New Store Opened

So our little one is well into her second year now and I'm finding little scraps of time here and there to unwrap all my carefully stored ideas and skills and dust them off.  

I have left my Etsy store closed for the time being.  Would love to stitch away at some more felt figures but they are just too tempting for little fingers in this house.  My drawing and cutting materials, however, are safely stowed at adult level for easy access during the little fingers' nap time and inaccessible access outside that window.  

I've opened a new store at Society 6. Artists can post there work, select what kind of printed products will be made from the work, choose their own profit margin, then get back to producing and promoting while the website handles sales and production. Can I just mention here how very intimidating it is to post there.  I did some browsing in the black and white category alone and came away frightened at the immense creativity and talent that is out there.  Most of my artwork is already sold or extremely small, and I don't have very hi-rez scans of any of them, so I can't sell a great variety of products.  I would love to be able to post for phone/laptop/tablet skins but that may have to wait until I get some new work done and find the time to get those slow-as-molasses hi-rez scans done and posted.  

All that to say, I'm hoping to come back on the art/craft scene.  If you have the inclination, and like my work, please consider signing in to Society 6 and clicking the promote button on your favorite pieces.  (It is next the the share icons under the price.) The more "promos" I get, the more visible the artwork.  

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Mythical Poseable Felt Creatures have returned to House of Trouble

I have missed making my little mythical friends.  Hoping people will return to order some.  Available in black, white, and red, with or without bead embellishments.  Hope to see you visiting the shop!

PRINTS are here!

I finally got to it  . . . prints of past works (and current work) are now materializing in my shop!  More on the way as I get my proverbial "stuff" together again, artistically speaking.  For now, hit my Facebook Fan page to get a 10% discount coupon code and grad a print from the shop.  Click here.

Proud new 'Vog owner!

Just went to Seattle yesterday.  It is officially in my "top five favority cities" list.  Of the many reasons it is: the Fluevog store.  I have been covetting a pair of Fluevogs for nearly 2 years now.  They are everything they are cracked up to be and more.  I'm certifiably addicted.

Reubicación

I have missed my little blog a lot lately, but have been so busy moving.  Yes, we are now in the great Pacific Northwest and loving it!  I'm about to embark on a new adventure artistically as well, mainly pursuing my craft full-time.  Our new place has a sweet little shed out back that will make the perfect hideaway studio . . . a real-life "House of Trouble" where Percy can clatter about and experiment without disrupting our tranquil house.  I hope to be up and creating in a few weeks here.

I have grabbed some little snatches of time to sketch but nothing is coming to life as yet.  So, until I start posting pics of my studio space and the artwork it coaxes out of Percy and I, here are a few little ACEOs I produced for my Etsy shop a month or so ago.

You Think I Won't . . .?

Oops!

The Taste

ACEO stands for "Art Cards, Editions and Originals." Tiny works of art 2.5" by 3.5" (6.35 cm x 8.89 cm) All three above are ink on acid free Bristol.  Buy these and several others for the price and shipping listed OR convo me to trade for it with your own ACEOs or similar artwork.

An Homage to my Grandmother

My grandmother turned ninety back in April.  She is about as quintessentially "grandma" as they come - she loves roses, birds, and the color pink.  Hence the more-than-usual frilliness of the silhouette I created for her.

She is also an artist.  An artist for over seventy years . . . and still painting.

I created the silhouette above in her honor, as she is a rather remarkable woman.   Rather than try to distill all her "remarkableness" into a small blog post, I hope to take her auto-biography (currently being written) and her prodigious amount of artistic work and create a website dedicated to her.

The Feeding

Another little entry in my mini-sketchbook, started about the same time as "the Blessing", and finished just before it.  Curious to know what you guys may think it means.  I'm not sure myself.



And here is a little completed-in-two-minutes-collage-exercise, inspired by my current Mania of the Moment, Joseph Cornell. My husband and I collaboratively whipped it up from bits and bobs around our house. Every piece has a story - some are unknown - but they all add up to a small part of "us."

The Blessing

The Blessing

I have recently returned to my little Sketchbook project.  I started this particular silhouette some months ago but didn't finish it until last weekend.  A rather emotionally harrowing experience over the weekend made this piece suddenly come together, as if it were almost prophetic.  Sometimes we must put down our weapons and walk into the lion's den.  We know we will come out missing a limb, but the horror is still as potent when it actually happens.  And then you realize it was for a reason . . . maybe one you'll never witness for yourself . . . but a reason none-the-less.  And you are transformed into something you did not imagine was even possible.

