The Curious Bee

out with the old...

2010-12-31T13:06:00.001-08:00

in with the new! I trust you all had a great holiday and are spending some time reflecting on 2010 as the last day of the year is here. I had a fantastic Christmas, quiet, filled with love and relaxation. I needed it after a whirlwind of rough times at work and projects that left me feeling tired a slightly bitter.

after some time to relax and refresh I feel great and ready to face 2011 with an open heart. there have been so many changes taking place in my life and many more on the horizon. I am hoping to attend graduate school next fall for art therapy and my life is certainly taking a new direction going from art assistant to mental health. in the meantime work will also have some changes, as some relationships will have to end and new ones will begin. It's a bitter sweet time for me. I grew fond of my life the way it was, but as with everything, the only constant is change.

with all of these changes I have been inspired to make even more change at home, both in my environment and in terms of health. part of that decision process is to let this blog go in favor of a personal journal, handwritten, for me. so, dear blog, you have done me well these past 2 years, but I need to be more private with my thoughts and become more introspective so that I can cope with the massive amount of change ahead of me.

since I gather that many of you readers are those I see or speak to regularly, thanks for checking in and I'll see you on the non-virtual side of the world. for the others out there, you can still visit jillringler.com to get updates on my art and such.

good bye 2010, farewell blog....happy new year! xo

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

2010-12-19T12:43:00.000-08:00

I am trying to make time for the sweeter things in life this Holiday, like time with friends and long phone calls to those that are far, tea, warm sweaters and cuddling up with the cats and my love. In other words, I am trying to make time for simple pleasures during a time that can be rather chaotic and stressful. I am rather sick of life being such a ball of stress! It can be challenging to make time or have money for it all, but living creatively I've turned things around a bit this year.

Decorating: A smaller tree with handmade snowflakes on the windows and stockings.

Baking: I will make one treat instead of baking for a small army.

Cards: Making it simpler, but still personal. A small personal list will receive hand written, mailed cards and the larger mass will receive an e-card, but still artful and personal. The artwork for each are photographs by Philip:

Gifts: Bought and Handmade. Rather than making everything this year, I've caved into buying some things and it feels pretty good! Less stress to make the 'finish line'.

With all this, I am able to meet my budget and even take a short break off of work to enjoy it all. That my friends is priceless!

I hope you find warmth and joy throughout your days this Christmas and I wish you the happiest of New Year's! xo

Twas a successful event!

2010-12-14T19:34:00.001-08:00

The Richmond Art Center was a success! We had a great time, sold some stuff, and supported a good cause.

More pictures here.

Richmond Art Center Holiday Arts Festival

2010-12-01T21:22:00.001-08:00

Friday, 3 – 7 pm & Saturday, 11 – 5 pm

Hope to see you there!!

busy as a bee....what else is new!

2010-11-26T19:22:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year and oh-so-many changes are happening, hence the lack of posts, although I am certain no one is missing me. (just being honest, i've been considering letting the blog go bye-bye and sticking to a private journal-guess we'll see!)

The big event on the horizon is keeping me the most busy and I am very excited for this year's annual Richmond Art Center Holiday Arts Festival - Next weekend to be precise, December 3 and 4. Two whole days! It's going to be great! Last year certainly was and they've made some great improvements to the schedule and overall event.

Please come and support me, along with the fabulous Chase Clark and Sylvia Min. We have a great assortment of handmade accessories for you, your home, your friends and family! Last year Chase's ornaments were such a hit, we thought it would be nice for all of us to create our own for the table.

Pardon the poor images, but here is a sneak preview of what I've been working on:

Hope to see you there! x

where to find a living tree for christmas

2010-11-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

Any ideas on where to find a live Christmas tree in the Bay Area??
I found this awesome 'Adopt a Christmas Tree' service that delivers a tree AND picks it up to plant it somewhere when Christmas is through (they even come dressed as elves!). Sadly this is only in the San Diego area. I found another version in the LA area, but nothing up here the Bay Area yet.

I've been using a cheap-o, made in China, fake tree, and probably will continue to do so just out of sheer guilt of what happens when the time comes to get rid of it (landfill). Lately I've been thinking about ways to have a live tree because I've been inspired on my hikes form inhaling the most fragrant, delicious, refreshing air.

Creatively speaking, what about alternative ways of decorating with ornaments?
It's so difficult to be eco-conscious and creative sometimes. In some ways you never win on the eco because everything has an impact especially in the art materials section. But seriously, if we are supposed to make strides toward it, we have to use our creativity to find solutions.

Perhaps the answer is to use what I have and keep pondering.

If you have some links to share, brilliant ideas, or just some thoughts on the matter, I'd love to hear them!

Hope autumn is being kind to you!

happy halloweeeeeen!

2010-10-31T23:55:00.000-07:00

http://flickr.com/gp/thecuriousbee/Z8YX4N

check out some photos for our second annual pumpkin carving party / silent movie at the sf symphony. sooooo super fun:)

i'm back

2010-10-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

Back to the Bay and happy to see the summer is behind us and fall is here to greet us with rainy days filled with warm beverages and baked goods:)

Click Here for photos of our road trip. Perhaps you need a preview?

Route 66 is a great summary of americana from the landscape to the food and everything in between. We both took tons of photos and soaked it all in. What an amazing adventure! Glad to be back though. x

new artwork!

2010-09-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

there's more to see on my website

road trip prep and art update

2010-09-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

well well well. i can't show you the new series just yet because we have to take photos and prep them for the little show I have coming up. we are installing this Friday so I should be able to post them over the weekend so stay tuned!

on a more 'my life is so crazy my head spins' sort of news, we are in full 'must do before we leave for the road trip mode' over here and I know i am neglecting many things because of it. before we leave town every little project or other thing in my life seems to need major attention. it always works this way, but since there is nothing I can do, I am just taking it a day at a time and trying to breathe. so, my apologies in advance for not responding to snail mail, phone calls, emails, or any other mode of communication in a timely fashion.

with that in mind, here are some October events we have going on that may interest you:

October 2: First day to see my drawings on view at the Oakland Professional Development Center. (up until Jan 2, 2011)
Studio Quercus is featuring Philip's work, It will be part of First Friday, Oakland Art Murmur and there is also a costume themed reception on Oct 30th. (we will be at both, please come!)
Root Division Annual Art Auction, October 21. Philip's work is up for auction! Tickets $25 for the event, but can view the exhibit for free during October. (we will be there for sure if you want to carpool...)
Oaktown Indie Mayhem, October 23, one night only event! (again featuring Phil's work)

I think that's all for events in October...sheesh! We also have Best of the Bay, a photography exhibition of student work opening November 2, 5-7pm at the University Art Gallery at CSU, East Bay.

say it with me, "vacation"

30 days of September-half way

2010-09-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

we're here at the half way point of "30 days of September"...the question is not "can she do it?" but "where is this all going?" themes are popping up, but thus far it looks like it's going to be a weird-y.

so far only one day was like pulling teeth to get me to draw, but I did it anyway and must say this is all very good for me and my motivation. not to mention I am having fun...here is a sneak peak of what the first 15 days has brought to the drawing table:

since i still have 15 more days, i am tempted to try and pull it all together by following the thematic patters, but at the same time, this is about how everyday is, well, different...any thoughts? i'll be back with more sooner than later...x

2010-09-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

I tell you what, this is the stuff. amazing. delicious. so good for you. i have been obsessed for a while, but my obsession has recently amplified due to my new juicer. today we braved the green juice and it turned out spectacular! i made 2 versions-traditional green (spinach, kale, cucumber, celery, parsley, romaine) and the other was pure magic---greens + ginger +lemon + lime + apple = whoa! i shall name it wowie zowie green genes. I found the recipe on Dr. Oz's web site. smells a bit like fresh mowed grass in the house, but the drink tastes more like heaven and worth the labor. I was worried it would not yield much juice and end up being cheaper to buy pre-made, but not so...i think you get about double the amount. here's to greens!

30 days of September

2010-09-10T22:49:00.000-07:00

no, i'm not trying to recite that little poem that helps you remember how many days in each month. i'm trying to make an october deadline for an exhibition of my very own at the Oakland Professional Development Center downtown.

since i paint slow and procrastinate when it comes to important me things, like making art, i thought better to challenge myself to a dual than give up the fight. the book i've been reading has been amazing at helping me see where my creative 'road blocks' are. apparently i am a generator-which means i have so many ideas that it's easy for me to loose sight/keep track, let alone complete each project i want to. so here goes...

the rules are simple--one drawing, one hour, one day, every day for september. and so far so good! next week i hit my midway point and will give you all a little peak into what's happening visually. for the exhibition i will pick the 15 best and pair them in interesting ways. so far there is lots of potential for silliness...but what more would you expect from me? dark, deep, poetic? nah...I leave that stuff up to Philip. me...I just want to have a bit of fun.

stay tuned for more!

island adventure...

2010-09-04T22:24:00.000-07:00

whoops! i got lost at sea for a minute here. let me tell you about my adventures to an island not so far from my home....

Forbes Island is a short little boat ride and yet feels a million miles away. This place was once a mobile island home of sorts, now turned restaurant, just off the shore of San Francisco's Pier 39. Between the boat ride, lighthouse, underwater dining room (complete with fireplace and endless nautical themed decor including actual portholes), and bathroom set up as the captains quarters, this place feels more like a scooby-doo episode, or as the author of this great article put it, a place James Bond would dine. The owner is even captain of the little vessel that takes you out there! Too cool.

Although it's quite expensive, it's worth every penny, and for my money, should be saved for a romantic evening or celebration. The staff is amazing, the atmosphere is charming, and possibly most importantly the food is delicious!

(see my complete set of pictures here)

zombies....

2010-08-30T00:33:00.000-07:00

No, it's not Halloween (yet--although the weather could prove otherwise out here in the Bay...), but we certainly don't need a holiday as an excuse to play this very very cool board game. Chase and Dennis came by after we had a delicious meal and broke out this game. It was great fun! The board gets built as you go along, creating dead ends and weird twists as you battle each other and Zombies to the finish! Wish I had a better image to show, but there are plenty of photos here if you want to know more details.

hope summer is being summer:)

good days

2010-08-15T23:02:00.000-07:00

In a follow up to my earlier post on 'good mornings', and because this blog is dedicated to living a creative life, i thought i'd share what's been occupying my free time as of late: "Creating a Life Worth Living", by Carol Lloyd. This book was given to me a few years ago when I graduated as a motivator to not give up on making art and finding a way to support myself in the process--something we all struggle with, a delicate balance at that. I recently picked it up and have found myself wowed and challenged by the experience.

Without reading the book I created a post graduation life by starting a business from my freelance work. I came to pick the book up after finding myself feeling that there is something more that this, something better, something that will leave me feeling deep satisfaction at the end of a day. Although I am not completed with the book, which is a self guided tour of the author's workshop, complete with exercises and real life examples to help you along, I am beginning to see patterns within myself and getting many ideas for the future!

Philip and I have embarked on some major lifestyle changes around here and this book is merely one of my self motivating/disciplinary challenges. After 3 weeks things are going great and I am feeling much more inspired. We quit some of our less healthy activities (mostly tv/computer attachments) and replaced them with walks, talks, record playing, book reading, letter writing and home cooked meals--all things we love to do, but mostly saved for the weekends. Now on the weekends we do more of the same, but also get creative and take day trips. For my birthday last week we took off to Point Reyes for a 6 mile hike. Leave it to me to choose a challenging hike as a way to celebrate life! It was fabulous though. Breathtaking.

here's to living a creative life!

philip's art happenings...

2010-07-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

well it's been a whirl-wind of a month and so much to fill you in on, but for now let's go with a highlight....about my dear husband's recent art happenings...

One of Philip's photos was shown for "Wondrous Strange: A Twenty-first Century Cabinet of Curiosities" at the SFMoMA Artist Gallery! It was a great opening complete with a costume theme and variety of spectacular performers! (The costume theme was 18th century-Modern time travelers...which basically translates to a Steam-Punk aesthetic. Note the aviator version of me below...)

If that wasn't exciting enough, Black and White magazine published a fantastic 8 page spread on the guy! It's the September issue which came out early to subscribers, but look for it this fall at your local bookstore! So proud:)

good mornings

2010-07-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about self discipline and how inconsistent I am. Granted it's human nature to be inconsistent, but I am feeling off track these days. In an effort to get back on track--meaning back to feeling good and energized-- I am creating a 4 day jump start plan that will hopefully get me going again. Why 4 days? I am house sitting and it seems like a good idea to begin something when you are out of your comfort zone and more likely to get up and go!

