Pink Crow Stirrings

Studio Update: iSaw

I've spent the past 2 days in the studio sawing. Here's my progress report on the series that incorporates the corner ornaments of antique French stock certificates:

Laying out the stock pieces...measuring the silver.

An action shot...sawing as it happens...I know, exciting! 

(You can also see a discarded template carelessly 

tossed to the floor in the background...messy girl).

A midday break to assess the progress.

A couple detail shots.

A good portion of my two days work.

And today's desk.

-c

One Step at a Time (times twenty), and Today's Desk

Traditionally my approach to production has been one piece at a time...slow and steady. Working like this over a period of time I eventually had enough pieces to set up an Etsy shop, and then something crazy happened...I got busy selling (who would have thought?), but the selling was happening faster than the making. While I feel fortunate beyond words that I have been able to sell my work, it has left me with a near empty shop.

So, it's time to get going again...time to fill that shop up with some more goodies...and this time I'm approaching production a bit differently. Rather than one piece at a time, I'm going have quite a few pieces in production at the same time (20 right now), which I think is a smarter way to work. Each will still be a one-of-a-kind piece, no two will be alike and each will still receive the attention it would have had I never changed my way of working, it's just that this way, when I've got metal to saw, or resin to pour, or rivets to set and I've got all of the supplies and tools out I can get that task done for several pieces rather than just one. 

Here are a few process photos for the newest installments of the "18 Parts Lite" series:

From the initial sketch, to the working drawing, to the "rough" sawing template:

The sawing templates cut out and ready to be attached to the metal:

Front and back plates cut out:

And "today's desk" (actually yesterday's) after 3 solid days in the studio:

I have to say that seeing so many pieces "happening" all at the same time feels really good...I am feeling so productive! I can't imagine how excited I'll be when it's down to the final few steps on them and I'm FINISHING so many pieces at once!

Will have another update soon.

-c

Sketches & Today's Desk

So, here are a few pages of sketches I've been working on since I last posted. Many of them were done at cruising altitude. For some reason I'm always very productive on flights...I think it may be because I can't distract myself with, say, thoughts of putting the kettle on for another cup of tea, or checking my email for the 20th time in an hour to see if a friend or sibling has sent an important message.

Four of six upcoming pieces in the "Stock Certificate" series:

 

Ooh, sorry about the blurriness here...

A smaller version of my "Parts Lite" series:

A second installment of my "18 Parts Lite" series:

And a piece I can't WAIT to do:

And finally, another posting for "Today's Desk".

This is the "before". 

Sometimes my desk becomes a catch-all for 

any random art/studio-related items. 

Makes it a bit tough to get in there and be productive.

So, I neatened it up a bit, which should have been an in between shot, because immediately after it was the least bit straightened I was inspired to start pulling things out again. So, here's the "after".

And now it's time for me to sign off.

I will post the progress on these sketches soon.

-c

ESP? To Florida to Thaw

Given the current arctic blast that is making its way through Chicago I am so happy that a few weeks ago I had the idea to book a trip to Florida for this coming weekend (a premonition? ESP perhaps?). Here are the weekend forecasts (guess which is Chicago, which is Tampa Bay):

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I'll post again when I get back...hopefully with some new sketches.

30+ Second Rant: Apathetic Employees and Empty Shelves

Let's talk about feeling productive...making lists and trying to get things accomplished. A great way to start the new year, right? Today by 3 PM I had just one thing left on my list, I needed to pick up some resin for the studio. To accomplish this "one last task" required a trip to the art supply store.

My rant today is about a specific art supply store that I've been going to since 1997, and how I wonder how they can still consider themselves in the art SUPPLY business. I'm allowing myself to break the "30-second" rule this once because it is directly studio related ;)

First of all, the place is run by a bunch of uninterested, apathetic employees. I think they must have started working here while they were going to art school, and I suspect that once they graduated they just never bothered to look for another job. I'm sure they had it in their minds to leave, but it never happened and so 5, 10, 15 years later they are still really resentful of this job and any of the art-makers who walk through the door. 

Maybe I'm wrong, but this is what I see. Since day one every time I've gone into this store I've noticed how the employees seem bothered by the presence of customers...like they are the only true artists and anyone else who walks in is undeserving of both attention and art supplies. If you've ever seen "High Fidelity" you understand exactly what I'm talking about, except here it's art instead of music.

You might wonder why, then, I still go to this place. 

Well, until recently it was the only art supply store around where you could go to get say, painting, ceramic, drafting, gold-leaf and book-making supplies all in one place. Being the mixed-media person I am it was very convenient for one-stop shopping. I could deal with the apathetic employees.

My frustration today is the result of something I've been noticing happening slowly at this, my "once #1" art supply store: out of stock items. I've been there several times over the past year or two and have noticed that if I needed ten items, I might only find six. Very bothersome once or twice, but after five or six times you begin to think it may not be worth the trip.

Today I had one thing on my list...resin. I knew they would have it because they carry the brand I use in 3 or 4 different sizes. I prefer to buy the largest size, but I figured even if that wasn't in stock I could pick up a couple of the smaller sized kits to tide me over. When I got there this is what I found:

Yes, two completely empty shelves where "my" resin usually sits. If I told you "completely empty" without showing you would would have thought I was exaggerating. I'm not. EMPTY. No resin for me today.

I was so frustrated that I had made the trip for nothing that I called Martin to vent. And after that I walked around the store to document the random emptiness:

     

    

I've decided that I don't need to visit this store anymore. How depressing is it to see this store that was once spilling over in its art supply abundance slowly withering away to nothing? I know the bad economy is affecting so many retail places, but this is something I've seen coming at this specific place for quite some time. I hate to see any place shut down, but I just don't see how this place can make it...I WANT to go in and spend some money, but NOTHING that I want is in stock. And the thing that bothers me the most is that if they just had some employees who seemed to care, I might too.

-c

Sketchbook Archive

So, over our "winter break" Martin and I delved deep into what was previously a no-man's land that no one in their right mind would want to attempt to conquer: our storage cages in the basement. 

Most of the boxes that were down there were from our last move, and were of either the "packed first" variety (things you know you don't need everyday, but don't want to get rid of: sentimental things, treasures, sweet decorative objects, etc.), or the "packed last" variety (tons of small, unrelated things that you threw into boxes during the final frantic hours of packing...things that you weren't quite sure why you were saving, but your brain was too fried from packing/moving details that you just weren't in the position to decide their fate at that point). 

Most of the boxes, as it turned out, fell into the dreaded "packed last" category...and to go through these boxes? A brain numbing experience to say the least...finally getting rid of what should have gone to charity/recycling/trash years ago. 

Happily, in one of the "packed first" boxes I came across some long-lost sketchbooks. I had fun looking through them and they are now in their proper place...on my studio bookshelf. I thought I would share my little stroll down memory lane with you:

Lots of history in them there books ;)

Thanks for indulging me.

-c