Lisa's Musings

march 31 :: This blog has moved

2010-03-31T13:54:00.001-07:00

this is the last update for the old feed. Because Blogger is going to stop their support for FTP, I decided to move my blog to: http://lisasolomon-musings.blogspot.com/.
I'll keep my old blog up for posterity sake, but I hope you follow me to my new home.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://lisasolomon-musings.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

spring has sprung

2010-03-22T14:46:00.001-07:00

i apologize for my lack of a post last week....we are having some pretty glorious weather round here. makes up for the 7th round of sickness that we've been dealing with. to say that this winter has been brutal in the sick department would be an understatement. it might be safe to say that i have intimately known almost every virus that has floated around this winter. i'm happy it's spring because i'm hopeful that it means the end to the cold season. i'm not holding my breath because if a spring cold comes around chances are we'll get it, but it's nice to be hopeful.

with all this great weather the little is frantically using her favorite word - out. she says it double time. out out. and with a canadian accent. [not sure why but it's true]. basically from the minute she wakes up until the end of her day she'll go to any exit or window and emphatically request out out - out out. it's really cute - except for when you have to tell her - i'm sorry we just came in from out out - or no - we have to stay in in now. what a pathetic and sad face she sometimes makes. occasionally she'll even whimper "out out" "out out". if she could figure out a way to stay outside all the time i think she would.

last week i had the immense pleasure and treat to spend the afternoon with martha of uniform natural . she came out to my studio and we sat and chatted. my parents were here and so our visit was peppered with interruptions from the little, but mostly we were able to discuss art and process and making in a really lovely way. martha is incredibly astute and sincere in her observations and questions and responses [as if you had any doubt about that]. i could feel my body and mind viscerally responding - reverting to familiar territory - thinking more academically and speaking about one's intentions and ways of making in a meaningful and purposeful way.

highlights from our talk: the differences between architecture and art [some of them anyway - revolving around the idea that architects must be more concerned aware of public safety and more concerned about "client satisfaction"] ann hamilton , tara donovan , my desire to visit the walker , and how architects have an incredible ability to accurately access situations/people, and how they are so aesthetically put together [best clothes and glasses. always].

i am so grateful to the internet for providing the means for this to happen.

and so - i have to get cracking. i have a statement to concoct, a website to update, artwork to tackle, dishes to wash, a studio visit to prepare for.... i'm still hoping to write a spring manifesto . happy tuesday!

a WINNER ** and a habit

2010-03-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

the random.org number generator picked 44. which turns out to be this is yellow .

please contact me and i'll get your doily shipped out to you!

i just want to say how LOVELY it was to read the enthusiasm about this project. and how great it was to see and "meet" some new to this blog peeps. and i wish i had enough doilies to give to everyone because i loved the thoughts on where everyone would put them. i think i'm going to work on making a limited edition set of small vinyl doilies so hopefully anyone who wants them can have them. doilies all over the world in all sorts of places is a daydream i'd love to make a reality. it's a matter of production - where, how much, etc. but i am starting to research. if anyone has any ideas/thoughts/leads on this, i'd love to hear them.

i've been working on a new idea in the studio. here's a first sketch of said idea. well actually it's the backside of said sketch. i always love the backside of embroidery. so much that sometimes i show it as the front. in this case that probably wouldn't make sense, but out of habit i always turn something over when i'm done working on it to see what it looks like. almost every time i like it just as much or MORE than the front.

i don't know if it's the surprise, if it's just that there's so much evidence of process, if it's the random mess...

the problem with this idea of mine is that one piece will most likely not stand alone. and i'm not sure what kind of fabric to use. this idea stems from my desire to actually do something SUPREMELY minimal with thread - simple. clean - but with a hidden meaning/agenda if you choose to look for it. i just don't know if it's going to translate yet.

on that note. i should try and sketch out another one. maybe on another fabric just to try it out....

have a great weekend !

my sol lewitt moment + a give-a-way

2010-03-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

so.... i didn't really want to talk about this beforehand because i had NO IDEA how it was going to turn out. i got to have a sol lewitt experience. when i was asked to be in depth of surface at san francisco state the gallery director asked me to have a visionary moment outside of the building.

he said : we have a vinyl cutting machine. you make doilies. we'd love to make vinyl doilies and stick them all over the entrance doors. we have tons of students who can work on this. game?

heart racing as i had wanted to do this for years - in fact i researched getting vinyl doilies but couldn't afford to get them cut... i quickly said yes.

so several emails and an map i generated in illustrator later.... voila. they did it. and not only did they do it - they did it ALL over the building.

including the bathroom [that's me in the ladies room up top]. god i love enthusiastic students. so much. i feel blessed. i want to do this again and again in a big way. how to fund it? find the buildings to do it to? i don't know. but i want it. i could get used to being sol ... giving directions .... having it come together .... mmm hmmmm

and the other piece? i added wall drawings and crochet and felt bits around it ....
[sorry it's just not as exciting as the vinyl, huh?]

here are all the install shots [this is a pictobrowser image viewer - so it might not show up in a feedreader?]

