Id Marks

Not Mine, Mine

2012-01-15T09:05:00.004+01:00

First, here is a picture I love, and a link to lots more pictures I love ... Street Art Utopia is an aggregation of awesomesauce street art. I find it inspiring, and Right ... there is something inherently correct in ornamenting the world around us. Check out their annual collections of the best to see a bunch of super art all on one page.

Sadly, I didn't do any of that street art. I have gotten fixated lately with a crochet project I came across in the Crochet Me newsletter. They send out free patterns sometimes, and I was intrigued enough by a pattern I saw this week to actually sit down and learn to read crochet patterns. They are cryptic, and dense, and it is easy for me to lose my place. BUT! I have persisted, and learned some new stitches, and this is by FAR the most legitimate looking thing I have ever made with a crochet hook. It is far from done, I think I am going to need 8 more skeins of yarn to get there. But it is mostly down to a repetitive pattern to create length (this is a shawl), and not so much about doing complicated patterny things. The big piece here is about a foot long on the short side.

My brain has one front burner and a lot of back burner... there is more stuff to come, but I think I need to get this project out of my brain before I am going to be able to get back to the the block printing.

Currently Blocking The Dining Table ...

2011-12-27T14:47:00.001+01:00

long woodblock
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

I have been dabbling a tiny bit in woodblock printing. And shall continue dabbling, because that's how I roll. I really like it, and have begun to scheme a bit.

Also working on crochet, embroidery, that tea chest door, and some other random goodies.

Click through the photo to see a few more images from this project.

on the drawing board today

2011-11-29T13:26:00.001+01:00

on the drawing board today
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

I am ~~trying to~~ learning how to turn my lovely swirled designs into proper motifs for painting. I don't know if this is the right step, but the *current* step is> Make it bigger!

This is about 16" x 30", on newsprint type paper. Although I have done lots of attempts to get my ideas down in watercolor, it might work better in a more ... weighty medium. So, probably try acrylic or oil for this. Soon, even.

Latest in Knitwear...

2011-11-28T10:30:00.001+01:00

back of the hand
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

This weekend I was possessed (POSSESSED, I tell you!) by the need to make gloves out of some super soft, super stretchy AMBRA merino wool.

No, I know they don't match. They're not really meant to. I am learning to make the various parts of a glove that fit precisely, because I am having trouble finding gloves that don't squeeze me and make my hands *colder*. I need precision gloves. The thumb on the left glove, for instance, is a perfect fit. And the palm-to-knuckles bit of the right glove is bang on.

Sadly, I don't know if I would be able to wear these any length of time, because they are wool, but they were not irritating to make, so that's a good start. Maybe if I wash them with some fabric softener?

Anyway, I was thinking about what to do with all my gloves and socks that don't have mates. And I thought about how it is very common this time of year to see solo gloves and scarves and things littered around town. People place them up on fence posts and in window sills and on crossing signal posts, so if the original owner should happen by, they will find their lost item.

So THEN I thought, I will take pictures of each of my insane knit items, and leave them around town randomly, and then in the spring, go to the city lost & found office and see how many of them end up there. (Why do I call them insane knit items? Oh, did I say? I was thinking, since they aren't really meant to be worn, I could make stuff like gloves with 9 fingers, or something that looks like a tiny pajamas for a turtle.)

Only, I probably will use less expensive wool, if I do that. Probably I will wear these gloves when I go to put the Lost Items into the world. :)

2011-11-24T10:48:00.000+01:00

It is difficult for me to express how much I love this. I mean, I love Diego Rivera, too. But this is .... wow. Go read the article for the back story, and some progress / process pictures, and a photo of the peeps who made it happen.

Forgot to say...

2011-09-20T18:02:00.001+02:00

bonsai
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

I also re-potted my bonsai. It's much happier now, has the first new growth it has had in ages. Somewhere in there is a metaphor about art, but I am probably too lazy to spell it out.

If you want to see more pictures of recent work, there are a few in Flickr that did not get posted on this blog today. Just click on this picture to go through to the Flickr stream, and start clicking to see all the most recent.

Hot off the non-press

2011-09-20T17:59:00.000+02:00

ink on wash
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

Just finished this one today. India ink over watercolor. It kind of looks like an old-timey hand colored etching, except that it isn't an etching. Probably going to explore this technique / style combo a bit more in the near future, as it was pretty satisfying.

more ink and brush

2011-09-20T17:57:00.001+02:00

inkwash
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

I have been into the ink washes lately. This one kinda made me happy, but I feel like it is missing something.

Lost in translation...

2011-09-20T17:55:00.001+02:00

swirls and ribbons
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

I made a sketch in pencil that I liked very much, and wanted to convert it to a painting. It ... doesn't quite do justice.

Another unfinished thing

2011-09-20T17:53:00.001+02:00

windlicht
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

These were meant to be the four sides of a candle lantern ... and would have looked supercool with the candle light glowing through the paper. But I got stuck because I have been trying not to purchase any new materials, but don't have anything suitable to frame this out. And just gluing it together didn't seem wise.

watercolor experiment 2

2011-09-20T17:51:00.001+02:00

watercolor experiment 2
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

I have been dabbling in some watercolor techniques. My desk is covered in pages like this one, where I adore some of what's there, but not the rest of it. Not enough to frame it. But I don't throw them out. Maybe I have a brilliant future in collage.

Questions Have Been Asked...

2011-09-20T17:50:00.001+02:00

learning to knit
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

Well, questions have been implied.

I have been teaching myself to knit. Because. Uh. Reasons. My specialty so far seems to be making one of things that should be in pairs.

Following this post will be a bunch more posts with other stuff I have been doing, but just know that I have spent many, many hours over the last four months struggling to produce random objects out of yarn.

Vaguely Botanical ...

2011-06-15T11:54:00.001+02:00

mm17
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

I am still learning the ins and outs of getting my scanner to give me what I want. Sadly, some of my work is a bit larger than the scanner bed. Ahh, well, if that is my worst problem in life ...

Here you see a painting I did a while back (late last year or early this year), and haven't posted because it is not yet matted. Matted = Finished. Problem? Not sure what color mat to go with. Black is obvious, but not sure it is the best bet.

What do you think?

Recently Completed

2011-06-01T22:46:00.001+02:00

e box corner 2
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

Eszter's keepsake box, just delivered today. I love it so much, she doesn't know how close she came to getting another box. I really wanted to keep this one. Click through to Flickr to see more pictures of it.

on the drawing board

2011-05-27T18:09:00.001+02:00

on the drawing board
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

Today's dabbles.

Two Things

2011-05-08T12:58:00.001+02:00

1, I still exist, and this blog WILL see more updates in the future.

2, check out this awesomesauce artist, Charles Clary. I think I'm in love.

Did we talk about this?

2011-04-07T15:04:00.005+02:00

I don't think we did talk about it. This is a small (5x7"ish) watercolor + ink piece. Recently finished, not yet matted. I really dig it. Hopefully you do, too.

2011-03-29T11:34:00.007+02:00

First, pictures of my new sketchbook! I made this over the weekend. It took me longer than it probably should have, considering how complicated it isn't, but it's been a while since I made a book. Also, I didn't have the right glue, and had to do some dodgey substituting, and then also spray the covers in waterproofing stuff. .... don't ask.

The front cover.

The back cover. The covers are made with a fabric scrap I bought in the Ikea clearance room a long time ago. I bought it with no particular purpose in mind, but knew I would find something eventually. And, so I have. Vindication!

Laying open. Because it's a coptic binding, it opens pretty much totally flat, which is nice. The crease in the standard hardcover sketchbook is problematic. I'd been buying spiral bound for a while, but I don't really love them, they are just a compromise between not opening all the way, and using plain old loose leaves of paper. Which I might do next time.

Here's a shot of the spine, in case you were wondering what coptic binding means in practice. Each signature (group of pages) is stitched from the inside to the outside, connecting to the signatures that come before and after it. The first and last signatures are attached directly to the cover boards. It provides exceptional flexibility of the spine, and can also be used for a book of almost any thickness.

This picture shows the inside of the back coverboard, and some of my drafting tools. Not that you really needed to know about that, I just liked the shot.

I know it's been a while since I posted the current work in progress, and technically I am not really doing that now. HOWEVER! Here is a picture of my workspace as it sits right at the moment. The panels along the back are the pieces of a custom crate, the center of the desk has a belt buckle design I am finalizing with hopes of begining the actual piece today, and the rack on the right has a bunch of work on paper that needs to be matted, imaged for the portfolio, and filed. Also, some Sequential Tart review materials are there, and my new sketchbook that I made over the weekend.

