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!

...And Things Just Get More Interesting

I did not get a chance to take photos of the Handmade Nation event. I was soooo busy AND I had a flat tire on top of it all! All that aside, I did not sell out, but it was a good time. I sold some magnets, made contacts, & learned more about the DIY movement. It's different. I'm used to creating art and having to think about the archival quality; the paper, framing, storage, blah. The crafty side of art is much more relaxed and eclectic, not stuffy, like a majority of the fine art community. Overall, the experience was nice.

6t'9 Social Aid & Pleasure Club's Halloween parade on Saturday, Oct. 24th. It was a great time as well! Our Dia de los Muertos theme was a hit with the crowd and I surprised myself with my makeup job. That parade was 3 miles long!! I had a lot of candy and felt crappy about that. I really didn't want to hand out a bunch of sugar to kids. Unfortunately, I never made time to create any throws. Mardi Gras......definitely.

Upcoming events for me (most of them are "up in the air"):

Fringe Fest: November 11th - 15th: specifically for me...Saturday, November 14th. There is a parade on St. Claude Ave from Poland Street down to Marigny Street. After party at Hi-Ho Lounge. Someone told me a little while back that we're also doing an art market that coincides with Fringe, but I haven't heard much about it since.

Photography show: December: Exact date pending. I'm having a photography show for my apprentice and occasional partner-in-crime, Sarah. She has some great photos and I want everyone to see them. I also think this will give her some experience with the public as she is considering art as a career. This show is more of a learning experience for her than anything. As soon as I get a date, I'd LOVE for everyone to come show some support for a local, young artist.

One Day Workshop in Relief Printing, Book Arts, & Letterpress: This date is also pending, but we're considering November 21st. Since the holidays are upon us, it is more convenient to have an all-day workshop than spread it out over four weeks. There's actually a few things pending about this, including the price. Just wanted to put the bug in your ear. There may also be a one-day workshop in screen printing.

To top all news, though, is something that happened on Sunday. My friend and I made an impulse buy at a junk shop in my neighborhood. After conducting a small search online, we discovered our prize to be an 1860s Galley Proof Press! Excited? Absolutely! It was in a junk shop! The guy in the shop gave us some story about how people may want it for decor in their gardens, homes, etc. My friend replied, "You're talking to two printmakers here. We plan on using it."

.....and we can't wait!

That's about it for now.

Selling Opportunity for Me...YAYY!!!

I'm selling my magnets at New Orleans premiere of Handmade Nation, a "documentary about the rise of DIY and the new wave of art, craft and design, plus craft market with local artists!" The event takes place at Delgado Community College on Friday, September 18th from 5pm to around 9:30pm (that's approximate). Come see me!

I really have not had time to make my "special" magnets, but I will have ones similar to the throws I made during Mardi Gras (see picture).

I love my visual art, but I think I'm going to explore more "crafty" avenues. It seems to put money in the pocket. Hmmm, maybe incorporate the two?

Will keep you updated on whether it's a success or a complete flop. Pictures too!

A Documentary About Printmaking....Yayyy!

I was introduced to "All About Prints" the other day via conversation with a colleague. No, I have not seen it yet, but plan to in the near future. Sharing this link to its website however, is something I felt I must do as a printmaker.

http://www.allaboutprints.net/about-the-film.html

If there is a screening in your area, I highly recommend you check it out. YES, even if I have yet to see it.

Update coming soon.

Breeding Chaos

Uninspired.

I cannot deny it anymore.

My brain is so full of "things to do", being able to focus on producing anything artistic seems too far to grasp right now. There's a blank canvas sitting on my easel and it's been blank for months now. All I do is stare at it. Funny how that canvas somehow reflects what my imagination IS NOT doing. I have a couple of shows to get ready for and the deadlines are fast approaching. I'm starting to wonder if I'll have anything to put up on the walls by these dates. Honestly, I've had this problem since Hurricane Katrina. Artist's block. No ideas. No inspiration. Nothing. I see the work of others and I think to myself,"what the hell have I been doing?"

Then, I read an article about clutter.

Now, I know the psychological reasoning behind household clutter. Actually, my apartment is not THAT bad, but the rest of my life is. Take, for instance, the office I work in. It is so insanely cluttered that I am ALWAYS trying to find new ways to organize my files and paperwork. This interrupts my ability to get things done. I never want to be there. It takes me forever to get started on things. Also, my car needs to be cleaned out, the trunk in particular. It's really just a bunch of art stuff, but I need to get it out and do something with it all.

I read a comment on someone's blog today and I feel this will stick with me:

Movement is the energy exchange, so uncluttering is MOVING rather than HOLDING. As time frees up and clutter frees up space - there is room for something new.

I absolutely agree. Clutter veils our minds from our best potential. It is a visual portrayal of our psychological chaos. A fellow blogger referenced a friend of his: "Clutter is nothing more than indecision". Yep, I get it.

Jumping on the "Green" Boat

I've been researching the nation's green efforts.

Which brings me to my next point: I'm in beginning stages of creating a small line of t-shirts. I'd like for them to be on organic cotton or bamboo fabric. Yes, I said bamboo. I found these guys:

bamboo, hemp & organic clothing

I'm going to order a small amount of shirts from them and see where it goes.

Any thoughts?