frag-ment-ed

a turning point

2009-05-06T07:52:00.002-05:00

work in progress (1) / May 2009

After several months of re-working this piece, originally done in 2003, I have reached a turning point. My documentation of the original piece is so shoddy that I've decide not to post it. I wish now that I had recorded all my steps a bit more diligently. Maybe this earlier pic will give you somewhat of an idea of what the original piece looked like. (But even this is not accurate. This picture already indicates a bit of reworking. The original piece had no oranges, yellows or dark browns. It was mostly a blue piece.)

work in progress (1) / March 2009

So what makes this point a "turning point?" Well, the hard thing for me is that I actually kinda like this piece (top pic) at this stage. In some ways it's hard to decide how to proceed. Despite how much I like it at this point, it's not how I see it in my head; it's incomplete. When working on a piece, I really try to follow what I see in my head. It doesn't always turn out exactly how I see it, but the journey it takes along the way is part of what makes it fun. Hopefully, in that process, the puzzle comes together. Two of the pieces I recently did for the XX Chromosome show were done this way.

ROBOTHUMAN (left) / It's All About the Numbers 02 (right)
after collage • March 2009

before collage • March 2009

When working on these smaller pieces, I faced this same kind of turning point. I really enjoyed these pieces the way they were before the collage, yet at the same time they felt incomplete. Obviously whenever you set out to do something or create something, it's never a straight path...at least it's never been that way for me. It twists and turns and sometimes - if you're lucky - you learn something along the way that furthers your understanding of the medium you're using, the story you're trying to communicate and/or your self.

The nice thing about working small is that I tend to feel a bit more open to experiment. With the two smaller pieces, I hadn't really invested too much into them so pushing the medium around and trying new things didn't really feel too risky. They were small: 12x12 inches. The piece I am about to work on is a large piece: 4x4 feet. Gulp. While I am excited to work on it, I'm also a bit intimidated by the size of the piece. Truth be told, I'm also a wee bit intimidated by the medium: OIL. I am way more comfortable using acrylics and have a lot more knowledge of how to collage with acrylic-based mediums. Collaging with oil will be interesting. Stay tuned...!

Fragmented Fave: Tracy McGuinness-Kelly

2009-05-05T19:10:00.008-05:00

robots

Tracy McGuinness-Kelly

My friend Tracy recently emailed me and sent me this wonderful robot collage. I love it! After seeing this fun piece I had to revisit her website.

sparkle

Tracy McGuinness-Kelly

There's LOTS of great stuff to explore on Tracy's site, but my favorite sections are the gallery work section and the weird and wonderful section. I just love the way Tracy collages things together. "Sparkle", above, is one of my favorite pieces. I could look at it for hours. I love all the different shapes, colors and fun characters. She also has a great sense of pattern, which is something I've always admired about her work. The energy in this piece makes me want to dance. Doesn't it kinda look like they're at some kinda funky party? It would be fun to see this animated!

in the city

Tracy McGuinness-Kelly

Check out this great, simple collage. I love the balance of cool & warm colors, and the crisp, quirky lines and shapes that the cut paper creates. Be sure to check out Tracy's site for more wonderful, silly, fun work.

*All images taken from Tracy's site*

crazy for ROBOTS: robot #47

2009-04-22T22:21:00.004-05:00

Allen

17.5 inches tall • assembled from random objects in NYC by Lipson Robotics

I absolutely LOVE the robots of David Lipson, aka Lipson Robotics! I first saw these wonderful 'bots when perusing through one of the robot pools that I belong to on flickr. David's robots immediately stood out. Beautifully designed, they have a presence that is undeniably cool. Needless to say, I had a really hard time picking out which two from his robot set to post, but these are two of my (many!) faves.

