365 Day 120

woah...what a day!

Wow...what an incredible day of art and fun and more art and more fun.

We went to Laurie Eisenhardt's Studio Spring Sale -- what an incredibly magical experience.

Then we went out to Paint Creek Center for the Arts to go to the Come Play With Me play date.











reunited with Chime Cat for a little while...he needed a belt put back on a wheel





We had a bit of time to kill after that, so we went and had coffee and I put my new glow in the dark shoelaces in my shoes then -- duh -- was mildly disappointed to realize that my pants cover my shoelaces most of the time and you can't see them glowing (even when they are fully charged up). Then we went and got the carbon paper that I nearly forgot (so I can finish transferring my images on to the blocks for Juana to color for our Art-o-mat series "Penciled In").

THEN we came back and went to the opening reception for Meth & Hot Dogs 2 curated by Kill Taupe at LIFT in Royal Oak...man was it packed!





sign for Meth & Hot Dogs by Kill Taupe








Frankly, I am totally worn out. I left Northville this morning at 10 and just got home shortly before 11. I will post the photos of the play date and M&HD2 tomorrow.

Right now I need to sit in front of tv with my purr therapist -- Dr. Twink. That's what I need in order to wind down enough to go to sleep at a reasonable hour tonight. Ahhhhhhhhhh.

365 Day 119

transferring images to blocks










choosing the images -- I didn't realize just how many there were to choose from!







Juana and I are going to do another edition of "Penciled In" for Art-o-mat. Tonight I am transferring the images onto the blocks. Tomorrow I will give them to Juana for her to color with colored pencils -- she is amazing with the colors. I like my drawings, but she really brings them to life -- brings out the individual personalities.





Twink "helping"








This edition will be a combo of seventeen of the drawings we've worked with in the past and three new ones.



getting down to it

365 Day 118

a full, fun day!

Let's see...I started off packing up Listia auctions to mail out. Then I got Arto-art packed up to switch out in the machine at LIFT. Then I packed up my clay guys to take to Brenda's. Then I went to the post office, then to Sam's Club to get sandwichy stuff for dinner, then to Juana's to get her and we went to lunch at Ahan Thai and had a good tasty meal.



Art-o-mat artpacks packed into the boxes at my house





Then we went to LIFT and bought a bunch of new Tokidoki blind box unicorn toys and talked with Kent. Then I changed the art in the machine and Juana put the binder pages in for me.




the machine at LIFT (can't see the last column, sorry)









Then we went out to Brenda's to play with clay and the dogs.
On the way to Brenda's we sat in traffic for a bit...I hate traffic on the highway.






looking across the table...Juana is off camera to my left and Brenda is over at the counter working on her big leaves and faces










We had a great time with Brenda and Rocky and Ginger. We got to see James, too. Man...he has grown up -- looks like a rock star. Then we talked more and worked on clay projects more and had sandwiches and yummy vegetables and talked more and laughed lots.


Ginger with her half-a-tennis-ball














Rocky and his tennis ball -- he is incredibly focused













there's Juana...and Brenda















all of my "guys" are reunited...LOL

















the little "guys" I am working on...they look like a forest of monoliths or something...Brenda is going to fire them










Then we drove back to Juana's and dropped her off and I came home and was delighted to find a big box of art books that arrived from Amazon. Then I fed the cats and now I am writing this.

Next I am going to go look at my new books and watch my shows that were dvr'd.

FULL, FUN DAY!

365 Day 117

it doesn't take much these days...

...to make me happy.

Remember a few days ago when I was so elated by the arrival of a 20-lb. box of plaster cloth? Well today all it took was a roll of chicken wire and a pair of heavy duty gloves.










new supplies!







Put all of those things together and I can get started on building this guy!

I am really excited -- this will be the biggest thing I've made so far! It will take a while and I am SO looking forward to it!






new project!

365 Day 116

very happy

I am very happy with my submissions cd for The Northville Art House's upcoming show "West of Center".

The 3 hand cut paper Cat Girl collages I made are a set called "Past", "Present" and "Future" and look really great together, but also work well as separate pieces.

I am not going to show what they look like right now because they are going to be juried.

Also, my scanner wasn't large enough to accommodate the collages so I had to take them to Kinko's. I am very happy with the scans and I don't want to mess them up (heh, me and computers) by trying to make teasers from them.

