Control Freak-out

(I did not make this)
 http://www.corpse.org/index.php?option=com_zoom&Itemid=99999999&page=view&catid=14&PageNo=1&key=2&hit=1

Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is the process of two or more people working together to realize shared goals, (this is more than the intersection of common goals seen in co-operative ventures, but a deep, collective, determination to reach an identical objective) — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing knowledge, learning and building consensus.  

( I really LOVE the concept of deep, collective, determination!).

About a year ago I put it on my wish list to someday do some collaborative art. I was inspired by some of the projects I had seen Jennifer Mercede and Chris Haberman do -like in this video where they create a mural in 1 day together! It just looks so rewarding, growth inducing and fun. The first person who came to my mind was Rad Dad: Aaron Goodrich -artist and fellow active parent volunteer at our kid's school. I really like his style (I'm secretly hoping some of his awesomeness will rub off on me). One of the things I admire about Aaron is that he makes a lot of art! Whether it's tattoo flash, motorcycle tanks or skateboard decks, he's gettin' it done and putting it out there. He even created the best selling T-shirt design in Lewis Elementary's history! Anyway, he's got it goin' on and I really respect him, so I'm thrilled that he accepted my offer to create some artwork together for an upcoming show at our ever-popular-neighborhood coffee shop. Our deal is this:  5  15 x 20 boards each, lay something down then swap. Expand, transform, revise then swap again. We intend to trade boards at least 3 times, without any rules, or boundaries, or expectations. We really don't know what we're doing, but we're both game and eager to make some ART! It should be interesting (fun to say the least) to see how it turns out.

I have NEVER done anything like this before and am in completely in unknown territory. Obviously, I don't know what I'm doing or if I'm even doing it 'right'. The hardest part for me is letting go of the plan. I like to work with a road map where I have an inkling of where I'm going and what I'm doing. Any idea I attempt to cling to runs the risk of complete transformation by Aaron -which could be a wild and wonderful thing if I can remain open to it. I hope he can play off what I provide for him and vice versa. I must let go of of any preconceived notions and simply . . . dive in.



"The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is like playing a game of hot potato, tossing the spud from person to person. Sure, everyone wants the potato to stay in the air. But it's also really fun if you can put some spin on it when you throw it so the next person has to really reach to grab it. The fumble and save is part of the thrill of the game."
– paraphrased from M.T. Anderson

Lollipop Circus

The work of Alexander Calder

Well, I finally found my way into a show Downtown. I don't know why it feels like such a BIG DEAL to me, but I'm excited! This is a group exhibition of work inspired by the Mid Century Master Alexander Calder. I enjoyed studying his art and eagerly took on the challenge of creating my own homage to him. I referred to the above images as a jumping off point and tried to come up with something that borrowed a few of his design elements while still trying to allow my own 'Style' to show through. Although I don't feel like I have found my artistic voice yet, I do know that I like the look and feel of painting on wood and I'm hell-bent on incorporating found objects. I'm still on this music kick as you can see by the guitar picks and tuning key and for this one, I even cut up a record . . . that was fun!

 I've named this clown 'Xeno' from the Greek Xenos meaning Stranger.

You can check him out at the opening on 6/2 -my First 'First Thursday'!

The show will be up all month at The Original Dinerant

Hope to see you there!

For more details on the show, go to: www.elroyartspace.com

 

Still a Flower Child

 

BoneWerx takes many forms. 

In case you're wondering where I've been, I've spent the last few months organizing a Plant Sale at my son's Elementary School. For a peek at the 2nd Annual Lewis Garden Fair, check out these pics on Flickr

"My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece." - Claude Monet

Duty Now for the Future!

 

New Traditionalist?

I think it was 1981, I was 15. I was just venturing out into the world, tentatively taking the bus out to Telegraph to stroll the streets, in search of the pieces to the puzzle that would ultimately define myself. I remember one time wandering the campus of UC Berkeley and being struck by some guys shouting out a window. I didn't get what they were saying, but they were hanging a crudely crafted banner outside their 3rd floor window which read DEVO! It was spray painted on a sheet and they were really excited about it and I got excited too even though all I knew about DEVO at the time I had learned from MTV and that was to "Whip it. . . Whip it Good!"

That song was catchy and the video was pretty slick, but beneath the commercial facade, I felt a kinship to a cult that was brewing: a cult of fed-up, misfit, pissed off, anarchist arty rebels who wanted to save the world, who saw things were going to shit and wanted to speak up about it. That impression, that moment, that day, stuck with me. It was my first exposure to how a band could become a movement, how the power of art (music) can make a scene and hopefully make a difference. I was at that impressionable age when the music rang loud and true to my ears, made my head spin and burned a hole in my heart. It hit me where it hurts and defined who I am today. Deep down, I think I'll always identify with that misfit rebel who wants to save the world.

