I am in a very good mood today. Yesterday I killed myself cleaning and organizing and had a bit of a tiff with my husband, but we made up, my studio looks great and after a good nights sleep the swelling is mostly gone. And Jon gave me foot massages. He doesn't know this yet but from now on he will be giving those to me nightly for the rest of the pregnancy. They really do help a lot.
Yesterday I focused on cleaning my studio all day while playing this viral video from the Flight of the Conchords, and other videos from them, but mostly that one, over and over. You should all watch it because it is seriously funny. No nudity or bad language, but i wouldn't play it if your boss happens to be hanging around your desk. By the end of the night I had a foot that looked like this yet I kept on cleaning until my studio looked like this instead of like this! The whole time I cleaned I had that song and another one of their way too catchy songs mixed up together. My foot was a mess the entire time but I was so into the cleaning that I just didn't care to stop and didn't even feel much pain. Is this what nesting is like? You clean until you hurt yourself and then you keep going? All the while hearing "being lewd with two dudes with food" and "sniff that one it's dead" over and over in your head the entire time? la la la let's all sing along!
As if getting a neat and orderly studio wasn't enough during the process of throwing away old cardboard boxes and pieces this piece slipped out of one of them as I was going to toss it. This beautiful piece from over a year ago somehow got lost in the shuffle and totally forgotten about. And it is in perfect condition, not a wrinkle or tear in sight. I really lucked out. As I keep going who knows what I could end up finding?
I'm not quite done with my studio yet. I would like to add some hooks here and there for things like my print apron and possibly get two more drawers because I have an addiction to drawer buying apparently. Because $100 worth of new drawers just isn't enough! But I have a lot to store because an entire table and corner needs to be cleared out to make room for a Pack N Play for the baby. That way I can keep her in here for naps and playtime while getting work done. Getting rid of that desk is not exactly a huge sacrifice on my part.
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query studio. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query studio. Sort by date Show all posts
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Monday, December 07, 2009
And it's perfect
While the entire move isn't complete by any means, my studio is all set up and ready to go. Now I just need to take care of that pesky rest of the house problem. Gotta say that I am pretty pleased with how it turned out and with myself a little bit. But most of all I feel very blessed and privileged to have such a great space. This downsizing and moving was something we always knew I would have to do as soon as I found out I was pregnant. But it was such a daunting task and I wasn't exactly thrilled to be giving up my studio. But I got over that selfishness a long time ago and have been itching to move for ages now. What stopped us was the hassle of it all. But we had an opportunity to get it started the Wednesday before Thanksgiving when Jon was home from work and Alex was at her toddler group so we started moving our furniture. But we couldn't move the 200lb press, that had to wait until he had a friend come over to help on the following Tuesday.
There is so much natural light I rarely have to turn the ceiling lamp on and I have no need for any of the clip or desk lamps like the old studio. I was able to hang my SAD light up on the wall so it can illuminate the entire room. This space was a blank slate for me to build on and I think I did the best I could with the space and without buying anything new. I made a lot of mistakes with the layout of my last studio, mistakes that I learned from.
And I finally framed and hung some of the art I have collected over the years!
Alex so wants to be in this room and that cannot be as there is way too much for her to get into. So we removed the door and put up a gate. Now I can be in there while watching her at the same time. We might hang a curtain for privacy and decor at some point in the future. I don't know how much work I will be able to get done when she is awake as she still requires a ton of my attention, but it has to be better than before.
Hopefully I will be back to making art sometime this month. There is still so much to do.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Modish Feature!
Today my other work of art, my studio is Modish Handmade Spaces feature. It is a great website and I am honored. I've been building it up, taking away and rearranging it for three years now and I am pretty proud of it. It is always changing. With the baby I pretty much have to keep it fairly clean and can't let it get like it did last year when I was in the middle of my very long and miserable pregnancy. It is impossible to get work done in such a mess and it isn't safe for the wee one. I had to make room for her space in my space!
Today has been difficult. Blee has not only been fussy, but crazy hungry and also when she isn't fussing she expresses her joy by trying to break the windows with her voice. She thinks screaming at the top of her lungs hitting octaves I didn't even know about is sooooo funny! And when I pick her up she just smiles and then does it in my ear.
But somehow she slept late so I was able to get a collage in before she woke up and my day went to hell. Thank you Modish for improving my day significantly and helping me remember that even with bad days I am still a very lucky girl.
Today has been difficult. Blee has not only been fussy, but crazy hungry and also when she isn't fussing she expresses her joy by trying to break the windows with her voice. She thinks screaming at the top of her lungs hitting octaves I didn't even know about is sooooo funny! And when I pick her up she just smiles and then does it in my ear.
But somehow she slept late so I was able to get a collage in before she woke up and my day went to hell. Thank you Modish for improving my day significantly and helping me remember that even with bad days I am still a very lucky girl.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
The Studio that Was
Is dead and gone made into our bedroom (makeshift at this time) and I now have a space that is about one fourth the size. We finally gave Alex a proper bedroom and in order to do that I had to downgrade my studio.
And it is awesome! Instead of feeling sorry for myself like I was I actually am loving the new space! Some would call it cramped but I call it cozy. There was a lot of wasted space in my old studio so everything is fitting a lot better than I expected it would. Originally we expected to need to keep my press outside the room in the neighboring livingroom. Not so! No inches to space, but the beast fits.
Jon moved it with a guy friend last night while I was out and I am going to work to make it usable today. Starting from scratch is great because I learned what to do and what not to do when setting up my old space.
I think I'm going to need to have a studio sale soon due to this downsizing.
And it is awesome! Instead of feeling sorry for myself like I was I actually am loving the new space! Some would call it cramped but I call it cozy. There was a lot of wasted space in my old studio so everything is fitting a lot better than I expected it would. Originally we expected to need to keep my press outside the room in the neighboring livingroom. Not so! No inches to space, but the beast fits.
Jon moved it with a guy friend last night while I was out and I am going to work to make it usable today. Starting from scratch is great because I learned what to do and what not to do when setting up my old space.
