The Nimble Owl

COYOTE

2011-11-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

I have an art show! This is my installation entitled "Coyote," which will be on display until the end of November at Courier Coffee Bar in downtown Portland. Below you see Joel (the owner) & Ryan behind the bar with my sculptures. There are seven autumnal coyotes leaping and creeping about the shop. Each one is made with chicken wire, papier mache, and pieces of fabric and painted paper for fur. Plus branches.

It wasn't easy getting these all finished, as I had a bad bout with the flu just when time was of the essence. But everything came out just fine in the end, and now I can think about other things besides hot gluing and cutting and branches.

If you're in Portland, you should go check it out! If you're not, maybe these dogs can come to your town and occupy a space near you.

Coyotes in the works

2011-10-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

I'm busy with another project...

I'm making a gang of coyotes for an installation at Courier Coffee Roasters in downtown Portland. I was part of a group show there back in February (and was fortunate enough to sell my Never Bird sculpture!), and now they want me to do a full-blown freak-out sculpture installation. So it will be a bunch of these wild dogs, looking all freshly emerged from the forest floor.

The show will open November 3rd, which means I only have a few more days to get these critters done. Wish me luck!

In other news, I quit my day job (working with kids in an after school program) and will be done with that whole thing on Friday. I need to find a part-timer job that takes up less brainpower, so I can shift that brainpower over to art and music. Wish me luck with that too!

embroidering Michael Jackson, and other recent adventures

2011-07-17T16:21:00.000-07:00

If you've been wondering what I've been up to, besides not blogging, here's a sampler platter.

I recently embroidered this portrait of Michael Jackson holding a baby tiger, and stretched it over an old picture frame. This piece was for a group show we (myself & Ilan) put together at Emerson Space Case called "Just to Tell You Once Again" - art inspired by Michael Jackson.

The reason we decided to organize this show is because we were celebrating the two-year anniversary of the birth of Emerson Space Case, which happens to coincide with the death of Michael Jackson. We put out a call for art, and a bunch of people submitted pieces. It was tons of fun, and also a lot of work putting that whole thing together. I really love curating art shows; I wish it was an actual job, but alas it's a volunteer position at the moment!

You can view some of the art at the Emerson Space Case blog, or more of the art at the Emerson Space Case facebook page.

sometimes things look cool from the back:

and maybe it should have been a shirt:

I actually did TWO pieces for the Michael Jackson show. Here's the second one, entitled "Michael & Ben:"

I hope to make more embroidered portraits, and also more of these boat things. Speaking of boat things, have you seen the little boats Ann Wood makes? If you haven't, you should.

So, anyway.

This should probably be a separate post, but here it is. I made this t-shirt for Ilan (a birthday gift), using the freezer paper printing method with fabric paint. Perhaps I should have taken some progress photos so I could teach you how to do it. But I didn't. It was very meticulous work with all those dino details, but I think it came out really well! Who wouldn't want a bear riding a triceratops?

And lastly, here's a little watercolor painting I did for a birthday card (birthdays really bring out the artist in me). It's a cheerfully colored stag beetle!

The Weirdest Craft I've Ever Seen

2011-05-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

I borrowed this book from the school where I teach. Old books like this are always an inspiration for me, and the illustrations are simply adorable in this one.

... and it describes this craft that is so bizarre I had to show you:

The best part about it is that I feel like if I taught this craft to the 5, 6, & 7 year-olds that I teach, they probably wouldn't even think it was that weird. Walking face with fingers coming out of its mouth? Hell yeah!

This gives me a brilliant idea to create an entire book of crafts that make absolutely no sense, like the one above. Do you think anyone would buy it? If the illustrations were cute enough, I think it would fly.

This book also has some cool ideas for other (more normal) crafts, accompanied by ridiculously cute illustrations:

Clonehenge: A Blog about Stonehenge Replicas (they are not kidding)

2011-05-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across a blog called Clonehenge recently when I was looking for terrarium inspiration.

I love it, and I think you should see it. Not only do they have cool pictures of things like a mini version of Stonehenge inside a terrarium (see below), but they also have a terrific sense of humor. Reading about Stonehenge replicas has never been so entertaining! And to top it off, the title of the blog is a pun. Bravo!

been busy around the house

2011-05-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

At times it's a challenge for me to connect real life with internet life, and that's why I've been an inconsistent blogger.

My last post (over a month ago) was about our trip to the Redwoods, which we did and it was fantastic! Rainy, but fantastic just the same.

Here are some things around the house that have been exciting me lately....

We built raised garden beds for our back yard! Of course, these photos were taken over a month ago, so stay tuned for garden updates. Here's Ilan doing the power drill thing.

My dad let us borrow his truck & wheelbarrow for doing the dirty work.

We learned how to make stuffed poblano peppers! With rice, beans, veggies, & cheese. It looks a bit grotesque here, but I assure you it was a real treat.

We painted our bedroom (finally!). This sort of minty mellow green, which goes nicely with the browns & golds of the rest of our stuff that goes in there.

I bought this absurd/lovely merman hook for (some of) my necklaces! 'Tis an impulse purchase I do not regret.

I made these frames to hold my earrings! I finally faced up to the fact that I have so many of them, I needed a system. God, I love jewelry. I got the plastic grid material from SCRAP (it's actually for doing needlework, but works for so many other things), stapled it into some thrift store picture frames, and painted the whole mess. Viola!

I should also note that I got this idea of using this material for this purpose from a fellow volunteer at SCRAP, who sells earrings at craft fairs and displays them this way. I would give her a plug here, but I can't remember her name and I can't find her Etsy shop... so maybe some other day!

I crocheted this plant hanger to hold this pot! I found myself with all these leggy succulents flowing lazily out of their designated terrariums & pots. Something had to be done. I rounded them all up and made them into one big hanging monster. The material is just cheap ol' acrylic yarn, and I made up a pattern based on hat-making, only with bigger holes. That's right folks, it's really just an upside-down hat with strings tied to it. You should try making one!


I don't know if you know this about me, but I'm a sucker for old-timey animals in clothing, especially when they're humble, have silly magical adventures, and speak with British accents. I found this Wind in the Willows record at The Record Room (here in Portland). It's very abridged -- it doesn't even include the "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" chapter -- but still worth the $3 I paid for it! That Badger gets me every time. I want to spend a night nestled in his cozy underground home. And I didn't even know he played the concertina until I saw this cover!

And finally, I'd like to share with you the blooming things. Maybe I should have saved this for a separate post, but I'm too excited and I already uploaded the photos, so here we go!

I planted some tulips in the front of the house the moment we moved into this place in December. They came up like gangbusters and did their thing, just like they said they would.

Also, I am happy to report that my kalanchoe is blooming for the first time since like two years ago. I love it.

And finally, here's a plant of which I do not know the name. I've had several of these plants for years, but this is the first time I've seen one bloom! I had no idea it was possible. These plants are cool because when they're healthy, they will reproduce like crazy by growing tiny baby versions of themselves along the edges of their leaves. These babies will drop into the soil and grow like madmen.

Here's what the smaller versions look like:

Redwoods Ahoy!

2011-03-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

my Grandma Jean, Grandpa Pete, Aunt Connie, & Uncle John on a family vacation in the redwoods

Today I'm embarking with Ilan on a journey into the redwood forests of northern California! Can't wait to stand next to those prehistoric giants. We'll be camping, exploring, roasting things on fires, and noodling around with my new Mahalo ukulele guitar (strung like a guitar, but the size of a ukulele)!

Got this little lady the other day at Showcase Music & Sound on Hawthorne here in Portland.

I'm excited to see new sights; some nature, some kitsch, some unexpected surprises. Maybe I'll even pick up one of these souvenir steins at the Trees of Mystery!

(photo courtesy of Sugar Lily Vintage on Etsy)

Made by Skye

2011-03-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Our friend Skye made us this lovely tiny painting for Hanukkah! (I know, I'm a very late blogger.)

Apparently, she made several for her different friends, each depicting a small scene that is related to things they like. For us, it's a still life of terrariums, nature, brushes, and bones. I love its magical daintiness. I would like to live in this place that has this window.

