Which Art Movement are you?

You Are Surrealism

Dreamy and idealistic, you've created a world that is all your own. It's very likely that you've either dabbled in drugs or are naturally trippy. You are always trying to push beyond the boundaries of your culture and society. You believe that art, love, and freedom can change the world.

What Art Movement Are You?

A fresh perspective...

It's been so windy of late, my allergies have made me miserable and I have had to stay inside as much as possible. But... all that changed today! Although it is late, I started flower, veggie and herb seeds and Denny tilled up the back yard. After he levels it, I will seed it with a naturalized, low-water grass seed. It only grows about 6" tall and so needs no mowing either!

Here's a thought..

What if we cannot interest more people in the arts because we're BORING them to death with the same ideas?

Ugh.

There is every chance I am projecting my personal frustrated creative process. I have certainly hit a very frustrating place in my work. I feel as though I have suddenly limited myself somehow. It's time to take stock of why I do any of it and focus my efforts this way. It's become painfully clear that working in the interest of art education, while fulfilling in many, many ways and is not to be dismissed, is just not enough.

It's not like I didn't know I was headed for burnout, but yesterday's events made it poignantly clear that volunteerism is a thankless job. I'm tired and crashing into a wall of my own cynicism.

The end of a semester combined with local politics is making me want to run and hide even more than I have been.

That said, I am LOVING working on the Folk Arts and Fiber Festival. We have attracted some WONDERFUL vendors and workshops this year. I'm having a great deal of trouble deciding which workshops to take, but I definitely need more outlets like this.

fiber collage

fiber collage
Originally uploaded by wildethyme

I would post, but I am dying 30 pounds of wool and I'm obsessed with this piece... more photos soon!

Veruca loves me, she really loves me ;)

veruca
Originally uploaded by cdaniele63

This is Veruca, the mascot for the Selfish Knitters Group at Ravelry. In the crook of her arm rests one of my yarns! Yipppeeeee!

#197 Green Brush

#197 Green Brush
Originally uploaded by Deebs Fiber Arts

OK.. I just couldn't leave that last post out there like a little, black raincloud.

Here is something lovely to look at by Deebs

blah

It's been a really stressful week.

A very dear friend has suffered a staggering loss involving major disappointment (to say it mildly) in a loved one , classes were canceled this week at school because of salmonella contamination and well, frankly... I have got a terrible case of the blues.

Seriously. Nothing seems too terribly interesting and I am completely unmotivated to do anything but hide, hide, hide.

Denny is across the street throwing pots. Three, four days ago, I couldn't wait for this weekend to get here so that I could join him. All I have managed today is to watch movies and read. I really need a shower. I need to do a LOT of things--like shower, enter two shows for the month of March (a goal of mine), distribute the prospectus for the FAFF Exhibition AND.... ahem...my taxes (!) but I cannot seem to find the wherewithal to get a glass of water (I don't live in Alamosa, btw).

I sure hope this passes soon. I'm chalking up to a much needed stillness, but not gotten, stillness. Whatever it is, it just doesn't feel like me at all.

Waaaaaaaaaa

SLV Folk Arts and Fiber Festival Exhibition

Enter today!!!

Art and Performance

A friend is coming to stay the week so it seemed a prudent plan to clean the house this morning. Fortunately for me, this friend is another artist so she will forgive me when I explain that, once again, I was distracted by art.

Firstly, I wanted to write a short essay to enter a contest to win a trip to New York to visit the galleries and museums. To that effect, I began looking up images of Judy Chicago's The Dinner Party- one of my all-time favorite works of art. Along the way, I remembered that I had seen a movie for sale about the piece and I began to look for it to buy it (ack! how could I not have bookmarked it?) I have been here for over three hours now. I cannot find the film, but I was gifted another experience altogether.

While I was searching, The Gates, a documentary about the installation of the same name came on TV, on HBO. I have sat here in rapt attention, choked up and misty -eyes, listening to the process of bringing this work to fruition and to other's experience of the work. It was genius, The Gates and I am so happy, so thrilled that I can see it--and I did not visit it! See this film... It is quite beautiful and moving.

just kill me now

Sometimes.... when I am grading papers, it is so painful I want to take a break so that I may beat my head on a wall.

new skin!

YAY!!! It will take me awhile to add all the links back in, but I love this one so much, I think it is worth it. OK.. that was pretty much the litmus test for all the templates (were there zillions?) I looked at.

secret admirer

OK.. I guess it's not a secret if I tell.

But this Danish papermaker left a comment on one of my photos. I went to see her pics, was enchanted, and so had to leave her a present. I would do it for Gin too. Now I have to go back and see if she has an account.

Thread Bowl

I'm going to make a few of these bowls on my way to another use for this technique, but here is my first Thread Bowl! Click here for the slide show. Sadly, you cannot see the gold/iris Angelina mixed in for a little shimmer. FYI: That's water soluble interfacing that I using to sandwich silk flowers and scrap threads and yarns.

*sigh*

I'm in a bit of a quandary.

I have committed myself to the arts in my community--and I really am committed to them. I feel passionately about creating opportunities for those of us with a creative inclination in life. But sometimes... I feel rather trapped by it all.

Lately, I have been rather crabby about the amount of time I have prioritized to organizational work over creative, art making work. Actually, it makes me down right pissy. And while I have most of the next few days to do some art making, I still have a grant to write and a team to put together for a long-term community proposal--and of course they were all due yesterday. These things need doing, but I keep asking myself.. does it have to be me? Of course, it does not. But who? It's a bit of a trap of my own making.

And then.... I go to a meeting were there is a lively exchange of ideas and I am thrilled all over again. More will be revealed, I'm sure. My board terms are up next year. I'll be grateful to turn it over and just do a few volunteer jobs.

The really wonderful news is that we may get our gallery open this year. I will be very happy to have that happen. I sorta miss having some place to go to work everyday.

Which reminds me. I better get to work :)

Resources for the arts and crafts vendor

I've been *obsessively* hunting for vendors and ways to list and promote this and the other festivals with which I help organize. This morning, I stumbled upon a number of GREAT resources for vendors and thought, " I must blog this"!

So.. here they are. It comes as no surprise to me that some of my favs come from very clever Etsy Sellers.

Penny-wise Product Pushing: Do a Craft Show without Breaking the Bank
--from Esty Seller, pawandclawdesigns

Very thorough Excel spreadsheet/checklist for setting up your booth
Blogger and Etsy Seller, Kellybot

Show Me Your Thrifty Craft Show Booth Ideas
from the Etsy Business and Marketing Forums

Accepting Credit Cards

Cross-posted at Monte Vista Street Fair and SLV Folk Arts and Fiber Festival

Make paper with me!!!

And now for a little (more) shameless self-promotion!

Sign up to learn to make paper with me at the

SLV Folk Arts and Fiber Festival

and... buy raffle tickets to win a Tina Jensen II Spinning Wheel!

There. I'll do that again a few weeks ;)