Saturday, April 28, 2007

Busy, busy, busy


Here's a monotype from Thursday, when I did manage to pull some prints at the college in Buena Vista (BV). This is a katydid, and it was the first print I pulled. I made this bug out of cardboard, and it survived well. The best thing about this monotype is the impression the cardboard bug made in the paper (called "intaglio", pronounced in-tah-lio). It looks really cool, but unfortunately, that is something that is hard to show on the internet. (you'll just have to believe me.) I think I will go back to this one with pastel, and lighten the antennae a little bit, just so that it pops out more.

I don't know why I am so busy all of a sudden. I guess life is just like that sometimes. More now than before, maybe. Does everyone feel like time is speeding up? Or is it just me?

Yesterday, I had my photographer friend, Padgett McFeely, take some photographs of me, so I can use them for publicity and marketing. It was fun, since we took the dog, Pono, and walked along the Arkansas River, which runs right through town. It was a beautiful morning, and Padgett and I always have fun together. I rarely like photographs of myself, but I think there are actually a couple of them that I can look at without cringing!!! Thanks to Padgett and her talent, of course. Maybe this one is a little too serious to use, but it was one that I liked.
Today, I sent out some postcards announcing where my new art is being shown. I needed to do that, and had put it off for way too long. So it felt really good to get that done. If you are interested, my new work is being shown at cultureclash, here in Salida, online at karineswenson.com and karineswenson.etsy.com, and soon to be at Dakota's restaurant here in Salida. This is the what front of the postcard looks like.

I also worked outside most of the day today. It was a wonderful, warm and sunny day, which I couldn't spend indoors. So I didn't!

Matthias gets back on Tuesday night, and I will be driving to Denver International Airport to pick him up. I can't wait. Pono and I say "goodnight"!

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

More Snow


I woke up this morning to about 2 or 3 more inches of snow. Yeah, SNOW!!! It's not that it is uncommon to have snow in Colorado in April, but I am kind of getting sick of it. The thing about snow at this time of year is that it is the wettest stuff. I had big, waterproof boots, a waterproof ski coat, and gloves on when I took the dog for his walk, and I was still quite wet when we got home. We didn't stay out for more than an hour, either. That is short for us!!! Good thing we didn't stay out more, or I would have been a drippy, cold mess. I did try to get a photo of snow falling for you. These were those big, huge flakes, the kind that seem more like feathers than snow, they are so big. When they land on your nose, you can almost hear the "splat".

I haven't posted in so long, that I have some fun photos of a baby pony for you. These are from last Thursday, when I got a chance to hang out with the "girls". We went to Joyful Journey, which is a wonderful hot springs closeby. Nothing like a good soak and time with the girls to make you feel human once more. It was just what the doctor ordered, and on our way home, my friend Padgett McFeely showed us the CUTEST baby pony. I mean, the kind of thing that's so cute you almost can't stand to look at it. Since Padgett is a photographer, I let her take these photos of the little cutie. Don't you just want to hug and kiss him? (Her? We didn't check...)

Thursday, April 19, 2007

life in the slow lane


I say it's the slow lane, because I am getting sick of how slowly this move of ours is going. We did get an offer on our house this week, but it doesn't look like it will happen, because the mother loves the house, and the son (I guess they were going to buy it together) does not. So there's that.

I am having trouble doing any art. I sit down to make some cardboard bugs and things for the monotypes, but I can't seem to actually get myself to create anything. I am finding myself reluctant to make a mess, since it seems like when my mess is in full swing, THAT is when they call and some realtor wants to show the house (in 15 minutes, to boot!) So I clean the whole mess up, put it all away, the house is shown, and then I have trouble re-creating my mess again. Being in limbo is fun for only a short time. Then, I want my space back, I want to settle in and make the messes that lead to the art. I don't know why the two go hand in hand, but they do.

I bought myself some long-stemmed tulips as a consolation for my dilemna. They are so beautiful, that I am actually finding it satisfying, just sitting at the table, looking at them. It's as though I am drinking their beauty with my eyes. Fresh flowers like these are as intoxicating as wine.

I have been doing some sketching in my sketch books, and if I can get one to scan well enough, perhaps I will share it with you. That will be a first, since I am usually very private about my sketches. It remains to be seen.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Sunday, Sunny Sunday


Oh but I loved the sunshine today. Thank you! Too many days in a row of cold and snow. I guess more is supposed to arrive tomorrow, but I prefer not to think about it.

I did get some photos before the sun erased the snow that I thought you might enjoy. I actually have quite a few, but I am only going to post a couple. As we have learned, I love taking photos of animal tracks in the snow. (Please refer to earlier blog.) So here is a photo of a not-so-wild animal - Pono the dog. Still fun!

I had a long day, today, but managed to get a lot of stuff done that I have been putting off. That is a nice feeling! I have to also tell you about a dream I had last night, which I think has something to do with my bug monotypes. Although there was more meaning behind it than that! Dreams are so interesting! In the dream, I was holding a beaded earring. As I looked at it in my hand, it began to wiggle, and then it transformed into a bug! (I immediately dropped it.) Pretty soon, there were bugs all over, and Pono and I were moving furniture around, trying to smash them. I had a sandal in my hand, and I was trying to smash the bugs with this sandal, but it was somehow very ineffective. The bugs kept getting bigger, too! They looked like some of the ones I have been drawing for my cardboard models. Colorful, too. Crazy!

With that wonderfully creepy image in your head, I will leave you, to dream your own crawling dreams!

