Taking a Break for Banter

Show is less than a week away and I don't think I'm halfway done with everything.  The problem:  money, or lack of it.  I'm trying to come up with time AND money-efficient ways of framing and presentation.  Thank goodness I'm not showing any of my photos!  Paper and canvas are much easier for me to wrap my head around as far as creative problem solving.  

I made a big mistake as I started marbling last night.  I forgot that I've mixed inks instead of paint.  So when I dipped my first canvas into the marbling vat and looked to see what the result was.........the colors were running all over each other.  Mission: FAIL!  I rinsed it off, BUT there's this pretty cool ghostly image on it now, like the ink simply stained the canvas.  I thought about just leaving it that way, but it really needs something else.  I ended up marbling the paper-half of my show instead.  

I ordered my postcard flyers for this thing at least 2 weeks ago. I just got an email notice today 

that my order's been shipped. Today!??? It's Monday and the show is SATURDAY! WTF!? I

guess I'm going to have to hustle out those things as soon as they get here.

I have to get through this weekend. LOTS going on and I'm ready to move on to the next creative

adventure (more on that later). I also plan on taking plenty of photos of my work so I'll post them

on here......................eventually.

Production Update

I believe following through with an art project is like taking up a yoga practice. You have to be consistent and try to stay on some kind of schedule.

I'm failing miserably!

It is now the end of September and all I have accomplished is stretching two canvases. Well, scratch that. A friend of mine built three frames (which, by the way, are beautiful!) as well as the canvas frames....but that's about it. I'm supposed to have my wonderfully huge marbling vat by this weekend (fingers crossed) so I can get started with that phase of production. I'm playing around with the idea of screen printing on some of them. So many ideas.....I really need to sit down and decide instead of running around with a cluster of them in my head.

Photos to come. Now, I'm off to plan a baking venture of about six dozen cupcakes. Hopefully, it will put a few bucks in my pocket.

Up and Comings...

I have a show over at my friends' coffee shop in November. I've decided that I don't have anything ready for it....and that's fine. I'm starting from scratch, developing a "theme" and running with it. I've been playing around with the idea of marbled paper being the dominantly played force during the exhibition.

Along with hand-made paper..........



I have until November 10th to get everything done, start to finish, concept to framing.

Wish me luck!

A Little Selfless Promotion.....

I got an email today from 4over4.com, an online printing company. They started a campaign in the name of trees! I'm jumping on board because....well....I care about trees. Yeah yeah, I'm a printmaker and papermaker so why would I give a hoot about trees? Well, these giants of the forest are what keep my artwork in business. I also love to admire them when they're standing tall in all their glory. I'm also a firm believer in the whole "take one down, plant another" concept, so yes, definitely jumping on board.

It's simple really:

For every click on this link

http://www.4over4.com

A tree will be planted in that click's honor.

So, click away my dear friends!!!!!

Oh, I also posted this link permanently on my sidebar (to the left) so if you're ever in the mood......

Pet Peeve of the Week.......

....Sell-outs - I have no time for them.

You know, those people who stand beside you, struggle with you, hold conversations about how pretentious the art community can be and express gratitude they are not in that percentage of haughtiness? Then, after making a few bucks and landing a show on Julia Street.....all bets are off. Their attitude is different. They believe they are "better". They have no time for you or your silly little art projects. A show in the Bywater? Nah, I'd rather stay on a "professional" level. What the hell is wrong with you? What exactly are you saying about EVERY artist who lives AND works in that part of the city, MY part of the city? Hey, I had my work up in an Uptown gallery, but you'll never hear of me believing I'm too good to exhibit anywhere. My theory is this: a show is a friggin show. Exposure is exposure. I'll take whatever card is dealt. You really just never know whose wallet will show up.

Those people piss me off.

Either you are a part of the revolution or part of the establishment, you choose, but don't expect me to have any respect for you if your blood runs thick with contradiction.