All the little containers are writing implements, tools, etc. The pink things on the top / left are tape dispensers, which I have needed for a long time. (Yes, it IS "the little things" that make happy happen.)

Little file cabinet is full of more tools / utensils, paints, inks, etc. Trash can on the left, and the cubbies on the desk supports are full of random crap that I need without warning ... but then set aside without warning. It's a functional system, don't judge!

Chair is a swiveling kneeling desk chair. It's not super duper comfortable, but it does save my back and hips. And shoulders and neck. Also, it's really good for keeping my herniated cervical disk from pinching the nerve in my right hand. So ... comfort isn't always immediate gratification.

Neato Graphic Artist!

2011-03-27T09:01:00.002+02:00

Although I picked something else to preview for you here, I found this guy's portrait work to be awefully intense. I love it. I'm not a big fan of portraiture, but in this case, I'll allow it.
More drawings... on the Behance Network

fisheyed

2011-02-28T13:31:00.001+01:00

fisheyed
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

This picture shows two things...

1, that I took down a bunch of 2 year old designs and replaced them with some matted art, both mine and M. Ferner's.

2, my camera's fisheye lens is nice in many situations, but for taking good pictures of artwork, it is problematic.

2011-02-27T14:14:00.002+01:00

I finally posted my first piece to Etsy to sell. It's the one you see pictured here. If you click the Etsy link to the left, under See Me On ... it will take you to my shop, which so far has only this one posting.

But! I would be very open to suggestions. Let me know if you have ideas for improving this (or any) item I list.

Work in Progress

2011-02-27T08:42:00.002+01:00

wip220211
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

There are several pieces in the works right now, nothing finished yet. That notion of getting something done every day? Not happening. Not because I don't work every day, but because I tend to parallel process, so I'll have a bunch under way and nothing finished for ages, and then a bunch finishing up all at once.

Click through to Flickr to see more works in progress.

Also, check out Mary Golay, whose color techniques for Art Nouveau illustrations are amazing.

Thar she blows ...

2011-02-09T17:39:00.002+01:00

shell marker 1
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

Here's the other bookmark that was scratching to get out. Cut by hand, needs clean up in a big way! And, I need better saw blades.

As usual, click through to Flickr for full size, and another view.

New bookmark today!

2011-02-09T14:02:00.003+01:00

Here's one for you cephalopod fans ...

The major cuts on this were done on the scroll saw, and the interior / fine cuts were done with the hand saw. Definite good marks for speed and a clean edge. The drawback to using the scroller for this is that it uses the middle inch of a 6" blade -only- leaving most of the teeth totally unused by the time the blade is worn down to the point where I can't use it on the scroll saw anymore. I did not try using that blade in the hand saw afterward, mostly because I have a good sense of what happens when you have a blade that's sharp at both ends and dull in the middle.

Hint: It's not something good!

In an act of optimism, I am leaving my set-up set up so that when I get back from running errands, I can get right back to it. There is another design in my sketchbook waiting to be released into the world! I am really looking forward to that beautiful day in the future when my obsessions get rooms of their own, and I don't have to put away my toys if I want to eat dinner.

Groundhog's Day Again

2011-02-03T21:19:00.003+01:00

That was a little joke, y'see.

Here's today's project, another prototype bookmark. Spent a lot of time doing sketches, and this is just one of the ideas I scratched out. It was easier than yesterday's, and perhaps easier than tomorrow's. I am particularly pleased with how much this one matches the sketch.

Again, a prototype. A few technical details stand between me and a finished piece, not least the question of how to harden the metal. I find myself actually wondering if I can use a stand mixer in place of a polishing tumbler.

More pictures in Flickr, just click through the pic from here.

back in the saddle

2011-02-02T19:06:00.003+01:00

I have a provisional goal of doing one small project every day. I accept that this won't happen every day, but it's nice to get to the end of a day and have a Finished Thing to show for it. This is today's Thing -- a bookmark. This is made from copper, and not super-high-polish finished. It's a relatively crude prototype for the next project of the day. Tomorrow, I'll probably go in copper again. Eventually, when I'm happy with the prototypes, I'll move on to silver.

If you're interested to see some COOL metal bookmarks, try here.

New Year / New Blog

2011-01-29T12:01:00.003+01:00

Hi there! I know it's been pretty quiet around here. Too quiet! There are some changes coming. I would say soon, but soon is relative. Here are the highlights.

I'm opening two Etsy shops. One for 'fine art' — paintings, sculptures, prints, etc., and one for functional and silly items. This is taking some time, but I hope when I get it all up and running, it'll be easy for folks who are interested to browse & buy stuff I've made.
I'm re-doing this blog. Can't say too much about it yet, because I just don't know the details yet, but as soon as I know, I'll post it here, and then you'll know.
Metal work!! I have my tools and some supplies to get going with, so I'm very excited to say I'm getting back to my true love.
Printmaking!! I'm ready to start experimenting with this. This goes nicely with some of the metalworking I plan to do.
Other! It's going to be a busy year. I'm really excited about this. I've got cold glass work planned, custom-printed materials such as textiles and stationery goods, and a couple of guerrilla art maneuvers in the world. Oh, and maybe something that will lead to a book.

I realize that's a lot more exclamation points than I normally indulge in, but what can I say? That was a really good cup of coffee!!!! I mean, there's a lot going on. First, however, there is some administrative stuff to address. Because setting up an online store and a new blog isn't all about firing up the torch, sawing on stuff, or breaking out the paints. It's mostly about filling in the blanks, uploading the pictures, and double checking all the squinty little details.

For now, I'm going to leave you with this picture of the sun, moments after emerging from an eclipse, and a vague promise to post again just as soon as I can.

I think that's finished.

2010-12-20T20:55:00.006+01:00

Pretty sure this is done? Haven't sealed it yet, haven't matted it yet. Want to be sure. It's like they say... takes two to make a painting. One to paint it, one to shoot the sumbitch so she'll put the brush down when it's time to stop...

A detail that has been tough to capture in the photo is that the background are off-white silver stripes against the white-white paper. It's much easier to see in the previous post, with the detail shot, but the colors and saturation are pretty whacky with that one.

I'm very pleased with this. It was fun, and although it took about 3x as long as I expected, it is also about 3x cooler than I thought it would be, when I started it. Also, it's plain that all those people who told me I should go into print making were right.

PS, this picture is on the small side, the actual painting is about 6"x20". I'll post a bigger one tomorrow with mo' betta' details, but for tonight, I'm much, much too tired to keep messing with this.

workin' on it

2010-12-20T09:34:00.001+01:00

workin' on it
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

workin' on it

Among a few other things, here's a little snippet from a watercolor composition I'm working. The watercolor part is done, I'm just inking in details now. It's time consuming, but enjoyable. It's always nice to see the piece come together, but there's a sense of being outside the magic, almost as if I'm simply witnessing something the materials were going to do on their own.

Reminds me of a few lines from Mos Def's CHAMPION REQUIEM (from The New Danger, 2004) -

If you see or hear goodness from me
Then that goodness is from The Creator
You should be thankful to The Creator for all of that
'Cause I'm not the architect of that
I'm only the...the recipient
If you see weakness or shortcoming in me
It's from my own weakness or shortcoming
And I ask The Creator and the people to forgive me for that

Old Dog / New Tricks

2010-12-17T07:29:00.005+01:00

Took a two evening advanced course in acrylic abstract painting, with emphasis on landscape rendering. I went with a water theme, probably because I'd been listening to The Odyssey audio book all afternoon...

Although that style of painting does not especially interest me, the techniques presented did, and the instructor did a fine job of explaining them.

My canvas was, sadly, too small to try them all out at once, as most of them rely on allowing thin layers of paint dry between applications. Obviously this is tough with a small canvas! You can only get so far away from what you've just painted. Everyone else in the class was working with one or more canvasses in the 2'x3' size range, for the most part.

Here is the canvas I painted during class. Currently I have a couple of watercolors in progress, but when I have finished those, I am going to start some acrylic paintings. It seems that having a couple of canvasses going simultaneously is the cure for waiting, and I love trying new stuff. I did come out of the classes feeling pretty inspired to try these techniques, and full of ideas about how to put them to good use.

I admit it was hard not to giggle when several of the other course participants extended sincere sympathy to me, as an apparently obvious total beginner to painting. I took the small canvas (about a foot square) because I've not been feeling well lately, and didn't have a lot of energy for a large painting -- and I *hate* unfinished paintings. Also, carrying it to class and back home in the freezing damn cold on foot kinda sucks. $5 says everyone else in the class came in a car. Since I'd been doing watercolors during the day both days, I ended up painting the acrylic left-handed to give my right a break. Didn't really get into any of that with the other people in the class, though. I was just happy to be there.

