Pink Crow Stirrings

Pierced and Shaped

No, not me crazies (although these days I would say that I am more "shaped" than ever). 

I'm talking about my next series. I've decided not to go too crazy with layers upon layers of glass and resin. I'm going to produce several pieces relatively quickly as sort of an exercise. 

When I was in school I used to labor over pieces for weeks and sometimes months (things haven't changed much, huh?). One of my professors, noticing this, challenged me to design and fabricate a piece in just one 6-hour class period. It was a very good lesson, but one that I often forget.

With that challenge in mind I'm producing a "sketch" series based on the shape of a certificate corner medallion. Here's where I began (and sorry for the horrendous lighting):

 

And here is one piece after one day of working it in the studio...obviously a little more work to be done, but it's taking shape pretty quickly:

 

I'm out of town for the next two weekends, so any work that I get done will be wedged in during the patchwork of hours I have between my other job and sleep. I'm excited to produce this series as it will come together as I work...I have no 'formal' plan for how these pieces will wind up looking/being other than the general shape. Should be interesting.

-c

The Circus - Act Two

Listed here.

 

...and dancing:

-c

My Dear Iris

My mind is kinda spinning right now, and I can't seem to concentrate on the tasks at hand...simple tasks like getting the laundry done, organizing my studio table and writing a blog post. Why, you might ask, am I having so much trouble focusing? Well...I'm going to see my dear friend Iris, and I'm ecstatic!

 

Iris and I went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago together during the '97-'98 school year, but that one year was all it took...we were fast friends and have stayed close ever since. Despite our close relationship we haven't seen one another in like 9 or 10 years...that's way to long!

 

She, her husband Jake (a teacher) and their two beautiful sons Jonas and Sylvan have a sweet little home in Maine...a home I have not even visited yet. Iris is an amazingly talented person in so many ways...she is a 'functional crafter' (gorgeously crafted functional stuff, not just craft for craft's sake)...she knits socks and sweaters for her loved ones, she sews quilts and bags, she has a knack for noticing, pointing out and photographing interesting juxtapositions and she is a kick-ass printmaker. She is a librarian and is currently in grad school working toward her degree in library science. On top of all that she is a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen.

As I mentioned above she has two boys, and these are her girls:

 

Iris and her family have egg-laying chickens.
 They tap trees and make their own maple syrup. 
 They dry their clothes on a clothesline.
 They cook and bake...FROM SCRATCH.
 They MAKE their Valentine's cards and Halloween costumes.

She has two blogs...check them out:
Her Personal Blog her life in Maine...family, friends, food, crafting and chickens.
Her Collaborative Blog a photographic call and response with lots of eye candy.

OK, I've got to go...I'm running late (again!).

-c

Technical Difficulties

Well, we had an amazing weekend in San Francisco, and I have so much to tell you, but this evening as I was sitting at my sweet, faithful Mac it decided to fizzle out. No big, dramatic crash or anything, it just took its last breath and then wouldn't wake up.

I'm hoping my computer-whiz of a husband can revive it, but he's out of town until Thursday evening. Hoping, hoping, hoping, because I really do not want to have to drop some big cash on a new computer, not right now.

I have to go now, partly because spending any more time using a phone's mini keyboard to type out a post is sure to drive me MAD!!!!!

Back ASAP!
-c

Westward Bound

OK, so I typed in the title for this post and then thought, 'hmm...let me make sure I have that right', so I googled it to be sure it was a real word and that it was spelled correctly. I found it funny enough to share that the number one result returned for the search "westward bound" is a novelty PVC, rubber and latex clothing store out of the UK. Awesome! So, that's not the westward bound I was thinking, but what a fun little distraction!

MY westward bound refers to my weekend plans. More on that later.

Have you ever noticed the little Feedjit widget down on the sidebar there...the one that looks like this: (Where is the question mark in that sentence supposed to go?)

I click into that every so often to see where in the world my blog has been read recently. I can guess the readers who are represented by many of the dots in the specific places where I have friends, family, customers, etc., but I find it pretty fascinating when I have a hit from somewhere I've never been or a place where I don't know anyone.

So, that brings me to my title. Martin and I have booked a quick weekend trip to San Francisco because I've never been and have always wanted to go there, and he's been but loved it so much he's happy to go back. I'm often so inspired by being in a place far from home and I'm thinking a quick visit to the West Coast will inject some creative energy into my blood for the upcoming fall production season.

This evening I checked the "Recent Visitors" map on my blog and noticed a few visits from the San Francisco area:

Hello San Franciscans...I am so excited to be visiting your city.

We have some loosely laid plans for what we want to do and see and eat, but if you live there or have been and have any suggestions I would LOVE to hear them. Thanks so much, and stay tuned for another studio update soon!

-c

Cruising Etsy: Vintage Tins

The other day I was aimlessly cruising through Etsy's vintage treasures when I spotted this tin and had to check it out. You see, I have the twin of this tin. I bought it about a year ago...it was a love at first sight kind of thing. It doesn't really "go" in my kitchen, but there was just something about it that made me need it...and yes, I do know the difference between want and need. This was life and death.

Once on the page I clicked the alternate images and my life gained newfound meaning. I mean, I am once again in love...check out this image:

After seeing this image I have spent WAY TOO MUCH time scouring Etsy for vintage tins...way too much time adding tins to my 'favorites', because I HAVE to do this. 

Don't believe me? Go check out my favorites.