Slow the Clock Down! Geez!

What?

It's July already!?

Where the hell did all the time go?  What have I been doing?  Who am I again?

The past three months are a blur.  Let's see if I can properly execute an update:

I had some work up in a print show at Louisiana ArtWorks a couple months ago.  The show was nice.  Met some great people.  Ran into others whom I haven't seen in a long time.  My work didn't sell....bummer.  (but it is still for sale....fyi)  For the most part, it's really all about networking.  Yeah, I had this print up in a group show but........I made new contacts and better acquainted myself with a new facility.  I really can't complain about that too much, if at all.

I've attempted two open studios at my house.  No dice.  Let me rephrase that:  Friends showed up, that's about it.  My apartment is inside the building, not outside.  It's much easier to access an open studio from the outside.  That is how patrons access our gallery.  Makes sense.  I need to come up with a better plan.

I participated in Tipitina's annual fundraiser, Instruments A Comin.  Darcy and I had a table set up along with 15 other artists, roughly.  Not a big success, but I sold a few things.  Works for me.  Darcy donated a piece of her work for their silent auction and we got some great photos of the marching bands battling it out on Napoleon Ave.  This event was my FIRST experience in an art market-type environment.  Trial run.....successful.

Speaking of Darcy, we both shared a table at PhotoNOMA this year.  Our portfolios shined and Ms. Dar Dar even received big kudos from Coup D'Oeil Art Consortium on Magazine Street. The guy gave her his business card!  Yet another wonderful evening.

I am experimenting in the ancient craft of paper making.  Now this is fun stuff!  My partner in crime and I have no end product in mind (other than the paper of course) so we're just producing.  When the muse speaks, I will listen.

Currently, I have a piece up at Du Mois Gallery on Freret Street.  Their print show, Cold Drink, is a breath of fresh air.  Everything on those walls is fantastic!!  If you haven't made a stop, you should.  And while you're there, check out Jesse Shaw's relief prints.  I don't ever say this, but O.M.G.!!!  This artist definitely inspires me to be a bit more ambitious with my block printing. 

Summer camp started at GlassWorks in June.  I'm trying to keep up with the students because I'd like to set up a student show this year......a REAL one.  Wish me luck on that.......

May be collaborating with a friend of mine on some art for White Linen Night.  The plans aren't completely solid yet, but I'm looking forward to working with him.  I guess I'll keep you posted as things progress.  

Annndddd, I think that's it for now.  

I recently fell into a strange mental block.  Depression?  Hot weather?  Exhaustion?  Lack of money?  BP?  I don't know.  Whatever it is, I hope it goes away......and fast!  I'm supposed to increase my inventory over the summer and I'm slacking.  I sit in my studio and just stare at everything.  My mind is a blank canvas.  Where's my damn paint??????

Goodnight, World!  We start anew in the A.M.

Cheers!

 

Things are Happenin'

Yeah, Louisiana is well-known for its festivals and events. I'd like to make more of an effort to either attend the following list or actually sign up for a booth to sell stuff.

Thank you Gambit Weekly for all the dates and info.

MARCH

*St. Patrick's Day Parade in the French Quarter on March 12th. I usually go to the parade in the Irish Channel, mainly for two reasons: 1. I used to live there, and 2. My ex-neighbor has a kick ass party every year, right on the parade route. Unfortunately, I think I have to work that Saturday, the 13th.....so I'm gonna try to go the one in the Quarter on the 12th.

*Downtown Irish Club's St. Patrick's Day Parade in the Bywater on March 17th. Ok, for those that know me, this is obvious; I live in the Bywater so I wanna check it out. Love me some Marigny/Bywater events!

*Super Sunday on Bayou St. John on March 20th. I MISS THIS EVERY YEAR!!! Why? Don't ask. Maybe because I always forget about it. Hopefully, not this year!

