work on the big ol' yellow painting i started months ago. i'd turned it to face the wall because i was so utterly frustrated by the painting that even looking at it seemed to leech any kernel of enthusiasm i may have had for oil painting. but today, i took my own advice about going back to my beloved black and white aesthetic and white-washed the entire painting. talk about working wonders. i was able to see the painting's potential again. i worked on it for hours and it's finally starting to morph in to a painting i'm excited by and love looking at. break-through! yay! the power of a diary. sometimes just getting it out, down on paper, is the only tool a person needs.
right away, i started writing about the new painting i started and just art stuff in general. i've been feeling a bit discouraged with oil painting specifically lately, and writing about my frustrations really clarified a few things for me.
not to keep harping on the color issue, but it's really been bothering me and choking my practice as a whole. this is part of the rant i wrote this morning:
"...the important thing is to get painting again. obviously, the turn to color hasn't worked for me and i need to get back to what feels right. i just want to work... do GOOD work and not worry about anything else. black and white is where my heart is and it took me a long time to get to this place with my work. i hated my paintings for too many years to welcome that horrible feeling back. i simply do not like colorful paintings and i don't want to make them. that's not what my work needs, it's not what my subject matter is about, it's just not where i'm at right now. i want to make big, beautiful, black oil paintings that are sincere, intimate in spite of scale, maybe a bit hard to look at sometimes but stunning nevertheless... haunting and invasive. i don't want to sugar coat my work. it's not about making pretty pictures. it never has been. it's about honoring the subject. it's about doing what's right for the work. it's about Jon Benet Ramsey and Shura Hughes. It's about Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath. it's about my sibling's childhood, my childhood, my 5 year old nephew... it's about longing and loss and trauma and searching out a genuine comfort. it's about becoming safe, being okay. it's about resilience. it's about trusting the path, trusting that GOOD really does exist. it's about clearing away the rubble and making a home, finding poetry in the smallest, darkest corners. it's about practicing compassion and cultivating opportunities for understanding and affection. it's about coming to terms with harshness, dealing with it as a fact, and getting through it. it's about stopping the horror... it's about so much more than whether or not i paint in color. it's not about decor or pleasantries. the work isn't meant to be polite, it's meant to be sincere... and that's not nearly the same thing. not even close..."
after that, i went directly to my little studio and got to work. i put down a layer of paint on the new canvas and then forced myself to stop - respect the process - but i was still so in love with the act of painting at that point that i went back to work on the big ol' yellow painting i started months ago. i'd turned it to face the wall because i was so utterly frustrated by the painting that even looking at it seemed to leech any kernel of enthusiasm i may have had for oil painting. but today, i took my own advice about going back to my beloved black and white aesthetic and white-washed the entire painting. talk about working wonders. i was able to see the painting's potential again. i worked on it for hours and it's finally starting to morph in to a painting i'm excited by and love looking at. break-through! yay! the power of a diary. sometimes just getting it out, down on paper, is the only tool a person needs.
Jan 22, 2009
today...
8 hours on my feet = sore feet. :) but such is the life of a girl with big goals. i've gotten quite good at keeping my eye on the prize, throwing myself in to the task at hand, and shrugging off annoyances, nay-saying, and rejection. no matter what, i keep on trying, keep on plugging away, and i never loosen my grip on my master plan. it makes walking in the front door, finally home from a long day's work, so damn wonderful. my dog jumps around, wagging her tail so hard i fear she'll snap her spine, and fanatically licking in the air trying to reach my face. my sweetie gives me a hug and a kiss and asks about my day. all normal stuff that, for a very long time, i didn't have. there was a pretty long stretch when coming home wasn't a relief. it was something i dreaded... but we won't get in to that sort of stuff here. all this to say, i enjoy the simplicity of pulling up in the driveway and walking in to a warm, welcoming, art-filled home. i am thankful for it and amazed by it. the sore feet are merely a little reminder that i've done what i can to protect what i've got. and being met with an invitation to exhibit some work was definitely the cherry on top. nice! i'll post more about that in the coming weeks. all in all, everything is going pretty good these days.
Jan 21, 2009
10 minutes before leaving for work...
yesterday was awesome: the inauguration, the parade, the dancing... and a big, fat, welcome sign of relief. i agree with the president's assertion that this is just the beginning, that the real work begins now - and his smile and the love that he and michelle showcase for one another feeds my drive, helps me feel resilient and hopeful, gives me a healthy serving of gumption and will. it is a brand new day and i'm happy to see it, have it, use it.
i didn't paint at all yesterday. i'd decided the night before that i wouldn't work on the new painting, i'd let it sit. i wanted to take the time to look, to just be around the work, to enjoy the day and gather a few new experiences, a few new insights, get the paint out of my eyes in a way and see passed my own desires... there's something to be said for slowing down, realizing where you are and feeling glad about it: the possibilities and opportunities around you. i'll work on the painting again tonight, brew a pot of coffee and stay up late... take my time and be cognizant of what a massive privilege it is to paint. not everyone has time to give to a pursuit like this. not everyone can afford the leisure of sitting around considering their emotions, the influences present in their lives, the goals they have, and the message they'd like to send. not everyone has the time to lay paint down carefully, consider the nuances, enjoy the process of creation and introspection. time is a wonderful asset to have. i am one lucky girl:
lucky to be a painter, lucky to have a job AND a day-job, lucky to live in a safe place, lucky to be building a warm and loving family of my own, lucky to have such a wonderfully supportive network of people around me... lucky to spend my morning writing.
