Ideas

I'm often asked is, "where do you get your ideas?"  And although I couldn't pinpoint where they come from, they often happen in a similar way.  Usually I am just working through a mundane part of the process on a current piece, my brain wanders off...and pop pop pop they just start coming.

I'd like to do this, I could do it like this, on this, the title could be this, or this, or this...and the whole piece just erupts.  I scramble for paper, or in the case of a few minutes ago, rush back to the studio to write notes.  Because they often start to vanish as quickly as they come.  Ideas that have been sparked by interstate driving are pretty much lost, until they are triggered again.  If they are triggered again.

The piece above, didn't come quite that quickly.  It made me work for it a bit.  The title is "The Initiation"

The dress has a repeat pattern of mouse traps, directions are stitched on the waterfall photo.  Oh, and the not so subtle ring of fire. This piece will be shown for the first time at the Des Moines Art Festival.  You can see my summer show schedule here!

Thanks for checking in.

Collaborating

I'm not really sure how it happened.

But I am starting a collaboration in clay.

Minneapolis ceramic artist Kyle Osvog and I have been tossing ideas back and forth for months, trying to build things that showcase his forms, and incorporate my linocut prints.  The learning curve has been steep, especially for me.  Paint and printing inks are one thing, glazes and underglazes are a whole different beast.  I have had failure after failure.  Ugly glazes, uncooperative transfers, and stuff that just blew apart, fell off, or simply stuck together.

But things are starting to work a little more often than not.  

So, I'm going to keep trying.

You can see a bunch of available work in my Etsy shop, and more work will be coming down the pike soon.  Take a look HERE to see what's available, and consider purchasing a piece to keep the process moving forward!  These won't be going on the road to any major shows soon, so if you want one, the Etsy shop is the place to go!

And have no worries, the paintings will still be coming, but I think the crossover from one medium to another will be interesting to watch.  Thanks for checking in!

The Destructive Little Bastard

Linocut prints of dead birds in the background, paired with a photo transfer of a vintage photo begin this piece.  Stitched antlers, a beaded box around his heart, and a line of painted split cherries carry it through.  The weapon of choice, a child's toy hoe, hangs below.

Approximately 24" x 48"

Available

New Year, new thoughts.

It's that time of year where I unwillingly find myself confronting all the New Year's traps.  Looking back at all the successes and failures of 2015.  Trying to figure out what went wrong, and what went right.  I say I don't make New Years Resolutions, but I kinda do.  They are the standard ones, I'll be more organised, get more exercise, convince myself I'm going to make better work, better business decisions, read more... oh, and stop procrastinating.

Of course few of these things stick, by February I am hunting for paperwork, drying paintings with a blow dryer, and my only reading seems to be articles online.

Maybe this year will be different, I've tidied the studio, made to do lists, I've even made some work already.  I have applied to all the shows I want to be in between now and July.  Yup, applications ore often due 6-7 months before the show.

Speaking of, this coming week is a big one.  One of the big Accept/Reject weeks.  The week that many of the sweet summer shows that I really want to be in start sending out the results from the jury process.  That sweet little *ping* in my inbox either reads...Congratulations!  Or, We regret to inform you...  I open all these emails with one eye closed, just to soften the blow.  It doesn't work worth a shit, but I do it anyway.

These little *pings* are what decide where I will be driving to this summer, they also decide which of my friends are going to be there, and whether I will have a roommate, if he or she makes the cut.  It feels like a total crap shoot much of the time.  But if it's good, it's great.  And with any luck at all I'll be able to write my calendar in ink, and update my schedule online.

Fingers crossed.