112 and counting

This week, I got back into the swing of studio time by lining paintchips up end to end on a larger wall. There are 350 different colored paintchips, and i've sewn nested shapes on just about 1/3rd of them so far. When I started, I never thought it would turn into such a large project, but I hope in the next few months to really have a wall covered in sewn paintchips, arranged in some logical way. Right now they're arranged numerically by the top stripe color. Its got some starts and stops, some fairly substantial gaps, and strangely quite a few repeats...but its an interesting way to ascribe some order to them without arranging just by color. I think its mostly working, at least as a starting point, and I'm hoping once I'm finished that there will be an interesting gradation achieved by that first striped line.

On to the pictures:

what a difference a professional makes

This morning on my way to work, I picked up my silverpoint drawings from a professional photographer. I really struggled to get the detail and correct color on my own, and really don't have the necessary camera/lighting to capture images with this much detail. Dave at Perceptual Intent however, knocked it out of the park. Its nice to finally feel like I can really share these drawings online. So, without further ado.

untitled 4(silverpoint)
silverpoint on paper, 2009
40"x26"

untitled 3(silverpoint)
silverpoint on paper, 2009
40"x26"

untitled 2(silverpoint)
silverpoint on paper, 2009
24"x18"

untitled 1(silverpoint)
silverpoint on paper, 2009
24"x18"

In related news I'll have work up in two locations for the month of October. Selected paintings from the series "heart loot: and other small stories" will be on view at the Ginger Salon (pearl district location) thru November 2nd. Also, two of the above silverpoint drawings will be included in the Marylhurst University Art Alumni Show October 17th - November 25th. Opening reception is Friday Oct. 16th from 6-9pm.

silverpoint

A quick blog post. I spent a few hours last night working on a new silverpoint drawing. Still unsatisfied by my camera's ability to capture the right detail, but pleased with the quality of the drawings overall.

untitled (in progress)
2009
silverpoint on domestic etch
40"x32"

84 and counting

I keep sewing paintchips. My rather large collection is diminishing and my finished pile keeps growing. I ran out of push pins. I'm adding to the wall, and liking the results more and more as the group grows.

Here's a picture of the progress.

Finished Silverpoint

I finally finished my 2nd large silverpoint drawing. Still struggling with getting a really sharp image with my not so great camera, but the lighting is better.

(untitled)silverpoint
silverpoint on paper
40"x32", 2009

(untitled)silverpoint (detail)
silverpoint on paper
40"x32", 2009

i think i gave myself a pushpin blister....

Yikes. The good news is I have 24 more sewn paintchips to add to the collection, giving me a total of 61. I'm making good progress on that wall of paintchips, and the larger the collection grows, the more exciting it looks. Here are some pictures.

24 new sewn paintchips

24 new sewn paintchips (detail)

The beginning of a wall full of paintchips.

61 sewn paintchips arranged in a grid (view 1)

61 sewn paintchips arranged in a grid (view 2)

p.s. - My 2nd post in the past week. I've got another silverpoint drawing almost finished, so depending on my ability to get into the studio later this week, it might just be three.

things i'm looking at/listening to/thinking about

I've been thinking for awhile about posting a list of things that are inspiring me at the moment. Its a disparate group consisting of random phrases, songs, images, artists, observations, etc. This seems like as good a place as any to put that kind of list.

• Neko Case - I freaking love her voice and the fact that she now lives in Vermont with a barn full of pianos (seriously, how cool is that?) The lyrics of middle cyclone are so beautiful and vulnerable and strong at the same.

Baby, why'm I worried now,
did someone make a fool of me
'fore I could show 'em how it's done?
Can't give up actin' tough,
it's all that I'm made of.
Can't scrape together quite enough
to ride the bus to the outskirts
of the fact that I need love.

There were times that I tried,
one for every glass of water
that I spilled next to the bed,
wretching pennies in a boiling well
in a dream that it once becomes
a foundry of mute and heavy bells.
They shake me deaf and dumb
say, "Someone made a fool of me
'fore I could show 'em how it's done."

It was so clear to me
that it was almost invisible.
I lie across the path waiting,
just for a chance to be a spiderweb
trapped in your lashes.
For that, I would trade you my empire for ashes.
But I choke it back, how much I need love...

photo from this nytimes article

• Old Nautical Maps; I've always loved maps, especially old maps. Lately I've been interested in bodies of water, and nautical maps. I discovered the NOAA has a great online archive of old nautical charts/maps. I could spend hours there downloading historical maps.

• Social networking. Its a hole new world of connecting to people and its made me think a lot lately about connection, and communicating in 140 characters, and overlapping spheres. Its a part of the silverpoint drawings I'm making, and relates to what has come to feel like the overarching theme of my artmaking; the relationship of the unique to the whole.

• Paper installation work by artists like chris natrop

• soft petaled flowers like ranaculus and peonies