and Beyond

(exploration and experimentation)

I'm finally working on my newest piece in more than three months.

I've heard of artists moving and, between packing, moving and unpacking, almost no time was lost.  Can't say that about myself.

A new city invites (demands) almost constant exploration.

My new piece is based on exploration and experimentation.  I've spent this week working with Vasco
da Gama, Charles Darwin, Ferdinand Magellan, Isaac Newton and Henry the Navigator (whoever that is).  The piece also includes some bird and boating imagery.  Perhaps this all reflects my move to Charleston.  If so, it was not intentional.  This piece also contains a diagram and information about diphtheria.  I'm hoping there is no connection there.

To infinity . . . and beyond!

Listening to Astrud

Could there possible be anyone living who does not have "Girl from Ipanema" lodged somewhere in their subconscious? Certainly not anyone over a certain age (older than I). It lodged in my brain somewhere in early childhood. Years of Osmond Brothers, Three Dog Night, Peter Frampton, The Cure, and thousands of others blocked the area of my brain where this song existed. Sometime after college, after leaving the world of the independent radio station, I was forced to open my mind to older music rather than new music.

The blockage removed, "Girl from Ipanema" was set free.

For most of my life, I had no idea who sang this song. No idea who played that stunning sax. In time, all was revealed and I fell in love with the Getz/Gilberto album.

Playing the CD in my studio over and over for several weeks resulted in this piece.

Astrud, 24 x 20"

I always imaged Astrud singing in a nightclub with turquoise decor while wearing a black and gold dress. I also pictured young couples necking to her music while hiding away in their brown-paneled, basement recreation rooms.

It's such a lovely day today. I'm going to get in the car with my Getz/Gilberto cd and take a little drive. Probably up to Target. Yes, tall and tan and young and lovely me is going to cruise the Target aisles for some new cereal bowls.

Low-Cal, Lite, and Gallery-Free

This is Autumn Blossom I. It is one of my larger pieces at 30 x 47". Do you think this is taking up space on a gallery wall? No. It is at home. On my wall. This is one of the lucky ones that sees the light of day. I have a large dresser in my studio where the vast majority of my work resides.

I have been wanting to have my work in a gallery. I have had my work in a gallery. Two in fact. But not at the same time. Local galleries. My work has never been displayed far from home. I have tried. Early this year I sent out three portfolios. Through the internet I researched hundreds of galleries to find appropriate places for my work. None of them too upscale, none of them little country shops. I made a list, checked it twice. Then sent out three portfolios. Nice ones. Several pages of color photos. Price list. What I thought was a good cover letter. Quite professional looking. Postage paid return envelopes!!!!!!! Was there a response? Not one! Did they return the portfolios in their postage paid return envelopes????? Not one!! What does that have to say about me? What does that have to say about the galleries I chose?

Why would a gallery give no response? Too busy? Isn't this their line of work, though? Would I want to deal with these galleries in the future? Would I feel comfortable buying anything from these galleries? Certainly not. And I do buy from galleries. Not often, but it happens. These galleries I I will never visit. Are these three galleries representative of all galleries? Could be!

Should I try another round of galleries? Do hours and hours of research? Have color prints made of 15-20 pieces? Put them in a nice folder? Pay to send them out? Pay to have them sent back (ha)? Ooooh, I can't wait. I actually enjoy sticking things under my fingernails and banging my head on brick walls.

If there is a burner way in the back, that is where the gallery idea is simmering for now.

I am going to treat my website as a gallery. I will market it. Give out cards, brochures, postcards. Perhaps I will research online galleries. Has anyone out there had any luck with this? I have seen my Ebay sales drop off, and my Etsy sales are none, but the website sales have improved (significantly). As the old saying goes, "If it aint broke, don't fix it." That shall be my motto for the upcoming year.

I will make what I want, sell it (maybe, eventually), keep 100% of the selling price, thrive and grow rich and strong. I will have all my work around me and won't have to worry about its safety in a gallery. I will overlook the fact that I will have to deal with selling myself, packing and shipping (and associated supply purchasing), overstuffed drawers, and that pesky feeling of gallery rejection. I will continue to visit and purchase at galleries that don't tick me off, although their numbers are getting fewer.

Anybody out there have any positives on not having gallery representation?

So Bloggin' Happy

I'm so thrilled that people are stopping in on my blog and posting comments. Hiding in one's attic (studio), hoarding fabrics and beads, hunching over a sewing maching and surfing the internet can be a lonely experience. It's great to know there are others out there who appreciate what I do or what I write, or maybe both.

Right now, I feel kind of like a little space shuttle with lots of little things that need to be fixed before take-off. So many bitty challenges that must be met before I make it all the way to my attic studio. Lots of tweaking, venting, repairs before I lift off (begin the commission). I haven't liked the drawings I have done for this commission (six so far), so I have to go back to the drawing board today. The client is looking for bright bright bright. I like bright bright bright, I just don't seem to do bright bright bright things (see example above, left).

This piece is King Snake. It is a rather plain piece in that it has little stitching and no beading. It is from a series of four. I ran out of steam on this series and actually felt like stuffing them in a drawer unfinished. The problem was, the drawer was already stuffed. I finished them and happily moved on to another series (Planting Seeds). I like the graphicness of the King Snake and Queen Bee pieces, but . . .

Not a lot to say today. A lot to do. I must vacuum all the bits up that my dog has tracked into the house the last couple rainy days. It's the fault of that darn refinished floor. It is (was) so perfect, I feel I must baby it and remove anything that might scratch it (the dog???). Maintenance sucks. The floor has won the maintenance contest with my hair.

Off to work (on maintenance things).

At a Stopping Point?

OK. This is an old one. This one is entitled "Janis" after Janis Joplin. For a week, I listened to the same CD of her greatest hits over and over. I was quite inspired.

Recently, I have been a bit uninspired. I have made little, and I have posted little. The commission is slow to start. I sent several samples to the client and she separated the samples into groups of yes, and not so yes. She also sent a couple of new colors to work in -- a light greenish brown and a deeper bluish purple. A bit of a challenge. We have also not decided on any applique shapes yet. I have no idea yet what this piece will look like. Not an inkling, other than it will have some squares in it. I'm a bit anxious as this is proceeding a bit differently than other commissions. Yet no two comissions have been the least bit alike yet. Being nervous is good, huh???

I know I have slacked off in my posting. I read other blogs and they are just going to town, offering advice, stories, insights into their lives. And there's me. "Here's an old photo". Or maybe no photo at all. I must have the creative flu.

The good news is -- my kitchen floor is done. I can use my sink. My husband can cook again. Yeah! He made a big joyous cooking mess last night & I've spent some time this morning cleaning it up. Now I have to move the rest of the dishes in, hang up artwork & other little but time-consuming chores. I'm making a list of errands to run and things I "must" buy. Good grief. I should just work already. Tomorrow I volunteer at the polls from 6:00 am to 9:30 pm. No creating will get done tomorrow.

Sorry for whine whine whining. The next post will be beautifully uplifting, chock full of information and will probably send a message to the world for peace.