There is a summer course, 3 days somewhere north of here, that I will probably sign up for, if I can work out transportation, and get registered before all the spots fill. It does look like fun.

Waiting Rooms, Pt 2

2010-12-08T16:40:00.004+01:00

Dr. Brain's waiting rooms, Thursday afternoon, (outer and inner, 75 minutes combined)

Not composed, just freestyling.

Dr. Brain wasn't terribly interested.

Dr. F's waiting room, Friday morning. 90 minutes.

Dr. F liked it very much.

The resulting watercolor painting, Friday afternoon / evening, at home.

The cats stayed close the whole time I was working on it, but weren't impressed at all.

Zazzle Sale...

2010-12-08T09:12:00.004+01:00

Edit: Friggin´time zones. Apparently Zazzle.com is on Pacific time. 9 a.m. rolled around here, and their deal changed to Posters / Calenders. 60% off is nice (super, even!) but doesn´t help with the cost of mugs. On the bright side, if you ordered 2 mugs, they now ship for free...? Ahh, well. Sorry. I was so excited, too.

Zazzle is doing sales on some things right now - mousepads and mugs, 35% off, with free shipping over $35, is the one that caught my eye. I'm adding a couple to the line up and hoping they show up fast, 'cause the deal is only today (Tuesday, 8 December 2010). I realize sales like this are an obnoxious high-pressure sales tactic.

On the other hand! Mugs like this are wicked cool! That sucker changes color*. Dude. It‘s black when it´s cold, and then when you put a hot beverage in it, the design is revealed. I want one, and will probably order one, because this sale is way better than the seller discount. (My margin on these is 10%, this sale is 35%...)

Also, I realized it´d been ages since I added anything to the Zazzle store. It is fun, and whenever I get enough credit from selling stuff, I think I will have custom postage stamps made and send them to my grandmother as her Christmas gift.

Here is a fancy link to the whole shop. It is a little busy for my taste, but I guess it´s what the young people like?

make custom gifts at Zazzle

As always — should you order a thing I designed, I am very grateful. Obviously it isn´t making me rich, or famous, or good looking. But it makes me happy, which is pretty damn cool.

And, no, I don´t want to talk about the apostrophes. Thanks for bringing that up, though... :/

* color change mugs being a well known and long standing object of appreciation for me.

Time Well Spent

2010-12-07T20:45:00.003+01:00

I've been in a lot of waiting rooms lately. I've come to love the sound of someone's eyeball creeping off a back issue of Waiting Room Quarterly and onto my paper.

*creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*

What it looks like...

2010-11-30T18:24:00.004+01:00

... not to sell art at the flea market. It's easy to think the display might've been a problem, but I assure you, that was not the difficulty. Most sellers seemed to simply have brought some stuff in a laundry basket and overturned it when they arrived at the flea market. The difficulty was, most of the people who were at the market looking for stuff were looking for specific things, and I don't think any of them were there looking for watercolor paintings. Most of those people were probably waiting for the Christmas market to open down in old town.

Wrong venue. Live and learn.

Look Over There ---->

2010-11-30T07:58:00.002+01:00

I've added a link over on the right side, that will take you to a slide show of available works. I will post a notice here whenever new items are added to it. It's a very simply Flickr slide show, should play for anyone. However, if you have trouble loading it, just click in the middle of the screen that comes up, and it should take you to the normal Flickr set of available art. Same pictures, no slide show.

Go See The Slide Show on Flickr!

2010-11-27T05:51:00.003+01:00

WC11
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

With details, even. Yay!

To see the show - click on THIS picture, which will take you to the Flickr set for these things, and if you click on the first picture THERE, it brings up a nice screen where you can keep clicking next and seeing it all right there.

Let me know if you have questions or comments or are desirous of some art.

Also — I'll make a thing just for you. No need to buy stuff off the shelf. Talk to me.

Art Sale (finally)

2010-11-22T14:06:00.004+01:00

I am going to be taking nearly four years of watercolor and ink paintings to the flea market and try to sell them to holiday gift-hungry strangers in the weekends between now and the end of December. However! If YOU are interested in any acquiring of my art for yourself or someone you know, now's a good time, because I'm in the mood to get it out of the house.

Everything on paper is matted by me (so, not professionally, although I do have a proper mat board cutter and the skills to make it go), and the dimensions can be / will be provided. As far as I know, everything I'm taking has already been posted in the art blog, but I'm going to try to put up a slide show of the work I'm taking to sell, so it can be seen in its fancy, matted, ready-to-frame glory. For the record -- the pictures of the art won't be amazing because my camera isn't a "real" camera, it's a point and shoot with a fixed lens, so everything looks a little curved in the middle. Maybe if I sell ALL the paintings, I can buy a grown-up camera!

Oh, to be clear -- these are all original works. There are no copies, no prints, no clever forgeries. One of a kind only.

partial credit, I demand it!

2010-11-22T12:56:00.006+01:00

Tried to post this stuff a few days ago, did not manage to do so, and decided to post it now, before I forget again for the rest of eternity. Of course, it's a holiday, so probably no one will see it. C'est la Vie!

So.... these photos are stubborn about placement! Wow.

This tiny strip is actually a fabric thing about five feet long, maybe a foot wide. The black silhouette region was printed by IKEA, I'm filling in the colors myself. I stitched all around where the black meets the white, because I'm going to fill it with pillow stuffing and turn it into a sort of low relief type thing.

All these sheets are watercolor paintings I did three years ago. I'm getting them into mat board finally this week, as I'm taking everything I can carry with a reasonable expectation of not damaging it, and trying to sell stuff at the flea market this weekend. Hoping the holiday shopping frenzy is in full swing.

Most of what's kept me busy since then has been the framing stuff. Today I matted six of the large pieces, and prepped a bunch more for tomorrow. It's amazing how long this stuff takes me. I think I might move a little faster if I work on a lower work surface (will try it tomorrow), but they sure look nice when they're done. I even shelled out for the nice poly sleeves to put them in. Pics coming real soon! Trying not to get distracted, but if I get actual daylight during the day tomorrow, then pics tomorrow.

Urban Sketching

2010-11-09T18:48:00.002+01:00

I recently came across the Urban Sketchers blog, and have been inspired to haul my sketch book around town. Normally when I see a crapload of really amazing drawings and paintings that people have the nerve to refer to as "sketches", I retreat, feeling intimidated. For some reason this site fires me up about putting marks on the page. Today I sat on a cold cement bench in front of the Schwalbennest coffee shop and made a crude sketch of it for a while, 40 minutes maybe? My fun was cut short when a delivery truck rudely pulled up right in front of me. Bugger managed to block my line of site, the bike lane, AND was parked square in front of the no-parking sign. Dude was on a roll.

Anyway, I decided that it was fun, even if the sketch isn't amazing like a lot of what's on the Urban Sketchers site. I also decided that color is pretty important to these sketches. Since even a really basic watercolor kit is more crap than I want to juggle when I go out in the world, I decided to try taking the watercolor pencils with me. That should allow me to rough in the color, work dry (makes for quick get-aways!), and not worry about spilling stuff, etc. The ability to slap the notebook shut and cheese it is important to me.

Eventually I'll start posting some of these things here. Promise. The problem isn't that I hate it or anything like that, it's more that I'm too lazy to deal with the camera and the uploading and all that. Also, I'm really focused on a textile project right now, and I'd rather put the time into that instead.

And so I am. And yes, there will be pictures of that project, too! Until then, I highly recommend you hustle over to Urban Sketchers and dig the awesomeness. I've added a link to it from here in the link list on the right, so you can get to it any time you get the urge. It's that cool.

Confession Time

2010-10-20T13:04:00.002+02:00

blurry side light
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

All the final pictures are up on the Flickr page, with descriptions of the various bits and bobbles. Here you see it hanging on the back of my bookcase. I was trying to find a suitably well-lit dark place to hang it, if you see what I mean. I broke my favorite portable bright light, so just running off to the bathroom and putting it on a towel hook wasn't in the cards. Oh well.

This Is How It Begins

2010-10-16T07:51:00.003+02:00

Candle Sconce Steps 1
Originally uploaded by Id Marks

I started a new project this week, in part to avoid post-partum depression after the tea chest, and in part because I have a HUGE list of projects backlogged (also, after the tea chest...). So, this one is small, but I thought I'd try documenting it pretty well. Looking over the pictures I took, it seems like there were a couple of times I thought, "This would make a great picture," but that was as close as I got to actually making a picture. Turns out, I still don't have that camera-eye. If you're Regan, you can just pull those images from my mind, probably. Everyone else, SOL. Sorry.