*Fete Francaise at Ecole Bilingue, Uptown on March 20th. Always wanted to see what that's about. I know about the school and I love the French Immersion idea.....A LOT. I have no kids but it's Ecole and the International School that have my support right now.

*Earth Fest, March 20th and 21st. I think this is at Audubon Park. If they have a booth option, I'm there.

APRIL

*Strawberry Festival in Ponchatoula, LA, April 9th - 11th. Dammit, this is the same weekend as French Quarter Festival. I'm gonna have to choose on this. FQ Fest may win though....right down the street from my neighborhood. But, if you're looking for something different and a small road trip.....GO! I haven't been for years! Strawberries GALORE!!!!

JUNE

*Louisiana Corn Festival, June 11th - 13th in Bunkie, LA. Yeah, Bunkie is about 2.5 hours away from here, BUT.....I went to this festival often as a child and boy let me tell you, they have some great stuff! All corn-related, but great stuff. Need to ask my mom how it's been over the years. I guess that will be my deciding factor.

*French Market Tomato Festival, June 12th and 13th....French Quarter. This is my other option if I don't go to Bunkie that weekend.

JULY

*San Fermin in Nueva Orleans, July 9th - 11th. Ok, I think I'm gonna miss the Running of the Bulls this year. My cousin is getting married so I won't be in town on the 10th. But....I do want to go to some of the crazy events around town while this is going on. Crazy New Orleanians! We can't help it.

AUGUST

*White Linen Night, August 7th. Mainly in the Arts District but I've known galleries around town to have shows that coincide with it. I'm gonna try like hell to have some art going on for this....somewhere.....heads up.

*NOLA Red Dress Run, August 14th. I think this is in the French Quarter. I wanted to go last year. I can't remember what happened that made me do otherwise. Yes, it's a "run" where everyone has to wear a red dress.....women AND men. Don't be shy! It's New Orleans.....we don't care, dude!

*Dirty Linen Night, August 14th. Royal Street's counter-event to White Linen Night. May try to have a show at the Art Lofts that night too. We'll see. Just like the weekend before, I want to have my art out somewhere.

*Krewe of Oak's Mid-Summer Mardi Gras, August 28th. This happens in the Riverbend/Uptown area and I walked in it last year and had a friggin' blast. Actually, any and everyone can walk in it. Seemed to be more like a pub crawl, but with brass bands and dance troupes added into the mix. Definitely a time to be creative with costuming....but then again, costuming is optional year round down here.

OCTOBER

*Art for Art's Sake, October 2nd, City-wide. Like White Linen Night, only the city as a whole has events going on. This isn't just for the Arts District, although they will say it belongs to them. I have my opinions about it and really don't care to voice them here and now. Yet another time to have my work out somewhere.

*NOLA Film and Video Fest, October 14th - 21st. City-wide. There's usually a nice plethora of independent films.

*Voodoo Experience, October 29th - 31st, City Park. Yeah, honestly this music festival is too big for me nowadays. I enjoyed it a lot more when it was smaller and at Marconi Meadows. BUT....if you have a nice craft and can afford a booth, you will sell shit. No lie. I have a few friends who did it last year....can't remember if it was successful or not, but I wanna say yes.

NOVEMBER

*Mirliton Festival, November 6th in the Bywater (Markey Park). I wanted to set up a booth last year, but couldn't really find anyone to split it with me. I'm hoping that someone, or two, comes through for me this year. Why not?

*New Orleans Fringe Theater Festival, November 17th - 21st. City-wide but focused around the Marigny/Bywater area. Fringe theater everywhere! Puppet shows, one-man shows, acrobats, parades, weird stuff and funky stuff. Need to get into the little art market with this one.....was supposed to this past year.....I was not feeling great that day so I didn't....sucks! This year, I plan on it.

DECEMBER

Not much I care to see during this month except maybe Celebration in the Oaks at City Park. It's an on-going event, all month long, and the lights are pretty fantastic. For the kid in all of us. Other than that, I do know there are a million art markets around this time of year. I'm definitely hitting up a few of them to sell stuff. I guess I'll keep you updated on that.