I never got to see DEVO back in the day, though their music remained an underlying current to my adolescence. After growing up and growing away from the in-your-face-fervor of the punkadelic wave, I finally got the opportunity tonight to ride that wave again.  I admit I was afraid of what a difference 30 years would make and that they might be a woeful sham of what they once were. . . but DEVO delivered! They were not nearly as old and fat as I feared they would be, or as I felt I was, or as the audience clearly seemed to be!

Something came over me sometime around when they played 'Going Under' and I was 15 again, full of Passion and Rage! The lyrics came back to me as a mantra from my youth:

THINK YOU HEARD THIS ALL BEFORE

NOW YOU'RE GONNA HEAR SOME MORE
I KNOW A PLACE WHERE DREAMS GET CRUSHED
HOPES ARE SMASHED BUT THAT AIN'T MUCH
VOLUNTARY EXPERIMENTATION
GOING THROUGH SOFT CORE MUTATION
I'M GOING UNDER
DOWN UNDER WHERE THE LIGHTS ARE LOW
TO A PLACE WHERE ALL THE MUTANTS GO
DOING THINGS I NEVER DID BEFORE
INSIDE OUT AND COMING BACK FOR MORE
LITTLE GIRLS WITH THE FOUR RED LIPS
NEVER KNEW IT COULD BE LIKE THIS
YOU PUT ME IN A SITUATION
GOIN' THROUGH SOFT CORE MUTATION

 

The scars of Experimentation suddenly stung with a fresh vengeance and transformed me into a 44 year old gyrating-slam-dancing teenager jerking back and forth! Needless to say, the person I was with was not enthused by my antics and apparently the surrounding fogies didn't appreciate my display either! Who the Hell were all those people anyway?! I don't remember them being around back when I was out-casted for being a New Wave Freak! If they were freaks also, then WHY weren't they dancing with me tonight? How can you listen to DEVO and stand still? Who the Hell do they think they are? Standing Still is Living Still. If that's who they are, then that's what's wrong with the world. The message is still the same (30 years later) Thing's are fucked so Act out, Freak out, get pissed! And don't be afraid to piss other people off . . . at least I lived a little tonight! I never cared before what people thought, so why should I now? All that really matters is how you feel and what you do about it.

"a victim of collision on the open sea

nobody ever said that life was free

sank, swam, go down with the ship

but use your freedom of choice

I'll say it again in the land of the free

use your freedom of choice

YOUR FREEDOM OF CHOICE!"

The Groove

 

'The Groove' 

For those that didn't make it to the Opening of the Love Show last night,

THIS is what I made for it. 

Seeking to resist the stereotypical notions of love between two people, I thought it would be fun to depict another passion of mine: Music! I can't paint without it. I must have it when I work out, drive, cook, clean and eat. There is ALWAYS music playing at the BoneHaus, both inside and out. It's how we live. Dave Brubeck dinners, Muddy Waters camp fires, Bluegrass breakfasts and White Stripe road trips. There is an ever-changing soundtrack that is as much a part of our family as another breathing, beating heart. It sets the tone for our life; to motivate, inspire, arouse, soothe and fulfill our inner yearnings. It's what gets me up and keeps me going. Nietzsche said, "Without music life would be a mistake". My art, like my life is richly inspired by the music I love.

A painter paints pictures on canvas.  But musicians paint their pictures on silence.  ~Leopold Stokowski

Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memory.  ~Oscar Wilde

Music is the shorthand of emotion.  ~Leo Tolstoy

Music is love in search of a word.  ~Sidney Lanier

Music is the poetry of the air.  ~Richter

And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares that infest the day
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs
And as silently steal away.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Day Is Done

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

A big accomplishment (for me)

(a sneak peek)

For the past few years I've heard about this Love Show that Launch Pad puts on. Last year I actually went and was blown away by all the incredible interpretations of love by both established and emerging local artists. My friend Kelly Akin was in the show which was my main motivation for going to see it. It became a fantasy of mine to be in it too! I set a goal this year to do just that and yesterday I dropped off my painting at Gallery Homeland!

It's hard to describe the range of emotions one goes through when setting out create a piece of art for a specific purpose/event. For me, it starts with the idea which is very exciting at first! But then comes the task of making it happen and figuring out how on earth I will possibly be able to bring it to life. The work of actually making it always takes much longer than I ever anticipate and I end up pulling ridiculously late nighters and painting until the wee hours of the morning to make the deadline -which really hurts when I have to get up early to take the boy to school or a birthday party the next morning! I haven't done much painting like this since I was in school, in fact this is the first time I have attempted to draw the human form in 13 years -and it did NOT come back to me easily! It felt good to be passionately consumed in my art again, even though I was deliriously exhausted, even though I might have neglected my housekeeping and family a little (OK, a lot!).

