New Studio Style

The other day I was admiring pictures of my friend Rachael's studio space. I loved the organization and how everything seemed so accessible. Everything she needs is right at her fingertips.

I also love that she has a little studio pet to keep her company. If I want my little critter to keep me company my studio was going to need some work and lots of cleaning.

So that's what I did. I completely rearranged my tables and basically set up the space so everything needed to make art is right by my side. I think sometimes in the studio it's easy to get lazy and not get up and get something you need so you make shortcuts. I once had a painting professor tell me that if you don't put every color of paint on your palette at once you will never use the paint colors you need but didn't put out. So this is my way of putting absolutely all my supplies on my palette. I did, however, put my glitter bottles on a shelf that is a little bit further away from me. A little goes a long way with glitter...

Finally my pencils and pens are in front of the table I'm using for drawing and not so far away!! And by far away I mean they were about three feet away from me before but that seemed soo soo far!!

I wonder how long that thread organization will last. I give it two weeks...

This will always be my favorite space. And the glitter is up high and away from me.

Those beautiful pillows are from LeiLiLaLoo. The cutie-pie dolls are from Project Grab Bag.

I'm hanging on to those Care Bears for my future children. All the rest of the toys are just for me. ( ; The painting on the right is by a dear friend who passed away way too early. I'm grateful I have this beautiful piece. That coin on the top shelf is by Cannonball Press. On the second shelf down there is a framed house (behind the far right camera) on the far right that my friend Meghan O'Connor made for me for my MFA thesis. Click on her name to see her amazing art.

My boyfriend built my flat files. I'm so lucky to have them.

That poster in the top corner was from the show my friend Adrienne curated. It's a beautiful poster. I think her boyfriend Brad made it. You might remember them from the Dreamy, Artful couple post a while back. They are still dreamy and artful.

Sorry I keep insisting on using my Iphone to take pics and they come out grainy. I never have luck with cameras and taking pics. But I hope you get the idea of my new space.

Now I'm going to work work work!!

Meghan O'Connor

My good friend Meghan O'Connor has just installed this amazing show in Lexington, Kentucky at the Lexington Arts League. If you are in the area the closing reception is August 27 from 6-9. This show really blows me away. I told Meghan I wanted to do a write-up on my blog so I asked her to send me an artist statement for the show. She sent this:

“Scum-Licker” is an installation that incorporates animals and appliances, tied together by the themes of domesticity, labor, comfort, and struggle. The appliances, furniture, and other household items are organized like the interior of a home, with the animal figures “inhabiting” the space.
As you enter the space, you step into the living room area and head in a counter-clockwise direction into the sewing/ work area. This space is a documentation of the work put into the show, as well as one of the laborious items used. After the sewing area, you enter the kitchen, full of struggling pigs, cats, and nests of birds. These are all animals that are consumed as food, but also loved as pets, which makes it easy for us to view them and give them human attributes. They are placed amidst ovens and other appliances associated with food and cooking, a common environment for seeing these animals, but the animals are taken out of context in their form to evoke emotional responses.
Once through the kitchen, you enter the bathroom, a combination of dirt and beauty. In “Rose Sink,” one can see inside the cabinet and it its full of dirt and clutter, but on top it is very organized, and made with “candy-coated” colors. One donkey stands looking in the mirror, possibly reflecting on its landscape. All of the bathroom donkeys are ether throwing their heads back, implying struggle; or lowering their heads, showing defeat. Donkeys and horses are assocciated with manual labor throughout history, getting dirty and muddy, getting pushed to the extreme. It seems appropriate to concentrate them in the “dirtiest” room of the house.
When you are “done” in the bathroom, then you enter the laundry room area full of donkeys, both large and small, and the ironing area with laundry lines. Again, this arrangement evokes the idea of labor. There are two main donkeys, one pink, and one brown. The pink donkey is connected to the washing machine, which is overflowing with similar scraps of fabric, surrounded by smaller donkeys. On the floor the pillows of a similar nature are very organized in a portable container. The brown donkey in the dryer is in a similar state. On the opposite side the laundry line is organized, and the ironing board empty, ready for more work.
Lastly, there is the reliquary area: “All that Glitters Ain’t Necessarily Gold.” This shrine area shows the passage of time. Remnants of the figures are recognizable from the space. It is their ancient ruins, broken yet golden. Imperfect but beautiful.
The entire show “Scum-Licker” is full of imperfections. It is dirty, old, there are spiders and webs everywhere, the space is organized clutter, a representation of our everyday strife. The animals themselves are somewhat ambiguous; it is hard to tell if their expressions are ones of struggle or ectasy. They are represented in a very playful manner, which hearkens to cartoons, stuffed animals, craft pillows, or even taxidermy The facial and bodily expression of the animals combined with an environemnt that is both hostile and comforting, are meant to make us question their roles, and our roles, domestically and socially. Often we ourselves are struggling with our own envrionments. We may have a love-hate relationship with doing the laundry, cooking food, or on a broader specturm, going to work, and contributing positively to society. But we do it anyway, and sometimes we cannot decide whether to laugh or to cry. We continue to “lick the scum,” why? because we have to? Or because a little part of us secretly enjoys it.
Meghan O’Connor

I love the statement and the show! I hope you can go see it if you are nearby. I wish I could see it in person. For now I'll just have to look at these photos over and over again. See more of Meghan's work here.