Notification of jury results will be by email on May 7...fingers crossed until then!

365 Day 115

so excited!

Squeeeeeeeee -- look what JUST arrived!

A 20-lb. box of plaster cloth!!!

Now I can put the last layers on the stuff that is in progress and start new stuff!

Wa-hoo!

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 113

I think it will probably be Cat Girls

Today I am selecting images for Animal People collages that I will submit for consideration in the "West of Center" show at The Northville Art House. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday. Luckily, The Art House is in my neighborhood and I can drop the cd off.

I love making Animal People.



my drawers of images




















one of the cats drawers











beginning the cutting and matching process

365 Day 112

new deadline to meet

Having just turned in my submissions for the Meth & Hot Dogs 2 show at LIFT in Royal Oak, I now have a new deadline I want to meet.

The Northville Art House put out a Call for Art for their "West of Center" show. Deadline for entries is next Wednesday, April 27.











Here is the Art House's description of the show:
In a nod to our location as well as our philosophy of bringing the community something that’s different from the usual, “West of Center” is an inspired effort to showcase talented artists, as selected by a highly regarded juror. We plan to keep this eclectic, contemporary event as an annual tradition, so mark your
calendars! June 3-25

The juror for this show is Northville's own Cedric Tai. Here is a bit about him from his website:
Cedric Tai an artist and educator, was born in Detroit in 1985. He grew up in Northville, Michigan and received his BFA in studio art and teaching certification from Michigan State University. He has a studio practice in the Russell Industrial Center and works as an educator at both the College for Creative Studies, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and the Detroit Institute of Arts. He works actively to promote the Detroit arts community through curated shows, and through thedetroiter.com. Cedric was recently named Kresge Artist Fellow in the Visual Arts. One of 18 inaugural fellows selected to receive $25,000 to pursue his creative endeavors in the Detroit metropolitan area.

When I first saw the Call for Art at Facebook, I thought I would make some plaster cloth guys. Now that the flurry of last minute work is over with 'Nipped and The Nice, I know I need a break. I also know (now) that I need to make things because I have an idea for them and then later if they happen to fit a show's theme I can consider entering them. If I try to force something quickly it only ends in disappointment (for me).

SO -- I have been itching to do some more large(r) Animal People collages...larger than Art-o-mat size, that is. I will make 3 collages and submit photos of them. I will figure out the framing of them if they get accepted.

This is going to be FUN! Animal People are my first love.

365 Day 111

done!

Here are the two sneak peeks for my submissions to the upcoming Meth & Hot Dogs 2 show, curated by Kill Taupe at LIFT in Royal Oak, MI.

We aren't supposed to show the entire piece, so here are two teasers.







'Nipped -- an insatiable catnip addict









The Nice -- his unscrupulous catnip dealer











Oh man -- it's 5 a.m. -- I need some sleep!

365 Day 110

darn it!

I didn't hear the buzzer go off -- I was doing the last bit of touch up -- close painting stuff -- and I missed my deadline by minutes! Midnight:02...darn it!

Tonight I did all of the finishing up stuff -- whiskers, eyebrows, outlines, lettering. Man. Why does a non-painter, non-letterer insist on doing things that need to be painted and lettered?

365 Day 109

still working on 'Nipped

I have been painting the faces on 'Nipped and his companion piece. Slow process (for me) -- you know me and the painting thing.

365 Day 108

it seemed like a good idea at the time...

I usually check my email and Facebook before I go to bed. Well, last night/early this morning I saw a call for art from the Northville Arthouse for their show called West of Center. (And yes, they are "west" of Center St.) I have wanted to submit something there for a while but I haven't been able to fit anything I already had in progress OR make something specific that I was happy with.

I went to bed and I naturally started thinking about what I could do for Left of Center. Then the ideas wouldn't quit and after an hour I eventually had to give in and just get up because there was no way I was going to fall asleep. I was thinking of several things I had in the basement that could have been bases for a plaster cloth creature. I brought some of them up to the studio and I couldn't quite get things to gel.

Then it came to me to try and use a couple of things that I had in progress but had "set aside for later". I made these when I was first trying out plaster cloth and they were pretty misshapen and wonky. I worked with them for a bit and things started coming together.

I like both of them a lot but they are both in the very very very beginning stages and most likely will end up looking quite a bit different than their basic shapes.