I think I'm going to need to have a studio sale soon due to this downsizing.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
BOGO Studio Sale is Over
From now until I decide to end it I am having a super sale in my Etsy shop. Buy anything in my shop and get another of equal or lesser value for free! (just put BOGO in the notes to seller and wait for a revised invoice)
This was inspired over the weekend spring cleaning of my studio. I reorganized my pieces and realized that even though I haven't been at my most productive I have a lot of art. Time to clear out the old to make room for the new. I'm ready to start fresh this spring and this seems like a good way to give it a kick start.
This was inspired over the weekend spring cleaning of my studio. I reorganized my pieces and realized that even though I haven't been at my most productive I have a lot of art. Time to clear out the old to make room for the new. I'm ready to start fresh this spring and this seems like a good way to give it a kick start.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
I can still work! (a little)
Morning to all! Another Tuesday and no baby. Last night we were convinced she was on her way and were even using the computer to time contractions. Then the power went out and we both fell asleep. I guess they must not have been true contractions after all. I'm sure we are not the only impatient one at this point.
After having a few slug days in a row I had a small burst of energy last night a couple hours before bedtime. It wasn't super hot out and I had the air on and the door closed and Jon was in the bedroom hanging curtains. (now our bedroom can finally be nice and dark when we sleep). At first I thought maybe I would do some printing, but I realized that is insane and way too much commitment once I have my inks out so I decided to start carving this puppy instead! I know there is no way it will get finished anytime soon but I might as well get it started. Normally I carve standing up because I feel I get a better angle that way but pregnant I try to sit as much as possible. But at times it just wasn't possible and as I bent over to carve my belly would press up against my lower body. Seriously not comfortable and i tried not to do that often! Don't worry I didn't overdue it and stopped after about an hour and then took a lovely cool shower.
I've been feeling like such a useless slug with nothing but wanting this baby out on my mind for days now. It felt good to let out some creativity even if it wasn't much.
And now i have a bedroom with dark curtains so me and the baby can sleep better. I then vacated my studio and he hung curtains in there too. We got curtains for the whole place but the ones in the bedroom and my studio are the most important because that is where she will be sleeping. And the studio corner with her pack and play bassinet has a window right there that didn't even have blinds. I think we need to get even more to block light in there.
For a couple of days we were thinking that we want to have this baby on the 18th, that way she can share the date with both of us! That and see Superbad in the theaters on Friday the 17th! But I have since changed my mind and want her out ASAP. The more time passes the bigger she gets and from her squirms I am thinking she is very big and cramped in there!
Making art, listing on Etsy and putting stuff on Flickr is becoming less important in my mind. Blogging is becoming more difficult as well. I'm so tired so much of the time. But I have discovered that people tend to jump to the conclusion that I am having the baby if I don't at least poke my head out once a day! I was thinking if the power wasn't back on by morning I would have to call somebody to post that I am not having the baby I just don't have power! I swear that other than my mother in law my friends and the people I know through Etsy are the most excited about her arrival. Or maybe it is just that my family tends to be very reserved.
We have plans for a BBQ at a friend's house and a play date for local greyhounds to run around in a fenced in area tonight. Jon is working on finishing up some major projects at work before he takes his leave. So probably she'll come sometime today! That is fine with me because I really would like to avoid getting induced or having a C section. Recovery for a C can be really difficult and I have a big art fair that I would really like to do at the end of September. It is very important to me.
P.S. feeling better after my emotional moodiness from the last post! Thanks for being understanding.
After having a few slug days in a row I had a small burst of energy last night a couple hours before bedtime. It wasn't super hot out and I had the air on and the door closed and Jon was in the bedroom hanging curtains. (now our bedroom can finally be nice and dark when we sleep). At first I thought maybe I would do some printing, but I realized that is insane and way too much commitment once I have my inks out so I decided to start carving this puppy instead! I know there is no way it will get finished anytime soon but I might as well get it started. Normally I carve standing up because I feel I get a better angle that way but pregnant I try to sit as much as possible. But at times it just wasn't possible and as I bent over to carve my belly would press up against my lower body. Seriously not comfortable and i tried not to do that often! Don't worry I didn't overdue it and stopped after about an hour and then took a lovely cool shower.
I've been feeling like such a useless slug with nothing but wanting this baby out on my mind for days now. It felt good to let out some creativity even if it wasn't much.
And now i have a bedroom with dark curtains so me and the baby can sleep better. I then vacated my studio and he hung curtains in there too. We got curtains for the whole place but the ones in the bedroom and my studio are the most important because that is where she will be sleeping. And the studio corner with her pack and play bassinet has a window right there that didn't even have blinds. I think we need to get even more to block light in there.
For a couple of days we were thinking that we want to have this baby on the 18th, that way she can share the date with both of us! That and see Superbad in the theaters on Friday the 17th! But I have since changed my mind and want her out ASAP. The more time passes the bigger she gets and from her squirms I am thinking she is very big and cramped in there!
Making art, listing on Etsy and putting stuff on Flickr is becoming less important in my mind. Blogging is becoming more difficult as well. I'm so tired so much of the time. But I have discovered that people tend to jump to the conclusion that I am having the baby if I don't at least poke my head out once a day! I was thinking if the power wasn't back on by morning I would have to call somebody to post that I am not having the baby I just don't have power! I swear that other than my mother in law my friends and the people I know through Etsy are the most excited about her arrival. Or maybe it is just that my family tends to be very reserved.
We have plans for a BBQ at a friend's house and a play date for local greyhounds to run around in a fenced in area tonight. Jon is working on finishing up some major projects at work before he takes his leave. So probably she'll come sometime today! That is fine with me because I really would like to avoid getting induced or having a C section. Recovery for a C can be really difficult and I have a big art fair that I would really like to do at the end of September. It is very important to me.
P.S. feeling better after my emotional moodiness from the last post! Thanks for being understanding.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
First Ever Studio Sale!
I almost never have sales, and have never had one this big. But my collages are taking up a bunch of room and I am a busy bee with lots of work. Time for some of the older pieces to go. At unbeatable prices! Think of it as spring cleaning.