I have come to realize that you cannot live a balanced life when art is involved. It's a crock, or at least it's not the kind of art I want to make. Things get thrown wildly out of balance in order to focus on what is important at the moment. What is key is having a support system that respects understands this. Of course, they are always important, but I am more than just a wife and a mother. . . I am also an artist. I know it sucks for them and it's hard to put up with, but I'll clean up when I'm done.

I made my painting and though I felt like I could have kept working on it, I dropped it off within an hour of the submission deadline. I labored over this baby like it was my 2nd child and now I am sending it off to camp: LOVE Camp! My stomach was full of butterflies as I loaded it up into the car (it's BIG). On my way to the gallery I saw a friend on her bike and I actually pulled over and flagged her down to show off the precious cargo I had in my trunk! I'm such a giddy geek! When I got to the gallery I saw C. Haberman, one of the curators of the show. Though we are not close friends, I called out to him and proclaimed "Look! I made something!!" I'm not sure why, but my knees were shaking. This first big show feels more like a prom than anything. I'm so thrilled to have followed through with a goal of mine and to be included in the company of so many artists I adore! I feel like I am 'coming out' and I want everyone to see that: Look, I can do it too!

To see over 300 works of art and to see my painting in full, come to the Love Show next Saturday, 2/12/11 from 7pm to 12am and bring a can of food for the Oregon Food Bank!

'Love Letters' by Chris Haberman & Teresa Garber

Luv is in the air!

'Ornaments of the eternal flame'

Just in time for Valentine's day! It's what seemed to make sense when I secured the February slot at First Cup Coffee House to show my art. After all, Luv is in the air! As I was hanging today, my friend remarked that she thought my stuff looked very "Rock & Roll" and I can't honestly think of a higher compliment! I must be on the right track, it feels like the natural progression from my Calaveras to now take on Sacred Hearts; another form of Mexican Folk Art for me to tweak and twist into my own funky style. I still love the rustic nature of ruddy old plywood and now I have discovered a new thrill: working with METAL! Tin cans, pie tins, lunch boxes, cookie canisters, you name it, I'm cutting it up! I've got the wounds to prove it, (bleeding for art somehow doesn't hurt as much). I'm having a lot of fun working with new tools and I've got a lot of new ideas on the burner. There's something about the combination of wood and paint and metal that really clicks for me. I can't really explain the attraction or why I feel compelled to craft 3-dimensional assemblages when I have so many 'drawings' in my head. It's funny for an 'Illustration major' to be so resistant to drawing! All I can say is that this is where I am now, and what is coming out. I'm just grateful (and a bit relieved) that I managed to get something out. . . and done. . . and up on a wall -in public!
Check it out if you're in the neighborhood:

First Cup
4103 SE Woodstock Blvd. PDX
or
you can view them here: www.flickr.com

"Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing." -Marc Chagall

Chain of Events

I went to art school because I wanted to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. Well, not really me, but my art. I dreamed of doing album covers and rock posters. I wanted to illustrate the music that drives me. . . that was the dream. Then Life happened, I got married then took a 1000 mile pilgrimage from SE France to NW Spain, then came back, bought a house and got a job to pay the mortgage. Then Motherhood happened and I worked part time at night, raising my boy by day until I got laid off 2 years ago. Now Art is happening. . . again.

A couple of years ago, el Hueso gave me the Art of Modern Rock for my birthday. I could feel the fire burning in my belly again. I drooled over the pages, marking my favorites, taking note of the artists that inspire me.

A month ago, a couple of friends invited me to go to the Goodfoot to see the Art of Musical Maintenance show. The entire place was plastered with righteous rock radness! Tempted by the dizzying display of posters, I didn't buy anything, wanting to wait for one from a show I'd been to, something that would mean more to me.

On New Years day, I went to see X at the Roseland. The man and I don't go out much anymore, but it was still technically my Birthday week so I talked him into it. I knew it would be too good a show to miss! I had never seen them play before, but the show took me back to a time and place that I thought I might have lost forever.

There was a poster for sale at the show. I could barely make it out in the dim light. It looked like it might be a Gary Houston! I didn't buy it then but hunted for it later the next day. I found it on the Voodoo Catbox website and called the studio. Gary answered the phone and gave me directions to come on over!! I was so excited that I called the only person who I thought might be as thrilled as me to see the studio and meet Gary. Turns out my buddy has a collection of GH posters and is a huge fan!

Today, we took a field trip to the Voodoo Catbox studio under the St. John's Bridge. Hell Yessss!

Today was an AWESOME day!

Gary Houston wrapping up my X poster

The journey continues. . .

Back to school for The Boy, back to work for The Man and back on track for Mamalea. The business of Life and each of our routines resumes. This year, I am not starting over, just picking up where I left off. Sure I'm making plans and setting goals, but mostly I am focusing on what I have already started and trying to stay committed to the pursuit of art making.

