Has it Really Been a Year Already?

I told myself last August that I'd be a better crafty business blogger. I'd give my Elephant Dust Handmade business a bigger media presence. I've done at least one of those things in the past year.

If you look up ELEPHANTDUST on Instagram or http://www.facebook.com/elephantdust, or http://www.pinterest.com/rabbitandwolf you would know this. But this blog has sat neglected for a year, metaphorical tumble weeds blowing through it like a ghost town.

You wouldn't know it from here, but a lot has occurred in the past year, both for Elephant Dust Handmade, and for myself in my other lines of work.

Since the last post (My first craft show in years, as Elephant Dust Handmade), I've attended my first Patchwork, joined the Academy of Handmade Artists and Supporters (as Elephant Dust Handmade), volunteered at the Etsy Craft Party with Creative Outlet Studios, taught several more workshops at The Makery and shot an awesome video for Epson detailing my creative work using the new Epson Ribbon Cartridges (video soon to follow). I've also co-taught a Vision Boarding workshop with Bettyvision.com and made some new stuff happen at www.elephantdusthandmade.etsy.com.

New stuff like this:

As for myself, outside of Elephant Dust Handmade, I got hired onto the Install Crew at the Long Beach Museum of Art, picked up some new clients for studio assistant work, continued to assist at Kristin Dunn Bookbinding and Design and got hired to teach bookbinding classes at Angel's Gate Cultural Center, adopted a cat with my boyfriend, attended and made guestbooks for several Summer weddings and bought a plethora of houseplants.

It's been a busy year, and I wish My blog had reflected that in tiny, image-filled increments. How do you wear many hats and keep an active blog for at least a few of those hats? I would love to know how it's done!

Craft Fairs and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

It's been a while since I've participated in a craft fair (or written in this blog for that matter).

So when my friend Hannah told me this 2 day Art/Music/Film festival she was working on in Downtown Long Beach, was looking to host craft vendors, I figured it would be a great opportunity to 1. try craft vending again and 2. relaunch my brand, which has gone a bit stale from neglect since I've begun work as a bookbinder working for someone else, and started teaching more (aahhhh, security!)

Also, I knew having a solid deadline would force me to produce more work, besides a few oilcloth traveller sketchbooks.

I came up with hardcover open-spine sketchbooks, hand-painted paste papers, collagraph stamped cards, collagraph jellyfish prints, mini-photo notebooks and the aforementioned oilcloth journals. Not bad for making most of it within the last possible week!

Overall, I had a great time at Wilmore 9- I created most of the inventory I'd hoped to for the deadline, met a lot of cool artsy people, and learned/relearned a lot about vending at a craft fair.

Day 1: Hamming it up with my bookish merch

Stitching signatures into a traveller journal

Day 2: Not sharing a crowded space as much. Also, still working the same braids. Hell yeah, 12 hour days.

I'm actually surprised at how much I've learned and remembered that make me a better craftswomyn (yeah, I just did that) than the last time I did a craft event (2008? 2006?)

In a future post, I would like to make a list of the things i learned or reaffirmed through this vending experience. I'd also like to highlight a few of the other lovely venders I met here, there was some great local talent!

I'll leave you with this insight- never pierce and sew 6 hardcover sketchbooks the night before an event- you will get a repetitive motion injury. And now, after all the typing, I have to go RICE (rest-ice-compress-elevate) my wrist again...

February Classes and Happenings

I'm not much of a blogger these days. Having a computer that isn't a laptop makes me feel tethered, and I very much revolt against that feeling. The month of February has brought about much life change- like prepping to move to a new apartment by March, and a few new jobs. And some good constants, like my classes at The Makery in Anaheim.

Feb 9th, I taught an all ages Valentine Pop-up card from 10am-12pm. We actually made two more styles of pop ups in addition to the one below, and personalized them according to our whims.

 1-4pm, I taught an open spine Coptic book, as pictured below.  My students were very quick stitchers, so we ended up decorating our covers quite a bit with rubber stamps, colored ink and washi tape. If I get my butt in gear, I'll post some more impressive photos of our books in a follow up.

What Kinds of books or paper craft would you like to learn next Valentine's Day?

Stay tuned for Upcoming classes. in March I will be teaching paste paper again, as well as seed paper and stab-stitch wildflower books.

For the April-June quarter, I have some ideas I am mulling over. Among these are DIY (hardcover) Wedding Albums and Guest books, Collage Zines, Pop-up Bouquet Mother's day cards, paper luminaries (lanterns- spinning ones at that!) and butterfly stitch journals. Anything else I should consider? I am always open to suggestions.