Also, Skye and her beau Jonathan recently got hitched and we were lucky enough to attend their adorable wedding, which happened at their home. Another friend Tom created this little planter of edibles, and Skye made a felt house that sits inside:

Groom & Bride!

these small people made an art installation!

2011-03-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

Since September, I have been working with kindergarteners and first graders in an after-school program through Camp Fire. I teach them arts & crafts, read stories, sing songs, do character voices, apply band-aids to small wounds, and other odd jobs.

In January, we worked for several weeks on creating an art installation for the Emerson Space Case, the window art gallery which I curate! The piece was displayed for most of February, and consisted of an ocean scene crawling with critters, complete with an island, ships, and a painted ocean background.

I also took photos of each kid (wearing masks that they had created), cut out the figures from the photos, and inserted them all into the scene so they looked like little masked rampagers wandering about in the art.

All in all, I think it turned out looking pretty awesome. We even had an "art opening" where the kids came with their parents to check out the scene and socialize.

What I love about doing art with kids is that they don't have a filter for their outlandish ideas, and they interpret the world in such a bizarre and specific way, it makes for some incredible creations in the end. Hope you enjoy the photos!

something about this band

2011-02-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

I've been listening to Dr. Dog a lot lately. They soothe me. The above song is a cover of an Architecture in Helsinki song, which I loved to begin with, but didn't know I could love it like this too. I got obsessed with this cover when I first heard it. I hope you get obsessed too, or at least find something to love as much as I love this song.

Below is the original song too. This is actually the first time I've seen the video, which is insane and distracting. Maybe you should just listen to the song without looking at the video.

World Implodes as Local Crafter Merges Prehistory with Digital Age

2011-02-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

Check out this laptop cozy I made for Ilan! It was to be his Christmas gift, but it took me until a week ago to finish it completely.

The blue fabric is re-purposed from a thermal pullover I bought at a thrift store, delightfully soft to the touch and just the right amount of stretch. I lined it with some thin squishy foamy fabric I got at SCRAP, and added some velcro tabs to the flap to keep it snug as a bug.

The embroidered image is of a megatherium, an herbivorous prehistoric ground sloth who looked something like this:

And was this big:

(We had the pleasure of basking in the glory of this skeleton at the American Museum of Natural History in New York!)

Here's an extreme close-up of the face. He's going to see a 3-D movie, as was a common pastime for these creatures in their heyday, which lasted over five million years.

My original plan for the flap closure was the have one of those buttons that resembles a claw or a tooth, like this:

But, after much deliberation, we both decided that for the sake of practicality and convenience, velcro was the superior option. (I still think the button would look way cooler.)

My next project: A cozy for MY laptop! My design includes dolphins. Stay tuned.

Presidential Hams

2011-02-21T21:25:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted on here, so please excuse me while I play a little catch-up on days gone by.

In early February, we stopped by the "Presidential Hams" show at the art gallery inside Powell's City of Books. It's a series of paintings by an enigmatic Portland artist named Bijijoo, depicting every single past (and present) U.S. president holding a ham. Bijijoo does a lot of cool portraits of celebrities and historical figures. Here are two of my faves from the presidential portraits:

It was interesting noting the different positions of the hands and the ham in each portrait. It seemed like the same hand model may have been used for all of them, because the hands all pretty much look the same. I applaud this guy for his handy-work, since hands are one of the most difficult things in the world to depict convincingly!

They even had two papier-mache hams for posing! Here are Ilan & me in our hammy presidential portraits:

The Never Bird Strikes Again!

2011-02-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

Now showing at Courier Coffee Roasters (923 SW Oak, Portland -- the former location of Half & Half) during the month of February!

It's my Never Bird, right there above the baristas! This is part of a group show called "Intuition", featuring over 20 different artists from around the United States, curated by Kyle Simmons & Ryan Donaldson.

On my list of things to do: Make more sculptures like this.

Things To Do with Branches at Christmastime, part 2

2010-12-23T21:32:00.000-08:00

I went a little branch crazy at our house, after finding some discarded limbs in the parking lot at the hardware store. So here's what I did with my haul!

I Can Teach You Embroidery, check out "That Darn Machine"

2010-12-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

My buddy Christine Blystone has created a really nifty website for a school project (she's a busy busy student at Portland State University).

The website is called That Darn Machine, and it features a printable guide for hand sewing techniques, a timeline of the history of the sewing machine, and sewing tutorial videos. One of those videos happens to be me, teaching you how to embroider a simple animal shape onto fabric.

Want to watch me yammerin' on? Click here!

Things To Do with Branches at Christmastime, part 1

2010-12-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

Every year, I find myself unexpectedly swept up in the magic of this season. I like to fantasize about Scandinavian winters in days of yore, drinking grog and wearing bear furs by the light of the fire, women in white robes with candle wreaths atop their heads. These are the thoughts that pull me through every year. Also, the classic Rudolph stop-motion film helps a lot too.

This year, I finally made the Christmas branch I've been imagining for a couple of years now (instead of a Christmas tree). I love bare winter branches, and I've been collecting bird ornaments for the last ten years or so in hopes of having a holiday bird tree someday. Ilan and I just moved into a new house (our own place, just the two of us!), and it was the perfect opportunity for me to make my move.

I attached the branches to the wall (it's two branches pushed together to look like one) with wire attached to nails hammered into the wall.

Most of the birds came from either my mom or my friend Erika, both of whom enjoy indulging me by giving me bird ornaments for Christmas every year. I think I have more ornaments someplace; I'm still going through boxes since moving. Here are some close-ups of the cast members:

Mexican tin owl

Santa rides a bird (this one gets the WTF prize)

elegant carved grey owl

mechanical owl (looks like it could have been in Return to Oz)

fuzzy vintage bird

these tiny sailboats came from SCRAP!

cozy earmuff bird

cute & simple handmade glass bird, by my friend Pat Lunstrum

I had a ton of fun going through my box of knick-knacks, and finding these little treasures again. Some of them were ones that I had forgotten all about! It reminded me of digging through the box of Christmas decorations with my brother when we were kids, dragging out the old favorites for another go-round on the tree.

Recent Owls in My Life

2010-12-18T20:49:00.000-08:00

This is Julio, a great horned owl who came to visit with a handler from the Audobon Society at the after-school program where I work. She was adopted by a well-meaning human at an early age, and then later turned over to the Audobon Society. She cannot survive in the wild because she never learned to catch her own prey. She likes to sit for long periods of time with her head turned backwards.

These are some of my students, wearing great horned owl masks that I taught them to make in preparation for Julio's visit! This is probably one of the coolest projects I've ever done with kids.

And this is my birthday owl, a barred owl who was sitting on a power line nearby when we were out in Portland's Mississippi neighborhood on the night of my birthday this week (after some cozy craft-making at Liberty Glass). The owl was just sitting there, looking around. Maybe it was lost, or perhaps just felt like people-watching. Either way, it was quite a sight on my birthday! What could it mean?

embroidered kitchen towels for Adam & Evelyn

2010-11-28T14:29:00.000-08:00

I've been away from the blog lately because a lot of things are happening! We took a trip to New York City and Providence, Rhode Island. And then there was Thanksgiving, and now we are moving into a new house! Holy smokes.

Well, here are some things I made that I'm rather pleased with. I embroidered these kitchen towels for Adam & Evelyn, who we visited in Providence. Sort of a late housewarming gift, along with a jar of the Oregon Grape jam we made over the summer.

Here's a ram that turned out looking sort of like a constellation. It's hard to tell here, but I used different colors of pastel thread on a black towel.

And a colorful foxy fox on a white towel:

The animals are based loosely on images from this sticker book:

It's one of many brilliant sticker books by Dover Publications. If you type "old fashioned" or "old time" into the search at their website, you'll get all kinds of incredible books of stickers, clip art, and paper dolls. I also love their cheap editions of classic literature, always with beautiful cover art. Don't get me started on Dover. They're the best.

A cool day at work.

2010-11-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

I work for Camp Fire USA these days, in an after-school program for kindergarteners and first graders. Right now, I'm teaching a unit on birds, for which I am coming up with my own curriculum and craft projects.