The canine-ish head was already a fairly substantial clump of plaster cloth. The only thing I knew about it for sure was the tilting ears looking like he hears something. Actually, that cracks me up...even when I've had enough sleep. I think this piece will be a take off on one of my drawings/characters called "Wolfy". When I started out the head was more of a rectangle and had sort of flat (but very bumpy and crater-y) surfaces. I added the nose and tried to get a rounder shape for the head. I also added a thick neck...it originally had a wrapping paper tube neck. It is sitting on top of an upside down tomato cage. (I have a number of the cages that I bought specifically to make papier mache things with -- big creatures...I am still working my way up to that and I have switched from papier mache to plaster cloth.) This guy is about 48 inches tall.







harsh early-morning-it's-snowing light is not great for lighting objects for photos




























































The catlike guy started out tonight as just an aluminum foil covered balloon on a wrapping paper tube neck. When I started playing with it I found that the balloon was not as inflated as it once was. I compressed it a bit and shaped it a little and made the markers for ears. I added stuff around it to give it more of a body shape and this is where I am so far. The arms are just lightly taped so I could see how they might work. This guy is about 21 inches tall.

365 Day 107

documenting process (and progress)

This blog keeps me moving forward. It helps me to keep on track, to stay focused and to feel productive because I can look back and see what I've done each day.

But it also functions as a way for me to remember how I did something...what the steps were, in what order I did something, etc.

Today I found that I still needed to add more yellow underneath another layer of orange. Yesterday I was thinking I was ready to move on to the next step(s)...but today it was pretty clear that I needed to go one more layer to build up the colors.

I am a person who likes to work with paper. I love cutting paper images for collages. I enjoy wrapping gifts. There are all kinds of things I do with paper. Today I can say that I am enjoying adding color with layers of tissue paper. Even though in reality there is probably a lot less control over the results, I feel more in control than with paint. I am not comfortable with paint. I don't understand paint(s) and I don't really care for it as a material/supply. I paint because I have to sometimes. I stomp, I pout, I procrastinate, I whine and complain...but I usually end up painting. Accidentally "discovering" that I can add color with paper a few days ago -- today I feel really enthusiastic about it. I don't dread it. I feel like I was led to it. Yay.

I am going on and on about this because I know at some point I will be re-reading this drivel and I will see that I needed to work through all of this and find my true comfort levels and the things I am really truly drawn to. I just basically need to document things for myself.










starting off today with my "tools"...triangles of tissue paper, brush and matte medium













adding a yellow triangle of paper















every edge, every surface gets touched and smoothed...I like this
















building up the colors -- not very time efficient, but boy oh boy is it ever satisfying (to me)












stepping back to take a look








letting it dry for a bit

365 Day 106

general work day

Today I have been working on sorting and clearing up things, packing up auctions that closed, running very close/short errands and then working on 'Nipped.






before







It may be sort of hard to see it, but I put two layers of color on today. The before photo shows how the various painted layers were still showing through most of the piece. The next photo show the orange-over-a-layer-of-yellow detail.






after







I am starting to get more close to being done now and I don't want to show overall shots until after the opening of Meth & Hot Dogs 2. I will continue to show close up shots and teasers.

365 Day 105

It's finally here! (updated at the end of the post with a link to photos)
Tonight is the Opening Reception for Come Play With Me -- a juried exhibit of dolls, toys and games by Michigan artists -- at Paint Creek Center for the Arts in Rochester, MI.

I am so excited I can hardly stand it -- the waiting/anticipation is excruciatingly fun.

I swiped the info below directly from PCCA, because they say it best:
"Works in this show include a variety of hand sewn dolls and soft toys; a selection of toys made from old books; ceramic dolls and robots; a set of bottle cap figures; a beautifully crafted hand-cranked flip book toy; the King Kong Panic Playset; a refrigerator magnet set complete with refrigerator door; a collection of marble games and puzzles; wooden animal pull toys; paper doll sets; an elaborate marble game construction that may be played alone or with multiple players; masks and a headdress made from found objects and small toys; a visual game based on fictional Tall Tales about the origins of Detroit landmarks; a Grey Gardens board game; a pair of simple but challenging flash video games; surrealist games made up of objects and small parts that hold their own absurd logic; and the lovely Chime Cat Visits Cloud City, a musical pull toy featuring an oversized cat on a wheeled cart. Participating artists range from veteran artists familiar to many in the Detroit area, to newcomers exhibiting their work for the first time. We’re excited to see the sheer variety of approaches to the theme, and the excellent craftsmanship that went into all these beautiful toys."

