Over and Out

Here’s a look at the current state of my art life and business:

It’s all packed up and ready for our move, aside from a nifty little kit I left out to keep me occupied on our trip to visit my family in Colorado. We pick up the moving truck this afternoon, and then it will be all hauling and cleaning until we’re due to be out on Friday afternoon {at which time all of our things will hopefully be neatly packed into a 10 x 10 storage unit}.

We leave for our trip Friday evening—which will be a very welcome adventure! I hope to share some glimpses of Utah and Colorado with you while I’m on my trip, so stay tuned! As for now, I’m off to close up my virtual shop! I’ll be back open for business on August 16. Happy almost August and Happy Making!

Carving and Moving

In the midst of my moving saga, I’ve been having trouble finding a lot of time to do art. My brain has been jumping every which way—from the moving truck to the storage unit to the utility shut-offs, not to mention that I will be leaving for my 2-week trip to Colorado at the end of this week! WOw!

The main bit of art I’ve been doing to keep me grounded is this:

I got a package of these little linoleum blocks a while ago, and I’ve been carving my way through them. They are like little windows of creative play! I’m planning to keep carving them, hopefully even on vacation, and then print a whole bunch upon my return.

Here’s another view:

It’s so great to be able to take these little creative breaks in the middle of what seems like an endless to-do list. Hooray for art!

Happy creative day to you!

Block Prints in my Shop!

After my joy in finding a better method for printing my linoleum blocks, I have finally put some of my block prints up for sale in my shop! I’m pretty excited about them, and even more excited about carving up a whole lot more! Here are some pictures of the ones I posted over in my shop. You can see them all in my block printing shop section.

“Making Waves,” 3 x 5 inches, linoleum block print

“Underground,” 3 x 5 inches, linoleum block print

“River Flow,” 4 x 6 inches, linoleum block print

Isn’t Life Hilarious? A funny story about quick changes

This is a view of my kitchen table this morning. Why all of the murky glassware? Because we’re moving! It’s time for that great fun adventure during which you have to face all of the random objects you’ve accumulated over the past several months or years, and somehow fit them into boxes. I mean, where does all the stuff come from?

Would you like to hear a funny story about my moving adventure? Really, it’s hilarious. I haven’t mentioned that we’re moving before because this was supposed to be a slow process—I was planning to spend the month of August slowly packing up parts of the house, and then we would make a simple cross-town move on September 1st. So, this past weekend, I started making some motions to clean up some old art supplies in our garage, that is, until I sat down to lunch and casually opened our move-out inspection notice from your rental property company. The notice listed July 31 as our move-out inspection date!

My first reaction was, “This must be a typo—we’re moving out on August 31!” Then something tightened in my chest, and a wave of suspicion came over me. I had this vague lurking memory of something weird about our move-out date. I immediately started searching through our files for a copy of our lease. Upon finding it, I discovered that the property company was right: our lease read, in bold, that we were due to move out July 31, 2010!

Of course during the hours after this discovery, and really still now, I keep thinking to myself, “Really!? This is crazy! How did we miss this?!” Both my husband and I have this vague memory of knowing this detail at some point, but we had been going around for the past several months calculating an August 31 move-out, which is the traditional move-out date for all rentals in this college town. We’ve lived in this house for three years, and I discovered that the first year’s lease did indeed end on August 31, but for some reason the second year-lease we signed (and therefore the third) was changed to ending on July 31. Sadly, we neglected to change the date in our brains.

Now that I’ve sufficiently bored you with the details, I will say that this change is really taking all of the patience and calmness I can muster! For the last few days (since the discovery), we have been frantically making arrangements to get out of here by the end of the month (carpet cleaning, storage unit, etc). The trickiest part is that, of course since we weren’t planning to move out on July 31, we have no place lined up to live until September 1.