The other day, we had a woman from the Oregon Zoo come to give a talk about birds, and she brought two live "specimens," Louie the Runner Duck, and Rosita the Screech Owl! Some days my job is really fun.

Louie wiggled his tail a lot.

The kids got to hold realistic replicas of bird skulls, like this woodpecker skull, and a toucan skull (below).

Here's Rosita!

Some artwork by by the kids in response to the visit:

The red dot on the left represents Louie's poop. He pooped during the presentation. The kids went nuts.

(I drew this one.)

this kitten gave me a great idea

2010-11-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

My idea is to have a clothing shop called "Everything Looks Better With Kittens." This clothing shop would have live kittens hanging out in the store, and you could hold the kittens while you try on clothes, because everything looks better with kittens.

I got the idea from this playful kitten that was hanging out in a vintage clothing shop in NW Portland. Here he is lurking in the men's wear.

SCRAP Volunteer Art Show

2010-11-11T20:20:00.000-08:00

My Never Bird sculpture is on display at SCRAP's Re:Vision Gallery! You may remember this little lady from my "Delectable Island" installation at the Emerson Space Case back in July. After a lonely & damp few months in our smelly garage, this old fowl is making a comeback. It felt good to dust off her feathers and see her looking lively again, in a different context this time.

For the month of November, SCRAP's Re:Vision Gallery is showing work by volunteers, and I happen to be one of those volunteers, and so is my beau Ilan. All of the art in the show is made from mostly repurposed/reclaimed materials.

If you're not familiar with SCRAP (School & Community Reuse Action Project), it's a fantastic organization here in Portland. They collect "reusable creative materials" from individuals & businesses, and sell them in a retail store for dirt cheap. This includes things like paper, fabric, carpet, foam, frames, wood, metal, tools, photos, books, art supplies... on and on. Ilan & I both volunteer in the retail store. We sort & price new items, take donations, tidy up the store, and cashier. It rules.

Anyway, here are some photos from the gallery of my piece, and Ilan's amazing shadowbox, which he made especially for this show.

creepy creations

2010-11-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here's some stuff I did for Halloween....

I made apple monsters and owl s'mores for a party! I can't take full credit because I got the ideas from the internet. Ilan helped out with the assembling.

I dressed up as a bottle of ketchup, since it was my favorite food as a kid, and I've always wanted to dress as an inanimate object:

I carved my pumpkin to look like an owl for the second time in my life. It has removable pupils for its eyes.

been stitchin'

2010-10-31T13:04:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some embroidery lately. It simultaneously keeps me off the streets and fosters a connection between myself and my matronly ancestors.

Here's a rabbit I put on my handbag. This was how I passed the time in the car on a recent trip to/from San Francisco. It's based roughly on a rabbit from a set of stickers I have of old-fashioned animal illustrations. No tail. No big deal.

Haven't blogged since Aug

2010-10-29T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've checked in here at the old choppin' blog. A lot has happened.

I've been busy with a new job, and I've been looking into grad school and wondering how & whether that will work. Wondering why I have so much trouble settling on things, jumping from passion to passion and never really allowing myself to sink my teeth too deeply into anything.

At night I've been dreaming worried dreams where I forget things, I'm wearing watches that tell the wrong time, I can't get where I need to be, people don't know who I am, and random people from different parts of my life who don't know each other are suddenly sleeping together. This is how I dream these days.

In the meantime, this plant in my room produced a flower that I didn't know was possible:

I have several of these succulents, and this is the only one that has ever bloomed. At the same time that it started blooming, I got really sick with the flu, and for a minute I was convinced that the flowers were somehow causing my illness. Oh those silly feverish thoughts we have.

Holga Beach Party

2010-08-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

I always bring my Holga camera to the beach instead of my digital. This is because I once ruined a digital camera by taking it to the beach and getting sand in it. The result of my "no digital cameras on the beach" rule is that I always get interesting artsy beach pics! Here are some that I recently had developed, starring Adam & Ilan.

Oregon Grape Jamming

2010-07-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

This summer, inspired by Adam, I decided to try my hand at making jam out of Oregon Grapes, which are currently ripe and ready and growing wildly all around us here in the northwest.

Don't be fooled, they taste like crap if you eat them raw. But as jam, they are jammingly delightful.

I followed the advice of Adam and this tutorial. I used a pressure cooker that I borrowed from my grandma; it was my inaugural pressure cooking experience, and my second time ever making jam. The kitchen became a splattered purple madhouse. After the seeds were strained from the saucy goo, I ended up with about 3 quarts of jam (before adding sugar).

The final product came out a little saucier than jam usually is. I'm guessing this is because I kept the sugar content relatively low, even though the pectin package said I should follow its instructions EXACTLY. That pectin package was rather bossy.

Anyway, I really like the jam I ended up with! Maybe I'll make another type of jam before the season is through.

really busy lately, and i am starting to want to make more sculptures

2010-07-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I've been so busy. Finishing my ridiculous installation, Ilan's birthday festivities, special people visiting from faraway places, trips to faraway places, making summer plans, volunteering, trying to find steady employment, working weekends. Dear oh dear.

Things will be back to normal soon, whatever normal is, and I'll have some breathing time, I hope. Meanwhile, I'm thinking of making more sculptures somehow for some reason. I made a zebra headpiece (above you see it before it was finished) for a costume party that is happening at our house tonight.

Now I need to go cut up some strawberries for this here party, and whip up some heavy whip.

finally finished!

2010-07-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

I finished my installation for the Emerson Space Case, entitled Delectable Island! Oh dear, it was lots of labor, and there were some rough moments of panic and grief, but it all came out delicious in the end.

For more photos, check out the Emerson Space Case blog! Loved ones showed up to the opening celebration, and it was a delight.

"You or I, not being wild things of the woods, would have heard nothing, but they heard it, and it was the grim song..."

2010-06-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here's another sculpture I'm working on for the installation.

It's the crocodile who gobbled up Hook's hand and goes around tick-tocking from the clock that she swallowed. To get a good photo of this thing is difficult at this point, because it's in pieces and it's big. So here's what I can show you.

It's made of cardboard, fabric, magazine clippings, rocks, marbles. I think that's all. Oh yeah, hot glue.

"Or suppose we tell of the birds who were Peter's friends... "

2010-06-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

I'm working on some sculptures these days. I've been busy cutting out shapes of fabric, hot gluing things, and weaving willow branches. That's why you haven't seen me here. Here on this web.

This is exciting; listen up!

I'm doing an installation for the Emerson Space Case (the window space I have been curating for the past year). The installation shall be atmospheric and magical. Inspired by the critters and imagery of the Peter Pan story by J.M. Barrie.

Here's one of the sculptures:

This is the Never bird, who rescued Peter Pan with her floating nest when he was stranded on the water. He thought she was a piece of paper drifting on the tide, before she came nearer.

pre-face / post-face

More pics later. Right now, I'm in Seattle admiring the peacock carpet in my friends' living room.

Surreal Victorian Taxidermy by Edward Hart & Walter Potter

2010-06-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Those nutty Victorian taxidermists and their whimsical little creations. I recently started browsing a lot of this on the internet. Next time I'm in Europe, I'll have to find a museum of this stuff. All these images are from a website about historical Victorian taxidermy.

"Prize Fight" by Edward Hart

"The Death" by Walter Potter

"The Wiston Goat & Shoreham Monkey" by Walter Potter

"Rabbits in School" by Walter Potter

"The Kittens' Tea Party" by Walter Potter

"The Original Death & Burial of Cock Robin" by Walter Potter (based on the nursery rhyme "Who Killed Cock Robin?")

Here are some close-ups of this elaborate set-up:

Cock Robin lies lifeless in the casket.

A raven is ready to bury the deceased.

Root-Inspired

2010-06-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a little painting I did recently:

It was a thank-you gift for Miles because he won a raffle for some coupons he didn't need, and kindly gave them to me! The result was my bike being overhauled for free (much needed, by the way), and also two free haircuts which haven't happened yet. But will.

The drawing was an attempted portrait of Miles' cat Root:

seriously

2010-05-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

If These Birds Can Sew, Then Sew Can I

2010-05-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

Here's an adorable illustration of a tailorbird, a common tropical Asian bird who "sews" leaves together to create its nest.

