Monday, February 22, 2010

postcards

Most people know that I am done with school. Everyone asks, "what have you been up to?" and I answer, scooping ice cream (still) and a gallery internship. "Oh." they say, hiding the disappointment in my less than riveting reply. "Are you making any art?" they ask, with a hopeful tonal upswing. This is usually where I say no, but lately I've been saying postcards. Postcards aren't as exciting as they use to be I guess, unless they are covered in illicit, silly or private revelations. (like these ). But I've been making postcards because they aren't as intimidating as little paintings or drawings.
Here they are:
 
 this one's my favorite and has been sent to the east coast

Grumpy cat in a bag for all those with cabin fever

I doodled this card while listening to Au Revoir Simone, a Brooklyn band that I've just started listening to.


Step by step and bird by bird I guess. At least I can say that I've been making things. This past Sunday I went to a liquidation sale and bought around 10 wood panels of varying sizes, so once the rains stop I'll bike over to the tool lending library for a miter box, clamps and a hand saw and burn a lot of calories making panels to paint on. I'm really excited about where they could lead.

Monday, February 15, 2010

A possibly- hipster love story


My boyfriend and I toy with the line of being hipsters on a regular basis. We both like to think that we are far less self-celebratory and ironic than required to claim true hipster membership but our interest in art, design, bicycles and skinny jeans does makes us suspect. I bring this up because I just made an Olympia beer valentine's day card.
Another thing my boy and I have in common: we are both cheesy as hell. So no, i didn't just feel like painting an homage to cheap beer (besides, being a good Milwaukee girl PBR is my nostalgic beer of choice), it's a symbol of how we met. (cue the awws)
I was at his local haunt for the first time ( which has been transitioning into a playground for all those newly hipstered hipsters) and saw him dancing. My friend pointed him out to me and asked if I thought he was cute. Yes, but hell if I was going to talk him since I'm shy and a little skittish in social situations. My dear friend, brazened by a drink or two, snatches a beer my another friend had just bought for me, walks over to him, gives him the beer and says it's from me. I am horrified and blushed violently. He introduces himself, but goes back to hanging with his friends. A little later my friends and I decide to leave, but before we do, a friend of his notices and she asks for my number. I have never given my number to someone I have just met, and decide why not, and give it to her. Later he realizes I have left and feels like an a-hole for not getting my number. 2 days or so later his friend tosses my number to him as he's lamenting the situation. Now we've been dating for nearly 5 months, which isn't a terribly long time, but a lot of things have happened that make us very appreciative for each other's company; welcome relief from what life has been throwing our way.

We ponder how we met, thank the boldness of our friends but most of all wonder how a cheap can of beer started this exhilarating adventure we're on.
The card is watercolor and micron pen on bristol board. This picture is mid-production, as the flaps open to little water color vignettes that were painted on a separate piece of paper and glue on the inside panel of the card.

As expected, the cheesiness of this card blew my boy away, and at the end of the day, I'm going to say that the response this card elicits snatches it out of the domain of hipsterdom and places it in the land of nostalgic goodness.
Moral of the story? Go out and if you're not brave enough to meet people yourself get a trusted friend or two to help you along and test your comfort level (safely please!) Then craft something from that experience!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

mysterious people

I've started painting figures again. It's been a long time since I considered people as something I want to paint. I think the reason I've shied away from figurative work is that it's harder for me to convey what I am feeling/what situations and emotions I want people to perceive. I get caught up in trying to make the people accurate, in proper proportions and colors and it becomes boring for me, and I don't care as much about it because then it is merely a study on how to get better, and a viewer can only look at so many studies before they lose interest.
But I'm on a "try to loosen up" kick, so here I am, painting tiny images of tots and kids. Re-imaginings of past events, alternative histories, people in wild brooding places.
I am excited about these two paintings.
I'm also revisiting some mono-types I made my second year in college- for now I'm just adding watercolor washes, but I might start being a little bolder with time. Here's what I have so far:
  
  I like the textures of the prints a lot. Hopefully I can find a way to make these and the rest of the prints I have work...