Random Fact #3

Western Family (generic) body wash has the consistency of runny snot. I get the shivers every time i pour a little in my hand.

Goings on and On goings

I guess I've been busy. Probably too busy. But if I wasn't I wouldn't know what to do with myself. And besides, soon it will be winter and I'll be wrapped up on the couch for at least 4 months. SAD and all. Ick... So, what have I been doing? And what am I going to do?

Lessee, I'm about to hang some pictures in a shop downtown for our First Friday Art walk. AHH! I got finagled into it because I know the owner of the shop and her brother is photographer who has a studio at the Ceretana. It's a Ceretana group show, so I have to do this or I'll be black balled by both my friend who owns the shop and the studio peeps. I'm thinking of hanging one of my older acrylic pieces and one of the quilts I have been working on. Not certain on this yet, but I've got 3 days to think on it. We hang on Tuesday. (sounds horrific, doesn't it?)

This is the quilt I just finished. I have framed it and pinned it to foam core board rather than hanging it. It feels more "artsie" that way.

I also just got an invite to be a craft vendor at a fair in November. I have never done one of these, but the chance to unload some work and make money is tempting! I've amassed quite a few random knitting projects and I've made some Christmas ornaments out of paper cloth. I was also thinking of making prints of a couple of my favorite paintings and trying to sell them too. We'll see. I haven't said one way or the other yet. Plus it's $50 to get in. That may be the "decider".

These are some gloves I just finished. I would probably do a few more pairs for the fair. But these are MINE!

Oh yeah! Yesterday I volunteered to teach as a sub at the ZACC again. I think I like this gig. Too bad it isn't a paying one. We made Picassoesque self portraits. The kids got a kick out of that! One kid thought he'd be a skeleton with multicolored bones in the wrong places. Halloween on the brain, anyone?

werds on a card

It's been a while since I was in an ATC swap. And I just signed up for 2 in a day. 1 is a Found Poetry swap, the other a Creative Fabric card swap. I finished 3 cards for the found poetry swap and this is what popped off the Nat Geo pages for me:I especially like this last one. It makes me feel cannibalistic and wine snobby all at once!

Work has begun!

I've been in the "studio" for a little over 2 weeks now, and things are going well. I've nearly finished my first art quilt hanging since I moved in.
I call it "A Matter of Perspective". There's still no border edging or hanger, but this is it painted and quilted. You can't see it here, but there's gold sparklies here and there in the quilt.

This is the watercolor sketch it came from:

Here's the studio itself. I'm squishing into the corners to get these shots!Yes, it is tiny! But it's mine!

NEW STUDIO!

I am now an official studio artist. Rent is paid, shelves put up, supplies shuttled in. Time to make a mess!

The studio is in the Ceretana Feeds building which is an old historic grainary next to the railroad tracks in Missoula. It has since been turned into a hip gallery and studio spaces for artists in the community. And rent is CHEAP! I pay $85 per month for a place to call my own. Granted my studio is the size of a large walk in closet, but it's mine. And I have access to the gallery whenever I need more room "express".

The gallery participates in the monthly "First Friday Art Walk" in Missoula where on the first Friday of each month galleries and shops in town hang new art and have a reception night. The interesting thing about this is that my studio is right off the gallery. So, when there's a reception going on, alls I have to do is open my door and crash the party by inviting people in to my space. Voila! Instant Gallery opening! (yes, it's fine with management to do this, I've been given permission)

When I'm all done rearranging and decorating, I'll post more pictures of my loverly workshop.