Open Space, New Projects and Fear

June 28, 2008

When I redid my office, I wanted a blank slate — with big project tables and open space to think up new projects. Then I saw a documentary about the architecture of a traditional Japanese house, and I understood what I had been striving for. There is no assigned function for rooms. The objects that are brought into the space define the function of the space.

Here’s one of my project tables, a little cluttered, but flexible space to work. Glass shelves held up by glass bricks, a piece of rusty metal for a magnet board. I’m thinking about painting the wall with magnetic paint (actually it’s not magnetic, it just makes the wall metallic so that magnets stick to it. Anyone tried that stuff?) But I don’t want to hang art on it. I like the white wall, like cloud, like a dream that hasn’t yet developed.

On the other project table, I’ve brought in a small pin board to study my research. The internet is great for research, I especially am loving Flickr for inspirational photos. Photos like this or these. I don’t copy the photos into my art, only use them as inspiration for things to draw.

Working with new ideas is fun, exciting, but also scary. I wonder if I can really make my crazy ideas work… they seem pretty good in my head, but when I try to write about them or make them real, not sure how well that’s going to work.

Filed Under Inspiration, process, studio | 3 Comments

Portable Drawing Door Table

May 12, 2008

Now that the really hard physical work is over, we’re having fun arranging areas of the newly renovated offices and gallery.

Here’s a drawing desk I built using an old black door and some dusty sawhorses I found in the warehouse. I like that the hinges are still attached (except when I busted my ankle on one as I was moving the door into the room). The door knob is still attached to the other side, which makes is easy to carry around.

Last week while I was recuperating from the painting marathon, I decided to do a to-do-list drawing or collage (more on that tomorrow) each day along with the silly rule that I couldn’t open my laptop until it was done.

We know how well that worked — I’m way behind on emails and blog posts. That silly rule is hereby tossed out the window, and this week I’ll try to remedy my email backlog.

Filed Under drawings, studio | 5 Comments

And Now for Something Completely Different

May 11, 2008

At our old house, we had a fish pond with lots of beautiful koi fish with names like Casper, Skeletor, Wabi, Goldilocks, and the Sharkey Brothers. One day a fish appeared, it wasn’t a koi so we suspected that someone who had tired of their aquarium had graced our pond during the night with this contribution.

We named the fish Nessie, because it only appeared close to the surface infrequently, maybe once a month, like the mysterious Loch Ness Monster. When Nessie did appear, she would swim sideways. Someone told me this might be due to a problem with her air-bladder — something I guess fish have to help them move through water?

Anyway, sometimes I think artists are a little like Nessie. They disappear sometimes for a long time, and then when they do appear, they swim sideways.

I guess I’ve been on the bottom of the pond, probably for longer than ever since I started this blog about three years ago. Now I’ll try to get you caught up, and to start off, we’re doing something completely different….

white paint. Those of you who have been to the studio know it was packed full to gills with color. Now it’s going all white. As in White.

Filed Under studio | 3 Comments

Studio Makeover Continues

April 20, 2008

Here’s the retro red lamp I found at a flea market yesterday. As the new bamboo floor goes in, I’m getting more and more excited about the possibilties of the new aesthetic that we can play around with in our front offices.

My office is finished! because the floor guy was a real sweetheart and agreed to work all weekend to try to finish up.

Now what to do with the walls? As you can see, the bottom of the walls have been patched after damage from the flood, but the color is the old style. We were thinking white walls, but that may be too bland. Also the doors have to be replaced.

In case you don’t remember, this was the old floor before the floor machine crunched it up into little bits. Pretty active, that’s why the intense wall colors.

I’m loving this new floor and have been walking around in my socks and sitting in the empty rooms. The floor and the glue used to put it down are green — a sustainable strand bamboo from Canada called “Synergy.”

Filed Under studio | 5 Comments

Studio Article in Cloth Paper Scissors

April 13, 2008

I can’t believe April is already half over, and I haven’t yet told you about this article. Last December Patricia Bolton asked me to submit some information about my studio for a special edition of the magazine Cloth Paper Scissors.

Having a lot photos for this blog and just general shutter-bugitis, I sent some in with a brief written tour.

So here’s the result. You can pick up a copy at bookstores, or order online here. There’s lots of fabulous studios featured, I’m loving Jane Davila’s studio and of course, Sara Lechner’s — had to crack up at her story of buying 75 sets of shelves. And I thought I was crazy!