i didn't paint at all yesterday. i'd decided the night before that i wouldn't work on the new painting, i'd let it sit. i wanted to take the time to look, to just be around the work, to enjoy the day and gather a few new experiences, a few new insights, get the paint out of my eyes in a way and see passed my own desires... there's something to be said for slowing down, realizing where you are and feeling glad about it: the possibilities and opportunities around you. i'll work on the painting again tonight, brew a pot of coffee and stay up late... take my time and be cognizant of what a massive privilege it is to paint. not everyone has time to give to a pursuit like this. not everyone can afford the leisure of sitting around considering their emotions, the influences present in their lives, the goals they have, and the message they'd like to send. not everyone has the time to lay paint down carefully, consider the nuances, enjoy the process of creation and introspection. time is a wonderful asset to have. i am one lucky girl:
lucky to be a painter, lucky to have a job AND a day-job, lucky to live in a safe place, lucky to be building a warm and loving family of my own, lucky to have such a wonderfully supportive network of people around me... lucky to spend my morning writing.
Jan 20, 2009
Jan 19, 2009
i couldn't help it, i swear...
hi all! sorry i missed you yesterday - my sweetie and i both had the day off from work and i just wanted to spend the day with him completely and without any interruption of any kind. we had a great day together.
today, i went in to the shop for a bit and then came home and got back to work on the new painting. i'm taking it slow, spending alot of time just looking and standing back from the canvas, letting the work breathe and paying close attention to the direction it's pointing me in. it feels good to be working in oils again. it seems like it's been a long time but i guess it really hasn't been... just been a bit since i made an oil painting i really liked. i started putting a rush on the last few canvasses and that was definitely the problem. since i work in layers of stains, patience is an extremely important "material" in my practice: i've got to let each individual layer dry before i move on to the next. i sorta didn't do that with the last few and, as you can see, there's not anything to show because of it. the paintings moved in a strange direction (due to my impatience) that i honestly didn't like at all and ended up killing my initial inspirations an intentions. lesson learned: slow down kid, don't get ahead of yourself.
it's martin luther king day today too. every year, i get pretty bummed out on this day. a strange brew of hope, gratitude, and sadness. NPR was playing the I HAVE A DREAM speech on my drive home and it brings tears to my eyes every time...
but tomorrow is Obama's inauguration and i am so glad to see the day finally arrive. i am so thankful to all the people who voted with me, who want to see some real change take place, and who believe in openness, compassion, concern, and integrity of character. i'll be parked in front of the television for most of the day tomorrow. i'm so excited to see my new president be sworn in to office.
today, i went in to the shop for a bit and then came home and got back to work on the new painting. i'm taking it slow, spending alot of time just looking and standing back from the canvas, letting the work breathe and paying close attention to the direction it's pointing me in. it feels good to be working in oils again. it seems like it's been a long time but i guess it really hasn't been... just been a bit since i made an oil painting i really liked. i started putting a rush on the last few canvasses and that was definitely the problem. since i work in layers of stains, patience is an extremely important "material" in my practice: i've got to let each individual layer dry before i move on to the next. i sorta didn't do that with the last few and, as you can see, there's not anything to show because of it. the paintings moved in a strange direction (due to my impatience) that i honestly didn't like at all and ended up killing my initial inspirations an intentions. lesson learned: slow down kid, don't get ahead of yourself.
it's martin luther king day today too. every year, i get pretty bummed out on this day. a strange brew of hope, gratitude, and sadness. NPR was playing the I HAVE A DREAM speech on my drive home and it brings tears to my eyes every time...
but tomorrow is Obama's inauguration and i am so glad to see the day finally arrive. i am so thankful to all the people who voted with me, who want to see some real change take place, and who believe in openness, compassion, concern, and integrity of character. i'll be parked in front of the television for most of the day tomorrow. i'm so excited to see my new president be sworn in to office.
Jan 17, 2009
yawn and stretch and yawn...
long day. i am worn out. thankfully though, i had a pretty fun day at work. i got to design the framing for a rad screen print and two awesome photographs. simply beautiful and i was given the go ahead to do whatever i thought was best for the work. i can't wait to see what they look like once all the materials arrive. the lady who placed the order was so sweet and excited. her son's in art school right now and she just went on and on about how proud she is of him for following his dreams and that she thinks (and has always thought) artists are just the most wonderful people in the world. it really warmed my heart... especially to see a parent so supportive of their child's art education and career. parents like that are in the definite minority, sadly.
anyway, i just got done eating a HUGE bowl of spaghetti. my sweetheart had it waiting for me when i walked in the door. and now, with a full belly and sore feet, i'm ready to hop in my pajamas, laze around the house a bit, and then tuck myself in bed. no work tomorrow and i plan on sleeping in as late as i want. no alarm clocks for this girl... at least for one day. :)
anyway, i just got done eating a HUGE bowl of spaghetti. my sweetheart had it waiting for me when i walked in the door. and now, with a full belly and sore feet, i'm ready to hop in my pajamas, laze around the house a bit, and then tuck myself in bed. no work tomorrow and i plan on sleeping in as late as i want. no alarm clocks for this girl... at least for one day. :)
Jan 16, 2009
at home...
another great day today guys! that's like... 14 good days in a row now. ever since the new year arrived i've just been feeling at the top of my game, hopeful, driven, and happy.