We’ve come up with a pretty creative and silver-lined solution, if I might say so myself. We were planning all along to go on a 10 day road trip to Colorado at the beginning of August, to visit my family and go to a friend’s wedding. But when I realized this whole not having a place to live for the month of August problem, I thought, “wouldn’t it be great to be able to go on a longer vacation?” Since we won’t be paying our full rent during that month, it seemed even more feasible to take a little more time off of work. My husband has a pretty flexible schedule because he’s a graduate student, so it was just left to me to ask my part-time job if I could take 10 work days off, instead of 6—and they agreed!

So here we are: we may have to move out in under two weeks, but we do get to go on a two-week-long vacation! Now that is a silver lining! For the last two weeks of August we’ll quite thankfully be able to stay at a family member’s house in Sacramento, a neighboring city to our town. Well, there’s the latest from my home front—there’s a lot to do, but there’s a prize waiting at the end of it!

As far as my art shop, I would like to give you a heads-up that I will be closing up my shop while I’m gone, so if you’ve been thinking about ordering something special, you will want to do so by July 29. I will be closed from July 30-August 15. I might possibly open the shop back up earlier than that day for looks, but I won’t be back in town to ship orders until August 16.

I will be blogging and making as usually (hopefully), until the middle of next week, and possibly while on my trip! So stay tuned!

Block Prints to Write Home About

I’m a true believer in the idea that practice makes perfect—I have seen this idea in action again and again in my life, so much so that I try to remind myself of this idea nearly every day. But sometimes, no matter how much you practice, you can’t get it perfect because you don’t have the right tools! I learned this lesson this past weekend when I took myself and my linoleum blocks to the Craft Center (a wonderful art center in Davis) and tried out their miniature etching press.

What a revolution! I mean, seriously—it blew my head off—for the first time I was able to get solid solid blacks in my block prints! You see, I have been getting quite frustrated—I’ve been carving all these blocks and then trying to print them with just the pressure of my hand and a hand-held barren (kind of like a big smoothing tool), and getting pretty uneven results.

Perhaps I did not practice enough this way, but seriously, the press was an amazing upgrade that really made a difference! Here are some more prints I made:

If you’ve been following my linocut progress on this blog, you might not be able to see the difference in the digital images, but if you were here in the room, you would be amazed and enthralled just like me. Really, it’s just fun to have gotten some prints that are up to the quality I was looking for! I’m hoping to add some to my shop very soon. Stay tuned! More linocuts are in progress! Thank you Craft Center for always being there to expand my mind and the possibilities!

T-Shirts for Sale! T-Shirts for Sale!

Hello! Thanks again to you all for enjoying, reading, and sharing in the amazing creative inspiration of Kerri Devine in my last post and first Creative Living interview! There will definitely be more to come, so keep an eye out!

In other creative news, I just wanted to pop in and let you know that I have started putting some of my shirts up for sale in my Etsy shop! Yay! I’m listing them just a few at a time {as I get pictures taken}, so there are only a couple in there now, but keep checking back over the next couple of weeks as I add more {click here to see shirts}. Also, if you’re looking for a different size, let me know and I can see what I have availabe (that hasn’t been listed yet).

Here’s one, modeled by my handsome in-house model {husband}!

If you want to read more about my adventure in t-shirts so far, check out these posts!

Creative Living {in process} Interview with Kerri Devine

I like to think that your life can be a work of art—the biggest, most expansive thing you will ever make. I do not mean a prim and delicate painting, but more like a big messy process of experimenting, trial and error—kind of like finger painting when you were a kid {a full contact sport}.

Too often, it’s so easy to get bogged down by the business of life—to start spending more time brushing your teeth than creating your own original, wide, unique life. I often find myself getting into these ruts, and then something will wake me up again—remind me that life can be an adventure. One of the biggest things that wakes me up and reminds me of the possibilities is seeing other people who are doing it—people who are building their lives creatively.

In that spirit and in the hopes of inspiring us all to keep going—to keep creating our lives into the vast adventurous expanses they can be—I’ve decided to start inviting to this blog some people who inspire me. I’m calling this series of interviews “Creative Living in Process” because, as these wonderful creative people will show, there is no one way to create an expansive life, and there is no finish line—each life is a process built one day at a time.

