Art Chick Shtick

Illustration Friday: POISE

 

Thanks to Ro for this:

There are two ways of being happy: We may either diminish our wants or augment our means - either will do - the result in the same; and it is for each man to decide for himself, and do that which happens to be the easiest. If you are idle or sick or poor, however hard it may be to diminish your wants, it will be harder to augment your means. If you are active and prosperous or young and in good health, it may be easier for you to augment your means than to diminish your wants. But if you are wise, you will do both at the same time, young or old, rich or poor, sick or well; and if you are very wise you will do both in such a way as to augment the general happiness of society.

-Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (1706-1790)

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TASIE!!! 

and Thank YOU to Darren for the fun at PARIS TO THE MOON in beautiful Costa Mesa!!!

 

illustratrion friday: subtract

illustration friday: CONTAINED

 

 

I liked David's reaction to this--he looked at it for awhile and then asked if it was supposed to be the Holy Grail.

ilustration friday: rambunctious

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

She's here!

  

      

 

illustration friday: similar (chicken farmers) and a couple more...

 

 

CHICKEN FARMERS 2008 (their ethereal little bodies are egg tempera--no pun intended but now I do think this sort of thing is funny of course--maybe I thought it was when I did it, too--god knows what I was thinking) --this is a work-in-progress and is about 30 x30 inches on cradled birch.  From a series on TRUTH/CONCEALMENT/REVEALMENT inspired by Heidegger's POETRY, LANGUAGE, THOUGHT and discussions with an old friend from high school last summer...

and another from that series...

ME (on a good day)

 

  

and what I did today to entertain the children...

  

(they're little vintage wool-paper-print quilt-things that were supposed to be ornaments but they're a bit on the large side and I doubt that I'l finish all the details any time soon since there's a LOT of hand-stitching, too-------the wool is from the day Kitty B and I got lost on the way to Jill Weiner's mud-fest)...MORE ON THESE NEXT WEEK

and tomorrow I'll start BAKING COOKIES!

 

 

december paintings... (and a peek at Bob's christmas presents)

these guys are small--like 11x13 or something like that, maybe 10 x 12--I'm sleepy and going to bed for a change--more tomorrow...

and ps I am NOT getting along well with my new camera and I'm grumpy----grrrrrr....

notes--Bev, I think I found them!--I will write when I wake up

       

    

a little larger...maybe 10x20...

and 20x20's:

and one I'm stillllllllllllllllll working on aptly titled "Tossing Some Ideas Around" (I love the look of terror on his face)

And finally Bob's Christmas presents...my husband is competely facinated with Kitty Babendrier (and is apparently  trying to amass the world's largest collection of her work) and also has a thing for squirrels so this was a natural ...

And I'm keeping the next painting for him not because he liked the smoldering eyes...

or the rockin' body

It's his because he said he really liked the black gloves (gotta love a guy that notices these things!)

Rock on with your bad self... more in the morning! ciao!

Who does she think she is? (watch this y'all, it's important stuff)

http://www.whodoesshethinksheis.net/

(Thanks PJ! now we're even)

new and works in progress...

Is it just me or is this really the Christmas "must-have" of the year--I really think I need this... http://fashionablygeek.com/jewelry/rubber-chicken-necklace/

Instead of a lot of talk about why I feel the need for such things I'm posting images--lots and lots of images since that's all I really look at on other people's blogs. I have lots of shots inside my house and studio (which are both always works in progress as well as the paintings) so you can see what it's really like living with all of this artwork (mine as well as by my kids and friends and my kids' friends).

These are from the Ohio house...

(if anyone feels bad for my husband after you see all this mess and my version of decorating for the holidays then feel free to email him at iREALLYfeelSorryForYouBob@gmail.com  )

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next I'll post some naked ones so stay tuned--here's a preview...

 

New STuff , a NEW Camera!: Small Talk in a Small Town (blah blah blah)

  Soooo...yesterday was my last day of classes (I'm teaching middle school ettiquette classes if anyone's wondering what I do in my free time) so now I have more time for fun.  I'm in Ohio right now and NOT loving it so here's a new one: SMALL TALK IN A SMALL TOWN (blah blah blah)

    

yes! it's Bret from Flight of the Conchords on lead ukulele!!!