KF Red

17.5 inches tall • assembled from random objects in NYC by Lipson Robotics

I really love the attention to detail on David's robots.KF Red is constructed out of some great pieces including sauce cups, sprockets, c-clamps, lamp parts, a gas line hose, and much more. I really like the attention to color in this. The spice-canister head and bright yellow arms really help to highlight the detail found in the wonderful piece that makes up his chest. Very cool! Be sure to check out all of the great bots in David's flickr set.

XX Chromosome opens TONIGHT!

2009-04-03T15:00:00.005-05:00

It's All About the Numbers 02

12x12 inches, mixed media on canvas, 2009

Last year, I was approached by artist Tuesday Schmidt about being in an all-women show sometime in early 2009. Needless to say, I don't know where the time went but that sometime is NOW! XX Chromosome, curated by Tuesday, is an exhibition highlighting the value of the feminine hand in art. XX Chromosome will showcase nine local female artists practicing in a variety of mediums including photography, illustration, painting, mixed media, textiles and sculpture.

Although I was unable to complete one of my larger pieces for the show, I'm pretty happy with the pieces I've included. The above piece, It's All About the Numbers 02, came together while I was working on another piece called ROBOTHUMAN. To see this and other pieces, check out my flickr page.

XX Chromosome

The Late Show Gallery • 1600 Cherry • Kansas City, MO • 64108

Gallery Hours: Wed - Sat, 11 am-6 pm.

Opening: Friday, April 3, 6-10pm. Show continues on through April 22, 2009.

Featuring music by Softee (yay!) and an appearance by Annie Cherry.

crazy for ROBOTS: robot #46

2009-03-14T11:02:00.003-05:00

Danbo / in the rain

While looking through photos in the Explore page on flickr, I came across this wonderful picture by David Copeman (flickr name: djcopeman). I thought it was a picture of a person dressed as a cardboard robot, but in fact it's a toy based on a Japanese character named Danbo. According to David, Danboard (or Danbo for short) is a toy based on the character Miura Hayasaka who dresses up in a cardboard box suit and is part of the Japanese series Yotsuba&!. Danbo is part of the Revoltech line by the Japanese company Kaiyodo. The Danbo figure is plastic, has movable joints, eyes that light up and stands about 5 inches tall.

Danbo / at night

Needless to say, I'd love to have my very own Danbo toy and these wonderful photos that David has taken make me want one even more! They're really beautifully shot with interesting light and points of view. These two are a couple of my faves, but there are plenty more to peruse through. Be sure to check out the set of Danbo in the snow, to see the character Miura Hayasaka who wears the Danbo suit.

*Photos taken from David's flickr page.

new, updated, renovated studio!

2009-03-09T12:30:00.006-05:00

studio 4337 / south wall

After months of unpacking, rearranging, reframing, installing, etc, my studio is finally complete! I'm so excited and have uploaded a bunch of pics onto my flickr page for you to see. There are still some detail-y things I'd like to do, but all in all I'm stoked. It's a dream come true for me. I have to pinch myself when I'm working! I can't believe I have a space that's mine, that I helped to design, that's right outside the house so close to home AND temperature controlled! CRAZY! Big thanks to Erich for the great spongey flooring and Julie for the great shelf brackets from Ikea. My feet and my walls are very happy!

re-fragmented 01 & 02 / march 2009

Here's a little sneak peek at some pieces I have recently been reworking. I started each of these pieces about 5 years ago. Since then, they have sat in my studio. In the process of moving stuff back into my studio, I decided to rework them. So far, I'm having fun with them and am really enjoying the process. My plan is to keep breaking them down into smaller rectangles & squares. Once that feels complete, I'll go back into them with drawings, photos, and other collaged bits. I love puzzles pieces like these, figuring them out as you go along. For more pics of these, visit my flickr page.

thanks for the LOVE!