This project begins with the broken mirror from an old American Tourister travel case. (thanks, giant ridiculous cat...) And, some coffee. I wanted to make a wall sconce for a candle, and I wanted to do it without buying *anything*, so I was scrounging around for inspiration. And there was the broken mirror. Everyone makes candle holders that sit on tables and shelves, but tables and shelves eventually fill up with crap, or in my case, fill up with cats who are more than happy to knock my stuff onto the floor, whether it is burning or not. There is real appeal in being able to nail something high up on the wall!

Click through to see all the photos so far – about a dozen – with some explanation on each. The project is NOT finished yet, and I probably won't post again until it is. Should be soon, WARNING, that's the kiss of death right there, but when it is done, and I post again, that should be the rest of the photos, including the very first sketch, before I even thought of using the mirror, all the way to the last pic of the candle sconce on the wall with a burning candle in it and a frustrated cat, unable to knock it over.

Well, then, that wasn't so hard, was it?

2010-10-08T12:58:00.004+02:00

Still Not Dead

2010-10-01T10:57:00.004+02:00

Also, still not finished with that project. Today might be the day, though. I think it's just down to fixing in those last 8 pieces of glass. You know, the ones that don't fit anymore? because the wood changed size due to moisture content, or paint, or whatever? Yeah. Those. Anyway. That.

So.

While I'm all busy cursing about that, I'll leave you with this. In Vienna, Austria last week, there was lots of art-boggling, and a purchase was made of a fine art print from Michael Ferner. This is my second M. Ferner print, the first being the two koi print from back in January.

I am now going to point you to his web site. If you do nothing else, simply reload his front page over and over, because the images there are gorgeous. The dragons, the bamboo, the seahorses, the owl. These are some of my favorites.

This is a tiny image (from his site) of the print we bought in Wien last week. Never bought a print with a pedigree before! The print itself is largish, for us, anyway, 70cm X 150cm. It's going to look very, very cool hanging in our Laubengang, which is a long hallway thing, paneled entirely in wood, with windows and doors along both sides.

Waiting For Glue To Dry

2010-09-14T14:06:00.002+02:00

Since I'm waiting for glue to dry in a non-euphemistic, non-metaphorical way, I thought I'd muse on some of the lessons I've learned from this project. It's not over, but since I just bribed myself to work on with an offer of a trip to the office supply if I finish it today, it must be close ('cause it's back to school sales time, squee!)...

One thing I've learned is, this is probably a prototype. I didn't start with a plan, I started with some nice plywood from the 50¢ scrap bin at the hardware store, and some shards of glass I'd painstakingly removed from a broken window here in the apartment. I had many different ideas along the way, and it moved forward very haltingly. And slowly. Part of the slowness was not actually knowing what came next, and having to have a good long think about that. I think the longest was almost a month.

If I had to build it again, by drawing a plan from what I've got now, and making a shopping list, and doing this like a proper project.... it'd most likely be a weekend project, or even just a day project, depending on what I chose to finish the wood / materials. I may test this bold claim. The closer it is to finished, the more sure I am that I can do better, faster, and with greater satisfaction at the end. I can't really 'save' this one, but I could go for a mulligan and be happy with what I get out of it. What I can't do it for is cheaper – this one is constructed almost entirely out of stuff I already had on hand, or clearance bin items. The only things I paid full price for were hardware (hinges, knob, latch).

Another thing I (re)learned is that prototypes are totally worth it. Although maybe next time I should do it in cardboard or something. In art we call that a maquette, or a 'mock up' if we're not being pretentious art school dorks.

In no particular order, further learned things:

cut the glass first, cut the holes for the glass after
hot glue does NOT work like caulking (don't ask)
slate is surprisingly hard to find
have a variety of fastening hardware on hand
there's a reason some kinds of hardware come in a minimum of 100 quantity
sand before sawing, between coats of paint, and after pulling the splinter out
if you think something will make a good picture, it probably will
measuring is not just for chumps
a project that won't end is hugely inspirational - I'm FULL of other ideas now!
cheap wood clamps are even worse than you think they'll be

Perhaps the most painful part of all this were the times I didn't have the right tool for something. Doing projects without a fully equipped shop can be fun, especially when you manage to work around a tool or process. A person can feel quite clever when Making Do. (See my contour gauge a few posts back...) but... it's those times when I'm mis-using a tool that I feel like ass. When I'm using a tool for something it was simply not intended for, and I know it. Or when I know without doubt that the problem I have can ONLY be solved by having the right tool, which I can't afford at the moment. Or that the problem I have can ONLY be solved by having a quality example of the right tool, which isn't in the stars at the moment. Those times are a bit frustrating.

Today's Time, As Distance

2010-09-13T19:54:00.003+02:00

Today I replaced some set screws on my scroll saw, and set about cutting several meters of wobbly line into a one meter flap of hard wood.

It was kind of fun.

Tomorrow... less fun stuff. Finishing-up stuff. I spent way too much time today trying to get sticker glue off the hinges. And make the hinge screws work. The problem? They're a bit too long. Meh.

I say finishing-up stuff, as if I think I might finish this sumbitch some day.

A girl can dream, right?

Shotgun Updating

2010-09-07T20:54:00.007+02:00

Check me out, two posts in one month! It's starting to get crazy around here!

The formatting on these pictures is going to make me nuts if I goof around with it. So I'm not. Here's the rundown.

Couple sheets of paper with barely visible sketches... sketches for my next couple of projects. Hopefully those projects will be visible.

Bunch o' sticks.... if you can guess what tool I made there, you win a prize!* Double prize if you can guess whether it worked or not.

The re-do on the frame / edge. It took much less time than the first time, and is a thousand times better, but I'm still cross to have had to re-do it. Ahh, well. Live and learn. And re-do crap sometimes.

Quick watercolor painting to test out a brush brought from Beijing by a friend who visited there recently. That sucker can lay down some SERIOUS paint! Highly diggable. It will be my go-to brush of choice for watercolor tidal waves.

224214152 - sorry I didn't answer your question sooner, more pictures to come... behind the windows are pigeon holes.... square openings (16cm I think, a bit deeper than that?).

There will be more pictures when I have the front panel opening and closing and stuff.

Yes.

* There is no prize.

Polar Expedition Thought Lost Heard From At Last!

2010-08-22T12:17:00.007+02:00

New Fixation - Fyodor Shekhtel

2010-08-18T10:23:00.001+02:00

Fyodor Shekhtel
Originally uploaded by Igor Palmin

Russian architect / designer. This is Art Nouveau at its finest. It makes me sigh.

What's cooler than flowers?

2010-07-14T07:59:00.001+02:00

vlashton-2110263280_rectified
Originally uploaded by golanlevin

Flowers that have been made, the way the mafia can make someone.

Check out this Flickr set. It's flowers that have been unrolled through the magic of a custom software built just for that purpose.Some of them are very, very nifty landscapes. Most of them are still clearly recognizable as flowers. All of them are very striking images. I think you'll like this stuff.

How These Things Begin (sort of)

2010-06-29T21:43:00.003+02:00

Here's my sketch for the 16 windows of the
previous few posts. It's kind of similar, and
kind of ... gestural. Doing the drawing functioned more to give me the sense of what kind of lines I wanted the frames to have, than to give me the precise shapes for each of the 16 windows.

In some ways this stuff would all be easier if I were the type to plan my projects out to the last and tiniest detail before beginning to execute, but I have tried that in the past, and invariably been horribly, horribly frustrated. Because when I plan that way, I give myself no leeway for adapting to the unexpected. Materials or processes that don't work out quite as planned. When I do that much planning, I damn well expect it to work out like that!

On the other hand, when I do it this looser way, just kind of rolling with the ideas as they come, I tend to change course a bit *too* much, whether things are working or not, and I tend to waste time and effort and often materials. In this method, I have to be very careful to set firm deadlines and I have to set budget limitations, material limitations, and lock down how many changes I let myself make along the way. Project managing, basically. That turns into a tough line to toe, because it wars with my desire not to stifle creative urges. (The alternative being, frustration because my creative urges make it flat out impossible to get anything done, ever.)

If at first you fail, try, try again...

2010-06-26T09:51:00.002+02:00

Tried to post this four times yesterday, and somehow the post got wiped out four times. Finally I gave up and took a little nap instead. I'm sure you understand!