-c

Studio Update: The Circus - Act Two

I've had a couple of productive days in the studio and I think I've earned a relaxing evening, so this post is going to be short on words because I've got a glass of wine and a sweet husband waiting for me to finish. But I've got some juicy progress photos of the piece that is currently in the works, "The Circus - Act Two".

Tuesday morning I posted some progress photos to my Facebook page. This was one of them:

Then I got a bit more work done on the piece. Here goes...

Here are the beginnings of five floating stars...still all gooey with resin, but this is how they are born:

Playing with backgrounds...it's always a fun challenge to figure out exactly what will go in the window (pardon my dust):

Gathering all of the elements for a sneak peek:

A detail shot of, well, the details:

And that's it for now.
I'm off to get cozy on the sofa with my Martin...time for a movie and a glass of white.

Cheers!
-c

30-Second Rave: Walking my City

Type: Rave

Subject: My life in One Square Mile

Martin and I knew we didn't drive much, but it didn't really sink in until earlier this summer when we compared the mileage written on the oil change decal to our actual odometer reading. In June we drove down to central Illinois to meet up with family for a lunch and we were shocked to realize that between mid-February and mid-June we had put just over 300 miles on the car, and about half of them were added that day. That was the day that I started thinking about this post.

I walk EVERYWHERE. I'm so fortunate to live in a neighborhood where everything is within walking distance and I try to take full advantage of that. When family and friends visit and I tell them something is "just down the street" or "a short walk" they know to wear comfortable shoes. I don't try to be misleading, it's just that once you start walking everywhere the miles zip by like nothing. 

Of course to be able to walk everywhere you have to live in a neighborhood where everything is close at hand. My grocery stores (4), work, doctor, dentist, gym, bank, used book store, park, movie theatre, beach (and on and on) are all within a mile of my home. I basically live my life within one square mile.

Last week I discovered this website. It's called Walk Score, where you enter your address and find the "walkability" score of your neighborhood. When I found it I entered every address I can ever remember living at, and was pleased to find that my current address has been my most walkable address ever: 100 out of 100! Yea for my sweet home!

I think I'll stay awhile.

A Post-Script:

Maybe a bit more than 30 seconds? 

I can't believe almost full month has passed since I last posted, and yet again I can. But the chill in the air tells me that my summer is coming to an end. In a few short months my life will once again transition to a mostly indoor existence with short breaks outside, quite the opposite of my life during the summer. I will, once again, spend hours in the studio and also sitting in front of my faithful little Mac pounding out posts. My body hates to see the summer go, but my creative spirit is energized by the crisp air and excited by the promise of the many many days of studio time ahead. It is coming...soon...I feel it in the air, and it's coming just in time...my soul is craving time at my studio table.

Revisiting a Familiar Feeling...Remembering an Old Post

My blog, oh, my dear blog: 

You're ever so faithful...always here when I check, patiently waiting for me to sit myself down and pound out a post. You've been on my mind daily but, you know, it is once again summer and, well, sitting at a computer is just not where my mind is at this time of year.

Please little blog, do not feel like a neglected stepchild. Please don't take this personally...it's me, not you. Actually it's this amazing warmth and wonderful weather...not too hot, not too humid, and a complete 180 from what I was facing just a few short months ago. It's summer in Chicago...so much to do in such a short, short season.

Remember last year? Same thing, different year.

Here are a few pictures so you, my sweet patient blog (and any reader who happens by) can see what's been going on here...and so you can see what kinds of temptations there are all around me that keep me from visiting you and posting like the good blogger I should be:

Every year the city plants palm trees at this beach, just a few minutes walk from my home. As a city we are in denial...it's not just me.

Summer in my neighborhood:

A truly "equal opportunity" drinking fountain...specially designed for birds, horses, dogs and, oh yeah, people:

Out my back door...literally. Oh how I adore the summer!

A quick side trip to Florida, to study how summer is really done.

Pilates in the Park. Saturday mornings at 9...a short walk on a gorgeous morning:

And a trip out to the forest preserves to get in touch with nature:

So now if you'll excuse me...I've got some more summering to do.

Until next time.

-c

30-Second Rant: Your Butt on My (or any) Street

Type: Rant

Subject: Discarded Cigarette Butts

I have to say that this subject may have been one of the original inspirations for my "30-Second R&R" posts. I believe myself to be a totally reasonable and tolerant person, maybe even a bit too tolerant at times, but this is one thing I just can not understand. 

Why is it that perfectly respectable people who wouldn't think of littering think nothing of tossing a cigarette butt off in any random direction while walking or driving down the street? Why when I'm at the beach do I look around and see people using the sand as their own personal ashtray? What is it about cigarette butts that have allowed them to be overlooked as trash?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying "don't smoke", to each his own, right? I believe that every person has the right to choose what works for them, and some people smoke, so be it. I think you can do whatever you want as long as it doesn't interfere with my life and my happiness. If it does I might have to say something, and I have been known to speak my mind about this very subject to random butt-tossing strangers (as long as they didn't look like they could/would beat the tar out of me).

Chicago has a trash can on almost every single street corner of the downtown area. If you're anywhere downtown you could probably see at least a few trash cans within your general vicinity. A few very convenient and capable trash cans just waiting for your nasty, used up, stained and reeking butt.

I promised 30-seconds, so I'll stop...but not before posting a picture of a whole group of butt-tossers I saw at the beach while Martin (pictured, but blurred so as not to be associated with the tossers) and I were in Florida a couple of weeks ago.

Shame...shame on those butt-tossers!

-c