Here's a photo of a real nest:

Apparently, the male bird does all the sewing, and then the female has to approve it before laying her eggs there.

Why didn't anyone tell me about these birds before? Sheesh.

Tim Knowles: Artist, Windwalker, Decoder

2010-05-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

I've recently become fascinated with the art of Tim Knowles. At first, I heard about his work with what he calls "tree drawings", where he attached writing instruments to tree branches and let them doodle in the wind.

In addition to these projects, he's done loads of interesting things.

"Spybox" was a project in which he placed a digital camera inside a box centered over a tiny hole in the box, and sent it in the mail. It captured a photo once every ten seconds along its journey.

"Full Moon Reflections" is another fave of mine, where he took long exposure photos of the reflection of the full moon on rippling water:

His more recent work involves mapping, journeys, and terrain. He does what he calls "Windwalks," where he takes walks directed by the wind, while wearing a specially-designed headpiece that acts as a sail to direct him:

The walks are filmed and also plotted by GPS to create a line drawing of the route:

Another set of walks he has done are "Nightwalks," in which he takes very long exposure photographs of himself walking away from the camera at night carrying three powerful flashlights, painting in the landscape with the light as he goes along.

An inspiration.

Vintage Packaging from the Portland/Vancouver Area

2010-05-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

Check out these candles Amber & Ben got at a thrift store! Made in Japan, for a Portland Company!

In related news, I found some old matchbooks at my parents' house:

Check out the entertainment at the 1984 fair! (Don't forget to visit the antique display, it's open every day.)

Ye Olde German Novelty Restaurant:

Also, this Chinese place:

Let's face the facts. Disneyland is a giant art installation disguised as a theme park.

2010-05-04T00:19:00.000-07:00

I want to show you a book I got at a thrift store the other day:

That's Walt Disney supervising fake lions feasting on a fake zebra.

Here are some fake bears taking a dip by the railroad tracks. I don't think these dudes exist anymore.

They hired some real mermaids on for the opening celebration of the monorail. I wonder where those mermaids are now.

Of course we can all go on and on about our ethical scruples with Disney as a whole, but the fact remains that Disneyland is truly a phenomenon to be studied and admired. What a cool art project. If someone drove me to Anaheim, and I had an extra 70 dollars laying around, I'd buy a ticket to get into the gate of that place.

Emerson Space Case is blowing up like mad

2010-05-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

(detail of Jocelyn Jillett's painted plywood art)

As you may know, I have a good fortune of being the volunteer curator for a small art space (known as Emerson Space Case) in my neighborhood, here in jolly Northeast Portland.

There is so much happening with the Space Case right now, I hardly know where to begin!

Ilan Schraer, local illustrator/sculptor/dreamer/impersonator (also incidentally my boyfriend) is working at an epic deep sea cave installation made of papier mache! I have had the pleasure of assisting him in this venture, and we have been exhausting ourselves silly, so all that's left of us at the end of the day are piles of sleeping flesh dreaming of slimy strips of newspaper.

Come see the finished installation Monday night (May 3rd), when we'll be having an opening celebration! We are so excited. The installation will also be visible all throughout the month of May.

Also happening now is the launch of what we're calling the Emerson Plywood Project, which places fresh plywood murals on the side of the building each month! Read more about this month's pieces here at the Emerson Space Case Blog. For next month's murals, we'll be partnering with Art Not Crime, who will be organizing some live graffiti performances at the Alberta Art Hop on May 15th.

Oh, and there is more! A sculpture garden is in the works for the empty soggy yard next to the building. Hoorah!

Also, I will be personally creating the next installation at the space. It will be sculptural and inspired by creatures in children's literature. That's all the information you are allowed now.

I'm in love with this book. And it's the last day of April.

2010-04-30T23:34:00.000-07:00

I just discovered this book the other day. I'm in love with it. . .

. . . and it's not just because there's an owl in it.

It's also because of these seals,

and of course the kingfishers too.

It has this strange haunting scene where a fish shares the secrets of the underwater world with a kitten.

The colors really kill me. And the poetry of a quiet existence of a little piece o' land in the ocean.

Margaret Wise Brown also wrote some other books about bunnies, kittens, and baby bears that I'm sure someone read to you or you read to someone. Goodnight Moon is one, and The Runaway Bunny is another. She had ovarian cancer, and was feeling quite better afterwards. She kicked her leg into the air to demonstrate her vitality, and this kick made a clot in her blood that wandered into her heart and then she died. That's what the wiki says anyway.

Leonard Weisgard illustrated many stories in his day. Look at some of them if you want to get lost for a while.

In other news:
We may enter May tomorrow, the fifth month of this year. We may take it for all it's worth. We may not waste a moment of it.

Watercolor Doodles #2

2010-04-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more doodles I did!

I put this one on a card for my grandmother! Hope she likes it. It was a goose on the cover of a Scandinavian cookbook that accidentally ended up at our house.

Here's a psychedelic astronaut with a broken staff. It's based on a little grey figurine who hangs out on our knick knack shelf and is always being attacked by a tiny octopus.

I made a birthday card for Jacob out of this drawing, a pair of headphones based on an illustration from an old dictionary.

And this is my left hand, wearing a Raphael ring (he's cool... but rude). The ring sits in a collection of little toys and things at the front desk of my work.

And to top things off, I'd like to share this piece that was made for me by a 4th-grader. Just one of the many perks of being a children's art teacher!

recent experiments in doodling and watercolor

2010-04-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

In the last few days I've been doing some doodles for fun, and adding watercolor paint to them. I've been really enjoying it, even though I don't actually know what I'm doing when I pick up a paintbrush. So I'm learning as I go. Above, we see my owl planter (gifted to me by Abby's mom) rendered in gradient warm colors.

And here's the Tapatio guy, with his mouth seemingly more open than usual. Probably he's singing. Singing about how flavorful his sauce is. Also, Adam & Evelyn pointed out to me that Tapatio might literally mean "Snack Uncle," a phrase that I am in love with.

And today I did a Jerk-inspired portrait of a man who can "be somebody." He just needs a cocktail with a mini umbrella in it.

This one's not watercolor, but I think it's worth sharing. This is my drawing of a figurine of Penguin from Batman Returns. I doodled it without really looking at the paper much, then colored it with colored pencils.

Check Her Out: Christine Blystone of "Flapper Girl"

2010-04-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

My friend Christine, also known as Flapper Girl, makes wonderful things and sells them in her Etsy shop, at craft fairs, and at local shops.

She interviewed me for her blog recently; click here to read my words of wisdom!

Here are some of her creative creations:

Ridiculously cute hand-stitched coffee cozies!

I'm a sucker for owl bags.

I couldn't imagine a more perfect apron.

Ruffled knickers for the ladies!

more Holgas photos!

2010-03-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

There were so many good ones, I made two blog posts out of them.

Here is another wig-shot, Ilan with kitty cat, Miles at the Arboretum, Abby on top of Mitchell Point, a forest which was sabotaged by a light leak with lovely results, a hand stealing pineapple, Ilan on the beach with a carrot stick, and me on the beach (Ilan snapped that one).

My camera seems to have a problem with letting the sunlight in where it isn't supposed to. Maybe some strategically-placed electrical tape can fix that. Or maybe the shutter isn't opening all the way?

a smattering of Holga camera photos

2010-03-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

I finally had some of my Holga photos developed, and found that I had some gems in there. Here are some photos from a hike back in Febraury at Mitchell Point in the Columbia River Gorge, some magnolias from my yard (one of those is an accidental double exposure), a god's-eye thingy I made that hangs in our kitchen window, Abby putting on a wig, Adam marveling at witch hazel blooms, and a house being destroyed at the end of our block. Respectively.

More Toy-Making: Basket-o-Birds

2010-03-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Nora was turning 4, so I made her a gift. Last year, I made her a stuffed whale, which was really fun and her parents tell me she loves it. In fact, I've seen a video of her dancing around their living room with it.

This time, I thought it would be cool to make something that's like a game instead of just a regular ol' toy, so I made these little bird beanbags, which can be tossed into their nest (a basket).