i shipped the embroidered territories off to chicago today (YAY!), went for a nice long hike in the vineyards outside calistoga, and spent the last 2 or so hours working on the new painting. it's really coming along quite nicely. so nicely, in fact, that the fear of messing up has kicked in... which isn't really a good thing. you tend not to take risks and make discoveries when you get too precious about whatever it is you're working on. at least i do. i'm just gonna have to shrug it off and keep going.
i also got these super sweet and creepy broken porcelain dolls i ordered in the mail today:
(photo courtesy of FOUNDLINGS)
they are so precious! instant keepsakes! i got them from FOUNDLINGS if you're interested in getting yourself something along these lines. shelley, the sweetheart who runs the shop, is so kind and shipped these to me so quickly. her shop is full of strange things and she's got a wonderful eye for romantic objects with a history.
i also listed a few new pieces at little black fences, my shop. its really starting to pull together. the shop is curated pretty well and is heading in a direction that i'm kinda proud of. and with 28 or so pieces in the inventory, i think i'm pretty well stocked. let me know what you think. critique is always welcome.
i'm gonna head back in to the studio for a bit more painting before i curl up with my book and my man-piece.
hope everyone is safe and feeling happy.
angela
i shipped the embroidered territories off to chicago today (YAY!), went for a nice long hike in the vineyards outside calistoga, and spent the last 2 or so hours working on the new painting. it's really coming along quite nicely. so nicely, in fact, that the fear of messing up has kicked in... which isn't really a good thing. you tend not to take risks and make discoveries when you get too precious about whatever it is you're working on. at least i do. i'm just gonna have to shrug it off and keep going.
i also got these super sweet and creepy broken porcelain dolls i ordered in the mail today:
(photo courtesy of FOUNDLINGS)
they are so precious! instant keepsakes! i got them from FOUNDLINGS if you're interested in getting yourself something along these lines. shelley, the sweetheart who runs the shop, is so kind and shipped these to me so quickly. her shop is full of strange things and she's got a wonderful eye for romantic objects with a history.
i also listed a few new pieces at little black fences, my shop. its really starting to pull together. the shop is curated pretty well and is heading in a direction that i'm kinda proud of. and with 28 or so pieces in the inventory, i think i'm pretty well stocked. let me know what you think. critique is always welcome.
i'm gonna head back in to the studio for a bit more painting before i curl up with my book and my man-piece.
hope everyone is safe and feeling happy.
angela
oops!
so... it's 1:45 on friday morning but it's still pretty much thursday night for me, so... as long as i post again, i'm gonna go ahead and say that i didn't mess up on my daily blogging resolution. :) excuse? i lost track of time. i got sucked in to vh1 reality tv again. lame, i know, i just can't turn away from that drama sometimes! it's just all so over the top and ridiculous and not based in reality at all! gotta love that trash television. i swear, it's like crack. i know it's bad, it's not something i want to admit to but i just keep on going back for more. my favorite of the new shows so far has got to be the tool academy. it's so damn tragic and just plain silly... that it's almost endearing. i don't know, its just mind-numbing fun to get lost in when it comes right down to it.
anyway, i finally got to work on a new painting. there's even a bit of subtle color in it. i feel good about it and i'm excited to see where it leads me. i'm not trying to force the painting to be something it's not and the scale totally suits the subject. i can't wait to share it with you guys but it'll be a few weeks - i want to take it slow and make a point of enjoying the process of painting. the detour i took by leaping so quickly into a more colorful palette really choked my practice. i need to proceed with caution and not second-guess my default aesthetics anymore. if it ain't broke...
anyway, i finally got to work on a new painting. there's even a bit of subtle color in it. i feel good about it and i'm excited to see where it leads me. i'm not trying to force the painting to be something it's not and the scale totally suits the subject. i can't wait to share it with you guys but it'll be a few weeks - i want to take it slow and make a point of enjoying the process of painting. the detour i took by leaping so quickly into a more colorful palette really choked my practice. i need to proceed with caution and not second-guess my default aesthetics anymore. if it ain't broke...
Jan 14, 2009
YAY!
i am having a wonderful day guys! wonderful! i woke up today and there was an email from a gallery owner that i'm completely enthralled with. we've been in conversation for about a month now, here and there, sending images and talking a bit of shop... and my signed and dated contract for representation is right here on my lap! YAY! i'll be sending the work off to her in chicago on friday and the pieces should appear on the website shortly after that - a home for my embroidered territories! i'll let the cat out of the bag as to what gallery it is as soon as the work is received but let me just say that i am overjoyed and completely honored. the artists that have been curated in to her gallery have such a wonderful and thoughtful and sensitive approach to art-making. she's found artists that, since discovering the gallery, have become fast favorites of mine and whose work has become entirely inspirational. i'm sorta speechless about the whole thing really. i mean... wow. i'll post about it again when the work becomes available and is online. i'm just so damn happy!
and THEN, one of the paintings i've got at my shop was featured on Etsy's front page today!
untitled (angela's backyard)
11" x 10"
gouache on paper
2008
YAY AGAIN! WOOHOO! i know it seems like a bit of an oddball in terms of what my work generally looks like - a bit more light-hearted, i suppose - but it's just so nice to be complimented that way.
all sorts of feathers in my cap lately... this year is off to a wonderful start and i just feel so humble and thankful.
and THEN, one of the paintings i've got at my shop was featured on Etsy's front page today!
untitled (angela's backyard)
11" x 10"
gouache on paper
2008
YAY AGAIN! WOOHOO! i know it seems like a bit of an oddball in terms of what my work generally looks like - a bit more light-hearted, i suppose - but it's just so nice to be complimented that way.
all sorts of feathers in my cap lately... this year is off to a wonderful start and i just feel so humble and thankful.