Saturday, April 14, 2007

Art goes on

I can't believe it's been one entire week since I posted a blog! Sheesh. Here are the EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES. There. Got that out of the way.

The good news is that I did manage to drive up and use the printmaking press in Buena Vista on Thursday. It had begun to snow already, but I decided if I didn't go, I would be mad at myself, so I just went. As it turns out, that was a good decision, because it stopped snowing in the afternoon, and I drove back to Salida on clear roads. I had an okay day in the studio. It wasn't great. I was struggling, trying to mix the colors I had in my mind. Plus, I hadn't had time to make any more of my cardboard bugs, so I wasn't feeling particularly inspired. Despite all of this, I am still really happy that I went. I feel much better when I can create art.

It snowed all day yesterday, and I stayed in the house for the most part, cleaning. It was just in time, since I got a call at the end of the day for a showing this afternoon. So that worked out nicely. I am ready for someone to buy the house, now, so I can get back to doing art, and not worrying so much about a clean house. What a waste of energy that is. I mean, I get the floor swept and mopped, and Pono the dog comes in and puts those cute but muddy paw prints in a trail to the living room. AAARGHH.... If anyone is looking to buy a fixed up Victorian in Salida, CO, please contact me immediately!!!

Today, Colorado is making up for two cloudy, cold days with that brilliant blue sky and some much missed sunshine. So I have almost forgiven it. Almost.

I am now headed out to the Salida Galleries for Second Saturday. It's like a miniature Artwalk the galleries have once a month. I am enjoying this event so much more as a spectator, than as a gallery owner! Yay!!! I get to see new art, talk to friends, and eat some nibblie food, all with no preparation. It is a vast improvement to being the owner of Cool Mountain Art, my recently closed gallery here in Salida (for those of you who don't know about this.)

I will leave you with another one of the "bug" monotypes from the last printing session.

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Hippy, hoppy, happy Easter


Did the Easter Bunny freeze to death? Maybe here in Colorado, he (she?) might have. After the heat of the desert in California, it has been a bit of a shock to come back for Colorado's cold spring. We had a bit of snow yesterday, and woke up to another dusting this morning. It does make for a beautiful walk, however, so I won't complain too much.

As usual, I dyed Easter eggs. I was going to do it yesterday, but since it was so cold, I couldn't bring myself to go outside and get the dye and eggs. I went to the store this morning, after the walk. I don't know what it is, but I love dying Easter eggs!!! Fun! I consider it an "artist date", for those of you who are familiar with Julia Cameron's book, The Artist's Way. For any of you who could use a little help in the creativity department, I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book! It is a must read. My eggs were pretty good this year, although I will admit I was having a hard time creating the perfect purple egg. I think I bought the wrong kind of dye. ??? I don't remember having this kind of trouble in years past. Usually, the purple ones are the best ones I dye! darnit! But still, it was fun.

I spent the rest of the day working on my cd rom slide show. I have created a slide show with my new monotypes, and burned it to mini business card-sized cds. They are really cool, and I will use them for galleries, and people who express an interest in my work. I will probably send some out to collectors. If you wish to have one sent to you, just email me: karine@karineswenson.com. I will happily send you one. Warning: they only work on PC's. Not for the Mac user. SORRY!!! I do not have the technological know-how to make a universal one, yet. My website has also been updated, so feel free to check in and give me any feedback you may have: http://www.karineswenson.com. It is just in the preliminary phase, so please remember we know it needs work. This is the rough draft!

Here is one more picture, for Easter. Have fun!

Friday, April 6, 2007

Straight from the airplane

Into the studio!! As it should be. The house hunting has come to an end, for now. A temporary end. We are back in Salida, and I went up to the college to use the printmaking press once again!! Yay!

Today, I decided to print bugs. It was a lesson in entomology. Last night, I made some bugs out of cardboard and styrofoam. Actually, only one was made out of cardboard, and three were made out of styrofoam. I drew them from photos found on the internet - thank you google - and cut them out. Then, I glued the legs and things (heads, antennae, etc.) together. The reason I made them as separate parts is because I wanted to see the definition between joints. So today, my bugs were used for art. What I discovered is that glue holds together much better on cardboard than on styrofoam. I also like the look of the cardboard bug much better than the styrofoam. But you can be the judge of that. This first one is a styrofoam bug. This is a crude photo, but I am just trying to give you an idea.

This next photo is one of the last prints I made today, with the large cardboard beetle. What I like, besides durability, is the way the cardboard caused a clear white outline around the bug, because the cardboard doesn't give like the styrofoam. He only lost a leg, whereas the beetle from the previous print lost pretty much all of his parts (head, legs, antennae). In fact, the smaller beetle made of styrofoam I ended up throwing away, because so many parts had fallen off. The reason it is better when the parts don't fall off is because when the parts fall off, you find them stuck to the brayer, rather than on the bug. It becomes a lesson in patience to piece everything back together on the plate, rather than having them already there in one piece. This larger beetle, from cardboard, was saved, since it was still mainly intact. Next time, all the insects I make will be out of cardboard. Still, I had a lot of fun, and I am glad I went up there.

In case you are wondering, the house hunting trip was good overall, despite a few glitches. It seems most likely that we will be settling in the desert, either in Palm Springs or maybe Yucca Valley. So at least we have narrowed it down. Even though we did find a couple of houses that might be good possibilities, we will probably wait to put an offer in on anything until Matthias is finished with his training at Cathay Pacific. Stay tuned! More adventures to come in life and art...I leave you with a photo of yucca valley.