By the Buffalo

The case of the buffalo (as described in the previous post). Last weekend we made an impulsive trip to Bricktown in OKC. We pulled into a parking lot and VOILA! A buffalo. Memories are bound to be made! The lot cost $6 and had to be paid via machine. Between the two of us, we did not have change for the machine. It was late but we noticed a shop open at the shopping center next to the lot to ask for some change. It was a cupcake shop. They had just closed. They were cleaning and placing chairs atop the tables. The girl at the back noticed us as she fiddled with a box she gestured towards us. We weren't sure what this meant but we checked the door and it was locked. As we were about to walk away we noticed she was approaching the door. She opened it, box in hand, and asked, "Are you here for cupcakes?!?" "SURE!" we replied. We asked for some change for the lot and she told us we may park in front of their shop! Free parking and free cupcakes! Can't beat it. So, THE Buffalo? Check out Pinkitzel! Buy something! We tried the chocolate-chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter and some chocolate/oreo/cookie with filling! MMMmm!

Lucky Charms

The Buffalo. It appears at the damnedest times. I consider it a symbol of fortune and identity. It's a grazer, a prairie dweller and a wallower, lover of the sun? It has horns, and the only thing likely to take one down is a pack of wolves. Wolves-they're all around (me). My BFF and I hold the buffalo in high regard as it usually appears prior to good news/action. But, we have also noticed that it's presence does not always bring gifts. It is mischievous. Sometimes it appears to make us evaluate the current situation (which is usually an awakening that we need to straighten up). It's a mother, a warning. We ARE in control, but we better take a look in from the outside. Most of the time the outcome is positive, lucky? or just a voice of reason? Either way, it's a blessing and a welcome symbol. Don't question the Buffalo! Many stories of this beautiful beast to come. . .

Doodles from the Desk

Music, Hosty (I swear I'm not obsessed) and cars. There are some things that never change. Sometimes I venture out and make oragami.

The Big City

Good morning! It's a slow start to a Saturday but I wouldn't have it any other way. I have time to relax, ponder and blog! I've been trying to get back into the swing of everyday post but it's tough. Now that I'm back at a desk for forty hours a week you'd think I could sneak a post in here or there. Well, I probably could. But, I've been living in the moment. I replaced the camera I used to haul in my satchel with a book. Photos take a back seat to the demands of life (living).

My camera also contributed to the decision to ditch documentation. It was big with minimal battery life. I may be able to snap 5 or 6 photos (maybe) before it told me to change the new batteries. I'm highly considering buying a new one if not for the sake of this blog but to document my art. I've decided to let my website lapse. It's out of date and it cost money. I plan on a major overhaul and then she'll go live. A revival. Anyone out there want to help?

So, back to living. . .Last weekend I made a short jaunt to visit my grandpa in Fort Worth. He had been hounding me about making the trip. I hadn't been since last summer. I need a breath of fresh air, I need to see wine in the grocery store, but most of all I need to sit and have coffee with my grandpa while he reads the paper. We talk politics and cars. He tells me stories about my mom and takes me shopping. He's a stand up guy, love him!

We usually don't partake in the night life but I couldn't resist. They'd tuck in early and I had to burn the midnight oil! One of my favorite spots is the Scat Jazz Lounge. It's something out of a Dean Martin movie. The cover is a bit steep but who can put a price on fun? I overindulged a bit that first night and claimed I would take it easy the rest of the weekend. HA! The next afternoon I caught wind of my favorite Norman band playing near TCU! WHAT! The stars had aligned and the buffalo sighting personified. Alas, I couldn't be contained. Libations were tame but it was made up in dancing. Luckily, they were the openers so the set was short and I made it home just a bit after midnight. It was a pleasantly busy weekend, Fort Worth has always been close to my heart! Visit if you can, see some museums. . .