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

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and the give-a-way? well - they gave me some extra doilies. so comment here with where you'd want to put one if you had one and i'll pick a winner next thursday :: 3/11.

an installation and other stuffs

2010-02-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

i'm a bit tired of being sick. i'm battling illness number 5 this winter. more accurately WE'RE battling illness number 5 as the little has been super ill. this one was kind of a doosy - i won't go into details - but let's just say that some things make you realize that there is no place like home - even if there are piles of laundry and taxes to do. [never in a million years would i have guessed i'd be happy to see tax paperwork]

so... last year this 7' drawing was on exhibition at a gallery. this year i've taken this drawing and added some more wall elements to create an installation for a show opening this Saturday - the 27th - at the fine arts gallery at San Francisco State University.

the opening is from 1-3 and i'll be there ! come say hi - if you are around. the other artists in the show are really great : Julie Chang, Victor De La Rosa, Jennifer Ferré, Dustin Fosnot, Taraneh Hemami, Andrea Higgins, Ernest Jolly, Katie Lewis, Mung Lar Lam, Victoria May, Ali Naschke-Messing, Francesca Pastine, Anthony Ryan, Jeremy Chase Sanders, and Jina Valentine. [you'll notice some cross pollination with the by a thread show at the ICA in San Jose]

this is the drawing that was all about me being pregnant - here's the skinny on it.

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this is just because it's too cute not to share....

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this is the outfit that i wore to the ICA talk on feb. 11th. gwen said she wanted to see it. so here it is. vintage dress....

and i also have to thank gwen as she sent a fantastic box [she always sends lovely packages].

in it was a valentine robot for the little. who immediately said ooh ooh and hugged it.... how cute is that?? gwen was kind enough to post a tutorial on how she made it so you can make one too. nothing like robot love . i'm happy that even though it's not mine, i get to hug it too !

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and one more thing to note: on saturday i start a month long stint over at habit .

if you have yet to see habit then you really should take a gander. the brain child of emily and molly it's a lovely place to stop and behold.

i'm so honored to be asked and be amongst such amazing company

i have to dust off my camera and try to take some good pictures. nothing like a bit of pressure, no?

see you soon.

art crushes and a poem [not by me]

2010-02-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

so... the by a thread art talk?? well.... i got to sit in between two art crushes of mine -

lauren dicioccio

i really love all her work, but these hand embroidered organza "plastic bags" are just SO delightful.

AND

victoria may

none of the images on her site do her work justice. i particularly love the concrete and thread/organza pieces - like this one .

it's always a treat to meet artists that you have admired and have them be as wonderful as their work. it doesn't ALWAYS work that way - so when it does - well - it's icing on the cake.

a lot of familiar words were batted around: fragility, domestic, mundane, mending, nostalgia, lineage, notion... we all answered why we use thread in our work. i was next to last and really had very little to add on the topic after so many thoughtful responses [which were all interesting to hear]. the dreaded "c" word came up - yet again. i'm talking of CRAFT, of course. i'm not going to extensively rant about this here as i think this topic has been covered numerous times by folks far more intelligent than me, but... here's the short version of what i think....

i'm always disheartened when people continue to want to push a hierarchical divide between art + craft. one artist in particular was speaking about it's all about intention. in essence i can agree to that since ever since duchamp pointed his magic art wand and declared things art - you can "intend" almost anything into art. but i also feel that art can be born even where it WASN'T intended - in some ways it's art even if someone else intends it. this artist also spoke about how they felt that you discover "truth" and "something about yourself" while making something as an artist that you don't while making "craft" [i'm really generalizing here but you get the idea]. honestly - i think that's a load of bull. i think there is "art" that is fantastic/horrid and "craft" that is fantastic/horrid and that you can have an "art moment" [aka epiphany] in front of anything that you please - be it art/craft/utilitarian item. trying to separate them into these meaningful and ultimately elitist categories seems so 20th century [i'm being facetious here - kind of]. i always want my art to be well crafted and my craft to be artful. to me it's not about if macaroni art is "art" or gees bend quilts are "craft" - it's about what moves you in some way in any given moment [and that movement doesn't need to be like or love either]. enough said.

but speaking of said... lindsay sent me a poem that she said was inspired by my work. she writes a poem a day as an exercise [ah how i love daily rituals] and she sent it to me....

She ties the tightest knots,
practices first with her sister
who calls it cat's cradle,
but it's too easy diving her fingers in, out and through,
so she moves on to the living room,
tying the arm of a chair to its leg,
then a chair to another chair,
then a loveseat, a table, a lamp, a book shelf,
the thread like spider silk
that threatens to tangle in ankles
and the cuffs of unlooking pants.

Eventually,
she slips a needle through the patterned wallpaper,
and ties the chairs to the walls,
holding the room to itself.

i loved cat's cradle when i was a child - although i didn't have a sister to play with... how much do i love that last thought... holding the room to itself? so much. thank you thank you lindsay.

her website
her blog

i will blab + a wee bit of spring

2010-02-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

this piece is in an exhibition called by a thread which opened friday at the san jose institute for contemporary art .

there is an artist talk on thursday night and i will be there. first standing by my piece to answer any questions about it [they mandate this!] and then as part of a panel talking about the exhibition. if anyone is in the south bay and wants to see me wiggle and squirm in front of my piece - i'll be there!

this is an older piece of mine. they are all self-portraits - the images of me i collected when i went to visit my parents. they were all wallet sized photos - and thus the title of the piece is "wallet sized me". i'm showing the wrong side [back] of the embroidery. the side you don't see is actually neatly stitched. there are a couple reasons for this - one of which is just to reveal what is normally hidden.

this was my passport photo when i was 2.