This is my first beanbag-making venture. The stuffing is a mixture of regular stuffed animal stuffing, and little plastic balls that are made for bean bags, since Abby's mom gave me a package of those that she was getting rid of. I got all the fabric at SCRAP, and the basket was gotten at the Goodwill.

These little birds would make good holiday ornaments too, or just everyday ornaments. Maybe I'll make more of them sometime.

Cover of Dewclaw!

2010-03-13T23:09:00.000-08:00

I made this woodcut print for the cover of the new issue of Dewclaw, which is an independent literary/arts publication edited by Seattle's Evelyn Hampton & Adam Graffunder.

This, the second issue of Dewclaw, will be released into the world on April 1st. You can pre-order now, and it's only $8!

A Girl's Best Friend

2010-03-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

Punny Cover Art

2010-03-09T14:19:00.000-08:00

I've posted some paperback book covers before, way back in January 2009. And here I go again!

Here are a couple I found recently that I can't stop thinking about:

and here's a close-up of that dog wearing virtual reality goggles (with magician hands in the background):

I wish I could somehow make a living out of having a museum of these.

Emerson Space Case: New Show! New Blog!

2010-03-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

I implore you to check out the new blog I created for Emerson Space Case. To do that, click here, here, or here. In case you haven't heard, Emerson Space Case is a small art space which I currently curate. Until now, there has been no website for it. I have been busy back-logging all the previous shows, starting with the show Ilan and I installed at the end of June, the day Michael Jackson died, incidentally. I created back-dated blog posts, writing them in the present tense, as if they had been published at the time those shows went up. Is this lying? Who cares!

There's a new installation up at the space, but I won't tell you about it here, except I will mention that it involves driftwood. Intrigued? Click here.

I am excited about the future of the space and its endless possibilities. Feel free to be excited with me, though we trudge into this decade devoid of the existence of a living Michael Jackson.

Sometimes I Make Gifts for Children

2010-03-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

I made a crazy-eyed monster pillow for a 2-year old's birthday recently. The mouth part is a pocket! That monster can eat all kinds of things.

The green fabric was a sweatshirt I was getting rid of, and the purple fabric is velour I got at SCRAP.

My Two Favorite Romantic Songs in Movies

2010-02-14T09:33:00.000-08:00

Happy V-Day!

Accomplishments I Haven't Gotten to Yet

2010-02-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

Here are some projects I'd like to do in the next couple of months if I have my druthers:

1. Make a new pair of bunny slippers. I had to throw out my old ones recently, and they just don't make 'em like they used to. So I'll make my own, dammit.

2. Make and print some woodcuts. I just got this new ink I've never tried called Caligo Safe Wash. It's supposed to be better than the crappy water soluble stuff I've been using, and you don't need to use carcinogenic chemicals to clean it up! Can't wait to try it. I've been fantasizing about doing a series of prints based on old family photos.

3. Bake homemade bread on a regular basis. Last weekend I attended a bread-baking and creative writing workshop with Ibex Studios, a local creative writing place which is run by a woman named Becca who is also a baker at my favorite large place to buy food in the neighborhood, New Seasons Market. We learned how to bake a loaf of delightful fluffy whole wheat sandwich bread, and I hope to make this practice a part of my routine. Only trouble is, I don't eat much bread, so someone might need to help me with the consumption.

4. Finally get to my lingering sewing projects, which include making a skirt out of a geometric-patterned men's sweater, altering an owl t-shirt that says "Night Watch" so that it fits me better, and perhaps finally making the handbag of my dreams, which is yet to be designed.

5. Start playing guitar again. Just for fun. Sittin' around playing guitar for no reason. Why can't I do that anymore? I can. (see above photo for an idea of what it might look like)

6. Get a Staghorn Fern and mount it on a piece of wood with sphagnum moss. (Probably a slightly smaller one than in this photo.)

As you can see, I've got enough to keep me busy for a while. At least it keeps me off the streets.

Victorian Hair Art

2010-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

The other day, I found myself in an antique store in the St. John's neighborhood, while out for a bike ride to savor one of those refreshing sunny February days.

I was quite excited to find they had this Victorian hairwork piece! This kind of art is very hard to find, and it's even difficult to find books and documentation about it. I'm not sure why this lost art has been nearly forgotten; perhaps people are too creeped out by it to care.

A couple hundred years ago, it was quite common for families to keep locks of each other's hair, and create framed keepsakes, not just for the deceased, but also people still living. Women would create these ornate flowery shapes, wreaths, braids, pictures, and jewelry out of the hair of their loved ones.

I would love to learn how to do this kind of art, maybe I could practice with wig hair. My own hair has grown quite long these days, longer than it's been in years. Perhaps I will save it for an art piece when I grow weary of its length.

Also, I want to go to the Leila's Hair Museum in Independence, Missouri. It's run by former hairdresser and hair enthusiast Leila, who has collected a great many masterpieces of hair art and wants to show them to you and me. Here's a video of her talking about the art.

Beautiful!

Luke Forsyth at Emerson Space Case

2010-02-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

Showing this month in Emerson Space Case is a spectacle envisioned by Luke Forsyth, local artist and optimistic enthusiast.

This installation is a re-creation of a scene from a Curious George story where that mischievous little monkey gets a job as a window washer, but quickly gets himself into trouble by sneaking into a room and painting it to look like a jungle, complete with jungle animals. Chairs are transformed into leopards, a ladder and a broom become a giraffe, and a rocking horse is suddenly a zebra.

It took five of us working together to create this vision, and here it is! The kids love it. The adults aren't sure. It looks especially cool at night.

Figures

2010-02-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

I went to a figure-drawing night at PNCA the other night. Any amateur who feels like showing up can come draw a nude person for only $5. Here are some of my drawings. I went with Ilan and our roommate Lily. Ilan's drawings are cooler than mine.

Favorite Animal Stories

2010-01-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a lovely vintage book I picked up at the bins recently! It's called Favorite Animal Stories, and includes such classics as "Don, The Story of a Lion Dog," "Cubby," and "Jambi & The Tiger."

Here are some illustrations from it, and a box I made to send a late holiday gift to my friend Erika, using a page from this book.

Foxing Day

2010-01-25T19:22:00.000-08:00

Lately there have been a lot of foxes in my life.

First of all, I dressed up as the Disney fox version of Robin Hood for Halloween. It's one of my favorite movies, and fox Robin Hood was my first crush.

Second, Ilan created a beautiful card for me for my birthday, which can't be fully described in words, but in short, it included a drawing of me as a fantasy fox version of myself.

Third, I recently bought a thrifted vinyl copy of the story and songs from The Fox & The Hound, which was another of my favorite childhood movies, and brings a tear to my eye whenever I recall the story of the tender forbidden friendship between the hunter and the hunted, my favorite old buds Todd and Copper.

And last of all, I am currently working on a foxy project, which is a woodcut print for the cover of my friend Evelyn Hampton's publication Dewclaw. I'm flattered that she asked me to provide cover art, and it has been taking me too long to finish this piece. Here is a preview:

Also, if you haven't seen Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox yet, you should. Because it's so beautiful.

Don't Forget This

2010-01-18T09:33:00.000-08:00

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."
- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy MLK Day. Don't forget to love each other.

You Want to Help

2010-01-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some ways we can help Haiti right now:

Monetary donations are the only thing to do at the moment, as physical items cannot be shipped or even dealt with in Haiti right now. Times are tough for many of us who don't have much to spare, but even a few dollars can make a difference.

Donate to the Red Cross.

Donate to Doctors Without Borders.

Locally speaking, Milagros Boutique has compiled a huge list of Portland businesses who are donating a portion of their sales this week to Haiti relief efforts.

Also local, New Seasons Market is accepting donations and will MATCH your donation (up to $10,000). More bang for your buck.