While I pack my bags for another adventure-filled summer in Woodstock, I leave you a musical interude for those who share my love of hip-hop and ukulele:

Under the Sea (in Warwick)

"unquestionably genuine"(inspired by a sailer's valentine) 24 x24 x 4, mixed media on cradled birch--vinegar paint, vintage mother of pearl buttons, vintage silk velvet, vintage game piece, ephemera, hand-stitched

 

When I heard that Jen O'Connor's spring event would have the theme "Under the Sea" my first thought was base my work on one of my favorite-favortite poems--Romance by Robert Louis Stevenson:

I WILL make you brooches and toys for your delight
Of bird-song at morning and star-shine at night.
I will make a palace fit for you and me,
Of green days in forests and blue days at sea.
I will make my kitchen, and you shall keep your room,
Where white flows the river and bright blows the broom,
And you shall wash your linen and keep your body white
In rainfall at morning and dewfall at night.
And this shall be for music when no one else is near,
The fine song for singing, the rare song to hear!
That only I remember, that only you admire,
Of the broad road that stretches and the roadside fire.

<<Red Vevet Cake (vintage silk velvet)

Are Jennifer Lanne and Nicole Bowen adorable or what? 

The final painting (it's very large--like 36 x 48 or something like that--on cradled birch) was inspired by another poem and sums up my feelings of longing and fear of the sea--years ago I lived in Connecticut on a property directly on the beach.  As much as I loved watching my children play on the beach I was also constantly vigilant and cautious of the hurricanes and stormy weather.  A real love/hate relationship...

O Captain! My Captain!
By Walt Whitman'

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;

                         But O heart! heart! heart!

                            O the bleeding drops of red,

                               Where on the deck my Captain lies,

                                  Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,

For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,

For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

                         Here Captain! dear father!

                            The arm beneath your head!

                               It is some dream that on the deck,

                                 You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,

The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,

From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;

                         Exult O shores, and ring O bells!

                            But I with mournful tread,

                               Walk the deck my Captain lies,

                                  Fallen cold and dead.

Jen has these paintings now so please ask her if you would like to see details--many of the larger pieces are on cradled birch--there are LOTs of fancy paint techniques so if you want to know anything feel free to email so I can explain. The hand-stitching is not just on the surface so these are quite a bit more labor intensive and quite honestly I'm pooped so I'm not going to paint or sew or anything for the next week while I get the household ready to head back to Woodstock.

And now you'll have to please excuse me while I brag about how cute my kids are--check out David's prom pics:

 

GRASS: Apparently It's All About Anarchy

Let me clear something up--it's not simply that I don't care for grass as I so glibly announced in the prior post. 

My vigorously non-competative nature begs me to clarify that I am, in fact,

POLITICALLY OPPOSED TO LAWNCARE.

It's true--I do try to keep it a secret because if word got out really, what would the neighbors think

I live in Marysville, Ohio--home of Scotts Lawncare.

There's a sign posted for all who enter this town proclaiming, "Marysville, Where the Grass is Always Greener."

A few years ago I thought my neighbors won the Publisher's Clearing House prize-thing--at 4 a.m. the street was lit up with camera crews, helicopters, etc--they were filming a commercial because their lawn was so gd fantastic.

That sort of thing makes me ill.

I'd take a sandy beach anyday--or a big pile of leaves.

Here's a quote from one of my favorite websites:

Why nationalized lawn care?

Studies show that the rich have large and beautiful lawns, while the poor often have no lawns or small lawns of poor quality. This is patently inequitable and unjust, and can have traumatic effects on self-esteem and social growth. The Federal Government must step in to ensure that every American realizes his or her right to have the self-esteem that only a thick, green lawn can provide.

Further, we see strong evidence of social injustice in means of providing lawn care. Rarely does a rich man provide lawn care for a poor family, but the poor are often found serving the rich in providing lawn care. Low-paying jobs in which the poor serve the rich include service activities such as mowing lawns, raking leaves, weed removal, and chemical lawn treatment. Social justice demands rectification!

Okay, enough about grass--I'm going to go watch re-runs of Pinky and the Brain and fix homemade pierogis to protest Saint Patrick's Day--

Na Zdrowie!

earthangels TAG

1) I do not like grass.  Although I love being in Woodstock, I'm only there for the trees.  I try not to look down. 

2)I LOVE hiphop and love to bump when I'm driving.  I drive a Landrover because of the Bose system with the doubled-up base.

