trees, lists, meet ups and placebos

i'm in the thick of finalizing everything for my show at angels gate . it's quickly approaching. i have to get ready to pack and ship the bulk of the work there. and i'm working on some ghost doily trees.

here they are drying [i glue them to stabilize them and then sand down the tops so that the wooden dowel is as flush with the first doily as it can be]. i'm not even sure how these are going to end up being configured. i'm having them build a pedestal for me there and i'll place them when i get there. [nothing like winging it right?]

huge thanks to my mom and my former student jennifer who helped make doilies. i am no longer afraid of relying on the kindness of those around me to help complete my projects.

this is the first solo exhibition i've worked on since the little. it will be the little's first plane ride.... while we've been away from home, it's always been by car... i'm hoping she's as adaptable as i think she is and won't have too much trouble.



i was on the hunt for the perfect calendar for 2011. i adored my start here planner, but they haven't made one in a few years, and it didn't look like one for 2011 was on the horizon. and now that i've started a daily list i was thinking it might be easier to incorporate the calendar and list into one package. and along comes moleskine to read my mind.

a 12 month planner broken into monthly books... in a RAINBOW of colors. what could be more perfect for me?? of course i bought on [on ebay] immediately and can't wait for it to arrive. it's kind of ridiculous how giddy office supplies make me.

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i was really lucky to meet susie ghahremani the other day. she was in town to sign copies of the exquisite book at rare device . we had lunch at universal cafe .

i don't get out much. so it's always nice to have a thoughtful conversation with another working artist about what that means exactly. she asked me what it was like to have a child in terms of my artistic process. i've been asked about how to balance everything, or how to manage it, but this was a different angle. what came to me was the idea that as an artist your work tends to sit in your brain 24/7. it just doesn't turn off... even if you aren't physically working on it - it's sort of always THERE. hovering. what should you do next? what needs to get done? how can you fix what you just messed up? what color needs to go where? once you are done w/ a body of work what will you do now?? it's just a ticker tape under the surface of your day to day activities. well... since the little that ticker tape stops for me when i'm with her. she takes all of my engagement. [not ALL the time, but for much of it] it takes all of my mind to participate and be present with her. it's not like teaching where i have to call on my own art work or art experiences to be with the students. and that's kind of an interesting thing when i think about it really.

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and one more thing because i think this is so interesting ::

the behring institue for medical research is having a call for art placebos . i read the call, and i can't even start to imagine what a "placebo" in art would be ??? how do you make the equivalent of a sugar pill in art ???? [if anyone has an idea for that i'd love to hear it].