Visit the Craft Hope for Haiti Etsy shop and purchase handmade items donated by artists. All proceeds go to Doctors Without Borders, who are sending efforts to Haiti right now. My favorite piece they have for sale at the moment:

Sloth Necklace by Mary Mary Handmade

Recent Acquisitions

2010-01-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

I made my first trip to the William Temple House last week. It's a thrift store in NW Portland that for some reason I've never been to in my several years living here.
My two favorite treasures that I brought home that day are a Native American themed (offensive?) plate with fake stitching around the edges (is it supposed to look like leather?), and a lovely mushroom sterling silver pendant.

Just thought you'd like to see them.

Homeschool at Emerson Space Case

2010-01-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was lucky enough to find out about Homeschool, a Portland art collective whose motto is "Affordable Art for Everyone." They installed a group show at Emerson Space Case for the month of January, which is quite a thrill as the first ever group show in the space! Jess Hirsch and Jacqueline Mention are the headers-up of the group, and they did a fantastic feat setting up and coordinating the whole thing. I don't have a complete list of artists involved, but here are the artists I'm sure of:

John Kelting
Sarah Goodchild-Robb
Elisabeth Mention
Kristen Flemington
Andrea Loeffler
Ashley Sloan
Elizabeth Jaeger
Shawn Creeden

This is the most atmospheric installation we've done at the space so far. They set it up to appear like rooms in someone's house, with discarded orange peels and high heeled shoes strewn about amidst furniture and leftover New Years party hats.

Here are some snaps of the set-up process, and the final product!

Where Do Turkeys Come From, and My First Pie

2009-11-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

I made a pumpkin pie! The crust was a little overdone. Give me a break, I'm an amateur. Happy Thanksgiving!

Chia Obama

2009-11-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

I recently saw these things in a store, and apparently they've been around since April 2009.

Here are photos of the two available versions, "Happy" and "Determined." I tend to prefer the latter; I think it's a more flattering likeness.

Obama now belongs to a select group of real people to ever be Chia-fied. As far as I know, there's just Mr. T, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln. Also, Lady Liberty, but she doesn't really count. Other Chia heads have been made portraying cartoon characters, such as Garfield, Shrek, Taz, Homer Simpson, and a few others.

According to ChiaObama.com, these make a great gift! I'm putting it on my Christmas list.

Also, if you don't want to spend big bucks on a Chia Pet, here's how you can make your own Chia Pet-like thing.

More Terrarium Talk

2009-11-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

I did some glamor shots with my terrariums yesterday.

This one with the little sheep in it is a new one. The plant inside is touch-sensitive, so it shrinks away from your hand when you touch it.

The spooky owl one down there at the bottom is one that I've had for about a year and a half, and I think I've only watered it twice. It's an enclosed ecosystem.

"Squares" Photo Show at Emerson Space Case

2009-11-04T12:23:00.000-08:00

November's show at Emerson Space Case features two of my photo-snapping friends, John Ryan Brubaker and Jennifer Jansons. These two triumphantly use devices from a by-gone era to make images that manage to make magical compositions out of everyday scenes.

Jennifer Jansons' Holga medium-format photographs transport you into a softer world. The Holga camera has a plastic lens with soft focus around the edges.

John Ryan Brubaker completed a project called Polaroid 366, in which he took a Polaroid photo every day for a year. And not just any year - a year in which there was an extra day. On display at the space are some selections from his year of photos.

Brubaker is currently showing work at Albina Community Bank in Portland, as part of a show called The People Behind the Paper, a photo documentary project about the vendors of Street Roots newspaper. He will also be embarking soon on a journey to Thailand! I can hardly wait to see the resulting photos.

Watch Me Make a Terrarium! Learn How to Make Bacon! Listen to Live Music!

2009-11-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

This Friday, I'll be doing a live terrarium-making demo!

Julie Sabatier contacted me a couple of weeks ago to do this, because she saw some terrariums I made that are being displayed at The Waypost. I'm flattered and a little nervous to be doing this thing in front of a crowd, although any activity that feels like being on a cooking show excites me.

I've never been to this venue (former funeral parlor) The Woods, and it looks like a lovely place.

Here's the official info:

PDX Salon and Destination DIY present

An Evening of DIY
November 6th, 8-11pm at The Woods
Tickets $10-20 (sliding scale). To get them in advance, click here.

Destination DIY producer and creator Julie Sabatier will host an event that will bring out your inner innovator: live demonstrations and interviews about how to make radio, how to make a terrarium and how to make bacon. Delicious sweet and savory treats will be served. A silent auction will include many fine items to enhance your DIY projects or spark a new one. The show will be book-ended by performances from musician Leviethan and musicians/visual artists billygoat, who will show off their gorgeous stop-motion animation and give us a window into how they do what they do themselves. Do you DIY? Step into our recording room to tell us about it and you could end up on the next Destination DIY podcast!

This event will kick off a fundraising campaign to raise money to produce the next two one-hour episodes of Destination DIY.

The Day Before Halloween, or I wish I had more excuses to make costumes

2009-10-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek at my costume-in-the-making! A little less elaborate than I had planned, but not disappointingly so.

It's a fox dressed up like Robin Hood, inspired by the Disney animated movie, which is one of my favorite movies of all movies.

Tails are tricky. I made one, but I wish I had some fake fur or something. His tail in the movie is so lively, fluffy, and luxurious. A dangling stuffed cone of fabric is less appealing.

Costume idea for next year: Robin Hood when he dresses up like a female fortune teller to trick Prince John. Ooh-de-lally!

We grew this squash by accident, and ate it on purpose.

2009-10-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it wasn't entirely by accident that this squash ended up growing in our yard. I had attempted to grow squash in a container last year, but nothing happened. Apparently, I re-used some of the soil that had the squash seeds in it, and magically it sprouted up this year among some cilantro and spinach plants! I transplanted the squashies into the ground and let 'em rip.

So, we ended up with two squash plants with disappointing yield: one butternut squash, and one delicata squash.

But, for someone who didn't even expect to grow squash this year, I guess I'm a lucky lady!

So, here's what we did with the butternut:

Ilan found a recipe on the internet for stuffed squash. We cooked the squash and scooped out some of the meat. We mixed that with some other typical stuffing ingredients like bread crumbs, onions, sausage (veggie in our case), and herbs. Then we stuffed the two halves, and cooked it again for 20 minutes. We topped it all off with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and green onions, and a squirt of Aardvark hot sauce.

Best autumn meal so far! Long live squash.

Amy Baker's "Mending" at Emerson Space Case

2009-10-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

This month at Emerson Space Case, we have Amy Baker's spectacular hand-embroidered artwork, in a show called "Mending." This show is a collection of portraits of people from Amy's life (including a self-portrait), all hand-stitched onto cotton, with thousands of threads filling spaces with color. Amy is a graduate of the Oregon College of Art & Craft, with a major in Fibers.

This show will be up through October 26th.

Miracle Mushroom!

2009-09-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

The other day I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of a new resident at our house: this little mushroom who decided to grow in our terrarium!

This particular terrarium has been one of my most successful ones ever! I planted it several months ago when Ilan was still living at his old house. They had a fishbowl with some dying plants inside it, and I refurbished it for them.

I'm not sure how the spore(s) that birthed this little fungus drifted into the picture, but I'm glad it happened. I am now inspired to create mushroom-based terrariums. Anyone know anything about that?

Summer Wrap-Up, or How the Rapid Passage of Time Never Fails to Catch Me Off Guard

2009-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

September creeps up on us each year, like the quiet tinny sound of a clock-radio playing an Eagles song, a song that you've heard many times but don't especially like, and the morning is fresh outside while you're still half-asleep and not sure if you're really hearing that mellow sort-of-lame song, and why is it playing in your head if it's not playing for real, and oh god it's actually playing for real, and you fumble around for the switch but the switch won't budge because we're not actually talking about an alarm clock, we're talking about the inevitable passing of time, so you can forget about snooze buttons. Take it easy.

And you set your bare feet onto the cold wooden floor to find that the summer is over. Wake up.

There were some good times. We made a trip to the Oregon coast, picked fruit, swam in some bodies of water, went camping (though only once), and enjoyed some shaved ice.

On the Fourth of July, we stood outside a concert venue where we could simultaneously hear the band playing, watch an old drunken man pantomime being onstage with the band, and also watch fireworks all at once. It was probably the most patriotic moment of my life.