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on,
with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.
~Hal Borland

. . . and so the journey continues. This new year is as much a fresh start as each and every day is, when I awake to find that I am still Alive and in Love and on my Way.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

From Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Happy New Year.

It's like a Tower

My little boy walked into the kitchen while we were making dinner tonight and said:

"The easiest way to become poor is
lose your job,
then try to be an artist.

It's like a Tower
that's falling. . .

with only a little bit
to hold it up."


The observations of an 8 yr old can be quite profound.

Invision

'Invision' by Jesse Reno

Went Downtown today. Don't get down there much anymore. It's a big deal for us to muster up the energy to cross the river, especially when it's so dark, dreary and drizzly out! But we were headed to a Birthday party and I wanted to pop in to the Grand Opening of Crafty Wonderland's Pop-Up Shop! It sure was gray and soggy out, Portland's typical Falling-into-Winter fashion. But downtown was bustling! The streets were full of people walking and shopping. They can't all be loaded, I thought, they can't all be tourists. Who are all these pretty people out in the rain with money to burn?

After perusing the Small Wonders Art Show and partaking in a crafty cupcake, I wandered into Art Media for the first time since Art School. What a blast from the past! Same guy was still working there! He looked at me with a glance that seemed slightly beyond retail protocol. Did he remember me? I used to spend what felt like hours browsing paints, pretty papers and portfolios back in the day. I went to school 2 Park blocks up. My studio was just around the corner. These were my old stomping grounds. It's been 12 years! My mini skirt and suede platform boots retired to the Goodwill many moons ago. I'm a gray-haired, married mama now, in cheap jeans and comfortable shoes. . . on my way to play glow-in-the-dark mini-golf with a few close kid friends. Who could possibly recognize me now!

Big N and n8 were waiting for me by the door. I bought 2 magazines -and without even any argument from Big N! A luxurious splurge indeed, but I think he realized how much it meant to me. I bought the latest issue of Juxtapoz -which has pretty much shaped and defined most of what I appreciate about art for the last 15 years, and a rag called Somerset Studio. No offense, but normally I never would have even reached for the latter -even though I know a lot of my friends read it and really love it! Some of the more textural collage stuff is nice, but most of it is a little too frilly for me, and I don't really go for mass market shabby chic. I realize that mine is an unpopular opinion, especially now when art journaling and soul collage is so HOT! Though some of it is really beautiful, I just don't want to make that kind of art. Therefore I will probably never amount to much -since that is the art people seem to want. Any way, I bought the mag because I had heard that this month's issue had an interview with Jesse Reno! Who would have expected it?! Such a juxtaposition of style (ha ha). In fact, there is a grumbly letter to the editor about the magazine's recent "new direction".

I got to meet Jesse Reno and see him work last month during Open Studios. It was a heart-pumping, jaw-dropping experience that I got to share with a friend. We both walked out of his studio with goosebumps and all we could say was "Woooah" -in that speechless Keanu Reeves sort of way. Jesse represents the grace of living in the Groove. We could feel it the minute we walked from the outside world into his. This is it, I thought. THIS is what I want to be! I want to be one with art: breathe it, dream it, make it, BE it! I want art to support my life and my life to support my art. Watching him paint, listening to him describe his process and tell his painting's stories was an exciting glimpse into a world I so desperately want to be in. And for that moment I was in it (vicariously) . . . until me and my fellow mom-friend walked out the door and back into our world.

Are you living the Life you were meant to live?

The Importance of Family

Zoe Harris who studied Day of the Dead in Mexico Photo Credit Robin Collins

This my Aunt Zoe celebrating Dia de los Muertos in San Rafael, CA. She has always been a HUGE inspiration to me. I have fond memories of her introducing me to the magical world of this Mexican Holiday back when I was a wide-eyed little girl, soaking in all the wonderment of the festivities in the Mission District of San Francisco. I cling to a dream of traveling to Mexico with her one day, a sort of pilgrimage to the source of the Folk Art that kindles my creative spark.

You can read a great article on this year's celebration here

The Last Ripe Tomato

The last ripe tomato
is falling from grace.
Unrequited and forlorn,
withdrawing from the race.

The season of growth is over.
The season of rot is closing in.

Silent,

suspended,

transition.

How affected by Nature is your internal world?

Muertos Season

Muertos Season is upon us and October is full of Day of the Dead shows happening all over town. For the past few weeks I have been buried in sequins and glitter, painting skeleton smiles with bottle cap eyes to prepare for my show -opening Last Thursday, 9-30 at Fantasma on Alberta. I have been having a lot of fun playing with new techniques and designs and am excited to bring them out of the Bone Cave into the light of the world at large! If you have never attended Last Thursday, THIS is your chance to get off the couch and step out into the street on a lovely, lively evening of ART, music, dance and spectacle. I will be at Fantasma from 6 -8pm -presenting my new assortment of Calaveras and sharing the spotlight with the Elegant Linda Rand. Hope to see you there!

