Been makin' some art lately and having a grand ole' time of it too.
I have a couple of art fairs/shows coming up that you can catch my work at:
You just missed me at Riverwest Art Walk which was fun indeed. It was great to have the event extend to The Toy Factory and The Nut Factory this year.
Please feel free to call me at 414-801-7869 and come for a studio visit if you so desire. I am there everyday (#212 at The Toy Factory, 3707 N. Richards Street) and it really is no big deal for you to stop by and have a cup of tea with me and pick up an item or two.
I have a couple of art fairs/shows coming up that you can catch my work at:
- Art Bat Mini Show, 722 E. Burleigh St., opening Thursday, November 7
- Whitefish Bay Middle School Holiday Boutique, 1114 E. Henry Clay, Thursday, November 13, 4-8
- Highland Holiday Market, 1706 W. Highland Ave., Saturday, November 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Quaker International Gift Shop, 3224 N. Gordon Place, Friday, December 5, 4-8 p.m. and Saturday, December, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- RRAGS (Riverwest Random Recyclable Art and Gift Show), Polish Falcon, 803 E. Clark Street, Sunday, December 14, 12-5 p.m.
- Bloom Gallery & Creative Ground, 5205 W. North Ave., Thursday & Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m-5 p.m., Sunday 12 - 4 p.m.
You just missed me at Riverwest Art Walk which was fun indeed. It was great to have the event extend to The Toy Factory and The Nut Factory this year.
Please feel free to call me at 414-801-7869 and come for a studio visit if you so desire. I am there everyday (#212 at The Toy Factory, 3707 N. Richards Street) and it really is no big deal for you to stop by and have a cup of tea with me and pick up an item or two.
| | Lately I have been painting a ton of paper mache skulls and skull masks in the day of the dead fashion. My friend Luna always makes those polish batiked Easter eggs around Ostara time- I make skull stuff around day of the dead. It’s a seasonal crafty thing. Crafts really are a nice way to celebrate the spinning of the wheel now aren’t they? And it’s a craft, but it’s really an art. Or is it an art that is a craft? |
I have also been making a lot of these little flower mosaics, and yes, my nails are black from black grout (not garden dirt, this time). I am enjoying it I guess, they are fun, but here again I say art or craft? It feels a little too crafty to me - so then as opposed to abandoning the process all together, I aspire in my next round to take it to more of a fine art level.
I find I do do “rounds” of things- rounds of mosaics, rounds of skulls, rounds of paintings, rounds of mugs, of bowls, of message tiles. With each round the skill and approach I bring to the media progresses. I am dying to make my next “round” of terracotta tea cups right now, but alas I am forcing myself to finish the other rounds of things I am currently working on first. I am really going to have completion on a few things before I move on. But I am chomping on the bit I tell you. Chomping.
So another thing I experimented with this summer were some “random acts of public art.” It was pretty fun although also a little nerve wracking and disappointing.
I find I do do “rounds” of things- rounds of mosaics, rounds of skulls, rounds of paintings, rounds of mugs, of bowls, of message tiles. With each round the skill and approach I bring to the media progresses. I am dying to make my next “round” of terracotta tea cups right now, but alas I am forcing myself to finish the other rounds of things I am currently working on first. I am really going to have completion on a few things before I move on. But I am chomping on the bit I tell you. Chomping.
So another thing I experimented with this summer were some “random acts of public art.” It was pretty fun although also a little nerve wracking and disappointing.
As I was walking around my neighborhood this spring I had some ideas for some art installations out on the streets and near the trail by the river and decided to act on them. I made a bunch of tiles to that end. I had to wait to install because of lots of rain and then the kid being home with me the entire month of August and his lack of enthusiasm for my project. Come September I was burning to go. So much in fact, that I forgot of the forethought involved in such a venture. Well, I did think of some of it. I packed my art supplies and tools (not light btw) but I failed to research and consider peak use times of the areas I wished to install. Duh. As a result I found that in an area where art is expected it is much easier to pull it off and the art itself is more respected. In area where it is more concealed and less expected, it became more difficult and was less respected.
So anyway , many of tiles I installed down by the river were stolen within two weeks of when they went out. It felt pretty lousy. Here is something that took me months to pull together intended for the enjoyment of all for at least a few months (I do realize art of this sort is indeed temporary) that may have lasted only a number of days. Wah. But I felt like it was giving a gift – you cannot control what happens to that gift once you give it. No strings. So that is how I tried to look at it. There were times I played with the tiles in my studio and came up with ideas to make mosaics to sell or keep (in my garden) but I decided that no, I would adhere to the original vision. And so I putt them out there. And they were stolen/ destroyed. Oh well, what the hell, move on.
So anyway , many of tiles I installed down by the river were stolen within two weeks of when they went out. It felt pretty lousy. Here is something that took me months to pull together intended for the enjoyment of all for at least a few months (I do realize art of this sort is indeed temporary) that may have lasted only a number of days. Wah. But I felt like it was giving a gift – you cannot control what happens to that gift once you give it. No strings. So that is how I tried to look at it. There were times I played with the tiles in my studio and came up with ideas to make mosaics to sell or keep (in my garden) but I decided that no, I would adhere to the original vision. And so I putt them out there. And they were stolen/ destroyed. Oh well, what the hell, move on.
I was much more nervous installing the mosaics than I thought I would be. It is kind of a rush I guess, but it is not really for me. There is also a lot of really very careful consideration of where to go with them. Where will people like them and respect them as opposed to be pissed or annoyed or destroy them? I suppose if you are paid to do them, then you know folks will respect them. Hmmm.
| | I have been making lots of paintings. They are a bit loud… I try not to judge. I follow inspiration, a humble servant. Other words to describe them might be; colorful, bold, uplifting. |
| I made some ceramic crosses that turned out pretty cool. Want one? My sister really encouraged me to make them for the first communion crowd. I did get into it once I got going. The weird part is though that when they were hanging on the wall during Art Walk, they kind of vibed me out. It brought into question what my art says about me. Well, looking at all these crosses you would think that I am a Jesus freak. I do love Jesus, don’t get me wrong, but I actually believe in all sorts of things. I guess if it works for people to feel the love, then I am all for it. | |
I guess that is the thing about art. Paintings, or crosses… they flow through me, they are not me. Certainly I have the power to make or not make, to direct the flow to a certain extent. But then what happens to the power of the inspiration? Does it remain strong? I guess I have been focused right now on just encouraging the flow. Trusting it so it trusts me. After so many years of denying it, I guess I just want to let it flow where it will. It’s a free for all. If a vision or an idea comes to me, I want to act on it and carry it through all the way to the end. Maybe in the next few months I will direct it a little bit more and see how that works. I don’t know if it will work, I sense I just need to get the hell out of my own way. But I'll never know unless I try it.
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