Art in the Halls of The Atrium, Rancho Mirage

Any art exhibit is a combination of hard work and fun. When it's the first show of a new venue there are always surprises. I find surprises are easier to handle with laughter. I like laughing. And bananas.

There were 35 artists in the exhibit. I especially liked the work of Lauretta Lowell. Lauri is an assemblage artist. She is also a smart, warm and self-effacing woman. I was taken by her work at first glance and had a great conversation with her associate and collaborator, Rae, about painting techniques and 'accidental' inventions.

I liked Lauri immediately and enjoyed exploring her creations.

Hopefully, we'll get together soon to talk shop and maybe do a little collaborating.

There's an article about Lauri and how she found her way to her art here. And you can see more of her work at Whimsical Curiosities.

The Atrium made for a comfortable, elegant and well-lit venue. Poppets approved.

Aubrey manned the desk while I visited other artists and hassled children about reading.

Some older works from the 'dusty vaults' cleaned up really well. Probably it's time to add them to the Etsy shop. When the walls are bare, new art gets made. That's how it works.

A long board makes a great art dolly and a surprisingly comfy seat. The show was fun and I met some interesting new humans. By evening, all of us had tired feet and hoarse voices. Aubrey, Spencer and I went home happy. It was a good day.
Hope yours was too.

Saturday, pre show

Orion likes Eggo.


morning mandolin



I like upcycling. I liked it when it was just crafting. I used to make these really warm quilts from socks. I made the Neil Gaiman one for a birthday or something, ages ago. I think he still has it. Once, when visiting during an especially cold week, he told me I'd have to sleep with the cats. I had my needles, so could've sewn them all into one warm cat blanket.

But I didn't.


In that spirit, I'm making a sweater from two old ones. This is a very comfy sweater slightly too short for my lankiness. With a couple of small paint stains on the sleeve.

And this ill-fitting thing that I love because it's so very ratty and soft.

I cut the ends of ratty old sweater for cuffs.

attaching them with a double crochet stitch

Soosi and a movie make for good pre-show relaxation.

detail of edging


That's as far as I got today. The rest was used for art stuff.

It's, well, technically Sunday. After midnight and we've finally loaded the last bit of art for the exhibit tomorrow. It's not so much the art---it's all the stuff that goes with. Aubrey is staying over and tomorrow we get up very early for set up.

Will be back soon with photos and to finish up the sweater.

Hope your Sunday is good.

Beacon

I made a painting.

Acrylic, on jigsaw. "Beacon" Measures about 20 x 30. If you click on the photo, you can see more detail.

I made some Poppets too.

Off to the studio. Hope your day is good.

wings, winter, do you smell carrots?

How to recycle plastic containers into wings. Sturdy clear plastic container.
A handful of raw almonds provides good energy.

Basic shapes cut out with scissors. You can use a paper template, but I like drawing them directly onto the plastic with a sharpie.

I sand the flat surfaces with 150 grit sandpaper, the edges with 400 and then 600 grit. I protect my tables with leftover mat board. Careful of colors though--some can lift off and get sanded into your wings.

sanded wings--two small, two smaller.

You can smooth the edges further by VERY carefully and VERY briefly passing them through a flame. Sometimes I use a lighter, but I like candles better--they free my hands and they smell good. I accidentally discovered these 'special effects.' Curling, rounded tips and opacity with clear edges. I haven't explored this at all yet. At the outset, I can definitely say that anything that involves melting should be done with very good ventilation and great care.

Hemostats are great. In the lab. In the morgue. In the studio.

Aubrey makes us a working lunch. I know---all carbs and fat. But. It's winter and we're working. Salad for dinner.

Aubrey in full work mode.

Wings! Completed and looking quite lovely on "Starlight." Worth the care and attention to detail. Gossimer, translucent, strong and unbreakable. Not to mention, made from recycled plastic.

Winter, as it rolled in over the mountains. I woke knowing it was coming and, there it was.

The sparrows are here too. Spencer explains to Soosi that they're pretty to look at. She's not buying it.

So. What did one snowman say to the other? It's not so much the answer as why the question.