If you can't make the Last Thursday festivities, I will be at Redux on Burnside for a First Friday opening of the 2nd Annual Halloween Show! Such a thrill to be included in this group show once again! This year's theme is:

skulls & cross bones.

Loving this BUSY time of year!

Viva la Vida!

I've been thinking a lot about TIME lately. How little I seem to have in a day (or left in my life) and how fast it's flying by. This is picture of me when I lived and worked in Yosemite, around 20 years ago. That sounds so surreal to say! The concept of that much time eludes me, I can't seem to grasp the enormity or the brevity of it. So much has happened since then, yet could be considered merely a blip when I look back on it in my 90s. I can only hope to live that long, but life has a way of randomly being cut short when you least expect it. There is no way to know how much time I have left, all I know is how vital every second of it feels to me right now. I have become obsessed with how I spend my time, who I spend it with and what I spend it on.

A guy I know recently celebrated his birthday and in his invite to friends to help him celebrate, he wrote that what he cherished most in life was his time, whether it was spent being a hermit or hanging with friends or making art and/or love, if he had ever kicked it with you remember that he gave you the most valuable part of himself, cuz he couldn't get that time back to use somewhere else. This made his offer of spending time with him seem incredibly special and struck me how time in itself can be a meaningful gift.

A lot of my friends are now attending their 20 and 30 year high school reunions. An obscure mark of time to me, but an inevitable rite of passage into middle age it seems. I was not invited to a reunion, since I dropped out of high school and took a completely different path. Instead of going on to college and developing a career, I chose to go into the mountains and develop the art of experience. Living in Yosemite was like waking up to the most beautiful painting everyday, and every time you blinked it would become more beautiful in new and different ways. That painting pulled me in and I became a part of it and in turn, it will always be a part of me. It was the richest gift I could give myself and time well spent (9 years!).

Every minute of everyday, I am making decisions based on my priorities. Tricky part is that those priorities have a way of shifting around on me! Earlier this year, I put art on hold to try something completely different. It was an incredibly rewarding lesson for me to attempt to organize an event of that magnitude -and pull it off. Someday I will get around to blogging about it! The most valuable thing I gained from it all was the relationships I formed and strengthened with other parent volunteers and artists through the experience. I lost my art for a while, but I gained a lot of love.

When it comes right down to it, Love really is what matters most to me. Time well spent is a form of love: loving your life.

Spring Fundraising Extravaganza!

Full story and BoneWerx update coming soon!

TRUST

Dec. 3rd was the one year anniversary of the day I was laid off, thrown out of the car and onto the road less traveled. The day came and went quietly. I mentioned it to a few folks in passing and they weren't sure whether to congratulate or console me. I wasn't sure either. It's hard to tell how I feel. Life has changed a lot. I was in a melancholy mood as I went about my business that day: picking up the 'Share the Road' skull from Redux at the close of the Muertos show, then over to Fantasma to hang 3 new Calaveras and collect payment for the one that had just sold, then home to list a few more on Etsy.

THIS is my new life, my new JOB. Business is slow, but that's true almost everywhere. I miss a regular paycheck, but at least some money is trickling in. How long do I give myself to make this thing work? How long will el Hueso induldge me? How long does it take to build an Artist? Time's not up yet.

I have spent these last few weeks reflecting on the course of the past year and where it has lead me. It has been a humbling exercise to outline the year's small accomplishments, but as I look at it as a whole, I see that they do add up to something. . . the beginning of something.
The following is my First Year in Review. . .

December

• 12-03-08 Laid off from almost 9 yrs @ Precision Images.
• 12-17-08 Opened an Etsy Shop
• Spent the better part of the month in a shell-shocked state of panic.

January

• 01-14-09 Started this Blog.
• Obama Inaugurated. Change is in the air. Hope is Alive.

February

• Short visit with family in Santa Fe.
• Trip to Folk Art Museum knocks my socks off!
• Work on creating Studio Space in basement begins.

March

• Applied for SEA program. (Self Employment Assistance)
• Registered 'BoneWerx' business name.
• Met Bridget Benton, my advisor from the Small Business Development Center.
• Conducted extensive Market Research/Soul Searching to create Business Plan.

April

• Attended Portland screening of 'Handmade Nation'
• Applied to be in 2 upcoming Craft Fairs.
• Completed and Submitted Business Plan to the OR Employment Department.
• Formed 'Inspirational Partnership' with Julie LaRoche. -Vowed to meet regularly to make and discuss art together.
• Studio set up complete. -Christened it with a small group of supportive friends and champagne.

May

• Created 'Garden Bots' to sell as Garden Art at Craft Fairs.
• Alberta Art Hop -My First Big Event! Thousands of people strolling the street. Got great feedback but only sold 3 Calaveras. -Met Tim Combs, who made similar recycled Garden 'Bots'
  

June

• Backed out of Vancouver Recycled Arts Festival -just not ready yet.
• Treasure hunting, scavenging, scrapping continues in passionate scramble for new materials.
• Gallery visits and art openings in an attempt to tap in to creative community.
• School lets OUT. . . My art lets up.