Cloudbusting

Since this is my first official Autumn out of school, I decided I finally had no excuse not to make myself a really awesome halloween costume this year. I stumbled across this blog tutorial in my quest for the right costume: http://ohhappyday.com/2012/10/fluffy-white-cloud-costume/

Sure, it's a tutorial for a little girls' cloud costume, I just couldn't help myself. I needed to make a tiny adult sized version- for myself! I must admit that I underestimated the size/number of the balloons I would need even for my small torso, so it ended up being more of a chest piece than a full-body cloud. It's just as well though, I didn't need to cut arm holes into the fragile paper mache structure, and as it was, I already needed someone to feed me my drinks and help me get my bangs out of my eyes when I was wearing it.

I will try to get around to posting in-progress photos, but for now, I've created a page for the completed costume in lookbook. You can check it out and "hype" it below.

Upcoming Class: Intro to Paste Paper

Next Wednesday, I will be teaching my first fall class at the Makery. I wanted to start with a paper technique that students could use for future bookmaking classes, which I will be teaching later on this season. Paste paper was an obvious choice because it is fun, easy, and we can make it in big sheets to be cut down and used for a variety of projects! This class will be fun and informative if taken on it's own, but can be a building block for those looking to grow as paper crafters and bookmakers. 

What is paste paper exactly? Paste Paper making is kind of like finger painting for grown ups- what's not to love about that?! This decorative technique transforms plain paper into beautifully colored and patterned paper using colored wheat paste or wallpaper past and tools to create patterns using a subtractive method.

Wait, what? Yes, it's as simple as it sounds. You spread colored paste on paper, and make marks in it with tools before it dries. There are ways to add layers of complexity and push it even further, so the technique is good from beginning-advanced students of all ages. In my class, I will be demonstrating a variety of mark making options to create repeating patterns from the understated and elegant to the wild and extravagant! We will also talk about creating a paste paper toolkit out of different traditional household items, as well as traditional painting tools.

I'm very much looking forward to teaching this technique; it is a fun, messy craft and the product of our efforts is high reward for any skill level! If you live in the Orange county or Los Angeles area, I hope you can make it next Wednesday, Oct 24th. The class will be from 7pm-9pm, and we will have a fabulous time!

To sign up for my class, please visit http://themakery.squarespace.com/classes/#ecwid:category=2620507&mode=product&product=15948383

P.S.- Definitely bring your aprons!

Shifting Gears

So I've decided to shift gears on this much neglected blog of mine. It was my catch all personal/creative/art blog for a while, before I abandoned it to join Tumblr.

As I've just graduated with my BFA in Art (crafts emphasis), and I am beginning a few creative endeavors while looking for stable work and musing about grad schools... I am trying to be more conscious of my "brand" as an artist and crafter, and try to create a stronger distinction between my concept-driven art and my craft business.

Elephant Dust has been my Etsy name for a while, but I have only just created product and launched it: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ElephantDustHandmade
There are a few things up, and plenty more to come!

Long story short, this blog is to become the official blog of "Elephant Dust Handmade," my line of handmade books and accessories. Thanks for visiting! Cheers! 

Procrastination and Shimmer Paint

I always seem to feel the most creative when I'm in school. And the majority of my creative ideas are geared towards avoidance of my actual art assignments. Sometimes I'm lucky enough to imbue my own secret meanings into whatever still life/landscape/ misc. subject matter I am required to paint, and in so doing, fool myself into believing I am creating the art simply because I want to.

This semester, it's been a struggle to do so. Partially, I think I really psyched myself out with the grand ideas for 2010 and wore myself out with excitement by January 2nd. And 2009 was amazing, but exhausting. I feel like the majority of my lifetime unfolded in 2009. But I digress...

Despite my mental exhaustion, I'll try to follow the rules at school, and in other areas of responsibility. But I've  been trying to take a little time to make these quick little paintings just for me. Mostly little busts and profiles, like miniature paintings or cameos. It's keeping me sane, for the most part. And I find it soothing to make little works that I can fuck up without having a mini panic attack.

This one's made with a cheap-o prange set, a cool metallic set from Art Supply Warehouse and a small travel brush (it's got water already inside of it!) Her face isn't finished yet, but I'm pretty delighted so far.

Watercolor Rorschach Tests

My earliest memory of watercolors was in a summer art program at age 5 or 6. The teacher was trying to teach us color mixing to create the brown of a tree trunk. My efforts resulted a puddly, rainbow-colored tree trunk. When my mom came to pick me up, the teacher showed her my sloppy, soggy rainbow tree and told my mom I had quite the imagination. It was the first time I heard the term "Creative license" used. I was devasted. I hadn't meant to take "creative license," I was attempting to be representational, dammit! It may have been that moment that watercolors became my artistic arch nemesis. And also my favorite media to observe in galleries and watch other artists excel at, with undying admiration!

