After working over the weekend I was in need of a treat. So I made a pie. I don't think I have made pie in years. I love making sweet things. It is very grounding for me. And I don't do it enough for my brain, but when I do I love it. I love having a pie in my fridge! I used a recipe recommended by Alicia who made the pie recently and channeled mav for my food pictures. I had extra, since my pie was smaller than it was supposed to be.  So we had little baby pies.  That way the Boy and I could eat it right away! Really really delicious.

I started one of my assignments.

my messy desk & beautiful cat

I worked this weekend because fashion week starts the beginning of september. I am doing the unglamorous part of it all.  I painted in the mostly black base and it took me literally three hours.  I stayed to work (ahead) on my friday painting.  I realized that I spent six hours not talking to anyone.  I had sung along to a song or two but when I moved from the cd player to my ipod I became even more insular.  My body was covered in almost black paint.  It is under my fingernails, the backs of my arms, and even my belly.  The day before I put the first coast and as the paint began to dry it also began to stretch too much and pull out of the staples.  The area that was popping out was under this vent thing that hangs away from the wall and a little up from the floor.  So I had to shimmy on my belly to re-staple the muslin, before it shrunk too terribly.  I still haven't gotten all the paint off yet.  And I used all my body scrub.  A bit painty on my legs.

AK fashion week. We are doing SIX different shows…Johanna did we ever do six before?  Six large jobs in a little over two weeks. The sizes as follows: 17' x 24', 17' x 25', 17' x 68', 24' x 80', 17' x 24', and the last one we don't have a size or an image.

Breaking that down, just for fun…if I was just gessoing (its sort of like the primer) in a straight line, I would be gessoing for over a mile and 1/2 in length. Fun times.  Back to work…thanks for everyone's ideas…love them. 

Here is my first 5 gallon bucket of gesso…already painted…and drying 

return home from coney island with anne

For sometime now I have been trying to figure out an adventure I can take. An adventure that would move me into the path of life. Of what I want to do with my life. I think the plan has been stirring for quite some time. Since I read this book, then the feeling stirred again when I watched this on netflix. (both are fabulous by the way, I highly recommend them) But I am pushing too hard. Pushing too hard for an answer. I know the drill (well my drill)…the answer will come when I am ready. I guess I am not quite ready yet. Ready to go on my adventure.

I need an assignment. I do well with assignment. Even something as simple as photo tour. Something like my coney island day, but in a larger format. So would someone like to give me an assignment, or any ideas that you would like to see me undertake. Are you out there thinking, 'I really wish since Wendy lives in New York that she would see this…'

That is what I need to find out, what the this is for those of you out there that read…I can give prizes…for the winning choice…a robot softie…whatdoyathink?

p.d.q
20" x 10"

This one…is strange to me. I couldn’t help but think about my mom and dad when as I have been thinking about Zephyr’s parents. Not to get into anything more, but the fact that she is walking away speaks volumes about my real relationship. The whole art imitating life thing. The painting came out a bit more ominous than I think the sketch was. I have included the sketch so you can make your own decision.

I don’t know if you’ll see more family members in the immediate future. Zephyr’s grandmother and dad haven’t made themselves known to me yet and I am trying not to push it. Trying to just let them keep happening naturally. It is all part of my letting go mantra. The ideas are percolating right now.

Have a great weekend! 

My coney island day with anne.  I used to think I rocked at the water gun game when I was a young girl. Until I heard that the attendant just flicks a switch to pick one of the contestants. Dashed dreams…still love the game.

photos from coney island with anne

I realized a couple of days after a conversation with mav that I actually never answered one of her questions.
“why robots?” 
It was something I have never tried to answer, but as that question somersaulted in my unconscious, I realized why. 
Why robots. 
I felt with robots I couldn’t make a mistake.  I mean there are really no rules. 
And so I realized without naming it that I needed to try and make something that I couldn’t get wrong. 
Because that is hard for me – the not getting it wrong. 
I fight that battle on a daily basis.  The 'letting go' battle.  Letting go and thinking something is enough. 
A robot, for me at least, represents freedom. 
And that is quite a gift.  So thanks to mav for asking, so I could finally realize why.

Tomorrow photos of coney island sans softies… 

I can't help myself but buy cards whenever mav has a new one.  I love her style. I love the recent 'house' cards. The images feel so unusual as a letterpress card, and at the same time they feel totally perfect. 