Check out my Studio Sale section of my Etsy Shop to see more of what is available. Nothing is over $50 and some are as little as $5! Maybe you will find something you have coveted for awhile! I will be adding to the section as I go through my studio and see what I find.
Check out my Studio Sale section of my Etsy Shop to see more of what is available. Nothing is over $50 and some are as little as $5! Maybe you will find something you have coveted for awhile! I will be adding to the section as I go through my studio and see what I find.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Killing Time
Guess I lied when I said that I would be taking a break. What can I say other than that my moods can change on a dime.
Last weekend I finished carving the large block I have been working on for what seems like forever but I was unable to do any printing. Knowing that I need a decent chunk of time to print I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything with it until this weekend. So with my free time I have kept busy by carving small blocks. The more I have to work with the better and these are fun to play with. If they work great, if not no skin off my back. The 4"x4" size is what first got my shop noticed after all. What allowed me to get all these done? A combination of blee sleeping away most of the day and having people over to clean all of the house except for the nursery and my studio. I brought blee in with me and we hung out only venturing out to change her and for food and water while they worked their magic.
Of course at the same time as making these pieces I have also managed to make the mess in my studio that I will need to clean (hopefully today) before I am able to print. Suddenly what a few months ago was the cleanest and most organized room in the place is the biggest mess. But it has been so much worse! Things are still organized outside my desk area.
It is 12:30am and I should be sleeping but after taking a two hour nap after Jon got home I have a bit of energy to burn. But am burned out on carving for the time being. It is funny how even when she is good blee is still quite exhausting.
Last weekend I finished carving the large block I have been working on for what seems like forever but I was unable to do any printing. Knowing that I need a decent chunk of time to print I knew I wouldn't be able to do anything with it until this weekend. So with my free time I have kept busy by carving small blocks. The more I have to work with the better and these are fun to play with. If they work great, if not no skin off my back. The 4"x4" size is what first got my shop noticed after all. What allowed me to get all these done? A combination of blee sleeping away most of the day and having people over to clean all of the house except for the nursery and my studio. I brought blee in with me and we hung out only venturing out to change her and for food and water while they worked their magic.
Of course at the same time as making these pieces I have also managed to make the mess in my studio that I will need to clean (hopefully today) before I am able to print. Suddenly what a few months ago was the cleanest and most organized room in the place is the biggest mess. But it has been so much worse! Things are still organized outside my desk area.
It is 12:30am and I should be sleeping but after taking a two hour nap after Jon got home I have a bit of energy to burn. But am burned out on carving for the time being. It is funny how even when she is good blee is still quite exhausting.
Monday, February 01, 2010
Needs Some Work
I had my new studio space set up so perfectly. It was even featured in an Etsy Storque article. But the truth is that version of my studio didn't last very long.
What happened to it? Life I guess. Between getting pre-occupied with finishing up the rest of the apartment and a sucsessive series of illness once again my studio started to function as a storage space for random junk. Something that always bugged me and I was hoping would stop after it got moved to a visible doorless room off the living room.
How am I supposed to get anything creative done in such chaos where I can't even move or find free desk space? So today i've decided to set the rest of the house aside and work on it. I must make something during my Wednesday chunk of me time and I need to prepare.
- Posted from my iPhone
What happened to it? Life I guess. Between getting pre-occupied with finishing up the rest of the apartment and a sucsessive series of illness once again my studio started to function as a storage space for random junk. Something that always bugged me and I was hoping would stop after it got moved to a visible doorless room off the living room.
How am I supposed to get anything creative done in such chaos where I can't even move or find free desk space? So today i've decided to set the rest of the house aside and work on it. I must make something during my Wednesday chunk of me time and I need to prepare.
- Posted from my iPhone
Monday, July 09, 2007
The Great Reorganization Project Begins
Good morning! I hope everybody had a lovely weekend. Mine was pretty good actually.
I'm finally cleaning and organizing my studio. Starting by putting away blocks in newly purchased drawers. Oh how I adore the Container Store! Finally all my small and midsized blocks of carved wood have been safely put away instead of lying around here and there in my studio like they were before. I mean really is that how I should treat my beloved woodblocks? The blocks that I haven't carved are safely stored on a shelf on my pegboard. The only problem I see with this drawer solution is that I don't seem to have much room left for future blocks!
Though if my Gocco experiments keep going like this then that top drawer that I have currently used for Gocco goodies may find itself free for more woodblocks! I haven't given up on Gocco completely but I am not a happy camper. After producing such worthless cards I had half a mind to take some of the blank cards I have left and make beautiful woodblock prints on them! If I had the energy I would have too! Maybe I will do that today. They could be really pretty but selling them at a price that is fair to me yet might be tricky. People will only pay so much for a card I think.
Bad news from studio cleanup is that I can't find one of my favorite newly carved stamps. It is a simple enough design that I should be able to duplicate without much of a problem, but I would rather not!
I'm still playing around with my lightbox and photoshop skills after getting tons of advice from people! Some wonderful souls even took my flawed images and fixing them for me! Having contacts that are photographers is certainly helpful. As tempting as having them fix my images in the future is I really need to learn how to do this myself! But maybe a few could be fixed while I am learning! For example this one that I put up on Etsy yesterday is certainly looking rather washed out compared to how it looks in reality. It could use some TLC but I struggled with it so much in Photoshop yesterday and wanted to list a mirror so badly that I put it up even with the flaws. I figure I can always change the photos later!
Pregnancy is sucking me dry again. Getting stuff done is hard, I am shocked that I was able to clean yesterday after the horrible night I had before including puking up acid at 2am! But I may have discovered a surprising cure for the horrible acid. It was suggested to me months ago but I ignored the suggestion because at the time Xantac was working great and it sounds weird and gross. But a swig of apple cider vinegar seems to help more than anything at this point! I was able to sleep through the night last night and that is a small but important victory for me.
