OS GEMEOS MURAL

Os Gemeos (meaning "twins") is the name of two twin brothers from Brazil, who are "so called" graffiti artists. They recently created this mural in NYC & this photo is taken from the article in the NY Times. They have done major pieces all over the world, but this was the first time I had heard of them. I am totally ENCHANTED with their imagery and imaginations--but also blown away with how they are creating these paintings. Yes, it is spray paint, but they have come up with ways of using things like templates to create a hightly detailed and incredible world. There is a slide show on the NY Times website, showing various aspects of this work and also them at work on it. You can see that here. I googled them and there are lots of links with pictures of various projects they have done--also a very profound and moving interview with them which you can see here. Check it out--it is worth seeing! You will be amazed.
In other news, my etsy shop is coming along nicely. I have been working on it since the beginning of July--it seems non-stop. I am getting closer to having it pretty together as a site----but then, of course--your shop is never really DONE. Go here to see my updates. If you have any comments, suggestions or whatever--I would be happy to hear them!

ETSY

I joined ETSY in the beginning of May, but didn't start to post any items until July. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Etsy.com----it is a website for artisans and retailers who sell handcrafted items and art, vintage clothing and accessories and craft supplies. It has been around for a few years and has become quite a phenomenon. I liked the idea of it, and I like the fact that it is so community oriented. There are forums and conversations that members can participate in, and ongoing workshops and a blog with tips on selling and creating your shop. Sellers get their own online shops----Etsy provides templates & instruction on how to create your look. Paypal is available as are the options of accepting checks or money orders. There is no fee to have a shop--there are minimal fees to list each item (.20 for 4 months) and a small percentage taken on each sale. It is perfect for me as an addition to my website and blog--giving me a venue where it is simple for my supporters to drop by, check out what is available & order cards, magnets & prints---even some originals--and just pay securely online with a credit card.

Setting it up has also been a challenge and a learning experience for me in computer-land. I am getting more practice with Photoshop (which I desperately needed) and I am feeling pretty proud of my improvements in that area. I am not totally "set up" yet, but I am on my way.

I hope you all will stop by and visit my shop and check out the rest of Etsy.com as well. You will be amazed at the range of things that people are doing!

Image: "Pelican's Dream" gouache and watercolor with gold leaf on paper 16" x 20" This is a new painting and is currently being shown at The Pelican Studio Gallery on Hwy 1 (main street) in Point Reyes Station.

CATCHING UP

I feel like the White Queen in Through the Looking Glass, who told Alice that you have to run very fast just to stay where you are, and twice as fast if you want to get anywhere else. Lots of stuff happening & I hardly know where to begin.

I wrote in an earlier post about plans to collaborate with my friend Jackie in her ceramic studio. Look here. (I can't believe that was the end of Jan.!) It took us a while to get going, but for the last several months we have managed to meet every week or every other week. Sometimes it has just been Jackie and myself, and other times we have had up to 6 people participating in various projects. It has been great fun and lots of exchanging ideas and information, as this group has a wide range of expertise. I have been experimenting with various kinds of clays, working with rolling out slabs and forming shapes on impromptu "molds". I have been working with oxides and mason stains to paint on pieces. I have also been doing surface decoration on some of Jackie's thrown pieces.
I haven't come up with any finished pieces yet that are really what I want to be doing, but I am getting closer. I also have been looking at a lot of other artist's work, trying to figure out what I want to be doing. Yesterday I attended the Clay and Glass Festival in Palo Alto, CA. It was a huge outdoor show at the Art Center there. I had never been before--my friend Molly Prier does that show and recommended I check it out. She is a fabulous potter and has been teaching ceramics classes in the Bay area for years. It was a wonderful show and an incredible array of styles and methods of using clay. (I didn't really look at the glass--there was so much work there that I was overwhelmed) I went around and collected business cards (for further research) and took some notes (so I would remember what I saw) and talked to a few artists who weren't busy with customers when I was in their booths. There was also a booth there selling supplies and tools, so of course I spent some money there!
Jackie is traveling this month, so I am not going to her studio every week. So it's a good time to catch up on some other projects and plan my next steps in the studio. I have several pieces that have been bisqued & are waiting to be glazed, and some test glazes I haven't seen finished yet.
There are several things I want to learn how to do--one is slip casting and mold making. I have been playing around with slabs and forming plate and bowl shapes using existing items. But I would like to make some interesting and unique forms to paint on that could be slip cast, so that I would have multiples. Clay is so much FUN!
And last weekend, I found a great book on Kurt Weiser's work. It is the catalog to a show of his work which is currently at the Erie Art Museum & is traveling to some other venues. The book is titled "Eden Revisited: The Ceramic Art of Kurt Weiser " and it is incredible! I had seen some of his work in a magazine before, but I didn't know anything about him. It just blew me away. Check him out.
And, yes, I AM still painting and have been working on quite a few pieces. The image above--"Crow with Persimmons" is a fairly new (this year) piece. Acrylic on canvas 11" x 14". I have some other new paintings finished, but not photographed yet. Will be posting some new images very soon.
And other new exciting news coming up..........Stay tuned.

PS--I heard that Bravo is doing casting calls for a new reality TV show on artists. Who is watching this stuff?