Month: January 2009

sky whales

January 9, 2009


Jan 9
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

Apparently I was feeling very whimsical this morning. Aerin couldn’t move out of her bed until she’d missed the bus so I drove her to school. On the way there, headed away from the sunrise, were these whale shaped clouds hovering in a completely clear sky. I was wishing there were things that swam in air the way fish swim in water; giant floating sky whales. Pink ones.

Jan 8

January 9, 2009


Jan 8
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

Yesterday’s, a little late because the paint had to dry. There is something very reassuring about goofing around with 4″ square of paint – you just can’t mess up that badly, and whatever works looks great. I really like the way the pinky-orangey clouds came out. They really looked like that too.

I rode the red mare today, and we had circus class today, and realized I hardly talk about that anymore.

Jan 6

January 6, 2009


Jan 6
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

A front hovered over us all day, the north edge clear the south horizon clouded with the sun making a single brilliant spot. The moon came up in the afternoon – one quarter full.

Jan 5

January 5, 2009


Jan 5
Originally uploaded by Dancing Crow.

Looking at the sky this morning.

Ice covered everything, and gave us a 2 hour delay for school. The clouds were low and gray and blowing past quickly, it warmed up fast, and the ice had melted by lunch time.

2009 intentions

January 3, 2009

My artistic intentions for 2009 are  to SHOW UP.

I have to trust things will happen, because they always do.
I have to do what is in front of me, because that is where the work is that needs to be done.

I will finish finish some big things – three sets of 10 Leaves, 2 Roadside Treasures (Weeds)

I am participating in Arlee Barr's Exquisite Corpse round robin which will be fun, and exciting, and involve me working well to deadlines. I like playing with others, and don't do it often enough.

I really have to reinstitute a daily art practice. Anything will do. I get weekends off, to try to make sense of the pieces, and maybe try to consolidate them into larger pieces.

I am liking 4" squares for the moment. In January, I will look at the sky, and translate what I see into fabric.

In February, I'll change the topic. Maybe the size/shape too.  

And lastly, I have been thinking about 3D objects – little things, maybe some big things (where big is inside a 1' cube, and little is under 3") supported by the thick interfacing I like.

For personal stuff, it seems to be the same things:

call your mother
talk to friends more
ride more horses
ride further on your bike
do some exercise every day

So that is my year, mapped out from here.

2008 in review

January 1, 2009

Just to review, I said I'd do the following things in 2008.

Art commitments:

  • media of the moment – an extended set of experiments with a
    particular media going for at least a month, possibly six weeks, and
    consisting of the daily thing and the weekly thing
  • daily thing – daily sample of the media of the moment
  • weekly thing – using the samples or new knowledge of the media of the moment, make a 5×7” work

The Media of the Moment didn't make it past the transfer paints and other transfer stuff. I let them lapse at the end of February because I don't like the feel of the man-made fabrics I had to use, and I was missing the cottons and the ability to paint and dye things.  The daily thing and the weekly thing failed at about the same time. I think for a daily thing it has to be completable – the giant advantage of the postcards is that each was an object, and when it was done, I was done for the day. I can rethink that for 2009.

  • monthly thing – SharonB's Take it Further Challenge  (TIF) – work off the colors every time, try to get to the theme as well

Pretty good success, I managed to finish all but one month, and I did one out of order and with no object to show for it (my workroom which was most of September and she wanted to hear about in October). Plus I got 10 interesting pieces from the year that are bigger than I have been making, and will go into a gallery show this coming year (more on that later).

  • trees/leaves – finish 5 of 10 leaves each series (a project I have been idly thinking about for a year) for gingko, birch, dogwood, maple, oak

oops. Not yet.

  • start the first of the weeds series on 12×12" backgrounds

yes, started one and have backgrounds for two more, and I am liking them a lot.

Personal stuff:

  • call your mother – do better
  • ride a horse – doing much better – three to ride steadily, a teacher, and the potential for competing with one in the spring
  • laugh with a friend – better
  • go to a gallery/museum – yes! almost monthly
  • ride your bike with your family – yes! two tandem rides totally rock!

In the unexpected successes department, I have some.

  1. First, I never really expected to get the work room emptied, wallpaper stripped, walls repainted, and new and usable furniture in and refilled. I still have some stuff in our bedroom that has to go back in, but the longer it remains in my bedroom, the less I think I need it in the workroom. More things into the cellar, and from there, probably on to the next owners. 
  2. I managed a sales milestone. I took my work to a craft show, which was interesting and I learned some things, like make sure there will be people going to the craft show so there will be someone to buy the stuff you bring. 
  3. I started an Etsy store, but I have to put things in it. 
  4. I applied to the gallery at the local library and I was invited to show my stuff. I do not have dates, but when I do I will tell Everyone, and there will an opening, with cheese and crackers and wine and beer. You MUST come.