Taking It All In

sometimes I feel like my eyes are in my hands

It's been just a few days since I've arrived and I'm just beginning to take it all in. Jet lag has been pretty rough on me, which is not unusual, but is something I seem to forget every time. I barely sleep with jet lag even though I am exhausted and then I find it hard to concentrate and motivate. I'm feeling some pressure due to the amount of time I have, but I imagine this working to my advantage once I have a more concrete idea. I know I can't force any of this, but I have to keep the timing in mind. Striking a balance between these will be a challenge, staying on task while allowing things to happen naturally… I have gone on a few walks so far, just wandering with a few destinations in mind. So far I am thinking about islands and the connections we create as we go from place to place. I'm wondering about how I create home in a new place, especially a new place that is also foreign. I'm also looking closely at roof lines and these funny pruned trees. I will continue to walk and observe today and tomorrow and then I'll regroup. The actual creation really needs to begin on Wednesday…

islands off the coast of Sweden

today I will travel to the islands of the Southern Archipelago

little floating islands

I could have watched these guys for hours, they just floated on their backs the whole time

rooflines and street light

these oddly pruned trees are all over Gothenburg

See more images on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Hello, Sweden

Sweden from above

I flew to Gothenburg, Sweden yesterday…and today, I begin working on the final piece for my exhibition, "I Live Here Now," which opens next Friday, April 4. This piece will be about my "Outerland," which I define as the home I find wherever I am. I will begin by taking one of my long walks, and as I walk, I will be thinking and collecting pictures. Up until yesterday, I did not think about this piece much at all--I wanted to come here without any preconceived ideas or attitudes so that I might be open to any and all possibilities. I barely researched Gothenburg, too, deliberately keeping myself from learning about this place in advance, again, in an effort to keep myself open. I like discovering a new place as I wander about and experience the culture first hand. I find this informs my work in a wonderful and unexpected ways, which is exactly what I want. Now that I am here, my mind is racing... I know today's walk will serve as a way to begin my process, but it will also be the perfect way to settle my mind, even if only a little bit. I am terribly jet lagged, too, and know being out in the sun will help me acclimate. 

cloud installation at the Gothenburg airport

my work unpacked at the gallery

roof line near my hostel

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I Live Here Now, Part 13: A Second Look

Wayfinder

brass, address book, pencil, compass, key

This piece is about all the places I have lived in the United States since I left my childhood home for college in 1992: four states, 11 cities, 25 different apartments or houses. The top is a map that combines all of these places into one geographical area. I began with photocopies of the states, cut them into pieces according to the number of places I lived in each and then arranged these pieces into a new state. The cities are represented in their approximate location with a tiny perforation. My pattern of movement from city to city is defined with inscribed lines. Hanging from this map are a pencil, an address book, a compass and the key to my parents' house. (A key that has never been off my key chain until now.) It took me a few weeks to compile the addresses--I combed through papers and asked friends to look in their old address books. Once I had all of them, I wrote each in a different pen in chronological order in the "T" section. I revisited chatelaines for this piece, but my version is worn as a brooch instead of hooked to the waist. 

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I Live Here Now, Part 12: A First Look

Forget Me Not

This necklace is about my father. It's modeled after Victorian mourning jewelry--painted black to represent jet and with both a picture of my father and some of his hair inside the locket. The image is one I took when I moved to Asheville from Seattle in 2007. My parents helped me move and spent a week with me getting my apartment ready. It was the last time I had true quality time with my dad before he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's a few years later. The image is obscured with his hair and further blurred by scratched acrylic. 

sterling silver, spray paint, acrylic, picture of my father, my father's hair 

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Leaving

A few final pictures from my hometown and around before I begin traveling again this Friday…

See my entire selection of hometown and around photos on Flickr.

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I Live Here Now, Part 11

removing threads

I've been thinking a lot about rituals and have realized the use of ritual in my work is becoming important. I am an intuitive maker, but also have this analytical part of me and I think ritual fits in with both of these. I used ritual in several new pieces, creating a unique process with a sacred or spiritual feel to it for each one. Sometimes the ritual happened without trying, while other times I purposely choose it before I began. For a piece about friendship, I asked a number of friends to collect a material for me and to follow steps that required them to recall moments in our friendship, finishing the process by make a request for me. This process could be done silently or out loud. In another piece using deconstruction that took several days, I thought about very specific things as I worked, basically meditating for hours. In yet another piece, I recreated mix tapes that belonged to my brother and then listened to them back to back, again, meditating as I listened. There is something very satisfying, grounding and beautiful in ritual for me. It also feels natural and I plan to explore this more in the coming months.

dirt collected by friends

listening to my brother's mix tapes

More about all of this soon…

Thanks for reading. 