Jan 13, 2009
today...
just taking a short break from gessoing some canvas to make a pot of coffee. i plan on being up quite late tonight getting some much missed painting done... or at least spend some time wrestling with those dreadful canvasses i turned around to face the wall. i guess i'll find out soon enough exactly how in the mood i am for a fight. good thing i'm not so easily defeated when it comes to this whole painting thing. :)
i've got the house to myself, i've been working on one art-related thing or another all day, and am feeling pretty at peace since the new year finally crawled out of hiding and wrapped its big, fat, hopeful arms around me.
i visited Martin Showroom to day in St. Helena - what a jewel of a gallery! i mean, wow. drop dead gorgeous. every object, painting, item, curiosity in the place was stunning. everything was a work of art, even the pile of rope that welcomed me at the front door. whoever the buyer/owner/curator/person is for this joint proves the point that curation is an art in its own right. all the work on display was of such a high caliber, completely thought-provoking AND thoughtful - my kind of place. and that's to say nothing of the predominantly black and white, grey and beige aesthetic that encompassed the gallery. :) put a bounce in my step for sure. it always feels so great to find a gallery that you understand the intentions and concerns of. the website doesn't do any justice to the actual venue. if you'll be in wine country any time soon, swing through. you won't be disappointed, it's absolutely bone-chillingly beautiful in there. it reminded me so much of Ashes and Milk (another one of my personal favorites and cause of uncontrollable drooling).
i've got the house to myself, i've been working on one art-related thing or another all day, and am feeling pretty at peace since the new year finally crawled out of hiding and wrapped its big, fat, hopeful arms around me.
i visited Martin Showroom to day in St. Helena - what a jewel of a gallery! i mean, wow. drop dead gorgeous. every object, painting, item, curiosity in the place was stunning. everything was a work of art, even the pile of rope that welcomed me at the front door. whoever the buyer/owner/curator/person is for this joint proves the point that curation is an art in its own right. all the work on display was of such a high caliber, completely thought-provoking AND thoughtful - my kind of place. and that's to say nothing of the predominantly black and white, grey and beige aesthetic that encompassed the gallery. :) put a bounce in my step for sure. it always feels so great to find a gallery that you understand the intentions and concerns of. the website doesn't do any justice to the actual venue. if you'll be in wine country any time soon, swing through. you won't be disappointed, it's absolutely bone-chillingly beautiful in there. it reminded me so much of Ashes and Milk (another one of my personal favorites and cause of uncontrollable drooling).
Jan 12, 2009
simple pleasures...
finally home from a long, but good, days' work. my feet hurt and eyes are tired but i've got a big bowl of italian wedding soup in front on me (YUM!) and the rest of the night free to do with as i please.
i started a BIG embroidered territory last night and am eager to get a little bit done everyday. it is going to take a long time. really long. but it'll be gorgeous once it's done and i enjoy working on it regardless.
i've also got The Magic Toyshop to curl back up with tonight in bed. it is so good - exactly the kind of strange, gothic fairytale i was craving and amazingly well written. the first chapter - the imagery of Melanie wandering the night in her mother's wedding dress, too big for her 15 year old self, with cut up feet from the stones and thorns - was simply beautiful and spooky and charming. i feel instantly in love with this story from the first page. i'll write a book report for you guys once i finish. :) maybe.
i've got the next two days off from work so i'll have plenty of time to indulge my quaint desires as well as catch up on some long forgotten laundry and bumming around a few galleries. tonight though, i'm going to make myself a pot of coffee, wake back up, and get to work for the next few hours. maybe i'll do the days dishes. ah, probably not.
i started a BIG embroidered territory last night and am eager to get a little bit done everyday. it is going to take a long time. really long. but it'll be gorgeous once it's done and i enjoy working on it regardless.
i've also got The Magic Toyshop to curl back up with tonight in bed. it is so good - exactly the kind of strange, gothic fairytale i was craving and amazingly well written. the first chapter - the imagery of Melanie wandering the night in her mother's wedding dress, too big for her 15 year old self, with cut up feet from the stones and thorns - was simply beautiful and spooky and charming. i feel instantly in love with this story from the first page. i'll write a book report for you guys once i finish. :) maybe.
i've got the next two days off from work so i'll have plenty of time to indulge my quaint desires as well as catch up on some long forgotten laundry and bumming around a few galleries. tonight though, i'm going to make myself a pot of coffee, wake back up, and get to work for the next few hours. maybe i'll do the days dishes. ah, probably not.
Jan 11, 2009
simple...
about two weeks ago, my buddy eddie suggested that i cut myself a little stamp of the fences so that i could play around with the image at a much faster pace. i ended up getting that done on new years eve and have been having quite a bit of fun. he was completely right. being able to work with this image at a much more accelerated pace has been so beneficial - figuring out a lot quicker what's working and what's not.
here's one of the prints i made a few days ago; one of the first pieces of 2009:
untitled
11" x 15"
one of a kind print
2009
detail
it's so simple but also such an iconic image. the humble approach to making this piece lends it an elegance and beauty that i was pretty surprised by. my love of minimalism is showing again but i don't care. sometimes what's simplest is best and i really like this piece. i just listed it in the shop, just in case you like it as much as i do.
here's one of the prints i made a few days ago; one of the first pieces of 2009:
untitled
11" x 15"
one of a kind print
2009
detail
it's so simple but also such an iconic image. the humble approach to making this piece lends it an elegance and beauty that i was pretty surprised by. my love of minimalism is showing again but i don't care. sometimes what's simplest is best and i really like this piece. i just listed it in the shop, just in case you like it as much as i do.