3)On the subject of music, if I weren't a painter I would probably want to be an opera singer, although apparently being tone deaf could prove challenging.

4)I'm an ice snob.  I drive over an hour twice a week to get Sonic ice. I'm addicted. True story.

5)I can feel my brain thinking--i'm serious!  i can actually feel different areas of my brain thinking and sometimes it actually almost hurts.  (i swear i don't make these things up)

So now i'm choosing Debrina Pratt since she's new to Earth Angels and I'm not sure she knows what she's gotten herself into!!!

My Inner Midge

Another muse to add to my list of those previous professed is MIDGE!

Cool, isn't she!

Irrational Exuberance

Since I'm back to painting and drinking way too much Red Bull, I suspect I've finally recovered from Jen's Winter Extravaganza-O-megliarama, otherwise known as The HeART of Winter.  I mean WOW!, it was pretty!!! And pretty amazing to have all of us Earth Angel-ists together--we were so noisy that Jill Weiner had to be appointed dorm moniter to keep the giggling under contol.

Back at home... the kids have been keeping me really busy--David and Jacob are having band practice at my house 24/7 and now they're both playing rugby, Sophia has declared herself a vegetarian, I suspect because Adam sustained a cracked rib from being tackled by a vegan as he put away his groceries, and Tasie has finally figured out how to get out of Puerto Rico and is now searching for errant Rolling Stones on Mustique.

And I've been house-shopping...I think I've found a good one, although since it's an abandoned mansion and I'm truthfully the biggest chicken you've ever known, I suspect I would probably not last one night there alone.  But it is really nice--and a bargain!

It's directly across the street from the Franklin Park, home of the Franklin Park Conservatory, AND it's right down the street from the Columbus Museum of Art so I can't help but think what a nice studio it would be, don't you think?

Just in case I needed to throw an all-night dance party (that happens, you know) the third floor would be just great--it really does have an orchestra pit and a ballroom--perfect for my disco ball collection!

It is a bit large--I think I could get my entire studio AND my art collection AND all my kids and animals in there:

(Bob says as long as there's a basketball court he's fine with it--I have to admire his sense of priorities)

IN THE MEANWHILE...

What has garnered my irrational exuberance is my new paintings. 

Well, to call them paintings isn't quite accurate, and the hint is they're sitting sideways. 

If we still have internet service after the blizzard hits tomorrow I will post secret sneak peak images, otherwise they're being bundled up and sent to NY. 

If you want to be first in line you might want to start emailing Jen now--she LOVES it when you guys do that!

pre-heART of WinTer

Glitter, Garniture and other Tricks

So about that freshly stripped table..

Shockingly, I ended up painting it.

I really was going to vinegar paint it but all of my dry pigments are in New York. 

So while I was paint-shopping at Sinopia I noticed they have some cool stuff in their clearance section including Iron Glimmer from Morocco.  I probably need some, afterall if you're going to use an iron oxide god knows it's always better when it's from Morocco.   

(If you have no idea what to do with Iron Glimmer from Morocco stick around because as soon as I get my hands on some pigments I'll do a demo here.  I'll do demos here occasionally as time allows.  This blogging is really cutting into my naps)

I know the table looks hideous now but just wait.

Honestly I think most of what I paint looks hideous until the final days.

Case in point:

By next week they'll look less Edward Gorey-inspired.

Frightening, aren't they.  They look like me in the morning after I've been up all night painting.

Actually it is kind of like looking at yourself in the mirror in the morning.  Well, maybe it's just me but I cannot survive without a small boudoir-type lamp in the bathroom.  I can't say enough about how much my disposition improves when the first image I see of myself is in low, chiaroscuro-esque lighting.  Try it if you don't believe me.

I'm not saying it makes you look ravishing or anything.  But looking less freaky first thing in the morning can seriously set the tone for your entire day. 

I swear I look like this if I don't do the lighting trick:

So instead of doing the final-finish paint job on the table I'm getting myself back on track with my stuff, for the HeART of WinTer show which is like next week.  I'm so seriously not ready.  As per usual.

And now it's time for make up for me then glitter and garniture for these girls...

The Benevolent Tutor...or How I Charmed Will Barnet

"It's a poor sort of memory that only works backwards"             --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

If you were actually in the right place at the right time do you think you would realize it?  I didn't realize I had been there until many years later so this post is about the importance of being in the right place at the right time. 

And I mean it's very important so listen up...