Determined to conquer my fear of the medium, and even learn to love it for myself, I enlisted in a class as my art elective. And gasp, needless to say, I am in love. I think there must be some fear involved in falling in love, or it doesn't seem real. Just to see those translucent colors mixing and separating on the palette, or a well-made mistake on the paper... a drip, a splash, blooming, spreading, bleeding, salted, splattered. a beautiful mess.

All that Remains of Fall

A Portrait of Mortimer 12/09

created for my musical muse, Josh.

(become friends with Mort the skull on facebook!)

Untitled Still Life 11/09

my final in class assignment in Painting class last Fall.

I think once it is framed, it will claim a home in the hall at the top of the staircase in my mom's house. My sister likes it because it has an almost steampunk quality to it.

Grant us the Serenity...

  

secular test-tube mezuzah

The tube is embellished with each of the five elements and symbols of seasons. It contains a paper scroll tightly wrapped around a head of wheat,  and bound with red thread. 

In black ink, the inside reads:

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

And on the outside of the scroll, scrawled faintly in ephemeral pencil marks, a warning:
“If you don't create change, change will create you”

The test tube text marks my door, just as change marks my life, and the passage of years will begin to mark my face and body.
It reminds me daily to do more than accept change, but to welcome it, to make it my ally. To always be proactive rather than reactive.


On a more global scale, It pleases me to see the Ghandian philosophy of "being the change" we want to see in the world is steadily being brought to the forefront in our collective consciousness.

And as this new year begins, I foresee so much potential for 2010. It can be magical. It's not going to be easy. I have the suspicion it's going to take a lot of valiant effort on the part of all. But it's going to be so worth it.

Postpartum: 2009

It's that feeling I get anytime I make something or do something I consider a great personal feat or success. Like I had channeled some force completely outside of myself, and the final result has made its exodus from my being and I am left vulnerable and doe eyed.

It's the downward slope near the end of a relationship continuum. Where you look down and see the end of something in site, followed by the gaping infinite space where the fear and endless possibility dwell.

it is the door you close before another door opens, and you are left for several heart-pounding moments in a whispering dark hallway.

2009 has been quite the dichotic one. A veritable yin-yang of good and bad. Or maybe that's an unfair assessment... as many events are not exclusively good or bad, but no less emotionally challenging. I feel haggard.

I can scarcely remember anything that happened before beginning my first semester at CSUF in August, except to say that much of my summer was geared towards preparing for this past fall. Actually, I can hardly remember the past year beyond my 2 weeks in Australia early December.

What the hell happened this past year?

Many many beginnings and endings in such little time. I know many of us have lost friends, mentors, family members, and I want to take the time to remember them especially right now, before the year is over.
Conversely, some of us have found friends, mentors and family members as well, and so in the face of loss, the world continues to turn in a hopeful little way.

One thing is certain, this has not been a neutral year. It has been highly emotionally charged.
Full of many failures and successes. One thing right after another. I don't think I've laughed or cried quite so much in years prior to this one. Maybe a bit towards the end of '08, that fall was a pretty good lead in to this year...

But... in summation: 2009. Weirdly... you will be missed? Or not, you were fucking exhausting. But much of it I wouldn't change... there were some great gems this year. Some of it I would change, but eh. There you have it. Never try to control the uncontrollable. Bend to avoid splitting in the storm, and when the spring comes, you live again. And stronger for it. It's all cyclical.

2010: What lies ahead? How the hell do you follow an act like 2009?? I'm a little excited, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also pretty scared. Mostly I'm afraid of stagnation and complacency. As much as I need a little respite, I don't need to get too comfortable. It may be that I'm becoming a bit addicted to the reality or ideology of change.

Let's make 2010 incredible, shall we?

Bunny- the stuffed animal with a higher degree than me (MFA, no joke), travel journal handcrafted by your's truly, and a cup of refreshing tea. Victoria, Australia 11/09 

Proud Big Sis

My brother Jared just started a blog, which I'm really happy about, as I enjoy his fresh perspective. He's got a good eye for photography and intelligent things to say. And that's coming from a totally unbiased source.

Also, if you happen to stumble over there, he turns 20 today, so wish him a happy b-day.

All of the siblings together on thanksgiving:

Amy, me, Jared and Scott

Instant Gratification

Instant Gratification: a polaroid party opening reception will be Saturday, January 9 from 6:00-9:00pm at Copro Gallery bergamot arts complex 2525 michigan ave. T5, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Be there!


For more info check out www.ISMcommunity.org/FAQs.

Come and see if you can find some of my photos:






Instant Gratification August '09 at the Hibbleton:

Me with my friend Leslie, who also has Polaroids in the show

My mom and I

 The bearded dude in the hat is my brother.

Chairs at the laundramat by my old apartment.