Soon I need to go to the doctor to have a nurse look at the shot my midwife gave my on Friday testing for TB. This is so pointless and stupid because unless the sign of TB is having no sign at all I don't have it. The nurse is going to check the puncture area for any discoloration but there is nothing. I may not be a nurse but there is nothing there! But since I am not a nurse my eyes don't count. Can't even see that I had a shot at all! Imagine that, I don't have TB!
I'm finally cleaning and organizing my studio. Starting by putting away blocks in newly purchased drawers. Oh how I adore the Container Store! Finally all my small and midsized blocks of carved wood have been safely put away instead of lying around here and there in my studio like they were before. I mean really is that how I should treat my beloved woodblocks? The blocks that I haven't carved are safely stored on a shelf on my pegboard. The only problem I see with this drawer solution is that I don't seem to have much room left for future blocks!
Though if my Gocco experiments keep going like this then that top drawer that I have currently used for Gocco goodies may find itself free for more woodblocks! I haven't given up on Gocco completely but I am not a happy camper. After producing such worthless cards I had half a mind to take some of the blank cards I have left and make beautiful woodblock prints on them! If I had the energy I would have too! Maybe I will do that today. They could be really pretty but selling them at a price that is fair to me yet might be tricky. People will only pay so much for a card I think.
Bad news from studio cleanup is that I can't find one of my favorite newly carved stamps. It is a simple enough design that I should be able to duplicate without much of a problem, but I would rather not!
I'm still playing around with my lightbox and photoshop skills after getting tons of advice from people! Some wonderful souls even took my flawed images and fixing them for me! Having contacts that are photographers is certainly helpful. As tempting as having them fix my images in the future is I really need to learn how to do this myself! But maybe a few could be fixed while I am learning! For example this one that I put up on Etsy yesterday is certainly looking rather washed out compared to how it looks in reality. It could use some TLC but I struggled with it so much in Photoshop yesterday and wanted to list a mirror so badly that I put it up even with the flaws. I figure I can always change the photos later!
Pregnancy is sucking me dry again. Getting stuff done is hard, I am shocked that I was able to clean yesterday after the horrible night I had before including puking up acid at 2am! But I may have discovered a surprising cure for the horrible acid. It was suggested to me months ago but I ignored the suggestion because at the time Xantac was working great and it sounds weird and gross. But a swig of apple cider vinegar seems to help more than anything at this point! I was able to sleep through the night last night and that is a small but important victory for me.
Soon I need to go to the doctor to have a nurse look at the shot my midwife gave my on Friday testing for TB. This is so pointless and stupid because unless the sign of TB is having no sign at all I don't have it. The nurse is going to check the puncture area for any discoloration but there is nothing. I may not be a nurse but there is nothing there! But since I am not a nurse my eyes don't count. Can't even see that I had a shot at all! Imagine that, I don't have TB!
Monday, August 06, 2007
The Weekend is Over
Monday morning. Hope everybody had a good weekend.
My baby shower on Saturday was a whole lot of fun even though I was a bit of a zombie for it after having another rough night sleeping. The shower favors that Kate made for me went over really well. Thanks Kate! My friends officially have a sense of humor. I got some much appreciated baby stuff, but more importantly got to spend the afternoon relaxing around girlfriends. Some I hadn't seen in months. Two came all the way from Brooklyn for the shower. There was a lot of tasty food that I didn't have room to eat much of and crafting that I was a bit to brain fried to do a good job with. I made a collage of cut out paper cherries. Why cherries? Because I was eating cherries and that was about how creative my brain was willing to get. But it was great fun and then I went home and crashed.
Last night we sucked it up and made a quick IKEA run right before closing to get curtains and a rug. The rug selection totally sucked so we just ended up with curtains, but we now not only have curtains for the babies room and my studio but for the entire place except for the kitchen. Like real adults! Too bad Jon lost my power drill and we have to borrow one from a friend to put the curtains up. My dad offered us a free drill but we have to wait until he visits to get it because he won't mail it. But a good cordless drill is expensive enough to wait for.
I want to work on carving that block but I still feel crappy most of the time plus I don't want to get woodchips all over my studio before the guy from the Boston Globe comes today to photograph me for a Daily Candy article. I actually need to tidy up my studio a bit today because it is not currently photo worthy. But neither am I so we can match.
I have a seriously unfun pregnant lady task today and see a midwife tomorrow to complete it. I'm ready to get off this ride now thank you very much. Blee, consider yourself served an eviction notice. Thirty-eight weeks is plenty! At this point I know all you are doing (besides making me sick) is packing on the pounds. At least I was able to sleep through the night last night. First time in awhile.
On the plus side I have lots of cool art recently listed and being listed in my shop right now from last week. Including this piece that I love and a favorite that has already sold.
I shipped out a birthday gift to my soon to be eight year old sister in Illinois. It is a Princess Peach game for her Nintendo DS. Her birthday is on the 12th and I am hoping blee beats her! Or maybe I could hold out long enough for them to share. I think my sister would get a kick out of that. She is a sweet kid.
Gotta get to cleaning!
----------------
Now playing: Everything But The Girl - no difference
via FoxyTunes
My baby shower on Saturday was a whole lot of fun even though I was a bit of a zombie for it after having another rough night sleeping. The shower favors that Kate made for me went over really well. Thanks Kate! My friends officially have a sense of humor. I got some much appreciated baby stuff, but more importantly got to spend the afternoon relaxing around girlfriends. Some I hadn't seen in months. Two came all the way from Brooklyn for the shower. There was a lot of tasty food that I didn't have room to eat much of and crafting that I was a bit to brain fried to do a good job with. I made a collage of cut out paper cherries. Why cherries? Because I was eating cherries and that was about how creative my brain was willing to get. But it was great fun and then I went home and crashed.
Last night we sucked it up and made a quick IKEA run right before closing to get curtains and a rug. The rug selection totally sucked so we just ended up with curtains, but we now not only have curtains for the babies room and my studio but for the entire place except for the kitchen. Like real adults! Too bad Jon lost my power drill and we have to borrow one from a friend to put the curtains up. My dad offered us a free drill but we have to wait until he visits to get it because he won't mail it. But a good cordless drill is expensive enough to wait for.