Jan 10, 2009
hijinks and such... rush, rush, rush!
dang! just making it, once again crawling under the wire. i met my sweetie and a few of his buddies at the bar down the road after work tonight and then, thanks to being super easily distracted due to two heavy handed sapphire and tonics, i got wrapped up in making us a late dinner and just realized i had yet to post on my blog today. jamie vasta is one thing, drunken dinner making is quite another: no excuses, get to work and get it done, girl. anyway, the thing i'm most excited by today is that the new issue of wicked alice is finally out! YAY! jump on it poetry buffs and let this old, romantic heart know what you think. i'll be up late reading too, fueled by gin and a huge soft spot for women poets. cheers bitches, angela
Jan 9, 2009
Here you go, Alanna...
i had such a wonderful time yesterday! eddie and i spent the majority of our time laughing like crazy and talking trash (as usual) and made some art of our own at his studio before taking off to go to the 1st Thursday Receptions.
The jewel of the evening was undoubtedly Jamie Vasta's new work at Patricia Sweetow Gallery. amazing! stunning! i've been following her work since i first found out about her last year. she instantly made the top 5 in my list of all-time favorite artists and her new show not only held her spot, it reinforced it, underlined it, highlighted it, shoot... carved it in stone! her work is not only breath-takingly beautiful, but so damn smart that when i'm in the same room as her work i really do feel like i am in the presence of greatness. do i sound like a groupie yet? ha! which is funny seeing as how last night i actually got to meet Jamie (turns out we've got a mutual friend), and the first thing that comes tumbling out of my mouth is... "so i'm such a big, horrible groupie when it comes to your art!" AHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT A NERD! SHIT!!!! i am totally kicking myself today for not maintaining my cool around her or at least being a little more smooth than THAT! geez. hopefully, she took it as the compliment it was intended to be and i'll remind myself to never, ever, under ANY circumstance, EVER refer to myself as a groupie to ANYONE, EVER! i swear, i get geekier by the minute. haha!
a lot of the other galleries seemed to have the same stuff up that they did a month ago so there's not much else to talk about in terms of this particular reception night. besides, who really cares when we can talk about Jamie Vasta some more instead? :) ha!
anyway, all this to say that we had a wonderful night. we even ran in to some friendly CCA faces that i haven't seen since graduation. we had the whole High Distinction Club there for a minute (minus, of course Mrs. Alanna! BOO!). we drank too much wine, or at least i did, and we talked with almost everyone we happened to be in the same room with. a very cool night, very cool indeed. i hope everyone else who made it had as great a time as i did and if you haven't made it out yet, GO! it is definitely worth it, i promise!
The jewel of the evening was undoubtedly Jamie Vasta's new work at Patricia Sweetow Gallery. amazing! stunning! i've been following her work since i first found out about her last year. she instantly made the top 5 in my list of all-time favorite artists and her new show not only held her spot, it reinforced it, underlined it, highlighted it, shoot... carved it in stone! her work is not only breath-takingly beautiful, but so damn smart that when i'm in the same room as her work i really do feel like i am in the presence of greatness. do i sound like a groupie yet? ha! which is funny seeing as how last night i actually got to meet Jamie (turns out we've got a mutual friend), and the first thing that comes tumbling out of my mouth is... "so i'm such a big, horrible groupie when it comes to your art!" AHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT A NERD! SHIT!!!! i am totally kicking myself today for not maintaining my cool around her or at least being a little more smooth than THAT! geez. hopefully, she took it as the compliment it was intended to be and i'll remind myself to never, ever, under ANY circumstance, EVER refer to myself as a groupie to ANYONE, EVER! i swear, i get geekier by the minute. haha!
a lot of the other galleries seemed to have the same stuff up that they did a month ago so there's not much else to talk about in terms of this particular reception night. besides, who really cares when we can talk about Jamie Vasta some more instead? :) ha!
anyway, all this to say that we had a wonderful night. we even ran in to some friendly CCA faces that i haven't seen since graduation. we had the whole High Distinction Club there for a minute (minus, of course Mrs. Alanna! BOO!). we drank too much wine, or at least i did, and we talked with almost everyone we happened to be in the same room with. a very cool night, very cool indeed. i hope everyone else who made it had as great a time as i did and if you haven't made it out yet, GO! it is definitely worth it, i promise!
Jan 7, 2009
bookish and hopeful...
heather left a few hours ago. she came up for a quick little holiday. we had our coffee fueled slumber party and talked about poetry. i read her one of the poems i've been working on for the last few weeks and i was so happy she liked it. she also helped me identify that i'm getting really ahead of myself by even wondering what "the public" would think of them. i shouldn't be thinking about that end of things at all, at least not at the stage i'm at.
all i need to be concerned with at this point is doing the work itself, learning this craft, and trying my hardest to give the poems the patience and time they require. so that's what i'm gonna do. i'm so interested in poetry and in utilizing it somehow in my larger art practice that i really do need to just calm down and do the work. it's such a wonderful art form and i'd love to be good at it. sometimes, my impatience runs away with me because i want to be good at it RIGHT NOW; but then i remember the long years i spent making paintings i could hardly stand to look at and i realize that it's gonna take time and it's gonna take a diligent, focused, concern on my part to get the work to a place that i can feel proud of. i only started making paintings that i actually liked about 3 years ago. until that point, i honestly couldn't stand my own work. but you guys have already heard that story. anyway, the point is i need to relax and just enjoy the learning process and, to an extent, be a romantic about it: write for myself alone. and i like that idea.
