365/2013 - Day 180

what a great day!

Today was day two of my volunteer shifts for The Northville Art House during their biggest fundraiser of the year -- Arts & Acts.  Again today, I did some gallery sitting and talked to a whole bunch of lovely people who came to see "West of Center".  

Again today, I was very pleased to be be able to hang out at the Art House with the new Art House Store Mangager Patti Witte.  I am really enjoying getting to spend time with Patti and getting to know her.

But the best thing that happened today -- my piece from West of Center sold!  I won't go into details because I don't have the new owners' permission(s) but I just want to express how thrilled I am -- this is so out of the blue and SO appreciated!  First -- I am ecstatic that someone liked Quillz enough to want to purchase him.  Second -- I worked very very hard on Quillz and I am very happy that someone who can appreciate that is taking him home.  Third -- although I have sold artwork in the past, I don't recall ever selling a piece of my art directly from the show that it was in.  Fourth -- I am very pleased that the Northville Art House is getting a percentage of my sale...I love the Art House and I really believe in it and everything the Art House is about.  Fifth -- I am just SO happy!!!

early in the day -- Patti on the other side of the counter, taking on a last-minute task

later on -- Patti does a good "Vanna White" impression while putting the red SOLD dot on my label

Quillz -- now you behave in your new home, you!

ta-daaaaaaaaaah!

Oh man... I just thought of how tickled my sister Sue is going to be about this sale.  Sue sees me enter shows and is always very supportive...but she actually got to come to the opening reception and hear juror Matt Eaton talk about the jurying process.  Even though Sue might not always connect with my art she is always my biggest cheerleader.  This is going to make her really happy, too.

365/2013 - Day 153

alcohol inks and metal boxes

Today I tried out some alcohol inks with metal boxes, as well as some hand carved stamps and an ink pad meant for stamping on metal.  What I got was basically a big  mess...but maybe some potential.

And from 4-6:15 I helped curator/producer Joanne Bandoni (and her husband Kurt) with intake for the West of Center show that opens on Friday at the Northville Art House.  I love working intake for shows.

"Quillz" in a temporary spot on one of the pedestals...Juana's "Spirit of Bad Dolls" still in its box, delivery safely and in one piece.  Joanne is hanging the show later this week.

365/2013 - Day 151

a lot of sanding and painting...

...and making trips up and down the basement stairs, plus a little bit of sewing.  

That's what I did today after running errands.  It is so humid and rainy that I have to do the sanding and spray painting of the base for Quillz in the basement.  The very top of the metal pole got messed up when the spray paint spurted a bit when I first started, but I think I can sand it and repaint it in time.  Drop off for West of Center is on Sunday and Monday. 

I was planning on just painting the base white but the white paint in the store was blindingly white and I didn't want it that white.  I opted for the color I did so that it would be a color you can just barely see, but it is a color rather than off-white.  It is also helpful to me when applying multiple coats of paint to not paint the exact color I am trying to cover.  But you know me and painting...

ready to sand (over by the mountain of cardboard boxes that need to be broken down for recycling)

after the first pass at sanding -- you can see on the very right pie section how much gunk was on the base -- I don't even remember where the base came from

Then I sewed the seam closed that Joan needed to open for inserting the sleeve for setting Quillz onto the base's pole.  I never imagined any of those seams would be opened up -- I would have made more of an edge to them.  I think the repair looks fine.  It is not like it is in a spot that is going to be on view much...I was more concerned with the seam staying closed.  I'd be good with it if I was purchasing Quillz for myself.

that first seam that needed to be opened on Wednesday

it doesn't look too bad -- the other seams are either green or orange

when Quillz is on the base I seriously doubt this will be noticeable

I am going to let the paint rest for a day or day-and-a-half before I try to repair the spurty part of the top of the pole.  I am getting very excited for the Opening Reception on First Friday.  Partly because West of Center is my very favorite local juried show and partly because Sue will be going with me.  Sue and I need to do some banking/house stuff on Friday so we are going to turn it into a Girls Night Out -- she will bring Abby and we will do our banking, play board games, go to the opening, and bring dinner back to the house...make a night of it!

365/2013 - Day 149

another glorious Wednesday Morning with Joan and Leann

I cannot express how much I love my friends and our mornings together.  Man.

Leann arrived first -- and headed for the coffee

awwww

Okay -- I was having a LOT of trouble understanding how to make the hole/fabric tube/sleeve that will allow my soft sculpture "Quillz" to sit on its stand for display at West of Center at the Northville Art House.  The drop off date is quickly approaching.  This morning Joan and Leann convinced me to just let Joan whip it together because she can do it so effortlessly and beautifully.  After much discussion they helped me to understand that this is how artists learn from each other and that she wasn't doing this as a collaboration or that I wasn't passing the work off...it was just one artist was showing another artist how to do something so that the other artist can do it herself next time.

