My Dolls On Etsy

I've listed 3 Dorries in my Etsy shop: TINYHAUS
They were in the Lost at Sea show at Gallery Hanahou in NY.  I designed and made them.  They're made of linen with wefted yak hair and poly fill.  Hope you guys like them :)

The Orr's

My latest commission for the Orr's.  This was my first time working with Razzle Dazzle Rose.  It's a very fluorescent color, almost impossible to photograph well.  I had to do some major color manipulation in Photoshop to tone it down.  The wax was also very soft and got gummy/sticky when heated by my hands.  It's been VERY HOT in Seattle.  Every couple of minutes I had to quench my hands in ice cold water to keep the temp down when I'm carving.  I usually work late nights when it's this hot.


This is my new crayon base.  I like the proportions much better than my old bases.  Before shipping my crayons to their new homes I will usually do a fitting first.  You can see wax residue in the holes.


The bottom is lined with felt, an extra little touch. :)


This is how the crayons are packed for shipping.  They are fitted into "foam coffins" and bubble wrapped then bubble-wrapped coffin is suspended in packing peanuts.  This method has been greatly successful, I've shipped worldwide and none have broken!  *knock on virtual wood*

Trying to Work

Today I went through some of my clutter and cleaned up/organized a few things.  I've been trying to get back to work lately.  I've had a lot of problems with concentrating on my ideas and with feeling unmotivated.  Probably the biggest cause of this is letting stuff build up around me, both physically and mentally.  Piles of junk mail, old magazines, things I no longer use or need just sitting around.  Worst yet, remnants of half finished projects constantly lingering in my peripheral view.  I keep thinking, "I'll get that to the Goodwill" or "that's going to the dump... I've got to shred these".  Instead of doing it I just keep thinking about it.  I've had this to do list circling in my head with a sprinkling of new ideas that I keep wanting to try.  It feels like the tornado scene from the Wizard of Oz in my head!  I can hear the music now...


I feel more focused now that a few piles are gone.  It's funny how getting rid of stuff can be so liberating.  Guy and I sat in the garden for a few hours while I looked through some books and did some sketching. 

Ghosts on Glass: Daniel Carrillo

I met Daniel Carrillo through Facebook.  I started seeing these AMAZING photos pop up on my friends pages and later on found out that Daniel did the work.  A few emails later we arranged a studio visit.  His photographs are taken using a collodion process, it's like watching magic!  He gave me a quick tutorial on how it's done and I got to see him prepare a few plates.  It involves coating a piece of glass with collodion emulsion, the act of doing so reminds me of coating a pan with butter.


Daniel standing in front of his camera.  All of his equipment is vintage from around the 1900's-1920's... with ad hoc parts that he makes himself.  I was very impressed with his guerilla carpentry skills and resourcefulness.  It's truly inspiring!  His future plan is to outfit a van with this camera and a portable darkroom.  He really wants to mobilize his operation and shoot outdoor/public spaces.  I can see those amazing images already!

Here are a few more Carrillo portraits:
Natasha
Cable
Erin
Nola


Guy in Dan's studio.


We had a great visit.  Daniel was kind enough to squeeze in a family portrait for me.  He does take commissions on photo sessions.  I highly recommend it!

Summer Distractions

I think chard is one of the most under-appreciated leafy greens out there.  I would grow it just for the visual impact alone!


The garden is in full swing and vines are bursting with fruit.  It's such a precious time I find it hard to work.  My old college prof. (Steven Vroom) said to me once, "A garden is dangerous to artists."  I didn't believe him, but it is...


The enemy was here!  At night I like to hunt for slugs and snails... the crazy lady out in her yard with a flashlight.  It's the only way to be sure, search and destroy! :P

Random Studio Stuff

Shelf of random things next to where I work.


My color palette of threads. 


My stash of thrift store porcelain. 


Shelves of glues, glazes, old art show postcards, toxic stuff and paint.  I used to paint years ago, I still have tons of acrylic paints left from those years.  Surprisingly the paint is still good after 5-6 years of storing.  Someday I'll paint again.
I also have a fetish for glues...


My father's old text books, some are from college others are from grade school.  Also my husband's grandmother's letters and journals.  It's a nice old dusty smell.