Filed under: Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: art, artist, decay, decordova, Exhibit, fragments, Leonardo Drew, museum, sculpture
So, this was the last day that the work of Leonardo Drew is at the DeCordova. I am SO lucky that I went. I seriously loved it. He’s brilliant.
His works are primarily sculpture…and his work is often a gridlike arrangement of decayed fragments. Think: rust, dirt, remnants, remains…gathered with beautiful sensitivity to texture, form, and pattern. I know…how can these things be “beautiful”? Trust me, they were. Jawdropping.
I believe that after a trip to Japan, he began to think about works of paper…but he initially struggled with how to convey his worldview with this pristine, flat medium. His idea became creating intricate paper castings of the debris that was once a part of his work…old shoes, a broken toy truck, a telephone. These were like light, fragile cocoons. I loved the transformation of these previously gritty, broken, discarded items to something so…delicate and ephemeral. Both the heavy/dark/decaying pieces and the pale/delicate/ephemeral pieces still had a similar sensibility, which was kind of amazing to me. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it was almost as if he captures a beauty that exists within death. I know. That makes no sense. But the individual objects all had a previous life…someone wore that shoe, some child played with that toy, and someone else used that phone. Now, this is their second life…where their uniqueness merges into the overall assemblage/texture/form.
I wish that I could post images of his work, but I think that would be wrong in the world of intellectual property/blogging. Am I right? Please follow this link to get to his webpage and see what I’m rambling about. [I also just found someone’s blog post on this exhibit]
I’m so bummed that I cannot demand that my friends and relatives go see this show TOMORROW. It’s gone. Moving on. I’m going to start saving up now to buy one of the teeny weeny pieces of his work. I settled for buying the book, in the meantime.
Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: art, drawing, illustration
My 365 creation for the day:
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., printmaking | Tags: art, Collage, painting, printmaking, Visual Arts
So, I didn’t hear from many on you on my question regarding posting EVERY DAY. Perhaps I should interpret your silence as polite pleading not to innundate you with posts.
Clearly, I’m ignoring this for now. The first image is my 365 creation from yesterday. It’s so much better to photograph with sunlight.
detail:
This was obviously a departure from the printmaking stuff. Well, I take that back…as that isn’t really obvious. This was a collage/painting.
I also took another stab at another print in the series of the cartoonish guy. It turned out so-so…I took away too much red ink.
detail:
I’m not sure that I have much more to say with him. We’ll see. Here is a print using yet ANOTHER type of ink…oil based:
detail:
I wasn’t too thrilled with it. I think that the general technique has some interesting possibilities (if I was Picasso), but I’m going to have to try again.
Here are a couple of experiments:
I photoshopped out two big smudges in the margins of this last one. I know. That’s kind of cheating. If I wasn’t so sloppy, I wouldn’t have to do that!
Thumbs up? Down? No comment? I am so looking forward to my classes, as I feel that I am fumbling around with a lot of these printmaking materials. Also, feedback from my teacher/classmates will be good (or OTHERS…hint..hint).
🙂
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts...
Okay. (do I start every post that way?). I’m trying to decide if I need to publish what I produce in regards to this 365 project. Bascially, I see several “cons” to posting every day:
1. I may end up posting a lot of bad stuff, as I’m not editing my 365 creations. So, I’m concerned that my posts will be bogged down with really ugly stuff (more so than usual…don’t laugh), which would be depressing for me and anyone else looking at this blog.
2. I worry that it’s kind of annoying to post every day.
3. I don’t think that it’s good to post the same day that I make my 365 creation, as this forces me to photograph at night, which I hate.
So, I’m kind of thinking that I’ll still make something every day…but I don’t know that it’s a good idea to share that! Wouldn’t it be better to have fewer, better posts than lots of so-so posts? WHAT DO YOU THINK? Should I post what I make every day, or shall I just post every so often, when I feel that I have something reasonable to show???? Yes, I’m asking you! Tell me!
I took these photos today…I’m not posting my 365 creation, as I haven’t done it yet!!!
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., printmaking | Tags: art, Collage, Graduate school, Visual Arts
Okay, here is my print for the day. Again…not so good. (try to be surprised) It took me a couple of hours. I know. Doesn’t look like it. The collage part took a while. I’ve been pretty hesitant to do any type of collage work. I took a collage course in grad school with this pretty well respected painter teaching it. Anyway, he didn’t think much of what I did. Neither did I. As a result, I’ve kept my distance from collage, as I have decided that I’m bad at it. Now, as I’m trying to throw caution to the wind…I’m trying it again. We’ll see how it goes. I’m liking the whole glue stick thingy. It feels so “elementary school” and fun.
[okay…once again, i couldn’t leave well enough alone. i messed with this print…see below. notice the smudgy fingerprints now in the margins…nice!]
okay, so i photoshopped out all of my smudgy prints, as they’re sloppy and distracting:
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., printmaking | Tags: boston, New Year, New Year's resolution, Project 365
Happy New Year! We had a LOVELY 50 degree day here in the Boston ‘burbs. Yummy! Why can’t winter be like this all the time? Oh yeah, then there would be no snow, ever. Bummer.
So, I’m wondering if I should jump on this “make-some-kind-of-thing-every-day” bandwagon. Here is a link to a blog about this kind of thing. I know. It’s a good thing to do. Basically, you commit to creating something every day for a year. In fact, I believe that my brother is going to do this…by creating at least one photograph per day. I’m interested in this whole idea, as I hope that it would push me to make something every day, and not be so precious about what I do. Some days, I hardly get any time to myself. I use that as an excuse as to why I haven’t created anything. But, maybe that’s kind of lazy! Maybe I just need to make something…ANYTHING, regardless of how much time I’ve had to make it. In the spirit of this, I made a print, which took less than an hour. I know. It LOOKS like it took less than an hour. Who cares. Here it is:
I know. Not so good. But, considering that I would probably have not bothered with it at all, as I had so little free time today…I think that it’s okay. Not great, but okay. Just THINK how much “stuff” I’ll have if I can keep this up! I may even learn something! Hopefully, some of these creations will be reasonable. I originally thought that I could make several things in one day…and then keep some to use on those days where I don’t actually do anything. BUT, now I see that this is really defeating the purpose. I really do need to push myself to make something every day. Even if it turns out lousy.
