Progress on a new felt figurative sculpture....

April 26, 2021 in Work

I am excited to share that I am making a new piece for a new gallery in Minneapolis for their inaugural exhibition about motherhood. There is not a lot else I can share about the gallery at this time, but I do have some progress pics! It is so nice to have a big open space again to make things instead of trying to squeeze one in amongst the others! Here is how they start:

I figure at this point I have 20-25 hours still of stitching felt, and then I would like to add hooks and eyes. I am thinking the hardware will go from the ground up on the legs and neck. Or maybe the belly. Stay tuned!

New little superhero animals...

July 12, 2019 in Work

I have been wanting to make some little animals that aren’t as time consuming or as fussy as my animal dolls. And I have RISDCraft coming up, so I finally decided to make a little time this last week! Here are three new characters: Super Mouse, Super Cat, Super Bird. They were fun as hell to make. I used the same materials as my other dolls: air dry clay, sewing pattern paper, cotton thread, acrylic paint. I would like to bust out 3 more before the show in October…hopefully I can pull it off! After that, these will go in my online marketplace, soon to go live!

Each is about four inches tall and stands up. The mask can be on or off. And yes, the cat’s mask has cat whiskers!

Artist Fabian Matz...

June 18, 2019 in Inspiration

Is my new artist crush. I discovered his work on Instagram and for the first time ever, fell in love with panty hose. He makes them do all sorts of wonderful things.

Asynchrone symmetrie im umfang von XS bis XXL

Asynchrome Symmetrie Im Umfang Von XS - XXL, Detail

He inflates tights with balloons and sand, contorts them into evocative shapes and plays with the notion of tights as a gendered material. Have a look at his website, his curiosity about this material is amazing.

Jessica Stoller, new artist crush...

April 18, 2019 in Inspiration

I find myself being more interested in ceramic work than I ever thought I would be. I never got clay. It is dirt. But maybe that is why it is so magical for so many artists. I feel really lucky to have discovered the work or artist Jessica Stoller. It totally hits all my sweet spots: it is figurative, addresses lady stuff and includes food.

Untitled (Weave) 2015 — *Untitled* *(Weave)* 2015

Untitled (Tar), 2014 — *Untitled (Tar)*, 2014

Untitled (Stack), 2013 — *Untitled (Stack),* 2013

Gooey, oozing, voluptuous, messy, sweet, grotesque. Good stuff.

"Material Matters" at SeagerGray Gallery...

March 29, 2019 in Inspiration

It was so fun to see this exhibition going up at SeagerGray Gallery the beginning of the month and discovering a new artist: Liz Steketee. She had this amazing photograph and embroidery piece in multiple hoops that just stopped my heart.

And then on her website, I found these!

I do love a red thread.

Nearly a year since I've blogged....

March 11, 2019 in Inspiration

How did that happen? With too much too do and too little time. I took a new part time job at the Rochester Art Center last spring assisting with curation and installation, and then I had about five shows to prepare for in that same time. So here I am. I was so delighted to work with artist Alexa Horochowski installing her exhibition “Beautiful Sky.” The work is deeply powerful, beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant. And she was a dream to hang out with. She got me really thinking about scale and ambition. And I think I am ready to pursue both of those things. I hope you will have a chance to see her exhibition!

Danish Artists Les Deux Garçon...

April 20, 2018 in Inspiration

Make the most amazing work! I first saw their work when I was in Miami for Superfine! two years ago and I snuck off to one of the other fairs. There was so much great work, and so much to be inspired by...but you know when you come upon something and you lose your breath for a minute? And then your hair stands up on end? That was this work. I bought the catalog before I even finished looking at what was on the wall.

I love how whimsical they are, but yet I also sense some melancholy. Have a look at their website...they work in many mediums beyond taxidermy...but these are my favorites!

Steadily making new work for my June exhibition....

April 16, 2018 in Work

June feels so far away, yet it is not. I am working on these paper forms in my studio while the weather is still wintery, but hoping to get outside in another week or two to start cutting the styrofoam bases for these shapes. We are supposed to get another snow this weekend and I am hoping it is the last! I do enjoy being indoors and stitching on these, and just got caught up on Season 5 of The Americans while doing that, and I bought my pass for Season 6! It is three episodes in and I am so nervous for what is going to happen to the Jennings family. I am also very nervous for how all these parts are going to come together into a piece and once the sun starts shining regularly, I should know more.

I so love the texture of the eyelets layered on one another. I have backed off to a single stitch to attach them to save time, so they're a little loose. I kind of like that movement they can make.