2009-03-09T12:07:00.003-05:00

Wow! Thanks for the love, folks! can't tell ya enough how much I appreciate it! Thanks, too, to everyone who tells me about these posts. It means a whole bunch to me! :) Check out the features, here (top to bottom, left to right):

1.) Athensboy

2.) Fandart

3.) Dakota Davis

4.) Happy Doodle Land

5.) Monoscope

6.) Lifelounge

7.) coZop

8.) idée

9.) artzari

Special thanks to my friend Flora at Happy Doodle Land for the kind words about my crazy skulls and to the folks at FFFFOUND!, who have posted quite a few pics of my never ending bottlecap collection. THANKS!!

Ultimate Robot by Robert Malone

2009-02-25T17:10:00.003-06:00

Nando

made in Italy in the 1950s by OPSET

Last week, while doing some robot research over lunch, I stumbled upon this AMAZING book in the library called "Ultimate Robot" by Robert Malone. (It's due Friday and I don't want to return it! Guess I'll have to purchase my own copy.) As I seem to be drawing more and more robots these days, I thought it might be interesting to read about the history of robots, their influence on pop culture and stuff. I couldn't have picked a more fitting book - this one covers it ALL.

Mighty Robot

made in Japan in the late 1960s by Yoshiya

Needless to say, my favorite chapter is "Robot Toys & Collectibles". There are a lot of robots in this section of the book that I hadn't seen before, but out of all the ones that I hadn't seen, Nando (above) is probably my favorite. I love how basic he is, from the 2-color artwork that makes up his face to his simple construction and pressed metal details. Very cool! With the exception of Robot Lilliput and Atomic Man, many of these early tin robots were simple pressed tin; silver in color with very little or no paint or decal details. It's cool to see how the design of these tin toys has progressed over the years. This book illustrates that really well.

Mr. Mercury

made in Japan in 1960 by Marx, Line Marx Co. Inc.

My 2nd favorite chapter in the book is "Robots in Art & Entertainment". Robert Malone does a great job of providing detailed featurettes on robots from various movies, television shows, books and art. But the coolest thing for me, in this chapter, was seeing artwork from Eric Joyner, Clayton Bailey and Lawrence Northey featured in the book. So cool!

For lots of robotic eye candy, a wonderful overview of the history of robots and a glimpse into the future of robotics, check out this book. It is the definitive guide to the world of robots!

crazy for ROBOTS: robot #45

2009-02-25T12:34:00.001-06:00

Robot #5 • Brian Biggs

I've been a long-time admirer of the wonderful artwork of Brian Biggs (aka Mr Biggs). When he started doing these great black and white robots and posting them to flickr, I found myself adding every single one of them to my faves! I really love how simple they are, not just because they're black and white but also because of their simple shapes. I can almost see Robot #5 made up of individual wooden blocks, attached by wooden dowels.

Robot #3 • Brian Biggs

I really love this space alien bot, too. My favorite part is his single eye, encased in a glass dome. His squiggly legs are quite nice too. But don't take my word for it - check them out for yourself! (While you're there, take a gander at the fun car series Mr. Bigg's recently did. Very fun!)

thanks Illustration Friday!

2009-02-24T12:39:00.005-06:00

Check it out! The kind folks at Illustration Friday featured one of my robot sketches today! So cool! Thanks a bunch!

And, if you have a bit of time, be sure to check out the great ROBOSHOW over on Drawger hosted by artist/illustrator Carl Wiens. There's a whole bunch of wonderful robot art in the show, including a few pieces by me. I'm not sure how long the show will be up for, but Carl is accepting submissions. "Their prime directive is to serve humankind.... or so they tell us! Let's see your interpretations - good, benign and evil. Contraptions, automatons, gadgets, apparati & visual creations of all shapes and sizes are welcome."

Monkey vs Robot by Brandon Reese

There are so many great pieces, but this one is definitely a fave! Monkey vs Robot! Ha ha!

bottle cap fever

2009-02-21T11:18:00.002-06:00

What OH what is it about a bottlecap that makes me swoon so? So many things, I guess. Take for instance this lovely picture of this beautifully scratched 7 UP cap. What a great texture all those scratches create. The rust adds wonderful color to it, too. And then, to have it offset by the green of the bottle; it just makes my eyes sparkle with happiness!

