UNGODLY

yesterday while selling art at a local market one of the shoppers stopping in my booth asked me about my work and why i make such things and motioning to the owls and bats said "these creatures are ungodly".   now of course perhaps two dozen other people that day had commented about how they love my work and told me i'm talented etc and while i'm trying to let those generous sentiments sink in, it is this one lady i can't get out of my mind.   i'm not a traditionally religious person and i could have numerous arguments about how can one of 'god's creations' be 'ungodly' but... why bother.  it is far more my intent to extoll the virtues and wonder of some creatures that are perhaps misunderstood, than to elaborate or capitalize upon their 'dark' stereotypes.  so, if it is ungodly to explore and understand a thing rather than to shun it out of tradition or misinformation, then so be it. let all my works be such.

public art on accident

in the neighborhood near my laundromat everyone has agreed to hang pumpkins from the trees...  you walk for blocks and it is all full of orange pumpkin buckets you can see them up ahead and when you look down the street at the corner wherever you walk...  so i walk while my clothes wash and enjoy the installation.  it really is public art and they don't even know it.

Guardian Ravens

Another limited edition one time use screen printed stencil work..... guardian ravens were inspired by the tower of london ravens that allegedly bring the royal family good fortune...  emblazoned
with an ancient rune symbol for protection these guys will be made into stuffed pillow dolls and will lurk in the shadows at my upcoming shows until they've all found new homes.

OCTOBER ART SHOWS

Oh my beloved October! Here at last! And the creepy creations are ready to make their debut! I have exciting Halloween themed art events planned for the first two weekends of the month, Oct 3-4 in Sanford, FL and then Oct 11 a solo event in St Pete...  Saturday Market on Oct 18 and then a big road trip to view fall colors in the Blue Ridge Mountains as I take my show on the road to Travelers Rest, SC.  I'm excited with the opportunities to show my work in new cities that I've planned for myself, spreading the love of printmaking everywhere I go!

Who Dat?!

 Don't be skeerd!  just a funny little monster stencil!  Making some demonically cute kitchen towels that can also double as a halloween costume in a pinch...   limited edition created with a one time use hand cut stencil!

ART WORKING

art isn't all fun and games i'm sure you know...
day jobs, night studio hours and now the season is here for weekend festivals and markets.

the hard part is the physical labor but the fun is not just the reward of selling art.  the reward really is the completion of the circle which may come as some surprise. ...  creating work is a personal thing but when strangers see it and react that is a shared moment that a visual artist doesn't always expect.   unlike a singer or musician or dancer who practice to perform, art is (at least for me) a singular experience but i am realizing more and more that the finish isn't the moment the art is hung on a wall and complete but rather when someone else appreciates it.

this past weekend i've noticed that the people who respond more greatly to my work are either young or young at heart... and they squeal literally with glee and the humor (and occasional horror).  the real grown ups who have lost touch with adventure and magic can sometimes be reminded what they're missing and will walk away surprised and for a moment young again.  and that's a pretty good reward for any artist.

live / work ..... the artist's life

a brief tutorial on how to make art in a small apartment:
eat in kitchen becomes a print studio! chairs become drying racks, drying line full of prints become window shades, and you can keep an eye on that friendly stray cat while you work…
use what you’ve got to do what you want, you don’t need a fancy studio or big press to make good art, you just need to want to make it happen...