What you see here are two panels of wood with sixteen different shaped holes cut in them. Each hole has a corresponding glass piece, and a matching wooden frame piece. The glass goes inside the hole, and the frame piece sits on top.

Since cutting out the sixteen holes, it has taken me almost two weeks to get the sixteen pieces of glass cut out and ground to fit.

Two damn weeks.

What yo are looking at here is a closer view of a single glass-frame-hole set. Click through to see it a little larger.

I have learned a valuable lesson in that time. Several, in fact. First, never ever try to cut out glass in shapes like these. Because it's a pain in the ass.

Second, if I do something like this again, I'm going to cut out the glass FIRST, and then do the wood cut out and fitting AFTER, because sanding wood to fit something is a hell of a lot easier and faster than sanding glass. Not to mention safer!

These two close-up shapes are the two worst of the lot, I think I had to cut these each four or five times to get pieces that did not break and become useless.

Step 1 - Collect all the underpants!

2010-05-28T14:11:00.002+02:00

I've just finished the scrollwork for a picture frame I've been wanting to make for a while. I don't think this is the frame I originally dreamed of, but it will be cool anyway. And I can always make more! I like this very much, although it is pretty far from done. Next time I'll probably keep track of how many hours go into something like this. I didn't this time, but I know it was *many*.

That's 4 pieces of thin plywood that were stacked up and staples driven into the edges. The design was applied to the top layer, and I drilled holes to feed the saw blade into the interior of each enclosed space to cut out, starting with the smallest / furthest inside first, and working my way out. The last step was to cut the outsides, gradually replacing staples with tape so the stack would stay in alignment.

The roundy thing in the center, below the flash glare is a quarter, for size reference. Next step.... paint it, I think. Then paint something to glue it to.

Art, versus something I could do and get paid for.

2010-05-26T10:31:00.002+02:00

Last week, it occurred to me that I could probably make some money by going to the fleamarkt on a Saturday morning, picking out some little prizes, and assembling them (on the spot), and (hopefully) selling them by the end of the day. At the fleamarkt. Somewhere in the intersection of crafting, performance art, recycling, and yard sale. Also, and perhaps most importantly, it could be quite fun. The fleamarkt is basically a pre-sorted landfill, so any and every random thing I could need or want to put into a project would be there. Lamp parts, coffee pots, thermos bottles, LPs. I am very fond of this idea. The only real downside I see here is that it is juuuuuust over my introvert / extrovert threshold. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try it once and see if I can survive it.

Ideally, I wouldn't actually go there with a plan for a finished item, just see what's there and come up with a concept on the spot. However, for a first run, I imagine a basic plan might be a really good idea, so I'll at least know what tools to take, and what to budget for materials.

Things I already know I'll need:

camera (for documentation)
something to sit on (there is a little drinking area there, that might suffice)
a wide brimmed hat (there is no shade)
some money to buy base materials
some courage to talk to strangers about what I'm doing / trying to sell
a basic tool kit (a way to cut things apart, a way to join things together, a way to clean up rough edges, a way to clean up dirty bits, a few spare parts, and whatever else seems like a good idea)
... other? A bag lunch. 'cause if no one is going with me, I can't just walk away from my project to get lunch, I guess.

Does this idea sound interesting at all? The Mr. wasn't really into it, but he's not really a Maker.

New! Content with actual content!

2010-05-19T10:51:00.003+02:00

OK, last post, total cop out. Fortunately, I don't think anyone looked at it too closely! :)

On the topic of making a living as a gallery artist, versus not:

As I gather my application materials for this studio space thing, I have been meeting with some surprising internal resistance. I DO want the space, that is not an issue. My issue is what I do with my art. For a long time, I've been frustrated by the gallery art world. There are things about it that make me very uncomfortable.

A big issue - prices. It pisses me off to see a scribbled cocktail napkin going for $10000. Even though I think, well, good for them, that someone can make a living at art. In *any* way. But it's irritating. Because I know that if *I* scribble on a cocktail napkin, I'd be lucky if no one charged ME for the privilege of throwing it away. This is NOTHING to do with talent or skill. It's all about place / time / connections. That $10k napkin is a $10k napkin because that artist was in some particular situation to make it that way. Maybe it won't last forever, that situation, but the artist sure as hell will want to sell as many $10k napkins as possible in the meanwhile.

But I don't want that. Watch closely, because here's where it gets very squadgy indeed.

The thing I don't want is something I regard as crap going for a lot of money. Maybe I could make an infinitely superior scribble on a cocktail napkin, but if *I* think it is crap, I would die of shame before selling it to someone, much less displaying it publicly.

But the work I do, the work that meets my standards ... doesn't seem to be in much demand. There are only so many options in this situation. Create demand, change the work, or do something else altogether. (These options all assume I want to make some money with my work, which I do. Not so much for the money-have, but simply not to be a continued financial drain on my world.)

And that's where I get stuck. I know this studio space is a step in the direction of being that gallery artist. Fundamentally, I think it would be great to make money off my work, and that is an avenue that I could pursue. But I don't want to be the cocktail napkin artist, producing crap and selling it for mad money. It was pointed out to me that, in that context, the price is part of the piece. I don't like that. I don't feel comfortable with the meshing of value and aesthetic. Because I don't value money much at all. It is useful, but it's not interesting.

So... whether I get this studio space or no, I am going to need to figure out what I DO want. What IS a good exchange for my effort? How can I recover expenses without losing self-respect, which I can't afford? Knowing what I *don't* want only gets me so far.

Oh, and that picture is the beginning piece of the first complete object I will have made with my scroll saw. It's not very exciting, but I admit it tickles me that removing 18 tiny strips of wood makes 9 flat pieces of wood into a little shelf-esque thing.

everything and nothing

2010-05-17T21:20:00.003+02:00

I have all kinds of things to post about, including current projects, some musings on making a living as a gallery artist (or not), and so on. But I slept poorly last night, and am not totally coherent. Also, my biorhythm says today, I does not brain.

So, I give you this little part of an image, which links to a gallery of some wild fantasy art. You may enjoy it, I hope you do.

Portfolio...

2010-05-04T13:48:00.005+02:00

I've been working on my portfolio for this studio residency application ... and because if I'm going to continue faking this Being An Artist thing, I can't really NOT have one. What you see here is a sample page from what I've been doing. It's not amazing, but it's a start. A whole bunch of these in one place actually looks like Something Official, anyway. That's gotta count for something, yeah?

Making a portfolio is kind of tedious, but I admit that it is helping me see how much I have done (because I'm having to weed out things that aren't the best, there are simply more pages than are reasonable), and it is reassuring to see that I am making good stuff, and I am making progress over time. And reminds me that I would like to get back to 3D now, please. (Come ON, studio space..!)

Click to see large, just like always. (... and then click THAT for the full size view!) Sometime maybe I can get all the pages up online so Interested Parties can browse my portfolio at leisure. As a side benefit, YOU will be able to get in it, too...

2 steps forward..... 2 steps back.

2010-04-21T14:27:00.003+02:00

I've been working on that wooden knot all week. Today's work centered around un-doing the work of the prevous two days. How's that for awesomesauce?

Curiously, I find I am OK with this, for a couple of very specific reasons. First, knowing how to correct screw ups is a valuable skill. Especially if one can correct them to the point of hiding all evidence of said screw ups. In this case, it's not a perfect cover up, but it's certainly going to be close enough for government work. And I don't go through life pretending screw ups don't happen, I'd rather know how to cope, than not.

Second, I shot myself in the foot by being hasty about what I was doing, and it cost me in time, effort, and result. Which means this time spent putting things back on track is also time I can spend figuring out a suitable course correction. Don't know if I'll actually learn any valuable lessons in patience, but it seems possible, and it seems like I can be happy with the outcome of this project. Historically, getting pissy and abandoning stuff when I screw up is my M.O.

So, no picture today, you can see yesterday's picture for a peek at what it will (once again) look like by the time I stop working on it today.

Still going, and hopefully going somewhere else, too.

2010-04-20T11:31:00.004+02:00

Still working on this. I did most of the shaping and rough sanding over the weekend. Now I need to get busy with the drill, wooden pegs, and wood glue, and get it assembled.

Or, wait, maybe the 2nd sanding comes after the pegs are fitted, but before the wood glue.

Man, I don't know. Can you believe I do my own taxes, and can't even figure out the order of operations for a simple woodworking project?

I did learn that I probably want to spring for a shop vac one of these days. A little one.

