My art studio

My art studio is in my basement. The basement is nothing fancy, it gets wet in a few spots when it rains heavy. I finally built a wall down the end of the open half so my art can stay in one central spot. I have a habit of working wherever I plop down. This keeps me and all my art STUFF contained to these four walls.

I have it fairly organized which for me is a huge thing! I have two huge work benches. One I got from helping an old professor move. The other is parts I dug out of a dumpster at work when they remodeled the studio set for a new look on tv. Both free. Pretty much all the other shelving and wood you see are also dumpster finds. There is a big drain in the floor that is good for spills if I had one. I can be as messy as I want!!! I got a big deep plastic sink from a farm auction last summer for anything I need water for. I love my studio, except the brown recluse that are in abundance.

newest

this is made with my trusty phone. the map and words are from importing it into photoshop but everything else is from about 7 different apps..... the photo was taken yesterday in illinois

huge solo show at the Humane Society...

the first time the artdogs are in public!!! i had lots of feedback but didn't sell any. and i even bid on my cardinal dog to keep him, so i paid 27.50 right after finishing him for the show. i want to submit them to an artdoll magazine and maybe hit the radar through that outlet for their quality and craft.

i watched a woman reading this story about a dog to five young children. this is exactly what i had planned for this artwork which were not for sale. i want the pieces to be educational and to open a dialogue.

i sold 4 12x12 prints and one 10x10 print!! $75% went to the Humane Society!!! this was great since they are Humane Society animals!



the show was overall a big success for this town. we made $402 for the shelter and i made $151 so i think it was well worth it. we had about 100 people show up which was not as many as i wanted to see. :( but i can say there were a lot of other things to do that night and we were outside of town. the shelter didn't have to pay for anything which was a bonus, we got all things donated or we paid for them ourselves between a few of us who got behind this show... we plan to get the art students at the high schools involved next show. parents and family of kids will come out in droves!!!! and hopefully have checkbooks out and ready. :)

watch out

i was treated to the zoo two weekends ago. the only place i visited was the snake house. my favorite. we left after that. i saw what i wanted and the kids were annoying. :) (which is your favorite?)

peep wars

a few updates...

the two i have recently finished are the fairydog and pooldog. photos are as follows. all of their clothes are pieced together with thrift store bought clothing i then cut up and sew directly onto the dog.

she is hand-stitched and is sporting fancy wings.

two more victims on the left..... bwahahaha

pooldog is making sure he doesn't get a sunburn with his lotion and he thinks safety first with his stylish arm floaties.

the girl to the left photo'd here is a donation for a great rescue run by a woman that lives for the dogs she saves. http://www.aplacetobark.com/ check her website out. if you are an artist please make something for her to sell to generate money for her "cause". here are some photos of the dog i made her, charitydog.

she is sporting some sweet chuck taylor like shoes!!!

fairydog....

working on these ArtDogs is way too much fun, i am thoroughly addicted, now i just need more boy barbies! the newest dog is a fairydog. she will be complete with a set of wings that most fairies would die for..... you will just have to use your imagination until i finish her!

the rocket has landed...

gone, that's where i have been.
on multiple levels.
vacation to the white sandy beaches of florida.
big time 48hr film festival, by myself & sick.
month long infection of sinus/lungs.
many dr. visits with a recent ER trip in there.
allergic reaction to a second antibiotic.
house arrest from dr for 4 days due to my allergic reaction?!
who'da thought the sun was the cause of the reaction?
stress from two of my special needs dogs needing extra, extra, extra

you may think this is a complaint post, but alas...
i have pulled through, still breath and had an enormous breakthrough in my art

H.U.G.E.

i think i have my niche. a "thing"
i can grow this from a love of animals (dogs)
and possibly make other people happy as well. (&make my wife a million dollars) ;)

ArtDogs ---that is what i am calling them.

three of these ArtDogs have "come about", pouring out of my imagination which at times i can't seem to shut off. i have taken to carrying around a little pocket sized blank book to write all this insanity into. i dream about things and write them down, a color, a shape. my mind just won't stop spinning from all of these ideas. i can build things in my mind before i actually build them in the real world. crazy i know...a form of problem solving with-out the screw-ups. (usually) :) i have sooo many more of these dogs ready to be made...

everything i have made has brought me to these ArtDogs and i am more excited about these than anything i have created thus far. and people you have no idea the amount of art i have created. this photo isn't the greatest and the girl on the left isn't finished shown here.

from left to right,
DerbyDog
LucyDog
SuperDog

when i get the DerbyDog finished i plan to photograph them better.
then you will see the details, which are pretty cool!

PS, i am also making one of a kind jewelry and healthy dog biscuits all sold here on my ETSY store... link

i bit the bullet...

i have bought a booth at a local art fair.
i don't know how i feel about this.
it feels....well.... odd.
i have only showed my work in galleries.
now i feel as if i'm peddling my stuff at a yard sale type event.

but for the past 1 to 2 years i don't have the money to "make art" and to "show art"
i have chosen to make art.
so i have boxes of stuff everywhere, in every corner
i have been asked to be apart of a few shows. awesome.
this makes me feel like my work speaks for itself.
i have sold too many pieces to count.
i love that someone likes my stuff enough to hang it on their wall!

so i am holding my final verdict until after this show.
i will count it as a success if i AT LEAST...
make my money back that i have spent to rent the booth and tables.
i have made a few fun/clever pieces specifically for targeting people to "buy"

making art...

this has been edited ....!
all of these actually have been.
i've taken all of these with my iphone
photographed around me during work
or when i see something i like while just hanging out.
i have added photos together,
added effects to them,
i am addicted to photography
and think i may need an intervention.
ALSO- not blogging much cause i have
been making other types of art like crazy!
sculpture,
fiber,
wood,
video,

random rockets...

on a story for the dreaded budget cuts. my third that week, i was going out of my mind. i came across this tric and played with it since the gym was empty where the meeting was gonna be.

who doesn't like a water tower shot? you don't! well suffer anyway dingdong. cause i like em! and i have plenty, seems every small town has a couple!

rocket at the carnie! why yes, i am the clown!

a FABULOUS laundry mat. i was two hours away doing a school budget cut story (same week as above shot of the tric) and on my way back to the station i came across this laundry mat. i spun a pretty quick u-turn and took about fifty photos in various filters, films, positions.... i LOVED this laundry!