You, an Art Helmet, and Some Chocolate

I finally got the gas stove fixed in the studio (couldn't get it going all weekend), which is a good thing as it's 5 below zero here this morning! I plan to go back in there today and start some new forms for a new batch of my recycled paper/papier mache art earrings....

Thanks, everyone, for all of your responses on the papier mache Art Helmets! (Seems like "My Viking Valentine" is a favorite.) If you'd like to have your photo taken with one of the helmets on, I am thinking of going up to Riverside Studios this weekend... I thought it would be fun to take some photos of people wearing the papier mache helmets. I'd like to be able to post them on the blog, if I can get folks to agree to that!

Whaddya say?

Art Helmets: Every Valentine's Dream

Well, they may not be dreaming of them YET, but these papier mache and mixed media pieces will soon replace heart-shaped boxes of chocolates...you just wait!

So here they are: "My Viking Valentine", "Sonnet Bonnet", and "Love's Labours", created for Riverside Studios' February show, "Cupid's Courtyard".

Riverside Studios is a cool shop/gallery located in Truckee, California at 10374 Donner Pass Road. Besides the month-long Valentine's theme, they are having a special "Wine and Chocolate" event on February 9th; if you're in the area, stop by, eat a bonbon, and try on a helmet! (For more info: (530)587-3789.)

For the Viking Who Has Everything

My new Art Helmets are themed for Valentine's Day! They're papier mache and mixed media, with a smidge of Shakespeare thrown in. (My cousin cringed when I told her I ripped up a book; but it was a weird edition from the fifties with some REALLY bad fifties-style illustrations; it had to be done.)

These helmets are heading up to Riverside Studios in Truckee for their "Cupid's Courtyard" art show during the month of February.

These photos are of the helmets-in-progress; visit later this week for the finished pieces and the titles...

Artwork-A-Week #2, Finis...

My second 2D mixed media piece of the year was really just an excersise, and like all excersise, it wasn't pretty. (Actually, that's not true, I just said that...although I am still sore from my workout on Saturday...)

But I learned a few things, and I did have fun using my mom's ancient pastels. And this time of year, I just need time to work back into working.

One of the things I learned, while doing this little piece, is that the Artwork-A-Week idea is not the best fit for my working style. I tend to want to work on a few pieces at a time, and even though it was a construct of my own doing, I felt bound to work on that one piece only. Silly, huh? Well, I'm not very good with rules, but I love a good deadline, so when I found out that Riverside Studios is doing a February show, I decided to go for some Cupid Helmets... deep reds, maybe some fringe?

So I'm shifting my focus, (I do this an awful lot) off of a single 2D mixed media piece each week, to just getting into my studio every day and working like crazy: 2D, 3D... maybe even the Fifth Dimension? I'll still post photos of the work weekly, and aren't you curious as to what a Cupid's Helmet might actually look like? Check back here next week.

Claiming the Art

The Midnight Necklace. Make that the 4 am necklace...

What do you think? I have been wanting to do something around the idea of connecting pieces to create more involved necklaces. So this is my first foray... and it was fun. A fun foray. You can see it better if you come by tomorrow. (I tried to model it, but its darn hard to get a good photo of your own neck!)

I spent yesterday making room for my Underground buddies to put their work for tomorrow's Open Studio, and creating spaces for my own. Oddly enough, I really enjoyed the aspect of displaying MY work in MY space. I never thought I had a good handle on display, but I'm learning. I learned alot from the women of Riverside Studios in Truckee; very innovative. Inspired by them, I took a branch that had been part of an old piece I recently took apart, and hung it from the ceiling with my necklaces draped over it. I really like the way it looks. I was thinking of Carole Sesko, who I mentioned yesterday... in her studio space, her art is always out, visible; when you walk in there you really get a sense of who works there, what she's about. It radiates her vision.

