Things Grow.

My Summer has thrown me some curve balls, including the health issue to which I referred in my last post.  It's been busy, so I have not gotten in the studio time I'd hoped, but I definitely have some things germinating and in progress.

One of those things is a 2nd series, this one of mixed media paintings.  (The previous series I mentioned a long time ago was my "Coldest Dishes" photos series.  I'm nearly finished with that.)  This is a series that has been evolving.  It is not one I set out and planned.  It has been in progress for about five years now, and work on this series is slow-moving.  (Seems a lot of my bigger projects are slow-moving!) 

Ultimately, all art is about the self.  That is a given; however, this series that is manifesting is about women.  It is about women and the roles into which we are put, forced, pushed, placed, labeled, boxed, etc. by others.  It is about the roles we don't choose for ourselves.  It does not yet have a name (maybe I'll let you help me name it! Stay tuned,) but the pieces are either planned/designed or in progress. The first piece was finished a few years ago and hangs in my studio.  As of now, as far as I am aware, there are to be four more pieces.  I am currently working on number two, "I Was Gretel."  She is about halfway finished.

I have a hard time finding the time and space to work on my larger pieces like these. This is part of the reason paintings take me so long.  The studio is pretty small, and between the desk, the bed, my boyfriend's equipment, and my stuff, there's not a lot of room to pull out the easel and throw down a drop cloth.  I used to work in the yard on nice days, and that was my plan for one of the pieces in particular;  however, we've changed the yard to a walking garden, so there is no longer room to work there.  I will have to work in front of the house, which will be interesting.  These are not excuses, just my reality as it stands now.  I am not unhappy with the arrangement. When the paintings need to come out, they will one way or another.  I may eventually end up renting studio space.

So far, I have only two shows coming up in the Fall and none over the summer.  I am awaiting word as to whether or not I will be selling in an antiques show on October 1.  On September 17, I will be back up in Thurmont, MD, and on October 16, I will be selling at the 2nd annual Crest Falling for Handmade show in Manassas, VA. I really don't think I can fit in any summer shows at this point, anyhow.  Our household is still fighting various illnesses, and we are traveling in August.  I think this year has worked out as it should.  More shows are always better, if they are quality shows, but the ones I'm in for are just great for me on more than one level.

For the next week or so, I'm going to be making a big push to get more vintage cleaned up, priced, and listed.  We have too much stuff sitting around, and I really don't have a good way to store these items, so they need to go.  There are currently four boxes of un-processed items stacked in the studio closet, and that makes things difficult.  Some items will be able to go into the attic once they are processed, but most will not, due to the extreme temperatures and possible exposure to moisture.  Beyond that, I have 2 mixed media pieces (smaller ones) that I'd like to start on and a piece of jewelry to finish. 

Despite the various hiccups I've experienced this Spring and Summer, I feel things are perking along nicely.  I just wish the rest of me could work as fast as my brain does!

Finally, I apologize if my blog looks a little weird.  I am attempting to make it possible to get my blog updates by email;  however, Blogger and Internet Explorer are not playing nice. I may have buttons in weird places, and I can't delete them right now. I will be working on this later, once I get into the studio again and can work in Firefox.

Happy Late Summer!