Renewal

Nothing new, I've been burning the candle at both ends. Last weekend it caught up with me. I felt exhausted, emotional, and blue. I wasn't sure how kick it. Once you start down that road it's tough to find an off ramp (and lord knows, drinkin' ain't the answer). I've been feeling restless and homesick. I long for Tulsa, my treehouse, my studio, walks with Zola through Maple Park and stopping time at CHOCS. I've already grown tired of routine and forty hour work weeks in an office. It's only been about two weeks and my head is in the clouds. Through the darkness I have realized that my decision to move away was necessary and I am positive it was the right decision.
So, to kick the blues? Mother nature. A trip to the lake did the trick, along with some much needed inspiration and support from a kindred spirit-we shall refer to him as "Big Daddy" (because it would make him laugh). We all wax and wane. Thankfully, the earth and our dearest are always there for the downward spiral. Even through the heartbreak of being away from Tulsa, I was able to appreciate my home-the red dirt, muddy water and family. My cousin and I (along with her buddy)spent a few hours in the cool lake, basked in the sun and had a picnic. We had lots of laughs and I felt renewed, connected and ready to start a new week! It was a wonderful way to wrap up a melancholy Monday! Now, onward. . .conquer the 405!

Summer

Summer 2011 is full fledged! It's tough to believe I've already concluded a full year of grad school. When I started I was hesitant about a three year commitment but now I'm thankful I have an extra year to get my thesis together. Because of the extended program, I am able to take a summer "off." I decided I'd try to save some money this summer so I took a job opportunity here in Norman and decided I'd camp out at my folks.

Last night I was hangin' at my local haunt when one of my buddies reminded me that I haven' blogged in a bit. It's sat dormant this last year. I've been busy and had little time to collect my thought much less organize a blog. I spent most of my waking hours in the studio and socializing. Regardless of my bad habit of burning the candle from both ends, I someone made it out alive. Now, I'm back in Norman, studio less and overwhelmed with a full time job and too many social opportunities. Back to the grind, on the balancing beam. . .

We'll see how it goes. Maybe I just need to get back into blogging/venting/spilling. It's good to throw it out there. I'll work on the visuals. I hope to build a new portfolio this summer. Woodcuts! Lots, of carving!

In the meantime, take a peek at some collaborative pieces I did with the two other graduate students: [Photos by Natalie!]
Meet John and Natalie. Someday we hope to take the OKIE print scene by storm. Hell, we may even spark it? Stay tuned...SUMMER!

Spring

Howdy!

Surprise! I'm still here! Yep, I haven't fallen from the face of the earth. Just been tied up with my love, Tulsa! Chasing her is a full time job. 2011! Yep, deep into it, already #4. Not to be a spoil sport but 2011 isn't 2010. I've decided even years bring luck. Good thing, there's still time to warm up to 2011 and I suspect the warmer it gets the better it becomes. Fingers crossed.

As I was saying, it's been a whirlwind. I have two classes outside of the art school this semester and I feel like my printmaking/painting/mixed media work has waned because of it. I've been busy with book studies. This year has been filled with lots of social outings. Pie, beer, dancing, lots of dancing, music, boys, more boys. The semester is on it's way out the door and things are getting serious. I'm sitting in my studio preparing some pieces for the annual student show (next Thursday, April 7). It's juried, hopefully I can get something accepted. A few other things worth mentioning: The TU MFA thesis show is this Friday, April 1 at the Living Arts Gallery, COME! Support these budding artist, they've worked their asses off.

Also, A couple of weeks ago I attended Southern Graphics Conference (SGC) a printmaking conference. It was heaven! It's good to see other people with crazy, nerdy, print obsessions. And, St. Louis has a lot to offer! I'm headed back this summer for a week long 'bootcamp' with the woodcut master, Tom Huck! I'm stoked. Well, there's lots more but I'm getting a bit overwhelmed just thinking about it. On that note, I'll leave you with a slideshow from the photos from my phone. I just unloaded them onto my computer and decided that may entertain you and give you an idea of that I do when I'm running this town! Enjoy. XoXo (Don't be a stranger, even if I am).

Swap

I'm part of a contemporary, embroidery group on Flickr: Phat Quarter.
I embroider to relax. I embroider to carry on seemingly 'dieing' craft. Phat Quarter makes me think otherwise. We're alive and well, hopefully getting closer to galleries.
Every month with a fifth Friday, the group organizes a swap. This month the theme was 'Music.' I decided to go somewhat generic. I ran the canvas through my inkjet and embellished. It was a quick and fun piece. Now that I'm able to print directly onto fabric with my printer I've been going crazy with embroidery. To bad I haven't found that motivation for my classes. I need a muse. . .