The Ever-Evolving Site

I added my artist statements to my website so now you can read about the ideas behind my different bodies of work when you visit. Last week I added some press pieces and now all my social networking links are available, too.

The website is truly an ever-evolving thing.

Thanks for reading.

Guest Star #135…The Gif

Mat Lucas

Yes, I know, the Gif is not a specific artist or even a person… but I'm really into Gifs right now. I was first introduced to Gifs by my photographer, Hank Drew, in 2011. He showed me the work of Kevin Burg and Jamie Beck and at the time I didn't know the form had a specific name. I just thought they were really cool, moving photographs. Now I know they are Gifs and I've started taking serious notice. I tend to like ones that are more graphic and simply love the variety of movement. Here are a few of my favorites:

 Alma Alloro

Eva Papamargariti

Qi Wei Fong

Mattias Brown

See my ever-growing collection of Gifs on Pinterest...

Thanks for reading.

Talking in Sweden

I will give a lecture at HDK in Gothenburg, Sweden on Friday, April 4. This is the day of my opening, too, and I'm excited about them being on the same day. It will be nice to talk about the work and then celebrate it later at the gallery.

I've been working on the lecture over the last few days. I will talk about my how I started, how I discovered my process, the progression of my work and will detail "I Live Here Now." I'm glad to have a chance to describe my new work and talk about how I developed the concepts and made the pieces. I'm also looking forward to touring HDK and meeting Karin Johansson who teaches there. (see below image)

Thanks for reading.

I Live Here Now, Part 10

I got my photographs back from Hank a few days ago and they are gorgeous. I can't wait to share them with you, but I do have to wait at least a few more weeks. Once we get closer to the show, I will start to publish some pictures. Right now, I'm working on my statement, titles, prices and I'm thinking about the display… 

Oh, and I made three more pieces! I added a necklace as a companion piece to another necklace and made matching earrings and ring for another piece. I was thinking about these piece before, but only in my periphery. Then I just ran out of time before my photography deadline. However, I couldn't let them go. Once I found out Hank could fit them in this week, I knew I had to follow through. I made them over the last two days and now they are off to Seattle. 

Finally, I broke my trusty Craftsman pliers while making chain. I've had these for years and was shocked that they just snapped.

Thanks for reading.

Thinking About Abandoned Spaces

I've been curious about abandoned spaces for as long as I can remember. My grandparents lived about 20 minutes away and every time we drove to their house I would stare out the window in anticipation of falling down farm houses and derelict barns along the way. I had memorized where they were located and would take in as much as I could from the car window as we sped past. I collect images of abandoned spaces now and like to get as close to them as I can, perhaps because years ago I could not. I find such beauty and life in places like this...

All of the images here replaces located in Richfield Springs, NY

More images on Flickr and Facebook.

Thanks for reading.

Guest Star #134…Brian Eno

When I read the above quote by Brian Eno, I stopped in my tracks. I think about this very thing, or something similar, a lot in regards to my work. It's something I want for my work, I strive for it. Seeing this concept in front of me in bold letters made a huge impact and it got me really excited. Then just over the last few days I've been reading about Brian Eno, listening to his music and looking at images of his visual art. I find all of it quite fascinating. I find what he says inspiring and also comforting. Things he says about the importance of working with limitations, the value of surrender, how he wants to alter the viewer's sense of time while looking at his work, even how he finds the titles for his songs. I can't say much more right now because I'm only beginning to take it all in. I can say the things I just listed, and so many other aspects of his work and process, are all ideas that deeply resonate with me.

from Oblique Strategies

from 77 Million Paintings

from 77 Million Paintings

light projected on the Sydney Opera House

Please visit my Brian Eno Pinterest to see more. 

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I Live Here Now, Part 9

68 handmade safety pins for a piece about my dad

design for the settings for a piece about the house I grew up in

pattern & brass for a piece about the places I have lived in the US

embroidering a handkerchief for a piece about my brother

wall for another piece about the places I have lived in the US 

pile of fabric bows for a piece about my mother

Thanks for reading.