Learning and Gathering Phase

When the artwork is not being produced there is much absorption of information. Currently going over the old typography books and falling in love with fonts all over again. Which is probably obvious from the exemplars I've posted. I am also trying to dig into the brain pan and find all the places that I have hidden some great informational gems. I have to be honest and tell you that this political campaign season has really piqued my interest and is taking up much of my time.

So while things swirl in a chaotic cloud in my head, I leave you with a few bits to absorb on your own. When the dust settles we will see what has been left.

First: Print Magazine's online source has a variety of great visuals and some in depth articles. This one featuring Czech poster design was fascinating.

The magazine covers all things related to design, color history and meaning, typographers and foundries, theory and application.

Print will also clue you in on some great things that you may not have otherwise discovered in terms of small imprints and magazines from around the world.

In other places around the web, art seems to abound. I found a drawing on pintrest and followed the story here. It takes a while to navigate this blog. But Tommy Kane has an interesting take on life and art in his surroundings.

And of course there is the work that keeps the bills paid. Winter is not really cooperating with the light for photography when I am home so I am also focusing on the baking of recipes and translating of said recipes. It looks like the busy season will commence for us in the middle of the grey bleak midwinter. Oh well... I guess that is how life goes.

And we're back

Some how after getting the 'puter back life got away from me. No worries. It didn't take this long to debug. Just life.... So while I was gone, we began holiday prep, did some Holiday baking, had two holidays: Thanksgiving & Dr. Who 50th Anniversary, a birthday [Happy Birthday Matthias Reim], the inaugural game night, a freakishly poorly planned trip to vacate storage... in a blizzard, blistering cold weather, began a new blog, kitchen organizing to begin.

Notice I didn't say to finish. I am hoping to get that under my belt before game night number two in which we maybe play Killer Bunnies™ or Gloom™. In either case I am hoping that Monday is a baking day with a good friend and that the whole process is easier with things in their new homes and  that we can get some more mileage out of a poorly planned pantry.

Poorly planned seems to be a theme. We'll just pretend we don't notice okay?
Yes.... Dr. Who constitutes a holiday.

Game night involved making dinner for 6, playing Apples to Apples and Jell-O shots because we are adults... kinda. I think we are all secretly 12 years old because being an adult with the frustrating "stuck in the middle" blues is not the best way to be an adult. It was fun to kinda be 12 again. And even more fun to conspire to regularly visit our twelve year old selves. Hey, something has to make these stupid grown up messes easier to handle.

Yeah... three trips to empty the storage unit. When the plans were made the forecast was mild. The morning of the move we awoke to blizzard warnings and finished the last load just as the worst of the blowing and snowing began. Lots of cars in the ditch, people crashing public transportation, fish-tailing and assorted consequence of a poorly planned pre-Winter snowfall.

The result, this is the mess I have to figure out:






























Um... yes, because managing two blogs is so friggin easy, I've started another one. This one is at Wordpress. For reasons hashed out here. And because I know I can most easily organize the topics under the heading of Amateur Germanologist with the Wordpress format. Not to mention the connectivity Wordpress offers.

Lest all this activity make you think that there won't be any art, no worries. I found lots more tucked into just about every box I've opened so far.

How I Would Have Liked to Spend My Winter Vacation

It seems that I have damnable luck when it comes to taking time off. If my car doesn't get flattened in my brothers driveway then the plans go so far south that penguins get confused. Though, to be fair, the best vacation I ever took was with my boyfriend to Marquette and Tequomenon Falls in the U.P. We had some interesting road conditions. But it was absolutely lovely to be there with him and make new memories. So they do not always go the way this one did.

I had planned to spend the entire week in my game world, exploring, building and trying to catch up with my Hungarian friend. His XP levels are tremendously high for having been in world for so short a time. I had also planned to update my youtube playlists to preserve what little German music I have been allowed. The first day of vacation something was amiss. I was able to be on but I kept losing the connection. On the second day it was gone. A saboteur destroyed the mounting bracket for our complex. No Internet. FOR THE WHOLE VACATION!!! Since I was cat sitting (and still am) I got no painting done either. I can handle furry acrylic helpers. But with watercolours there is no way those two were getting near me!

So yesterday, to relax after a week of raw nerves and hellish room counts in the hotel, I spent the day in the game building things in my marine setting. And this is one of the things that I made. Using six props from the editor and applying just two textures from my photo stash, I built this station in the living area. It was inspired by some balconies in photos of Paris and Barcelona.

The marine room is starting to feel rather steam punky. I love it. The color scheme and theme that I have chosen feels a little limited at times. But with a good solid base applied uniformly to the walls and floors, the accessories can go in a lot of different directions. And with a seafaring theme, under or above water options are always open.

I still love my Wintergarten. But I think that the Christmas decorations changed it. I may have to keep the garden a holiday free zone. The castle worked out fine with the seasonal touches. But there is already a lot going on in the conservatory. It didn't really need more.

