365 Day 114

okay...it's a definite maybe...for now

I've been working with images today and perhaps a possible theme -- I don't usually have a theme.

So, for now...this is a definite maybe.

I might even have an idea of how I want to frame them.




Cool.

(But I also have another three as back-up that are strong contenders...LOL)

365 Day 60 -- part two

basic idea is still there, but with a new direction

First, though -- LOOK at these way cool little bins I got today for a buck apiece at Michaels. And see, I haven't abandoned the Tookies. They are sorted into colors for hair/soft edges. I should be able to finish them and ship them to Art-o-mat HQ by the weekend. fingers crossed





Okay. Matt is working on the wood frame/trim part for the cart at his house. So I got started on the repair plaster cloth so it could get a chance to dry.

I know that it probably looks like the cat-creature is standing in snow, but I am going more for a cloud-or-a-blanket look...not sure which. Hopefully it will start to look better as it gets closer to being done. I started the plaster cloth work at 11 p.m....finished up at 12:54 a.m. It might need another layer or two tomorrow. My fingers are too pruney to go any longer tonight. And my back hurts...whine, whine, whine.



working on the floor of the cart and doing leg repairs














face placement by Matt from my drawing (I was too nervous) -- I will still tweak it

















cloud/blanket surface of cart (not snow)











a tired cat-creature rolling away...enough for today

365 Day 59

another all-nighter

Man. Last night turned into one of those ridiculous all-nighters again. Where you lose track of time and then you have to get up reeeeally early so you just say "heck with it -- I will just stay up" and then things start to get blurry and then it is daylight and you are meeting up with your sister for coffee but you take an hour's nap and feel a little better and then you go and run errands (I know at some point during the blur that was today, Juana and I were at LIFT, I changed the art in the Art-o-mat machine and we went to the hardware store) and then when you get home and your kitten sits on you and starts some "purr therapy" and you start to relax and then before you even know it you apparently finally fall asleep and then you wake up and it is dark outside and the only light on inside is the tv and you don't know if it is 6 in the morning or 6 in the evening and then it is suddenly 10:30 p.m. and you're like "oh NO...was the DVR set for my shows?!?" and then you go "crap -- did I post to the blog???"...you know...one of THOSE days.

ANYway...at some point (technically) very early today I drew over print outs of Piece #1 so I could get an idea of what the tuxedo cat-like creature is supposed to look like...it made sense at the time. Whether I can pull this off in time is a whole different question.

365 Day 58

finger puppet progress ... and thinking about things



Yay -- the last 29 Tookies got their side seams today.










Now I just need to do everybody's "hair" and add the soft bottom edge.














It sounds like a lot, but since all of the boxes are already labeled it isn't so bad. Here is a shot of the bin of 100 in-progress Tookies.
















I have been playing with color combinations and patterns for the last few days. This guy has been plaster-colored or gesso-colored for so long it is very strange to see him actually start to get some real color.



















I think I am going to try to make him into a tuxedo cat-like creature with stripey socks.





Now here comes the thinking part.

As I have said in an earlier post, the idea of "Piece #1" has been in my head for a long time. I was intending to submit the piece to the toy-themed show. I'm not so sure now. Yes, the deadline for submissions is this coming Saturday. I could finish it enough to take good pictures of it and take the submission materials to the gallery.

But I am not so sure I am ready yet. I guess this is what comes from not having a whole lot of showing-your-work experience. Intimidated isn't really the word I am looking for. And I'm not afraid of the very real possibility of it not being juried in...if it is not accepted, oh well.

It is hard to pinpoint what it is exactly that I am feeling. I think it has something to do with "what if the piece is juried in and then it doesn't perform well during the play sessions".

I am going to keep working and see how I am feeling by Thursday and Friday...maybe I will get over this by then. No matter what, I will complete this piece -- I am just not sure I will submit it for consideration into the show.

365 Day 55

not much to see today

I did a lot of driving and running around today.










Tonight I am:

• giving my hands a break from sewing
• putting several coats of gesso on Piece #1
• thinking of how I want to paint Piece #1 (working in sketchbook)
  
• taping pennies to the Tookies boxes (weight for vending)
  

365 Day 52

keeping busy



Today I worked on Piece #1 (which is most likely the only one I will try and submit to the toy-themed show). I still have a lot to do before the show's submission deadline and I think I should focus on my favorite of the three (which would be this one) and do what I feel is my best. I will absolutely complete the other two pieces, I just won't be submitting them to this show.





