Maybe that's why I receive so many pictures of bottlecaps from friends of mine. These are two recent pictures that friends have sent me. I just love them! All I know about the top pic is that it's from ffffound.com; the bottom one, no idea. But isn't it cool?! There are a bunch of individual ones in here that I love, but I also love the overall picture. It's a grid, go figure.

cap #300 / 7UP
Lithiated Lemon Soda, "Seven times as good"

Today, I posted my 300th cap, this old 7UP gem, onto my bottlecap set on flickr! Can you believe it? I sure can't! BIG THANKS to all my pals out there who bring me caps from their travels, save them for me, send them to me from afar, and new friends who want to trade (I haven't forgotten about you!). It makes collecting them even MORE FUN! Stay tuned for more... but, for now, hope you enjoy these first 300! Cheers!

partly cloudy, chance of skulls (part two)

2009-02-17T23:17:00.002-06:00

the INKubator PRESS
115 West 18th Street • Kansas City, MO • 64108 • 816.471.2629

Back in December, I took a silkscreen class at the Art Incubator's new printmaking studio called the INKuBator PRESS. Although I have never done silkscreen before, I have collected silkscreen prints (also known as serigraphs) for years. I love 'em. The main reason I like them is because of the flat, matte color that typically distinguishes them. They're also generally very affordable to collect. Definitely a plus when you're starting a collection!

my screen, with fresh black ink

So, having never silkscreened I thought I'd take a class so I could understand a little more about the process that goes into making them. Although the class was set up as a Christmas card making class, I asked the instructor if I could just try making a print. Since I already had this skull drawing, I thought I'd do a 2 color version of it and try to make a go of it.

Despite my best efforts, I ended up having a couple of issues with 2 of the screens that I was given to work with. The first one completely disintegrated. The emulsion on the screen wasn't working and was allowing ink to pass through it, which it shouldn't do. Fortunately, another screen was prepared with emulsion so I exposed my image again, sprayed it in the sink and started with my first color: slate blue.

series 01
black ink, slate blue ink and hot pink gel pen on white bristol paper

After pulling just 12 prints, the emulsion on my 2nd screen started to disintegrate just like the last screen. Bleah. Despite my frustration, I decided to start printing my 2nd color: black. So, I printed the black onto the 12 good prints that had the slate blue on them... and then I just kept printing black. In the end, I'd pulled 35 prints: 12 two-color prints and 23 one-color prints. So, what did I do with the 23 one-color prints? Well, I drew back into them of course!

series 02
black ink and orange gel pen on green paper by French

And, it's been a ton of fun! Once I started drawing back into the one-color prints, I realized that I couldn't leave the two-color prints alone! Ha ha! Once I completed drawing back into them, I gave many of them to friends of mine as Christmas gifts. After lots of scanning, they're now available on my online store. Despite their gritty quality, I'm pretty happy with them and I'm kinda glad I had the snags that I did. No two prints are alike and I kinda like that. SO much so, that I'm thinking the next time I silkscreen, I might actually do that on purpose!

Fragmented Fave: Laura Berman

2009-02-12T22:18:00.004-06:00

All She Ever Wanted Was Everything
2000+ hand cut intaglio prints, various sizes • 2007-2008 • Laura Berman

Although It's been a while since I've posted any non-robot artwork, I'm very excited to be posting today about the work of friend and artist Laura Berman. Laura sent me an email the other day to tell me about her show, All She Ever Wanted Was Everything, that opens at the Dolphin Gallery here in Kansas City tomorrow night. Wow, to no surprise, Laura has been really busy! In addition to teaching printmaking at the Kansas City Art Institute, she was recently interviewed by Kansas City Spaces Magazine (which is featured in this month's issue), has launched a new website and has created a wonderful body of work.

