official announcement

here it is. the post card we sent out this week, telling our friends that we are officially closing.  

we have had some terrific feedback, and lots of compliments about our little place on prince street.  please stop in and say goodbye!  we will miss you!

please keep in touch!

tomsarmo.com

teresabrookspottery.com

ruthfiege.com

oh, and by the way, all of our vintage items are now 20% off, excluding radios!!

the sk3tchbook's closing

i'm feeling a bit sad today, as i have chosen today to publicly tell my friends and associates that the  sk3tchbook! experience is coming to an end.  we will be closing our doors at the end of december.  it's been a tough couple of weeks, knowing that the decision has been made.  now we have to go through the hard task of physically and mentally doing the work to finish the job.

we will be open until the 31st, and will continue to offer affordable art and cool vintage and handmade items.  and we will also be selling the fixtures.  so if you are in the market for some great gifts this holiday season, or if you need a vintage display case, give us a call or visit!!

i am not one bit regretful about this whole experience.  it has taught me a lot of things, including that i am able to make a whole lot of art.  it has also helped me and my partners continue our professional journeys as artists.  before sk3tchbook, i had never really made art full-time.  as an art teacher, i was constantly working on my art, but i could never give it the time it needed to grow.  i have found that my work has become more sophisticated, and has multiplied exponentially.

i have also found out what it really means to run a business.  it's a lot harder than i expected.  and i am tired.  

right now my plan is to continue my artistic journey at my home studio.  i have spent the last few weeks cleaning it up, and purging unnecessary stuff.  as a person who creates art with many objects, i have had to figure out how to store my things efficiently.  it's been a big task, but i feel like i am ready.  

i have had interest in the baker section of denver as a possible new area for a studio.  but right now i think i need a while to regroup, get lots of work done, and see how it feels to work full-time at home.  i have not done this since my son was a toddler, and that was at least 15 years ago.  i am sure there will be some challenges i have yet to see.

btw, the image above is taken from a website that promotes a very interesting project.  i have contemplated participating, but lack of time has won out.  maybe it will be something i can do now that i have more minutes at home. click here for more information.

please join us!!

new stuff at the shop and on etsy!

i've been busy assembling for the last few days.  i just listed the items above on etsy (click here for a link to my shop), and am going to bring them down to the shop tomorrow for public viewing.  

believe it or not, i am completely out of items to make any more game piece boxes, and the crosses aren't looking too good, either.  i think over 2 years of making these kinds of assemblages has taken their toll on my inventory of objects.  i have been scouring the antique malls, etsy, and ebay for the stuff i need to renew my stash.  and it's been quite frustrating, really.  i even drove up to fort collins this past weekend (thanks john for the company!xoxo) to see if i might be luckier there.  and i came back muy empty-handed.  so i guess what i am saying is that if you want a box, better get one now because the larder is looking pretty bare.

im thinking of maybe going to the midwest this spring or summer on a buying trip.  i was always lucky with stuff when i lived in iowa and missouri.  maybe it's the same deal there?  could the world of antiques and junk actually be running out of stuff??

ok.  time to get myself out of my PJs and into some sort of working mode.  oh, and i guess i still haven't had breakfast!!

sk3tchbook invitational

we received our announcements for the upcoming show!  if you happen to be in the denver area, please mark you calendars for the event!  we promise there will be some great art, food, and fun!

you can click on the images to see a larger size!

front of announcement

back of announcement

akua inks

i was at the studio today, and decided to try out my new akua intaglio inks.  they are a product that substitutes for oil-based inks, and can be cleaned up with soap and water.  i didn't try and get too crazy with my first attempt, so i settled on a quick stripy pattern, then overprinted with white ink.  

i kinda like the ink, but it is going to take some getting used to.  the consistency is a bit thinner, and they are more transparent than inks i am familiar with.  they are nice in that they don't have a strong smell like the oil-based inks, and you can clean them up easily with mostly paper towels.  i need a bit more practice, but i think they might work really well for me.

sk3tchbook!

some of you have never been to the shop in littleton, so i thought i would share a few shots of the place.  the space is pretty small, about 420 square feet.  i that space we have a kiln, slab roller, potter's wheel, a big architect's desk for working upon, a cash register, several show cases, and lots of artist supplies.  we reallly try to get as much art in there as we can.  early on, we put in ledges instead of trying to put nails in the wall for framed work.  it works out really nicely.  we also did some shelves made from brackets on to which books sit.  then work can be placed on the books.  it's a nice look, but unfortunately we found teresa's pottery is not steady enough on the books.

anyway, some shots for you to enjoy wherever you are!

and don't forget to click on photos for a larger view.

tom's work in clay

teresa's pottery and radios

the "book" shelves with ruth's work and collage materials for sale

the work table, re-purposed for the moment, as display space

the register, as positioned for our may show

please come! we'll have twinkies! really!!