Also lots of great organizational tips for studios. Seems ironic that the article would come out just as we’re trying to finish up renovating the front of what CPS calls the “art factory,” but never fear — the part in the magazine remains true to the photos, so you’ll be seeing the real deal.

Meanwhile I’m sooo excited, can hardly wait until tomorrow when they will start installing the new bamboo floor in the front offices. Hope the finished product is worth all the agony of moving out again and the dust and noise.

We’re going for a complete change of aesthetic — more like a gallery feel, so it will be fun to have something different and better for photographing art than the old orange-black floor (it has been Halloween 24-7 for eight years — enough already!)

Filed Under media, studio | 12 Comments

How to Choose a New Floor

April 2, 2008

It’s been busy lately at the studio, trying to get our renovating done for a big May 1 deadline. Yesterday Mochi dropped her bone to vote for the new studio floor. Looks like she votes for the darker color.

Wait a minute! In another room, she changes her vote. How come dogs get more than one vote in the great flooring debate? ….hmm, muddy paws, shedding hair, and scratchy toenails. Oh yeah, real life is not a democracy.

Filed Under mochi, studio | 12 Comments

Back in the Groove

March 21, 2008

Nice monitor huh? Got for my birthday, and it plugs into my laptop to give me two screens for drawing and looking at reference material.

Drawing for quilts is different than just drawing, because I have to remember that eventually it will be used as a pattern, and that I have be able to construct everything that I draw.

Thanks Grace Matthews for this post which quotes Faith Ringgold, “Underestimation is a psychological tactic for artists. When you employ this tactic you convince yourself that the upcoming project is not really so big or so bad, that it will not take much time and that in fact it’s a piece of cake. This method of trickery helps you to tackle the biggest of projects and makes the project less daunting and more manageable.” This is a great idea and has helped me getting started tackling some projects I’ve been worried about.

But most important, little friends and good music help oil the creative machine. Right now I’m listening to Lemon Jelly.

Filed Under Inspiration, drawings, studio, technology | 7 Comments

The Art Cart and Drawing a Blank

March 18, 2008

Arrgh, going nutso here. I haven’t gotten any good drawing done for quilts since my drawing room was exploded last year. Last December I loaded up this cart with drawing and painting supplies so I could wheel it into whichever room I wanted, but still can’t get settled anywhere. I feel like an unwanted candy striper at the hospital.

Still trying to find a quiet spot to work, I moved some of my stuff back into my old office even though the floors are still not finished and the bare concrete is cold and hard on my legs. You can see a bit of my new glasses. I was getting a lot of bizzarre reflections inside them, took them back to the shop and had the edges sanded off. Now I have a whole new view!

Filed Under studio | 6 Comments

Framing Work for a Group Show

January 27, 2008

Getting ready for a group show I’m part of that will open this Friday at the Waverly House of Contemporary Craft, I’ve been trying some different ways of framing smaller pieces. The figurative pieces are sewn to stretched canvas and framed. This one is called “Cell Cat on a Date.”

Filed Under quilts, studio, uncommon threads | 4 Comments

How to Survive as an Artist

January 14, 2008

A least if I’m not getting a lot of work done in the studio right now, I’m having fun with my materials!

Here’s a wonderful picture story from cartoonist Grady Klein that uses humor and gives some advice about struggling with the artist’s “inner demon” while creating a work of artistic expression. He calls it “How to Survive Writing a Graphic Novel,” but I think it could apply to most artists. What do you think?

Filed Under other artists, studio | 8 Comments

Getting Things Done

December 29, 2007

Early in December I read Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (I’m a sucker for anything that has Art in the title) by David Allen — a book that really speaks to me. For the first time, I’ve found an organizational philosophy fits my lifestyle. I’ve also been beta-testing a new Mac project management program called OmniFocus that I love — in fact I’ve pre-ordered the program which is due to be released in January.

I like the GTD philosophy because it focuses on defining and acting on the Next Step, something that is particularly helpful if you’re feeling overwhelmed. What can I say? — it’s that time of year!

Actually I haven ‘t had an attack of an organization bug in a long time, and had been doing pretty well the last few years just sticking stuff into drawers. But then disaster struck our building, and we lost several computers, hundreds of files, and the ones that were saved got all mixed up during the office evacuation. Suddenly in one short week, all my systems were broken. Since then, I feel like I’ve been walking on quick-sand, just trying to keep moving so I don’t sink.