I want to work on carving that block but I still feel crappy most of the time plus I don't want to get woodchips all over my studio before the guy from the Boston Globe comes today to photograph me for a Daily Candy article. I actually need to tidy up my studio a bit today because it is not currently photo worthy. But neither am I so we can match.
I have a seriously unfun pregnant lady task today and see a midwife tomorrow to complete it. I'm ready to get off this ride now thank you very much. Blee, consider yourself served an eviction notice. Thirty-eight weeks is plenty! At this point I know all you are doing (besides making me sick) is packing on the pounds. At least I was able to sleep through the night last night. First time in awhile.
On the plus side I have lots of cool art recently listed and being listed in my shop right now from last week. Including this piece that I love and a favorite that has already sold.
I shipped out a birthday gift to my soon to be eight year old sister in Illinois. It is a Princess Peach game for her Nintendo DS. Her birthday is on the 12th and I am hoping blee beats her! Or maybe I could hold out long enough for them to share. I think my sister would get a kick out of that. She is a sweet kid.
Gotta get to cleaning!
----------------
Now playing: Everything But The Girl - no difference
via FoxyTunes
Monday, September 10, 2007
This Week Will Have Art!
Overall it was a pretty good weekend. Very hot though, I hope people in the rest of the country didn't have the heat wave that hit us hard last week. Yesterday was a bit better, but that was the day that our little angel decided to show her horns. She wasn't that bad, but compared to her normal behavior she was a demon baby that just couldn't be pleased.
We had company over multiple times and of course she was perfectly behaved for them. Even when they stayed for hours she was good the whole time. Visits are great but quite exhausting. I'm pretty happy because my friend and his mother who was visiting from Maine gave blee some of her first books. We've gotten so many great gifts but since so many are handmade not too many books. She had assumed that we would have gotten so many that she steered away from the obvious choices like Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Now some art talk! I did not get to do anything other than some very light studio cleaning. While my studio is far from being super messy it could use a little work if I am going to carve and even more if I am going to print. I should probably carve since it is easy for me to stop and get up from that activity if baby calls. And while Jon is home today and basically for the rest of the month he has some work to do today. I put a sketchbook and some pens on my nightstand and have promised myself that if I don't do any art in the studio during the day then I will at the very least fill a page of my sketchbook. It seems like a good way to wind down as well as keep my creativity going.
But I have been listing pieces like this one from July fairly regularly in my Etsy Shop. I also have quite a few ACEOs that I need to scan and list.
Now that the little bug is down for what could be a long nap I think I will try to do the same. I did not get enough sleep last night.
We had company over multiple times and of course she was perfectly behaved for them. Even when they stayed for hours she was good the whole time. Visits are great but quite exhausting. I'm pretty happy because my friend and his mother who was visiting from Maine gave blee some of her first books. We've gotten so many great gifts but since so many are handmade not too many books. She had assumed that we would have gotten so many that she steered away from the obvious choices like Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Now some art talk! I did not get to do anything other than some very light studio cleaning. While my studio is far from being super messy it could use a little work if I am going to carve and even more if I am going to print. I should probably carve since it is easy for me to stop and get up from that activity if baby calls. And while Jon is home today and basically for the rest of the month he has some work to do today. I put a sketchbook and some pens on my nightstand and have promised myself that if I don't do any art in the studio during the day then I will at the very least fill a page of my sketchbook. It seems like a good way to wind down as well as keep my creativity going.
But I have been listing pieces like this one from July fairly regularly in my Etsy Shop. I also have quite a few ACEOs that I need to scan and list.
Now that the little bug is down for what could be a long nap I think I will try to do the same. I did not get enough sleep last night.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
back in the studio
Swirly Tree
I really like this swirly tree print from last week. It is the standout print from that printing session. As my energy fades and my soreness increases my print sessions are getting shorter and happening less often.
Finally working on the Periodic Elements project print today, I have been a baaaaad girl and have neglected it for far too long. It is due at the end of the month and I want mine to be good so I had better stop slacking so badly and get cracking. I don't know what is up with me and art project deadlines, but I have a really hard time with them. Right now I have a bunch of pill shapes drawn onto a block and I am about to start carving them. The print will probably be two to three layers with the pills printed either once or twice followed by a final layer with the element information and a battery. I'll probably try it both ways and see what looks best.
I'm having a very difficult time eating lately. My stomach is almost always tender and/ or acidic and as a result I just dont enjoy food at all anymore. I have to force myself to eat things and I often don't bother. As a result I get very tired on top of the soreness and that often leads to me feeling a bit apathetic about things. I feel rather checked out right now. The weekend was fun but physically very draining and now I have a ton of cleaning to do. My studio is a total disaster and the house isn't much better. Maybe this iced coffee that I am currently drinking will help perk me up a bit.
I really like this swirly tree print from last week. It is the standout print from that printing session. As my energy fades and my soreness increases my print sessions are getting shorter and happening less often.
Finally working on the Periodic Elements project print today, I have been a baaaaad girl and have neglected it for far too long. It is due at the end of the month and I want mine to be good so I had better stop slacking so badly and get cracking. I don't know what is up with me and art project deadlines, but I have a really hard time with them. Right now I have a bunch of pill shapes drawn onto a block and I am about to start carving them. The print will probably be two to three layers with the pills printed either once or twice followed by a final layer with the element information and a battery. I'll probably try it both ways and see what looks best.
I'm having a very difficult time eating lately. My stomach is almost always tender and/ or acidic and as a result I just dont enjoy food at all anymore. I have to force myself to eat things and I often don't bother. As a result I get very tired on top of the soreness and that often leads to me feeling a bit apathetic about things. I feel rather checked out right now. The weekend was fun but physically very draining and now I have a ton of cleaning to do. My studio is a total disaster and the house isn't much better. Maybe this iced coffee that I am currently drinking will help perk me up a bit.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Thirty Days of blee!
Our life has been bleetastic, bleebastic, and generally just all about blee for the past 30 days. Tonight, at 7:14pm blee will have been on the outside for thirty full days. Many of them wonderful, many of them quite difficult.
cute onesie courtesty of mamamonkey.etsy.com.