Once again, it is time for our annual May show at Sk3tchbook!  This year our theme is "Up Close", and we are all featuring new works that are small and affordable.  The idea is that the pieces in the show are chock full of details for you to discover. We will be transforming the shop with fun decorations (hint:  we have ordered over 100 magnifying glasses for the occasion), and will be providing an amusing mix of munchies on reception night.  We are also celebrating the fact that we have just completed our second year (can you believe it?) as the Sk3tchbook team.

We hope that you are able to make it to the reception on Friday, May 20th from 6-9pm. If not, remember that the show will be up for an extended time period for your enjoyment.  (Just remember we are closed on Sundays and Mondays).  Once again, we have partnered with several Littleton businesses so that there will be several shops open on reception night.

Please see below for more information about the show, and don't forget to check out our website, sk3tchbook.com for store info, directions, and links to our blogs.

See you soon!

Teresa, Tom. and Ruth

Owl with Sweater Vest by Tom Sarmo

Up Close

New Works to Perceive, Peruse, and Ponder

Show runs May 20-May 28, 2011

Reception: Friday, May 20, 2011, 6:00-9:00 pm

New Works, Good Company, and Twinkies!

Sk3tchbook!

5743 S. Prince Street

Littleton, CO  80120

Willow, Susan Montague Watercolors, The Pink Attic Cat, 

and many other shops will also remain open late for this special evening

last one

precipitation

this is the last collage in the series i just finished.  it's 5x7 inches, and will be sold framed in a black wood frame.  it was created on masonite, and it is sealed with archival varnish that contains UV protection.  these collages are created with lots of layers.  the very bottom is a letter from 1948 which has been watercolored. there is also gouache, acrylic, vintage paper, more watercolor, and finally sealer to protect it.  they each take about 3 hours, not including collecting the materials and framing.  

i have decided when i am a millionaire i will hire out my framing.  i really don't like to frame stuff.  it's funny, because one of my first jobs out of college was as a framer.  luckily it only lasted about 4 months, and then i started teaching.  the good news is that that 4 months gave me the skills to do it myself now.  it does save me a ton of money, and allows me to price my work more affordably.  so i shouldn't complain.

i was thinking about all of the jobs i have had in my life.  i think every single one has helped me in some way.  i can't imagine those who stay at the same job for 30 years.  here's a list of the jobs i've had:

1.   handbag salesperson/DC area

2.   camp counsellor/Maine

3.   administrative assistant for advertising department/London

4.   picture framer/DC area 

5.   elementary art teacher/public school/DC area

6.   waitress/DC area

7.   high school art teacher/public school/DC area

8.   elementary teacher/overseas public school/Iceland and Japan

9.   waitress/California

10.  elementary/middle school art teacher/private school/California

11.  pizza chef/Texas

12.  quick-to-fix chef/Texas

13.  craft co-op participator/Maryland

14.  assistant to a realtor/Iowa

15.  sandwich maker/Iowa

16.  elementary art teacher/Colorado

17.  middle school art teacher/Colorado

18.  high school art teacher/Colorado

19.  gallery owner/artist/Colorado

hmmm.  

collage, collage

rollerskates

ice cream man

letter to texas

a couple of new collages for the show at sk3tchbook! on may 20th.  two more to come in this series.  they are 5x7 inches.
they are all collaged on to an old letter (and its envelope) from 1948.  it was sent to belchville, texas.  belchville...what a name!  

bandages

bandage of head

bandage of hand

bandage of eye

anatomy

these are some new collages in the series that i started a few weeks ago.  i am using old first-aid and home medical books plus an old coloring book (already colored by a child way back then).  they are pretty small, only 2.5x3.5 inches, but will be mounted on a 5x7 inch background, and then framed 11x14.  they are going to be part of the new show at sk3tchbook! on may 20th.  we are having a show called "up close".  the idea is the work is very small (and affordable), and we are providing magnifiers to  let the attendees look at the details.  if you want to come, let us know, and we will send you an invitation!  the reception is from 6-9 on the 20th, and the show will run for a whole week.

by the way i scanned these instead of photographing, so they look a bit pixel-y.  in real life, there isn't that moray-like pattern on the images.

sketchbooks

these are some of my past sketchbooks.  i am posting them to remind me that i haven't been very good about producing them for a while.  it used to be that i worked in my sketchbook every single day.  and now i can't remember the last time i did more than jot down some quick ideas.  we just got a shipment of recycled sketchbooks in the shop at sk3tchbook!  they are from ecojot, a canadian company, and have nice kraft paper covers.  i think while i am at the store today i will start one.  i usually have the policy that i start one on a date, and must end it one year later.  that way, it stays at least a little fresh.  i don't allow myself to work on it after the one year mark, and that keeps me from over thinking an changing stuff too much.  a little more authentic.

we also changed out the floor plan at the shop.  now tom has a space to work on watercolors.  it looks really nice.  i always like to do a floor move.  it makes everything seem all new and different.  i used to do this with my room growing up.  and it was so cool to sleep in that new room for the first few weeks.  maybe i need to not only work on sketchbooks.  maybe i need to also move the furniture around in my house.  shake things up a bit, get the groove on.