sagworks :: 2008 Art Everyday

Again no work to show today. My hand was cramping most of the day, so I iced it - which did help. Though I did go see Get smart this evening - what a super funny movie. When the credit were rolling one guy from the front row got up and was dancing to 4 minutes to save the world. it is at times like this I am happy I keep a camera in my purse. He just kept dancing and dancing. At one point his friends noticed I was taping him and came up and danced just for me. The theater was dark, so I had my own personal live itunes commercial. I am trying to lighten the video up to make it easier to see. I have not done video editing in a few years, so I have to remember what I am doing. I will post it when I can clean it up a bit.

I attended an event at DEKKA today. It was a lot of fun to meet the artists and designers. I was supposed to hang some work at DEKKA last weekend, but due to a miscommunication someone hung their work where I was to go. So we are finding me a new (and better) spot and hope to get work up in the coming weeks. DEKKA is a cool boutique in the U street corridor in DC (real close to the metro) that showcases local artists, fashion designers, purse designers, show designer, and jewelry designers. The energy the place has is quite impressive.

So still not feeling well, but I sucked it up and went into the studio. I had to move into a studio across the hall from where my current spot was. There is a new artist in residence coming in that the program manager felt is a better fit with my current suite mates, so I moved into a spot across the hall. They just finished covering an old chalkboard with a new wall, so I can hang pieces from floor to ceiling. My new studio mates into that room should be moving in sometime in August. Right now it is a bit of a mess - I’ll post a picture tomorrow! Though will go in and try and get some things situated and get back to another commission. I think this commission is one of the toughest pieces I have made to date.

Sorry for being MIA most of last week. I have not been feeling well - a lot of muscle aches and headaches. When these happen I tend to stay away from my knife. I only went into the studio to frame last week and that was tough enough. I am still not feeling well, but will be going into the studio today anyway.

There is not too much to report from last week. I got one more commission done and shipped out. It took me 90min. to pack up the pieces and get them ready to mail. I am also really paranoid when I mail art - so I tend to overpack them. Rather safe than sorry! There was really nothing other than that.

Artful Afternoon went really well. Got to talk some new people and even sold a work. I have not been feeling well, so have not gone into the studio to work. I tend to find when my mind is not at 100% it is not such a good to be using a knife. I plan on keeping all my fingers.

Mark your calenders. The next Artful Afternoon is Sunday, August 3, 1-5pm, Create your own “peace pole” (1-3pm)  and at 3pm: Latin music with “Cantare”

Yesterday {Monday - 07/07/08} I was featured on the www.ArtellaLand.com daily newsletter. This helped me reach a record number of hits for the day. I shattered my old record by close to 200 additional hits - so thank you to everyone who stopped by and welcome to new readers!

So I am now 97% done with the current commission I am working on. I was working until late last night and as getting more and more frustrated as I went. Since I cut off all my nails to keep me from scratching, I have found so many things are now harder to do - especially my artwork. I did not realize how much I used my nails to hold work down, use 2 nails as mini tweezers etc. Everything took so much longer last night….

Well I did my last gallery manager shift at Artomatic. It was a lot of work. It was really sad - a lot of good for me as an artist has come from the show and more importantly I have met a lot of wonderful people. I feel like a real artist now. Here is a pick of what a clever person did with the sign after the official closure of the show.

This weekend I finished another third of a commission and hope the get the last third done by tomorrow. Also I did a lot of non-art things. I saw Wall-E and LOVED it!

Sadly all I got into the studio to do is frame. Though I framed one work and got another framing updated - so I did accomplish something. I had hoped I would have gotten further along with my commission - but the timing was not working in my favor. I was planning on going back in the evening though the husband and I went to a screening of The Sophisticated Misfit. Its a movie about the life, art, and fans of Shag. We are big Shag fans and we planning on buying the DVD - so this was nice to watch it on the big screen in a movie theater. Afterwards we hung out with the filmmaker and his wife and some other fun people from the screening. It was a late night (for me at least) but it was a lot of fun. The movie was great and the filmmaker Mark Chervinsky and the group were a lot of fun.

Well I worked on a commission again. I think I am about 45% done with this one. I hate not being able to share photos. Hopefully I’ll get a thumbs up to go ahead and show you the last commission.

So when I went to the studio I went and rode my bike there and back. All I can say is MAN I AM OUT OF SHAPE!!! My studio is ridiculously close my house and I should not have been feeling it so much, but I got to the studio and thought I was going to die. The ride home was not much better - though on that ride I thought I was going to be sick for an hour after I got home. I will do it again and hope it gets easier….

So I did not go to the studio today - was not feeling 100%. So instead I did something I enjoyed. I did my second t-shirt reconstruction. The first one was a few months ago and was simply making an XL shirt into a S. This one I turned an XL shirt which I love and used to sleep in, into a halter. I think I did a pretty good job for my first try. I am wearing it tomorrow actually! I am going to try this recon again.

Also I watched some TV. I watched the new game shows on ABC tonight - Wipeout and I Survived a Japanese Game Show. Those were really funny! I love John Henson - and always have so it is nice to see him doing what he does best, being a smart ass. The other hosts were funny too and I really want to try those courses - look like so much fun. Now I survived a Japanese Game Show is brilliant - I know the challenges are just going to get funnier and funnier. I will be watching both shows next week for sure.