365/2013 - Day 272

art drop off x2 

I was on both sides of art drop offs today.  And there was a marathon of errands with Sue in between.

First, this morning, I dropped off my collage "Couldn't Catch It" at the Village Theater at Cherry Hill for the "21st Annual Canton Fine Art Exhibition".  I love this show.  This year the juror is Gilda Snowden.  I ran into DeEtta (who I have only known on Facebook) and I got a sneak peek at Kate's magnificent painting.  I cannot wait for the opening on Thursday!  More about that in Thursday's blog.

Putting the ID label on the back of my collage and wrapping it up for travel to the venue.

The front approach to the Village Theater at Cherry Hill.

Check in

We put my collage up against the wall for now...I can't wait for the opening reception on Thursday night!

Then I rushed home and Sue met me at my house and we ran a gazillion errands.  I managed to pull a muscle in my back and really wrenched it getting in and out of the car so much.  I didn't get to ice it until later.  I had just enough time to wrap up two of my Kate Paul pieces from my collection and deliver them to the NAH in time for the first night of art drop offs for "Under the (Inspired) Influence".  Patti was there already.  Patti handled the gallery inventory/store inventory sheets for me.  She was also kind enough to haul my paintings in from my car.  They weren't too heavy, I just couldn't carry them in front of me and up the stairs to the gallery.  I set up a table and some chairs and addressed a postcard to my anonymous sponsor for the opening reception.

Then Kate arrived with her two other pieces for the show.  She sat and chatted a bit while she filled out her paperwork.  What a lovely, lovely person she is.  Lots of exciting things happening with her.

The amazing Kate Paul and her four pieces for "my" show.

Then Leann arrived with her pieces.  Oh man -- I love them all!  Leann is also going to have a few items for sale in the NAH Store during the run of the show.  This is going to be great!  Leann will be back on Thursday morning to help with hanging the show.

Leann filling out her inventory sheet(s).

I was very grateful that Leann and Kate came in fairly close to the start time for tonight's drop off.  Patti and I were able to leave shortly after Leann took off.  We said hello to Julie as she was coming in to set up for a class she teaches.  Then it was straight home for meds/cold pack/elevation.  My back feels a bit better already, I am sure it will be fine by morning.  My left knee and foot feel very mangled.  I am going to go to bed early tonight I think/hope.

Everything is really going smoothly so far for "Influence" and the Call for Entries for Nov/Dec.  I have so much support from so many caring and helpful people.  Everyone who has pledged help along the way is coming through...this is such a wonderful environment...I love it here so much!

365/2013 - Day 271

what a relief!

Man -- I am so NOT computery.  It took me all day -- and I mean ALL day -- but I finally figured out how to do a slide show on my computer.  Now I can have the three jurors for the "[small] Works Exhibit" come to my house to view the entries instead of trying to cram us into Joan's office at the NAH to use her computer.  I sincerely thank Joan for considering doing that to accommodate me on just one more thing...but now I really can do this at home.

AND I practiced taking my computer out to the big dining room table and starting from scratch and it all worked!  I also learned how to change the settings and use the zoom-in thing and the navigator thing to inspect details on a jpg.  AND I made sure I knew how to change the file names and have them show up correctly in the slide show view.  While I was at it, I made notes for myself as I did everything just so I don't forget something by the 9th.

I practiced with a few of the images from the "Under the (Inspired) Influence" show and the example I am using for the zoomy stuff and full screen is called "Numen & Genius" by Juana Moore and it is used by permission (not all the file info was accurate, just practicing).  Thanks, Juana!

I cannot even begin to tell you what a gigantic relief this is.  It is such a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but now it is something I know how to do and I can feel confident about doing another juror viewing down the road when I need to.

365/2013 - Day 270

guess what -- more busy work

I think "busy" work is pretty much all I am going to have time for until after "my" show opens next Friday.  And I am also working on the Nov/Dec show at the same time -- that Call for Entries deadline is next Saturday.  In between time I have to drop off my collage for the Canton show on Monday morning, Monday and Tuesday I have artists dropping off their work at NAH, a half-day or so of figuring out how I want the show to look, one more artist drop off, then hanging the show on Thursday during the day. Thursday night is the opening reception for the Canton Fine Art Exhibition -- Sue and I are going to that...I am really excited that Sue gets to see the program there...so cool.  Friday morning Joan and I will go and get the food for the opening reception, then at 2:00 I pick up the generously donated cake pops, cookies, and brownies from Sorella's Bakery and make a mad dash back to collect myself before I need to get to the NAH at around 5.  The NHS home coming parade begins right in front of the NAH and runs through town and up towards my house and turns onto 8 Mile to go to the athletic field.  Streets will be closed by the NAH so I want to be sure not to get temporarily locked out of downtown...the parade starts at 6, "my" opening is from 6-9.  The parade should be cleared out of our street by 6:15 or so.