and some press :: i'm the blog beautiful feature in uppercase magazine issue 4 - thanks martha . uppercase is really really really a beautiful publication. they do a bang up job.

and just because :: the plum trees are blossoming all over the place. i brought a few branches in to make it feel like spring.

i took this photo using my iphone and the hipstamatic app . man is that a fun app to play with.

hope everyone is having a good week. today there were blue skies and big fluffy clouds. fluffy clouds always make me happy.

enormous tiny art

2010-02-04T13:55:00.001-08:00

as a lover of all things mini it is my honor and pleasure to be a part of the 7th Enormous Tiny Art Show happening at Nachotta Gallery .

i made 10 new domestic scene pieces for the show.

this is the one i sneak peeked a few posts back. i started this pulling the thread along the outer edges of my work in the pigmentary portraits series.

i'm really fascinated by this process. formally and technically and well... i just am. part of me really wants to get all joseph albers or agnes martin and JUST explore the use of thread in a colorway and structured pattern. get all minimalist. part of me likes the fusing of this process with what i'm already doing. i wonder if i have the guts to drop everything and just rely on the thread to do its magic. i should really just force myself to try it...

the other think i'm trying to do is add even MORE of a 3D element to the work. so i crocheted this doily from a single strand of thread and have pinned it on top of a hand drawn version of the doily...

i'm also pinning felt shapes to things.

from head on it's hard to tell that one chair actually juts out into space.

this whole series is me thinking about our new family dynamic. for example the pattern in the piece above is from slovakian wallpaper - my husband's heritage is part slovakian... there are pieces with japanese elements too.

you can see the whole set of them on my flickr site [where you can enlarge them if you are contact of mine too].

you can also see them - and all the AMAZING WORK by the tremendous list of artists at the ETA website. you can also purchase artwork directly from the site if you are so inclined.

now it's time to go back into the studio to make the next group of work for the next show. big breath. and we begin again.

hope everyone is well!

random slices of life

2010-01-26T20:43:00.000-08:00

thank you so much for all the first birthday wishes... oh yes there was cake - homemade poppyseed with buttercream frosting... and there were cucumber sandwiches too. it was a lovely afternoon. and then we ALL got sick. one by one every. single. person. that came to the party. it was not food poisoning, but a really wicked stomach virus. oh dear. [hence no post this last week].

i thought i would share with you my vintage boston egg shaped pencil sharpener. it is my friend and companion in the studio. i think maybe gwen would like it.

it has been raining incessantly here. if we didn't need it so badly i might start complaining. i actually really like rain - the smell, the sound, the feel. but days and days in a row and we get a little stir crazy. the little gets VERY stir crazy. any break and you'll find us wandering around outside with an umbrella bundled up so she can look at some flowers and cars and birds.

this morning, i glanced over at the buddha in our garden and it looked like he had just had a good cry. i like that idea.

and finally some funny art.... i was asked to do a drawing for dogs in school an exhibition. [visit the website to learn about why dogs in school].

i immediately thought of tonka as a dunce. couldn't help myself really. i think he might complain and say he's no dummy, but... he doesn't talk - only snores and snarfles, so he really has no say i'm afraid.

Jan 30-Feb 25, 2010 at Screaming Sky Gallery in Portland OR

art sales benefit project grow

tomorrow i'm driving down to monterey to be interviewed for a video that companions another show i'm in. no idea what to wear. no idea what i'll say. sigh. hopefully my hair will cooperate.....

more soon i have LOTS of new art to share. made 10 pieces for ETA 7 .

O.N.E.

2010-01-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

i knew she wouldn't wear it for more than 2 seconds. but i wanted to make it anyway. maybe it will end up in a box. maybe we'll take it down next year and see if she'll wear it then. maybe it will become part of a celebratory tradition.

maybe not. it doesn't really matter.

detritus from the making.

her first taste of something sweet with gooey icing. carrot cupcake. one candle. i sang happy birthday over and over and she would smile. maybe next year she'll know what it means.

it's hard to believe a whole year has passed.

i can still picture your tiny tiny face, eyes closed, pink and blue striped hat, bunny blanket, wrapped like a papoose, held over my head, hovering - like an angel. your eyes opened for a brief second before they swept you away.

and now you are one. wow. and we celebrate with family this weekend. your second taste of cake.... and more singing.

happy birthday my dear sweet not so little girl.

if all else fails make a stuffed toy

2010-01-09T14:44:00.000-08:00

first - thanks for all the kind comments about my cat. the little and i spied a creme orange tabby like chini today and it flooded me with love [longing too, but mostly love]....

is it just me or is this year off to some kind of crazy start? only 9 days into january and i'm feeling some strange buzz. i've already started to make color coded lists [kind of sparked by the fact that i'm using this calendar this year], and i'm already kind of overwhelmed. it might be that i'm in 3 group shows in february and i'm trying to juggle finishing the work, framing it, shipping, installation plans, etc. etc. plus there were a couple of studio visits, some work emails to attend to now that the holidays are no longer an excuse not to reply, last minute [late] presents to get and wrap and send and.... and... and....

i'm tired just typing about it.

but you don't want to hear about that. but i got nothing - no good photos, no good stories, no deep thoughts [at least none that i can formulate in a way that makes any sense].