The summer before my first epiphany I spent a great deal of time wandering the streets of NYC.  Early mornings on the weekends were my favorites.  A warm bialy from Kossar's was reason enough to get up so I'd head out the door for coffee and usually would not return for hours.

Let’s be honest, getting up early on the weekends and hitting the streets isn’t the easiest thing in the world but it was on one of these warm summer mornings that I met the man who was to be my greatest influence. 

By the way, chickie babes, we're talking like 30 years ago--and he wasn't Lewis Carroll.  I'm not that old.  Not quite. Very funny, but thank you for asking.

Back in the day (late 70's), I had absolutely no aspiration to be a painter--I honestly did not like being in painting studios or even being around painters--I was filled with total contempt and disdain--yuck!  The attitudes of the "2D" or two dimensional students (painters, print makers, paper people) were so stiff, so lofty, so linearally abstract that I found it difficult to carry on a conversation with them.  Sculptors, glassblowers and the rest of the "3D's" are generally more playful, rowdy and you know, fun. 

But I was very attracted to one painter's work and would go back to look at his work often.  One morning I was surprised to find out that the older gentleman sitting next to me was the artist himself.  He, too, was staring at the paintings, because that's what we painters do--kind of like looking in the mirror. Ah-so! Now I could interrogate him...

I remember standing close to the paintings with him, looking closely at his under-painting that was still quite visible and asking him why there was so much pencil showing?! why was the paint so thin? why? why? why? 

And he would patiently do his best to elucidate and to get me to stop making up so many rules about art! 

I was young, an ingenue!, and loved being in the city--what did I know?--I thought I knew a LOT if not everything.  His  work was a world apart from what was being shown in the hip galleries--courageously bright, bold work that everyone would emulate in the 80's. 

Except him.  And because of him, of course, me.

He made certain I kept the questions about painting coming but told me to draw--"forget about the paint for now."

And PS, I didn't paint for at least 10 more years. 

So I met with him occasionally throughout the summer.  In the warm mornings--before the galleries opened. He was always dressed casually in a dark suit--so unintentionally elegant.  I liked that about him.  If you want to know the truth I think it made me pay more attention to what he was saying. 

At the time I knew I really liked his work and he was really great to be teaching me so much about stuff I had never thought about.  But I, with my great plans for changing the world with my architectural designs, didn't exactly realize what an important person I had the good fortune to know. Perhaps he was charmed by my mid-western innocence although I suspect it may have been more that he was shocked at my impertinence on top of my general ignorance of painting!

His name was Will Barnet. Mr. Barnet.  THE Will Barnet. 

I sense his influence in my work, if not in subject then in mood, and know he is why I paint the way I do. And what my propensity for drawing is all about. And I know how really lucky I really am that somehow I was in the right place at the right time...

...even if it was only because I really like bialys. 

 

THE RUMORS ARE TRUE! my MiXed meDia Necklaces will debut at The heART of WinTer 2008

`It seems very pretty,' she said when she had finished it, `but it's rather hard to understand!'

(You see she didn't like to confess, even to herself, that she couldn't make it out at all.)

`Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas -- only I don't exactly know what they are! 

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

Old images of my paintings are the centerpieces of my NEW Mixed Media Necklaces that will debut at the HeART of WinTer show in early February.  I don't have files of all of my old paintings but there are plenty to choose from. 

If there is a painting in particular that you would like on a necklace please get in touch with me(not likely) or the ever-more-accessible Jen O'Connor--I am willing to customize a little but I can't do true custom orders without getting nauseous...

The centerpieces are mixed media on stainless--the backs are cool papers and everything is oxidized and really pretty in that old jumbled way I love. They look like paper in the images but they're actually very,very solid--I had to go through several orders of metal to get it the right thickness--not too thin but not so heavy that give you a headache.  There are brass castings from vintage molds, escutcheons, old transit tokens and important "stuff" I've been collecting for years, semi-precious and otherwise cool stones and old czech beads, and whatever else I can get my hands on that has some kind of Bohemian chicness.  The oxidized, solid brass chains are all different styles--different lengths are fastened together with more objects d'art.  And the fasteners are mostly pretty cool oxidized copper or brass swirls and toggles but I am trying to get some others that are old and you know, just something that looks like something I would use--so stay tuned! 

Tasie grabbed a few when she was home for the holidays and reports that they're a hit at Sundance.