Making Marks

In Flight

My jacket is in Altered Couture!I had a lot of fun making it, but I'm having even more fun wearing this piece. The photos I found for the project are probably from the 50's and show two women in a personal air plane. It looks like they are having the time of their lives.

Two of the images are printed onto fabric and stitched onto the jacket. The rest are applied using an image transfer technique (a la Lesley Riley). I wanted to create the feel of images from an old photo booth, so several of images are repeated side by side. I spent a lot of time cropping the photos to give different views of the same two photos. The front of the jacket sports self-covered buttons using the red fabric, so it is very colorful. The lettering technique was serendipitous. I had been reading about fabric rubbings using stamps and raised textures and tried this idea with stencils. It worked!

If you would like a closer look at the front and back of the jacket, pick up a copy of Altered Couture. Aside from my piece, you can see a fabulous biker girl jacket made by my friend Melissa. Additionally, if you need support, Linda can provide it. If we inspire you to create your own altered garment, send in your work. I hear there will be a second issue of Altered Couture.

Timeless - No time

Art is my second job. While I'd like to spend all day creating, my other job demands attention. (And as I tell my students, I like to eat!) This week was particularly demanding at my teaching job, and that means my art work took second fiddle. Fortunately, there are always surfaces to be primed, so even when I'm not at the top of my game, I can be productive. I spent a lot of "quality time" with molding paste and gesso this week. I have plenty of blank substrates to work with now.

I used some of my drive and think time to consider applying for shows I recently heard about. I decided to pass on some of these opportunities because my plate is pretty full for the rest of the year. Sometimes it's challenging to let a show go, but as I learned this week, I have less time than I'd like to do art. I have to keep my sanity a priority, too.

I've been invited to participate in a small show at a private home in November, and I'm participating in the Silverton Art Association Card Show in December. Additionally, I'm working on an application package for the 2007 LOCAL 14 show. (I have several shows on my calendar for 2007, so it looks like a very good year for me.) If I pace myself, I'll meet the deadlines and have fun.

Autumn Arrived in a Day

All of the sudden the leaves outside my window are yellow. (We need to plant some maple trees. . .) I've noticed other trees changing, but ours were green yesterday and now they are yellow. Leaves are scattered across our lawn. The transition from warm last week to windy and rainy today is startlingly abrupt. I know that the forecast is for more sun and warmth in a few days, but the change has happened. Autumn arrived today.

I wish it were that easy for my art projects. I'd like to be able to pin point a moment or a day or an experience that changed what I do or how I do it. I think I'd find satisfaction in identifying when I found that I love to use music in my compositions or when I discovered that the cobalt and cad red combination sings for me. The truth is that these are gradual revelations and my art is a constant evolution. One reason I'm keeping this blog is to document the changes so that I can look back. I don't keep my journals - they are more of a process to get me going. Perhaps this is one way to see the moments when evolution occurred. I'll only know in a couple of years.

Lists and Deadlines

December seems like a long way off, but it's closer than it seems when I am preparing for a show. I'll be participating in a "card show" hosed by the Silverton Arts Association.

Yesterday I was reviewing my list of art projects and was reminded of this show. Then I started counting backward. . . cards on display on December 1. . . I'll need the month of November for  photography and printing. . . that means I should be working on the pieces today!

I cleared my art table and started working on ideas that had been rolling around in my head. (School has started. I'm back to driving country roads for at least an hour a day, and that gives me time to think about projects.) The good news is that the first piece was almost effortless. It's likely that I've spent so much time thinking about it that the work just flowed. That's always a reassuring feeling. Now on to three more. . .

Applications

My regular job is teaching, and I've been working at the same community college for 14 years. After a while, I assumed that I wouldn't have to apply or interview again for the rest of my life. I wouldn't have the butterflies that come with being accepted or rejected for a position, but now I'm applying for art shows. I now remember how aniety-provoking applying is. I've worked on my artist's resume and my artist's statement. I've had professional photos taken of my work. I've done my best to research into where my work will fit. Then I send off the applications and hold my breath.

This weekend an application came back. It seems that LaPetite is postponed this year because the gallery is moving: they lost their lease. The good news is that my work wasn't rejected. The bad news is that it wasn't accepted - yet. The butterflies are still there.

I have another application out to be in a show, and I hope to hear about that soon.

I tend to set long term goals, and I plan on applying for several shows for 2007. I know I'll have butterflies each time. Maybe I'll get used to them someday.

In the mean time, I also got a letter that my work (an altered jean-type jacket) will be in Altered Couture, which will be out in November. That's exciting! I hope that success breeds success and I'll be able to post about future shows I'll be in.