Mondays are always rough for me and yesterday was no exception. The kid is sucking me dry literally and figuratively. I nearly had a breakdown near the end and am still quite shut down and depressed. Last night was another difficult night starting around 4 or 5am. It is hard for me to know what time it is lately. Jon knew how bad I was doing and took care of her and let me sleep when I could, except for at the end when I knew he was doing badly and I took over.
The Open Studios over the weekend went so well that I ended up doing a half day on Sunday and am very happy that I did. And it isn't about the money, even though I made a good amount. But I had such a great time seeing people from last year and connecting with other artists as well as the people that came to talk to me. I had brought along one of my carved blocks and stuck up quite a few conversations about the process. People seemed pretty interested in it. Some of them bought from me, and some did not but I enjoyed it regardless of making a sale or not. And by the end of Sunday I only had a few business cards left from my stack and all my promo bookmarks were gone. I wish I had gotten Moo cards!
The weekend was dangerous because it gave me a taste of my old life, of freedom to a degree. And I realized how much I miss it. How much I want to make new work. And not just because I feel pressured to keep producing and selling but because it is something that I truly enjoy. Something that keeps me happy and sane. But currently all my free time goes into cleaning or I am so beat down tired that I can't do anything remotely productive. Yet I rarely have time to nap because she isn't down long enough during the day.
And I can't even work on art until I clean up my studio from the mess that getting ready for the Open Studios in a flurry caused. Throughout the day during blee downtime I would rush clean so I got some done, but I miss the spotless studio I had months ago. Currently it is clean enough to carve, but not to print. I do have a bit of carving to do before I can print and then I will need to clean up after that. Jon offered me some time this weekend to print but I don't feel hopeful about it. Plus the weekend seems very far away.
Look at me, feeling sorry for myself and depressed on my beautiful daughters first big milestone. Later today we go to the pediatrician for her checkup and will find out just how much of a hungry hungry hippo she has been! The big weigh in! Born at 8lbs 6oz, any bets on where she is at now?
cute onesie courtesty of mamamonkey.etsy.com.
Mondays are always rough for me and yesterday was no exception. The kid is sucking me dry literally and figuratively. I nearly had a breakdown near the end and am still quite shut down and depressed. Last night was another difficult night starting around 4 or 5am. It is hard for me to know what time it is lately. Jon knew how bad I was doing and took care of her and let me sleep when I could, except for at the end when I knew he was doing badly and I took over.
The Open Studios over the weekend went so well that I ended up doing a half day on Sunday and am very happy that I did. And it isn't about the money, even though I made a good amount. But I had such a great time seeing people from last year and connecting with other artists as well as the people that came to talk to me. I had brought along one of my carved blocks and stuck up quite a few conversations about the process. People seemed pretty interested in it. Some of them bought from me, and some did not but I enjoyed it regardless of making a sale or not. And by the end of Sunday I only had a few business cards left from my stack and all my promo bookmarks were gone. I wish I had gotten Moo cards!
The weekend was dangerous because it gave me a taste of my old life, of freedom to a degree. And I realized how much I miss it. How much I want to make new work. And not just because I feel pressured to keep producing and selling but because it is something that I truly enjoy. Something that keeps me happy and sane. But currently all my free time goes into cleaning or I am so beat down tired that I can't do anything remotely productive. Yet I rarely have time to nap because she isn't down long enough during the day.
And I can't even work on art until I clean up my studio from the mess that getting ready for the Open Studios in a flurry caused. Throughout the day during blee downtime I would rush clean so I got some done, but I miss the spotless studio I had months ago. Currently it is clean enough to carve, but not to print. I do have a bit of carving to do before I can print and then I will need to clean up after that. Jon offered me some time this weekend to print but I don't feel hopeful about it. Plus the weekend seems very far away.
Look at me, feeling sorry for myself and depressed on my beautiful daughters first big milestone. Later today we go to the pediatrician for her checkup and will find out just how much of a hungry hungry hippo she has been! The big weigh in! Born at 8lbs 6oz, any bets on where she is at now?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Collage Crazy
This past Sunday I had a very bad art making experience. It seems like I am tired all the time, even when Alex is sleeping or at her toddler group. But on Sunday after she went to bed I had energy and time. Jon was out so I had nothing to distract me. Excited I dug into my incredibly messy studio and began playing around with various papers trying to come up with a composition.
It did not go well. After a few hours in my studio I came out with nothing but frustration and feeling bad about myself. Nothing was working. The only thing positive it seemed is that I hadn't actually made anything, hadn't glued anything down. Later I realized that days like that are just as important as days of success. I knew that before, but after all this time I guess I needed to be reminded of that fact. Everything is a learning experience that I should appreciate.
Now just a few days later, on Wednesday, I had a much different experience. It started out much the same, except that I had much less time to work this time around. But I had time, desire and energy. Three precious factors that can be difficult to find at the same time. This time when I started pulling out papers and looking at them together I start
ed finding stuff right away. I even felt confident enough to use my new(ish) sewing machine and then glue down this background.
I'm not done. Adding bits and pieces and taking pictures of the journey so I have a record of my ideas before I finish off the piece. But I am having a blast and know now that the journey is just as important as where I end up in the end.
On the left is a bit of one of my oldest print attempts sewed next to a piece of purple and white letter paper.
It did not go well. After a few hours in my studio I came out with nothing but frustration and feeling bad about myself. Nothing was working. The only thing positive it seemed is that I hadn't actually made anything, hadn't glued anything down. Later I realized that days like that are just as important as days of success. I knew that before, but after all this time I guess I needed to be reminded of that fact. Everything is a learning experience that I should appreciate.Now just a few days later, on Wednesday, I had a much different experience. It started out much the same, except that I had much less time to work this time around. But I had time, desire and energy. Three precious factors that can be difficult to find at the same time. This time when I started pulling out papers and looking at them together I start
ed finding stuff right away. I even felt confident enough to use my new(ish) sewing machine and then glue down this background.I'm not done. Adding bits and pieces and taking pictures of the journey so I have a record of my ideas before I finish off the piece. But I am having a blast and know now that the journey is just as important as where I end up in the end.
