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!!

labradeer!

we are getting revved up for the holidays here at the fweger household.  the best part of christmas is that i get to dig the antlers out and put them on our dog, vinny.  it always brings joy and hilarity to the house.  and i really think he kinda likes those antlers!

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.

brush is moving again!

i've had a bit of a dry spell.  i think i needed a little break, as i had been going non-stop making art for over 2 years.  we decided to have our invitational this holiday season, so there was really no need to push for the  winter show.  so i made ornaments for the shop, and stopped there.

my husband asked me the other day if i might consider making some art for christmas presents this year.  and since it was snowing today i decided to stay in and paint.  nothing grand, but it was good to get the brush moving.  i decided on a small piece using gouache on black paper.

the first two shots show the work in progress.  i draw with graphite on the black paper, and then fill in color on either side of the line, leaving the black showing.  it's a really fun process.  i will tell you that my eyes are crazy tired when i am done, though.  the last step is to erase all of the pencil so it looks finished. i like the almost naive look the slightly undulating black line gives.  this one is about 5x5 inches, and took me a couple of hours.  i use acrylic gouache, which is like really nice tempera paint.  it's really opaque and has a matte finish, which i love.

that's all for now.  time to put it in the frame and wrap it for the receiver!!

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!!

snow day!!

it's hard to believe that one week ago i was walking on the beach, eating dinner outdoors, and jet skiing with the dolphins on the gulf of mexico.

we have had two snow storms already in colorado.  we have had almost as much snow this winter as we did the whole of last winter.  crazy.  the trees still have their leaves, and we lost one big branch on the russian olive in the back yard.  i put a yardstick into the pile of snow on our outdoor table, and it said 9 inches.  but that was hours ago, and it's still snowing.

my friend jane and i took our dogs to the park to play this morning.  her dog, zoe is the blonde, vinny is the tall dark and handsome one.  with the ridiculous tail.  they had a blast running in circles,  joy in every leap and bound.  now vinny is fast asleep on his bed as i type.  

i do love the snow.  it always feels all cozy and warm in the house, and it's so quiet.  i think i need to make a hot cup of tea, and then get back to work.  i have been making some things to sell in the shop for the holidays.  here is a sneak peak at one of the assemblage pieces.  more to come!!