heather helped a lot and i so enjoy our visits together. she's the only friend i've got that has a larger than average appreciation for poetry and it's wonderful to have someone to talk with about poetry-related concerns. plus, she writes too and our visits have a definite workshop component that is so helpful to both of us. it's good to have this with another person.
we also went on a drive to explore the city and found a new used bookstore. i spend way more money than i intended to but i got some great stuff. the book i'm most excited about diving in to is Angela Carter's The Magic Toyshop. i've been in the mood for something more macabre these days and haven't been able to find a book that satisfies that desire. heather said this book should do the trick and smiled wide: a very good sign. :)
she also spent more money than she wanted to but at least it went to books. it's always been pretty hard for me to feel bad about spending money on them (sorry sweetie). i've long since outgrown my two huge bookcases and don't have the space right now for a third. i have small piles of books cropping up around my bed and in my studio but i can't say that i really mind. just being around books make me one happy girl. i was born with a hopelessly romantic fascination with books and words and records and writing. i can't help it. i love all things literary. not the worst attraction one could have, right?
and in art news, tomorrow is 'reception night' in San Francisco. i will definitely be making the rounds, looking at all the new work and drinking wine. my buddy eddie is my date so i'm sure once we get to our second glass, we'll be fluent in art speak and snobbing it up for all the eavesdroppers. i'll apologize now for all the jargon you may in fact be subjected too if you stumble across us. ha! but i hope everyone will be making the rounds tomorrow night as well. it's just such an important and thoughtful thing to do to show some support for your local art community... and we artists really appreciate it too.
all i need to be concerned with at this point is doing the work itself, learning this craft, and trying my hardest to give the poems the patience and time they require. so that's what i'm gonna do. i'm so interested in poetry and in utilizing it somehow in my larger art practice that i really do need to just calm down and do the work. it's such a wonderful art form and i'd love to be good at it. sometimes, my impatience runs away with me because i want to be good at it RIGHT NOW; but then i remember the long years i spent making paintings i could hardly stand to look at and i realize that it's gonna take time and it's gonna take a diligent, focused, concern on my part to get the work to a place that i can feel proud of. i only started making paintings that i actually liked about 3 years ago. until that point, i honestly couldn't stand my own work. but you guys have already heard that story. anyway, the point is i need to relax and just enjoy the learning process and, to an extent, be a romantic about it: write for myself alone. and i like that idea.
heather helped a lot and i so enjoy our visits together. she's the only friend i've got that has a larger than average appreciation for poetry and it's wonderful to have someone to talk with about poetry-related concerns. plus, she writes too and our visits have a definite workshop component that is so helpful to both of us. it's good to have this with another person.
we also went on a drive to explore the city and found a new used bookstore. i spend way more money than i intended to but i got some great stuff. the book i'm most excited about diving in to is Angela Carter's The Magic Toyshop. i've been in the mood for something more macabre these days and haven't been able to find a book that satisfies that desire. heather said this book should do the trick and smiled wide: a very good sign. :)
she also spent more money than she wanted to but at least it went to books. it's always been pretty hard for me to feel bad about spending money on them (sorry sweetie). i've long since outgrown my two huge bookcases and don't have the space right now for a third. i have small piles of books cropping up around my bed and in my studio but i can't say that i really mind. just being around books make me one happy girl. i was born with a hopelessly romantic fascination with books and words and records and writing. i can't help it. i love all things literary. not the worst attraction one could have, right?
and in art news, tomorrow is 'reception night' in San Francisco. i will definitely be making the rounds, looking at all the new work and drinking wine. my buddy eddie is my date so i'm sure once we get to our second glass, we'll be fluent in art speak and snobbing it up for all the eavesdroppers. i'll apologize now for all the jargon you may in fact be subjected too if you stumble across us. ha! but i hope everyone will be making the rounds tomorrow night as well. it's just such an important and thoughtful thing to do to show some support for your local art community... and we artists really appreciate it too.
Jan 6, 2009
there's just something about black and white...
i know, i know... i'm supposed to be trying for a bit of color inclusion in my work these days but, honestly, i'm getting ready to just scrap that idea completely. at least for now. it's just not the right time. my heart's just not in it and i feel like it's pretty apparent. and one thing is for certain, i never want to fall in to that horrible habit of doing work just to do it or satisfy someone else's desires. the work, at very least, needs to be sincere. good or bad, it doesn't matter as long as sincerity is evident in the work. and that's not something that can be faked.
and at this point, the reason i've not posted any of the more recent oil paintings is because well... there aren't any to show. they are all half-finished, half-hearted attempts to move away from my beloved black and white and i just can't keep moving in that direction. that is a shift that needs to happen naturally in the course of my practice and i'm just not there yet. i am more interested in exploring the subtleties of color, the way a black and white approach can suggest color, than actual using color. i'm sure than sounds a bit strange or nonsensical but it's where i'm at with this work. dealing with the huge issues of loss and trauma, and their influence within the identity project, just feels a bit contrary to color... at least at this stage of the game.
i'm happy with my black ink and black paint. i'm happy with my white thread and white paper. the work has an elegance to it which is a wonderful surprise considering the somewhat sad nature of the ideas being explored. i'm completely satisfied with the works on paper and the redaction pieces and i need to trust the work and follow it's lead.
even something as simple as this piece...