Gridrocks
relief monoprints, series of 21 • 38x29 inches • 2007-2008 • Laura Berman

When Laura sent me this email, I decided to check out her new website and take a look at the work that's going to be featured in the show. I was immediately drawn into the pieces ... and noticed the rocks. I say that because that's one of the first things I noticed when I went to her house last year: her rock collection. I've collected rocks over the years, but not in the same way or anywhere near the scale that she does. Despite that, I can appreciate the wonderful textures and intricacies that they so often have within them. These textures and intricacies come out in the intaglio prints and they're simply beautiful. I also love the color she's used within these pieces and the way they take me back to memories of collecting sea glass from the shores of New Jersey and speckled rocks from Lake Michigan.

Rockpiles I
intaglio relief prints, series of 11 • 22 x 18 inches • 2007 • Laura Berman

But perhaps what draws me in the most is the amount of care, detail and repetition that goes into creating such an installation. It is truly inspiring. I can't wait to see the work in person!

All She Ever Wanted Was Everything will be at the Dolphin Gallery from February 13 - March 21, 2009. The opening reception is tomorrow night, February 13 from 6-10 pm.

DOLPHIN
1600 Liberty St., Kansas City, MO. 64102 816.842.5877
For more information please visit thedolphingallery.com.

UNIVERSAL ROBOTS

2009-02-07T13:23:00.000-06:00

Robot #41
4X6 inches • watercolor & ink on Arches • Maura Cluthe

I never really know what's going to happen when I do these little robot paintings. I have a lot of fun creating them and when I sell one, it makes me happy to think that someone has found something within them that they enjoy enough to actually want to own one. It's a great feeling.

Last week I received an email from Lanie Zipoy, a producer of a play called UNIVERSAL ROBOTS. The play opens next week, Thursday, February 12, in New York at the Manhattan Theatre Source. As it turns out, Lanie is a friend of a gentleman that bought several robot pieces from me last year. The Manhattan Theatre Source has a gallery that is attached to their theatre. Lanie emailed me to see if I would be interested in showing some of my robot pieces in their gallery for the duration of the play. Although I was pretty excited about the opportunity, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to send him anything. Then I realized not only do I have some pieces I could send, I might even be able to to create a few new ones.

Robot #42
4X6 inches • watercolor and ink on Arches • Maura Cluthe

These two robots are a couple of the new ones that will appear in UNIVERSAL ROBOTS. I had fun creating these and am thrilled to be a small part of the show. The gallery show features two other artists as well; R. Nick Kuszyk and Lex Friedman.

The play itself sounds really interesting and I wish I could see it. This little blurb is from the play's website:

First performed in Prague in 1921, Karel Capek's R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots) went on to become a seminal work of theater and literature that had a profound impact on science, technology and popular culture. A hugely influential science fiction story – before science fiction was even considered a genre – R.U.R. was inspirational to Isaac Asimov's pivotal writing on artificial intelligence and set the template for any number of robot-revolt stories to follow, from 2001 to The Terminator.

The play tell the story of the titular island factory that makes the artificial workers called "Robots" that were originally devised by the reclusive scientist Rossum. A dark satire on the industrial revolution and humankind's blind faith in technology, R.U.R. builds to an apocalyptic climax before finding a redemptive – and startlingly human – conclusion.

For more information on the play, be sure to check out the UNIVERSAL ROBOT website and/or blog. There's a lot of interesting stuff on there. To see the 6 new robots (#40-#45) I did for the show, check out my flickr page.

UNIVERSAL ROBOTS opens at the Manhattan Theatre Source February 12 and runs through March 6, 2009. Gallery hours are 12pm - 7pm daily. Directions to the gallery can be found here.