so you get a stuffed giraffe. it's a late holiday gift for a friend's child. pattern from lion brand . i made his neck longer because i wanted him to be goofier. and he is goofy isn't he? there is something inherently relaxing about crocheting for me. i wish i had the time to make a big blanket like jen . someday. what i do need to do is start some doily trees. soon. i may need to get help making some. but that will be another post.

happy weekend to you. it's freezing here [relatively speaking for california]. hubby said indian food for dinner tonight? and i can't wait. drooling already.

and so we begin again

2010-01-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

there is something really satisfying about eating home grown vegetables. my hubby is doing such an amazing job with the garden. we have carrots to last us all winter. they will only get bigger and sweeter as the weeks pass.

i think that the garden is my first metaphor for 2010. it needs tending, it produces amazing things if you care for it properly [or sometimes even if you don't], it changes - day by day, season by season, it is fulfilling and hard work....

we had a bit of a sad ending to our year.

we had to say goodbye to our kitty chinaski [you can read about him in this old post]. the above photo kind of sums him up. even sick he would purr and talk back if you talked to him [and his purr was this motor, luscious, vibration]. he would always outstretch his paw to touch you if you came near.

all pets are special to their owners. but chini - he was also special to our neighborhood. everyone knew the three-legged cat. he was best friends to major [i hope they are hanging out together now eating popeye's chicken]. people would come and talk to me about how much they loved him. the mayor of our block. a once in a lifetime cat.... such a trooper. such a good good soul.

at the end and beginning of years we reflect so much... i keep reading wonderful summations of the year past. i can't seem to package each of my months nicely in a few memories. in some ways the days and weeks and months have become one long blur - and yet in other ways there are distinct and clear moments of joy, excitement, sadness, newness, fear - of being ALIVE. i can't help but think that it is these extremes that keep us spinning, and as we see saw from one to the other we get to dance a little in the space between - reflect in moments of calm, and catch our breath for the next bit.

a happiest of new years to everyone. may 2010 bring exactly what you want and need and are capable of handling.

not a creature was stirring

2009-12-24T14:12:00.000-08:00

hello everyone ! quick post as we've all come down with a cold here at casa lisa. sigh. it's not a bad one, but we've got the munchkin squeek sneeze/cough from the little, the soprano cough/snot noises from me and the bass snot/cough from hubby covered.

i just wanted to pop in and say hope that you and yours have a wonderful holiday and the best new years possible. i think i'm going to take a break from posting here until 2010 [but will hopefully have a minute to catch up with you all out there]. and while we did not get holiday cards done in time this year, there IS a new years card. and it will definitely go out to anyone who sent us a card :).

this year has been an incredible whirlwind with so much shifting and changing. i'm forever grateful to all my friends and family. and to everyone here. to everyone that reads, stops by, says hello, never comments, emails, stands on their heads, whatever. thank you for being a part of this community in any way shape or form.

for more on my holidays [and a host of other artist's holiday ideas too] see stephanie levy's advent calendar

see you soon.

do you hear what i hear? [and charlie rose is a prophet?]

2009-12-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

it's feeling a bit more holiday-ish around these parts. i managed to get the mantle decorated during a naptime. after all it's our first christmas as a family of 5 [i'm including the dogs and cats]. surprisingly i even have the urge to listen to some sappy holiday music. so i downloaded some. i tried to find versions by bands/people i like [sufjan stevens, mew, arcade fire] if i like what i found i'll share.... i'll try and share some photos of holiday trimmings soon too.

i was poking around the studio the other day working working working when i opened up one of my doily books and the above envelope/article slipped out. i stopped in my tracks - seeing my grandmother's writing brought a tear to my eye. she used to send me clippings from the LA times, or just random things that she thought i'd be interested in. this article was about an art fair in LA. i know i took it to the studio and read it, and then placed it the book. and then years later here it was. i'm glad i found it. it made me feel as though i was sitting with her for a moment. in the studio she helped me build. it was a nice feeling.

so what am i working on, you ask?

there's a sneak peek. i'm working on some small pieces for the enormous tiny art show in february.

i'm excited. trying out some new stuff mixed with some old ideas. the small format is perfect for experimenting. somehow i feel like i can "see" easier when i work small. these are 5"x5" squares. oh so cute.

[this photo has nothing to do with what i'm about to say. taken on a walk with the little. cold almost winter day. made me think of shari and her pond. ]

so here i am waiting for a studio visit. i'm hungry. get my plate ready. turn on the TV [oh what a luxury]. switch on charlie rose. hello jeff bridges. hello maggie gyllenhaal. oh you have a new movie.

i am convinced charlie rose is a prophet. why you ask? well there was the time in a late night stupor cate blanchet got me started on atrophy [read the post - also around the holidays? here . when i re-read it i realized that i used to write longer and more philosophical posts. hmmm] OK - so maybe it's not mr. rose per se - but i watch the show and somehow things get discussed in a way that shoots to the core of my being. i immediately think - i was JUST pondering that.

today? jeff bridges mentioned fear. fear as the equivalent of fire. how you can warm your feet by the fire and it can simultaneously burn your house down. indeed. feeling a bit fearful about work in the studio and lack of work for money this resonated. then maggie gyllenhaal talked about how her role in this film [ crazy heart ] made her feel vulnerable. how she used to think that you had to be strong and fierce as a woman, but that now she thinks that being vulnerable is OK and is a place you can learn from. um yeah. that would be me. and then the director scott cooper talked about getting back to zero. how you have to start and end a scene at zero. and then jeff and maggie wax poetic about how that's true. you can't recreate a great moment that just happened. you have to re-live - do it again - make anew. that is exactly what i was struggling with in the studio. how to do what i know how to do but also try something new. to meld the two together and see where it takes me instead of trying to force out pieces. or re-make pieces that i already have. that just never works. GET BACK TO ZERO is a good way to think about it.

the lesson here is that if i watch charlie rose in december with actors that i like i have to be careful. or i have to really pay attention because it may just be a mirror of my mind/life. you can watch the show online on charlie rose's website. it was aired 12/16. or search for jeff bridges. [today it's on their home page, but it will move to the archive soon enough].