I haven't done that in my studio yet. (It's been almost a year in this new space.) Partly because the space is fairly small. (Can I also blame the dust?) But maybe it's mostly that I haven't fully claimed the work as my own. So maybe that's why hanging the earrings and necklaces yesterday felt so satisfying: I get to start inhabiting my space in different way. I think I'm going to leave it out.

Jewelry Quandary

Yesterday I went to pick up my work from Riverside Studios (from last month's show). I didn't get any new work done for their November show, but I did sell a few things during October, and brought in some new earrings. I also got a call from North Tahoe Arts, and I may have a chance to get some of my jewely juried into their shop as well. The artists up on North Shore are so great; very open and welcoming to other artists.

I'm still at work on the new earrings, and wondering how to make the findings on the necklaces and earrings match. I've been using silver toggle clasps from the Karen Hill tribe on the necklaces; the gold-plated clasps look tacky, and the actual gold is very expensive. But on the earrings, I've used gold-filled wires, because much of my work has some gold trim. Here's the problem: I want them to to look consistant.

One possibility is to use surgical steel for the earring wires; that would be similar to the Karen Hill silver. But there's still the gold paint that I love to use on just about everything. Or I could go with gold all the way around, and charge more for the necklaces. But the whole point of the jewelry was to be able to sell work with a lower price point!

Thoughts to ponder while I work today...

Upcoming Art, Upcoming Posts

I haven't posted for a few days; I was rushing to finish the Hallow's Eve Helmets for the Riverside Studios First Friday, and get everything ready to deliver to the North Tahoe Arts Artisan Shop. And now I'm putting together some new necklaces and earrings for Riverside Studios First Friday (see sidebar)...
and fighting off a cold.

More soon. Photos too...

Back in the Saddle Again

I've been working all day on these art helmets. (I'd post a pic but the hubby took the camera with him for the weekend, along with the boys...)

I'm through with my latest bout of existential angst, thank you very much... and, after the seemingly endless tedium of the layering process, I've happily moved on to the painting phase. The first layer of color is down; naples yellow. I'm going to continue these next two helmets (and the two bowls I'm also working on) in the same vein as the first helmet: candy corn style... (Although a fourth helmet is threatening to be very red, with some beaded fringe. Can't wait to get to that one!) There are alot of layers of color to go on yet. I'm trying to finish these for Monday, when I deliver work to the North Tahoe Arts Artisan Store, and Riverside Studios in Truckee, for this month's show: "Noir". (see sidebar for more info).

Oops, I Did It Again

No, I'm not going to write about Britney Spears' MTV Video Awards performance here... everyone else is doing that...
But I DID do it again; I spent an hour on the computer, instead of going directly into my studio this morning.
Damn.

So, rather than take any more time by writing, here's a link to Carole Sesko's website...
I went to an opening there on Friday night. Great energy, great people, great art. Nice to see a vibrant art event up here in the Sierras. I also stopped by the Riverside Studios First Friday event in Truckee. Same goes... a good time was had by all.

North Shore Inspiration

I'm a blogging fool. I am also procrastinating heavily... (see my other blog post for today at the Underground Artists page...)

Anyway, I spent this past weekend looking around the area at some of the shops and galleries to see if any might be right for my work. (They're not.) It was somewhat discouraging, but two things made up for it:

1. I got to visit with my North Shore artist friends, Carole Sesko, Eve Werner, and Sara Zimmerman, who are all incredibly talented and cool and nice.

2. I met one of the three artist/owners of Riverside Studios, a beautiful shop/studio in Truckee. This was inspiring to me, not only because of the great works in leather, pottery and jewelry, but because these people weren't finding what they needed, so they created it. And also because of how that led to the next things in a very organic way: the potter became involved with some Sunset magazine projects and local eateries, creating pieces for them. She's very busy!

I envision a path like that for myself, which is hard, because when you don't really know what it is, how can you imagine it? What I do see is a career/life path that follows that general pattern: following my instincts and moving forward with a certain amount of trust. Events following organically, not forced or even planned, really...it SEEMS hard, but it should be easy, really.

Yikes.