Who to invite for my very first interview was a no-brainer—of course I would ask the lovely Kerri Devine. I’ve been following her blog Songs of Light for some time now, and I never leave Kerri’s corner of the internet without dipping my toe into the beauty and infinity of life. She is an everyday inspiration, a looker and a finder—someone who sees and shares the wonder of life. So, pull up a chair and get a little peek into the creative soul and world of Kerri Devine.

The Nitty Gritty:

Name – Kerri Devine
Art Business – Poetry and Cloth

Where do you live in the world?
I live on ten acres in the glorious South Island of New Zealand.

Where do you live online?

Songs of Light blog
Poetry and Cloth Etsy Shop
Poetry and Cloth Felt Shop

Tell us a little bit about yourself—what do you do, and how did you arrive where you are today, both creatively and otherwise?

I am a screen printer and photographer (and sometimes also a very bad painter!) I screen print onto linen, then often wrap the image around a canvas which can either then hang on the wall or stand on a flat surface. I also make screen printed covers for chairs and other small pieces of furniture as well as taking a million photos! I’m sure I must do other things as well, I just can’t think of them at the moment!

It took me a very long time to arrive where I am today, both creatively and emotionally. I think so often when we think of artists we think of the great masters like Monet or Ansel Adams. We forget that there is room for beginners, and that these great artists were once beginners too. I think for me, I was afraid of so many things. Like failing, not being good enough, or having no talent. It’s quite a brave thing to do to announce that you are an artist, because people often expect you to be an artist with a capital A. It’s strange that other professions don’t face these things. No one says, “Oh really, so you think you’re an accountant?! Show me your numbers!” I think in the end you become an artist because you have to, there’s no other option. Unless of course you’re happy to watch your soul shrivel up and die! I think that it takes a long time to learn to be kind to yourself and to know your own truth, no matter what. I think that’s when things start to happen for you.

You work part time in addition to doing your creative work. What type of side-work do you do and how do you find time and balance between your “day-job” and your creative work?

I used to work full time at a preschool. I still work there but I no longer work with the children. Instead I am now the cook, which is actually really fun! I spend four hours every morning making cakes and muffins or whatever I feel like. This is so great for me because I am all finished by 1.30 in the afternoon and can go home and work on my art. Sometimes it can be difficult to get everything done in the few hours I have before it gets dark. Mostly this is because I wash my screens outside after printing and need to be able to see that they are clean. Also the later it gets the more the water from the hose feels like melted ice! In summer it gets dark around 9.30 at night so I have much more time to get things done. I find that what helps most is having a to do list. If you get desperate to look like you’ve accomplished something, write yourself a ta -da list, and put everything on it that you have already done!
This is an idea I got from the artist/author SARK.

What fills you up?

So many things, but just to name a few – the natural world, wild things, seed pods, mossy twigs, autumn leaves, perfectly smooth pebbles, birds, a certain quality of light, shadows, fields of golden grass in summer, clouds, and synchronistic events. I once was making a decision about being true to myself and my creativity; I had just said out loud to the universe, “Ok, I’ll do it” when I looked up to see a blimp floating low over my house. The words on the side said, “Good luck.” It gave me goose bumps. I don’t think these things are random or meaningless.

What is the most wonderful thing about living a creative life?

The joy! I am quite a melancholy person at times, but since I began working part time and doing more art I have so much more joy than I ever had before. Also I think there is this feeling of being in the flow, of not resisting your dreams but going with them which is priceless. The other most wonderful thing about living a creative life is simply feeling that you are finally giving to the world what you were meant to give. And through that process you also give it to yourself. Hope that makes sense!

What is the most challenging thing about living a creative life?

I think being a creative person makes you more sensitive to your environment, whether this is the people in your life or the state of the world, and that can be hard at times. I think creative people feel things more keenly. I remember when I was growing up feeling as though there was no barrier between me and the world. I felt everything and it was very draining. I still sometimes feel drained by all I take in, but this is probably also because I am a Highly Sensitive Person. (You can read more about the trait of being highly sensitive at www.hsperson.com.) I think feeling so much is the hardest thing about being creative for me.