The plan is simple--for the next 4 days I will create a morning routine that enables me to feel energized and centered as I begin my day. Such as:

get up earlier (I am a 8:30-9 girl, but want to try for 7:30-8)
do a yoga/meditation routine for 30 minutes
Have coffee and light breakfast
NOT check my email
NOT go back to bed for 10-20-30 minutes
Take the time to gather my thoughts and intentions for the day (rather than leaving the house and forgetting something 5 times)
Use any extra time to do one chore before leaving the house

So some of this I already do, like the chore, but it interferes with things I would rather do, like meditate or take time to figure out what I need for the day. Hopefully this jump start will get me going beyond 4 days and give me inspiration to do more self discipline exercises, like afternoon walks and evening back stretches. Not that I want to be a metronome or anything...I'm just looking for some quality of life changes for the things I know make life easier and more manageable.

~be well

road trippin....

2010-06-26T20:11:00.001-07:00

on the occasion of a new hand-me-down car, plans for a grand adventure have begun and are in full swing! a new road atlas and some great new music are my new best friends! oh i just love summer days- day dreaming and making big plans for the future! i am sooo super excited that i've even begun to organize a cd binder centered around our destinations and am brainstorming all of the little goodies we'll need for the road, including cute outfits!

so, where are we going? mostly a route 66 adventure between my beloved birthplace, Michigan, and my home sweet home, California, set for this October so the colors will be brilliant and the weather unpredictable.

we're working on the details, but i can say our major stops will be something like this:

Michigan (all over to see family), St. Louis and Branson, Missouri, Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Santa Fe, New Mexico (2 glorious nights!), and a final stop at the Grand Canyon before heading home! All very adventure packed, on a rather tight schedule I'd imagine. I look forward to hitting the road with my sweetie, finding some strange road side attractions and hopefully a great pair of cowboy boots!

new website / interview with valiant v

2010-06-14T21:15:00.001-07:00

dear bees,

after careful consideration of what was a lovely year and a half of crafting and so forth I am closing the curious bee studio and etsy shop.

merely looking for simplicity in life, i have switched my domain name to jillringler.com, and have begun to re-vamp the site for a more up-to-date version of what i have been up to and where i am headed.

i will have an updated shop on the website and this fall a new series of art to share with you all! i will continue to post current events and announce updates via this blog. so in truth, not much is changing except my website address and the closing of my shop on etsy.

the curious bee lives on as my alias, but not as a formal craft business--cuz that gets complicated and i so need simple in these times--too much to keep up with and new things are on the horizon which will make life even more rich with flavor and consequently time suckage.

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on another note, many of you may not know, but my dear friend Ashley (aka valiant v) in London recently posted an interview with me. check it out here. 'twas super fun!

wishing you all happy summer time love,

homemade shaving cream and more!

2010-06-13T12:23:00.001-07:00

at long last, i finally got around to making some deodorant, lip balm and shaving cream. the deo. and lip balm came from angry chicken's mail order #11. a very savvy guide to homemade cosmetics and remedies. while preparing for this i began thinking about other items not in her recipe book, like shaving cream, lotion, and facial masks. The last two I am working on recipes for, but the shaving cream was made and it was oh-so-fun!

i thought i'd share the recipe for those interested in saving oodles of money. i myself have a husband who shaves his head, so needless to say shaving cream is a staple in our house and the natural/organic blends at the store add up quick. so after some research i found a base recipe that i modified to whip up this cream.

equipment: blender, double boiler, medium mixing bowl, container to store it

ingredients:

2 cups hot water

1/2 cup stearic acid (use a vegetable based one like this)

4 tablespoons evening primrose or jojoba oil (canola oil works too)

4 tablespoons grated soap (2 oz)

2 teaspoons borax powder

1/8 teaspoon liquid lecithin (optional - preservative)

1/4 teaspoon vitamin e

10 drops essential oil of your preference (i used atlas cedar, black pepper and patchouli)

method:

melt stearic acid and oil together in double boiler, until clear and fully melted
add vitamin e and lecithin and stir well
in a separate bowl, mix hot water, soap, borax, and essential oil together until powder and soap is fully dissolved
pour the soap mixture into a blender and blend 1 minute
pour stearic acid mixture into blender
blend on high for 2-3 minutes, until a cream forms
scoop cream into airtight container, cool and store int he refrigerator
mark with date and check after 2 weeks, esp. if not using lecithin

some notes on this:

first about stearic acid... vegetable based is essential to avoid the toxic animal version that is found in most conventional cosmetics. there is a lot of info on the web and most of it is bad and is referring to the animal variety, which is made from animal fats (not a cruelty free method..) my go to source is mountain rose herbs, a wonderfully knowledgeable place for all things organic, sustainable etc.

second, about the lecithin... this is a soy preservative that is usually in a granule form. i was lucky to find a liquid form, which is very easy to use. while it's not essential to use a preservative, i feel a little better knowing that it will not spoil after all this effort. since my homemade concoctions have been limited to cleaning products, i thought better to be safe with the cosmetics.

last, about the method... the blender will create a crazy soap froth on the first blend, when you add the oil mixture it may be difficult to get the lid on without frothy spill-over. i recommend letting the soap settle for a few minutes before adding the oil, but to be sure the oil is fully melted, keep it on the boiler until it's time to add. once you get the lid on and start blending the mixture condenses and will not explode on you--which i was oh-so curious about when making this last night.

it's really rather lovely:)

we made some deodorant and lip balm as well. the lip balm is delightful, although it will melt down to a liquid in the summer heat, so i am avoiding throwing it in my purse! as for the deodorant, it works. i do not stink. my husband is a little underwhelmed by the coco butter smell being most dominant and the combination of this with his essential oil blend, according to him smells a bit like weed. to me it smells like soil, which i find pleasant--but apparently he's not into smelling like a pot head. my blend smells a bit like lavender brownies when you get your nose in there, but otherwise just lavender. i am enjoying it, but will work on some variations in the future that are less coco-buttery.

well, that's a wrap from the ringler lab.

cherry pickin'

2010-05-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

we went to brentwood to pick some cherries and pet some alpaca! what an adventure, we went to a you pick farm called Bacchini's Fruit Tree. we lucked out when we decided to do this because it was the first weekend of you pick cherries. we also snagged some huge apricots! it was so nice to hop up the ladder and find clusters of gorgeous deep red cherries.

then we headed off to an alpaca farm called Black Diamond Alpacas. These creatures are so amazingly distinct and silly looking, but oh so adorable! they had the males and females separated and it was amazing to see how differently they behaved. the females were much more excited than the males and the males were so cuddly and curious.

they had just been sheered so they had these crazy mop flop hair dos. they reminded us of new wave hipsters in a way. they also have these crazy teeth, in fact only on the bottom jaw. one of them, i believe his name was 'Max' nibbled on my hand a bit and gave me kisses.

afterwards we headed into town and had burritos at la costa. muy delicioso and only $4 for a huge portion! we were so amazed at how inexpensive things were out there. we even caught a movie, iron man 2, for a mere $4.50 each! i tell you what, it's worth the drive to get some great farm filled goodies and a date on the cheap. we will be back this summer for berries and peaches! yum yum. x

Give Global:: Alive Chiropractic Fundraiser for Haiti

2010-05-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

I recently donated a bunch of handmade goodie bags to my chiropractor, Alive Chiropractic, run by the power duo Jennifer Wilhelm and Kara Waltz, for a fundraiser to send money for food and water to an orphanage in Haiti. Kara recently visited Haiti with a group of doctors and they held an event where she could share her story and give the community an opportunity to donate to the cause. It was amazing to see where donations were going. These children are true survivors and all the money goes toward feeding them. The first of two events was today and the second one is on Tuesday, March 25, 3-6pm. I highly encourage you to go if you are in the area. You can purchase raffle tickets for $10 and there are also chair massages offered for any donations given. The prizes for the raffle were all donated and include my goodie bags, yoga and pilates classes, jewelry, haircuts, therapy and ayruveda sessions, massage, acupuncture, wine and personal training sessions!! Need not be present to win! All very good things people.

congratulations natalia!!

2010-05-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

my very talented friend natalia has finished her MFA at CCAC in SF...(that's alota abbv's--master of fine arts at a very very art college, for those of you not in the area). she is very brave and talented and inspiring and i am so happy for her! the show was like a circus, marching band, performance artists in bondage gear and stripper poles, food and people and art EVERYWHERE. outside there was some firefighters doing their job to keep the fire code in check as they removed bikes that were chained in doorways--i think they had quite a bit of fun with the chain saw!!

it was quite a scene which made it difficult to really see any one thing, but I did my best, had fun, and I was very happy to see Natalia's vision in person-here are a few shots of her installation:

I also got around to reading her accompanying thesis. i am not done, but so far i am amazed and cannot wait to see where it ends up. it's a very emotional tale about blurring the line of predator and victim from the perspective of horror film characters. woah. heavy stuff, let me tell you, but brilliant. i am half way into it and i had to put it aside and let it soak in. it's very hard to read, but in a good way, so I'll take it in 2 parts please. man my dreams were weird after that night. anywho, here's to all the MFA grads, especially my dearest Natalia! xo

writing letters, homemade everything, free art

2010-04-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

i have a bit of fire under my seat over a few things...new art supplies, handwritten letters, and angry chicken's email order #11. she is such a brilliant human! after downloading, printing, and ordering what i need to make some things, i am antsy antsy antsy--which is good because it's fueling the other projects i have going on. (more on this later when i have the chance to make homemade deodorant and lip balm!)

"what other projects?" you ask? well...i. am. painting. again! wow.

after much time and sketching, until something felt right i, i found myself back at the easel. last night i sketched out my first panel and i am also quite antsy over that too because you need time to paint of course and time is scarce. ooohhh but it's exciting! it took a while to undo the undergrad mind boggle- almost 2 years, yikes!-but keeping the parts that matter and mean so much while leaving the rest behind takes time. making art takes time. everything takes time. so no rush here, i will find time in between it all and report back.

i have also been writing letters to all of my friends who live far. Phoenix, Detroit, London, all too far for a visit, phone calls are great, but hard to get to, and letter are just so enjoyable to write and receive. plus i get to use all of my adorable note cards!

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one last exciting thing:

FREE ART!!

MAY 29, 2-5 at Spritzer's in Alameda

Philip and I participated in the first half of this event over the weekend. It's put together by a former professor of mine, Dickson Schneider, many of his past/current students, as well as his friends and lovely wife. It is very much FREE and you have the chance to walk away with free art. It's simple--show up sometime between 2 and 4 to get a raffle ticket, walk around and mingle with friends and fellow artists and take a peek at the art on the wall. Later they will call tickets one by one and each winner gets to pull a piece of their choice off the wall to take home FREE. They will call ticket numbers one at a time until all of the available art has a home. We each took home a great piece last weekend and are looking forward to possibly more. (I myself am holding out for a Dickson Schneider. I like to collect art from those who have inspired me and he helped me navigate through my BFA, which means a lot to me!)

help me/help you

2010-04-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

well...the spice rack is here, installed and functioning in all it's glory. Philip actually thanked me for the "improvement to our quality of life", which is a lovely thing for him to have pointed out. especially after me coming home, frustrated and crabby, desperate to clean/organize something in an effort to chase the grumpies away...as soon as i walked in i saw the box and went for it. et viola! new and improved spice storage was born and i came back down to earth...

i realize that sanity can only happen for me when i have a way to let the excess build up of life out. lately i have been channeling my extra energy (the crabby kind, the restless kind, and the happy kind) into hiking or cleaning. i have spring fever like you wouldn't believe and as a result...i am *sore* because this little bee was in hibernation for far too long until recently.

i have been hiking, on average, every other day since the 1st of the month. some are long and really push me, others are short and sweet which i fondly refer to as "pipers", and in the in between times i have taken the household chores to a new level. so, getting back to this whole "quality of life" thing, it makes sense for something that i find to be mentally therapeutic to also be seen as "improvement" on the physical or environmental level. i am sure that i am receiving multiple benefits from stress alleviation to cardiovascular health, but for someone else to receive the benefits of me taking better care of myself is so nice to see on such a simple level. i believe it's true that if we take better care for ourselves that others benefit from it too. i remember times when i was not so fun to be around and i know that took its toll on those near...and far...since those days and many big life changes, it's nice to realize that it comes all the way down to the little things as well. note to self: keep doing what i am doing, it can only benefit the whole.
x

and the kitchen project begins!