....and just to plug something here......

A friend of mine opened up a great little coffee shop at 2401 Burgundy Street last week. Who Dat Coffee Cafe will have a Grand Opening somewhere around French Quarter Fest weekend (April 9th - 11th). I'll keep you posted. My magnets and hair sticks are there for sale and soon, I'll have prints and photography. Until then, they are open for business so stop in, grab a cup and say hello.

Mardi Gras Throws....the Hand-made Way

It's officially crunch time!

My parade is two weeks away (well, technically less than two weeks) and it's time to stop procrastinating and drafting ideas and start some DOING. I'm making a few handmade throws this year, instead of the 200 magnets I handed out in 2009. My focus is on recycling old Mardi Gras beads and giving them a new life. I've wanted to do this for a few ideas I have that result in profit, but I figured that this time of year is a great opportunity to test the waters and get opinions.

My first throw, the Krewe do Craft medallion necklace, is basically just foamboard cut into circles. I glued one side of them with our logo and the other side with this year's theme. After finishing that off with a little sealant, I glued red glitter all along the sides and edges. These things will be attached to Mardi Gras beads I've collected over the years (and boy do I have millions of them!) with a simple jump ring. Personally, I think these came out very well!

My second throw is a bit more time consuming. I disassembled regular strings of beads, meaning I pulled the beads off of the string. Yes, people! Mardi Gras beads DO come off without breaking them! I've had this discussion with a couple of people in the past. I took the beads and drilled slightly larger holes in them (this is the time consuming part). After putting an announcement out for donated "wine-related" objects, I drilled holes in wine corks. Granted, I am not near done with the prep work involved in order to start threading these two objects into necklaces, but I finished two for prototypes and to monitor how long it takes to make each one.

I should probably be selling these.

The last throw I'm making is actually print-related. It's also going to revolve more around Valentine's Day than anything (our parade is on February 14th). I cut and made a small heart stamp. I'm just cutting out small pieces of paper and stamping the heart on it in a few places...and voila....a traditional valentine! I do not have any photos of this yet, but I'm putting them into sets of three and handing them out to lucky parade-goers. Not only will they get a valentine, but they can hand out a couple of them to their friends, lovers, whatever....

If time permits, I'm also cutting out a crap load of confetti to throw.....just as a little lagniappe.

Yeah, I know I'm not getting paid to do any of this. The time and effort that goes into throw-making is tedious and really takes a commitment to follow-through. BUT....it's Mardi Gras in New Orleans and after 15 years of calling this place home, I really know better. It's all about having fun and allowing others to appreciate what you do.....for free!

Profit will come!

Madness Ensues

Ok, so the Saints are going to the Superbowl.......

It's about damn time! I'll be parked in front of a TV on February 7th with a drink in one hand and junk food in the other.

On another note:

Artists of all genres are gearing up for one hell of a Mardi Gras this year! My marching group, Krewe do Craft, has a lot of handmade throws to give out. I'm still making my stuff and boy, has it been a time guzzler. In addition to handmade parade lagniappe, I have to make a costume for the Not-so-Super Super Heroes party on February 13th AND a costume for the parade on February 14th. I'm a bit beside myself in overwhelming excitement.

Speaking of February 13th.....

The Bywater Art Lofts, the artist community in which I live, has their first art show of the year scheduled for that evening, 5pm - 10pm. Since it's Mardi Gras time, we naturally wanted our show to focus on Carnival. I'm making a huge, tacky paper mache sculpture! So what if it's tacky?! That's what Mardi Gras is about anyway, right? Music, food, drinks, socializing and art....LOTS of art. We're also having open studios so if you're curious about one of us and would like to see more.....take a journey into someone's live/work space. You never know what you're gonna find.

Here's our postcard flyer:

Would love to see you there!