Big thanks to John Issendorf and Lanie Zipoy for their support in my work.
Wish I could attend the opening!

chicken soup with ginger

2009-02-07T12:48:00.003-06:00

Well, looking back at my recipes, I see that this is the 2nd soup recipe I've posted. I love the Chicken Torilla soup, but this one is just as tastey especially if you're feeling a bit sniffly or achey (or a combo of the two!). I made this the other day and it's very simple, and doesn't take much time to make (two pluses, in my book). Anyway, it calls for powdered (or ground) ginger, but I like to add puréed ginger for a little extra ZING.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs)
2 TB vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced (sweet onions are yummy to use here)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp powdered ginger (this is where i add a tsp or more of puréed ginger)
8 cups water
1-2 TB chicken soup base
3/4 lb extra wide egg noodles
2 scallions, chopped

Cut the chicken into 3/4 inch cubes. In a large, heavy pot or soup kettle, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes and add the cayenne pepper and ginger. Adding the full amount of cayenne will make the soup fairly hot; if you're unsure, start with the smaller amount and adjust upward to taste toward the end of cooking. (Next time I make this, I'll probably put 1 tsp in and put Sriracha on the table so folks could make it as hot as they want!) Stir constantly for about a minute for about a minute, and then add the water and chicken soup base. Let everything come to a slow boil and then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Bring a separate pot of water for the noodles to boil, add noodles and cook for 1 minute less than the recommended cooking time on the bag. Drain the noodles and add to the pot of soup, turn off the soup, let stand 5 minutes and serve. Top each bowl with a sprinkling of chopped scallions.

Noodles don't reheat very well. So, if the soup won't be eaten all at once, add some cooked noodles to each bowl, top with soup, let stand a few minutes for the noodles to absorb the chicken flavor, and keep the rest of the noodles in a covered container in the fridge to add to the reheated soup the next day. Or, just cook some more noodles.

This recipe, as is, doesn't have any veggies in it but the next time we make it we thought we'd add some chopped celery and julienned carrots for some extra yum! Thanks to Jake's mom for passing this recipe onto us!

crazy for ROBOTS: robot #44

2009-02-07T11:12:00.001-06:00

Toxicity
9.7 X 10 inches • giclée print • Alex Noriega

When my husband and I recently jumped onto Gelaskins looking for a new protective cover for our phones, I came across this fun, colorful piece by Alex Noriega. I've admired Alex's work for a long time, so seeing his work on Gelaskins was a fun surprise. When I saw this piece with the robot flying above the city, I knew this was the one for me. Perusing through his page, I came across some other gems that I think are really cool.

Cubohs
8.9 X 12 inches • giclée print • Alex Noriega

I love these Cubohs! Back when I was making robots, many of my first bots kinda looked like these: simple & blocky. Seeing this print almost makes me want to make some wooden robots again. Lastly is this piece, which has me looking at buildings a bit differently.

City
8.5 X 12 inches • giclée print • Alex Noriega

How cool would it be to design a building that looks like a giant robot in the heart of downtown?! C'mon KC, you know you want to! Hmm... maybe it's just me but I think that would be awesome!

To see more of Alex's wonderful work, check out his sketchblog. All images taken from Gelaskins website.

crazy for ROBOTS: robot #43

2009-02-05T16:23:00.001-06:00

Speakerbot
9X12 inches • acrylic, collage and resin on wood • 2008

As I was looking through recent posts by my contacts on flickr, I came across this gem of a piece by David "Netherland" van Alphen. Netherland's pieces have always caught my eye, so when I saw this Speakerbot, I knew I had to post it. I love the great mix of collage in his pieces and this one is no exception. Hmm... we actually have some old speakers in our basement. Maybe I should make our very own 3D Speakerbot. Somehow, I don't think my husband would appreciate me using his old speakers to make a robot. But then again, ya never know.

Be sure to check out the wonderful show that Netherland recently had with McBess at Rotofugi, in Chicago. Although the show is over, the artwork is still available online. Rats! Speakerbot is SOLD!

crazy for ROBOTS: robot #42

2009-01-04T10:51:00.003-06:00

TANK!
alarm clock robot by TOKYObay

Check out this awesome robot clock that my husband got me for Christmas! Isn't he cool?! Made by the folks at TOKYObay, these bots are solid. I love the shape of this little guy, especially his squatty legs. His arms and legs move, too, which is really cool. There are 5 robots in this collectable series, but TANK is by far my fave. Thank you, Jake!