2010-04-10T00:15:00.000-07:00

yes, i am afraid to say, that i am about to bore you with another household project, but seriously, i am super stoked and therefore must share! plus it's an interesting thing to consider: aesthetically speaking, does it matter what things look like as long as you can find them?

well...to that i say, as many others before me, that good design is always a combination of

function and form. so i am set to research and find that which provides both with a bit of beauty!

as i mentioned before my goal is to phase this thing out. since i am such a klutz i think tackling the spice cabinet (which i often break things due to sticking my hand in and knocking out several jars) is a wonderful place to start. so here is what i bought:

this expandable, 3 tier, bamboo spice rack was a little more that i would want to pay, but it's so much nicer to look at than plastic or steel with rubber. as a bonus it's more eco-friendly.

i will do some before and after photos this time so you can see the transformation.

stay tuned, or take a nap.

april brings may brings teaching!

2010-04-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

i am in the early stages of excitement here, over teaching a class for the city of Emeryville!

jitters be damned! philip and i have been hoping to add workshops to our business since day one and with having a mobile studio we sought options in the community. we proposed 2 courses and although they were both accepted, the photo class could not happen due to facility limitations that could not support our vision. we plan to propose it again in the fall once we see more of the classroom offerings and make some adjustments. oh, but the good news is that my creative process/mixed media class did go through!! and it will prove to be a wonderful way to keep me and others inspired to MAKE! what could be nicer?

so here is the break down:

Each session is 4 classes and meets 3 hours per class. I have designed the course to explore the creative process by using mixed media techniques to open the imagination and also observe how it feels when working in a particular way. For example, working small vs large--how does your body actually feel in comparison? Is it frustrating or liberating? If I were to ask you to write a word of your choice over and over and over again how would it change? Would the word feel less meaningful or more? The limitations set upon the student during an exercise will allow the endless possibility of what something could be feel less overwhelming and more inspiring.

The best part about this class is that you do not need to have any experience just a desire to play with art materials and paper. It's geared toward those who have a creative block or simply do not know where to begin. It's also just plain fun for anyone. Philip and I are hoping that much of what takes place during this course is freedom of expression and the gaining of individualized knowledge of what the creative process is.

If you would like details on when, where, cost, etc, please visit our website!

ringlerstudios.com

Please also pass the word along to anyone you think may benefit from this class by referring them to this page or our website.

Coming soon: more details from the City of Emeryville at emeryville.org

(they are currently updating the web site)

It's very exciting!

spring transitions

2010-03-29T14:28:00.000-07:00

i am slowly adjusting to the time and season change, which caught me off guard as usual. i am coming out of my winter cocoon of warm milky beverages, baked goods, and movie after movie curled up on the couch during my hard to come by down time and moving toward the active-i-need-yoga-and-hikes-and fruit-smoothies mentality of spring.

i have to say this is a more difficult cocoon to break free from this year. the transition is full of push and pull--i am pushing myself away from winter habits and being pulled back in from time to time. i notice even the weather is having the same back and forth pattern as i am. part of my pull was this weekend when i decided, after a particularly strenuous week, that i needed a baked good and i needed to make it my last batch for a while.

i had a ripe banana and some apples that needed to be baked or composted so i made some banana-apple muffins that were outstanding (recipe below)....so outstanding that i ate 2/3 of them over the weekend... when i approached 1/2 of them (that's 6 between two days and in my defense they are smallish) i was so stunned by this fact --there was a time when i would be upset over this and scold myself, but instead i had a farewell ritual with the last muffin and a giant cup of black tea with milk and honey. it was a great thing to do! instead of gobbling the muffin i ate it slowly and mindfully while sipping my tea. i acknowledged the passing of time and transition into spring, as well as the need to be more active and cultivate my goals.

last week as we entered spring with gorgeous sunny weather, i jumped onto the hiking/yoga wagon and felt energized and strong. this week i feel sluggish and tired as the skies are overcast and the air is misty and cold, even with yoga and coffee in attempt to energize myself. i know that transitions can be difficult and are full of ups and downs. this is true of all transitions from changing jobs to boyfriends and everything in between. through my observations i am of the mind that since we are part of nature it's better to mirror the cycles of the seasons, up and down, back and forth--it's fine--it's natural.

so when you are in the mood for a shameless muffin, here is the recipe:

Makes 12 muffins--

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 TBS unsalted butter
2/3 cups white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 avg. size apple - peeled and shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Grease and flour 12 muffin cups, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg then stir in the vanilla and milk.

Add the flour mixture, do not over mix, stir until just blended in. Add the banana and apples.

Fill each muffin cup half full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool and enjoy. I like to add just a dollop of creme fraishe or eat plain, slightly warmed.

2 years and counting on many more

2010-03-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

after 2 whole years of marriage i am a believer in the amazing and beautiful bliss of being and staying in love. i suppose it is hard work to stay so in tune with one person for so long, but honestly it feels so easy and so wonderful! a very good sign:)

the traditional gift for the second year is cotton. so i made him a love letter out of the organic cotton notebook fabric kit from Leafcutter designs (world's smallest postal service). he made me the coolest portraits of us from halloween and super sweet love poem on cotton photo paper.

we had a lovely get away to sonoma thanks to the sale of several books to the local book store and a few anniversary gifts from family. we stayed at the fairmont as a nod to our wedding night at the fairmont san francisco. we got a serious upgrade to a junior suite which came with a fire place, living room and jacuzzi tub! holy hell that was nice...far more luxurious than the room i booked online! they take such good care of you if you are celebrating something special. free room upgrade and free booze, but since we don't drink they gave us sparkling cider for the room and a few bottles of voss mineral water at dinner, which probably cost more than the wine they offered us.

the trip was amazing. we went on a hike through Jack London park and saw the remains of his old house and had a picnic. we checked in and went swimming, had a lovely dinner and night by the fire. in the morning philip got his lemon pancake wish-- they were outstanding. i got my spa wish and it was also outstanding. i woke up early for some yoga, followed by a "vanilla float" treatment, which consisted of a scrub down and moisturizing with vanilla lotion while sitting in a floating relaxation bed and a vanilla shake afterward. i also did this amazing ritual bath with mineral pools and saunas. needless to say we left super sleepy/relaxed and once we made it home we napped and then stayed in for movies and takeout.

i am SO grateful to have had such a luxurious trip. i really needed the break from the everyday. all and all a fabulous get away.
now back to the real world...*sigh*

craft show update

2010-03-21T21:50:00.001-07:00

reporting back from Craft Happy, Fremont...the show was FUN! a smaller venue and less foot traffic, but a success nonetheless. My magnets were a hit and I received several compliments on the journals I hand embroidered. Our table was fun to design and we also received many kind words on the cuteness of it all. Sylvia had these incredible handmade birds and eggs, which got the attention they deserved with all the awwwwe's and squeals of delight. She had this ingenious idea to make covers for kitchen mixers too and I hope to one day have one of my own.

We also had a last minute art show on our wall. Sylvia came up with the project --we used 3 of each others photographs to make a minimum of 3 pieces of artwork in 24 hours. We titled the show "Limits" to emphasize the limitations we set using these photos as departure points/inspiration. Sylvia is full of great ideas like this and I had to thank her for lighting a spark back into my creative being...This is the first real series of art that I have made since graduation! (that's 2 years and waaaay too long) It was interesting to see how my body tensed up and then loosened as I got further into art making process. It was also interesting to see my color pallet and use of animal imagery were alive and well as they came right back into the creations I made without hesitation.

I am exhausted but elated. I plan to regroup and use the fact that I have plenty of left over stock to set aside craft time for art time.

off to Sonoma tomorrow to celebrate 2 years of happy marriage.

until soon!

march madness...

2010-03-07T22:34:00.000-08:00

greetings from the hive! it's march and it's madness, but the very good kind. we are two weeks away from the craft show and meanwhile Ringler Studios is booked solid this month with 2 installations, 2 regular clients, and one (very exciting) new one. so this weekend was a combination of resting and creating---two of my favorite things!

some new projects came about with a recent donation to my little studio...a button machine!!!! yeah!! many thanks to miss ashley who gave away the lot for her big move to London. (i was also bestowed with a full size ironing board which i cannot believe i lived without for so long! it just makes pressing happy)

here are the first fun creations from the button machine, which I have made into magnets:

i used some vintage animal and nature books from my collection of resource materials, cutting out or drawing in as i went along to create these mini collages.

i also continued with some hot-cup cozies (not shown) and checkbook cozies:

update on the screen printing:

test prints came out okay, not great...mainly because I am without proper inks at the moment and the budget is too low with having spent this months allowance on an upcoming anniversary gift for my dearest. I figure it's been a year in the making, what's another few months? so not in time for the craft show, but in time indeed.

other crafts/projects in the works:

i need to tackle the mess known as 'the pit of despair' that is my pot/pan/bowl cupboard. i am already obsessing over a kitchen re-organization project, penciled in for April, and budgeted for each phase. something like this. a pegboard hung on the wall to host the pans and a few organizing tools to keep the lids-etcetera in order and i should be set. (but a spice organizer and an under the sink drawer would be a bonus, so like i said, phase by phase we'll get it done:)

and that's that...i'm off to get more relaxation in to what's left of the weekend.

silliness...

2010-02-27T23:56:00.000-08:00

some serious silliness...there are many more where these came from, enjoy!

and we're done...

2010-02-23T22:55:00.000-08:00

*sigh* it was a several hour assembly with some minor swears and now a sore back...i know..you cannot even see the platform in the picture, but i assure you it is there and looks just like the one i posted earlier. so happy to be done. so tired. gut nacht meine freunde. x

craft happy announcement

2010-02-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

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Craft Happy

Craft Show Featuring

Sylvia Min, Jill Ringler and Other Crafty Folks!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

10am-4pm

Niles Banquet Hall

37270 Niles Road, Fremont, CA 94536

Please come out and support your local artists!

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sylvia Min

Eco-friendly Accessories for You & Your Home

• Art

• Bags

• Home Decor

• Kitchen Products

Unique handmade items created from

organic cotton and felt made from recycled plastic bottles.

E-mail: sylviamin@yahoo.com

Jill Ringler

Handmade Gifts and Accessories

Assortment of handmade goods from accessories to stationary,

using a combination of vintage, re-purposed and new materials.

Online: TheCuriousBeeStudio.com

Email: thecuriousbee@gmail.com

View Larger Map

silk screen cards!

2010-02-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

to avoid boring you all with highs and woes of redecorating my bedroom, I'll throw in a curve ball and tell you about my new silk screen project. this has been in the design phase for almost a year with handmade versions sent out into the world on a regular basis. i have been dying to make a silk screen stencil to mass produce my bee-day cards. so today i will try it out and report back...

here is the design i finished this morning... the left is the front and the right is the inside.

phase two-compromising the vision

2010-02-16T13:08:00.000-08:00

i am a very flexible person when it comes to doing what ends up being practical versus completely annoying in order to achieve my goals. that is why when I end up at Ikea on President's Day, when everyone else seems to be using their day off for the same type of errand, I just *sigh* and do what ever I can to not have to return any time soon.

I checked online for my little shelf, which clearly stated that the color and size I wanted was in stock at my local store. Alas, twas not so. So after guiding myself through the enormous maze that is Ikea, proud that I managed to navigate so well between large families bouncing around on beds and couples debating over scented candles, I made my way to the self-serve furniture bins and stood there before the empty slots with a blank stare. I paced back and forth, trying to rationalize painting a bright yellow one in the right size or getting 3 small shelves in white, paying $10 more than my budget, but achieving the desired width. I continued pacing and staring, until I decided to get 2 white ones, losing the space, keeping within budget and getting the hell out of Ikea.

It turns out that his and hers shelves is rather nice despite missing the extra space in between...

one phase complete...

2010-02-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

i was so pipped up the other night that i did in fact make it to the fabric store just before closing time. i came back and sewed until it seemed like a bad idea...(delirium was starting to set in from working so much) and today i completed it!

i am happy with it, but a bit impatient to see my fully realized vision. i am off to ikea tomorrow to get the shelf and then we will have about 1-2 weeks until the platform arrives.