Oh yes. Sometimes I get lost.

Have a great Saturday. I'm off for leftover green bean casserole. Then to make art.

In the Night, While Sleepers Dream

In the Night, While Sleepers Dream

It's not that Ive forgotten you. Oh no, not that at all. In fact I think of you every day, feeling a little guilty for my silence, wondering why it is I 'm not writing at least something--hello--I'm still here---knowing quietly, without saying the words even in my mind, that I've nothing worthy to say. That's one argument, supported well by my troubles with twitter. In theory, the concept of sending out and receiving a constant stream of bits from fellow travelers is interesting and probably has merit. It approaches Borg, or hive mind. Or would/could as long as the bits are honest. It is certainly a way for keeping in touch in the most basic sense---millions of tiny beacons like fireflies, brushings of wings and exchanges of pheromones. We are One. It becomes a droning of drones, at least, from a distance. Comforting? Maybe, but still just human noise. Up close, with a smaller group of followers and following, it's birds on a wire, well, tweeting. I'm still not sure about Facebook. Generally there, I just put up photos. Or a bit of odd news. Sometimes.


But that's not what this blog is for, at least, not for me. I created this space for delving beneath the twittering, intending it to be a place of exploring and discovering, teaching and learning. So tweets and bits have no purpose and silences generally mean I'm either gathering information, processing it, or simply going quietly about my business.


These past weeks, I've been more student than teacher. And really, it seems best for the student to keep her mouth shut. Better that than to blurt out half-formed ideas. Sure enough, this artist stumbles toward the light, but many of the details are ...boring.


Yes, I'm still here, every day. If I weren't, you would find out rather quickly. And yes, we are one, but it's eons yet until we figure that out. In the meantime, you'll struggle with your demons and taxes and I with mine. All whilst the muggles sleep.



I'll tell you what I've lived these weeks (for knowing a thing and living that thing are entirely different animals.) I better understand that true knowledge is revealed in the merest of glimpses. (I believe more than that would blow our tiny, infantile human circuits.) And that, when we do get a glimpse, we do well to pay attention.



Yes, I'm here and working at making art and all that goes with. What I'd really like, most of all, is to hear from you.

Pixie Dust and August's Window

Those evil Pixies! Always with the stealing of the babies. I wasn't sure how I'd approach this one. I started it and then it sat around for a few months. I decided to try it from the baby's point of view. It became fun then, and I finished it pretty quickly.
"Dust" acryllic on stretched canvas, 12 x 12.

"August's Window"

I started this back in August, and couldn't get back to it for awhile. It did travel to MadCon with me and back and finally, I photographed it in more detail, likely more photos than you want to see.

More pictures of August's Window HERE.

Now it's time to goof around with my kid.

good light today

The light this afternoon was really interesting. Deep in my natural human self, I sense that it's autumn's light and I want to go outside. But I've been photographing paintings and after, got caught up in the play of light on things inside, especially some older (and probably dusty) art. Thought you'd like seeing these pieces, some of the few that I've kept that you may not have seen.
above is a painted background layer for a work in progress.
Below are paintings, resting after being photographed.

The light's low now, will set behind the mountains soon.

Steampunk Mary as she exits. She'll be on her way to her new home tomorrow.

August's Window (the small wunderkammer with the big feet) is new.

I really liked the light here. This poppet has a real rat's skull and a bee posed on a ring.

Soosi insists that Orion is a cat.

"Change of Heart" is a very early sculpture, all in polymer clay on armature.

"Here Comes Santa Claus" was used to illustrate "The Price", the Neil Gaiman story about a cat who defends his human family. The doll has lost half of her pencil. It's on the list. Right, that list. Eventually, this became a drawing, then a painting. When I excavate those, I may make prints.

Enter the Human Element, somewhere around 1993.

Bunny Visits the Edge of Flatland.

Soup Topography. About 5 feet wide.

Around to the edge.

Mob rules. Many, many Poppets, indeed.

Mob rules close up.

The light faded fast. By December, it will be full dark at 4:30. Not today though. It's November. Have a good weekend.