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Over the Christmas holidays we visited the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh. While there we were consumed with seeing the Christmas displays, the train set, a fish tank, participating in a holiday scavenger hunt, and of course the lush and exotic displays of plants while watching our little one discover it all. It was a rather harried trip with grandparents and cousins and all. In a few quiet moments here and there when I got a moment to really look at what we were seeing I started noticing these lovely Longfellows by glass artist, Hans Godo Frabel.
Now seemed like a good time to show the photos I snapped while they weren't looking.
It is as if they are what light would look like if it had weight and form.
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So Vandy and I spent two long nights together -- we were intertwingled for hours and we made magic! It was like a dream.
I couldn't be more thrilled about the three color lino cut I did for the annual PABA calendar. I made a resolution of sorts to start and learn making linocuts. I decided that a trial by Vandercook would be the way to go.
Before this:
It was this:
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Planning ahead isn't one of my strong suits. But I sure have been doing a lot of it lately. Back in July I responded to an open call for work for the 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Pop Up Now! opens next week and I am thrilled to say that my work will be hosted among the work of many esteemed book artists. I used the deadline as the impetus to do something I have been wanting to do for a long time. I make lots of pop up cards and have had ideas for pop up books. I am a slave to deadlines, I need them it seems to get anything done especially since I could easily fill my time with the creative company of a toddler. So I got my submission in on the day they were due and was tickled to be one of the 43 entries accepted out of a field of 117.
How I wish I could be there. The 8th annual conference of the Movable Book Society will be in Portland at the same time so the show will be a part of their conference. So cool!! Any Portlanders, please visit.
Without further adieu, my entry:
2011 is a pictorial story of a rabbit who gets the other-worldly call to go on a journey. The viewer follows the journey along the Great Wall of China, over water in a Chinese junk, to a bunny gathering. February 3, 2011 marks the Lunar New Year -- the year of the rabbit. After 12 years it is the bunny's turn to shine and be revered. Go rabbits!
So it seems I am doing fairly well, all things considered. My studio still isn't fully assembled but I am getting things done, some for actual events and some are for my own self-imposed deadlines and I am sticking to them! (more or less ;)
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Well they are a few days later than tomorrow, but these days I am pleased with any progress. In the spotlight of today's glorious sun and on a bed of new moss I present my polymer eggs.
They are far from perfect, if I get time I may sand them some more, but I am pleased with them. It was a fun project for learning how to work with the polymer clays. The dimples and joints are more visible in the photos than to my eye and I sort of like them, they give a hint to how they were made.
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It has been over a month since I have posted, I don't know what to say. So... look at a picture.
How 'bout another. See why I am distracted?
I did get to my favorite supply store and brought back a box full of inspiration and some wooden components that are the beginning of some handmade kokeshi dolls, with a bit of my own point of view of course.
I was thrilled to find these spindles and wooden balls since I had been wanting to make some kokeshi. They fit so well together and create some darling silhouettes of all shapes and sizes. I can see them coming to life already.
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My card below won! How exciting. We just got home from the opening exhibition. The cards submitted were fantastic -- funny, snarky, clever, elegant, and sweet. That little baby was worth $100 dollars. And yes for two days Kelli's Heart card was my baby, I can't tell you how many revisions and additions this card went through to become my final and winning design. It's a thrill. My real baby and light of my life came with us to the exhibition and he was the true artwork on display the collective cheer and ooo's and ahhh's when we came through the door was just hilarious. He was the highlight of the party just about everybody worked the room until they got to him. Maybe he's got some connections I don't know about.
I am trying to decide if it will be available in the shop. Gotta go, Olympic opening ceremonies are on. There will be a post about that later I am sure.
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Thought I should stop by my own blog. I have been holed up in my disaster of a studio designing some cards for this Valentine Card Challenge. The studio really needs to get organized, hubby got me two new pairs of scissors (the really good fine-detail kind), because my old faithfuls are on holiday in the deep recesses of my studio.
So here are a couple things I have been working on I had to snap some quick pictures before I dropped them off for the exhibit, not sure if I'll ever hold them in my hands again.
This one is a tribute to a friend, who died way too soon. She had a wonderful heart, full of so much love--for children, animals, crafting, her body is being donated to science. I have conflicted feelings about it. It has been on my mind a lot and it manifested as this card.
I love the shadows.
This lofty Valentine is for my hubby, he'll see it at the opening. I call it K+S. You can see it in a heart on the tree above. I am feeling rather confident he won't come the way of my blog before then. ♥
Isn't the wood type gorgeous?
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Ahh, I got time last night and this morning to beat out some new Valentine heart designs. They are a little late for this year, but love isn't just for Valentine's Day anyway, right?. My little sweetheart is just now waking up so I must post swiftly. I am so pleased with this new pop up design, adapted into two different styles.
One so sweet:
And one kind of wild:
To see them in their entirety check them out in my shop.
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