Art Makin'

When I first started this blog I was in grad school working on my master's degree in printmaking. It was a place for me to show my processes and share the artists who influenced me.  I finally got that degree and ever since then I feel like I've been floating in outer space. They all warn you that when you get out of school you will feel lost but nothing can fully prepare you for just how lost you can get.  Since 2010 I've tried so many different things and tried to find the right fit for me. I'm still trying to find that fit. But somewhere along the way I put art making on the back burner and turned to crafts. Now I know arts and crafts can be done simultaneously but I wasn't doing that.  

With all these great changes happening in my life I feel like it's time to start falling back on my one true love.  Yesterday I pulled out my latest pieces of work that have been taking up space in my studio. I finally photographed them and got them all listed in my Etsy shop. I have also set up a small studio at my kitchen table where I can specifically focus on watercoloring and drawing weird little doodles over layers of flowers.  It's hard to get back into that frame of mind. It's not just throwing down some color on paper. It's forcing me to truly think about what I want to make work about and what it all means to me.  As I have gotten older the things that I love are evolving.  I still love balloons but I love flowers even more.   I wish I could decorate my whole house with beautiful crystals instead of the pez dispenser collections of my past.  It's interesting to make new work with a whole new collection of things that make my eyes purr.

So here are the pieces I just listed in my shop.  I'm excited to start focusing on this again.  I wish I could pretend it was 2010 all over again and I transitioned easily from grad school to every day art making.  Click on the images for details.

Making Things Make Sense

After my post yesterday I got many great responses here and on Facebook from others who were very inspired by what Jessica Swift had to say. I also received plenty of encouragement which I'm forever grateful for.

I worked in my studio yesterday and finally finished these two little collages I have been working on.

In this one I was using a wood frame and I thought about painting it but instead decided to hammer letters into it. I liked the type-o that happened. Reminds me of a calculator.

I've been thinking a lot about this work and what it means. I'm making these strange landscapes that become a little clausterphobic. I think it some ways they represent what is happening inside my head and how I over think everything and worry so much. Maybe instead of art imitating life, life can imitate art and I can make really sparse collages and then stop thinking so much. Does it work that way?

Last night I glued animals to jar lids by candle light as we watched the season finale of The Walking Dead. Do you watch it? Whoa Baby was that episode intense.

I'm off to style my hair and work at a beautiful store for the rest of the day.

xoxo

Art For Your Thursday

Besides cranking out jars in my studio I'm also trying to work on a series of collages. Do you call it a collage if you glue stuff onto your art? This piece started out much larger and I had been working on it for ages. I took a few pictures of it and zoomed in in certain spots and ended up liking the zoomed in parts better than the image as a whole. Does that ever happen to you? I love using my camera to make compositions.

I finally got this horsey shadowbox completely finished and photographed. The pictures still don't do it justice but I blame my poor photography skills. I'm pretty excited about this and want to continue to make more. I just need to stock up on shadowbox frames and I'll be all set. And more glitter.


This was my muse for the day....
The little singing girl that walks by my house was just singing her little heart out. Sing your heart out today, too.

Cutting Out Cuties

I have to admit it's been hard to get my mind to focus on anything besides our new house. But we don't move in for months so I have to think about other things. Monday I had the day off work so I did tedious studio things that have to be done eventually, like cutting images out of books and magazines. I find it's so much easier to have a library of images on hand when I'm ready to work instead of being in the middle of a piece and then trying to find something to collage into it. So I cut... and cut.... and cut....

And then I put this sea anemone on this geometric-like shape and I felt pretty satisfied.
Today I'm going to go exploring for inspiration. And I may eat my first macaroon. Fingers crossed.

This Again

I feel like I am having a little bit of an art crisis... (who me? No.....) Ugh!

Today I was going through work in my studio and I'm seeing stuff that I have to admit I'm really really happy with but I feel like I'm in this weird limbo with my work and I don't know what to do with it (longest sentence ever). The most logical thing is to show it, right? I just don't know what that venue would be for my work. I could apply to shows but what shows? Most of the shows that come through my email seem quite academic. My work crosses the academic line. So where does that leave me? I have no idea.

I used to put my work on Etsy but I think it's so super duper hard to sell art online. Can I just tell you for the millionth time it's hard to be making art outside of school. Only for me the problem is not the making. It's the showing. I make work all the time. I have some pieces for sale at Cracker Jax and I adore having my work in that venue but I would really love to try to get it into shows and traveling.

Please is there anyone out there with advice for a girl who just wants to draw hearts all day and then hang them in a gallery?

Arts For Sale!

I recently hung some of my artwork up at Cracker Jax. It's really exciting to see it all hung up together. If you live in the area I hope you'll stop by and see it. My new work is part of the collection as well. Yay art!

Some Things To Look At

Good morning! First of all, thank you so much for all the sweet comments on my new work! I'm pretty excited and inspired right now so it's nice to hear I'm doing okay. Here are some (mostly) non-are related things around my place.

I got a "grow your own crystals" kit and I grew my own crystals! It actually worked! Science is so magical.

This pile of crepe paper is waiting to be turned into a pinata. I'm waiting to figure out what kind of pinata I want to make. The possibilities are endless.

I hung these scarves on my window in my studio. I can't quit looking at them.

This is my current favorite little collection. Those are snow globe frames from a craft store. I want to fill my house with snow globe ladies.

These next two pics are just artsy and this is an artsy blog so...

Celebrations are in order! The bathroom at work got cleaned out which means all new stuff at Cracker Jax!! If you're in the area stop by this weekend for the Holiday Open House!

Happy Middle of the Week!

New Work

I just finished up these newest pieces. I feel like my work is changing and growing very slowly but it is changing. I feel like my work is becoming much more landscape oriented though it may not be a landscape set in reality. I think a lot when I work on these. I was thinking about isolation and worries and doubts. I feel like I pack so much into these pieces the same way I pack so many thoughts in my head. I hope that even though the colors are sweet and sometimes a bit saccharine the work is still tense and a little tiny bit unnerving. I hope.

I am not going to list these on in my shop but will instead hang them at my new job Cracker Jax. If you are interested in the work please contact me.

Cutie-Pies

Good morning! I don't know if you know this or not but there are so many cute things on the internet! Breaking news! Here's a collection of some cutie things that are making me want to get in the studio.

Girlie Pains's Mel Stringer makes all kinds of fun paper craft goodies as well as zines, original art, brooches and more! This little birthday party scene makes my heart beat fast.

I'm wild about all of Jess Quinn's characters.

Courtney Chelo's shop Closer to the Ocean is filled with beautiful and nostalgic collages.


Aimee Ray has lots of goodies in her shop Little Dear but I especially love her embroidery work. The first one is title Rainbow Warrior. Perhaps a Cocorosie reference?

It's really amazing to me just seeing a small slice of the greatness that is out in the world and knowing there's more and more and more and more where that came from. I feel like that means the world is okay because people are out there creating and beautiful things are happening. Sometimes I let the bad news of the world bring me down. Next time I'll just think of the endless beauty that's out there and I'll feel better better better for us all.