Studio Space

A couple of my pals and I are clearing out a warehouse to use as a shared studio space. It's pretty big. The space has been used as storage for a number of years and part of the deal involves getting it cleared out. We don't mind because rent is hellah cheap.

I am so incredibly stoked about this space! I plan to spend lots of time there and do so much work. My main focus will be on screen printing. At first anyway. There are paintings that need to happen, oh, and photographs, a lot of them, that have yet to be taken. There are tableaux-based films that have been fixedly lodged in my head for years and there are tapestries.

Here is one little corner and the next is a photograph depicting myownself (L) and my pretty studiomate (R). All that stuff's the stuff we're clearing out.

End Of Term

Well, this is the last week of classes for me. Not really much to do. The nice thing about an art degree is that it is project heavy, exam light.*

I have a comprehensive exam in environmental science and some projects due, but that's about it. Oh, it's really nice to not be a procrastinator. I'm surprised at how many folks claim procrastination with a tone of pride. Well, have fun with all that stress come end of term. It's not for me.

In fact, I'm one of those annoying students. You know, the ones who sit in the front and answer the rhetorical questions, who ask for clarification on assignments everyone else hoped the teacher would forget, who get their money's worth or as close to it as they can. They say, "Cs get degree." But I believe honor roll As have a better chance of getting into grad school, not to mention getting a job.

So now that the semester's winding down, I'll have time for some fun. Street art, wheat paste, murals, actually reading actual books for heavens sake already. All the fun things I couldn't do with my time taken up with classes.

In fact, I got an early start, wheat-pasting last night before the semester's even over.

This isn't me. I neither grew a beard nor shaved my head.

*I'm reading Strunk and White's Elements of Style. Not through it yet, so no grammar/punctuation judging please. And honestly, I'll be damned if I ever diagram another sentence. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Of This Whole Year

I was thinking today about what I'm most thankful for just in this past year.

It turns out that what seemed like the worst thing (Hudson [inadvertently] lighting himself on fire) developed into the best experience of the year for me. I had never spent that much time one-on-one with Mama. It was so wonderful.

A week-long trip. Huntington, West Virginia. Driving around, finding our way, lots of good discussions, being there for Hudson, worrying about lodging, having our particular travel rituals develop, enjoying our mutual guilty pleasures (only because what we looked forward to all day went against the Hospitality House regulations), laughing and having running jokes, reading aloud to each other. All of it, all of it. Just being together.

My love for Mama was a different and special love after that week. And that is what I am most thankful for this year.

How about you? An event or experience? Something you accomplished or gained? Something you overcame? A realization?

Crazy

I'm feeling a little crazy. Check out my etsy shop and buy something with the coupon code CRAZY for 50% off. I'll keep this code active until tomorrow (Thursday, Nov. 21) at midnight.

SHOP NOW

Hummingbirds and Hornets

I've had two memorable dreams in as many nights. 

1) It was a few years down the road. After Beatrice and Ambrose, I had more and more kids. All girls. They were everywhere, with snotty noses and high pitched voices. I did not know them or love them. I couldn't remember their names or when they were born. I was a terrible mother. Nothing really happened in the dream. We were in a house with a lot of stairs. That is all.

2) This dream took place in an apple orchard. I was in the top of a tree. I noticed a hummingbird flitting around the tree, then another. Then I noticed a hornet. It occurred to me that the tree belonged to neither the hummingbirds nor the hornets, but that they both vied for territory. As I looked further around the orchard, I realized that some trees were full of hummingbirds and some were swarming with angry hornets. I was afraid of the hornets and hoped the hummingbirds would win out. That is all.

Interpretations?

Odds and Ends

I have too much glasses.

Dennis Hopper's Lost Album. Photographs that were discovered after his death. Warhol, Paul Newman, etc.

Vast visual resource by local curator. Slow to load, but worth the wait.

If you are an artist or designer, check out this competition. I'm participating and you should, too.

If you still haven't decided what to get me for Christmas, one of these would be just fine.

And here comes Thanksgiving. I shall be making these and these for the family brunch.

Utter Silliness

"The Taurus/Gemini cusp is referred to as the “cusp of energy”. Together these two are vibrant, versatile and prolific. Some have been known to liken this to early adolescent, wanting to do so much and having the energy to do it. Being both Earth and Air, the physical nature of the Taurus side combines nicely with the excitement and constant movement of the Gemini. The desire to do is combined with a thorough thought process and excellent communication. One thing is for certain, this combination loves to communicate.

The Earth side provides stability and self discipline but the Air influence drawn the combination towards behavior that is nowhere near stable and has no real need for any of their ingrained discipline. This leads a Taurus/Gemini combination to be somewhat inconsistent, nervous and very scattered. But in that same breath they can both analyze challenges and communicate them to others easily. They can adapt easily and are highly intelligent but for all their practicality they can be just as over indulgent. Couple the latter with their charm and gentleness and you have someone you can fall easily in love with and not want to let go."

More Here

I'm not really into the zodiac or whatever. But it's interesting and fun to read about one's sign. I was born on the cusp, in the middle of the night, May 20th. I always read just the Taurus stuff and thought, "Yeah, way off, totally bogus." Then I read an article about the love life of a Cancer/Gemini match (James is Cancer) and it was so right on. Unreal. So I started relating more to Gemini. 

What Is Your Sign!? What do you think about it???