This week, I tried to leave my Vancouver setup in a better state, as I headed down to Seattle in time for the art fair.

Meetings & Making

I’ve been having some resistance in getting to my studio space in Vancouver. Messy? Sure! Long projects that have no end? Yep, that too. But most directly, I’ve set up on a “nice” table, over smooth carpet, and it’s just not a comfortable place to experiment or get messy. I tidied up a bit, and added a tablecloth and dropcloth. Better.

At the same time, I have too many small sketches, sketchooks, and scraps of composition, and it might be time to think bigger. I bought a large manila sketchpad and I’m going to try mark-making that involves my whole body. Isn’t that gloriously ugly? But it was so fun! I’m going to rip it up and use it in collages, tout de suite.

Touching down in Seattle for a bit, I reminded myself of the experimentation I’d left many weeks ago. I finished the cover pages for my collaged board book, keeping with the house shape theme. Since it was based on “Are You My Mother”, maybe my covered-up version is called “Are You My Home?”

I’ve got some larger work in Seattle as well, repurposing older pieces that are retired from my active inventory.

This piece, a photo printed on wood ages ago, is getting some paint and collage. I’ve decided the pink is overbearing, and maybe some bits of yellow might be a nice break. They’re just resting on the piece, while I decide what’s next.

Even larger, the work on an old aluminum print feels so close to done, but it’s just not. And I need to figure out why. I added another lighter element to the too-dark bottom area, and that tells me a bit more.

A value study helps me figure these things out. Either the top right needs more interest, or the top left needs less… Or, maybe I’m putting off the issue of how to finish this piece, once I call it done!

And in between all the moving around and reconnecting with ideas I’d left to rest, I also played a bit, with the idea of abstracting floral photos. Because if the studio is messy, I’ve always got my laptop!

Viewing & Connecting

Despite the ongoing heat and my lack of a summer wardrobe, I got a few venues checked on my to-visit list on Thursday and Friday.

The first three stops were all about connecting with work and people I’m getting to know. Shannon Pawliw is running a captivating gallery, and I’ve got a piece of hers, so it was great to see her work recognized in a show at Vines. Down the block, I got to peek in the flat file drawers at Gallery 881 to see more work from Gerri York, who I spotted last week at Malaspina. And then I was off to Shannon’s gallery, THIS, for a new landscape show — look at that yummy pink!

The next two stops had some interesting ideas for layering. At Catriona Jeffries, works on paper were on the walls, but in flux — no labels. The piece that caught my eye was photography, possibly collaged? with a white muslin layer over top, held away from the piece with long pins and with a center cutout in a figured shape, peering through at the photos behind it. At Access Gallery, I was reminded that I could use a lightbox — note to self! — as Skye Tao did, or, that layers could peek through as the tiniest of squares, like Paniz Mani has done.

Printing

I’ve finally gotten my printing tests back from all four locations! Each of them has obvious benefits, and no great drawbacks; now what?

To recap, the locations were: Printmaker Studio (bottom left), Tricera (top left), Fidelis (top right), and OPUS (bottom right). I like them all!

I must say, it just feels good to know that these are all good options, and it’s wonderful to see these recent pieces, so tied to Vancouver, on a physical surface. It will only matter when someone is ready to order, and that will be a collaborative decision. Maybe I’d better check on lightboxes next…!

I hope you also found a way forward this week, or at the very least, got a few clues as to your next direction. Let me know what they are!

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