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ok. if you are in need of a last minute gift idea? under $10? check out what some of us moms have listed on cafe mom

there's a $20 version too

eireann is featuring a month by month re-cap of her year with a photo from her archive. it's a really nice thing.

have a great weekend!

warmth

2009-12-08T12:07:00.000-08:00

i know we are wimps here in california, but there was frost on my grass this morning. yesterday it didn't get above 42 degrees. that's cold for us here [there was actually snow a mere few miles away!].

so how glad was i that my whooga boots arrived?? i should take a photo of the box they came in. brown with a yellow bow. too cute.

i have super cold feet. my husband calls them icicles. they are always cold. it's kind of sad really. but these boots have been great. they are totally lined with fur on the bottom - soft. and i love that i can wear them both tall and short. i no longer wear uncomfortable but cool looking shoes. i now gravitate toward comfort AND style - so these fit the bill.

i have been wearing them almost every day since they arrived. maybe my feet are now like ice chips instead of blocks of frozen-ness ??

if you are looking for uggs they have the regular ones too. whooga .

speaking of warmth.... look what arrived from amisha for the little.

doesn't it take your breath away??

and speaking of quilts....

we inherited this baby quilt too. it was given to us by my friend marilyn. she runs the art office where i went to grad school. we became close while i was in school. she's this great lady - full of piss and vinegar. she has given me some amazing things over the years. all her vintage christmas ornaments, an old bike, this quilt [it was hers from the 20's or 30's]. i love the hand embroidered details

makes me want to knit [the boots] or quilt. i'm such a lazy sewer, though. i don't know if i could ever do a quilt justice. i'd love to try, though.

i also need to thank heather smith jones for a lovely package she sent awhile back. including art for the little. [she is going to have an amazing art collection. seriously. i should frame everything and show you]....

and i also have to thank

gwen . she always gives great presents - inside this were some robot goodies. :)

she has a new vintage shop
jenny penny vintage you should check it out

i think that wraps up the eye candy.... hope you are warm wherever you are....

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if you want to read an interview of me... check out the little bird gallery blog

pondering graditude

2009-12-02T20:12:00.000-08:00

[can you see the moon? fall skies are just so bright]

it's hard to believe we are in the last month of the year isn't it??

i was oh so so sick a week ago. nothing like sickness to force you to slow down and give you a bit of time to reflect. even if it's through a green goo haze.

and then it was thanksgiving - the little's first. with the husband sick in bed with what i had [oh i felt bad]. baby's first non-traditional holiday. no turkey to be had at our house. we had a japanese food feast instead :) don't get me wrong - i like me a good turkey - and i really like all the trimmings [cranberry sauce in particular. and stuffing]. but i also like being a bit non-conformist [can you tell?]. growing up i remember several irregular thanksgivings in my household. we had sukiyaki, we had ribs, we had chinese food....

i used to like going to school the next day saying "oh no we didn't have turkey" and seeing the look of slight shock on my classmate's faces.

but really i've been thinking about gratitude. as we roll into december - the month where i start to feel intense pressure :: shopping, cards, grading, studio, and now also baby... oy. how are we supposed to get this all done? i have wanted to just stop. maybe this is the year that i don't send out holiday cards [or they morph into new year's cards?]. i'm grateful for so many things. this has been such a strange and amazing and jam packed year. i just picture this huge pendulum swinging back and forth the good and the not so great back to the good again.

and thus this post really hit home with me today. i can't say it any better.

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if you are in the Bay Area you have to shop at Holidayland. seriously good stuff. handmade good stuff. i have some stuff... underdog ink stuff AND some things from my NEW VENTURE with a friend. we're in the midst of making sure our name isn't trademarked by anyone else - once that's all done with i'll be talking about it more here. i'm really excited about this project.

Holidayland is at

blankspace gallery

and the compound gallery

i just became one of the compound gallery's art in a box artists. it's a great subscription. check it out.

you should also shop at modernmouse. either in the store on alameda island, or online. more handmade small artisan goodness. seriously. and eleen, the owner, is the sweetest.