"pictured window"
6" x 3 3/4"
redacted book page
2008
...speaks so beautifully and elegantly about loss (and the poetry that can be found within the event of loss) that i feel compelled to keep up my current approach to exploring these ideas. i feel like i am on the right track here and i'm excited to see where it takes me. process has become an ever-increasingly important aspect of my practice that even the silliest experiments in the studio end up being such a thoughtful and genuine experience that i'm inclined to stop second-guessing my instincts.
p.s. lots of new stuff in the shop these days. everything from doll collections to home invasions to redoute-inspired botanicals. check it out when you've got a few minutes and let me know what you think. thanks!
and at this point, the reason i've not posted any of the more recent oil paintings is because well... there aren't any to show. they are all half-finished, half-hearted attempts to move away from my beloved black and white and i just can't keep moving in that direction. that is a shift that needs to happen naturally in the course of my practice and i'm just not there yet. i am more interested in exploring the subtleties of color, the way a black and white approach can suggest color, than actual using color. i'm sure than sounds a bit strange or nonsensical but it's where i'm at with this work. dealing with the huge issues of loss and trauma, and their influence within the identity project, just feels a bit contrary to color... at least at this stage of the game.
i'm happy with my black ink and black paint. i'm happy with my white thread and white paper. the work has an elegance to it which is a wonderful surprise considering the somewhat sad nature of the ideas being explored. i'm completely satisfied with the works on paper and the redaction pieces and i need to trust the work and follow it's lead.
even something as simple as this piece...
"pictured window"
6" x 3 3/4"
redacted book page
2008
...speaks so beautifully and elegantly about loss (and the poetry that can be found within the event of loss) that i feel compelled to keep up my current approach to exploring these ideas. i feel like i am on the right track here and i'm excited to see where it takes me. process has become an ever-increasingly important aspect of my practice that even the silliest experiments in the studio end up being such a thoughtful and genuine experience that i'm inclined to stop second-guessing my instincts.
p.s. lots of new stuff in the shop these days. everything from doll collections to home invasions to redoute-inspired botanicals. check it out when you've got a few minutes and let me know what you think. thanks!
Jan 5, 2009
6 minutes til midnight...
no where near tired but just remembered that i needed to post a blog! ahhhhh! i didn't want to screw up on this new year's resolution no matter what! so with only a few minutes to go until tomorrow, my art thought for the day is this:
danielle rante is awesome! this piece is so beautiful. i feel in love with this the instant i saw it, and a second later felt like slapping myself in the face for not doing this kind of work. it's just so damn stunning. i love the line, the aesthetic, the fact that it's work on paper, the delicacy it contains, and the honest joy in process that it presents. gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
danielle rante is awesome! this piece is so beautiful. i feel in love with this the instant i saw it, and a second later felt like slapping myself in the face for not doing this kind of work. it's just so damn stunning. i love the line, the aesthetic, the fact that it's work on paper, the delicacy it contains, and the honest joy in process that it presents. gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
Jan 4, 2009
how i feel right now...
one of my experiments with redaction, this photpgraph pretty well sums it up:
it was such a long and busy day at the frame shop today. the flow off traffic and questions was constant and with no where near the adequate amount of sleep the night before... yuck and boo. but i managed to get through the day with a smile in spite of feeling exhausted. now, finally home and completely tired, i'm looking forward to the next few days off from the day job. i'll still be hard at work, for sure, but it'll be in the studio and i'm excited to get to it. my sweetheart's making dinner right this very second and that is such a big blessing to a girl with sore feet and drooping eyelids.
it was such a long and busy day at the frame shop today. the flow off traffic and questions was constant and with no where near the adequate amount of sleep the night before... yuck and boo. but i managed to get through the day with a smile in spite of feeling exhausted. now, finally home and completely tired, i'm looking forward to the next few days off from the day job. i'll still be hard at work, for sure, but it'll be in the studio and i'm excited to get to it. my sweetheart's making dinner right this very second and that is such a big blessing to a girl with sore feet and drooping eyelids.
Jan 3, 2009
blessing...
my buddy Heather gave me the most awesome gift for christmas: the poet's companion. it was the textbook she'd used in one of her poetry classes and, i'm telling ya, this book is wonderful!
i've been struggling with the same batch of poems for months now. working often but barely making any progress to speak of, and the progress i have made has been minimal at best. until reading this book. i'm sure getting involved with a workshop is probably the best way to go once becoming serious about writing but, for now at least, i want to be private about the things i'm writing and the ideas i'm trying to explore. i don't want a whole bunch of eyes on work-in-progress or opinions and critique to swim through either... just me and the page for a while, that's all i want. besides, being a secret poet is quite attractive.
and now, with this book at my side and starting a notebook exclusively dedicated to similes and metaphors, i'm finally back in the saddle when it comes to the actual work of making a poem. it feels so great to be making headway again and to start seeing lines and stanzas that i'm proud of. thanks heather! best christmas present in the whole world! what a gift!: jump starting a person's passion and helping them find the strength to follow where their pen leads.
i've been struggling with the same batch of poems for months now. working often but barely making any progress to speak of, and the progress i have made has been minimal at best. until reading this book. i'm sure getting involved with a workshop is probably the best way to go once becoming serious about writing but, for now at least, i want to be private about the things i'm writing and the ideas i'm trying to explore. i don't want a whole bunch of eyes on work-in-progress or opinions and critique to swim through either... just me and the page for a while, that's all i want. besides, being a secret poet is quite attractive.
and now, with this book at my side and starting a notebook exclusively dedicated to similes and metaphors, i'm finally back in the saddle when it comes to the actual work of making a poem. it feels so great to be making headway again and to start seeing lines and stanzas that i'm proud of. thanks heather! best christmas present in the whole world! what a gift!: jump starting a person's passion and helping them find the strength to follow where their pen leads.