I attached the two arms to the body. It took forever. I started at 9:15 and finished at 11:45.



Later in the afternoon I worked on adding the weights to the finger puppet boxes, but it just wasn't happening. I was trying to use some of those glass pebbles but they were not flat enough on the bottoms to stick with either rubber cement or crazy glue. I am not a hot glue user (even though I do own a glue gun) but that would probably work. Instead, I will find something else to use for vending weight.














Next I moved on to another layer of paint on the ghost. This time it was plain old acrylic paint.





Then I settled in and worked on finger puppets while watching television tonight. I got 25 to this stage -- side seams and bottom turned under and the whole thing turned rightside out. My hands and wrists are screaming at me...so is the back of my neck/shoulders area. I think what I need is some "cold-pack-and-purring-kitten therapy"...put the sewing away for the night and cuddle with Twink.

365 Day 48

working on the submission(s)

Earlier this evening my friend Matt was able to come by and discuss my ideas for the working part(s) of my submission(s) for that toy-themed show.

It occurred to me that my original idea for piece #1 had a flaw and we went over my drawings and the updated work around fix that I came up with. It is sometimes hard for me to convey what it is I am thinking...plus I am not at all mechanical-minded.

I tried to draw what I was talking about but we ended up using the stuff from the hardware store as props and we finally connected on what I was trying to explain.





Matt is much more detail-oriented than I am and he drew himself a better sketch of what he needs to do.

The second piece I will be submitting is still at Matt's and is ready for me, he just didn't have it with him when he got my text.

You know, I have had these pieces in my head for a long time. It is really cool that this show came along and that they may possibly be accepted for it. Whether that happens or not -- I think these are going to be really great and I am excited to be working on them.

Tonight I will be working on the toy part of piece #1. I will be working with plaster cloth and I am not sure I will be done in time to meet my blog post midnight deadline, and I know I am not going to want to stop and clean up enough to take photos...so I am checking in with this much for now.

365 Day 45

time consuming work today

Today was spent taking my three adult cats (in two trips) to the vet for regularly scheduled check ups (everybody is fine, thanks) -- and scoring about 15 magazines from the veterinary office (thanks!) Now all four cats are all set until August.

But the bulk of my time this afternoon and this evening went to making labels for this next batch of 100 Tookies for Art-o-mat. This part takes time whether I do it before or after the finger puppets are made...so I may as well get it taken care of first.




























I also signed and dated all of the boxes.















It always amazes me just how long it takes cut the labels apart after running them through the Xyron machine. Most of them are cut with the paper cutter, but the Tookies labels for the front of the boxes are all trimmed by hand. Not complaining...just sayin'.













Early this morning I was looking over my plans for the toy-themed show at Paint Creek Center for the Arts -- deadline for submissions is March 5. I found a rather large flaw in my plan for one of my submissions. I think I figured out a work around for it. We'll see what my friend/accomplice/helper has to say. In the meantime, I need to get cracking on the main parts of the toys!

365 Day 40

me...making a sketch book of actual plans???

Who would've thought this would happen? Certainly not me! I am not a maker of drawn out plans and details or a sketcher in sketch books...but look -- I'm doing it!

I am hoping to submit a couple of pieces to the "Come Play With Me" show at Paint Creek Center for the Arts in Rochester.

The ideas that are flying around in my head are there in abundance. MAKING them happen on the mechanical end is not. I got up my nerve and asked a friend of mine for some help in doing the construction part of the workings of the piece(s) and *gasp* he agreed (although he hasn't seen anything in person yet...LOL) so I figured I had better at least try and make sketches in order to get my ideas from my head to something he could see too.

So far the two days we had planned on meeting didn't work out. He was not in town on Monday and I had a power outage yesterday. On Thursday I have a commitment (that I will blog about). Hopefully we can get together tonight or later in the week. The deadline for the submissions is going to come up really fast.

So far I have made three sketches for three projects. I will most likely only be able to do one for the submission...maybe two...maybe another different one...I will blog about the progress of most of them because if they end up not working out in time for submitting them for consideration for the show -- or they don't get accepted -- I will just complete them anyway and keep them for myself or put them on Etsy or something.




The "plaster-cloth-mostly-built-already" guy and the rolling musical toy are elements of the main piece I want to do for the Come Play With Me show.



















I have been thinking about a lot of these things for a long, long time and I really need to make them. Perhaps if I just make them anyway a few will fit other shows at some point. Who knows. All I know I just need to do this.