A few more new pieces will be posted soon.  And here is a new poseable soft-sculpture in my Etsy store.  

Grace and adventure to you all today!

Uliana Lopatkina

Exaggerated as this may sound,  it is true: I have, in my thirty-three years of life, actually experienced nearly everything I could have wished, and some things I did not wish, but cannot regret.

Everything except one: learning ballet.  I never had ambitions to being a ballerina, I simply wanted to know how to be a ballerina - to be able to create moving, elegant, precise, and emotional forms with my own body as the medium.

I am well past the prime time (about 25 years ago would have been ideal) to have subjugated my joints to the ludicrous flexibility ballet demands.  I have found some measured contentment in unearthing my buried talent in yoga.  Forget the strength and health benefits!  I strive for as much "grace and line" as my frozen joints will allow and my heart is placated for the time being.

Oh! the way this prima ballerina moves . . . !  She makes me weep with mingled delight and regret.  Not only is she an otherworldly talent, she came back from a serious injury, a childbirth, and a two year furlough, to conquer her body and the stage again.

The Offering

Hello, dear blogosphere friends.  I have been away attending to some freelance work for the past couple of months.  I don't have much to report on that, as it's still in the developmental phase, but things have calmed down on that front so I'm returning to my little blog for a bit.

I do have some independent new work to share.  My latest embossing, "The Offering"

From Philotechnical

I'm still trying to pinpoint what causes some areas to stand out more than others despite using what feels like the same amount of pressure.  For example, compare the torso to the horse body below: the horse's hooves popped out wonderfully. Though I love the detail and delicacy of the human torso, I would like him to be as prominent as the horse body.

From Philotechnical

From Philotechnical

I was very pleased with the delicacy of his wings and feathers overall.  A lot of experimenting went into the final effect.

From Philotechnical

From Philotechnical

That's all for today!  Have a lovely weekend!

Merci mes amis!

I actually have some new artwork to post, but alas! it is buried in the rubble heap that is my new apartment.  It will turn up soon.

I wanted to do a special post for a few precious followers who have been so kind and supportive lately with their comments.  Tara, Renee, Sherri, and Ruthie . . .

And here are some bits and bobs I thought you might find inspiring.

First "Danse Macabre" conducted and arranged by Leopold Stokowski and recorded in 1925.  Listen to it here.
Via Morbid Anatomy and Dinosaur Gardens.

And a scene from a masterful Russian animated movie, Konjek-Gorbunok from the studio Soyuzmultfilm. Byzantine Russian palaces, firebirds, magic horses . . . I grew up watching this fluid, sparkling gem. Enjoy!

Catalysts

KIRSTEN HASSENFELD - traverse more of her worlds here. Reminds me of Tord Bjoonte.

And this is already all over the internet but bears repeating:

Wataru Itou - via Dark Roasted Blend

My own attempts at paper sculpture are entirely dwarfed by the above paper or paper-like engineering feats. Truly, these have inspired me to try again.

Circumspectively returning to virtual life . . .

The Martyrdom of Saint Cecilia, Stefano Maderno
© Rémi Jouan, CC-BY-SA, GNU Free Documentation License, Wikimedia Commons


In my art blog-wanderings today, stumbled across St. Cecilia - patron saint of music, as well as that of musicians, composers, instrument makers, poets, and the blind - who reportedly continued to sing despite her severed head.  Hmm.  I'm not so sure it couldn't have happened.

The months that have passed since I last posted anything in the virtual world have been full and heavy indeed. So many things have "died" of late - metaphorically and literally.  But I sit on a deep hoard of hope.  Not the desperate hope that clings to having everything resolved according to my demands, or the wishful kind of hope that expects to win a lottery, but the kind of hope that rides through the storms of life and gives life and joy. 

My heart still sings despite its severed state.

I hope to be creating and posting artwork again soon and to finally get my revamped Etsy store stocked.  Until next time, have a wondrous day!