First "we" went into the seam by the tail...Joan made a long tube/sleeve and attached it to the inside of the hole that was created by opening one of my seams. 

Then she worked the creature down over the pole, positioning the stuffing and making it work...but it wasn't quite right.  The hole and tube needed to be inserted into a bottom seam.  Joan just took the seam out again and redid it in the new spot.  She is amazing.

ta-daaaaaaaaaaa

This is the second insert/tube/sleeve -- look at those smooth, even stitches.

This is the first seam that I will close back up.

and this is the pole/base/stand that I will sand and repaint...but it is much too humid today.  I did go out and get the paint, though!

It was very difficult for me to let go of my white-knuckled control over this project/problem.  Now that it is done (and I watched Joan do it so easily) I realize that if it had been something that Joan needed to plaster cloth or a tiny magazine image that needed intricate cutting I could have done that for her (and think nothing of it) just as easily as she did today's work for me. Duh.  

Thank You SO much, Joan (and Leann) for your help and guidance and patience and friendship and...and...and...

365/2013 - Day 131

a whole lotta pictures to show just a couple of things

First -- the mixed media collage/painting by Claudia Roulier that I have been waiting for arrived today!  This is alternately known as "The Bear and the Bird" and/or "The Juggler".  Whatever its title, I absolutely love this little bear!  You can see its beginnings in this blog post.  I have admired Claudia Roulier's work for such a long time.  I have an ATC or two by her but this is my first "real" piece of art by Claudia.  I am SO thrilled. 

I am not sure just yet where this sweet little guy's permanent space will be, but for now he is hanging in my studio where I can look at him.  I almost can't stand how much I love this piece.

Okay...next...I am really hurting physically from yesterday's work on the croco-creature.  I have been trying to deal with stuff today using various methods but mostly I have been trying to be content to just be at least partially comfortable...I will happily settle for that.  So, just in case I could (or couldn't) work on something plaster cloth-wise late this afternoon, I at least tidied up my work space in the wet studio.  I know it doesn't look like much but it took a fair amount of time.

I finally ended up with the old standby of elevation/medication/relaxation and I watched Zoolander for the millionth time.  By the time it was over I was needing something to do.  Then I thought of something -- I will need to find a way to display "Quillz" at West of Center.  Better to work that out now rather than get frantic about it as the drop off day gets closer.

That "large" (but actually really not big enough) doll chair that I got online to take photos of Quillzy is just not going to work out.  I would have to actually sew him into it and try to hide the securing threads.  I was looking around in the studio and I thought I had a piece or two of a cut up tomato cage.  The piece that worked the best is shown below.  I would have to sew him at his shoulders to the tomato cage rim and I could wrap it or paint it to dress it up a little...but I am not all that happy with it.

the "doll chair" I won't be using for this purpose

In this stand/holder his head has the potential to flop to the side a bit.  If someone played with him his head could flop backwards and the whole thing could possibly fall over.  AND I don't really want to wrap another tomato cage -- even one this small/cut up.  AND I really don't want to sew him to it.

Then I was looking out the window at the dying thistles (yay) and I got a glimpse of one of the taller gaze ball stands.  I brought it in and tried it but Quillz would have to be sewn to it and if it is turned upside down to accommodate his odd shape the stand gets tippy.

Then I thought I would re-try the tomato cage that I originally decorated to hold him at the Spirits exhibit at Woods Gallery.  While I like this cage, I find it a bit of a distraction...and the way I had him displayed in it for that show was cool but I don't know if I would have the same sort of pedestal set up again (with a thick piece of glass to account for the width of the tomato cage)...plus it was tricky tying the ribbons to him...he slipped a bit and needed adjusting at times.  But I fooled around with it and I figured out I could sew him at the shoulders to the cage and he would hang okay.

While I like him better like this (vs the hanging from ribbons one tier down) I find this cage a little bit distracting.  I also think it makes him look too much like a toy.  He kind of/sort of is a toy, but he is mostly an art doll...and he isn't really priced as a play-with-me kind of toy.

THEN when I was in my studio I spotted a stand I got at a resale shop.  I am not sure which way it is supposed to be used, but I like it with the big circle at the bottom because it is really stable that way.  And guess what -- I can just drop Quillzy down into the stand and he does not move at all.  His head doesn't flop, he is fully supported.  I would feel the need to paint the curly parts of the stand a matte black (I think).  Yes, they could be slightly distracting from some angles but really when you are looking down on him you really don't even notice them -- I think it is because he looks so effortlessly supported.  PLUS in this stand/holder he is at a good height for younger art lovers to view (and not get dislodged).

Oh...another thing about this stand...I feel that it gives Quillz more of an art vs toy look.  The stand is sort of ornate but understated.  The curly parts of legs aren't really supporting his head -- it is more that his body is held in place by the long vertical parts of the stand's legs.  I am leaning more towards this stand...maybe I will paint it, maybe I will leave it...but probably I will paint it...matte black.