July

• Unemployment Insurance runs out.
• Apply for and am eligible for UI extension, but unable to continue in Self Employment Assistance Program.
• Discovered freshly opened Fantasma: an Altar Space -contacted owner about showing/selling my Calaveras there.

August

• Spent the better part of Summer as FULL TIME Mama!
• Continued to meet with Julie and do art with our kids.
• Booked as Featured Artist and altar builder at Fantasma for the month of October!
• My First 'Last Thursday' gig on Alberta. -Great fun, but didn't sell anything.
• Met Linda Rand -a like minded Muertos Artist.

September

• Back to School. . .Back to Work!
• Flurry of activity to make up for lost time!
• Created new series of Roller Derby inspired paintings.
• Participated in 'Skating with Scissors' Bazaar with Kelly Akin. -Didn't sell a thing!
• Attended 'Craft fair 101' through the DIY Lounge. -Met Cathy Pitters & Torie Nguyen!

October

• Calavera Show at Fantasma + Altar to Ruby in shop window on Alberta!
• Sold 9 Calaveras.
• Attended 'Etsy Basics' through the DIY Lounge. -Met Christine Claringbold 
• Started setting up my Etsy Shop and listing my work for sale.
• 1st commissioned Calavera -for bridal shower gift/Day of the Dead themed wedding.

November

• Show comes down at Fantasma, but Jess agrees to show/sell my Calaveras on a regular basis.
• Created 'Share the Road' Calavera for group Muertos show at Redux.
• Attended Opening for show with Julie & Mike -Our first adult night out all year!
• Lewis Holiday Bazaar -sold 8 Calaveras and 2 Garden Bots
• 1st Sale on Etsy
• Minor mention of 'Share the Road' on Bike Portland.org leads to nearly 400 hits on my blog!

December

• Joint show with Julie LaRoche at First Cup Coffee House.
• Sold 3 paintings!
• sold Calavera at Fantasma.
• 2nd sale on Etsy.
• 2nd commission.

It may not look like much and it certainly doesn't add up to much monetarily, but it feels like I may be on to something. There are a lot of other people doing it; doing what I want to do and doing it well, so I know it's possible -not just to survive, but to THRIVE at it! Everyday I am encouraged by the astounding talent that surrounds me! Portland certainly feels like the right place to be right now. It's an exciting time of reinvention. The economic downturn has forced people to be more creative and driven us to take more chances about how we make a living. As restaurants are shutting down, food carts are springing up. As shops are closing, Etsy is exploding! We are refocusing our priorities about what we do, what we buy, where we buy it, what we make, how we make it, what we eat and how we live! Though I'm still a little bitter about the way it happened, I'm still thankful that I got the 'Wake Up Call'. Everything means so much more to me now on so many levels. Less wasted time, less wasted energy, less wasted money, (less money!). I am learning a lot; mostly that I have a lot more still to learn! And a lot more still to do!!

Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement. 
-Alfred Adler

Hopes & Worries

For the past year, two friends met at First Cup to enjoy great coffee and conversations about art and creativity. When given the opportunity to display our art, it took the better part of 2009 to find a recurring theme we wanted to share and exhibit. As both mothers and caretakers, our conversations often centered around how to remain balanced between nurturing and smothering, hopes and worries. Eventually, we each found a medium and inspiration to express the stories of our daily lives.

Have you ever worried so much about providing a nurturing environment for your child that it feels toxic? Do you feel fragile at times about how to care for the world? Do you feel both hopeful and overwhelmed by the small progress we make individually each day?

This is an art show that begins with worry and ends in wonder. It is simultaneously nurturing and fragile because that is how parenting feels. Whether parenting children, caring for ourselves, our community or the world at large, this art is offered as one-page stories about the tension, faith and hopes in every day life. It is a glimpse into the treasury of emotion we each carry.

What hopes and worries do you carry?

This is the inspiration behind the work we chose to do.
It meant a lot to both of us and we hope it means a little something to you.

View the art from the show here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonewerx/sets/72157622921577528/

To see more of Julie's work, check out: http://www.larocheart.blogspot.com/

Our art will show through the month of December
at First Cup on Woodstock.

TOXIC

This painting is an illustration of the problem of loving too much! You may not like it and it wasn't meant to be pretty. It was an important exercise for me to figure out how to do it and practice the process of turning what is inside my head into something others can see and hopefully understand. I am still discovering what kind of art I want to make. There is the art that is made to sell . . . and the art that is meant to tell. This piece has a story . . .