What keeps you going/gets you going again when you’re feeling down/uninspired?

What keeps me going? If I’m feeling uninspired I know that what I probably need is some quiet time by myself. I just need to be and not think or do. Also I have books that I tend to turn to when I need encouragement such as Julia Cameron’s ‘Walking in this World’. I also have a lot of encouraging quotes by artists that I’ve written down, such as Harry Callahan talking about his photography, “I guess I’ve shot about 40,000 negatives and of these I have about 800 pictures I like.” I think sometimes when we’re feeling uncreative we’re afraid it’s all over. As if one bad week means you’ll never have a good idea again. I try to remember Anne Morrow Lindberg’s words about the ebb and flow of life. Just because the tide has gone out doesn’t mean it won’t return.

Your creativity is more than just about making things, but about making sense of life—you have written on your blog about how art could be a “spiritual practice.” Why do you make art and how does the process of art-making fit in to your larger life?

I make art because I have to. I make it to remain sane. For me I think that denying the art inside you is denying yourself. Honouring your art also honours your soul. I do find art to be a spiritual practice personally. It was how I first learnt about faith. The thing is, God (or the universe) is an artist, just look around and you can see that. We all have access to the mind that created angels. I find that amazing and terrifying all at once! I have often heard writers say that they just wrote down what they heard, that it came from somewhere else, that they didn’t know how the story was going to end. And I think that’s because we are all vessels for creativity. You either say yes or no to that idea in your head, and if you say no I think it’s likely that someone else will receive that idea, someone who’ll say yes.

I think art has been a long road for me, full of twists and turns, of incredible beauty and deep sadness, of fear and anger and despair. I think it taught me who I really was, and that there was nothing bad there. I’ll always be grateful for that.

What advice would you give to someone who would like to live a more creative life?

I would say quite a few things! I would say learn to be kind to yourself. Let art be play, let yourself be a beginner. I think in order to be more creative you need to cultivate a keen interest in life, you need to wake up and be as conscious as you can. Wherever you are, keep an eye out always for beauty. Eavesdrop on the bus or train, notice how the late afternoon light makes your fellow passengers glow, read graffiti, know which tree on your block holds the most birds nests, pretend you’re a child again seeing it all for the first time. Be interested in everything.

What are you dreaming about right now?

I’m dreaming about a creative self sufficient life in the country. I’m almost there!

What’s your favorite . . .

Colour – a very particular shade of dark dark red
Time of day – dusk, even the word is so wonderful and velvety
Place in your home – my art room
Word – I am a serious word lover, I don’t think I can pick! Although to be honest my favourite word, as far as sound only goes, is snorkel. I just think it’s such a silly sound, and hearing it always makes me smile! I know, weird.
Sound – Dean’s key in the lock, or the sound of his voice calling out to me when he gets home.
Breakfast food – poached eggs with baby spinach and a hash brown. Perfection.

Thanks so much Kerri for inviting us into your creative world! And thanks for being a song of light yourself! Oh, happy creative day to you all!

My First Letterpress Specimen!

Remember how I mentioned back in May that I had signed up for a letterpress printing class at San Francisco Center for the Book? Well, the day for my beginning Tabletop Platen Press class finally arrived last weekend, and I drove down to San Francisco on Sunday, giddy with delight!

I specifically chose to take the Tabletop Platen Press class because I wanted to see what would be possible in a home studio—letterpresses can get pretty gigantic and heavy, and the tabletop presses seem the most manageable for a personal studio. Even so, I recently read that even the tabletop presses weigh in around 200 lbs!!! Check out this link to get an idea of the type of machine I’m talking about.

It occurs to me now that some people reading might be wondering, what in the world is she talking about? What is letterpress printing? Well, I’m glad you asked—letterpress printing is the type of printing you do with metal type—think: hand typesetting, think: Gutenberg. If you want to learn more about it, here’s a great summary.