But this morning Peggy and I went to the Ferndale Public Library to drop off our artwork that was accepted into  "The Power of Myth" show.  We ran into Terri who was there to drop off her fabulous collage "Kitten Kong".  I think this is going to be a really great show.  "The Power of Myth" runs from September 30 to November 10.  The reception is on Saturday, October 12 and there will be live music by The Hand in the Ocean.

 

In addition, on Monday, October 21, there will be an evening of poetry, storytelling, fables and urban legends -- with live music.  And much to her surprise and delight, Peggy learned today that her collage "Myth of the Eclipse" is the featured artwork on the poster for this event. 

 

"Myth of the Eclipse" is my very favorite of Peggy's artwork and I have many favorites!

Here are a few shots of Terri and Peggy and me dropping off our art.

Peggy and her collage

Terri and her empty box (she got there just before us)

Peggy, her collage, my plaster cloth sugar glider guy "Djubi" and my purse

Terri and her fantastic "Kitten Kong"

"Kitten Kong" detail

 After we got back to this area I stopped by the other possible sponsor for "Under the (Inspired) Influence" to talk a little more about if they can do it or not.  They are insanely busy right now but were glad that I stopped back in.  They will let me know early next week.  Fingers crossed!  They want to have their business and the NAH get together on occasion and this would be a great starting point...I hope it works out.

Then I went to the NAH to talk with Joan about some things and talk to Patti about some things.  Then I came home and worked on more letters and forms for both shows.  I took a dinner break, fed the cats, did a couple of loads of laundry and then looked over the paperwork I did today.  Things are coming along nicely.  I really DO love all of this "busy" work!

365/2013 - Day 269

okay...one photo

Another day of errands and exhibit(s)-related stuff to work on...but today I have a photo to show.

The postcards for the October exhibit at the NAH (the one I am the curator of) were delayed in the mail, had to be reshipped and arrived today!  I spent some time at the Art House putting the address labels and postage on the postcards.  Thanks to Joan and Patti for printing the labels and setting up a space for me to work in...and for running them down to the post office and starting the drops to venues in downtown Northville.

Tonight I am surrendering to back pain and horrendous allergy problems.  I am not sick, I'm just tired of fighting this stuff...time for meds, cold packs, etc.

365/2013 - Day 268

more busy work

No photos again today because I have been engaged in more of the "busy" work I love.

I stopped by the NAH to consult with Joan on the forms I am making for myself for the "[small] Works Exhibit".  I am not using a traditional Excel spreadsheet thing.  I am not very computery.  All of this stuff takes me a lot of time and trial & error...making a batch of mock columns then filling them in with random stuff and numbers and then cutting and pasting all of it and then going back and erasing the words and numbers.  There is no doubt an easier, more efficient way to do this.  There are probably formulas to work with to figure out how wide each column should be to accommodate titles and emails, etc.  But you know what?  This works for me.  I am pretty much the only person who will be working with my pages...I just needed to make sure I wasn't forgetting any essential elements.  Plus, Joan and I came up with a better description for me than "organizer" -- which I felt made me sound like the whole thing was my idea, etc. when I am merely the one keeping track of things and keeping stuff in order.  We are calling me the coordinator of the "[small] Works Exhibit".

You know, I realized tonight that doing all of this for myself from the ground up reminds me of when I was volunteering with DDG and making lists for the front table for check in purposes.  I LOVED that and I miss it.  Now I am kind of sort of doing the similar process with "my" version of this show.  Yay.

There are basic things that need to be done and ways to present things to the jurors so that they are totally unaware of the artists associated with the images that are viewing.  I've got that covered and I am pretty much going by the book on that.  But I like my individual juror forms and my art intake forms and my artists contact forms.


I love doing this busy work -- this sorting and organizing and re-doing things...I really, really do.  (Took you are such a Capricorn.)

365/2013 - Day 267

whoa -- where did the time go!

No photos to show.  Today I have run a bunch of different errands, had dinner and visited with a friend, and worked on my paperwork for the Nov/Dec exhibit at the NAH.

Submissions have started to come in for "[small] Works Exhibit", the juried open call for art show that I am organizing as part of the Northville Art House's Nov/Dec exhibits and holiday art market.
I am making forms for recording the artwork and artist information, making a juror's results sheet, renaming files for the CD of artwork that the jurors will see, etc.  I am having a blast -- this is the kind of "busy" work I absolutely LOVE!