Sunday I went on a photo adventure with Anne…a trip to coney island (we are already planning the next one).
It was fantastic…it made me braver…brave enough to ask some cops if I could take a photo with my newest robot (she is finished but unnamed!).
Brave…thanks for that Anne. I love feeling bolder, braver.
I can't wait to see her outcome of the trip.
I have to wait since I still shoot film…tomorrow there will be photos.

 
tethered
28" x 22"

This has been a weird week at work.  My boss is on vacation, so in some ways it is really quiet, but we have been busy with rentals at the same time.  It is strange that magazines are already working on their November issues. (a lot of stormy sky rentals)  Even stranger is that Fashion Week is coming in the beginning of September and the clothes are for next spring. (we have had two calls right now for different shows – last season we did like five)I have been feeling strangely out of sorts and awkward.  I had trouble with my paintings.  I stretched and gessoed everything, bases were laid in and I had some layouts that I liked.  As I was painting zephyr’s mom I just felt like I was working at it and normally I feel like I am working with the painting.  I think my major problem was my muslin was way too thin.  It didn’t have any tooth…everything felt too slick.  I like slick and minimum brush strokes, but I was just fighting the muslin.  I had promised another portrait of zephyr’s family, but it looks like it is not going to happen. Hopefully next week.

So I got some canvas for this bigger piece and thicker muslin for the portraits.  Regessoed and everything feels a little better.  We have a constant supply of canvas and muslin, we get huge pieces for our jobs, and then there will be the extra 2 or 3 feet that I can grab for painting with.  So my supply isn’t constant in terms of sameness.  It is constant in supply, but sometimes we work on lots of canvas, and other times when we do the huge jobs we work with muslin (because it comes larger).

The idea for the painting above began rolling around in my head as soon as I started the zephyr in the balloon.  I just imagined malcolm would worry and wait for her to return from her mini escape.

Then as I was taking a close up of malcolm I fell in love with the copped version.  So I took off the first painting off the stretcher bars - regessoed and have two friday paintings. I guess it is really good that my boss is out of town and even better that she doesn't really read my blog!

scout
22" x 28"

A little back story to start…I met him in a bar, oh no I am not that kind of girl, but his band at the time was having a cd release party.  I had just recently moved to the city and I had a deal with myself.  If I was invited I would go…so that is how I ended up wondering around the lower east side looking for a bar that had no name or number clearly in view.  I was feeling like such a fool, walking into three other bars asking for the one (whose name is eluding me right now) I was looking for, when the bar across the street pointed it out. As I walked in I noticed the tiny 12pt sign blending into the dark brick wall…but there I met the Boy.  A musician.  A man of sound.  The Boy at the time we met had upwards of 20 guitars.  He had been searching for the perfect sounding guitar.  The extra guitars were just a side effect.  Eventually many of those guitars made their way into the hands of others and now I think there are more life half a dozen instruments…not nearly as many as Johanna, who has a drum kit in her basement, or shari who has a drum kit in her new house.  
He recently ordered a guitar body to put together himself…because one of his guitars is at work.  What a cool place to work, where during down time you can slide over your guitar and play around.  That it is even encouraged since it might help with the music he is editing.  
But I keep digressing…The Boy finally got all the pieced delivered and he could put it all together. I love watching him work.  He is very calm and collected.  He has all his supplies at hand. He works slowly and carefully.
He was sitting at the window and the light was beautiful.  I grabbed the camera and took some photos.  As he progressed I would glance over and take some more.  I loved how they all looked on the contact sheet, so here they are.  Maybe one day he’ll let me put up a song or two…

I wanted anything of Karin's, and because sometimes I can be quite silly, I thought that I couldn't afford it. The numbers just looked so big. It literally wasn't until many months later that I found myself looking at them again and I thought: currency converter. And low and behold I could afford to buy something. Then I had a bigger dilemma to decide what I wanted (can't wait to see what happens with her new experiment!). I finally after much waffling decided on the tea and coffee beakers. I love them. I love they way they feel…and I am thrilled that I figured out the money. Oh such a silly silly girl!

Trixie trying to claim the box as her own.

I'll leave you with this photograph.
I am sure the chair was pulled out to the sidewalk to throw away. 
But what I saw was this lovely office chair under a big tree.  I was just imagining how someone would come out on their breaks during the day and read their current book…any other ideas?

low-fi airport

I have been working on my greengirlart website, changing images, adding images, but it is slow going. Which actually works for me. I unplug my computer and extend the cable for my connection to the internet. The Boy calls it my low-fi airport…(since I am still plugged in) and it runs the length of out living room. It is a pretty good system (except for the possibility of tripping)…I can only work as long as I have battery power and then I stop. Then I don't go crazy trying to do it all at once.

I have been working on a new softie. I don't have any photos yet, because the head and body don't work for me. I think they need a new head and body, which means I might have two. I will try to fix that and maybe have some photos later in the week.

I'll leave you with a photo of trixie…sometimes she claims mail as her own!

stillness
24" x 36"

Thank you to everyone that came out to check out my work…I felt super honored…and I got gifts…I didn't expect gifts.
I am now part of anne's deer club! Thank you so much, it was awesome to hang out.
Old friends and new friends coming out, it was lovely to see.
A huge thank you to Tom, who bought the first painting…wow that is strange and amazing at the same time.  Tom got to take 'undercover' home and I replaced it with the painting above.

Zephyr again…the only time she can escape herself is when she takes off in her hot air balloon.  When she has to slow down…a close up detail below.

More of her family next week…needed to get the canvas.