::::::::::::::::::::stay tuned:::::::::::::::::::::

other news in the creative sector: i am working on a photo for the promotion post card that Sylvia is designing for our upcoming craft show in Fremont. i am going to use the new shelf and faux headboard hanging as the back drop. we are going for an anthropologie catalog style. i sketched out a plan that and will post the final image selection sometime next weekend. i just need to make some goods to place in the picture. *sigh* it never ends. that's a good thing- but i am pooped. happily i have the next two days (unless i have jury duty...not kidding. i think i am cursed they get me every year...sometimes they try twice!!)

also: philip recently had his web site updated by our friend Pierre, who did an amazing job! check it out here. i love the grey backdrop-it feels so much more neutral so the art takes center stage. i took both pictures of him on the 'about' and 'contact' pages. there is also the sound component that he wrote for his thesis exhibition. you can turn it on just above the slideshow thumbnails, sometimes it takes a minute to start so be patient. we are very happy!

that is that. hope valentines day was a sweet one. x

the bedroom...

2010-02-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

no this is not a naughty post about nuptial bliss...rather, i am obsessing over redoing the bedroom in light of our new mattress! oh how i love an excuse to re-design a space! so-here's my plan...

phase one: a floating shelf for above the bed

this shelf, from Ikea is a mere $20 and the perfect size. i will brave ikea sometime soon...

-this will solve the issue of no longer having room for an end table since we upgraded mattress sizes and double as one less surface the cats can reach to knock things over in the middle of the night! I am thinking books, reading lights, and a space for our glasses..maybe a a small piece of artwork.

phase two: DIY 'headboard'

I love Martha's take on a headboard, hanging a rug behind the bed. I was torn between this a a salvaged door, but since our room is suuuuper tiny, I am going for a scroll of fabric behind the bed and saving my salvaged door dreams for the future.

I set a $15 budget on fabric and will buy a dowel to attach it to. i have so much to do for the craft show next month, but this may squeeze itself in for a weekend project!!

phase 3: platform storage bedframe!!

I have always wanted a low platform bed with drawers. I love the sleek modern style, but more so the storage. cats that love to hide under the bed + under the bed storage boxes = tons of cat fur and dust underneath, which is so difficult to clean! this would make no room for cats and make cleaning easier, which would make me a very happy woman.

I found this for $215, which is such a great price.

and for some additional cuteness, i am going to hang pictures by cloths-pins along the top of the drop ceiling. i cannot wait to post some before and after pictures...stay tuned...i have a feeling this is going to transpire rather quickly! in fact...i'm headed to beverly's to get my fabric! maybe even order the platform tonight! i love love love when heavy inspiration comes along. x

wsps does it again

2010-02-06T23:04:00.000-08:00

as you may (or may not) recall this time last year i got a very exciting gig working with the World's Smallest Postal Service (WSPS) for the Valentines Day rush. I was honored to be asked back this year and even more filled with joy when I saw the latest creation from Leafcutter Designs (artist extraordinaire Lea Redmond).

there is still time to order!! so if you are in the market for a unique, completely adorable, handmade original, artistic, and FUN gift for your valentine- may I suggest you get on it?

thanks for being so creative and sharing it with the world Lea!

happy one year anniversary blog

2010-02-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Has it really been a whole year since I dove into this blog?!?! I am still amazed that it's February, let alone 2010, let alone a year with this blog! So of course I am reflecting on what I have accomplished since then as I began writing about art and my post graduation procrastination. I admit that tons of wonderful creations have happened, although not in the ways that I expected-life never really works that way. Expectations never pan out the way the mind's eye envisions it.

But despite not having a new series to sit back and revel in (sarcasm), I am proud of is that I managed to make make make. That little sewing machine of mine enabled me to work in a small space and kept me connected to my creative process. Thanks little guy!

Of course I am also proud to have created a business with the hubby and craft shows with the ladies...events that led me to feeling inspired and stressed out, but oh so satisfied, because the alternative would waste my flavor. (the alternative being a job that leaves me uninspired)

With all that has transpired I am thankful, yet still hopeful that I will get back to painting. I have had some great ideas, none of which flourished past my sketchbook or my mind, such as the photos I was thinking of making and many others. The next phase is to do, because as my friend Lea said, " art is not a noun-it's a verb". That should not be too difficult with another craft show on the horizon;) deadlines make us move I tell you!

I am so sincerely grateful to have a great network of friends and family that support me and keep me inspired and that is enough because I am happy. this year has been productive and challenging and I could never do it alone. i have come to realize that community is life and art is living. wishing you all creative days-xo

happy new year

2010-01-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

i'm back from a super sweet visit to my old home, Michigan. it's always a trip to go back to something that is so familiar, yet so different-especially compared to my life these days. in the past it was hard to go home. too many bitter sweet memories and ghosts waiting for me i suppose. as time has past and wounds have healed i am so happy to say that this visit was amazing and i have so much to be thankful for as we enter the new year.

like being welcomed and taken in so warmly by old friends (who are family really)...

and sunsets in the snow!

and meeting super cute additions to the family!

i am so lucky to have such a great family. it was so nice to hug my mom, talk to my aunt, giggle with my sister and see how my nieces have grown, becoming such lovely women, getting to know sweet baby Arlo, playing with miss Myla like we never missed a beat, staying up way too late with Jodi, talk talk talking away, waking to innovative/delicious pancakes by Matt, and driving driving driving everyday with my sweet husband.

and now it's back to my new home which i also have so much to be thankful for. with a new business to tend to and a craft show on the horizon, i can see the progress of last year in my present and future. i can feel it in my heart as i think back at how many challenges turned into nice surprises and how many hard days work turned into beautiful experiences or things i made with my own two hands. looking back, i know i can handle whatever life brings me and that it is up to me to shift perspectives and make better decisions when things get too heavy.

i think what is so interesting about this time of year is we get to reflect and daydream of the future in the same breath. and then there are resolutions...which give us permission to take care of ourselves. but this is something that we should always do. so my resolution is not make any resolutions and continue to take care of myself as i learned to do much better in recent years.

happy new year everyone!

may 2010 bring us all some major shifts in surprising and wonderful ways!

merry christmas!

2009-12-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

hope it's a good one!

all i want for christmas....

2009-12-16T23:50:00.000-08:00

can i just say that one of the most difficult things about not having any extra money-especially this time of year-is when i see things like this, or any number of books like the one pictured above, and have no way of making them mine, but want want want to buy them!

it's so frustrating because i love handmade things, especially big chunky rings with cuteness, class and style...and as for books, (especially about art!) i am a sucker...plus i love to support other artists...unfortunately most of these things are just too pricey for me these days. i am such a whiner because truthfully i know life is better without "stuff", but some stuff makes life a little sweeter. *ugh* the paradox of it all!

i have however come up with a way to curb my appetite for "thingness" and wanting. i will be sticking to the smaller lovely world of zines, which I can actually afford once in a while. I just got Gracia and Louise's zine=Postcards from...A Key to Make Your Own World Visible, which will be pure eye candy mixed with thoughtfulness....and the newest issue (full color might I add) of Mixed Tape which is just a darn good read. These come from Australian artists/publishers and are the best way I can think of helping other artists at the moment.

Another art related want is a subscription to the Compound Gallery's Art in a Box. It's super cool-every month you get a box with some art and you have no idea what is in store! i just love this concept. it's an interesting exercise in art, community, and subjectivity. i mean honestly, i really would not know what to do with a bunch of art with my small dwellings, but the thought of getting one really amazing piece in there somewhere is tantalizing. sort of like cracker-jack toys when i was a kid...you may get something mildly entertaining, totally lame, or just plain cool. either way you win because you get to play with your inner critic.

well, that's enough of that. i am going to get to finishing up some handmade Christmas gifts with all of the lovely repurposed fabric i have collected over the year. thanks everyone who donated-it will probably be coming back to you in the form of something awesome. (hopefully)

One more week!!!

handmade christmas/etsy post

2009-12-13T16:37:00.000-08:00

I am excited to tell you all about the handmade goodies I am making for presents, but for fear that readers are recipiants, I will show the only thing I know I can...fishing lures!!!

Philip and I worked on these yesterday for my buddy Matt and brother in law's gifts:

a very special thanks to Dickson for giving us lure fever and a quick demo. He wrote and illustrated a book on lures and flies called Every Angler's Guide to Lures and Flies. It's super witty and fun, much the same as he is.

In addition to all things Christmasy, I managed to post a bunch of new gear on etsy! it's all of the leftovers from the holiday sale, but new projects nonetheless. I am obsessed with the cross stitch pins. so obsessed that i am hoping to save up for this really nice button maker so they can drop in price and time to make. (and become circles!! )

Hope you are all getting in to the holiday spirit! I know I finally am. Between putting up the tree and going to a Christmas folk/sing-a-long/performance thingy, it would be hard not to. Impossible even. 11 more days!

catching up to christmas?

2009-12-08T23:35:00.000-08:00

how (dare i ask) is it only 2 more weeks until christmas?!?!?!
i know i was just in an obsessive mode between work and work, but honestly, i think i am about one whole month behind schedule! yikes....*sigh*

in hind sight i did have a ton of fun in between all the chaos.
here are some highlights:

-halloween: we went to the city with chase and dennis to see a live sound effect/percussionists and an organist perform to 'Nosferatau'! Philip and I went as ghouls. at one point we were in the lobby hanging out waiting for our friends and had random people ask to take our photo. that was odd considering i saw 20 or so men dressed a lot like Philip...i highly recommend a night at the symphony on halloween-a great crowd indeed.

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-thanksgiving weekend we went to the zoo!! the oakland zoo to be precise. going to the zoo always has the paradox of so fun, yet so sad. i myself enjoyed the petting zoo in the kids area. meet my new friend balthazar the pigmy goat. i wish i could have stolen him! too cute.

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well that's the highlights. now i am just coming down off the high of the craft show trying to get into the joy of christmas. we managed to get the tree and ornaments out of storage today. next will be the trimming of the tree, cards, gifts, etc etc.
this year is a 99% handmade christmas. every year i aim for ALL handmade gifts to give and always end up at about half made, half bought. this year only one gift was actually purchased. amazing i tell you. i only have 5 more to make and i am DONE.
and for my next trick? trying not to gain any weight....

happy holiday bliss!
x

Richmond Art Festival!!

2009-12-06T21:44:00.001-08:00

Oh dear friends, we had such an amazing time at the Richmond Arts Festival! Sylvia Min, Chase Clark and I shared a table and it was sooooo adorable. I am exhausted, but this experience was rewarding in many ways. The challenge of organizing this with my life was a great exercise in keeping inspiration and motivation while juggling the everyday. It was so worth it and I owe a great amount of thanks to Sylvia and Chase for being such hard working individuals who were as determined as I was to get our art out in the world!

We had such great response to our booth, which I must say was super fun to put together and as one board member said "charming". All of the people at the Richmond Art Center are just fabulous! SO kind and generous. I have had the pleasure of working with them recently which led to us doing this event. They have a wonderful community there and I am happy to be a part of it. We all walked away with some sales and wonderful trades with each other and fellow artist Jenn Brazelton and Bryan Higgins.

Apologies for the post-event blog....not too much time before hand to tell the world via blog.

I will be updating etsy with all new items this week and will post again soon!

enjoy the photos!

thankful

2009-11-23T15:17:00.000-08:00

I love Thanksgiving....
My dearest and I have a made it a tradition to go on a beautiful hike through his childhood stomping ground at Briones Regional Park on Thanksgiving. Rolling hills and vast amounts of gorgeousness and yes, even cows and horses roaming about. It's a nice thing to do before the giant feast ensues. (last year we were up in Gualala which was a hike with seaside adventure!) What a lovely tradition....being THANKFUL and connecting with nature's bounty in more ways that just devouring food. The food was amazing of course, but I must say the hike was more satisfying.