Jan 2, 2009
territories 11... (until i change the name)
territories 11
15" x 11"
embroidery on paper
2008
this is what i was doing when the clock found midnight and we began a new year. i really love this work. even the doing of them. it's pretty time consuming stuff but the more i look at these pieces the more i love them, the more i feel like i am on the right path here.
detail 1
i'm thinking that continuing to link this work to the territories series isn't really adequate or accurate at this point, especially since i've got more in the works and plan to continue in this vein for a little while longer. i think they need to be viewed on their own terms and not in relation to the previous work. all this to say... i'll be changing there names before long.
detail 2
first, i've got to pick my favorite metaphor these pieces have inspired: not an easy task. do i want to talk about domesticity? do i want to talk about the self as territory, the body or mind as landscape? or history as landscape? it goes on and on and on and i'm gonna be giving this some serious thought.
in the meantime, i'll keep stitching away on the next piece- 4 times the size of these little beauties and will take a couple weeks to be completed. good thing i love doing it or all this sewing would be torturous. seriously though, i think this is some of the prettiest work i've done in awhile and i'm very happy with them.
Jan 1, 2009
and so it begins...
a brand new year. and i must say, i am so glad to finally see it arrive! i know not to expect miracles but having the ritual, the marker of one year ending and another beginning, does wonders for a person's outlook. it does for me at least. every January first, for as long as i can remember, has been filled with such a sense of possibility and a renewed sense of strength and drive.
though i've rarely participated in the making of resolutions, this year i thought i'd give it a whirl- the first big bad resolution on my long, long list is to blog every day. and that is going to be a feat. how many days go by that i feel too tired or too discouraged or simply too bored to write here? i figure if i force the issue, really make a concentrated effort to use the potential of this space, i'll be a much happier, smarter person next year; and (hopefully) a better writer as well.
other resolutions? tons. most are art related: finishing a new body of work, finding a second gallery, posting new available work at my shop at least once a week, going to all the openings i can, and doing tons of grant writing.
the loftier goals of continuing to learn about (and write) poetry, begin taking photographs again, reading great books, making myself a sweater, learning German, and things like that are part of an endless stream of ever-growing quirky, quaint desires that i hope to finally make time for this year and throw some real energy toward. i've wanted to make myself a sweater for years and just haven't managed to sit down and do it. all those little things that get put on the back-burner, saved for a rainy afternoon in-doors, or are just fun to daydream about, i plan to bring to the fore-front of my life. i've got the time to cater to those things now that one degree is in the bag and it'll be a few more years before i make my way to grad school... so why not? if i don't start chipping away at all my little dreams now, what will become of them? i'd rather spend the time re-prioritizing and begin living a more fulfilled existence than lose sight of the little things that make me happiest.
last night, i worked in the studio from 10pm to 1 am, breaking only to get my midnight kiss. i wanted to end one year and begin the next doing what i value most. it's a wonderful way to ring in the new year. way better than getting shit-faced (in my opinion, anyway).
i hope everyone had a wonderful time last night, remained safe, and felt alive and happy. i'm so excited about all the new art that will be made this year, about stumbling across new artists to admire, about learning and working and wondering. i hope everyone feels the same sense of encouragement and dedication that i feel right now. and feel free to remind me of this feeling in the coming months when i'm worn out, forlorn, and cynical. :) happy new year!
though i've rarely participated in the making of resolutions, this year i thought i'd give it a whirl- the first big bad resolution on my long, long list is to blog every day. and that is going to be a feat. how many days go by that i feel too tired or too discouraged or simply too bored to write here? i figure if i force the issue, really make a concentrated effort to use the potential of this space, i'll be a much happier, smarter person next year; and (hopefully) a better writer as well.
other resolutions? tons. most are art related: finishing a new body of work, finding a second gallery, posting new available work at my shop at least once a week, going to all the openings i can, and doing tons of grant writing.
the loftier goals of continuing to learn about (and write) poetry, begin taking photographs again, reading great books, making myself a sweater, learning German, and things like that are part of an endless stream of ever-growing quirky, quaint desires that i hope to finally make time for this year and throw some real energy toward. i've wanted to make myself a sweater for years and just haven't managed to sit down and do it. all those little things that get put on the back-burner, saved for a rainy afternoon in-doors, or are just fun to daydream about, i plan to bring to the fore-front of my life. i've got the time to cater to those things now that one degree is in the bag and it'll be a few more years before i make my way to grad school... so why not? if i don't start chipping away at all my little dreams now, what will become of them? i'd rather spend the time re-prioritizing and begin living a more fulfilled existence than lose sight of the little things that make me happiest.
last night, i worked in the studio from 10pm to 1 am, breaking only to get my midnight kiss. i wanted to end one year and begin the next doing what i value most. it's a wonderful way to ring in the new year. way better than getting shit-faced (in my opinion, anyway).
i hope everyone had a wonderful time last night, remained safe, and felt alive and happy. i'm so excited about all the new art that will be made this year, about stumbling across new artists to admire, about learning and working and wondering. i hope everyone feels the same sense of encouragement and dedication that i feel right now. and feel free to remind me of this feeling in the coming months when i'm worn out, forlorn, and cynical. :) happy new year!
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