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-03T13:13:00.008-06:00

NEW YEAR BOT 2009
india ink & pen on bristol paper • 4X6 inches • 2009

Hi friends and Happy New Year! I hope you're all doing well. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your continued support and for helping to make 2008 a great year for me. I truly appreciate all the comments I receive on here as well as all the emails I get. It really means a lot to me! I know that I am sometimes not the best at getting back to everyone, but I do read every email I receive and will sincerely try to get back to everyone soon. As I look ahead to 2009, I am excited about several upcoming projects and ideas that I hope to work on this year.

Although the robot posts will continue (and I'll continue to draw them!), I am excited about to announce that 2009 is the Year of the HYPER DOODLE. If you look at the tags to this post, you'll see that I've added a new "hyperdoodle" tag. As I was looking through the pieces that I did last year, I noticed that I've been doing a lot of these hyper doodles lately. Many of my ideas for 2009 revolve around this theme. I'm excited to see where this leads...!

new 'bots in da shop!

2008-12-10T19:41:00.005-06:00

ROBOT #39
4X6 inches • luma and ink on watercolor paper • 2008

I've added about a dozen or so new 'bots to my shop as well as a few new ink drawings. Each robot was done on 4X6 watercolor paper using lumas, watercolor and matte india ink. I ended up using quite a bit more black ink on this little group than I usually do, but I'm pretty happy with the results. They are each $25 + $5 shipping ($7 for international shipping). Snatch one up before they're GONE!

ROBOT #32
4X6 inches • luma and ink on watercolor paper • 2008

partly cloudy, chance of skulls (part one)

2008-11-25T18:26:00.002-06:00

hyperdoodle 03 (partly cloudy, chance of skulls)
india ink & posca pen on bristol, 4X6 inches, 2008

Not really sure why I've got skulls on the brain, but when I sat down to draw the other day this is what came out. I'm trying to figure out what to print in my upcoming silkscreen class that I'm taking at the Arts Incubator here in KC. The class is on December 6 - less than 2 weeks away - and I have no idea what to do... yet. I'm allowed to use 2 colors, and it has to be roughly 5X7 inches in size. Needless to say, I'm really excited to be taking this class because although I love silkscreen and collect silkscreen prints, I've never actually done it.

hyperdoodle 04
india ink & posca pen on bristol, 4X6 inches, 2008

So, in preparation for my class and to try to figure out what I'm going to print, I've been doing these little black and white ink drawings. I'm hoping they might help to spark some kind of idea. I did this drawing yesterday, but instead of keeping it black and white, I decided to throw some other ink colors in there too. I'm enjoying doing these. Who knows what they'll lead to.

studio renovation! (part two)

2008-11-25T13:34:00.001-06:00

before renovation • October 5, 2008

after renovation • November 7, 2008

At long last, I finally have some before & after shots to share of my new studio. I am so excited and thrilled to have such a wonderful new space to work in! The HVAC heating/cooling unit is installed and it's been nice & toasty in there. Although I haven't moved my stuff back in yet, I think that's something that my husband and I are going to try to start to tackle over the Thanksgiving weekend - I can hardly wait!

inside, before renovation

inside, after renovation - so much brighter with more windows!

This would not have been possible if not for the help of some great local businesses. First, our awesome contractor and friend, Mike Mastin of Blue Sky Contracting was great to work with. By calling our attention to issues and including us in helping him try to solve for those issues, we were able to come to a solution faster. I also really appreciate his attention to detail and trying to keep things as green as we can (the foam insulation we used is soy-based). Although I'm not a huge fan of vinyl windows, the nice folks at Spec Building Materials make some great vinyl awning windows that compliment the space nicely. These double-paned windows will really help keep the space energy efficient! Finding a local supplier of corrugated metal siding was not easy. We received a couple of tips from several friends of ours, but we were really looking for something closer to where we live. With some help from the folks at Spec, we came up with a short list of local suppliers and discovered Tin Man Metal in Raytown. They have a great little showroom with dozens & dozens of different types of metal siding. After some helpful consultation from Randy at Tin Man, we were able to make a decision and ordered the siding.