I am deeply thankful for so many things.
I hope you all had a day filled with love and gratitude.
x

new beginnings

2009-10-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

one word:

GRATITUDE

another word:

FINALLY

oktober film fest

2009-10-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

during the best month ever, (well, my personal favorite at least and i am sure many, many others),the Ringler household enjoys a halloween film-fest all through October.

since we netflix our viewing pleasure, we set up the queue to send us a nice combination of classic horror, comedy, and thrasher movies. last year was the first annual oktober film-fest and proved to be an amazing idea. this year we are challenged by keeping things as exciting as last year. we have had some ups and downs, but overall it is still super fun!

here are some of our favorites:

anything Boris Karloff, but especially Frankenstein, 1931 and
Bride of Frankenstein, 1935
Black Sunday, 1960

House on Haunted Hill, 1958 original with Vincent Price
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, 1922
Nightmare on Elm Street, 1983 and NES Part 3, 1987

Children of the Corn, 1984
Pet Semetary, 1989
Sleepaway Camp III, Teenage Wasteland, 1989

Anything by Dario Argento (Phil's personal favorite)
House of Wax, 2005 remake

cartoons

Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, 1998
The Simpson's Tree House of Horror (I-XX)
Billy an Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure, 2006

comedy

The Fearless Vampire Killer's, 1967 (Roman Polanski-Spoof)
The Worst Witch, 1986
Zombie Land, 2009
Zombie Strippers, 2008
Shaun of the Dead, 2004
Fido, 2006
Evil Dead II, 1987

Apparently we find Zombie movies to be funnier than most. I swear Zombie Strippers was one of the funniest things we've ever seen.

Isn't Autumn the best?

Happy October!

back in the saddle

2009-10-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

with rain and cancelations on my side, i managed to extend my weekend into a craft filled fun day or two. et voilà! coasters were born....

i managed to make 8 sets of 4 with small swatches of fabric donated to me from a S&B pal. (sadly i have not been able to make S&B for several weeks due to an opportunity to TA in a class with a former professor of mine.) I followed no pattern or tutorial, I just used fusible interfacing for stiffness, cut some 5 inch squares, pressed and sewed away.

quite simple. quite satisfying. i am gearing up for possible craft booths this holiday season. if nothing works out i will have plenty of goods for etsy and maybe even some gifts for some loved ones. that gets tricky though because not everything i make is necessarily the style of those i love.

*sigh* it does feel good to make-make-make again. between this project and some spontaneous felting with a client i had a lovely week on the creative front. i have also started on some pendants made from buttons and old buckles. i am looking forward to another chunk of time to finish them and start on some more brooches.

maybe now is the time? yes, i think so!

a new adventure

2009-10-10T22:34:00.000-07:00

dearest bees,
i am happy to report that after much consideration and hard work, my husband and i are joining forces as..."Ringler Studios"! hence the main reason i have been away from the blog and had no real time to craft. that is all about to change now that some of our to-dos, like getting new equipment and filing business forms, has been accomplished.

so what, dare you ask, IS Ringler Studios? is it a studio of art? well, no. it is a studio for artists and collectors to receive individualized services to assist with their careers or investments. mainly our goal is to help artists with their promotions by offering high quality photography (a must in the industry), ways to navigate the expensive task of promotion oneself, and staying organized in the process. There is also an opportunity for collectors to use our organization service to store and record their investments better. mostly, Ringler Studios is and extension of work that we have been doing for years on a more focused level.

feel free to visit our website for more details! my personal website has since been changed to a place for my art and craft projects-both past and current.
until the next adventure....
x

another apron

2009-10-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

it's quite addicting...

straight stitches till dawn!

2009-09-12T00:21:00.000-07:00

it was really only a matter of time before i made an apron. a fan of the angry chicken, chase, and baking...how could i resist? i was first inspired to make one for my long life pal JZ who recently wed. when i asked her what her favorite thing on her registry was, she replied, "the girly apron". i knew at that moment i would bestow her with a handmade version of my own. i had so much fun making the first one, i made a second for another friend who will be married this fall. i swear i could sew straight stitches till the break of dawn! and i almost did!~

today i gave JZ her apron and she swooned. then let me photograph her in my kitchen. lucky for me she was already dressed for the occasion! add a bowl and a wisk-et viola! happiness!

since i am one for simplicity, being a beginner and all, i chose the very easy 'cocktail' or 'tea towel' apron. i did not use a tea towel, nor a pattern. i measured the fabric to the size i wanted and sewed away. i added some lace trim at the bottom and ribbon for the tie for JZs, the other i made double sided with matching ties (sewn like straps). i used some fun fabric passed down to me from chase, ashley and some i bought. for the trim on JZs i used vintage lace from my auntie and store bought ribbon for the ties. i am hooked people. if you plan on getting married guess what your getting from me? certainly not a toaster. something to look fabulous in while you toast!

no pictures, but i am thinking of them

2009-08-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

i have stumbled upon an idea. i am taking this opportunity to place it outside of my head.

i want to start a series of photographs. i want them to be about our shadow sides, or rather my own. Carl Jung said that the shadow is the seat of creativity, it can be filled with layers and often overwhelms a person's actions when paralyzed by indecison, for example.

i know so well that no matter how hard i try to make art that is about something, it will never be about anything unless i reach beyond my surface level. this was proven to me in hind sight when i think of making art in school...it never felt like i was doing anything more than scratching the surface of something much more meaningful. i think i was often times paralyzed by the thought of what i was doing rather than just doing and being.

thus far i have been reading about the shadow side from a psychological viewpoint. as i read i am instantly transported to a personal example of my own-making me more curious about the mere definition of the shadow and how that relates to not only my own idiosyncratic bullshit, but others as well-essentially beneath that lies the collective unconscious or the universal truth that is human existence.

'they' refer to the shadow as psycho-dynamic repression or the disowned self. since i have spent years disowning my self and now am simply trying to understand and nurture it, i thought-what a better way to deepen my understanding than make art about it. something i feel i have been waiting for, that could come from this exploration is authenticity. as a result i have avoided making anything other than fun crafts and accessories. this enables me to make and be free from meaning, yet it still satisfies my creative fire.

as i absorb these thoughts and integrate them with my personal experience, i simultaneously working on a visual language that will bring in my personal style, color pallet, and vision to photographic work. i am thinking photography has everything i need to pull this off since i will spend more time building the idea and then the set can be reworked a number of ways without the limitations of painting. *sigh* i do love to paint. but...as the photographer cindy sherman came to realize while studying art- painting has its limitations and photography can set you free from them.

blabity blab blab. i am done now. thanks for tuning in-or out as the case may be.
sharing with you may just assist me in reaching my goal little blog. -x

30th bee day

2009-08-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

hello my beeyatches...
much gratitude and love for those who helped make my 30th Bee day such a tremendously wonderful experience. i feel renewed. revitalized (perhaps it was the massage??) and ready to move ahead into a new decade. for those who were not there...geography is such a bitch and i surely missed you more than you'll ever know! and if you are just tuning in, and perhaps are not a part of my day to day world, i had spa day (spoiled, i tell you) followed by a night in a private karaoke lounge with some friends and delicious cake (handmade by JZ and Russ)!

here is a little snippet of the night:

i still cannot get over the random song selections at this place. think tenacious D, ABBA, journey, michael (of course) and sprinkle a little judas priest in there for fun. they really had an assortment ripe for comedy. and oh yes, there was comedy. fortunately no tradgedy.

favortite moments;
-singing ABBA's 'gimme gimme gimme' with chase
-philip blowing people's minds with his ability to shape shift from johnny cash to dave mustaine
-the challenge song for the girls, megadeth, 'tornado of souls'...amazing job by ashley and JZ
-the challenge song for the boys, patrick swayze, 'she's like the wind'-thanks to dennis for being a good sport!
-the finale! dead or alive, 'you spin me right round', chase and dennis leading the mics, me and ashley on tambourines, everyone singing their hearts out to the finish!

holy crap that was awesome.

and presents? nothing but BEEEEEs. not true, but a TON of bees, some very wonderful artwork and other lovely things.

i am not kidding, two bee brooches, bee matches, a wind up bee, a bee purse, a protein bar, a jar, and a sweet ceramic dish! natalia gave me my favorite print of hers and matt gave me a charcoal rendering of toilet paper and philip bought me a walrus photo by elizabeth soule.

my goodness. needless to say i am a gratful little bee.
here's to 30!

nocturnal surise...a reflection on suffering

2009-07-23T22:13:00.001-07:00

Delay. Delay. Delay. It has been a while. All of this time i have been waiting to collect my thoughts and some images for Philip's exhibition, Nocturnal Sunrise. With the exhibition at a close and all of the hard work behind us, I am taking the time to reflect on his dramatic and stunning series of photographs.

The many times I have spent looking at his work, seeing his vision and philosophy come to light has led me to ponder further his art and how art in general impacts life. For those in need of introduction, my husband Philip makes large-scale black and white photographs that are graphically stunning and possess a lusciousness that is hard to ignore. Nocturnal Sunrise is a series he completed for his Masters of Fine Art thesis.

He has photographed all over the map, from New Orleans to Tahiti and compiled an abstract, high contrast visual language that acts as a metaphore for human suffering. The images are dark and stir up a mixture of emotions, from sorrow to humor, yet they all provide an entrance or exit into the light beyond this darkness. Upon first glance you cannot help but ask yourself what you are looking at. The longer you look you get transported into the experience of the image.

The experience of looking at this work can be overwhelming. It can also be uplifting. I found it interesting to watch people connect to different photographs for different reasons. It was exciting to hear their reactions because they were all so personal. Similar to the way one starts to see things in an abstract painting, I saw people feel things with his work. Even though the work is on the darker side thematically, photographing cemetarys and decaying anything as a general rule, it still possesses a lightness that makes it approachable and beautiful.

I feel a significant importance to placing emphasis on darkness because our society-American society-is constantly aiming for superficial positivism. We see it all the time with Hollywood starlets showing us how to look, government officials holding high a facade of how to act, and the many products of commercial, consumerism showing us how good life can be if you use their product. In the real world-the world of humanity governed by the complexity of emotions-we struggle with our own personal lives and while we aim for our individual pursuit of happiness, we do suffer. Dealing with the suffering does not come quick or easy.

We live in a world of over-prescribed medication and if we are not given permission to sedate our emotions by our doctors, we can run to the nearest store for liquor to self medicate, or worse, our local drug dealers. I believe in the power of art to open our subconscious minds and bring forth our hidden emotions. I believe that Philip's work does just that and so do many other artists, musicians, and poets alike. What is more poignant, whether we are aware of this power or not, is that we truly are affected deeply by our art of choice. The way a song can move you to dance or even to tears, or how a book clings to you as you read for endless hours, or a visual work draws you to deep contemplation-art sets part of us free.

I have come to know art as a way of releasing my inner fire, allowing whatever needs to come through me come out into the world, rather than get stifled and suffocted inside me. This is not only for making art, I think the same of being with others artwork. I know Philip's work holds a intimate place in my world because of my love for him, but I still must thank him for simply getting his art out into the world.

website of my very own

2009-07-13T01:06:00.001-07:00

I finally got around to making my own website after landing another archive client this week! This time for a private collector whose house is overflowing with art! *gulp*
check it out: thecuriousbeestudio.com
now i just need to order the biz cards-way too much delay on those puppies...
what can i say, i am a busy bee!

flower clips for sale

2009-07-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

well, i completed the first batch of flower clips and with a lovely model took some great photos last night. i just posted 6 of them on etsy for sale, the other two went to their new homes. i am so excited about these cuties, but I am in need of making some more sweet little birds since the coop is dwindling fast!

on a sad note, the minnow and i have agreed to separate....but it is all for the greater good since she is off to live in London!! (i am sooo jealous, but very happy for her) As soon as I know what her new etsy store is named I will update you. I have decided to keep 'minnow and the bee' as my store and adopted my husband as the honorary minnow since he often helps me with tough decisions, like what button to pair with what fabric. that and he technically came up with the name for us.

That's the report from the bee. Thanks for stopping in:)

projects & happenings

2009-07-01T00:07:00.000-07:00

it's been a minute (try millions of minutes) since i last posted. things have been happening! too many to account for here so in an attempt to summarize i will focus on the art and the projects.

new web commission for the talented Oliverio Quezada, a ceramic artist here in the Bay.
hubby had his master's thesis solo-exhibition. we had just over 100 guests! incredible turn out with a ton of warm fuzzies, delicious food, and wonderful-wonderful people.
thanks to my sister, the etsy shop has had a few sales from my collection. the seal, a bird and a mushroom! i am so happy the seal remains in the family.
new mini paintings/necklace charms are in the works -sorry no photos yet-
inspired to add some pizazz to my outfit i made a lovely hair clip that is now my new obsession. tonight at stitch and bitch i had two commissions!

The black and white was my flare the other night at the opening for Phil's show. The orange and blue gem is going to Chase by personal request. The smaller black with red center is a bonus one made tonight. Now I need to make the other one requested by a fellow S&B gal and a billion more to sell on etsy.