On the left is a bit of one of my oldest print attempts sewed next to a piece of purple and white letter paper.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
An Exercise is Color
Good night and good morning. I am off to bed as soon as I post this. Blogging before bed seems to be the best time for me.
In case you missed it yesterday I am running a Studio Sale in my Etsy Shop in honor of spring cleaning. Clean up my studio and clean up my shop to make room for new pieces like this one and of course plenty of collages and other fresh goodies. Nothing is over $50 so if you have been coveting a piece for awhile it is worth checking out.
This is the piece that I was going for when I printed so many weeks ago. But the blue from prior printings kept tainting the white. Nothing I did could get it out completely. So I ended up with my lunch bags and other goodies. My idea was to do layers of white and add tiny bits of color each layer to come up with a very subtle and I think beautiful piece. It was a lot harder than it sounds. But I am happy with the result. The digital image can't measure up to the original even more than my other pieces.
I've decided that some good goals for me to set is to try to print (Gocco, monotype or relief), cut paper for collages, intensively draw and make collage(s) at least once a week. If I do the minimum and only do one of each that leaves me with three free days. This seems very doable to me. Productive, yet sane and fairly low pressure. I will still try my best to sketch and document my sketches daily but I want one day a week where I do nothing artistically but draw. I think it is also getting to be about time for me to think about starting a new woodblock carving. It has been awhile.
In case you missed it yesterday I am running a Studio Sale in my Etsy Shop in honor of spring cleaning. Clean up my studio and clean up my shop to make room for new pieces like this one and of course plenty of collages and other fresh goodies. Nothing is over $50 so if you have been coveting a piece for awhile it is worth checking out.
This is the piece that I was going for when I printed so many weeks ago. But the blue from prior printings kept tainting the white. Nothing I did could get it out completely. So I ended up with my lunch bags and other goodies. My idea was to do layers of white and add tiny bits of color each layer to come up with a very subtle and I think beautiful piece. It was a lot harder than it sounds. But I am happy with the result. The digital image can't measure up to the original even more than my other pieces.
I've decided that some good goals for me to set is to try to print (Gocco, monotype or relief), cut paper for collages, intensively draw and make collage(s) at least once a week. If I do the minimum and only do one of each that leaves me with three free days. This seems very doable to me. Productive, yet sane and fairly low pressure. I will still try my best to sketch and document my sketches daily but I want one day a week where I do nothing artistically but draw. I think it is also getting to be about time for me to think about starting a new woodblock carving. It has been awhile.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Not So Lazy Weekend
First thing this morning I did what I had been thinking about the night before and rearranged my print corner so that the drawers faced out in a better direction. They had been facing toward the press and the top ones would bump up against the paper rack and not open all the way.
But it could be more productive. Like right now instead of being at the computer blogging I could be finishing up cleaning my studio so I can do two things.
a) print, including using my new block which I need to tear paper for, I have none that size.
b) cart the Pack n' Play back into the corner of the studio for some blee watching during work time. That corner I had set up for her prior to the birth didn't last two days post getting her home. The first night we co-slept with her in her co-sleeper in our queen size bed. The second night we said screw this thing is two wide and dragged the pack n play into the bedroom at 2am so she could sleep next to us in the bassinet part and we could actually have some room in the bed. It has been there ever since. Currently she either sleeps in the crib in her nursery (yay) or in the bouncy chair on the floor next to us (bad), but never in the bassinet anymore. It is just getting stuff piled in it instead of being used.
Ok, time to do some sweeping since there are woodchips everywhere. Once she is crawling I am going to have to be very careful about letting her loose in this room. As in not doing it.
But it could be more productive. Like right now instead of being at the computer blogging I could be finishing up cleaning my studio so I can do two things.
a) print, including using my new block which I need to tear paper for, I have none that size.
b) cart the Pack n' Play back into the corner of the studio for some blee watching during work time. That corner I had set up for her prior to the birth didn't last two days post getting her home. The first night we co-slept with her in her co-sleeper in our queen size bed. The second night we said screw this thing is two wide and dragged the pack n play into the bedroom at 2am so she could sleep next to us in the bassinet part and we could actually have some room in the bed. It has been there ever since. Currently she either sleeps in the crib in her nursery (yay) or in the bouncy chair on the floor next to us (bad), but never in the bassinet anymore. It is just getting stuff piled in it instead of being used.
Ok, time to do some sweeping since there are woodchips everywhere. Once she is crawling I am going to have to be very careful about letting her loose in this room. As in not doing it.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Productive again!
Yesterday was a good day for me. I finished carving one block and started and finished this block which I am quite happy with it. I think it will look nice printed both rightside up and upside down. I carved this block quite deeply because I want little or none of the negative space tone to print. Today I plan on making a smaller (larger than 6"x6" but still small for a pattern) block and once I finish that I will get to cleaning my studio, tearing paper and finally printing! The pattern is still forming in my head but I want it to be something very abstract and simple with a lot of texture. I'm about to do some sketching for it. I plan on tearing a bunch of paper for printing as well as some chine colle paper for glueing to some of the prints for added color and pattern.
With getting back into art again I am also getting back into life. Tonight I am going to try prenatal yoga for the first time. After my doctor's appointment on Friday I stopped by a yoga studio to get their fees and schedule and it looks great for me. I'm nervous but excited. Then on Wednesday morning I am meeting with a group for mothers near where Jon works then afterwards getting sushi (vegetable and cooked only due to the pregnancy) afterwards. Maybe stopping by TeaVana for some MateVana bubble tea. Yum! Thursday night is dinner with some good friends that I haven't spent time with at all this year. It seems as though things are looking up for me. I need to work hard to keep my energy and mood up, but I am fighting the lethargy and depression now that I am mostly well.
