::apartment living::autumn light

the weekend is now coming quickly to a close. it felt like a vacation what with the beautiful weather, autumn light and time to dwindle away. i forgot to bring along my camera for most of it, i missed taking the excellent opportunity to take any photos while with my nephews. i guess that means i will need to take them out again. but the nieces are next on the list.

i managed to make headway, the phillips family tree is chugging right along. i have taken a whole much of wip images and will be sure to show progress this week. with a week of much planning behind me, i'm looking forward to finishing this project within the coming week. i see it being completely possible. that is if i don't get distracted by all of the other little projects i'd like to try my hand at. for instance. i have fallen in love with molly's perfect hurricanes. i feel i must try making at least one of these before, well before i bust or something.

i'm also super glad that andrea has decided to post everyday. november is only days away, i'm not sure if i'm up for it, though. it's a nice idea and super inspiring but, i've never been able to post daily. i have never tried and am wondering if i should just give it a go, unofficially that is. for now. at least i've stock piled some photos, just in case.

recently found out that the paper quilt project is back! looking forward to see what dawbis comes up with next for the project. she was looking for 21 artists to fill in some of the gaps left in some of the months. be sure to to check it out! especially if you're finding yourself spinning out and need a hand getting back to creating something (everyday).

and one last thing; very excited to see this up&coming and her brand new website! keep up the great work heidi!

okay so, here's to posting everyday, finishing commission, then making something fun and fall-ish, and to another great week of weather. i'm crossing my fingers.

::apartment living::big happy puppy attack

even though this week has just begun, i am looking at a booked calendar of a few meetings, a luncheon, and a few more meetings. two meetings to prepare for an open house//art exhibit event in my apartment building during mainx24. a meeting with the ever talented sarah n. and fellow jessica from createhere to go over installation plans for the summer dregs release party on november 7. there's luncheon my mom is speaking at on thursday afternoon and another evening meeting. i think this maybe exactly what i need. to be more active and productive in a variety of ways. it just doesn't feel all that bad. i like the hustle and bustle. putting the puzzle pieces together in a way that make sense and correspond. it leaves me feeling even more motivated.

i came up with a few more halloween decorations and have transformed my apartment for the autumn season.

and a couple weeks ago, i sifted through my closet and found a few things to give up at a friends clothing swap. i have a pair of brand new brown converse, that i've worn like one time that i need to either sell or give away. i think they are size 3??? i have some baking to do and of course i will be getting down to business, creating the phillips family tree.

i had the photo images resized to fit perfectly into the martha stewart labels i am going to use as frames, to hang in the family tree. excited about the idea
and am now pretty confident of the next steps, to completion.

i was gently attacked by a dog in my apartment building, which was surprising to me. the owner of the dog, let it off it's leash and it came bounding toward me in a big happy puppy sort of way but still, i felt a little unsure. the owner lady was pretty apologetic and all, no worries. i've just mentioned many a time to myself, how odd it is to me that so many of my neighbors have dogs, living in the tiny little apartments. they have no yard, no place to run and jump and play around in. what craziness. so. that is apartment living, for now. any thoughts on dogs in apartments would be much appreciated. should i carry around a bag of bacon strip treats, or what?

::on the wall::

i promise if i had the time, the skillz, the wall, legal or not, i would be a graffiti artist. it must sound stupid right, i mean, who gives a flip? i want to hide in the dark corners, wait until the coast is clear and throw up all over a great big city wall. if only. i'm just a little white girl who dreams just a little bit, that she'd grown up understanding, developing and producing graffiti on the streets. my ideas in this context are completely romanticized and utterly embarrassing, because, really what do i know about being a graffiti artist. all i want to do is change the perspective and learn the ropes. all i want to do is bridge the gap between what is seen and what people hear about the "graffiti" genre of art. yeah, i know, it's been done, it's happening all over the world. just not on my street corners, not on the decaying dilapidated buildings in my city.

so much of my personal development as an artist came from drawing. i think that's true for most artists, though. my drawings directly correlate with my larger complete works. i would not say i am exactly limited by paper or canvas or by size or shape. it's more than that, the limitations are primarily, only in my head. even though my series of trees have taken me almost as far as i could have originally imagined i am still thinking about ways of incorporating new layers, new concepts, fresh perspectives. even if i only create trees for the rest of my life i will figure out a way, no matter what. i suppose as long as i'm drawing, my work will change and become what i see in my head. eventually. and if the opportunity strikes and i do find myself with a spray paint can in hand, i will feel really darn good about it.

this week's list consists of:

secretly making a birthday present for my bff.

cleaning house for autumn-ish g.n.o.

organization of all the little details of...stuff.

check it out the CD is here and it has my artwork in it!

and i'm working on posting more, can you tell?