Also in the works, I am going to make several cowl-neck scarfs out of this luxurious, hand dyed, bamboo yarn from Chase. It came directly from her former co-workers at Art Fibers. It will be modeled after a lovely light blue one I made this winter and I hope to make enough for a pre-fall sale late this summer.

Oh goodie-back to work!
With everything going on I was beginning to wonder if I would ever have time again! Seriously though, making things keeps me sane. I am sure many of you would agree.

x

cross stitch trio

2009-06-09T00:58:00.000-07:00

i am a busy bee with these cross stitches. they come in handy for stitch and bitch tuesdays. otherwise i'd have to learn how to knit or something...one day i am sure, but i cannot take on another craft at this point in my world.

so here is the cross stitch trio...

it all started with 'subversive cross stitch' by julie jackson. i perused a copy that chase had and fell in love. unfortunately i am a broke little bee, so i did things the hard way-by hand-no pattern. it rally was not hard at all, just painstaking! two of these came directly from her book, but just the text not the embelishments. (i feel bad enough! at least it was just for family fun)

'of course i care' came first. i made it for my sister for her office. (she works in non profit doing medicare stuff...) then came 'beeyatch' which of course was for me! then i got comfortable and made one of my own designs, 'the golden girls'. this is for my mom who lives with two of her sisters and whom we nick-named so.

i am caught up on gifts for now and ready to get back to minnow and the bee! i have some fun necklaces planned and look forward to the weekend already.

joy!

my sweet little smock

2009-06-07T22:45:00.000-07:00

oh my curious bees, i am happy! i made the sweetest thing for my sweet little god-daughter who just turned 3. although i am late (a hazard of living so far away) i know she will just adore this princess art smock with matching crown.

i have many thanks to offer for the success of this gem...

first amy karol and her amazing book, 'bend the rules sewing' which gave me the pattern for the smock. also her blog archive for inspiration for the matching head piece. although i used her pattern for the smock and pocket, i had to carve my own path on the finishing because i had no binding tape. so i used some wide, pink, lace that my dear friend chase gifted me for the edging and made my own ties out of pink teddy bear fabric, also used for the pocket. the lavender fabric also came from chase as a hand-me-down. as for the princess crown, not easily shown here, i simply stitched some decorative trim that came from my aunt (who recently sent me in a giant hat box filled with goodies!) to the pink lace.

i owe all of these ladies many thanks for keeping the projects rolling! i would also like to thank the ever so full moon for giving me an excess amount of creative energy. (i heart full moons. so beautiful.) and of course, my dear friends jodi and matt for having such an amazing little girl to make things for.

i am so happy when projects come together so well.

yeah for happiness!

home again...

2009-06-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

I am home from my adventures at sea. drawings were produced, although one a day was not achieved. I managed to make four, but really spent more time making photographs....here are some of my favorites...enjoy!

oh canada oh canada

2009-05-14T18:53:00.001-07:00

well, this bee is off to sea on an adventure north! Our itinerary changed due to the dreaded swine flu! Cest la vie-I was not ready for full time swim suit weather and seriously...a vacation is an order! So instead we are headed up the coast. I will fly down to LA to meet Amber then we will cruise north, pass by my home of the oh so lovely San Francisco Bay, then up to Astoria, OR (they filmed GOONIES there! Here I come Chuuuuunk!), then to Victoria and Vancouver, BC.

I am ex-cited.

woot woot!
I shall report back soon my fellow bees.
xo

a lovely full moon of inspiration

2009-05-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

I heart full moons. so much. they are great days to take on the unordinary and also promote the extraordinary. Philip had an opening last night in San Francisco for a group show with a total of 5 emerging artists. It was held at the California Institute for Integral Studies and sponsored by the McKinley Art Solutions who does the artwork for the W hotels-which we so love. It was nice to see his new work out in the world, out of the studio, and in a beautiful space. There were also some other fabulous pieces of art, another photographer in particular just blew our minds!

His name is Gordon Beebe and he does these elaborate photo shoots and then merges the photos together to create a landscape of the mind. Surrealism meets modern technology....

Gordon Beebe, "Now Playing", 2006, Inkjet Print

This was one of my favorite pieces shown by him. I just love the detail and thoughtfulness that went in to creating this piece. It really emphasizes the nature of the human mind to just race and race and that movie that gets looped inside our heads, playing until it drives us a bit insane! Philip and I both had the chance to talk with him about his work and how elaborate his studio set up gets, the billions of shots he takes and then the cutting and pasting of images together before printing.

What Philip and Beebe are both doing is subverting the way people view photographs by making them about places inside the mind rather than places we visit and document. You cannot help but wonder where or how the images were taken, but that is not what striking about them. It is the way they make you feel. The way your senses respond. There are many of Philip's pieces that are haunting, nostalgic, deeply dark, almost sinister, yet the longer you stay with it the more hopeful you feel because you are not there or maybe you are, or at least have been. There is always a light that comes in to rescue you.

Philip Ringler, "The Great Depression", 2008, Silver Gelatin Print, 60 x 40 inches

The thing that really struck me last night was the amount of intimacy that artists have with their process and how artists view other artist work much differently that those who have never spent time with art. We stare longer and take in what is before us. We notice the way colors play with one another and how shapes either flow in harmony or create visual barriers for the eye. We see all of the subtle things that can only emerge with time and true observation. So many times people just glance at artwork. I feel that abstract art and photography suffer from this more than other media because many people do not "get" abstract art (or thought) and people are trained to see a photograph in a very face value sort of way. Landscape, portrait, fashion shoot, snapshot, etc etc.

The full moon is a great time to harness creative energy. I felt very comfortable with the group of people who attended the opening. (If you aren't familiar with art openings, they tend to lean more to the awkward side of things, at least for us.) I felt very grateful to have so many friends and family come out to support my talented husband. After a few days of crabbiness, I needed to be around art in a supportive environment. I was so filled with creative consciousness that I went home and worked on some mother's day gift projects!

art is good.

stitch 'n beeyatch

2009-04-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

i may have mentioned before about the weekly stitch 'n bitch meeting that my friend chase hosts at l'myx tea shop in oakland....we meet every tuesday at the lakeshore location and it is fun fun fun! if you are in the oakland area you should come hang out. any how, what no one realized, including me, is that chase pays monthly dues to keep the online post and since times...they are tough, i encouraged her to make a donation jar to help the cause. so this weekend me made it happen and let me tell you we should be ashamed of ourselves for making something so f'n cute because it may prompt people to give us their life savings! how could they resist....

chase made most of it, she did all of the fabric and interior coverage plus the front embellishments, I am responsible for the back side embellishments and the lid. needless to say, we are quite smitten with this over the top beggar jar. ciao!

viva la mexico

2009-04-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

hola mi amigas y amigos! i am headed to Mexico!! Today marks the 28 day count down and then i shall set sail along the Mexican Riviera with my long time travel companion and friend Amber.

why?

well....we are both turning 30 this year and many years ago had made a pact to travel somewhere for the big 3-0 if we were still in fact friends. i am happy to say that we are and now we get to see this teenage day dream come true. although the funny part is that we always said something along the lines of france or a villa in tuscany. i suppose we thought being 30 meant having money! ha! well thanks to some good fortune and a persistent pal, we are taking a cruise to Mexico on the cheap cheap cheap. otherwise we'd still be dreaming.

so i am inspired to do an art project for this journey. off the top of my head i hope to do a drawing a day type of thing. knowing that i am often intuitive and spontaneous with any creative endeavor, i will only promise to pack some art supplies and go with whatever comes to me. of course, i will report back with details and photographs!

in other news i have been a busy little bee, building web sites, making tons of brooches, experimenting with my knitting loom and cross-stitch, and i finally have some sort of logo up for minnow and the bee. the business cards are lagging...it's quite difficult to decide on a few components and i may just put the whole thing on hold for a while since business is good right now.

keep on keeping on little bees...spring is here and summer is in the air! xo

beauty, in this world

2009-04-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

i just finished this gorgeous, wonderful, spectacular, poetic and oh so inspiring book by Muriel Barbery called, 'The Elegance of the Hedgehog'. this is my homage to this novel....
i wish it was a croissant instead of a crumpet, but that leaves some room for hilarity because of part 4, chapter 6...and seeing as though i do not wish to ruin the gorgeous details of this book by trying to explain what it is about, or how i responded to its brilliance and humor, i will say nothing and keep the deeply personal meaning and loveliness i got from it to myself. instead i shall give you a few of my favorite passages with no context in hopes that it will suffice. maybe you will then grab a copy for yourself. (my copy will go directly to the chase/angela household for immediate consumption.)
-------------------------------------------
"The only purpose of cats is that they constitute mobile decorative objects, a concept which I find intellectually interesting, but unfortunately our cats have such drooping bellies that this does not apply to them." -pg 51

"The camellia against the moss of the temple, the violet hues of the Kyoto mountains, a blue porcelain cup-this sudden flowering of pure beauty at the heart of ephemeral passion: is this not something we all aspire to?" -pg 101

"At the door stands a courier, chewing on what must be a piece of gum for elephants, given the vigor and range of mandibular activity to which he is compelled." -pg 164

"...I'd like to remind everyone that Colombe washes her hands three times a day and screams the moment she gets the slightest suspicion that there might be an invisible hair in the shower (visible hairs are more improbable)." -pg 237

"...does this mean that this is how we must live our lives? Constantly poised between beauty and death, between movement and disappearance? Maybe that's what being alive is all about: so we can track down those moments that are dying." -pg 273

"I remember all that rain...The sound of it drumming on the roof, the paths running with water, the sea of mud at the gate to the farm, the black sky, the wind, the horrible feeling of endless damp weighing upon us as our life weighed upon us: neither consciousness nor revolt."
-pg 287
----------------------------------------------
i should stop here, even though much of what moved me was in the bigger picture, which was of course revealed at the end. this is a stunning novel. quite funny. quite charming. i hope you seek it out sometime and let me know your thoughts.

a special Bee day

2009-04-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

i am very excited! i just finished my nephew's birthday gift! he is turning one this coming week and although i have never met him, i know he is the sweetest little guy and wanted to get him something special. since this crafty gal is short on clams ($) these days i consulted some craft books and found a sweet turtle pattern in Amy Karol's 'bend the rules sewing'. Since his dad loves turtles (who doesn't?) i though it would be perfect....
so here he is...(i named him mortimer...)

here is the very special bee-day card i made to go with it:

oh happy day!

etsy store is up and running

2009-04-01T02:06:00.000-07:00

well, the minnow and the bee's etsy store is up and running! we had our very first sale tonight and i just posted items yesterday. seriously cool. it is a ton of work keeping up with all of this, but i am sure it is just the initial set up and posting. whew, i am tired!

we had a great stitch and bitch session tonight at the tea bar. a great group indeed. i am so happy to have that-it keeps me going on spontaneous projects and so informed since everyone has something wonderful to contribute. we have been trading materials a bunch and tonight, near the end when it was down to me, Chase, and Courtney, we made business card holders! so fun. Courtney had these great books and some serious yardage of felt to share and we each came up with our own little version. Chase made a baby owl applique for hers, Courtney made a tiny bicycle and i just stitch some colorful dots on the back. i will post mine when it is finished.

we are up to some serious crafting these days and i am loving it!

until soon my fellow bees!

mushrooms and sparrows and beans...oh my!

2009-03-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

productive would be an understatement. i am bursting with all sorts of creative endeavors this weekend. let's just say after a visit to the tax people i am P-OO-R. on all fronts i have to come up with solutions to turn around the economic down fall. refusing to be defeated I have embraced this challenge with creativity, a bit of love and some serious flavor.

first i did a major budget overhaul and then i got cooking...literally. i raided the cupboards and pulled out the crock pot for a giant batch of Chili-Jilly Style. After sharing with friends last night I have been asked to post said recipe which you will find at the end of this blog. Here is a visual aid to keep you curious:
Next I got down to business with the brooches. After some trouble shooting from the last batch of prototypes and sketching all week i managed to make 10 brooches this weekend! (actually 11, but i gave one away to my buddy Chase who is obsessed with mushrooms right now!) I mostly worked on sparrows and mushrooms but plan to make some bees too, naturally. There is one anomaly in this batch-in the upper right corner you will note a seal made from a floral printed fabric. She was a spontaneous, 2am creation. Totally weird...I love her though!