In the spirit of collecting moral support, I want to share another project I'm working on. It's not quite as concrete as what's in the picture here. I'm applying for a studio space in a local art-in-residence program. You don't speak German, and this is not posted in English this year, so I'll just tell you the deal... it's rent-free studio space for up to a year, there are 8 studios on the 5th floor of the building in the picture. The 6th floor has live-in studios for 4 artists, as well. I hope to do work I can't really do at home (glass, metal, larger scale...) and interact with other artists, maybe get some shows and contacts and possibly collaborative projects out of it. Assuming I get the studio. The application is due by 31 May, so I'm hustling now to get a suitable portfolio and statement together. Thought I'd missed the deadline for this year. I don't know if they extended it, or if I was just confused, or what. Not going to waste time worrying about that.

I admit, I felt much more hopeful about this before I knew how many people applied last year. I'm sure it's even more this year. I'm just not a competitive person. Probably what I need to keep in mind is that I don't need to be cooler than everyone who applies. I just need to be cooler than enough of them to get a spot.

Also, in the course of digging up the necessary info about this artist in residence thing, I also discovered that this city has some great resources for artists. I am going on Thursday afternoon to find out what exactly I'm allowed to do legally (given my resident and work status here), and what my obligations are in terms of taxes, etc. Good info, and they provide it at no cost. Even if I find out that I can't do anything, at least I won't be out any money for the info, and will not be stuck wondering what the deal is and how to find out for sure.

On the hoop

2010-04-20T11:23:00.005+02:00

I don't have an explanation for what this 'is' -- what is it for, where is it going.... I just was seized with the urge to line out a design in needle & thread on cloth, and so I have. It's not *quite* done, maybe one more hour of stabbery. And then.... what? I don't know. Maybe I'll frame it. Or sew it onto something else.

The fabric is something like muslin, but stretchier than I expected. Which is to say, it probably is not muslin. This is what I get for buying scrap fabrics. It's lighter and smoother than the linen I'd been using, and it's not a bad choice, although it is basically see-through. I have been basically doing double-sided stitching (where it looks the same on the top and underneath) because the dark purple thread would make the top look kind of discolored in places.

If you have a use for this, let me know.

2nd storage crate, done.

2010-04-20T11:16:00.003+02:00

Here you see the finished crate, as well as the sketch from my sketch book about how I wanted it to look. It's not quite as depth-y as I'd considered, but that's OK. I like the flat, graphic style, too. There are a few things I'd do differently if I were to do this again.

For one thing, the blue paint was not waterproof. Cannot explain it. The white, black, and red were all waterproof, and they all came from the same pack of paint. I was also going for a 'distressed' look for the black upper/background area, but instead got 'splotchy'... ahh well. I think I lost patience when the blue paint turned on me, and I just kinda wanted the project to go away. Ended up having to roll some sealant over this, and it picked up blue paint. Irritating!

But I'm not doing this again. I'm going to do one of the other two crates awaiting decoration. I think the next one is going to be a stenciled repeater pattern. With metallic accents and racing stripe.

Last sketch for today, I promise.

2010-04-20T11:14:00.002+02:00

I know. Way more sketches than anyone cares to see. I like to post them here because occasionally I read back through my blog and see how things have change / stayed the same. Sometimes blogging is more like journalling, I guess.

More from the sketchbook

2010-04-20T11:12:00.003+02:00

From the sketchbook

2010-04-20T11:07:00.002+02:00

In no particular order, some sketches from recent times.

Progress continues!

2010-04-15T14:39:00.003+02:00

MacBook for size reference!

I finished cutting out the individual pieces of this today. As of this moment, the plan is to shape and refine the blocks a bit before affixing them to something else. Probably another piece of wood, if I had to make a random guess. Most likely use the Dremel and other things to do the shaping. Haven't decided yet about finishing. Since it's plywood, there isn't going to be a lot of point in highlighting the wood's natural beauty, so paint might be the order of the day. If I really feel like doing a LOT of sanding, I might go for some glossy lacquer type thing.

And, yeah, before you sharp-eyed folks even ask, it is the same knot as on that painting from a couple of months back. I really like this one.

New saw, new project, new hopes and dreams.

2010-04-14T12:45:00.004+02:00

New saw showed up yesterday, new project started today. I'm having fun, and looking forward to seeing how this turns out. I don't know why, but it really amuses me that the saw has a pictogram of a person reading a book. This must be my saw....

ETA - already had to play a round of Digging Through The Vacuum Bag To Find That Piece I Didn't Mean To Suck Up But Did. I hope I don't have to play THAT game again any time soon. Yech.

new toy!

2010-04-08T13:53:00.005+02:00

I tried a smallish, probably too-complicated design with my shiny new pack of Pentel Fabric Fun wax dye sticks. It's like a pastel that can be used on fabric, and set into the fiber with a hot iron.

Predictably, they are inclined to be a little muddy in application, especially as they are *very* soft, and can't hold a point at all. So... any amount of precision I want has to be attainable with a tip the size of a pencil eraser. On the other hand, it sets REALLY fast, almost unbelievably fast, and does not bleed at all. And blending is pretty easy.

I tried to make transfers a couple of different ways, but it seems to resist that very capably. I suspect it sort of collapses on itself when it gets heated, so instead of transferring, I just ended up with a few little pills of color and a largely-unmarked cloth. Ahh, well. Will be working with shielding when I am ready to try again. Probably need to put the colors first and the black on top, which is the opposite of how I normally work.

Also on the worktop -

2010-04-08T13:49:00.002+02:00

Painting the panels for another storage crate. Thinking I might use this one for paper... This has reached that stage where I hate it, and if I look directly into the abyss, I'll just paint over it and start again. However, I'm NOT looking into the abyss, I'm just filling in the lines with the paint as planned. There is still hope for this.

There are a couple of problems, though -- the paint is not holding its pigment. Surpassing strange, given that it's friggin' acrylic paint. So I'm going to have to put a sealer coat over this when it is done, and possibly the one I finished a while back, as well. Ahh, well. So much for quick & easy. Another problem is that there are a couple of 'sides' of the design that for some reason weren't colored in, and I'm not sure why, or what color to use, and I am limited by how much of these colors I have left. Oh well, not the end of the world. This will be happy when it is over.

... and then you threw an octopus at my window.

2010-04-08T13:44:00.003+02:00

Been working on a variety of things, none of which are complete. Possibly as a consequence of multi-tasking? But paint has to dry, dammit! Here's one avenue I've been treading... dabbling in a combo of ink and watercolor that has been entertaining me.

Basically, the technique is to draw some lines/forms in non-waterproof ink, and then fill or not-fill the spaces with watercolor paint, which draws in some of the ink. It's a little blurrier than I'd like in some places, but some bits of it work quite well, I think. The top one is smallish, maybe a 5"x7" paper, and the top one is like a page of notebook paper size. I think I'll have more use for this technique in the future, I find it both satisfying to do as well as pleasing to have done. These are good things.

A Sad Day

2010-03-30T15:07:00.002+02:00

I had to return the scroll saw, it was crap. I need a good scroll saw. I am very disappointed.

first cut

2010-03-24T14:27:00.001+01:00

first cut
Originally uploaded by oferchrissake

Got my new scroll saw today. Did a very basic cutting exercise to start with. This took about an hour, more or less.

Obviously, I need practice. Less obviously, I need better saw blades. I started with a new one, and it was dull before I got to the harder cuts (on the right)... which means the harder cuts were now harderer. Meh.

However, I'm really looking forward to getting into the rest of the introductory exercises (I got a book about this, The Scroll Saw Workbook by John Nelson ), and am working through the skills, so I can start making neato things. If you look closely, you'll see a resemblance between what I've cut, and the picture on the front of the book. I drew my guide lines by hand, though, because getting copies made just seems like so much work. And I won't be cutting out any damn bunny rabbits.

Will need to get some better wood, though, this 3 ply stuff is OK, but not great. Probably working harder than I have to and dulling blades faster than necessary because I'm not using plain old pine planks.

12 meters/€20

2010-03-17T11:05:00.004+01:00

I stumbled into the clearance room at Ikea and found a bin full of fabric ends and pieces. Off-cuts, samples, etc. In all probability, had the prices been half what they were, I'd have ended up with twice as much fabric. These are the prizes, and I already have plans for a lot of it, but there is something about a bunch of random fabrics that just makes me want to Make Stuff.

coming out of cold storage

2010-03-13T05:33:00.002+01:00

The design on the right will eventually emerge from the collection of swirls on the left. And you will be amazed.

AMAZED, I say!

Aww, crap.