::goodbye until we meet again::

last weekend i decided to pack away my summer sunshine yellow eggcup collection to make room for autumn, i've never done this before. i am learning to pace myself and the seasons within my ::apartment living:: decor . i found my 'happy halloween' banner and hung it up and am using a ledge between my kitchen and dining//living room space as the focal point for the season. it'll be fun to bring out the yellow again next year and absorb the freshness in color again. for now i'm embracing the warm cozy feelings of fall. with the ever beautiful hues and tones of this time of the year.
i gathered a couple of pumpkins and a handful of tiny warted gourds today, along with an assortment of baking ingredients. i'm thinking another round of sticky buns might be nice.

this evening the sliding glass door to the balcony is open, the a/c is off. i'm imagining the there are autumnal city sounds, just as there are autumnal country sounds.

there's plenty of things that are keeping me busy. i feel like i've barely crossed a thing off my list of things to do. it's just all so preliminary. at least my shop is full, just in case, wink*wink*. and i've started the next commission piece; the 'philips family tree'. i met with v.d. this afternoon to talk about her commission piece. the color of her kitchen walls are to die for. i'm excited about starting the project. and will make sure to include w.i.p of both projects.

the website is coming along fine and dandy, summer dregs release party date + venue has now been nailed down, november 7. i've still not been to blacksmith's - to meet/hang my work. i am planning and open house/art show during mainx24 and am asking the clothesline ladies to participate. and then then then, i'll see what's next. possibly traveling over thanksgiving. am working out those details.

i am not as overwhelmed today, i spent the morning replying to stack of emails that had piled up. forgive me if you've emailed me and i've not yet responded. i promise i'll get back to you asap.

have a lovely evening, the beer in my fridge is calling my name.

wip::cool like fire::&::apartment living::supply storage

so i started ::cool like fire:: before clothesline and am now wrapping it up, putting the last few touches on it before it goes into my etsy shop. i feel consistently inspired to create and paint trees. this time i shot a series of polaroids around and about the city and used them as the base for the "underpainting". from a technical perspective it worked out really well. there are visible seams but not enough to compromise the piece itself. instead the lines enhance and give a layer of texture. the triangle pattern is something i have been wanting to incorporate for a really long time. it only seemed fitting in a wintery snow scape, in which trees are bare and starkly mimic the triangle shape. i see how it could be perceived as being over simplified here, it's flat, i get that, but like i said i am still giving it a little more time, before the final sealant coating. i am excited to hear what people have to say about this piece. i know it's hard to say, without seeing it in person.
in the mean time. part of my apartment living also becomes my studio space, my supply storage. i intentionally moved into a larger apartment so that i could continue making art in my place without it barging in. part of what has made creating in the same space that i live in, which in itself is not all that uncommon, has been keeping things simple. less is more. over the years i have bought less and recycled more. the other key aspect of living and working in the same space is having storage that is accessible and workable. this family hand me down, wardrobe piece has made organization a breeze. i have got a few drawers for the smaller items, like ink pads, ribbon, stickers, envelopes and cards. i've used milk crates for my magazines and have kept my paper collection spruced down to two bins. there are cigar boxes for thread and needle, tins for buttons, smaller boxes//bins for vintage photos and vintage christmas tags, and small holiday decorations, like my halloween mailorder banner. one day i'll incorporate some cork on the doors as a means to display my inspiration(s). for now i'm all about some thumbtacks. i hope this is all i will ever need. recently i accepted an invitation from a friend to hit up a craft supply swap at our local leo handmade gallery. i dropped off a bag full of unused scrapbook paper, pipe cleaner, stamps, and paintbrushes. ah! it felt good to leave it behind. really good!

i'd love to see your supply storage ideas, it's my sneaky way of getting more ideas, as if there aren't a million and one ways to organize in the first place. and if you need a supply storage fix, check out more of my treehouse::apartment living:: photos!

until next time.