OK. i have to get some grading done before i crawl into bed and start all over tomorrow morning. more soon....

i match band-aids + other random thoughts

2009-11-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

i didn't think that band-aids were real skin colors. really i didn't. and then i put one on yesterday and looked down and what do you know? i'm band-aid colored. this photo doesn't really do me or the band-aid justice, but honestly - it's kind of creepy how well it matches.

these are actually the kind of thoughts that consume minutes of my day.

i was driving the other day -- rushing rushing -- always rushing -- and i had the thought -- i wonder what it would be like not to multi-task. to actually have enough time in the day to do what you wanted to do AT THE PACE you wanted/needed to do it.

we now hear all these buzz words - slow food, slow media, slow fashion [i'm tossing this one around for another side project i'm working on. but that's another post]. but i never do anything slowly really. except for when i'm actually making art.

my brain is full of ideas. grandiose and minuscule art ideas. ideas that make me want to drop everything else i'm doing - which is simply impossible and unreasonable. but my head - it wants to explode with thoughts of kites, cloud formations, viruses, toxins, balloons, bombs, slovakian bobbin lace, and military ribbons.

and then there's the whole color study work i want to do. nothing but thread and stitching and colors. really quiet. shhhh. all about texture and subtlety and getting back to the basics. but that would be kind of a left turn from what i need to complete and things i've promised to folks. i do want to get there... but i may have to be patient.

i've been inspired by these double sided colleen colored pencils that i first spied here . i like the idea of making drawings using their color combos. sometimes i find it relaxing if one element of what i'm working on is determined by some outside force. the scale, or the color, or something. it makes me feel like i have one less thing to worry about.

i'm working on these very small drawings for an upcoming show - and i found i really had to push myself to use more than 1 or 2 colors. i tend to like small shifts in a color family - like a bunch of teals and greens or several pinks and browns together. throw in one more color and i start getting twitchy. i'm trying to use at least 3 colors in some of them [the work is kind of all about 3] and it's making me work really hard. i think this is good, but part of me is still complaining.

i've also been thinking about pressure. it came up with one of my students who has had some early success with showing and selling his work. he said making art right now isn't as much "fun" as it was before because he has all these extra voices and thoughts in his head right now. i feel for him. the best moments in the studio [for me] are when you are present and yet also somehow in some other world - where you don't really have any "everyday" thoughts in your head and you aren't worried. you are just kind of making. it's hard to banish the outside temptations, influences, general "noise". i'm have a particularly hard time of it now. but i'm going to practice what i preach [to my students] which is to soldier on. discipline through it.

on that note. back to work. i have to re-write my artist statement for a proposal. this proposal is big. it's daunting. if i get what i wish for it will be pretty amazing. and that's all i'll say for fear of jinxing it.

happy wed.

lots of art shows [and it's fall]

2009-11-11T13:50:00.001-08:00

does anyone live in wichita?? i've been meaning to post about this show and keep forgetting.

the show that was at the San Jose Museum of Art has moved on.

my wall drawing isn't a part of the show, but some framed drawings are.

up through December 18, 2009
ulrich museum site . i'm dying to know how it looks there....

I'm also in a group show at Richard Levy Gallery in Albuquerque, NM called glow. [photos are from the gallery]

up through December 17, 2009

i really like all the work in the show, but these pill sculptures i really dig. they are by jennifer vasher

here's an overview of the show

here's my work

i'm also in a show "Stitched, Looped, and Knitted"
@ The Mills Building through December 4, 2009
220 Montgomery Street in San Francisco
open mon-fri 8-6

this is kind of a funny show as it's in the main hallway of a downtown business building. i really do like how the work interacts with the space. i was only able to take a few pictures before they stopped me [oops].

what's funny is that they framed my work incorrectly. in the bed piece on the left, the orange bed should be facing the other way - but now that i see it this way i kind of like it?? i'll probably switch it back when i get the piece back, but i do like accidental happenstance like this. it makes me look at my work in a new light. maybe how someone else thinks is SHOULD be??

i'm happy the 7' drawing is seeing the light of day. we had to come up w/ a way to put it on white since the walls of the space are yellow... gotta love MDF. yup.

a piece by lacey jane roberts

this is actually the 2nd show we've been in together.
and i interviewed her for kitchen sink magazine a while back. see that here

aliza lelah

other artists in the show: Emily Barletta, Lauren Dicioccio [whose work i really really really loved], Laura Kamain , Ruth Marshall, Esther Traugot, Marina Vendrell . there is some really great work in the show. [and i love the odd contrast of all this hand made stuff in this building - it's really funny]

and because this post can't be ONLY about art shows.... if it looks like fall, smells like fall, feels like fall [finally chilly nights] then it must be fall right??

ok - the little's nap is almost done so i gotta run - but happy wednesday !

polaroid week 2009 diptychs

2009-11-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

in maine....

games at art stream studios

in main in mav's studio

oh polaroid how i love your fuzz, your strange colors, how you frame things. time to take more polaroids. especially since they are making more film!! wooo.

all of the great polaroid week goodness here

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i posted on sew green yesterday

happy weekend. i have a studio visit later today. time to sweep.

polaroid week 2009 + save the red thread studio

2009-11-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

it's that time again. roid week

so i'm digging polaroids out from the archive again. last year's trip to new hampshire and maine for lisa congdon and my show at art stream studios . i'll show the diptychs maybe on friday...

above... the artists who had a studio next to
mav's . their window was gorgeous.

lights at artstream

the plane in the doorway at the apartment we stayed at

the hydrangea in my room in new hampshire

mav's old studio
mailings for port2port press

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go internet community go!

A few months ago, Angelia suffered a fire in her Virginia-based studio/handmade goods shoppe - the red thread studio . You can read more about it right here .

Basically, she lost all of her stock, so Design for Mankind is leading a fundraiser to help her recoop her merchandise and get the shoppe back in order. We'd love to raise $3,000 in order to support her efforts and, in turn, support the handmade community.

