Some more process

Writing from the hotel at the conference. I am becoming quite the pillow snob! So far I think the Hampton Inn has the most comfortable pillows. The Hilton's are a little too mushy for my taste. Although, perched here in the middle of the bed with 5 or 6 of them stuffed up behind me while I type, I'm not complaining! Except...

It's hot as hell out there. Clearly this artist did not pack appropriately! But I'm thinking surely I can find a place to spend a few $ on something cooler. Like a giant moo moo with a built in air conditioner?

Aaanyywaaay...

I promised some more thoughts on process so here's a few more pix. Nothing earth shattering and since starting these latest pieces I'm already experimenting further. I can't WAIT to get home and start working again!

painting the wood panels in geometric patterns. these are adapted from border designs used on pysanky.

i also did a few pieces with florals just for kicks. don't you think all of these patterned boards would make fun collage paper? hint hint hint...stay tuned for news:~)

ripped the panels on the saw, sanded the edges & corners with a palm sander. 

also made a slew of houses and barns out of scraps of wood and roofing tin. 

then it was just a matter of experimenting with composition.

in this one i recessed the house

i like the layering of smaller land pieces to add depth!

rather than cut out the flower i left a smoother skyline.

here with the skyline cut out around the flowers. 

All in all I've got enough pieces with me to put together 35 new paintings. Let me know what you think. Like I said, I'm already onto a new version of this. Several of these pieces are now in Galerie Matilda in Roswell, GA and Village in Auburn, AL. And I'm unveiling the interactive pieces here in NJ on friday. I'll let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!

Meanwhile, I'm off to find cooler tshirts.                and better deoderant

color me HOT

staci

Create Somerset Artist Market

I signed up to have a table at the market next week at Create Somerset and as usual, since I waited until the last minute to commit I've been working day and night to get my artwork finished for the event. Can you say

"avoidance behavior"?

Lawd. I do this to myself all of the time...start a totally new concept at the last minute...get caught up in the details...the next thing you know it's a week before I'm leaving.

Still not ready.

Let me see if I can explain this in words. I've created a variety of skies painted on wood. Each one is a different color/pattern/size. I did the same thing with land pieces, and a variety of houses and barns. All of the pieces are predrilled so that they are interchangeable. You, my sweet collectors, will get to pick out the sky/land/building that you like and put it together, making a totally custom piece of art that you had a say in creating. Pretty cool, huh?

Here's a peek. Not a great picture I know, but you get the idea.

I know I promised a second part to the process post earlier this month and I swear I'll get to it soon. Maybe tomorrow or Friday. 

Meanwhile, it's back to the grind. And trying to stay dry in this crazy summer weather we are having in Georgia. Everything is damp and soggy. Yeesh!

color me mossy :~)

staci

a little insight to the process, part 1

Where exactly does my day go? It's exactly 4:33 in the afternoon and I am finally sitting down to accomplish a little work. So far today I've been to Lowe's, the dentist, the post office to send new work to Galerie Matilda and The Villager, killed a few minutes at Bed Bath and Beyond on my way to the dentist, checked on the old house. By the way, if I had a dollar for every time I go to the big box hardware store and combine that with a dollar for every minute I spend on hold with Comcast, I could hire someone else to take care of all of the things that require me to go to Lowe's!

(my blog is behaving weird right now. Gremlins.)

Ok. Enough chit chat. Let's talk about how these new pieces get born.

I start with thin wood and draw designs with red paint. Usually the sky pieces have flowers and animals while the field pieces are done with designs adapted from pysanky egg borders. Grammi Rosie would be proud:~) Miss you!

I paint the large boards using as many colors as I can squeeze out of the paint shades on my pallet. 

Using a jigsaw I cut out the shapes and sand the edges. Watch those fingers Stac! 

Next time I'll write about the rest of putting it all together. For now, it's my son's birthday and I've got to make a cake.

Color me cream cheese frosting:~)

day trip in the Carolinas

After checking in on my artwork at Carolina Gallery on Wednesday I enjoyed a little shopping with a friend of mine who happens to be another artist. (Your shocked! I know!) Anyway, while we were making our way along the back roads of South Carolina and enjoying the GORGEOUS scenery, (the greens right now out there are so lush from all of this rain), our conversation turned quickly to all things art related.

Ok. Not all things.

Really we just talked about teaching workshops, destination art retreats, and hatching a pretty unfreakingbelievable plan for the near future. You heard me right.

Can you say "awwwesooome!"

I don't want to give too much away right now, but stay tuned. Wonderful things are perking and I promise you you are going to want to partake! All I will divulge is that not only is she a gifted artist, but she is also a great cook. Who loves to teach just like I do. Who knows other artists who like to teach. Who are also just as fun and funky like yours truly. Enough. I'm getting ahead of myself:~)

a little something new. 14x14

I promise I'll write more about these new cut out pieces that are currently on the table in my studio. Maybe I'll even do a little step by step. But for now...

color me giddy
staci

revisiting old themes

 Finally I'm back to work on my little houses and landscapes. I like the way the patterns look when cut out in the wood, especially the blue cloud piece. I've got plenty of this luan painted and I'm currently cutting different shapes and sizes and experimenting with layout and design. Once I get them finished and in the mail to their galleries, I'll post the links.

Aside from the new designs, I found a couple of these curved pieces in the studio so I painted up a fox and a corgi. These are off to Equine Divine in Aiken, SC. Stop by and pick one up for over your door. Promise it will be just the charming addition you've been craving for the house!

That's all for now. The new kitchen counters are in and now I just need RTB to put in the kitchen faucet so I can wash all of these ****** dishes!

color me excited!
Staci

Release your creative spirit

(A picture of my father from back in the day)

Why is it that some trips never seem to move in a forward straight line? Argh! We left the house this morning, heading to Pennsylvania for my dad's memorial luncheon tomorrow. No sooner did I get off the phone learning the hotel didn't have our room reservation then we got a flat tire. Yep. Right there in the middle of Nowhere, South Carolina and Anywhere, Else.

Stranded. 

Lug wrench didn't fit the bolts on the tire. I watched from outside of my body as I proceeded to have a melt down right there on the side of the highway. My poor husband. He handled me and the situation like a champ and found a local tire guy to drive out there to help us. Typing this from my phone as we drive thru Fancy Gap, VA, dad's ashes in the middle front seat as co-co-pilot. He always had to rescue me from the highway as a kid whenever my car would break down and so it seems only fitting we would have trouble on the way to his funeral. And I'm sure Dad is testing Tim's metal just a little. 

Here are a few pix from the release your creative spirit class taught out in Irvine, CA a few weeks ago. Still my favorite class I teach! My gosh-the talent in this group!! See for yourself!  

That's all for now. We had about 15+ students that day and I enjoyed helping each and every one of them. I may even miss a few of them. 

And my dad. 

Color me sentimental. 

Staci 

Folk Art Houses

It's muggy as hell out here on the porch where I'm typing to escape the smell of the primer the painter is using inside the house. yes. I've done the unthinkable. I've hired someone else to finish painting the last 2 bedrooms and bathrooms because I've run out of steam.

Meanwhile, I've long been a HUGE fan of Beverly Buchanan. I like her use of "scrap" wood, foam core, and sticks to create her shacks and her crazy use of color on the newer pieces.

from beverlybuchanan.com

For the past several weeks I'm toying with the idea of interpreting my house and barn paintings into 3d structures, but I'm resisting because I don't want to look like I've copied her ideas. I'm thinking of taking the wooden "fabrics" I've created and cutting those up to reassemble into small sculptures. 

dunno

color me befuddled

staci