Decline and Fall - In the Beginning

A trip to buy beads - diverted.  Just happened upon an antiques store.

Books!  I could use a few "new" books to slice up.  Was I feeling lucky?

Yes.

  

Not much to look at from the outside, but a promising subject.

And another promising subject.

But, most importantly, vintage gray end papers.  Gorgeous vintage gray!  $5 per book.  Two end papers per book.  Worth it.

Now, I needed a project.  And I had certain colors in mind for this gray.

I always know the colors are right when I feel it in my teeth.  Too much contrast or too many jarring colors and to look at it makes my teeth hurt.  But the teeth just felt right with this.  Just enough of a twinge.

Wonders Never Cease

Wonders Never Cease, 20 x 20" mixed media on board ©2012 K. Hambric

Wonders Never Cease is part of an ongoing series of collages.  While the series itself does not have a name, it has a theme.  The ugliness and beauty of nature.  Human enjoyment and fear of nature.  The urbanization and suburbanization of our world.  Human happiness among the chaos.

A new website will be coming soon and will contain all of my new, larger pieces.  I am scouting out appropriate galleries here in Charleston.  I must rewrite my artist statement, bio and other blah blah blah items.  I'm sure that is easy for some, but I do not find it easy to talk about myself or my art.  I've heard about those elevator statements where one must be able to explain their work in the time it takes for an average elevator ride.  Strange how it can take me months to come up with something to say about my world in 20 seconds or less.

Now it is time for coffee and glue.  Hopefully not together.

See America Now

Monday was studio cleanup day.  Dusting.  Putting away things from before the summer up north.   Picking up of little dead things with lots of legs.

Tuesday was studio day.

I can't say I had been too creative over the summer.  My plan of a large series of small quilts didn't get too far off of the ground.

Would my studio time in Charleston be productive?  How long would it take before I became inspired?  I paced.  I looked at books.  I stared at the computer.

Then I decided to finish unpacking.  On the top of the box marked "studio," I found an old guide book I purchased on Etsy over the summer.  And there it was.  Right on the cover.  Those old greens and reds.  I would have to put some other colors with them.  But the deal was sealed and I got out the scissors.

 Here is the first little 5 x 5" square.  Only 15 more to go on my new piece, "See America Now."

Humidity 95%

Back in Charleston, SC.

Hot.  Well, actually pretty warm.  I think this mid-80 stuff might just be a cool spell.  Humid, definitely.

Slowly things find their way into their original nooks and crannies.  Some things are finding new places.  Some things will just have to wait awhile (much to the dismay of my husband).  Things must move a little slowly.  The combination of a broken toe and 95% humidity will see to it.

The studio needs some sorting.  But every time I walk by the door my heart races.  I cannot wait to get to work.

Soon I will totter out for some iced coffee.

This Week at Camp Lazy

8:45 - Wake up

8:45-9:30 - iPad movies in bed

9:30-9:45 - Breakfast

9:45-11:45 - Who the hell knows

11:45-12:15 - lunch

12:15 - 3:00 - who the hell knows

3:00 - 4:30 - do something constructive time (no parental monitoring)

4:30-5:30 - lounge in bathtub (probably unnecessary as no calories were burned)

5:30 - 6:00 - piano practice

6:00-6:45 - who the hell knows

6:45 - 7:15 - dinner

7:15-8:00 - movie time

8:00-???  story time, reading, who the hell knows, bed


My daughter has spent most of her summer in camps.  Acting, cooking, hiking, swimming, other kinds of activities that require more than just breathing.  Now, camps are done and the adults in the family are out working, cleaning for the renters, and packing for the move back to Charleston.  I don't have time for parental monitoring.  I'll be paying for this later when the iPad has fused itself to my daughter's hands.  I'm racking up the bad mothering citations.

And my stories about children in other countries working in mines or mills get no reaction.

Dew Point

Dew Point, 5.5x4", fiber ©2013 Kim Hambric

Another little dark one.  And there are a few more I need to photograph.  And even a few more that will never see the light of day.  Their reality just didn't match up to my vision.

These little pieces are now in my Etsy shop.

Summer of Fabric

Nightblooming, 5.5 x 4", fiber ©2013 K.Hambric

A summer return to State College, PA.

A respite from the summer heat in Charleston, SC.

Today's temperature in Pennsylvania - 89.  In Charleston 84.

I'm sure the proper order of things will come about soon.


I'm back to using fiber for the summer.  The vast majority of my paints and paper, and most other necessary items, are still in Charleston.  My fabrics, threads, beads and sewing machines remain here in Pennsylvania. I've chosen to work mainly with scraps this summer and create very small pieces.  I would rather be working with my paints and papers and be creating with happier colors, but here we are.

I'm trying my best to have fun with these pieces.  Sometimes fun for me can be a bit dark.  I'm not creating as readily and prolifically as I planned.  Perhaps it is the result of having only darker colors to begin with?

While I am enjoying a quiet summer here, I'm trying my best NOT to count down to the end of summer.  Exactly one month.  School starts down there for my daughter in mid-August (yes, southern people ARE crazy), so we will be thrust back in the land of heat and bright color in just four weeks.

I'm trying to convince myself to go into the studio and play around with my dark, earthy fabrics.  It is quite hot. Especially in the attic studio.

Tomorrow.