I've donated some underdog ink merch - and there's a TON of great art by great artists available! There are a few donation tiers, offering free handmade goods and artwork for any $5+ donation that's received. See it all here . go. support. help.

two favorites :: sketching + books

2009-10-28T19:38:00.001-07:00

someone kindly emailed to say that they couldn't comment on this post. oops! after fixing a broken link all sees to be working now?? sorry if you tried and weren't able to. and if you WANT to comment - you now can... or not.... happy weekend!

thanks for all the studio love... i'm so happy you are all so happy for me !

on monday i was holed up in the studio researching researching researching - and printing printing printing - pages and pages upon things for upcoming drawings. it was super nice outside and i had an urge to just sit outside and sketch for a minute.

and so i sat in my doorway [which i still have to show you - it's a custom swinging door] and sketched the clover at my feet.

it made me realize how much i miss just drawing something in front of me....

and so later in the day after a walk outside with the little i also quickly sketched this:

japanese maple seed pods [totally made me think of abigail and heather ]

i saw poppytalk's post on whitelines books and had to run out and get one for myself. [there was actually a store in oakland that had ONE left. just one. i snagged it]

more info on whitelines

note to self : try and find time to sketch. seriously.

i was recently gifted two books and they are UHmazing. i heart them. [it doesn't hurt that they are both by incredibly great people]

by Lauren Smith and Derek Fagerstrom owners of the curiosity shoppe

Wallpaper Projects: 50 Craft and Design Ideas for Your Home, from Accents to Art

is a BEAUTIFUL book. with easy to follow instructions. of course i now want to add wallpaper to a ton of things in my house. i even have a couple of rolls of vintage wallpaper... now i need the time.

by Amy Karol - our favorite angry chicken

Bend the Rules with Fabric: Fun Sewing Projects with Stencils, Stamps, Dye, Photo Transfers, Silk Screening, and More

how much does this book rock? so much. there is something about the way amy describes things that just makes sense to me. plus she's funny. and the aunt sarah/uncle pete dolls are just the coolest idea ever? enough said.

sketching and books. [well, sketchbooks are books too, huh?]. i love holding books. turning pages... technology is great, but give me a good book anyday. yup.

2nd 1/2 of the week, here i come... hope yours are good. see you next week.

a studio a studio my kingdom for a studio

2009-10-21T14:01:00.001-07:00

My Studio Being Built in my Backyard from Lisa Solomon on Vimeo.

ok. i finally did it. a dumb slideshow of the progress of my studio being built. the slideshow is dumb - but the studio, oh the studio is not !

i think my husband wanted to kill me for having it built in the winter while i was pregnant [and then completed after the baby came early. i joked that the little would only be able to sleep to the sound of saws and hammering since she was so used to those noises]. truth be told that wasn't the smartest idea, but thankfully he succumbed to my whims. i had it in my head that if the studio wasn't done before the baby came that it wouldn't be done in "time". i sort of needed it there to make sure that i was still an artist. or that i could and would still be an artist along with being a mother. [i had some serious fears about losing my identity.]

it also destroyed our yard and made a lot of work for him. but now we have the studio - which i literally daily can not believe is MINE - a re-tooled yard w/ a great veggie patch - 2 brick patios for sitting/eating - and there's even a grassy area for CC to play on. [thank you hubby for working so hard on our yard]

what is super duper amazing is the design. provided by the fabulous John Riordan. who writes for sew green . and who also writes books, like Boutique Restaurants [full disclosure - the image on the cover of that book on the bottom was taken by me :)].

i NEVER EVER dreamed i could have a studio like this. designed by someone like john. during the whole process - from his inspiration board, to asking me what kind of light i liked [filtered], to walking me through the process of getting permits, to having him solve all these crazy problems with the contractor - he was amazing. i have only collaborated with creative people a few times and each time it has been one of the most rewarding things. this was no exception. it feels like i owe john my first born. i am forever grateful. thank you.

i love how it glows at night when the lights are on.....

i'll show you the inside soon.

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before i go. one link. the perfect blog for paper and pencil freaks [like me]
pencil talk . introduced to me by the lovely mr. levy . sigh and sigh again.

have a great week!

blending together

2009-10-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

the days are blending together for me. not because i'm doing the same thing everyday, but because i can't really keep tabs on anything more than what is happening THAT DAY. i think i always want to live more in the moment, but... i guess i must confess that ultimately i'm a planner and i feel as if i'm about to forget something hugely important.

hopefully that won't happen. i also kind of feel like if i can make it through the next few months things are going to shift again. in a big way.

so in no particular order here are some things that have been on my mind/happened:

1. i got a haircut today. as you can see in the above photo [another work day - the outfit made me think of martha and her new line - UN have you seen it?] my hair was almost to my shoulders! i haven't had hair that long since high school??

2. we've been eating out of our garden. the broccoli the other night was the best i've ever eaten. seriously. i'm so glad we conquered those broccoli caterpillars. tonight we had beet greens. our tomatoes are just finishing. my husband has been an amazing farmer and cook. sorry i don't have photos of our goodies [keep eating them before i think of it] but i feel so lucky to see items on my plate that come from our yard.

3. i've got a couple of ideas i'm researching for drawings. i'm thinking about how to take familiar imagery [my vocabulary] down new paths . seeing heather's layered drawing got me all excited to try these new things. it's been a couple of weeks since i've done anything in the studio and i'm itching to. next week....

