This past Friday I went to my first First Fridays in probably over a year. I was partly inspired by the amazinf weather, and partly inspired by my need to find inspiration - my personal style search is still in a state of flux - I'm not sure the decision to go ink-guru was the best one, on a personal or professional level, and it's something that needs resolving.
There were only two shows that I was at all interested in - though truthfully we may have done more walking than actual looking. The first was at the Leedy-Voulkos Art Center, or at least we entered through the Leedy. It was called "Faces of War" I think, but there was this standout "assemblage" piece that just overwhelmed the room. I'm hoping I have time on Friday to go back and see it again, and check out ht erest of the gallery - we got there maybe ten minutes before they closed.
The other sow I loved was actually by an old acquaitance of mine, Steph Toth. Excellent little show of these sort of collage prints, at the Beggars Table Church and Gallery, conveniently right across the street from the Leedy.

Meanwhile, I'm still hemming and hawing about my work, and kicking myself for being 28, 6 years out of school, with no published work and only one gallery show (and really, it was in a restaurant) to my name. My inability to but together a collection stems directly from my inability to stck to one medium, and I'm constantly torn between ink-work, collage work, assemblage work, painting, and printmaking.
However, i think it's time to stop fighting it, and give in to the idea of combining ALL of these techniques, in varying degrees, pick a theme, and go from there.
The first step is making my studio a workable place - removing everything I don't need it it, creating work stations and then finding time, rather, making time, to do it.

It's time.

It never ceases to amaze me that one community obsessed with preveneting undercutting within it's ranks seems to have zero qualms about screwing over another art-form monetarily. It's a little...galling, for me, as a visial atist and a performing artist to hear one group complaining about people asking for art for pennies, and then balk at the fair prices of the other art form. When i have dancers who refuse to put on a costume for less than 100$ for fifteen minute, and then turn around and want illustrative work or graphic work for pennies, or free even; or contrawise, artists who charges hundreds and thousands of dollars for paintings and then want a free performance for their art opening...

I really don't even know how to word this properly.

I mean, I get it. We're all artists, and we're all generally poor, overworked, and underpaid. But even if I had artists offering to trade paintings or graphics work for my services as a dancer, or vice versa, I'd be a little less perturbed.

What's brought this on?
A conversation on tribe, where a dance studio owner, wanting to participate in First Fridays, was wondering how to handle commissions on the off-chance she actually sold a painting.
Conversation here.
It's not the topic that galls me, but the presumption that "because other galleries do it, it's ok." When galleries are notorious for screwing over artists. I seriously wonder how any of those dancers would feel if their Manager (were they to take one on) were keeping 50 or even 90% of what he was charging clients for their services.
Now, I've only ever had one art show, in a restaurant, where I was in a position that I had the power to tell the owner that I'd give him 20% of anything that sold. That seemed more than fair to me. The art was not his business. The restaurant was his business, and he was getting free art for his walls for a month to further beautify his business. There was no hanging fee - that's for galleries who's business is selling shit - half asses businesses in my opinion, but I don't do galleries, I hide shit in my basement.

Any how.
Upsetting.

Sketch Challenge



Next Week: Silver Bullet?

art challenge




Next week - Angry Pilgrim.

or soon will be - got get things photographed properly and all.

Looking at my recent work, I think I need to get back to nib-pen drawing, rather than Microns, and I think I need to get back to watercolor for color and tone, rather than Prismacolor.

Something to work on.

Maybe I can go to Dr. Sketchy's next week too.

Started my first outdoor project yesterday - stick sculptures in my own yard, which double as trellisses for my baby pea plants. It got too dark for me to finish them though - hopefully I'll get to it today since tomorrow I leave for Nashville.

Also going to scan all of the weekend art pieces today - seven I think.

Must work on the new Etsy as well...

I have been so much happier and productive since I made the decision to stop over-complicating my work. To a point. I was working nonstop last month on a show with Quixotic, so the drawing and inking got put on hold, but I did create four pieces on Friday (scanned but on a different machine) and one a day since then. I'm still a wee bit concerned about the perception of the work - that it's simple and therefore cheap - but it's one of those things that, like with dance, I'm going to have to stick to my guns on.

I'm also starting an exploration of Guerilla Art. First piece on Friday. More to come...

Updated my art website, or to be more accurate, made my art website. Recommendeered the old Anahita site, and repurposed it for what it was originally inteded to be: http://www.white-gazelle.com

( Did some experimental photo editing. )
It all very subtle, more more appropriate than what I see in magazines.
Next step, buildings!

Also did some costume sketches for Q - they are VERY rough:

Seriously, what about this was a good idea?
( Images under the cut... )
The back cover says:"This is how we do it."

Seriously.