A Return to Objectivity and Formalism

With the ninja-like approach of winter, my sudden discomfort with being alone has transformed into a craving for solitude. Not the kind you get locking yourself in a room, but the kind you take with you into the mountains with a good book or a new set of watercolors. There is something alchemical about the twilight hour between fall and winter. leaves may be dying, but I feel more alive. Maybe it's the shock of the cold- like jumping into a freezing pool.

Life has been very real this Autumn, and imbuing my "paper bags" painting with loaded metaphor left me feeling strangely raw. As this semester draws to a hasty and whirlwind close, as I dust off the dead leaves of bittersweet fall (and as I wax relentlessly poetic), I feel increased need for objectivity and detachment. Maybe not so much detachment as his much more optimistic cousin, non-attachment. (Much less bitter, and with Buddhist sensibilities!)

My intellect is exhausted, my emotions are expended, and the conceptual artist in me may in fact need to hibernate for the wintertime. And I intend to let her sleep.
No more emoting, no more searching for truths and hidden meanings. When something wants to be found, it will present itself. No more self inquisition and pseudo-psychic intuiting. At least not 'till January. Haha.

For now: thinking not feeling, observing not analyzing, representing not imagining.
I don't need my unrelenting thoughts telling me to infuse every creative expression with spiritual meanings, references, simile, or my innermost (yet universal) desires. Blah blah blah. I don't even want to feel the need to provoke insight with the obscure a la Hugo Ball.

I just want to see something, break it down into colors and shapes, and make something that resembles that something. For the first time in a long time, I just want to paint, draw, write about, admire objects strictly for their formal elements. It's like a meditation.

Indeed, sometimes they do go up in smoke...

The Subjectification of Objects.

 For my painting midterm, the assignment is to compose and paint a picture of paper lunch bags. I see the potential to project human emotion onto inanimate objects: I see relationships, not just of color and scale , but ones based on human emotion. 

I envision an inflated bag standing over a prone, deflated bag. I imagine piled body-bags, bags crowded together joyously in celebration, or a single lonely bag. I feel love and loss, and the whole trajectory from indifference to immediacy to intimacy and back again. 

Maybe that's strange: a "portrait" of bags. Why not? If it means I'll care more about the project, and really put my all into it, then it can't be that crazy.

20 thumbnail sketches due by next Tuesday. Hopefully I'll have something raw and conceptual that will want to be painted so desperately, that when I'm finished, I will stand back and ask, "Oh my god, did I paint that?"

I feel a little ridiculous. I'm falling in art-love with paper bags. 

This must be what you would call dorking-out.

(completed painting) updated 10/27. I just had crit. today, and got a really good feedback. Also it was said to have drama;  so I think my metaphor carried through.

My First (Presumably) Finished Still Life in Oils

Horrible quality phone images, yes. But this is my first still life homework from painting class. Being just as conceptual, if not more, than I am visual, still lifes (lives?) often make me develop a shorter attention span. Mostly because I have no emotional connection to the objects. For homework assignments, I get to pick my own objects to paint representations of.
Naturally all of these items are either significant to me, metaphorically symbolic, or just really attractive to me visually or in a tactile way. (hint: recognize anything round and blue?)

Mystic Orb Journey

Here's just a preview of the long ago promised photos from my conceptual art project, the Mystic Orb Journey. Only the first in more of such explorations, I hope. The actual Physical art objects that will be a result, or lasting document of this adventure are coming along... slowly but steadily. (It's difficult to do with a full load at school, but it's gonna happen).

These photos are the last of the Mystic Orb Question segment of the trip. For some reason blogger deems it right to upload and place in a backwards style. That's fine.
More to come soon!

Coming Soon: the Magic Orb Road Trip!

On Wednesday, I and my friend Carter will begin an epic 2 day journey that will serve as the main metaphor in my new art piece about the roll fate plays in our lives, and the fine line between the excitement of spontaneity and foolhardy reliance on chance as ones main vehicle in life.

Hopefully this will be the premier experiment in an even greater artistic study. A pilot episode, if you will.
I was discussing this venture amongst a group of creative types whom I am fortunate to call my friends, and one of them who had not yet heard of my project suggested I read a book called "The Dice Man," a dark comedy that seems to share a premise with my project's theme.

I looked it up on Amazon, and though I rarely buy online, I think I may just have to order it immediately. Although, on the flip side, I arrived at my concept very independently, and not wanting to appear derivative, I am hesitant to have my assumptions and preconceptions of my uncompleted "assignment" tainted by someone else's thought process.
I won't have time to receive and read it before Weds anyways. Yaaay! Potential conundrum averted!

Quick-and-dirty scans of the cover and several excerpts from my art book "Inundated." Mixed media includes photo, watercolor, ink and bleach stamping on linen paper, cloudy vellum, jute string and found objects. This "Abecedarium," or ABC book is in the form of an alphebatized free verse poem comparing feelings of being overwhelmed with the process of drowning.