With getting back into art again I am also getting back into life. Tonight I am going to try prenatal yoga for the first time. After my doctor's appointment on Friday I stopped by a yoga studio to get their fees and schedule and it looks great for me. I'm nervous but excited. Then on Wednesday morning I am meeting with a group for mothers near where Jon works then afterwards getting sushi (vegetable and cooked only due to the pregnancy) afterwards. Maybe stopping by TeaVana for some MateVana bubble tea. Yum! Thursday night is dinner with some good friends that I haven't spent time with at all this year. It seems as though things are looking up for me. I need to work hard to keep my energy and mood up, but I am fighting the lethargy and depression now that I am mostly well.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Oh the mess!
I want to go somewhere quiet, pretty and away from the city.
My studio is a huge mess that I must work on as with whatever energy I have today. I really need to print and right now that just isn't possible with this mess. My precious is shamefully buried in stuff. Sure it is not easy to do stuff now, but it most certainly isn't going to get any easy when the baby arrives!
Burrito is doing better, she is a bit perky and is eating again. We both have some hope for her now when we didn't have much of any before.
My new camera came yesterday, but so far I have only had the chance to use it for cat and studio pictures. Now that the light is good this morning I should be able to get some product shots with it. With no more memory card errors. It is quite lovely and very tiny. It is great! I've never had a camera that could be described as adorable before. As an added bonus I think I used it to convince Jon that we don't need a camcorder just yet. The 30+ minute high quality videos that this camera takes are more than enough for the baby. I don't think any of our friends or family would appreciate longer movies of baby crawling or baby smiling. The camcorder can wait until she is older. And I do not want any filming during the birth!
If the baby were to come now, at eight months, we would be ready to handle her pooping. Not much else but we have that part covered. On Saturday the two of us put together the baby's changing table/ dresser. I'm very amused whenever Jon tries putting together... anything because he is just so bad at it. I love him and think he is a brilliant man and that is why I find his inabitilty to read instructions quite humorous. He can build computers and do all sorts of complex stuff yet I have seen him struggle to put together a lamp. Whenever he gets stuck I take over and figure out what is missing right away. As long as the instructions are in english or have clear pictures I do just fine. We worked together and now we have a very nice place to change poopy diapers. Hurrah!
My studio is a huge mess that I must work on as with whatever energy I have today. I really need to print and right now that just isn't possible with this mess. My precious is shamefully buried in stuff. Sure it is not easy to do stuff now, but it most certainly isn't going to get any easy when the baby arrives!
Burrito is doing better, she is a bit perky and is eating again. We both have some hope for her now when we didn't have much of any before.
My new camera came yesterday, but so far I have only had the chance to use it for cat and studio pictures. Now that the light is good this morning I should be able to get some product shots with it. With no more memory card errors. It is quite lovely and very tiny. It is great! I've never had a camera that could be described as adorable before. As an added bonus I think I used it to convince Jon that we don't need a camcorder just yet. The 30+ minute high quality videos that this camera takes are more than enough for the baby. I don't think any of our friends or family would appreciate longer movies of baby crawling or baby smiling. The camcorder can wait until she is older. And I do not want any filming during the birth!
If the baby were to come now, at eight months, we would be ready to handle her pooping. Not much else but we have that part covered. On Saturday the two of us put together the baby's changing table/ dresser. I'm very amused whenever Jon tries putting together... anything because he is just so bad at it. I love him and think he is a brilliant man and that is why I find his inabitilty to read instructions quite humorous. He can build computers and do all sorts of complex stuff yet I have seen him struggle to put together a lamp. Whenever he gets stuck I take over and figure out what is missing right away. As long as the instructions are in english or have clear pictures I do just fine. We worked together and now we have a very nice place to change poopy diapers. Hurrah!
Monday, March 23, 2009
We have a Deal
As you readers may know I haven't had a very good year artistically speaking. I find myself wasting time more than making art whenever I have the chance. My husband Jon has joked about locking me in my studio without any books or a computer for awhile now but never seriously. I've also wanted him to find some sort of healthy activity for himself. Especially now that I am going to the gym 3-5 times a week.
So here is the deal we worked out. Twice a week he is going to lock me in my studio for a few hours. And twice a week I am going to kick him out of the house to go for a long walk. Hopefully eventually he will feel comfortable jogging. Just like hopefully someday soon I will feel comfortable making art without being forced to. Like the old days.
Maybe I will have him do what I do and strap blee on during his walks. That way he gets a nice weight bearing exercise and time with his daughter and I don't have to deal with her. Have I mentioned that she is teething her two year molars now and is a total disaster?
I already know that I want to do collage and mixed-media ATC/ ACEOs first. They were always what I did when I was in a smaller slump in the past. I have a bunch of printmaking paper torn to size, but that can wait for now. I need to experiment with very little pressure.
On the bus coming home from the gym the other day I got the idea to host a print class again. Maybe an ATC/ ACEO with collage, print and painting elements? People could make a handful and maybe trade one with the class. Keep an eye out here for more information.
Now I need to go pack up some orders and get thee to a post box. Hope you all have a fabulous week. My apologies for being so absent here and in other blogs. I've been in a very deep hole.
So here is the deal we worked out. Twice a week he is going to lock me in my studio for a few hours. And twice a week I am going to kick him out of the house to go for a long walk. Hopefully eventually he will feel comfortable jogging. Just like hopefully someday soon I will feel comfortable making art without being forced to. Like the old days.
Maybe I will have him do what I do and strap blee on during his walks. That way he gets a nice weight bearing exercise and time with his daughter and I don't have to deal with her. Have I mentioned that she is teething her two year molars now and is a total disaster?
I already know that I want to do collage and mixed-media ATC/ ACEOs first. They were always what I did when I was in a smaller slump in the past. I have a bunch of printmaking paper torn to size, but that can wait for now. I need to experiment with very little pressure.
On the bus coming home from the gym the other day I got the idea to host a print class again. Maybe an ATC/ ACEO with collage, print and painting elements? People could make a handful and maybe trade one with the class. Keep an eye out here for more information.
Now I need to go pack up some orders and get thee to a post box. Hope you all have a fabulous week. My apologies for being so absent here and in other blogs. I've been in a very deep hole.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