Lastly, BIG THANKS to my wonderful husband for everything he's done to help make this dream of mine possible! Wow - I am lucky to have such a supportive, genuine, caring person in my life who understands all my artistic weirdness! :) Ha ha! Jake has also photo-documented the entire renovation process from start to finish which, if you're interested, you can view here.

During the month of December, I'll be moving all my studio stuff out of our crowded basement back into the studio. Starting in January, I'll be painting once again! What a great way to start off the new year. Yeah!

crazy for ROBOTS: robot #41

2008-11-25T10:08:00.005-06:00

Classic Sentry by Parquerama
22cm x 34cm / 3 Colors Silkscreen / Limited Edition of 70 / Numbered and signed

Wow! One of my favorite creators of robots, Parquerama, has opened a new shop on Etsy! Although I've been following his work for quite a while, I was not able to purchase any prints online until now. I've posted 2 of my favorites here, but there are many more in his shop that are definitely worth checking out.

Classic Gomoso by Parquerama
20cm x 28cm / 4 Colors Silkscreen / Limited Edition of 70 / Numbered and signed

I just love how bold these are - great colors and great shapes. Even though they are flat, they have a wonderful 3-D feel to them, like they are meant to jump off the page and go exploring. I also love the energy in these. They feel really positive to me, and I like that.

To view more work by Parquerama, check out his website and blog. Both images taken from his Etsy store.

Fragmented Fave: Susan Mac

2008-10-26T10:55:00.006-05:00

“Was that a noise? Could someone be in the house?” she asked herself silently. Moving quietly closer to investigate, she stood in the shadows and listened. The clock pendulum. The wind outside. (Maybe even a window gently rattling.) Her heart. But nothing more.

I'm not exactly sure when I first saw Susan Mac's (aka sMacshot) photography, but I was immediately drawn to it. What drew me in was not only the exquisite atmosphere that she creates within her pieces, but also the wonderful stories that she's created that accompany many of them. The above piece is one of my favorites. The short story that goes with this piece humanizes this doll in a way that I can relate to - I have felt this way in my own home when I am there by myself. I'll hear a noise and wonder, "What is that?" This piece, entitled Hush, is part of a wonderful set called Antique Toys.

Ghosts I've Heard, But Never Seen. (Until now.)

Another set that I really love is called wonder-Land. Because there are so many pieces that I love from this set, it was hard to pick which photo to post...but this one gets me every time and, for me, it captures the eerie feeling that makes up most of the set. There are bits of stories within these pictures, but in looking at them as a set, you begin to see an over-arching story too. Taken mostly at a beach house that she has been going to since childhood, there is a timeless quality to these that I love. Modernity has not touched this house. I love that. Perhaps that's what makes it wonder-Land.

Susan is extremely prolific and has many more wonderful images to explore. To see more of her photography, be sure to check out her flickr page. You can also purchase prints (and illustrations!) of Susan's work on her etsy shop and read more about her world and her work on her blog.

truly honored, part 2

2008-10-24T16:50:00.021-05:00

Wow. I can't tell you enough how EXTREMELY thrilled I am that so many folks are enjoying my bottle cap collection! It makes me so happy and I am honored to have been featured on the following sites. Big thanks, everyone! I really appreciate it.

From top to bottom:
1.) PREIK
2.) Púpura, Inspiration from the Streets of the Web
3.) purethinking
4.) Robert L. Peters
5.) Right Brain Resource

From top to bottom:
1.) RADAR55blog
2.) HOW blog: A Bottle of Inspiration
3.) SCHREIBMASCHINE
4.) Big Chief
5.) Visual Streak