All of the brooches are made with fabric, are slightly stuffed with some poly-fibers, have hand sewn details and have a felt backed pin. All of the materials, except the pins, came from a reuse source, such as the white elephant sale mentioned earlier this month, or scraps handed down from friends or found around the house. (after this i feel well on my way to being ready for minnow and the bee on etsy!)

I think using what I have in the house will have to be a way of life for a while. That is actually something I wanted to do anyways to minimize the clutter in the house and utilize what I have rather than play into consumerism's naughty ways. Now that I have no choice I want to make it as fun as possible. We have plenty of books and music, movies and games, art supplies up the wazoo, and good company too! It surely is an interesting time to be alive. I just hope we can manage to make ends meet and find a little joy along the way. so far so good:)

Chili Jilly Style:

Filled with veggies, beans and meat (optional), with a sweet/smokey flavor, made overnight in the crock pot, deliciousness awaits...the serious prep-time is worth it....Makes a ton-will serve 8-10 people. I usually freeze half.

Veggies-diced in food processor for fastest approach:
1 med yellow onion
3 stalks celery
1 carrot or 1/2 cup baby carrots
6 mini sweet bell peppers (yellow, orange, red)
2 sm zucchini
4 cloves garlic (finely chop and keep separate)

Spices etc:
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 Tbs chipoltle salsa
1Tbs tabasco

3 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp Cumin
2 Tbs agave nectar or honey
1 tsp tyme
1 tsp basil

1 big can (28 oz) Diced Tomatoes
1 big can (28 oz) Crushed Tomatoes with Basil
1 reg can (15 oz) Black Beans
1 reg can (15 oz) Kidney Beans

Optional:
1 lb super lean ground beef (niman ranch or other grass fed choice)

Garnish:
Shredder cheddar
Sour Cream
Avocado

Make:

In a medium skillet heat 1 Tbs olive oil. Add garlic and sautee over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add remaining veggies, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occassionally, until onion and celery is transluscent, then toss 'em in the crock pot.

Heat 1 Tbs olive oil and brown the meat, adding the salsa and tabasco as it cooks. Toss into the pot. (drain first if using beef that is not super lean)

Open beans, rinse and drain-add them to the pot.

Open tomatoes and add to the pot.

Add cumin, chili powder, tyme, basil, and agave nectar and stir well until combined.

Cook overnight or all day on lowest temp possible, turn up to med/med-high for last 30 minutes before serving.

Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream and avocado slices.

Viola!

the lovely pause

2009-03-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

so it has been a pause between blogs. trust me-it was for a lovely cause. My dearest husband and I celebrated our ONE YEAR anniversary this past weekend (the 22nd) and shared an overnight retreat in San Francisco. I will spare you the naughty details and just say that we had a wonderful time with a romantic Italian dinner in north beach and a superb breakfast in bed. We followed up our stay with a movie marathon at home the next day and of course ate the traditional year old wedding cake from the freezer. YummY. No, not really. but we survived the stomach ache... we later turned the cover of our anniversary memory book into a much more WE inspired memento. super fun...

The book tells you both the traditional and modern gifts for each anniversary and has a place to jot down a memory and a separate page for a picture. This year's traditional gift was paper. I love it! How vagueand imaginative(cheap too)! You could get anything from movie tickets to hand made goodness! Of course we chose the latter. He made me a sweet handmade card and I made him a good ol' cootie catcher. Classic. If he chose the penguin or the bee (our personal iconography that even acted as a cake topper for the wedding...) then he got the anniversary message.

The remaining symbols were our cats, a tiki, a skull, a gnome and a ram. Underneath was mostly jokes or household sayings. Very fun. He was surprised and even a little bummed he did not think of it. His card was too cute though and I loveloveLOVE it.

Here's to love and life! xo

getting on with it

2009-03-15T23:20:00.000-07:00

well well well. i believe i was a bit too ambitious with the whole project a day thing. i have however worked on a project everyday which is quite satisfying. so far i have been sketching like crazy for my new card series i want to silk screen, plus continuing with the minnow and bee logo and biz cards, photographing everything from breakfast to my cats, and sewing. so getting on with it, here is the latest sewing project.

a large wrap-around-clutch of my very own design! (and my very first at that)
it's roughly one foot wide and folds out to 2 feet in length. keeping with attempts to reuse before recycle, i took one of the hubby's old dress shirts that was in the good-will pile, some fabric and a huge button from last weekends thrifty binge.

this project had it's special moments...there were a few cursing sessions followed by several ripping sessions and a button hole function mishap. no matter-this is all about learning. i think it's lovely despite the button hole, which you can't even see. in any case i will have a fabulous bag collection by the time i get good enough to sell something. it could be worse!

this new rekindled affair with my artistic process is strange but oh so fun! i am determined to make things and not stress about their imperfections. i would rather learn from them and keep the momentum going. overall it's been a good week. here are some of those pictures i mentioned:

until next time my fellow bees. x

tout fini!

2009-03-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

here are the finished projects i worked on yesterday...

this clutch was a project from Amy Karol's book mentioned earlier last month. i did a slight variation of my own for the clasp. instead of elastic i made a lace loop by wraping some cotton twine in lace and sewing a zig zag stich over top. the button is a dark navy blue and the lining is an orangey-coral red. this was such a satisfying project!thank you amy & thank you chase for letting me borrow the book!

this is the brooch i made. it's very alice in wonderland. i think i will call it 'go ask alice'. it's so fun. i am still working out some of the kinks with this one, but this last version came out pretty good so i thought i'd share. it's been fun trying to make brooches out of fabric and pure imagination. it is supe difficult to sew so small and curvy though. ugh. it's worth it though when you have the patience.

these little doodads make me want to try for a project a day. so no promises, but i will try and if it goes well, maybe i will make a formal pledge and set some rules. fun. yeah! x

playing hooky

2009-03-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

oh my curious bees! i am so happy! i finally got the impetus to make make make and i feel so much better! between my recent inspirations and frustrations, i knew it would eventually happen. sometimes the artistic process is just like a zombie... slowly but surely.

and now i realize that i must give some credit to my creative friends that have helped reignite my drive to create. for instance, this weekend i was delighted to share a saturday with my friend chase (she has a super CUTE blog...pun intended). we went to the oakland museum's annual white elephant sale and spent hours rummaging through old fabrics, buttons and other notions. then we went on to peruse the books, crystal, baubles, and i scored some seriously fun stuff! a tea set from the GDR, some lovely fabrics, mostly in green, a plethora of super cute buttons sewn to old playing cards, and a few old books.

after some tasty diner food at merritt bakery we did a mini photo shoot for her etsy store and my soon to be etsy store with my pal ashley. all very inspiring. especially since chase's apartment is decked out in absolute cuteness. aprons, fabrics pilled high on shelves, buttons in vintage jars, color everywhere! she is quite prolific with her crafting and her entire life is a work of art. i am so happy to know her.

later we went to an art opening and enjoyed a lovely night out with our man friends (her boyfriend, my husband). the artwork was at the JFK Berkeley Art Annex where my husband is finishing up his MFA in photography. i really connected to the student work in the hall and there was a video installation in the main gallery that was super complex and dream like.

i was so busy having fun this weekend that i neglected my day to make art and i became so antsy to make stuff that i played hooky on monday to sew all day! [well, in between editing my husband's thesis and helping my friend natalia with burning a dvd of her new one minute short film... so i can't say too much came out of that session in terms of a final product. i did however conquer the alice in wonderland brooch i have been problem solving for weeks and began a cute little clutch bag that i hope to finish tonight! pictures of all of this SOON!]

yeah for super sweet inspirations that come from all of my loveliest relationships - i realize how much motivation i get from being around you all. it's nice to be a part of an artistic community that supports you and you them. i am so happy to be making things-my process feels authentic again. i look forward to sharing with you the outcome of my inspirations. thank you fellow bees!

you're the best!~ x

long live the king

2009-03-06T15:38:00.000-08:00

a combination of things, both deeply personal and mundane, has helped me embrace the fact that i rely on my intuition far more than i do my education. being raised with education at the highest level of human accomplishment, i struggled between what comes naturally to me and what i must work rather hard to achieve.

recently this matter has been weighing on my mind because of how absolutely academic art has become. granted, it has been considered academic for over one hundred years, since the turn of the twentieth century, but it has grown into what i now see as a massive machine that encourages concepts over aesthetics. as an artist i really struggle with this because i respect both sides of this. there is nothing wrong with bringing a deep philosophy or profound concept to the creative process. i do however see how so many people, myself included, get roped into the idea that we have to prove ourselves intellectually to survive in the academic art world.

now i have a theory as to how this all came to be...
after years of the bohemian stereotype of the artist, the artist had a desire to prove to the world that making art is not something that happens when you are on a shit load of meth or in some sort of ecstatic trance or better yet that somehow art is more important than food and therefore we become the "starving artist"...no the artist had something to say beyond the poetry of their craft and was going to change the stereotype, prove their educated minds, study critical art theory, write about how physics, philosophy, mathematics, engineering, science and literature are all related to art and the artistic process, because it in fact does, and somehow prove to the world that we are not idiot savants with paintbrushes, but rather we are educated people who happen to make art.

and i really resonate with that rant because it came from my mind, yes, but it also came from my experience and the witnessing of others. artist does not equal idiot. okay we get it. but let us not let art become equal to crap. use your heart, your intuition, your skills, and yes, your education to create. create whatever it is you feel in the moment. let it evolve. let it sit and stare at you until you get it. until you feel it in a way that drives you to make more. just refrain from trying too hard to prove yourself to someone else. an certainly try to avoid thinking too much-so much that you lose the balance between your creative energy and your intellect. in short, trust your instincts without over thinking them.

for my own process i have come to understand that everything i do, i do best when i use my intuition. draw, paint, sing, dance, cook, learn, love. and in the process i become more educated. imagine that.

here's to not letting others determine your self worth or the worth of your creations. here's to making art that matters to you. here's to making art an integral part of life. here's to the art of living. long live art.

viva los angeles

2009-03-01T21:34:00.000-08:00

it's been quite a weekend. we went to LA and had the opportunity to not only see the brand new Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCMA) at the LACMA, but also a wonderful LA debut of the file The Painter::Sam Francis by Jeffery Perkins at the MOCA.
Here is a little snippet about the B-CAM ::

Here is a little snippet about Sam Francis ::

In summary...
Sam Francis = major inspiration for working intuitively

BCMA (in three parts)

*part une: nice, well rounded collection-way better than what we were able to see at the MOCA (the permanent collection was closed that day...) I enjoyed how it was laid out by artist rather than chronologically or thematically.  stunning robert rauschenberg's! this is my favorite:

Robert Rauschenberg, Canyon, 1959
 **part deux :: well, the second floor as a matter of fact, and what an incredible exhibition!
Art of Germany, Cold War Cultures...words would never do here.  recipe as follows: take some east german artists, west german artists, 1945-1989, dark, dark, dark, hammer and sickle, profound human suffering, plus one german identity crisis, and stir vigorously for at least the two hours you should spend walking through this spectacular, gorgeous, exhibition.
(then buy the book and take it home!)

***part trois :::
holy hell, richard serra's installation, 'band' and 'sequence'...

I don't think words would do here either.
Richard Richard Richard. I commend you for yet another oppressive, beautiful, gigantic piece of metal. I think it should be mandatory that you get to walk through this alone. Think haunted house-they usually ensure space between people to freak them out more, this deserves the same consideration. solitude allows full sensory experience and engagement to happen.
______________________________________
the gigantic 30 x 20 foot elevator ala barbara krueger was also a nice touch to the new space. i mean c'mon! this place (the LACMA in its entirety) is just fantastic! I was only musing about the new wing at this museum, let us not forget the Japanese Pavilion(a separate building dedicated to the art of one culture) but also the many other cultures represented african, korean, chinese, islamic, greek, american, german, plus modern, photography, and now contemporary ART. art art art. LA really does have it all. and it's all on wilshire boulevard.

to bee or not to bee

2009-02-24T20:04:00.000-08:00

as i left work today, i discovered a giant bumble bee on the floor. it was beautiful, yet it a bit scary looking because it was so ginormous! that got me thinking about my art process and how beign creative is a beautiful thing, yet so scary sometimes. i have been VERY resistant since my inspiring moment...although truthfully this is the first time i have had time to think about it.

it has been haunting my dreams, which have been full of highly imaginative objects, people, even artwork. Last night there was a man whom I was mixing tempera paint for. He was painting a large ghostly image of a woman's face that appeared under an umbrella like shape. when i asked him who the woman was he said there was no woman and insisted that I was making it up. perhaps i was...perhaps i should!

so my creative procrastinations have lead me to baking once again.
in fact, i think the cookies are ready!

new inspiration

2009-02-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

I am so inspired by Amy Karol, who is the author of the latest book I am devouring, called 'Bend-the-Rules Sewing'. I recently traded sewing books with a friend, after she turned me on to Karol's craft blog, 'Angry Chicken', and was bestowed with this gem of a read. Not only are the projects and tips for sewing just down to earth and fun, but the photographs and illustrations are so beautiful that I am inspired to get cracking on my own work again!