2010-02-14T13:05:00.002+01:00

Whoops. I made a picture of this last week, and didn't realize I hadn't posted it. Until now, when I just posted the update to it, only I was updating something I hadn't posted. Anyway, this one is older than the other one. And, yes, it is in some ways better.

You know there is an expression, it takes two people to finish a painting.... one to paint it, and another to shoot the sumbitch before he f's it up...

Just sayin'.

A Painting

2010-02-14T12:49:00.005+01:00

Another picture of this thing. I learned a lot about how I should have done this, if I wanted it to look cooler. Enough that it has become difficult for me to be excited about finishing it.

The lighting is weird in this (there is a fluorescent tube above it, so the top really pops and the bottom seems dull), but the color actually is funky in the middle (the sections that seem too-blue actually ARE too blue).

However, in the interest of science, and having a better painting next time, I'm going to finish this one. The knot is monochrome, but it's going to get some highlights and low lights. The background will probably get some of the same. But... different.

"It's Art, you wouldn't understand...." (ha!)

And, I'm on the fence about outlining the knot with black. That was the original plan and I probably will do it because of that. But I figured out how to make it super cool without that. Next canvas, I guess. I picked up 6 of these 50cmX50cm squares on Very Discount last week, they were €3/each. I had been thinking of doing a set of 4 related paintings (Diptych, Triptych... Quadratych?) But I can decide about that after I've done the next one in this flavor, but will all the learning experiences applied. One of the things I'm learning about is effective use of low relief with acrylic paint. Most of my other paintings have been very flat (no relief) which robs them of depth, even if I painted some shading/depth modeling into the composition. This one has much more texture – I'm still getting the hang of that – and is a better painting for it.

Finished that Box!

2010-02-14T12:37:00.002+01:00

There is not much to say about this, except... here are the pictures of the finished box. I took one from each corner, so you could see how the pattern lines up. This is the size box for storing an adult male Maine Coon cat, apparently.
I probably won't do another box with exactly this design, but I did learn lots of useful stuff I can apply to my next box (there are 3 more to paint, so lessons learned are good things).
I probably would have preferred to paint the corner hardware black, for instance, but I wasn't sure what to paint galvanized metal with, and the handle hardware was pre-attached, so it seemed like a lot of hassle. And I got to a point where I really just wanted to get it FINISHED instead of having it hanging around my workspace any more. But maybe next time I will think it is worth the hassle.
I have not yet put any little roller wheels on this, and I haven't worked out a lid for it. Heck, I don't even know what I want to store in it yet! I did put a bunch of couch cushions in it when I vacuumed last, and the giant ridiculous cat has been pretty conscientious about moving all of his toys from where they are stored, into this box. So I think it will be pretty functional around here. And I like it! I probably will wish I'd put another coat of a sturdier sealer on it, and I might do that later, including the inside. Or I might leave this one alone and subject my next project to all that hard earned wisdom...

Someday this picture frame will be mine, oh yes!

2010-02-01T11:27:00.002+01:00

The calendar I am working on framing is a lovely limited edition hand-printed card calendar from Wondermark creator David Malki !. I ordered it a couple of months ago, and passed on the stand he'd chosen for it, because international shipping and shortages of horizontal surfaces around here, not to mention the risk of cats eating all the corners off seemed like clues to let it go.

However, now that it is here, and even on the 2nd month, I find that simply matting it and putting the matted month on the wall doesn't really cut it. I want a fancy frame. One might even say... a ridiculous frame.

So I've been goofing around with some ideas.

I waffled about whether to carve the frame (from what substance?) or simply paint it on a flat surface, with high and low lights to imply depths, or... what?

Still really don't know. I *think* this would look pretty bitchin' in a dark wood carved and polished way, but I am not a wood carver and might be very much mistaken. (The first time I tried a complete stained glass composition, I basically came up with something that had all the hardest cuts, irritating joins, and a ridiculous number of individual pieces. I may have a talent for biting off too much.)

Anyway, these are what I have so far. All sketches and all the wrong size and proportion for this particular object.

Again, some things are easy in theory and more complicated in execution. If you are or know a bored wood carver, please be in touch!

It doesn't help that I could probably keep drawing this over and over without being absolutely sure that I have arrived at The One True Design.

2010-02-01T11:23:00.003+01:00

Here you can see why I was playing with the white balance... I'm getting yellow paper in the pics, but it's mostly-white in reality. Anyway, this is a pattern I designed a while back when I was playing with ideas for the storage crates. Wanted to see if I could work up a nice knot-repeater. And I have! But then I got distracted by the other thing (the one I've already posted a few pictures of in-progress). I got REALLY distracted trying to work out how to line this up so several crates with the same design could be placed next to each other and having the design's lines meet up no matter which way you turned the crates. I'm not sure I'm that cool, though.

Fear not. I have 3 more crates! 4.5 if you count the one that is already built, and its lid.

2010-02-01T11:19:00.003+01:00

Sometimes when I do a design, I struggle and thrash to get a line Just So, and eventually either concede defeat, or erase the mofo out of spite.

In this case, I *thought* I had the lines right where I wanted them, and then as soon as I put my pencil down and hung the thing on the wall, I immediately saw where I'd gone wrong.

Maybe I'll re-do this with the lines in the right places. Maybe I'll actually DO SOMETHING with this design. But since I have no concrete plans for doing a project with this, my incentive to re-draw it with the lines right is also somewhat reduced.

Sorry about the color scheme. I was playing with white balance correct in my photo editing process, and sometimes it glitches and tells me one thing while actually doing another. This was supposed to be red, and it looked awesome. Oh well.

OK, so I lied.

2010-02-01T11:12:00.003+01:00

Weeks ago, I made a noise about uploading some pictures of my recent design projects. And then I didn't do it. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has been keeping up with this blog...

Anyway, I took a bunch of pictures today, and as it always does, that made me want to work on some projects I'd done designs for and not actually made an object with.

The picture here is a sheet of embossing foil that I've drawing a bit of knotwork on/into. It's far too flimsy to do anything with, and also I've poked a bunch of holes it in with my embossing stylus. (Not to be confused with an out-of-ink ballpoint!)

Anyway, while I was playing with that, I figured it might be fun to make some kind of low relief thing like this, and then fill it with wax or plaster, making a small shiny object. I did some trials, to test the level of detail and so on, and even poured wax in, and got some small shiny objects out. So there is definitely more coming on that front. However--there are no pictures of that trial run, because I tossed all the 'evidence' in the trash. Scented votive candles are not the right source of wax for this kind of thing.

This was sort of meant to be a bookmark or something, but I'm not satisfied with it, so, it's probably going on the vast heap of Projects Which Taught Me Valuable Lessons About Something.

Progress on the storage box

2010-01-29T13:23:00.003+01:00

I'm still working on the box to store art supplies in, it's taking a lot of layers of paint, but is starting to come together. Couple more bits of paint (white and color), and then a couple of layers of polyurethane so it is sealed and relatively defended from dings.

And then! Assembly. With little wheels. And a lid. And more pictures.

Framing for fun

2010-01-29T13:19:00.004+01:00

One of my current projects is a frame. I got a calendar this year that needs one. Here is the rough sketch. It will probably not look so much like this when it is done, but this is the concept I'm starting from.

Have not yet decided whether to make it brightly colored or monochrome.

Juxtapoz saves the day!

2010-01-20T14:42:00.003+01:00

I was poking around the bookstore this morning, looking for something to improve my mood and restore my faith in the goodness of humanity. And, there it was! A Kehinde Wiley painting on the cover of Juxtapoz.

I believe I've spouted about both Juxtapoz magazine (my favorite art mag), and Kehinde Wiley (a kickass painter who combines concept and technique to come up with some incredible portraits). But, if you somehow missed that, here is another round.

It is not my way to say "Go buy this thing," but in this case, I'd say this issue of Juxtapoz would be a good investment. Juxtapoz has connected me with some artists I'm really drawn to, who have become part of my set of influences. Mark Ryden, Stanislav Szukalski, Kris Kuksi, Brandon Bird (I think? Can't prove it), and many others.

In any case, even if you don't care for Kehinde Wiley or Juxtapoz, I guaranteed you know someone who does. Buy the issue, and keep it on your coffee table, on your bookshelf, or in your guest bathroom. You will soon learn who among your friends has great taste in contemporary art.

underway

2010-01-17T17:08:00.003+01:00

(Click for large) I don't really like posting pictures of stuff that's not done, but this is taking me so long that I find I'm probably going too long between updates. I do have a couple of designs I've been working on, that I will get pics up about this week, but this is what's mostly filling my time and drawing table. It is a wooden storage box for art supplies. I am planning to put little wheels on it, and a lid, so it can also be used as a footstool, and be shoved out of the way when it is in the way. I like furniture that is both interesting to look at and can have some function beyond taking up space.