365/2013 - Day 266

working on the small spikey guy again

Today I was working on the outsides of the small spikey guy's ears, and then his side seams.  He is looking better and better!

When I got down to his arm I made the decision to go around it on both sides.

Putting the small spikey guy away for a bit.

Back at it this afternoon...side seams!

I need to go to Joann's and get a thimble...and some more orange embroidery floss.

365/2013 - Day 265

more painting

Fooling around with the Hatchling guy's colors again today.  I am trying to see if I can blend a green up to the watery green over the paper and the blue underneath.  

But first I mixed a couple of purples to go around his eyes (as messily as I wanted to).

THEN I did the green on his body.

Then I went back and cleaned up the excess plaster cloth and paint sloshes and old matte medium on his glass disc eyes.

Then I went back in to touch up the touched up spots when I knocked off more plaster cloth.

Then I cleaned the eyes up one more time.  I am sort of happy with at least the head right now.

Why oh why do I (apparently) insist on making things that I have to paint later on????  I need collaborators...seriously.

365/2013 - Day 264

starting to paint a guy

Tonight I put on my "brave" paints and started to paint the baby snake guy...the Hatchling guy for now.

I want his underside to be sort of powdery blue but I am not sure how to get it there.  Tonight I mixed a blue, a buff, and some white together and got what I got.  I'm good with it for the base color I think.

Next I made a very watery version of the Titan Buff and brushed it on and when it was almost dry I wiped it mostly off.  I wanted to get a sort of whitewashed/buffwashed look.  We'll see how it looks later on...for now I am ready to move onto a base coat for the main body of the Hatchling guy.  But that will happen after my midnight deadline, so I am posting this much of it tonight.

Ready to start applying paint -- the Hatchling guy is upside down.

The color of blue I mixed up.

The very watery Titan Buff application.

What it mostly looks like right now.

365/2013 - Day 263

nothing to see today

I have been having an unusually bad back/leg pain day and I have had to take it kind of easy today -- so no plaster cloth, etc.  I checked in at the NAH and consulted with Joan and Patti.  I worked on some things for the October show...today was a very good day for that.  Very good.

365/2013 - Day 262

things are starting to fall into place

I had work accepted into two upcoming shows and I am working on two projects for the Northville Art House.  Today things have been falling into place really nicely for all of them.

This afternoon I had an idea for a potential sponsor for the show I am curating at the NAH.  I was very lucky to be able to speak with one of the people I would have needed to speak with and they were very receptive.  They also had other ideas they would like to explore with the NAH.  Fingers crossed!

And the Ferndale Public Library sent out the poster for the upcoming "Power of Myth" exhibition.  It is so exciting to see my name there.  And I love the artwork on the poster.

click on the image to see the Facebook event page.

The collage that I needed to have framed for the "21st Annual Canton Fine Arts Exhibition" was ready to be picked up this afternoon -- Charles was there this evening to give it to me.  I am always so pleased with everything I take to this Frames Unlimited store.  The staff there is so patient and so helpful.  A great combination of "getting it" that you don't want to/can't afford to put too much money into the framing because either it is for a show and if someone purchases it they may very well reframe the piece and/or you just don't have the spendable funds at that time.  There are so many gorgeous choices there...it is just so difficult but those guys really make it painless and it always makes me extremely glad that I went to this particular Frames Unlimited.  THANKS!

The Novi Frames Unlimited.

I like the little illustration of my collage that Shelly added to the order form.

Charles, revealing my framed collage...it looks so "finished"...I love it!

I am getting things more and more organized for the show I am curating.  I am getting more focused on how I think I want to display the work and how I want to label it, etc.  I am making my lists, getting forms together, keeping in contact with "my" artists...it is all going really well.

Same goes for the "[small] Works Exhibit" at the Northville Art House for November/December.   This will be a juried "cash and carry" exhibit of smaller format artwork, with no one dimension being over 12" (including frame for 2D pieces).  I am overseeing the coordination of this Call for Entries, but I am not on the jury.  We are getting the word around pretty well.  I know that we won't get a lot of submissions until it is closer to the October 5th deadline.  We all know how that goes.  I am getting excited about people talking about entering and I can't wait to see what is submitted.  I love organizing and I am eager to get into gear.  And at the same time for November/December the NAH will also have incredible gift baskets to be raffled, gorgeous wreaths, and the NAH Store will be all holiday'd up with wonderful arty offerings that are great for gift giving.

click on the image to get the downloadable entry form

365/2013 - Day 261

sewing
I've been working on the small spikey guy throughout the night.  This is the really slow going part of trying to attach the head to the body and bury all of the bulky spots and hide the folds.  It's coming, but it is slow.  I also got rid of the points on his shoulders.  Still not done, just done for tonight.