I also used up an entire box of Band-Aids on various small injuries over the course of the season, which I think is an excellent measure of the amount of adventuring I've been squeezing in to these three glorious months. I may complain about the oppressive heat when it happens, but all in all, I do dearly love the summer.

So now Autumn will be crinkling merrily along, casting those yellows and oranges over our deciduous fellows, and sprinkling mulling spices and squash into our diets to prepare us for the onslaught and the shivers ahead. Shiver shiver.

For now, I'm catching rays like crazy while I still can.

Jamey Braden at Emerson Space Case

2009-09-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

My pal Jamey Braden is now showing work at the Emerson Space Case (the small art space I curate).

The show is called "Self Helps," and is a series of watercolor works on paper, using text and lovely swirling color.

Jamey describes herself: "I'm a drawing/shaping/performing artist and I live and work in Seattle. I run around and act confused and draw and think words because words come in and can't be decoded in any other form than the words they come in and make it on the page as such. I studied art at Western Washington University in dreary-beautiful Bellingham."

If you're in Portland, you should swing by and check out the show! It will be up until September 21st. Emerson Space Case is a row of windows in a white building on the corner of NE 30th & Emerson.

Also noteworthy: Have you ever seen a Giant Schnauzer? We got to pet two of them when Jamey & Nate were visiting. Giant!

"Manor of Art" at Milepost 5

2009-08-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

There's a place in Portland called Milepost 5. Its purpose is to eventually be an affordable live/work space for artists. The plan is to renovate an old building that used to be a Baptist retirement home. They've already got some condos built next-door where some artists are already living. It's way out in a weird out-of-the-way area that's not artistic at all by appearances, but perhaps the perfectly miserable environment for artists to create beauty and innovation where there is none.

Anyway, Milepost 5 hosted an event called "Manor of Art" in the yet-to-be-renovated building. The idea was to have a different artist (or group of artists) create an installation for each room.

My buddy Robert and I attended, and it turned out to be a fun and inspiring event. The installations were varied and exciting, one was a dance party, another was a suspension bridge leading out a window on the ground floor.

Below, you see Robert in an upside-down bedroom:

... and some pretty shadow box things someone made.

The evening came to a heart-warming close when Robert & I were debating whether and how to ride our bikes back home (we had both ridden the MAX there with our bikes, and had sworn to ride bikes all the way home). We saw another guy leaving on a bike, and asked him if he knew the best way to get to our neighborhood. Turns out he was headed to roughly the same area, so he was our friendly enthusiastic guide through dark unfamiliar neighborhoods where cyclists rarely dare to venture. Another kind stranger saves the day!

"Summer 2005 Comics" at Emerson Space Case

2009-08-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

I'm a lazy blogger, I know. I never posted a blog about the first exciting show at Emerson Space Case, which was a series of prints by myself and Ilan Schraer, inspired by strangers' anonymous wishes. However, Ilan posted a blog about it! Go look at it!

Enough about the past. Here's a look at the second exciting show at Emerson Space Case.

Ben Parrish is a comic book artist who lives in Portland, and creates a line of comics called "Summer 2005 Comics." For the Space Case, he drew really large versions of them. They touch on such topics as life in Ocean Park, Washington as a teenager, an assemblage of characters in search of a lost Dr. Dre album, ZZ Top, and a dog who loves chips. My favorite character of Ben's is a guy called W=VV, a sorry soul who thinks the letter W is two V's. If you're going to be in Portland at all in the month of August, you should check out Ben's show!

Emerson Space Case is a window art space on the corner of NE 30th & Emerson. It is viewable on all days at all hours, though it might be too dark to see between the hours of 2am and 6am, as the lights are timed to go off around 2.

inclusion in Dewclaw!

2009-06-23T21:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Evelyn Hampton edits a publication called Dewclaw. The first issue of it just became available today, and it includes two illustrations by me! The photo to the left is Evelyn unpacking a box full of Dewclaws. Her hands aren't actually huge, it's just the perspective of the photo making you think that.

Evelyn has a great blog in which she chronicles the process of editing, compiling, and printing Dewclaw, in addition to some bee stories and sage thoughts on life.

Kate Bush is my inspiration.

2009-05-27T23:53:00.000-07:00

Also, the check out the rainbow background for this British television show.

Space!

2009-05-10T10:30:00.000-07:00

Through a strange and bewildering chain of events, I have recently become curator of a very small art space in my neighborhood. It's this row of windows on the ground floor of a plain white building on NE 30th & Emerson, which probably used to be some kind of shop. Now it is empty/storage on the bottom with apartments on top. The building is owned by a neighborhood real estate guy and art lover named Magnus. He has given me full control of the space, to do with it what I please.

I needed to get something in there immediately, so I'm now scrambling to install an installation of my own that deals with shadows and repurposed materials. But enough about me.

If you have any installation proposals, please don't hesitate to contact me. I want beautiful otherworldly scenes to inhabit this space. I'm excited about this thing.

I've only been in charge of it for a few days, so there is much work and plotting to be done. I envision parties on the sidewalk, projections on the building, baffled looks from passers-by, and a bright, beautiful future.

Getting Rid

2009-05-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

I've been trying for the last couple of years to be better at getting rid of things. I have collecting tendencies. I am afraid that when I am old, I will become overtaken by my useless possessions, with just a narrow trail winding through my cave-like house.

Here's something I've had for a while that I'm now getting rid of. It's a weird painting of a strange family. I think this picture came out too pixely, but you get the idea. Who are they? Why do they have to be such creeps?

Roundey Squarey Photographs

2009-05-08T23:15:00.000-07:00

I have a Holga camera. I know, they're all the rage these days. The kids and their Holgas. I've been experimenting with it, which can be suspenseful, risky, gratifying, and frustrating all at once. On the one hand, I shouldn't be spending money on film and developing, but on the other hand, it's creatively stimulating to experiment with taking pictures with film, which in these times is such a novelty.

Here are some of my favorite shots so far...

Lonesome seats on the Whidbey Island Ferry:

A trip to Multnomah Falls with Ilan (a dashing shot of Ilan, but spooky shot of me), and some trees near the falls:

And finally, a grocery store hair dye display. One of the coolest things about these cameras is that you can merge the exposures together like this. However, trying to get the right focus is sort of a gamble.

hungry

2009-04-29T00:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't written a new blog in such a long time, but it's not because I haven't been busy doing things and things. Happy belated Earth Day, by the way. The guy who coordinated the first Earth Day is from my hometown of Camas. I've never met him, and I don't think he lives in Camas anymore. But still.

Anyway, a lot has been on my plate recently. Like trying to figure out what to do with this life of mine and wondering how doing what I do will allow me to survive. I've been reading Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, and she emphasizes that the things you need will come to you when you need them if you are open to receiving. And, of course, the things you need don't always come in the form in which you expect them. So I'm trying to learn how to relax, take'er easy, do the things I love to do, and do them whole-heartedly, trusting that if I send out my good energy to the world, it will come back to me in some shape. If you have any tips on chilling out and being more groovy, let me know.

The above photo is of a supper I made for an art project in my Papermaking class last year at school. The food is sculpted out of paper pulp, which came from used office paper at my old job at Clay Tower Apartments. Ham, mashed potatoes & gravy, and peas & carrots.

Crayon Self

2009-03-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

We recently were looking after Ilan's 3-year old cousin, and we were instructed to write our names and draw pictures of ourselves. Here is what we came up with.

TMNT 2 @ Pix Patisserie

2009-03-28T23:37:00.000-07:00

We went to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 at this fancy chocolate & coffee place in the neighborhood called Pix Patisserie. I'm not sure why they chose to show this particular movie, and truth be told I almost didn't go because I would have rather watched the first Ninja Turtles movie. But I must say, this movie took on a new charm when played in such a setting. And I had forgotten about those giant mutated dandelions in the beginning of the movie, which are beautiful. Even though they're mutants.

Project: Whale

2009-03-07T23:35:00.000-08:00

The other night I had the pleasure of attending the third birthday party of Ilan's cousin's little nipper, Nora. I decided to try my hand at whale-making for her present. I used a thermal sweatshirt from a thrift store for the lavender part, and on the back is some dainty flowery flannel I've had in my sewing box for years. I think the hardest part was getting the stuffing in without it being lumpy. The species is a bit ambiguous... cartoony pretend whale, I guess.