Is this my New Year’s Resolution? I guess so. I originally thought that I would try to be “less grouchy”, but perhaps I should work on that anyway.
Okay…signing off here. Here are some photos I took this week when we had heaps of snow and sunshine. Doesn’t it look lovely out?
[okay. I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I messed with that print again. Here it is again:
I think that it looks worse in the photo, but better in reality…okay, I’m cleaning up now…]
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: Christmas, Christmas cookies, Cookie, Family, Holidays, Home, Sugar cookie
My son, stepdaughter and I were making Christmas cookies with the Trader Joe’s sugar cookie kit. This is actually the third batch that I’ve made with my son. SO GOOD! I truly have to restrain myself from eating ALL of them. Especially with a nice cup of coffee. I highly recommend that you rush out now and buy all of these kits, plus all of the peppermint Jo-Joe’s. Those are also amazing. Don’t get me started on the chocolate covered ones.
This is a fun Christmas for me, as my son is turning three tomorrow! Christmas has taken on a new meaning now that I’m a mom…and it’s his birthday. I’m excited for him. We bought him a couple of nice trucks, and I can’t wait to see his face when he opens the presents. Beyond that, though, I feel lucky to have such a lovely family. My husband has been slaving away in the basement, trying to “finish” it in order to have some more breathing room around here. I think that he should win the “husband of the year” award, for all the work that he’s done on this project. I am very grateful. Actually, he should win “husband of the year” award, as he is the one that suggested I quit my job. Our quality of life and parenting won out over our financial, and my career, needs. It was very hard to do, but it has been very good for all of us.
I am also grateful to have three, very fun kids. Sometimes a little TOO fun, and then I need to hide. Otherwise, they have a great time together, and generally make me laugh. My son regularly comes out with statements that are hilarious. Like when my DH asked him to stay downstairs, instead of following me upstairs to the bathroom…my son barked at him, “DAD! Don’t make things complicated!!!” Seriously. He’s two. At least he hasn’t started rolling his eyes at us yet. I’ll cry the day that he won’t let me hug and smooch him on the cheek.
Sigh. I think that I actually love Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. Is that terrible to say?
Have a lovely holiday!!!
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: Christmas, Christmas ornament, Christmas tree, Decorations, Holidays, ornaments, Tree
So, in spite of the fact that I think that we have a very cute tree…not all of my family members will recognize it as a “tree”. Sheesh! Don’t you think that it looks cute? I’ll admit, it doesn’t have the “home-made” look…with ornaments made in kindergarten, etc. I like those kind of trees too. BUT, this tree has a certain exuberance, that I think makes it fun. I mean, it’s like a mini fireworks display in our dining room! Okay, I’m clearly biased. Don’t worry…next year is the other tree’s turn…a real one. Remind me to ask for a mini vac for Christmas.
this is how my son’s decorating went:
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., printmaking | Tags: Art book, book, linoleum print, printmaking
Okay, so I started another lino print. This one was less abstract…and I like it much less. The ink is a dark blue/black. I intend to color in the white areas, when the ink dries. Sigh. I’m trying not to let this get me down.
Then, as I was inspired by yesterday’s mini books…I decided to make another! Yes, this one is totally handmade, so it looks…well, less polished. I had fun doing it. I may be on a book making binge, as this one was fun too! I like being able to work as I go along, and not have to plan too much along the way. Unlike the linoleum print, where one has to plan out a little…this book had no plan at all! MUCH more fun.
Now, inside:
And the cover:
And some close ups:
I’m happy with it. I know…WHAT is it, really? Who knows. Like I need more books in the house? Hmm…like I need more of anything in the house? I’ll have to purge some of someone else’s books to make room for these. JUST kidding!
Filed under: Fleeting thoughts..., printmaking | Tags: arts, Bazaar Bizarre, craft, Screen-printing
So, I finally finished my blob serigraphs (screenprints). Here is the step right before completion:
And here is how they turned out:
A single print:
And a detail:
So, what do you think? Thumbs up, down, or no comment?
I also worked on some monoprints today. I forget if they are “monoprints” or “monotypes“. Clearly, a novice printer. See my color theme?:
And a detail:
Are you bored yet? I get tired of putting in these photos. Well, I had fun doing these! I also have a picture of something that I got at Boston’s Bazaar Bizarre, made by Raeburn Ink:
Isn’t it so neat? I love hot pink, and this squishy scarf had hot pink puffy clouds silkscreened onto it. MINE! (hmm…should have used the fuzzy filter in photoshop elements…need to hide the scar on my chin…)
Needless to say, I went to the craft show today for the Society of Arts and Crafts in Boston. SO RIDICULOUS. The stuff was INCREDIBLE. I cannot emphasize that enough. SUCH beautiful things. All the ladies that lunch were there buying $600 shawls. I was envious, needless to say. I walked out with a book. You know that you can’t afford anything when each booth has small signs in a corner showing you the meager “UNDER $100” items. Sigh. Seriously, this show is at the cyclorama in Boston through the weekend. Really REALLY amazing stuff. Just take out a loan, if you plan on purchasing anything…but the prices were completely justified. The works were so beautiful. Anyone planning on going?
slightly wonky 