This isn't really 'art' per se, just a project I'm working on. Home improvement, I guess? Tired of keeping my art supplies in cardboard boxes in the corner of the living room.

Additionally, this is part of my effort to get more done, and less thought-about. I keep reminding myself that if I hate it, I can paint over it, or sand it off, or just throw it away. So I might as well finish it. In case I like it. I get very annoyed with myself for wanting to do something, and then planning it to death, trying to figure out how to make it perfect.

I might not know art...

2010-01-10T23:17:00.001+01:00

let the colors swirl around you...
Originally uploaded by cynicole_b

But I know what I like. I like this picture.

Yo Dawg...

2010-01-03T15:27:00.003+01:00

Almost every time I run errands, I pass a framing shop. They have a rotating stock of framed art in the windows, and this one caught my eye more than anything else they've had there in the last 18 months or so. I peeped it every time I walked by for more than a month before I realized, hey, I could just BUY that. And look at it at home... it is like magic. This is a print -- I believe it is etched.

It's about 18"x16" or so.

Legit!!

2009-12-31T15:41:00.001+01:00

Hey, I just realized that my e-mails from here have been getting dumped into the Spam folder. Sorry if I missed your comment, I don't even know how long that has been going on. Hopefully fixed now.

After Prisk

2009-12-26T19:09:00.002+01:00

From the Bamboo Forests of the Night

2009-12-14T22:41:00.001+01:00

From the Bamboo Forests of the Night
Originally uploaded by Patrick Gannon

I know I've said it before, but it (obviously) bears repeating: Patrick Gannon's cut paper artwork is The Bomb. If you haven't, go check out his Flickr stream. If you already have, go look at it again. He posts new stuff pretty regularly, and it never hurts to go back and see the older stuff again.

i dunno lol

2009-12-13T22:59:00.003+01:00

I picked up some colored foil last week, and this is what happened to a bit of it today. Dunno what to do with it, but it was fun and looks kinda neat.

Wait for it....

2009-12-11T15:10:00.004+01:00

OK, then. This is nearly done. There is one patch of blue that needs to be finished, and one patch of red. (I was working on this on my trip to Vienna, and ran out of those 2 colors.)

I kind of hate the green blobs on the right side, and they were NOT part of the original outline. See what I get for my troubles? I may well pick them out, too. The red net is better than I thought, but still not ideal. Etc, etc. Always a critic.

... and then what? I don't know. Stretch & frame? Sew it on to something else, applique style? See if I can get one of my friends who's done textile art to incorporate it into something grander?

There are a few things I would do differently, now that I've done them this way (thanks, learning experiences!), but that's OK. There will be a next time, and I am definitely getting the hang of some of the techniques. As soon as I finish those last two little bits of missing colors, and probably pick out the green blobs, I'm going to (a) get a color-correct photo of this, and (b) put it to bed. Maybe I'll just start a big collection of smallish, irrational embroidery pieces, which will be of great interest to archaeologists and psychologists in some long-distant future.

In other news, when I was in Vienna (Austria, the rest of this paragraph won't make sense if you think I'm talking about some other Vienna), I stopped by the Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Art) and lucked out: They had a huge exhibit in their textiles ward on Ottoman embroidered textiles. Clothing, furniture ornamentation, bath towels, and so on.

Last time it was fashions made from recycled materials, and although a ball gown made of grocery bags is certainly Something To See, it has a little less immediacy to my own projects. Although I *do* like to reuse common materials, especially if they are meant to be trash. Nevermind, I think you get the point.

Not only did I see a tremendous collection of inspiring designs and workmanship, but learned a few nifty things. I now know where the term "bath sheet" comes from! It was a great exhibit. My only regret is that old fibers can be very delicate in many ways, so the pieces were behind glass in a dimly lit room. But that's OK, it was worth every minute of squinting.

Here is a link to the museum page for this exhibit. I'll update this later if I can find their English language version. There are a couple of pictures there, and a bit of descriptive text. Also, the MAK is awesome for being free to the public on Saturdays. MAK really is one of my favorite museums, both in focus and operation. [eta: in English]

The Slow March of Progress.

2009-12-02T22:30:00.002+01:00

Or, Slowgress, for short.

And then you threw an octopus at my window

2009-11-26T11:14:00.003+01:00

And here is the current work in progress. What is it? I don't know. I drew the design out, in a fit of responsibility/optimism. I started stitching in the middle, and plan to work my way out. I have an idea how the colors will go, and maybe the textures.

I'm sure there is too much to this design, and I might cut back on my plan to fill it all in (as I am doing with the bit that's already been sewn on), but who knows. The odds are pretty good that I'll get fed up with this and abandon it before it is done, as well. But for now I am quite hopeful, and some day would like to think of some more rewarding application and design for this stuff. Until then, I will be happily picking away at this hoop.

By the way, when I say I've been fixated with this, I mean just that. I've done almost nothing else for the past 3 weeks. Obviously this is a time consuming activity, and I'm probably slower than a person with more experience would be. Or, maybe the problem is that I go too fast and end up with mistakes and so on. I've never been one to let a little thing like that slow me down.

The Little Gloves That Couldn't

2009-11-26T11:09:00.004+01:00

The thing about perfunctory research is that sometimes you begin the project and realize you're screwed. So it was with the gloves. Not only was my design for the gloves faulty in oh-so-many ways, but also, I kind of got carried away with the decoration on the gloves. The left on in particular. Also, the right glove. Oh well, it was fun anyway.

3rd Time, not the charm

2009-11-26T11:06:00.003+01:00

The lower/right was totally freehand, as was the black bit on the left. The green marks at the top (with blue stitching over some of it) are the design I thought I wanted, but after doing some with the blue, I realized the lines were far too close together, and I let it go as a waste of time and thread.

Also, I got the crazy idea that I would make a pair of gloves to wear while I work (on paper stuff) because I hate the feeling of paper on my hands.

... so this was left behind, and the gloves were started. After a truly perfunctory amount of research into the manufacture of gloves.

2nd Go

2009-11-26T10:59:00.005+01:00

After that first set of stitches, I decided to do something a little more cohesive--a general design picked out in white thread, and then filled with a variety of colors and techniques. I drew a little bit of this with a pencil, which got graphite all over my white thread. After that, I just went totally freehand, sewing the design directly on the unmarked linen.

But then after many, many, many hours of poking away at this, I decide it might be a little too ambitious. Especially as my skills with certain more complicated stitch patterns were ~~lacking~~ non-existent.

This was abandoned in favor of a few smaller practice bits. Sometimes I get too excited about a new thing, and forget that I'm new to it, and don't need to shoot the moon the first time.

By the way, if you click through to the larger size of this picture, you should be able to enlarge it even more from there. Possibly to the point of too much detail. The yellow sort of diamond-shaped bit shows particularly well my lack of awesomeness at this point.

Latest Fixation: Embroidery

2009-11-26T10:51:00.002+01:00

Sometime in the past few months, I got hooked on the idea that embroidery and other sewing-related activities might be fun and visually entertaining.

(In case you ever wondered, my Big Artistic Mission is "make stuff that is interesting to look at"...)

So, I picked up one book about embroidery, and was handed the book from a starter kit. Between the two, and an 8 hour transatlantic flight, I was able to pick out a few tentative designs. At the very top (12 o'clock position) are the very first stitches I made. It pretty much had to get better from there...

squidsies

2009-11-05T16:24:00.003+01:00

I hope the boy doesn't outgrow them before I get them into the mail...

Tote Bag, hand decorated

2009-09-30T14:25:00.003+02:00

This was a fun project. My mother has been asking for a tote bag with a design from me on it, so I made her one.

Today's Drawing Exercise

2009-09-25T13:38:00.002+02:00

This one was a bit more fun for me. The assignment was to make some ink (or coffee, or tea, or whatever) blobs on a page, and when it was dry, look for things for the shapes and spaces to become. I'm probably not done with this, I didn't do much with the negative spaces, mostly worked with the positive shapes. I'm amused by it, and will probably do it again. Just for fun. Ever do your homework twice, just for fun? :)

the death march of progress

2009-09-25T13:32:00.004+02:00

I had to take it off the easel and put it back on the wall to start liking it again. There is something about staring at a painting very close up that ruins it. Unless it's a Persian miniature watercolor, which this categorically is not.