I'm off to Norman this weekend so I should get back to packing. Have a Happy Weekend!

Mixed Media

So, I'm formally labeled a printmaker. Enrolled as an MFA student in Printmaking. While I love printmaking, I'm sort of an 'anti-printmaker, printmaker' I work in small numbers, mostly 1. I'm not big on huge production run and I love 'one-of-a kind.' I guess I'm a 'painterly-print maker.' Who needs labels anyway?

I really consider myself a mixed media artist. I love textiles, thread and I'm always look for ways to incorporate craft into my work. Lately, I've been hellbent on image transfers. How can I apply printmaking to fabric? Well, screen printing is an obvious solution but what else? It was during my research that I realized a seemingly obvious method but it was something I hadn't thought about. How about running fabric through an inkjet printer? WOW! Profound. Here's a great tutorial. My printer is a cheapy and it doesn't support banner/large format so I just spray adhesive fabric to sheets of card stock. Voila!

There are also various solvent transfer methods. One of the popular transfer methods around our Art School is Hand Sanitizer Transfers. They don't do very well on textiles but they work beautifully on smooth surfaces such as watercolor paper or wood.

I also ran across a Citra Solv Transfer which I haven't tried but the tutorial is well done and seems successful! Have I missed anything? I'm always up for learning new techniques! Fun Friday and Weekend Wishes!

Last Minutes

Yesterday I had a baby shower to attend. I know, fun. Well, by Friday I decided I better get to work on something. I looked around and realized I had a thrift store frame ready for a revival. I rifled through some of my paper and found a couple of pieces of hand dyed paper that would fit. Of course, it had already been used so I had to figure out a way to piece them together. How about thread? I've been on a paper sewing kick since grad school. Not only is it functional but it's also like drawing, but with a sewing machine. It's also a very green approach. In the past, I saved every little inch of those expensive paper but in the end they just sat, untouched. Then, I moved and decided to throw all of those "useless" bits. What was I thinking? Now, I use them like a quilter uses scraps. It's fun and economical! So, for Reese Renee Robbins, I painted a Robin's nest. She'll be here in February! And, I'm happy to help jazz up her nest!

The Collective

Printmaking is a team sport. Things run smoother in numbers. Aside from the technical benefits of working in a group it's also socially rewarding. I entered the printmaking department last fall with two other print grads. We've become a tight pack. In fact, this semester we plan on working on an extensive, collaborative project. More detail shall follow but for now, I want to discuss the Universal Limited Art Editions or ULAE.

Last Thursday, me and my fellow print-makers attended a lecture by Bill Goldston at the Philbrook. Bill has maintained and grown the print collective and it's quite an amazing story. I won't elaborate since you can read the history on the website but Bill emphasized the importance of creating a community. I felt a spark. I told my cohorts that like the ULAE, we'd make history. After the lecture, we went over to a gallery down on Brookside to see some of the prints that came out of the ULAE. It's big time. We're talking huge names: Rauschenberg, Johns, Tuttle, and so on. IT's endearing to see people banding together and exchanging ideas. We've decided to start our own group. We were all so pumped we went out for a few drinks and started tossing around names and logos! Time to take Tulsa by storm. Look out!

The Arsenal

First Friday of the semester, Done! Which concludes the first week of my spring semester. Time flies. I can't believe it's already 2011! Today the graduate students were required to open their studios to the faculty. I wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out better than I anticipated. First, I hadn't personally met all the faculty so it was nice to formally meet and chit chat about the biz. I got some very constructive criticism. There were several suggestions that I'm really excited about. I've felt as though I've been lacking in direction and today a lot was clarified. Thanks TU faculty!

