4.03.2011

all i have to show for is this




what do you do in your kitchen? i stain large pieces of board.

conceptually, i thought developing a product binder that represented my Ministry of Craft brand would be relatively easy. i'm quite good with layouts, and adept at utilizing inDesign, illustrator and photoshop. little did i know that the process would take more than a month, full of meetings with friends and artists. and that it would force me to consider my "brand" and how i wish to represent it.

why, being the smart girl that i am, did i not think it would force me to consider my brand and how i wish to represent it?! you've all heard the adage, it's hard to see the forest through the trees? i got so focused on the "trees", i.e.: the separate components of my product binder (what pages? what font? what copyright information?) that i lost sight of the forest, or rather, my brand.

i'm not afraid to admit that i often lose the bigger picture, either at my day job, or in my side business. it's good to have people that remind you of the bigger picture, to help you zoom out, and see what you're missing, or to show you what path you are on.

so, i found myself on a sunday afternoon staining a large piece of board that will act as "hunting lodge" for my taxidermy heads. though i know this means starting (almost) from scratch with my product binder, i feel the end product will be more cohesive, and better represent my brand.

3.20.2011

there's a map of the world on the wall in your room


nathan's studio (detail)

i had an interesting experience this weekend that i’d like to share. i was asked very recently to start a music column for Nighthawk Press, a literary review based out of Chicago (which you should definitely check out). i immediately jumped at the chance, and 48 hours later had not one, but two very lengthy posts submitted to the editor. then, i got to thinking about the neglect of my own personal writing. why can’t i write for my own blog, yet can set aside time to submit to another? the weather in San Francisco finally broke today, and i went for a walk, and thought a lot about this conundrum, and came up with a few interesting points.

one: it’s easier to rely on someone else to edit and publish content. all you have to do is write and submit, and you’re done! simples! when I sit to write a post, i think about how much time i have, how it’s going to look with the site, is it too lengthy? what image will i use? what do i want to say? and then, most of the time, i get tired and go do something else.

two: i find it’s easier to write about something you’re not directly involved with. i am not a musician, nor do i wish to be a musician. my posts for Nighthawk are all about my passion for music. for myself, i find it easier to write about something i am removed from. as a fan of music, i can write whatever i want. as a visual artist, i consider every point i try to make as an artist. i aspire to create, and write, with intention. and i find myself self-editing more when i write about my work, especially when i feel the pressure of how i choose to express myself.

three: music is so consumable. you can multitask while listening to music. in fact, i’m listening right now! i find that you can’t really say that for any other art form. since it is so consumable, you can experience a wide variety in a short amount of time. for other visual art, like film, you have to sit and absorb for two hours. music is really the people’s expression.

four: most visual art, unfortunately, has some accessibility issues. of course, with the internet and the “democratization” of art (which can be argued as a good or bad thing), accessibility is no longer the limitation it once was. i can spend three hours down the rabbit-hole and come out with twelve new artists that i love. but the roots of art still lie in a hierarchical and, for lack of a better word, elitist environment. art and the artist seek to reach people, but the structure of the art world is still very insular.

to elaborate further on the fourth point, i’m lucky enough to operate in the San Francisco art community, which i find very open and collaborative. collaboration is what will carry art and the artist forward. we no longer have to operate in the bubble of the art world. we can be committed to reaching new audiences, and can work together to build new communities that are inclusive and engaging. we share resources, and spaces, and within those collaborations we find something bigger than ourselves, which is very powerful.

as for me, i’m going to continue to write with intention, but not be so self-edited that i find i have nothing to say.

3.03.2011

playground love

i find to do my work, i have to have an organized environment. i had been quite happy with the layout of my apartment, which also doubles as my studio, but in the passing months, everything got a bit "misplaced." so, i took the time this past weekend to clean house, and make it more visually pleasing. i am quite pleased with the results.

here are my bookshelves, which i decided to "color-code":


bookshelf detail, cardboard skull i found in Chicago and my grandfather's paintbrushes with custom plexi stand he built:


bookshelf detail, framed postcard from stella magazine, mink shoe clips found at the vintage clothing fair, and a doily my great grandmother made:


room divider, which separates my small studio into two rooms. this is the living room. all of my art supplies, fabric, and art-related books and magazines are stored here:


divider detail, my drawing pencils, crochet teeth, stella magazine, vol. 1, and rilakumma toys:


the solution to my thread storage issue - i bought pegboard and pegs from the hardware store. i like it because it also serves as additional hooks for storage:


Gutermann embroidery thread, the best thread in the world:

1.30.2011

why not try it all, if you'll only remember it once...

so i haven't been a very diligent blogger, as you can tell. and frankly, the photos i have posted of my own work haven't exactly been inspiring. so, this is the perfect opportunity to start over. i have revamped the image and the meaning behind this blog in the attempt to take myself more seriously as an artist, and to produce even more work that inspires me. and, in the hopes that in 2012 i'll be ready to apply for an MFA program either here or abroad.

here is the first installation of the new and improved blog. i hope you like it.


seated girl #2, 2010/2011, 4'x4' canvas


seated girl #1, 2010/2011, 3'x6' canvas


seated girl #1, detail


seated girl #1, detail