Last Summer I signed Nate up for Nature Camp, a week long day camp in Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. It was to be his first camp experience. He has been attending classes through Parks & Rec. at Community Centers since he was a baby, but those had all included parent involvement -so I got to attend too! Now that he is getting older, the rules are changing and I am not allowed to tag along. I understand the value of him having a life without me, but I'm not ready yet to just drop off and let go. Obviously, school is different, it is a familiar community. We know the teachers, we know the kids. It is hard to trust the UNKNOWN.

I think being the parent of only one child intensifies my dependency upon him. I've got all my eggs in one basket and I know it sounds a bit crass, but I have no back-up. At times I can be terribly preoccupied by all that can/could go wrong! I worry obsessively and am struggling to accept the fact that I cannot control the world that Nate lives in. I cannot prevent the other kids from hurting his feelings. I cannot prevent him from falling out of the tree and smashing his head wide open! I cannot prevent the driver from not seeing him in the bike lane and driving over him!! I cannot prevent the creepy stranger from jumping out of the bushes and nabbing him!!! If only I really could create a safety bubble for him, or a force-field of love and kindness. I do my best to give him the tools that he needs to survive, but I cannot protect him from everything . . . and I just HATE that!

As I was stressing the night before sending Nate to camp, I had a vivid nightmare of a nest built of broken glass. I don't usually have dreams that include such cool imagery, so I knew this was something I had to do something with. I had worked myself up into such a tizzy that I almost threw up after dropping him off that morning. I came straight home and started breaking bottles! My artistic passion fizzled when I couldn't figure out how to attach the glass to the board. I had been looking forward to spending the week in my studio, making art while Nate was at camp; falling into deep holes, getting lost in the woods and getting bitten by snakes. I have to admit that it was almost a relief when the Heat Wave hit and I could claim that it was inhumane to make him run around outside all day in 106 degrees! I didn't make any art that week and Nate only got one day of camp, but I think we both preferred to spend the quality time bonding with a waterfall in the Gorge instead.

Share the Road

I have titled this Calavera: 'Share the Road'. It is a tribute to all the cyclists who have been killed riding their bikes in the city. I created this piece specifically for the 'Muertos' show at Redux and it can still be seen there until Nov. 30th. It started with picking up bits of broken reflector in the street and feeling that each broken shard had a story to tell. I took the opportunity of being involved in this show to create something that I hoped would convey a message, it was a bit of a departure for me. I tried to keep it pretty -in the 'sugar skull' tradition, but I also let it bleed. For the most part, I enjoy art because it makes me feel good, but sometimes I get even more out of it when it makes me angry. I felt it was important to make something that might stir an emotional reaction and make others angry too. In my own little way, I hope to inspire an awareness: to SEE cyclists on the road, be courteous and drive safe (STOP driving over them!) -it's a matter of life and death!

El Hueso doesn't like this piece. He was instantly put off by the gory aspect. He had been enjoying my quirky little Calaveras until this one crossed the line. It's true that my work has been mostly lighthearted, decorative little musings meant to bring a smile and ease our fear. Let it be known, it is NOT my intention to glorify death or wallow in the dark side. My folks for example don't really get what I am doing, it just doesn't appeal to them at all. I understand that not everyone wants a skull on their wall! I know that death is a loaded subject and the last thing I want to do is offend anyone. But kids on the other hand, are totally drawn to my stuff. They don't have the baggage attached, they just think skulls are cool! Perhaps it's a generational thing. I want to know what you think. Be honest, be forthcoming, I'd love to hear your feedback.

warm & fuzzy

It's such a warm, fuzzy vibe when you can draw the community in to support handmade art and craft while benefiting the local Elementary school. Shopping becomes so much more meaningful when you know where your dollars are going and you can personally see who benefits. It feels so good to be a part of this community and go to a school that values art and is chock full of creative families. We had our first Bazaar last year and doubled our projected earnings for it. So this year, we doubled the amount of vendors and took over both the cafeteria and the gym! It always feels like a gamble when there's so much riding on it, but I think I can safely say that the 2009 Lewis Holiday Bazaar was a huge success! We are hoping to generate a reputation as the Hip place to start your Holiday shopping, and I think we're off to a good start. The caliber of our vendors is impressive; from our very own first graders to the royalty of Indie Craft! I am grateful to every one of them for being a part of it! Spread the word and come back next year, Lewis loves you!

graves are the footprints of angels

We spend our lives postponing death; dreading it, fearing it, cheating it. But the fact remains that there is no escape. The more we are able to accept our fatality, the more meaningful we can make our lives, the more passionately we can love and the more present we can be. Embrace life until it is our turn to embark on the unknown journey into what may lie ahead. I am working on this. Working on changing my perspective. Banishing my stress, my worry and my fear and learning how to just peacefully BE.