And here is the recipient:

I Do Like Feathers & Turquoise, Thanks for Asking

2009-02-21T22:35:00.000-08:00

Some friends-of-friends (Nicole & Karla) are putting on this art show at Disjecta that's opening February 28th (that's this Saturday, by thee way). It's called Dreamcatcher and it's described as "the product of the Northwest sense of humor infused with Southwest aesthetics."

From what I understand, the show is an exploration of the white westerners' fascination and exploitation of Native American aesthetics in popular culture, fashion, keychains, ephemera, kitsch, and the what-have-you. Mostly, I just know that somehow involved is a video recording of my buddy Benny (drummer of France vs. Germany) with no shirt on, sweatily playing the drums while wearing a head dress. Come for the Benny video, stay for the fry bread!

There will be live rock/roll music at the opening on Saturday (not sure if any of the bands are Native American), and my friend Yair will be performing! His act is called Big Spider's Back (no actual spiders are involved). Yair's a nice guy, a talented musician, and an unwilling/aspiring stand-up comic.

My only dilemma is which pair of moccasins to wear to the opening!

Your Memories are Important to Someone

2009-02-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

Today I'm sick with a throat-ripping cold or something, so I've had plenty of time for web browsing, since I don't feel like doing much else besides consuming toast and hot ginger beverages.

Through an ad in the Artists section on Craigslist, I stumbled upon this project that local artist Abraham Ingle is currently working on. It's called Neighborhood Diaries.

Ingle is doing audio recordings of everyday folks like you and me recalling memories and stories that have happened to us in specific locations in Portland. His plan is to compile self-guided walking tour podcasts using these audio recordings.

He received a grant from the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) for this project, which proves that he's got his shit together. They don't hand those out to just anyone.

Visit his blog Hoodturkey for details on how to participate in this awesome project. I can't wait to hear your memories...

A Show at Disjecta!

2009-01-29T12:12:00.000-08:00

Ten post-baccalaureate students from Oregon College of Art & Craft, including myself, are putting on a two-week show at Disjecta called Undone. It includes students from wood, ceramics, metals, photography and drawing/painting.

The opening is THIS SATURDAY from 6pm to 9pm. And my favorite cat chaser DJ Dog Daze will be spinning records the whole time. You should come. Seriously! The piece I've been working on is a participatory art piece, so get ready.

If you've never been to Disjecta's new location on N. Interstate, it's worth checking out. It's a HUGE exhibition/performance space, and they also house artist's studios. Apparently, the building used to be a bowling alley! And don't worry, you can take the MAX there.

Disjecta
8371 N Interstate
Gallery Hours: Thu-Sun 12-5 pm
Show runs Jan. 31st - Feb. 14th

Cover Art on Children's Books

2009-01-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

I work at a guest house near a hospital where families can stay while their children undergo treatment at the hospital. This guest house is named after a mascot for a major American corporation which shall remain nameless.

Anyway, with such a job I come into contact with a lot of children's books, many of which are donated and may be quite old. I have herein documented some of my favorites that I've seen, based on varying factors, including beauty and hilarity.

When I Get Back to Portland...

2009-01-07T09:23:00.000-08:00

... let's make Chinese green onion pancakes. Last night Ilan took me to a restaurant here in San Francisco called Little Beijing, and I was reminded of the existence of these crispy delights. When I worked at Clay Tower in downtown Portland, our elderly Chinese residents would bring them to us once in a while, such as on Chinese New Year.

Maybe we could have a night where we eat these and watch "Big Trouble in Little China" too.

Consumerism Show at 100th Monkey Studio - Opening this Friday

2009-01-05T18:44:00.000-08:00

The 100th Monkey Studio's gallery is having a group show this month, the theme of which is "Consumerism." Five of my Holga photos will be displayed; below is a sneak peak!

100th Monkey Studio
110 SE 16th Ave
Opening Reception w/ snacks & drinks: Friday, January 9, 6-9pm

I'm actually in the beautiful steep city of San Francisco right now, road trippin' with my boyfriend. We're heading back to Portland Friday. It's nice to be someplace that's about 20 degrees warmer right now.

BikeSawYou.com

2009-01-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

It's hard to deliver a pick-up line when you're pumping pedals up an incline, or when the object of your affection whizzes by with his/her hair cascading in the wind and doesn't even notice you with your heart all a-flutter.

That's why my buddy Miles created BikeSawYou.com. It's like the "I Saw You" ads, but for cyclists. For now, it's just for Portland and Seattle folks, but perhaps more cities will be added in the future.

So get over there and find yourself a cyclist to cuddle with, because there's a romantic holiday just around the corner, and I'm not talking about MLK Day.

A Magic Birthday Present - Beliveve it or not!

2008-12-23T23:06:00.000-08:00

My dear friends Amber & Ben gave me this Magic Garden for my birthday. According to the package, it's never been seen before, and it's almost unbelievable.

The garden consists of a mountain, grass, and trees made of colored paper. It comes with four packets of liquid that you pour into the tray underneath. The paper slowly soaks up the liquid, and as the liquid evaporates from the paper, crystals form. It's some kind of salty solution; I'm not sure exactly how it works.

It all began like this...

And here the paper is soaking up the liquid...

Crystals began to form...

Boyfriend watches in suspense and disbelief...

And the next day, it was complete. Snowy mountain, flowery trees, and all. Not quite as much foliage as the picture on the package, especially the grass. But I can't complain about something so beautiful and almost unbelievable. Maybe I should learn how to make these and design my own magic garden.

I Finally Saw "Ziegfeld's Follies"

2008-12-19T22:11:00.000-08:00

For some reason, I had never watched the film Ziegfeld's Follies before. Turns out I was missing out on a lot. While the segments on this movie are hit & miss, the hits are really worth watching.

My personal highlights include the Water Ballet (underwater dancing!), Lucille Ball as a trainer of sexy cat women, and Judy Garland singing about the invention of the safety pin. You can probably see all these things on YouTube, but don't be lazy: if you're going to watch it, watch the DVD. The colors and sounds are utterly spectacular. Utterly! Spectacular!

Incredible Discovery of the Week: "Rock'n Popstars" biographies

2008-12-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

I've been going to a lot of thriftshops lately for a photography project I'm doing for school (more on that in a future blog). This project has inevitably led to some unnecessary purchases and some heartwrenching decisions about what to take home and what not to take home. While browsing the children's books at Paws'n'Claws, one of my favorite dinky thrifshops in Vancouver, WA, which happens to have a ton of vintage children's books for less than $1, I stumbled upon the Incredible Discovery of the Week.

I don't even care much for Carly Simon, but this book really caught my eye. It was published in 1975, and is from a series called "Rock'n Popstars" published by Creative Education. It's a biography for kids, and contains gorgeous watercolor illustrations based on photographs of Carly Simon.

Some inspiring graphic design inside:

Apparently, Creative Education has published a number of these biographies, for they are listed in the back of the book.
I don't know about you, but I'd like to get my hands on the Bob Dylan one. And Chicago? This blows my mind.

A google searching spree yielded only two more images of books from this series:

I'm thrilled by this discovery. Just knowing that these books exist makes the world feel brighter and better.

First Blog

2008-11-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is. The first blog.

While I think of more things to say, please enjoy these photos of a recent project I did in my printmaking class:

It's a three-color reduction woodcut of a favorite shape of mine, the audio cassette tape. The above photo happened when the first color layer had dried, and I was about to print the second color. This is the second time in my life that I've done a three color reduction woodcut. The first time was at the University of Washington. I plan to make more.

This one's after the second color layer. It should actually be viewed in landscape orientation, but this is how it was hanging on the hangy thing.

And for the other color variation...

Because colors send me into a fantastic frenzy, I made two different versions of this print, the above is the warm-toned one of which I only made maybe four prints. My classmate Steve took one home.

I didn't take any photos of the finished product, complete with color layer number three. Perhaps I will do that soon. I sort of like it this way anyway.