If you have been following this blog, you might have some guesses about why I would like letterpress printing—I mean, how can you beat an excuse to play with a billion little metal letters? I mean, there were even parentheses like this: {_} and little pointing hands, and of course every little letter in so many variations. Truly, I just wanted to hoard all of the metal type.

I do not want to delude you though, the letters are so lovely, and the product is beautiful, but it’s not easy! All of those little letters get scrambled around, and there are so many little details that go into making a fine quality end product—lots of measuring and finagling. The product of the class was to make a little quotation postcard. Of course, I went armed with my favorite Mary Oliver quotes—here is what my partner and I came up with:

Now I’m doing some creative thinking to try and figure out how I can get my hands on a letterpress of my own, or at least use someone else’s to practice {before I forget all of the minute details I learned in my class}. As I mentioned, even the little machines weigh in around 200 lbs, which is not something to mess around with. Also, they’re really popular right now, and so the cost is a bit out of my range. For now, I am thinking and dreaming, and also stalking letterpresses for sale online.

If you know of anyone with a spare letterpress accumulating dust in the back of their garage, let me know!

Happy dreaming!

Something Happy {a drawing and hooray for my sister}

“Cluster,” 5 x 5 inches, pen and ink, original available here in my shop

Hello hello! Happy Tuesday. This little drawing feels like a happy little drawing for today! It reminds me of a cluster of pinwheeling flowers. The truth is: most of my drawings are just happy little experiments on the page, especially the abstract ones!

I think I am starting to sound like Bob Ross—you know that artist with the big hair who had the painting show? He was always painting landscapes and would talk about “happy little trees.” I used to watch the show when I was a kid—I was always in awe of how he could make such happy little trees so quickly and effortlessly. I think of him often when I’m making art—he also talked about “happy little accidents,” and how sometimes something will not go the way you thought it would, and so it will take your painting (or drawing, or quilt, etc) in a new direction. This happens to me on a regular basis, and I’m glad to have an alternate way of looking at it (instead of just shouting various expletives). Honestly, many drawings have turned out more interesting because of the “mess up,” and I have Bob Ross to thank for reminding me to keep going. This is a good life lesson too.

On a more personal note, I realize that I don’t often talk about my family here on this blog. Did you know that I have an older sister? Well, I do—she’s my one sibling—her name is Christina, and she is married with two little boys and a third baby on the way. I am bringing her up now because I am cheering for her today—she just got a new job! I just wanted to say thank you thank you to the universe for making this work out for her. She’s had many trials lately, and she really needed some affirmation that things can go right sometimes. Oh happy day! Congrats Christina!! And happy day to you all! Wishing you many dreams and many dreams come true.

Life as a Wild Adventure {another new drawing!}

“Life as a Wild Adventure,” 5 x 5 inches, pen and ink, original available here in my shop

I’ve been getting kind of stuck lately in the hum-drum of life—wake up, do my work, come home, walk the dog, have dinner, follow my to-do list, add more items to my to-do list. Yesterday morning while writing in my journal, I was doing my somewhat standard, somewhat panicked review in my head of what I wanted to accomplish that day, and I was reminded why I write in a journal every morning.

There I was, filling myself up with the usual hum-drum stress, and suddenly, the writing opened a window for me—”what am I doing?” I thought—”what about the adventure?” Then I scribbled the question: “Can’t we choose in each moment to make our lives an adventure?” I mused on in my journal pages about how you can make your life an adventure, even when you still have to exercise and do the ironing.

While I’m still not sure what the answer to that question is, I do know that just the feeling, the idea that you can choose to make life an adventure, is revolutionary. It could change the world! I think the mindset is much more than the actions—you can be living an adventure whether you’re making dinner or going skydiving. One of the first things that came to mind is what a different energy you bring to a situation and to other people (and to your own life) when you’re living with a sense of adventure and possibility (as opposed to hum-drum stress)! There’s the revolution!

Of course, I wanted to translate this idea into a drawing, so I made the drawing above. The idea of a wild road at the center came to mind, and then the drawing grew from there. Happy adventures to you!