This is where I’ve been working since we moved out of the Tiki Office last summer when it started getting really hot. It’s a great space to work — lots of light and room to spread out several projects, so maybe I’ll just stay here. It also looks clean because this photo was taken before I started this organization frenzy and hauled in boxes and crates of stuff that need to filed or shredded.

Filed Under studio, technology | 5 Comments

Yellow

August 28, 2007

Isn’t it great fun, going to the store and looking through about 70 color chips to find just the right one? Except I never seem to pick just the right one. Maybe I’m swayed too much by the names, but when it comes down to it… what would you rather have on your walls? “Grasshopper” or “Gecko”?

And here’s the resident Mixologist at work. I think the name of this color is “I missed the school bus again.”

Filed Under painting, studio | 6 Comments

Blue

August 27, 2007

I won’t pretend that I’ve been painting all this time. Actually I’ve been away working on a collaborative project that I’m not ready to talk about just yet, so it was only yesterday that I picked up a paintbrush again.

This is the studio lobby that’s now blue, and my some of my favorite tools — the terry towel and the lowely plastic shopping bag. If you use a shopping bag, remember to cut of the printing (because the ink can transfer to your paint) and the handles (because they can leave funny marks.)

This crazy little window between the lobby and next room, I’ve never liked it. But now it’s kind of nice because you see the blue against the green. It’s a lot better than the brown that used to be here.

Filed Under studio | 6 Comments

Faux Painting

August 10, 2007

Changing gears again! I haven’t mentioned for a while that we’re still in the process of remodeling due to the disaster at our studio last January. After getting a new roof, new ceilings and lighting, we’re finally getting to the point where I can lend a hand — repainting the walls that were damaged by water.

The room where the sprinkler system exploded used to be bright yellow, but now I’m painting it with a green-blue combination — a light green base, layered with periwinkle blue and two variations of green glaze. The layered glazing gives the hand-textured plaster a kind of rich, aged patina.

Faux painting is a great calorie-burning activity because I have to run up and down the ladder three times as often — once for each paint!

The photo below is from my scrapbook of other unique projects. There were five metallic colors layered on top of black walls. The brass tiles were all hand-polished with circular designs by Russ, I think there were thousands…

Oddly enough, some things I’ve learned from faux painting large surfaces seamlessly has helped me to develop some techniques to cover big areas in my quilts with stitch patterns. Some day I hope to also use some of this paint experience to design cloth for my quilts, but for now I’d just be happy to get our studio back together and looking good!

Filed Under painting, studio | 13 Comments

Feng Shui for Artists

July 7, 2007

Although I don’t know that much about feng shui, I have learned this — face my desk towards a wall and I don’t get anything done. Why? Probably because I don’t even want to sit at it. It always seems to make sense to put a desk up against a wall to efficiently use space, but when my sewing desk faced a wall, I never made anything. When I turned it outwards towards the room, I started getting a lot of quilts done.

Today I decided to to reorganize the back room of my studio. This is the room where I usually dye fabric, make messes, and hide stuff that no one including me wants to see. My painting table here faced the wall, and all I ever did was pile stuff on it.

Now the table is in the middle of the room. Granted looks towards some ugly shelves, but it’s not facing a wall. Although it may looks cluttered, really it’s organized now. Before I had all my paints together, but was always trying to figure out which were water-based, which were for fabric, etc. Now my watercolors and acrylics are on one cart, pastels on another, oil paints and dyes on separate shelves. According to this article on Feng Shui for Artists, it’s not necessary to create a serene zen-like room, but to create a vibrant energy to support your flow of creativity.

This whole organization frenzy to make room for painting was inspired by last night’s First Friday Art Walk where I saw paintings by artist Michi Susan. But how unsatisfying to spend a Saturday cleaning? So about five I sat down with a bowl of M&M’s to enjoy my new oasis of organization and play with my paints.

Maybe I should hang some pretty fabric to cover the ugly shelves. They maybe ugly, but very handy — they hold up the wall that I use to photograph my art on the other side.

Filed Under studio | 11 Comments

keep looking »

Open Space, New Projects and Fear

Portable Drawing Door Table

And Now for Something Completely Different

Studio Makeover Continues

Studio Article in Cloth Paper Scissors

How to Choose a New Floor

Back in the Groove

The Art Cart and Drawing a Blank

Framing Work for a Group Show

How to Survive as an Artist

Getting Things Done

Yellow

Blue

Faux Painting

Feng Shui for Artists

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