One of my favorite places to holiday shop is the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Holiday Art Sale! Come check it out, the details are as follows…
“Poets of Southwest Michigan engaged with the Equinox Exhibition artwork under the direction of Elizabeth Kerlikowske, President of Friends of Poetry.” Poets responded to the exhibit that was curated by Maryellen Hains and Anna Z ILL. View the exhibit at Ninth Wave Studio. See Elizabeth Kerlikowske and Scott Bade respond to my pieces Equinox: Day and Equinox: Night in the videos below. Videos were produced by Linda Rzoska of Ninth Wave Studio.
Elizabeth Kerlikowske / Soup
Scott Bade / Equinox: Night
I am so super excited to participate in this wonderful event near Gun Lake, at Natural Walk Studio!
If you haven’t seen my studio in a while, it is because it is a huge mess. I don’t understand these artists’ profiles that are so pristine and perfect. I think they have professional photographers come over after they have cleaned out everything in their studios. It just doesn’t seem real to me. My studio is like a mad-scientists lab. There are things everywhere. No matter how hard I try to stay tidy, in the moment of creation, nothing else matters. Then night comes and I am too tired to clean up, just to make a mess the next day.
My painting studio is tiny. It is less than 10’x10’. It consists of two drafting tables, two work benches, shelves, flat files, and stacks of things. There isn’t a lot of room to move around. I have a larger space in my basement that is dedicated to framing, packaging, and storage. I am saving my money right now to build a large space on my property, so I can take on more students and teach workshops. This will hopefully happen within the next two years.
Artist/makers, do you have any cleaning /organizing tips?
I have been asked so often lately about my materials. I have a really hard time answering, because my material list has gotten rather complicated over the last year. I don’t think I can answer the question in one post, but I will try to start talking about it more here and there, starting now.
I guess today I would like to prelude the question with some background. I was a painter, then I was a printmaker, and now I am an artist. I am an alchemist. I am a witch. And that is how I look at my process and materials.
Oh boy, this writing thing is hard to do when life interferes. That paired with finding writing difficult to begin with, I just don’t wanna do it! But I must. And I will. Because this is kind of important to me.
So, now I am sick too! Sore throat and misery all over. Rose is still sick. Brennan is cranky, but I don’t know. My pediatrician informed me that kids under 2 can get sick 10-14 times a year! And this is the back-to-back season for babies. It’s been rough, to say the least.
I won’t say anything will be back to normal soon. Because with two toddlers, nothing is ever normal.
What is normal, anyway.
Today I went sledding with Brennan and Rose. I was reminded how inspiring winter can be. I am one that easily get caught up in the negative aspects of winter. Season depression hits me hard, and I hate the cold. But today it was so bright, and the snow was light and sparkled like one of my paintings. That paired with watching the joy on my children’s winter kissed faces, how could I not be inspired. I have to remind myself that spring is birthed out of winter. So there must be good in it.
I also ran into my high school art teacher. This was a huge thrill, because it was the first time I had seen her since I graduated 13 years ago. So many memories came flooding back. Ugh, the frustrating years of adolescence. The angst, the pain, the agony! Art was my therapy. And now it is my day job. Mrs. Ragotzy was a big part of those first few years, so I have a lot to thank her for.
Why the moon? Because the moon is something that we all share. No matter where you are in the world, we all live under the same moon. Ever beautiful, like a jewel in the sky, uniting us.
I started painting simple references to moons with my insects, to give the paintings movement and imply environment. In my mind, the insects are all striving to reach one place, the source of light. Striving for the light is something I think a lot about, when painting. To me, all of my insects are either moving towards or away from this light. You decide.
Last year I made a collection of solitary moons, and I can’t seem to stop painting them! Like I said yesterday, it is one of the things I need in my studio at all times. The moon is part of my story, and it is part of yours too.