4. i'm trying to relish teaching as due to the insane budget shortfalls here in california it looks as is my teaching days are numbered. this makes me sad. i've been thinking about how much i missed teaching when i was on maternity leave. and now that i'm back how much i will miss it again. of course there are things about it that are exasperating.... but there are moments in the classroom where i can feel and see minds and ideas shifting and forming and that is so exciting. i keep trying to believe that there is a greater force at work [all things happen for a reason] and that it will be good for me to take a break. spend more time with the little. maybe more studio time? maybe go back to freelancing?

5. the smell of rain is so good.

6. my parents are going to japan soon and i've been reliving my trips there. wishing i could travel again. i think i still have some polaroids to show from that trip. and speaking of polaroids... film. will be back. the impossible has happened !!!

6 is a good number. will stop here. hope things are good in your necks of the woods....

His + Hers

2009-10-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

i can't believe the opening at rare device was already a week ago. this week has been a whirlwind of catching up on all the things i had put on hold while getting ready for the show.

it was a really nice opening. Lisa + Rena [of rare device] are super kind and supportive and it was a treat to have my parents, and husband, and baby, and father-in-law at the opening. it was also a treat to meet some folks for the first time, and see some friends who managed to make it, even though i gave out the wrong address. [oops. baby brain!]

so the body of work i made for this show is super duper personal [i know... most artwork is personal, but in this work feels even more so]. when my grandmother was sick with lung cancer i tried to make sure and visit her in LA as much as i could. once she found out i was pregnant she sat me down at one of our lunches [we always went to lunch at nice restaurants] and told me that i was going to inherit a good chunk of money. she said i could use it however i wanted, but that she really thought i should use the money to build a studio in my backyard. especially since i was about to have a baby which was going to change my world more than i could imagine [she had sparkles in her eyes when she said this. boy was she right].

thanks to my grandparents - AND the incredible building design of grub [ bug's partner ] i now have a space that is mine all mine literally 10 steps from my backdoor. [i know i still have to show you it. i've been waiting to make this little movie... haven't done it yet. it's on the LIST].

i felt it was incredibly important for the first real work i did in the studio to somehow pay homage to my grandparents. because without them and their generosity i wouldn't have the studio.

and so the show was born.

here's the statement i wrote about the work::

His + Hers
a show about my grandparents

My grandfather passed away in July 2006. My grandmother in October of 2008. Apart from my parents no 2 people had a more profound influence on me growing up. Their personalities, quirks, likes, dislikes were woven into my life in such a seamless way. In many ways I owe my artwork to them. My grandmother as she taught me how to crochet and knit and was an avid embroiderer. My grandfather as he taught me to love tools and how to take things part. Both of them taught me to be curious and work hard [traits that serve artmaking well].

One of the functions of making art for me is acknowledging the past – connecting with and seeking to understand the nostalgic. I also often look to the “mundane” and the “domestic” - searching for small moments and objects that ultimately signify something greater than what they appear to be. I am also keenly interested in gender – what signifies and constitutes something as masculine or feminine? In rendering objects that may be seen as “male” or “female” can I alter or emphasize the perception, or can I create some sort of hybrid take on them as objects?

In my work I often leave long threads dangling – to me these threads emphasize the physicality and “drawing” nature of the work [they also pull the work away from “straight” embroidery]. The threads elude to time passing. In some instances they begin to hint at decay, things fraying and pulling at the seams. In my mind our memories start to have dangling threads as time passes – things are not as clear – they become fuzzy... The threads become longer. In other instances the thread highlights connections – moments where similarities are shared. And for me ultimately thread is a drawing device – like a pencil or pen – the thread simply has a different historical reference point than charcoal or ink. [The connotations of “women’s work” and “craft” are also things that intrigue me].

These pieces are about what I remember as a child with my grandparents. What they wore, what they drove, what they played, where cancer invaded their lungs. Although they are in essence highly personal there is, I hope, intrinsically a universality to them as well. I’m sure there are people who have their own memories or associations with whisks, pliers, track suits, and American Matzo. These are just pieces of his and her story.

all the images are in a set on flickr . some of the pieces have comments there [like which one is one of my favorites and why bacos].

they are all available for purchase on rare device's site. [although part of me wonders if anyone is interested in this imagery besides me and my family].

oh! i also am part of pikaland's latest zine "good to know" where she asks if you need to have qualifications to be an artist. you can get a copy here . there are lots of really great answers!
have a good weekend!

cupcakes and art

2009-09-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

every year i'm surprised it's my birthday again. any wiser? nope! just older. this year in particular has sped by... last year i was cryptically implying that life altering things were in the wings. and here they are. the little is on her way to being a year old... my studio is built in my backyard... it's amazing to me how time can simultaneously fly by and yet things are happening. i can document, see, touch, them...

and this year it's amazing to get so many birthday wishes on facebook! i forgot they had the birthday reminder feature. and there are a lot of b-days happening right around now. bara , diana , karen , tracy , abigail ... i'm sure i'm missing someone....

so here we go. install is friday for me ... before the opening of course.

Opens Friday October 2, 2009
from 7-9pm [i'll be there! come say hi !!!]

with marina luz and diem chau . two artists i totally LOVE and ADMIRE.

my portion this show is "his and hers" -- all about my grandparents and my memories of them. i'll upload pictures of all the pieces after the opening. and my statement on the show here. all art is personal - duh - but this show is really really near and dear to me. they will also be available for viewing [and purchase] on rare device's site.

ok - gotta run to pick up the babe.....
happy tuesday!