A beautiful embroidery

Angelo Filomeno. Death of Blinded Philosopher, 2006. Embroidery on silk shantung, linen, and crystals. 42 x 122 in. (106.7 x 309.9 cm). Collection of the artist; courtesy Galerie Lelong, New York. Photo: Michael Bodycomb

Found via http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2008/03/pricked-extreme-embroidery.php from the exhibition "Pricked" featuring contemporary embroidered art at the Museum of Arts & Design in New York

Elsa Mora - my artistic hero

So I finally come to posting about my favorite artist: Elsa Mora. She is quite possibly one of the most successful artists around when it comes to leveraging the internet. She has three blogs and an Etsy store: one that follows her personal life as it relates to her artwork, one for showcasing her personal style, and one devoted to the art of paper-cutting and sculpture. Visit them here:
Elsita
All About Papercutting
The Hidden Seed
Elsita on Etsy

"Elsita" is so intriguing because she is so intensely personal and open with her life and experiences. She has done everything from fashion, jewelry, and papercutting to porcelains, paintings, and photography. I have included two of her flickr sets to whet your appetite but don't miss out on the rest of her extensive and amazingly varied work - many more sets here.





Almost everything she produces tugs at my heart with a kind of dreadful, delightful "urgency". Have you ever felt this? What artists do this for you? . . . create a painful, wistful feeling in your heart that such touching artistry or sentiment cannot be held for more than a moment?

Great advice: useful for professional artists

It's been a while and I apologize - I have a large project going on and have had to shut down all other artwork, including my Etsy store, to stay focused. However, today my husband shared an excellent article with me "Client Red Flags? Ask These 4 Questions." By Steve Tovak.

Some artists seem to have as long a list of "bum" clients as "good" clients. Sometimes the bad list is longer. I know I often feel obligated to take any and all work that comes my way, sometimes despite my gutt reaction to the client, because, well, I need the work!

I'm comitting these four questions to memory for the next new client who contacts me.

Medival Market or Fair. Artist unknown.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Wishing Well

Here's a little project that is no more. I've been trying my hand at paper-engineering. This is the beginning of a sculptural version of the well that also features prominently in another project. Unfortunately, I was using paper that was too heavy-weight and rubber cement as adhesive. As soon as humidity set in, it started to fall apart - rather elegantly, like a rose, first leaning and drooping (as you see it doing here) then quietly losing it's petals - but falling into oblivion none-the-less. Also, the rubbercement yellowed and collected dust in all the crevices. It was pretty forlorn in the end.

However, I learned a lot and Percy has some new tricks up her sleeve we'll have to try.

Notes to self:

Try a light Canson paper

Good ole Elmer's glue

Work from ground up - not top down. Seems obvious, I know, but remember my background is in costume and clothing is usually draped or "sculpted" top-down.

We'll see what happens next!

An Old Favorite and A New

The old favorite, and an all-time favorite forever, is Elsa Mora or "Elsita" (right); more on her in another post. The new favorite is Carlos Estévez. He and Elsa Mora are opening together in a show called "Laboratorium" in Los Angeles. Both are Cuban artists living in the US. Their artwork touches my soul; it somehow manages to capture much of my emotional memory of Ecuador and Colombia, even though they are from Caribbean Latin America. I long to be able to capture such feelings in my own work.

A post on a new piece I created will be coming up in a few days. Until then, enjoy these other beautiful pieces from Carlos Estévez.

A New Embossing

 
 
 

These photos were taken before I put the finishing detail on; and I forgot to photograph the completely finished piece I was so eager to get it in the mail! Wish I had because the last item I added really brought it all together. Oh well, here it is in almost finished state.

It is about 4"x5" in overall size. The challenges to embossing a human subject, on this small a scale, are numerous and probably obvious. I have learned quite a bit, especially about leaving depressions instead of flipping the work over and depressing from the opposite side.

Most of embossing is done on the reverse side of the paper, pressing hardest for the areas that need the most loft: cheekbones, shoulders, brows, nose. Once I've completed the fuller impressions I flip the work to the right side and use a very fine-tipped point to define edges and details. The hardest embossing decisions revolve around small detailed areas such as eyes, lips and hair. They require a delicate play of impression next to depression. The first impression is usually the finest - repeated impressing in the same place wears out the paper, can look "deflated" or collapsed and won't take fine details - so getting it right the first time around small, detailed areas is imperative.

Anyway, the person for whom I made this piece is a very unique and talented one. May beauty bloom in unexpected places!

Etsy Handmade Moment Contest

So I desperately want to make a little stop-motion animation using one of my poseable figures and enter this contest. Of the myriad reasons I have not done so yet, the most legitimate are: 1. that I have no completed figures in stock and 2. I have non-Etsy commissions to finish.

So I'm simply going to give a shout-out to my favorite entries thus far:







Watch all the entries here.