I am sitting in our orthodontists office. Moana is on. As is the air purifier. And the whizzing sound of the orthodontic instruments. And an electric pencil sharpener. And the suction thingy. Hearing the suction thing is making me salivate. Gulp.
Happy Autumn Equinox week to those who celebrate! I’ve been on a deep dive into astrology and lunar living and tarot over the last few weeks and the last few years off and on. These tools have formed an interesting mirror for me. They are giving me more structure for reflecting on my experiences, defining what is present for me, and looking towards the future. Gratitude and appreciation to
for inspiring me on this journey. I may share more about this later, but for today I want to mark the changing of the seasons, and I like how this painting I made interacts with these themes.Its been busy around here. I’ve been continuing to work on moving in to my new space. I reviewed every random object in my studio and all my catalog of art that I haven’t sold. There’s a lot more artwork than I thought there was, though its true that I have been doing this for about 17 years and I always want to make a new piece.
I feel excited about getting some of these pieces out in the world. Hoping for a holiday online sale in late November. I think the earliest work is from 2007 and goes through about 2020ish.
I’m really excited about my bookshelves. It was an ordeal getting them here but its over and they make me so happy. Still working through the bins and stuff on the bottom.
Future developments will include an art storage shelf, a shipping area, more tables for me to make piles on AND for classes & workshops. And some speakers. And maybe a co-worker? Maybe someday.
On the creative tip, I’ve been working for a couple weeks on an art journaling lesson that will be available in an eternity, aka one year from now. Its been really fun. I’m a bit late to the party, but discoverd that there is a large Art Journaling world online that I didn’t know existed. Its been so fun to dip a toe into this world, and I am very excited about completing my first hand bound art journal.
It seems different from my somewhat limited idea of what a sketchbook could be in my own practice. The art journals I’ve seen online are even more improvisational, there’s more emphasis on binding your own, using emphemera from daily life (receipts, envelopes, tickets, old notes and to-do lists), and mixing media. I love to mix media, but this feels richer and more complex. The journals are literally bursting with experiments and memories. They can capture emotions, mark time, and hold little sentimental bits and bobs and curiosities we find along the way. And probably kid art! I am excited to put some kid art in these in the future. Its a bit like scrapbooking if you added more chaos and imperfection (also known as beauty, texture, authenticity) in the aesthetic.
For this project, I’m editing my first 20 min art lesson video. I’ve done reels of course, and I recorded a class with Carla Sonheim (& Steve!) but this is the first time I am trying to edit this much video myself. Lets just say I made 4 hours of videos and need to get it down to 20 minutes. I’m learning some things for next time.
I would love to offer more of this type of content more in the future, both online and in person. I’m so grateful I have a client that popped up so that I can get paid while bumbling around. Must be a divinely timed coincidence. It could also be because I was making more videos of my sketchbooks and the algorithm brought us together. I’ll take it either way.
Lastly, here is a popup spread by Erika Rier. I met her at a book and zine fair hosted by Oregon Contemporary a couple weeks ago. Loved her books and ceramic pieces.
Thanks so much for reading, it means the world!