Today is El Día de los Muertos or All Souls' Day. It is a time to celebrate and remember our loved ones. Honoring their spirits is a way to keep our memories of them alive. Today I am remembering two Rubys. One very young and one very old. Grandpa Ru passed away August 19th, 2009. Born Reuben, some people called him Ruby, but we all called him Ru. As I look at his picture, I can see a twinkle in his eye and I hope he can feel the love in my heart.

I am happy to say that the tradition of celebrating Day of the Dead is ALIVE and WELL in PDX! It seems this year, more than ever, there are gallery shows, sugar skull making, processions and altars all over town. I find it both enlightening and encouraging! This month, I have been fortunate enough to be included in a 'Muertos' show at Redux on Burnside. I am in the company of 22 other incredible artists -which is a big thrill for me! You can see all the work from the show on this gallery blog. -But please be sure to visit Redux some time this month, you are sure to find many treasures there. The show runs from 10/27 - 11/29. Opening Reception is First Friday, THIS FRIDAY, 11/06 from 6 - 10pm.

And on the subject of the moment, I would like to share a few quotes I have gathered. . .

As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well used brings happy death. ~Leonardo da Vinci

Death is beautiful when seen to be a law, and not an accident - It is as common as life.
~Henry David Thoreau, 11 March 1842, letter to Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing. ~Robert Ingersoll

Someday I'll be a weather-beaten skull resting on a grass pillow,
Serenaded by a stray bird or two.
Kings and commoners end up the same,
No more enduring than last night's dream.
~Ryokan

He spake well who said that graves are the footprints of angels. ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? ~Kahlil Gibran, from "The Prophet"

From my rotting body, flowers shall grow and I am in them and that is eternity. ~Edvard Munch

"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance."
-G.B. Shaw

Calaveras!

I am so excited to have my Calaveras on display at Fantasma! The show will be up all month. If you haven't been by yet, please drop in. The shop has lots of magical, mystical items for sale as well as some lovely marionettes handcrafted by Linda Rand. The shop owner Jessica Rega is on the lookout for handcrafted, locally made art, so if you make altars, shrines, tin art etc. you might want to check it out. My Calaveras feel very at home in her shop, but I'm sure they would love to come home with you too!

The Calavera series is inspired by the Mexican Sugar Skulls of Dia de los Muertos; the tradition of honoring loved ones who have passed and welcoming their spirits home for a festive visit to celebrate the best of life. In Spanish, Calavera refers to 'Death's head' and is intended as a whimsical way to mock death's power over us. I started painting the skulls as a way to process my grief over losing my friends. It has become a creative confrontation with my own mortality. It has been empowering and healing as a constructive way to Transform the immensity of such devastation into something intriguing, Lasting and beautiful.

Each skull is created from 3/4" thick reclaimed plywood which I cut out, sand and then paint. No two are ever the same! Personalities begin to emerge as I explore different techniques, materials and found objects. They serve as a striking reminder to celebrate the life we have and know now.

Later this month on Last Thursday, October 29th, there will be a Dia de los Muertos Procession on Alberta at 7pm. It will be a great opportunity to dress up, bring candles, photos and other offerings to honor those that you want to Remember. Come and join me in the festivities!

FANTASMA is at 2314 B NE Alberta Street

Remembering Ruby

Earlier this Summer while strolling down Alberta, I stumbled upon this new little shop called FANTASMA: an Altar space. I got all tingly as I stepped in and felt like I had found the golden key that would unlock the door that would send me forth on my chosen path. Could there be anywhere more perfect than this magical little shop of Mexican handicrafts, steeped in Day of the Dead Folk Art? We were meant for each other. I introduced myself to the owner and described the Calaveras I have been making. She liked my work and booked me! And here I am, the featured Artist and Altar builder for the entire month of October. Viva la BoneWerx!

This is the first altar that I have ever assembled. As a flower child, I grew up around various forms of altars to different gods, cats, poets, artists, relatives and friends. My parents, grandma and aunt have all been altar builders, it has been a family tradition. . . and now it is my turn. I consulted my aunt Zoe, an artist and educator in the Bay Area. She is the authority on Mexican Folk Art and gave me the traditional guidelines that I needed to begin with. In the end, I branched out with where my heart led me.

The altar I have created is an 'Ofrenda' to Ruby. It has been 2 years since Ruby was taken from this world and it has taken me this long to get to the place where I could do a piece about her. In the aftermath of the horrific event that stole her away, I knew I had to make something, but it felt too painful then. It has been nagging at me ever since yearning to come out in some way, but not knowing how. It feels very important for me to honor Ruby in this way; to remind the world that she was here - touched our lives - and we miss her.

Bright bud
Glowing Firecracker
Racing bug
Spunky Dream Catcher
Wild wildflower. . .
on the wind
blowing through my mind
blowing up my heart
scattering fire seeds
softly glowing
glowing
glowing
red.

I hope you will take the opportunity to visit the altar and celebrate the spirit of Ruby.

FANTASMA is at 2314 B NE Alberta Street