Here is the list of participating artists -- I cannot be-lieve I am in such extraordinary company!
(I have included a link to the artist's website/Etsy shop where available)

• Madeleine Barkey -- Ferndale, MI
• Jeanne Bieri -- Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
• Loralei Byatt -- Detroit, MI
• Sandra Cardew -- Royal Oak, MI
• Renee Dooley -- Detroit, MI
• Took Gallagher -- Northville, MI
• Marcia Hovland -- Royal Oak, MI
• Amy Kelly -- Hamtramck, MI
• Andrew Krieger -- Grosse Pointe Farms, MI
• Andy Malone -- Royal Oak, MI
• Michael McGillis -- Royal Oak, MI
• Joey Merchant -- Ferndale, MI
• Ryan Molloy -- Ann Arbor, MI
• Juana Moore -- Ferndale, MI
• Scott Northrup -- Dearborn, MI
• Jaclyn Novak -- Canton, MI
• Catherine Peet -- Royal Oak, MI
• Teresa Petersen -- Detroit, MI
• Gina Scolellaro -- Amherstberg, Ontario
• Mike Sivak -- Ann Arbor, MI
• Doug Spalding -- Royal Oak, MI
• Starr Williams -- Berkley, MI

And...as if that wasn't enough:
"As part of this exhibit, we’ve scheduled a Saturday afternoon Play Date for Saturday, April 30th from 1:00 – 4:00 pm. Come on in and play with the toys the artists have created. Children accompanied by their parents are welcome to participate. We’ll also have some materials and ideas on hand for kids to make their own toys and games."

I will do my best to take as many photos as possible tonight!

Update: here is a LINK to the photos I took.

365 Day 104 (almost made it -- but slightly late)

well, five minutes past my self-imposed deadline...

It may say midnight but it is actually 12:05 a.m. -- oh well. Close enough.

I finished papering 'Nipped (first layer) (?) It may not look too bad afterall.









'Nipped fully papered, head and neck...below that will be a shirt that I don't want paper on







Then I put another layer of paint on the middle ghost. He was blue, now he is chartreuse.









middle ghost, blue







middle ghost, chartreuse

365 Day 103 (catch up post #2)

Tookies update

Remember the 29 Tookies finger puppets I made for our table at the 1st Ever Tiny Market in Kalamazoo? Well, these are the ones that I did not sell.

I need to photograph them and post them to my Etsy store and my new ArtFire shop.

I will probably do the photography tonight while the paper is drying on 'Nipped.

365 Day 102 (catch up post #1)

yep...I really am not a painter



















I am back and working on 'Nipped. I painted his base coat a bright tangerine color.



I wanted to tone the orange down and highlight it with green, but the green dried too quickly and I ended up having to wash 'Nipped with a Dobie scrubber in the shower to get most of the green off (and leave some in the low spots. Yuck.































Then it was waaaaay bright -- almost dayglo!





So I tried to tone it down with a thinned down brown paint. Yuck. What a mess.






Now I am covering it with a layer of paper. I will most likely not leave it like this, but it will be a good base I think. New paint should stick to it and perhaps the layer of paper will help to add a little more durability to the finish. Who knows, I could change my mind again (and again).

This is turning into quite an adventure!

365 missing days blog catch-up

I spent the day Tuesday and had to stay overnight, and most of today at the hospital. I'm okay but I am not feeling like doing catch up tonight. Tomorrow I will post 2 catch-ups blog posts and the current one for Thursday.

Just sayin'.

365 Day 101

more work on 'Nipped and his companion piece









'Nipped, partially gesso'd











I didn't mean to still have this much work to do on my Meth & Hot Dogs 2 pieces by this date. Life happens, more unexpected work needed to be done on 'Nipped (and had to dry), other deadlines happen...today 'Nipped gets gesso'd and base coated.

The companion piece is partially done. You remember how I really dislike painting? Well, I had an idea for the stripes on this guy yesterday that I think turned out pretty darn well and saved me from painting. Tonight I will be painting his face and head. Then he will just need to be sealed.





this guy gets a face tonight