rollercoaster

wow! well THAT was a weekend. First a big thank you to everyone who supported the Routes to Art open studio tour. I had a great time talking to people about my work and I even had time to finish up some bindings as I chatted. Then, in the middle of it all Saturday night, my daughter’s fiancé ended up being rushed to hospital and spending a few days in ICU – turns out he has type 1 diabetes – just what those poor kids needed, chronic disease and hospital bills right before their wedding – send as many good thoughts as you like their way!! All prayers gratefully accepted.

Monday I started back at the print shop for the summer – since I have been teaching I have scrimped and saved to be able to take the summer of to work in the studio, but this summer it is just not going to happen, too many major expenses, two kids in college and the wedding! I am feeling lucky that they were busy enough to take me back part time and that I have a skill to fall back on. Oh and the shop is within walking distance of my house so I can walk to work and back. Of course I am a little sad to give up my full days in the studio – so I guess I will just have to work harder and smarter when I am there.

Things are ticking over in the studio, ideas are still flooding out – most of what I worked on last week was functional stuff for the sale – hopefully soon I’ll have some more new fancy bindings to share, and perhaps some work for my upcoming show in August. (let’s hope so anyway). So I really need to get back to work. I hope I’ll have time to fill you in every now and then in the coming weeks.

One last thing, the Women Create project is still on display at CCAC on Main Street in Allegany, NY. We are having a reception on Friday night, so come on by and have a cupcake on us as we continue to celebrate the creativity of women in our community!

more installation & finally back in the studio

After a glorious day last week, this week in POURED with rain for our outside installation day – not that we would let a bit of rain stop us from making art! (otherwise we Brits would never get any art done!!) I worked with one of my students Heidi under the pavilion, so the work is on concrete, but it is not so bad. Sorting the leaves by color was really soothing and therapeutic with the sound of the river roaring past us and the rain dripping from the roof.

Then I did manage to take a very short break from endless grading today to get up into the studio with my intern for a bit. While she folded and sorted paper (wow I am an evil boss) I finished an “almost duplicate” of the little book I sent in for Seth’s challenge, hidden away at the very bottom is a tiny envelope, I am not telling what I put in the one I sent to Seth – he may or may not share my secret, and it was very personal – but while I was making them I kept thinking about that little rhyme - I sent a letter to my love, it was a playground game when I was a kid back in England. So that’s what I decided to put in this one. Can’t wait until next Friday when all my final grades are in and I can spend some time in the studio before I have to start my summer-pay-for-a-wedding-job.

I sent a letter to my love and on the way I dropped it

 

Andy Goldsworthy Joy!

Every spring I look forward to the last week of the term because I take my sculpture class outside to play. As an added bonus today it was almost 80, perfect weather to get out of the classroom and experiment with the formal possibilities of the natural world. As usual while the students were working I puttered a bit. Here’s what I came up with, this was the highest I managed to get – the work collapsed 4 times. I never was able to figure out exactly what combination of packing and weaving to use to fill the whole space. Maybe next time. It was just what I needed, some fresh air and a fresh set of physical problems to solve!

lying down for a bit

great upholstery fabric scraps become journal covers

Regular readers may have noticed it has been a bit quiet around here. I have been a bit under the weather with some still as yet undiagnosed heath issues. Yesterday I spent my rather meager energies in the studio, but I have been so tired lately I am having a hard time focusing and getting anything done. I spent yesterday getting a lot of scrap fabric journal covers sewn, so I guess my poor intern will be cutting paper again this week!I fiddled with a few other things but I didn’t feel up to measuring or any big projects – so really not much to show for my day’s work.  Hoping my energy returns and the mystery is diagnosed so I can get back to work.

I am sure Jen will take a better picture!

Today I went with Jen to hang the Women Create book installation at the Art on Main Gallery (at the CCAC). I never cease to be amazed how the repetition of objects can create such a wonderful visual effect. The books look great. As May is such a crazy month for both of us so the reception won’t be until May 25th, but if you are in the vicinity you can see the show for the entire month.

Garden Journal workshop

Image courtesy of Jennifer Schlick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taught a really fun class at Jamestown Audubon tonight – for those in attendance who want the downloadable instructions, or for anyone else who might want to make one – here are the directions for tonight’s workshop project – garden journals.

I had a great time teaching this class! What a great group!  I always think that accordion bindings are trickier than they seem – you really have to fold carefully and in nice parallel lines to get a polished look – which is not as easy as it looks. I always feel mine could be cleaner and more even, but when you fill it up with seeds and tags I doubt anyone would even notice!

If you want to add pages in the valleys in the “back” side of the book (the side without the pockets), you can use these pamphlet binding instructions, just substitute the valley fold of the accordion for the cover in her directions. Then you will have a great journal with pockets!

 

more busy-ness

Where have I been? Up to my eyeballs in research papers to grade. I like to assign research because I think it gives the students a rare opportunity to think about whatever they like for a bit (as long as it is related to art history of course), but wow! are they hard work to grade, all that checking and cross checking in addition to grammar and spelling. But finally I am finished with the rough drafts and can get back to the studio.

Last week after I showed Room for Utopia at the Gender & Activism conference, I had to take it apart and put it back up at the Quick Center for the Arts at St Bonaventure, where it will be on display as part of the Routes to Art Tour until mid-May. That was a lot of work! It takes about 4 hours to install as all the paper is hand tied onto the frame, but I am still quite in love with how it looks, so it seems not such a big deal, and unlike some of my other work at least I don’t need a team of big strong guys to help.

Other than that I have been working away on a lot of new stuff. I finished my piece for Seth’s call for work (If you haven’t entered it is not too late, go here for the details) and I am going to show a couple of glimpses here. I don’t want to completely give it away so I will wait until/if Seth posts an image to give you the whole view. But working on this has also opened up another new line of ideas, there will never be enough time! So back to work…

 

head full of noise

Tonight I went to a great workshop on approaching curators. It was all essentially things I knew, but the workshop was given by John Massier from Hallwalls – one of my favorite galleries and a space I would die to exhibit in, but have never had the nerve to submit a proposal to. I have actually met John once before about 10 years ago, but I never followed up on that meeting. I really have a hard time promoting myself – I can talk about other artist’s work all day, and find great opportunities for them, but I am really not happy in the spotlight, I am a much better coach than player! And when I do talk about my own work I do it very badly. Blogging has helped with that a bit – electronic eyes and ears to practice on. Still….

So anyway – thinking about putting together some proposals and giving it a try. Maybe. Perhaps showing Room for Utopia on Friday at Occupy Lunch will make me brave!

Back to a more comfortable topic – the studio – I am so full of ideas right now work is just spewing out of me – most of which I am not ready to share, but here’s a really little sneak peek at something tiny and new (and stupidly complex – but what else would you expect really?)

and I learned how to use instagram on my phone!