Well.... off to plan the next few paintings. I will soon be cat free and the table will be mine again.

Roomie!

Friends meet Phaelen. Phaelen meet my friends.

This is a phaelenopsis orchid. And thus the name Phaelen. I know... not very original. But hey! When the name strikes it sticks.

Anyway. I bought this for myself on Valentines Day. I've been needing a new studio mate, one that breathes anyway. Apparently it is important to have living things to take care of while you are relearning to take care of yourself. Anyone remember that Sandra Bullock movie? Yeah. So does my therapist. And why did I chose a temperamental plant like an orchid?

I suppose I could have cheated and stacked the deck in my favor with an easy care thing like a fern or cactus. But I like the orchid faces. These remind me of dragons.


I had an orchid a couple of years ago. And then there was a cold snap and I couldn't keep the thing warm enough. Hell, I couldn't even keep myself warm enough. Then I got another one from a friend. It was pretty. But it was not a sturdy plant to start with. And the stark lighting in the house I lived in didn't help. So I am hoping that Phaelen will outlast Gomer and the Unnamed Orchid.

He is a cheery little thing. It was nice to see these happy little faces in the window as I was coming home from work today.

Eyes Wide Open

So Summer is almost upon us. That means good weather to be able to get to the storage unit. More importantly.... TA DA! It means money to keep my unit accessible. That is a big deal while I am in the middle of Michigan with a scuttled economy, high gas prices and Blue Angels in Absentia for this season's tourist fiasco festival. It means that where ever I call studio any given day this summer I can get to the supplies I need. I Know everyone loves telecommuting in this brave new future world of our dreams. But I have to say... studio commuting? Not feeling the love there.

So I have my eyes wide open for the next opportunity which I am hoping will be a semi permanent studio space. I also have my eyes wide open for the day that I will conquer my latest fears and get my work (now that it is free) into the hands of someone who can help me figure out if I have what I need for a showing. If not then I might have enough to schlep a few craft shows or art fairs this Summer. I may have luck enough to beg off a few Saturdays. Keeping fingers crossed.

In the mean time I am working little by little. The current motif is butterflies. The mode of transformation. I hope the sentiment rubs off on me so that I can transform some doubt to confidence and some creative energy into profit and not just something to fill in the time I find I have on my hands.

Sold!

Apparently the reason that artists like coffee shops is because people who like spending money on art spend money in coffee shops. Since I am sans atelier I have been creating in cafes. Well, only one. And normally I sit in the back where I figure I won't bother anyone. But yesterday I was sitting in the window where the western sky bled in through the huge picture windows overlooking the bay. MInding my own business I cranked out a few quick cards. One lady asked me what I was making. I told her. Another lady walks up and asks me what I am doing?
Just making some cards.
L: Where do you sell them?
M: I don't right now.
L: Do you have a business card?
M: Not at the moment.
L: I would love to buy some of your work.
M: Let me give you my info on the back of this one. [I gave her the card with my name and number on it.]
L: Is 6.00 enough.
M: No it's too much.
L: 6.00 is a good price. I would like to contact you about more cards. I have a friend who is sick with cancer. I want to send her something every week while she is at Munson. I will call you by week's end.

Holy Crap! Is is just that easy. I never thought it could be. But I have been showing my work to people in the shelter and I've gotten a lot less nervous about it. So it was nothing to talk to this lady. Progress. All I have to do is get out of the way of my fear and there I go....

Nearly a year since my last post

I feel like a stranded astronaut on her way home.
I started packing up the studio shortly after the last post. I knew I was going to have to appease the estate's trustee, but I didn't know that it would take nearly a year to get a brush in my hand again.

I went to live with a friend who turned out to be one of the worst friends I've ever had the misfortune of misreading. I had supplies at her house but was so busy cleaning her house and trying not to freeze in my spare time that I couldn't use what I had there. It was only a 5th of my studio and thus a triffle stiffling anyway.

Now I am living in a spacious motel room courtesy of a great boss and our beloved Director of Properties. And, despite the lack of access to the embarrassing abundance of supplies, I have what I need for the foundation of a new piece or two. The one is going to be a painful process born, as it is, of heartache. And it is going to be a long process. I find that after nearly a year without using my art muscles, I am somewhat diminished in capacity. Add to that tbe uncertainty of my future, I am constantly shutting up my internal mother who keeps telling me I should be doing other things.

True, a permanent home is needed. But until I have the money saved for a deposit the point is moot and I might as well use what I have. The creative process will keep me from spending money as an idiotic therapy for the depression that sits on the doorstep of the school like a bully waiting to pounce. And since I can not do anything but horde my meager paychecks, I might as well do more than overdose on sci-fi channel (sorry- SyFy. Stupid name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) while I am hording.

I haven't been completely inactive artistically. I've made a few necklaces which have gotten raves. But I really need to get back to painting.