After my appointment I decided to look over my notes from last semester. It was a full day of review and contemplation. I decided to make a catalog of the various, contemporary artist that my professor suggest I research. All of the artist are quite different and most of them do not directly relate to my work but they were offered for various reasons. Whether it be, technique, ingenuity, originality, color, composition or concept, each of these artist were discussed over the course of my studies. I think it's interesting to look at them as a collective but I also wanted to document the list digitally. Enjoy!
Elizabeth Murray
Joseph Cornell Kurt Schwitters







Joyce Kozloff
Beth Grabowski
Marcel Duchamp (Readymades)
Louise Bourgeois
Louis Mathiasdottir
Rosemarie Beck

Particular faves? I'd love to discuss.

Breathing Color

I lose sleep over color. It's something I've never given much thought but since last semester I eat, breath, and drink color. Sometimes drinking is the only thing that numbs my obsession. It's all my fault. I enrolled in a painting class and now I'm all choked up. I can't drive down the turnpike without noticing the relationship between the cool, unscathed gray of the shoulder contrast with the worn, warmer gray of the traveled lanes. And then! That electric yellow that demarcates! Ok, I'll stop, but as you can seen it's overwhelming. Do you see what I see? Who knows. How do you explain color? What terms can I use?It's so relative and even deeper when you consider perspective.

So, all that being (unnecessarily?) said, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out color in my work. Many a critiques with my painting professor and I have yet to scratch the surface. He did reassure me, "I still have not mastered color." I guess it's a lifelong endeavor,a marriage. I wouldn't say any of my pieces were 'successful' but I can see growth.This was one of the first pieces. At the beginning of the semester he gave me some criteria to get me started. I had to do 16 different paintings. Of all the paintings this was my favorite. It became the cornerstone for the rest of the semester. I started playing around with using scraps and collaging them together. Like picking up roadkill and 'fixin' it'' These were a couple of pieces from my last critique. This is where I ended my first semester. What a change? I can't say it's for the better but again-growth/change. My last critique was a bit frightening. I vividly remember him stating, "I was worried in the beginning but I feel better about where you've ended up." EEEEeek! It was quite stressful but very fun. So fun that I've contemplated switching over to painting. But, in the end, I thrive on process and printmaking is it! I will continue to take hours in painting, it's so fluid and natural, gives me a break from the intense processes involved with printing.

Believe it or not, I did pass (with flying colors) and I plan to continue with the challenge. If you're close swing by the studio, I'd love to talk color.

2011

Hi! Happy New Year!

It's been too long. Is anyone out there? Well, if you are, I'm still here. Things have yet to slow down and my camera has been out of commission for the last few months. I finally fixed it and I just renewed my Flickr Pro account. It's time to make up for lost time. Our first snap in 2011!
New Year-New City-New Photos. Last December I finished up my first semester of graduate school. YAY! I planned on documenting the experience but I haven't conquered time. I finished up two independent study courses, one in painting and one in printmaking and I also completed an advanced lithography class! Litho is fun!

I also made some great friends. The other two print grads are something! I look forward to working with them next semester in our 'open print' class. We've already started planning our next move. We had many productive meetings alongside some fun times! Minimal evidence exist and the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

More changes. I changed jobs midway through last semester. I'm now working at part-time at the law school. It's not so different, in fact, it took very little adjusting. I really enjoy my coworkers, they are all troopers with terrific attitudes. The first day on the job I ran endless feet of cable with the director. It's a group that's not afraid to work outside of titles and get their hands dirty.

Between all the newness that became in 2010 (new city, school, job, friends) it's tough to wave goodbye but I look forward to the mystery. One of my goals is to complete a documentary about rat rods before I finish my grad program. I use the term 'documentary' loosely. A rat rod (for wondering minds). Compliments of me friend and former supervisor, Amanda! Her dad has done quite a job on his beast!

I want to record the culture be it, feature fill or a collection of slideshows with audio. Thankfully, the spark appealed to one of the other grads and he has been a font of knowledge on making it happen.

I would also like to conclude a catalog for my family that focuses on my maternal grandmother. I started a collection of good memories from everyone in the family and I'd like to organize and publish the catalog this year. My grandma has Alzheimer's and needless to say, it has been rough on the family. Some members seek religion but I want to remember her without the disease. I've heard some great stories and learned a lot about her the past few months and I want to shout it out.

There are list and list full of 'to do's' for 2011 but I'll spare you. Let's steam forward, rear views wiped clean.Pedal to the metal!