more old wood, and wonder

foundry molds

german "tramp art" niche

folky masonic shelf

clock case 

assorted brushes 

some more of my wooden things.  there is just something about how wood ages.  it gets more and more beautiful.  the nicks, the gouges, the burnishing from use.  i can't help it, i have to bring it home.

these pieces can be mostly found in my studio.  it's kinda like "hoarders"in there, but more organized.  i keep telling my husband that if we ever sell the house, i need to put the whole lot in storage and make my studio into a bedroom when the house is shown.  that way people can actually see the room.  because right now, it's kinda hard to even imagine a bedroom in that space.  

speaking of selling the house, john and i went up to stapleton last weekend.  stapleton is a planned community in denver that used to be the airport.  they have done a pretty nice job of developing the area into a nice place to live.  there are lots of parks and green space, a little town center, and many different styles of housing.  what i like the most is that the garages are on alleys instead of on the main streets.  it gives the place a nice look.  we looked at several model homes, and honestly loved them.  it made us want to either move into a brand new home with all of the awesome finishes, or get our house back into shape.

the third option is the one i dream of.  buying some old factory, or church, or other commercial building, and re-doing the whole thing to make it a home.  hopefully there will be lots of old wooden things left.  those things will have the patina i love, worn from use and time.  the new finishes would be carefully chosen to enhance the old ones.  and there would be space for my studio, this time larger and funkier.  

new house?  same house?  house of my dreams?  oh, it's so nice to wonder.

artist statement

handle with care, 2010

crappity, crap, crap.  i have to write an artist statement.  this is a hard one for me.  i am not into the "deep" stuff as far as statements (or art) go.  i make art, i play, i sometimes get a good result.  i like objects, people, shapes, patina.  i like all that stuff to look nice together.  i like color.  it's fun to put colors together that look beautiful.  for me, it's not about something higher.  it's just putting all of the elements together until i get just the right combination.  and then i'm done, and ready to do it all over again. 

here are things i like to use in my art over and over:

circles--they seem safe and comfortable.

stripes--they just look orderly to me, and i'm a virgo.  love order!!

lines--well, i don't know how you'd create something without at least an implied line...do you?

ordinary objects and people-- they are interesting to me.  i like the mundane for it's simple beauty.

red--it's happy.

green--it's safe and comfortable, like circles.

blue--i used to hate it, then i forced myself to use it because i hated it.  and now i love it.

brown--it's like green only safer and more comfortable.

texture and patina--i love things that are used and have the touch of a person or of mother nature.  if it's not there, i try and create it in a believable way.

handwriting--it's almost a lost art.  nobody writes letters any more.  and pencil?  it's just so beautiful!  smudgy, sharp or dull depending on the writer, and that shimmer of graphite.  wow.

numbers and letters--hmmm.  i like to use them as elements, and they usually don't say anything.  just elements of design.  3 is a personal favorite.  i think because it has circles.  i also like X.  so strong for such a tiny thing.

the virgin mary--she's an icon.  i'm not the religious type, but i have a huge collection of Mary in many forms.  she reminds me of my grandmother, who was such a kind woman.  she just makes me feel comfortable.  like circles.  and green.

here is what influences me:

pop culture--sometimes i just drive around and look at stuff.  i call it my artistic education.  it gets my brain ticking.  i look at people, buildings, products in the stores, old stuff, trash, fashion, advertising.

old stuff--back to the patina thing.

magazines--(all types including boring ones like consumer reports). i'm kind of addicted.  it's like driving around, only sitting still.  and you can bring them in the bathtub.

graphic design--letters, numbers, color combinations, flattening of the picture plane.

artists--oh god.  i look at everything i can.  how can i even make a list?  i could start today, and not finish for days.  it's impossible.  

i wish i were the kind of person who could take all of this information and make up a gorgeous paragraph or two that turns into an artist statement.  i guess i am going to have to do that really soon.