Nip and Tuck

Hello, friends! It's been quite a week, as now that I've signed official documents, the job at the Vermillion Public Library seems to be a reality for me. I've been racing around tying up loose ends with my other two very, very part-time jobs, along with getting some work into a great show space up in Sioux Falls. For those of you in the area, you can see my work adorning these luscious walls at Rug and Relic, a gallery showplace that features beautiful rugs and objects from Turkey, along with a selection of other art and objects from artisans both near and far. It's a feast for the senses as soon as you walk in the door and my work is going to be very happy on consignment there....don't worry, there's still plenty left in my online shops, although you may have noticed the amount of work at the MissouriBendStudio shop on Etsy drastically reduced this week.

While I transform my psyche from living in the studio to the living 30 hours of the week at the library, I've been slowly tweaking some things...you know, a little nip and tuck, as I try to fit myself into this new metaphoric set of clothes. While not wanting to give anything up, I'm adjusting the way I do things in various ways. Sometimes it's the little things....like pulling my writing desk area away from the way and facing into the room, rather than into the wall....it opens everything up in a new way!

I've been experimenting this week with different sizes and formats for the daily drawings, but by now have come straight back to the original format, although in the absence of teabags (as is my current situation) I'll work on a small piece of Japanese paper adhered to the bristol board. The difference will be that I won't post daily in the shop or on facebook as I have been doing. As much as I have enjoyed the great comments and cheer over on facebook each day, it's enough to just get a drawing-a-day made, without the pressure of photographing and posting daily....now that will all happen weekly. 

April 10 2012

April 11 2012

April 12 2012

April 13 2012

Many of the long-time followers of this blog will remember that one of my structured daily practices has been doing a quick group of 10 morning drawings each day....these are really just marks on the page....letting my hand move where it wants and stop when it wants.  The whole thing takes less than 10 minutes, but I've been doing them since the beginning of August and the pages are piling up quite high, 10 pieces of copy paper per day since August (minus the days here and there that I miss) well....it's quite the stack...

I'm moving this little practice into a small moleskin and just doing five pages instead of ten. I think this will evolve and merge with the actual journal writing (if you can call it that) that I do each morning...just a page or so of writing down whatever is on my mind.  I've never been one to keep a real artistic journal, but I'm beginning to see myself moving in that direction. Today, I just did my little drawings in the book, while the pile of previous drawings from April beside me on the desk looked on as if they'd been abandoned...well, they kind of have.

Actually these little drawings are more involved than they usually are...I suppose a sign of them evolving in some way. I think life in the studio, even though the time will be more limited, will be more rewarding. The financial and marketplace pressure is off....I have a feeling I'll settle into the work with a better flow....so you'll continue to see it pop up in MissouriBendStudio, MissouriBendMusings and on my website.  I'm not giving up this blog at all....I've made too many valuable friends this way and I'd miss you all terribly! I don't suppose I'll have time for posting more than once a week, but that's what it's been lately and who knows....I may find all kinds of pockets of time tucked away in those library shelves!  

Thanks for reading my ramblings! I appreciate your comments and do hope you have a fine weekend!