I love how inspiration takes you away out of nowhere. I also love how what inspires me about her work is that she can do it all and it works! She is a painter, designer, seamstress, mother, textile artist, author and just overall a fabulous writer and is quite genuine.

In the midst of all the other projects I have going, I would like to take my time learning to sew, while working on my new series. My new series had it's own moment of inspiration when I was at a cafe and saw an illustrated poster on the wall with flowers and spices.

I love maps. I love diagrams. I use them in my art. This time I want to make the art more personal. Maybe make my own diagrams about my life. I also love to collage and draw or paint on top of it. So somewhere in the 'what I love' category and the 'what inspires me' category I am finding my way back to my practice. this is merely part of my process.

I am itching to get going. Sometimes the inspiration phase needs to be jumped on before it goes away. But I will be looking at art this weekend which will keep it near. then next week while the hubby is off to LA I think I will start the next phase of this process, which is sketching. Not my favorite phase since I tend to be so ahead of myself that I want the art DONE. In an effort to be as present as possible with my process, I think I will just take my time. After all, art does take time. all of life/things take time. It's so hard to live in a society that forgets that time is precious and the difference between something mediocre and something special is taking the time to do it right.

projects ahoy!

2009-02-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

dear curious bees,
i am taking on loads of projects as usual. hence the reason i am the bee, as in 'busy as a bee'. i am constantly working. thinking. writing. researching. it is curious that i should be so concerned with not making art when in fact, that is all i do. just not the kind of art that constitutes a body of work in the formal sense. my life is art. i do not need to be a painter to be an artist.
anywho-
here are a few things i have been up to my bees knees in:
-building a new web site for my main client and hopefully building a web site for a new client, another artist in the Bay Area.
-polishing up a slick portfolio and wardrobe for my dearest husband who is off to LA next week to promote his talented self to the College Art Association
-sewing undies out of old message tees (i just made my very first pair last night out of an old 'aqua teen hunger force t-shirt'...i find the text at the top which says, "they are going to eat you!" to be very appropriate for wedgies...)
-signing up for a new blog and etsy site with my friend Ashley who have dubbed ourselves "Minnow and the Bee" the etsy site is coming soon-ish...
-making brooch designs which need to be made for the etsy store
-designing a logo for minnow and the bee
-designing business cards for curious bee designs (which would be all of this minus the etsy store-the web stuff, the art studio assistant work, the freelance curatorial design work, post card imaging, artwork, etc.etc.etc. whew! i am exhausted just typing about it!)

well world...i am just to damn curious to stop doing any of this. i look forward to the day when i have my various talents are tucked neatly under one umbrella. until then i will continue to do everything art related to gain experience and pay the bills.
so there.

domestic bliss or blisters?

2009-02-14T23:26:00.000-08:00

lately (and by lately i mean since i got married last year) i have come to find myself in pure domestic bliss. cooking, sewing, baking, organizing; i really enjoy it and this winter has been full of it all. somewhere between finding the perfect low-fat banana bread recipe and hemming the jeans i have been secretly pinning for months (years?), i started pondering this state of bliss.

it is quite interesting to me that i am enjoying things that my mothers mother had plenty of, but my own mother had very little of once i came along-time to enjoy domestic life. in my mother's situation she had no choice but to land a career since my father was ill. for a while my father couldn't work at all, so he learned to cook while my mother paid the bills. but most of what i saw growing up was women putting their careers first, cooking last-even the word 'domestic' somehow translated into letting a man tell your place in this world. then there is the woman who does it all-the career, the child, the clean linens and somehow has time to bake a dozen chocolate cup cakes for fun and still maintain happiness.

having seen two extremes-(my grandmother who had 12 children, a garden to feed them with and a husband to bring in the money to support the details and my own hard working mother had no time to really consider much else)-i have made a world that allows me creative freedom to live healthy and happy minus the children (for now). i can chase the career i really want, the man i really want, the home i really want, the wardrobe i really want, and what is it i really want??

i want to make paintings, make cookies, sew duplicate versions of my favorite undies, hem my jeans so they don't get all gummy and nasty as they drag along the streets of oakland, make new playlists of music i like to sing to, pin inspirational mish-mash on my bulletin board, read poetry, read the paper, draw cartoons of the people who piss me off, write music about cats with my husband, make brooches, sew stuffed animals, have finger puppet shows, make the bed cozier, drink tea, do yoga, do anything and everything i can to make this moment a little sweeter and share that with the people i love.

i find it inspiring to see others i know do the mommy thing with the greatest of ease and the greatest of love. i know that it is not easy, sacrifice never is, but love is the ultimate driving force in this world. i do know that i am nowhere near making that very personal decision- so kids aside- what i am loving and therefore being driven by, is the idea of getting in touch with domesticity since i now have the time.

having this time is blissful. it reminds me of when i was younger and had moments of solitude in which to create my own world. i think it is so important to have space-especially emotional space-in which to create more beauty, heal wounds, invent new traditions, or even just stare into nothingness or watch the rain and the wind tussle with the trees, or as my grandmother said often, "remember to stop and smell the roses". she was right, otherwise life is one big chore filled with domestic blisters.

authenticity

2009-02-09T23:36:00.001-08:00

this past week, working between a young emerging artist and an older established artist, a major theme keeps emerging in various conversations with people and observations. authenticity.

i first made the observation that in both cases the art i am working with doesn't suck. it is done with such sincerity and skill. next i began to have several conversations about art with people that somehow or another landed on the topic of authenticity in art and how contemporary art is so full of concepts that the aesthetic falls by the way side and it becomes too self conscious. pretentious. anything but authentic.

what inspired me to write about this, after several false starts, was a comment made tonight by a museum director regarding his own post undergraduate down period.

with no encouragement from me, he began reminiscing how he began his undergrad painting landscapes. once in school for a while the brow beating to abandon landscapes and make a cohesive body of more 'interesting' work set in and then once he graduated he didn't paint for a long time. then one day he started painting landscapes again.

interesting.

earlier in the week a museum curator was also chatting about art with me. she spoke of how academic art has been for so long and how we are so consumed with what art is and isn't that we aren't making authentic art anymore.

i agree completely.

over the weekend a friend and i shared some tea and she told me how she recently decided to go back to painting after a year of trying other mediums. she came to this after having a professor at her grad school lectured her about how distant her art had become after trying to be more ambiguous with her subject. she realized that all that time she was making the artwork everyone told her she should rather than what she knew really wanted to.

sometimes you have to create distance to see what it is you really want or where you want to be.

the issue of authenticity comes up in most conversations about art. my husband has grappled with it many times over. i bitch about it constantly upon returning from some art openings and then rave about it when returning from others.

i think the bottom line is that i don't want to go back to making art until i feel that it is authentic again. at this point i am still detoxing and processing all of that bull shit you face in school. i know this space is necessary. to breath again. then reconnect. to figure out what i want.

i still can't help but wonder though...did i ever make art that was authentic?

remember the pet pine cones...
pretty damn authentic.

memory and truth

2009-02-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

for quite some time now i have found myself thinking about memories, the way they transform over time, and the "truth" they contain. it began when i was still in undergrad, last year, working on multiple series trying to define one, start another, and still uphold the theory that the art should be consistent, which i am just not. in the midst of that confusing time (yet another reason i have favored this procrastination period of mine) i began to see how my memories are integral to my creative process.

i think childhood memories are such a common occurrence for me because my twenties are nearing the end and i believe you cannot write (or re-write) history until the past is truly the past. therefore childhood is the furthest historical moment of my life to explore. i am sure sometime soon my childhood memories will be taken over by teens, then twenties and so forth until i die. what i am most interested in is how they take over, morph, and dissolve as time passes.

it is intriguing to me that many of my strongest memories seem so sad and dark even if the absolute truths, such as time and place, are not. like chasing butterflies on a bright sunny day, smelling lilacs in the air, but knowing that moment is shadowed by someone's death. it is how i feel about this memory that is very poignant, very real. so where is the "truth" in that? that seems to shift all the time so is it even real? for me the truth is whatever it is at the time i am with it and the trick is to not remain attached to that emotional quality of the memory-especially if it is unpleasant.

i do feel that by telling a story in great description i am be able to recall more and more, however i also find that the truth begins to fade as the imagination takes over. it becomes difficult to tell which part is true anymore outside of the absolute. at this point, the point where a memory becomes engrossed in imagination, is the place where i often find myself seeking out inspiration for a new series. my biggest problem is finding the appropriate visual language and then determining how literal i want to be, if at all.

in the past i have used animals to represent humans and create a narrative between the composition and the title. for instance this one is titled 'the independent one'...
which more or less was composed to convey the feeling of loneliness or being left behind and titled to reflect the way that i used to justify my loneliness through independence. it really just doesn't quite push me there though. almost. not quite.

i am still interested in using animals in my work however i have been to inspired to start painting figuratively since a show that i went to a few weeks ago at AutoBody in Alameda to see paintings by my former professor Dickson Schneider and art friends/former classmates, Raymond Wong and Richard Kramer.

this piece was at the show. it's by my friend Raymond, titled 'homeland obscurity' and while that has nothing to do with childhood memories, it does have soemthing to do with truth and reality. i find the way the paint moves around the canvas to be just as inspiring as the emotional quality of the figure.

that whole show made me want to focus on painting again and welcome back all of my struggles with it.

i am eager to work again....period.

let's just hope that i can find some time in march!

having this part time WSPS thing is too fun to not put it on hold for a little longer...after all...there is always a reason to procrastinate!

o fortuna

2009-02-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

at some point this afternoon, somewhere between watching the tiniest birds flutter in the trees above me and gazing at archaic looking, profoundly beautiful, ceramic sculpture, i found myself thanking my lucky stars for this life. my work day was filled with so much enjoyment that i had to stop. look. and for a moment just be with that feeling-which i believe was the feeling of true satisfaction.

quite simply, my job (working as an assistant to an amazing pair of local Bay Area artists) is the perfect next step to my career. it allows me to do what i love (look at and talk about inspiring art with other artists) and what i am naturally good at (keep things harmonious/organized) simultaneously. which is truly ideal for an aspiring artist because being around successful artists that are so genuine (and humble) keeps me motivated and hopeful.

upon returning home from work I received a phone call that was surprising, yet so very welcome, and only added to my elatedness. I was asked by none other than Ms. Lea Redmond to help her at The World's Smallest Postal Service for the Valentine's Day rush. She is an artist that I had recently come to know by the chance that I should apply for the job she was leaving in order to give her art business her full attention. Since I did not get the job (I was a close second:) she thought of me when she decided to hire some extra, artistically inclined, hands. honored indeed.

my fortune cookie read:
"you will meet an important person that will help you advance professionally"
my second fortune cookie read:
"some think you are handsome. others do not."
in any case, I say:
o fortuna fortuna, your capriciousness is welcome.

Curiouser and Curiouser

2009-02-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

Hello world! I am now officially committed to telling the world my thoughts. So let me just start this blog off by saying what it is. I make art, I work with art, I am just plain fascinated by art-especially when I don't like it. Since I graduated last year I have found myself in, what I am now referring to as, a post graduation procrastination period. There are many excuses and conditions that exist for my procrastination. The usual suspects; work, laundry, work...and I no longer have a studio. The thing is, I also just find myself curious about where I will take my next series of artwork. So for the past 7 months I have reorganized what little space I do have to work in and have been active with my relationship to the art world, artist friends and my sketches, but mostly...I have been writing. I have found it to be a great way to summarize all of my pondering and eventually (maybe soon!) I plan to turn it all into a visual language that feels honest. Art education has a way of making you forget why you are an artist. Working makes you remember that making art is just as important as laundry-it's essential! So what this blog becomes for me is an outlet to ponder aloud, rather silently, the various creative endeavors that cross my path, my mind, or just what I am up to.