Blog Archives

Summer Sales

7/27/2013

Weekend garage and yard sales are everywhere this summer. Unlike most summers, I've gone to very few this year. While walking Gracie this morning, I did stop at a neighbor's moving sale. They are moving soon and desperate to get rid of their stuff...thus, lots of low prices (the BEST kinds of sales to go to!!). My big purchase...these old, weathered (vintage) wooden croquet balls...all of them for two bucks.
I've got a few ideas for using them in an assemblage...stay tuned!

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Museum Visit

7/25/2013

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I ran into three old artist friends (quite accidentally) in downtown Portland this afternoon. I worked with these three ladies (along with one other artist) at the Metro Transfer Station (aka "the city dump") during our artist residency program last year. We gleaned through enormous mountains of garbage for six months, creating art with our finds in our own studios, and then having a group show together last September...oh, the memories! The three of them applied for and received a new week-long residency this summer working at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts here in Portland. I ran into them during one of their "Starbucks runs" and got to follow them up to their studio at the museum.

Jen LaMastra

Sarah Wolf Newlands

Chandra Glaeseman

A brief description of their work this week from the museum's website:

"Part open studio, part residency, part master class, Museum of Contemporary Craft (MoCC) has invited consummate makers of all types to temporarily relocate their studios to the Lab for week-long terms, July 8 through August 4. Resident artists will work from the Lab during daily open hours, 11am-6pm, connecting directly with the Museum’s audiences as they engage in their creative practice. In addition, artists will offer daily two-hour, drop-in workshops for visitors of all ages to have access the materials, processes, and concepts of various crafts. The intent of the Open Studio summer residency is to provide a public venue for the work that often happens behind the scenes in the artist studio. We believe that this residency provides a wonderful opportunity to share publicly all the starts, stops, challenges, and inspirations that happen as work is created. Furthermore, we hope to provide a space for direct and open dialogue between creative practitioners and the community around craft-based ideas, practices, and processes."

More information here!

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Crackedpots Art Show

7/23/2013

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Approximately one hundred artists were gathered together today (and tomorrow) to sell their reuse/recycled/up-cycled art. I had attended this event for the first time last year, setting up several pieces of my newly completed assemblage work at the table advertising the Glean Program (an art residency which sends artists into the city dump for six months each year). The same table was set up this year...I got to meet one of this year's glean artists, Chris Wagner, with some of the wood carvings that he had recently completed from wood he had gleaned from the Metro Transfer Station during the last few months:

Amy Wilson, glean administrator, was also there:

While standing there chatting about this year's program, Mike came along, who was one of the artist's from year ONE of the glean program. We were somewhat amazed that we had a small "collection of artists" from all three years standing in one spot, so we took another quick photo, documenting the event (Chris on the left, me in the middle, Mike on the right):

Before long, Eric Rosewall, also one of this year's glean artist's, showed up...thus, another photo:

If you live in the area, you may want to attend this year's Glean Program group show held again at the Disjecta Gallery (8371 N. Interstate Av., Portland, OR). The opening reception is Friday, August 16, 6:00 to 9:00 pm.
The show runs from August 16 through Sept.8...gallery hours are noon to 6:00 pm, Friday through Saturday. I'm really looking forward to meeting the rest of these artists and seeing their work.

A few of the other highlights from the many other artists selling their work...everything made from the kinds of materials that would have otherwise ended up in some landfill:

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Gracie

7/21/2013

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Gracie enjoys her first experience with the wild geese at a nearby park.

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Gracie

7/19/2013

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Gracie (mini labradoodle) trying on a new and larger halter (bib) collar, but enjoying one last chew on the old one:

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New Artist

7/19/2013

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I recently discovered this new (new-to-me) assemblage artist online, La Wilson. I found her video here on vimeo, and googled a few other photos of some of her past work. From the NY Times:

“The magic of her art, which is about examining, collecting, sorting and assembling,” said The New York Times of Wilson’s work in 1999, “lies in its unexpected transformation of ordinary, even bland items into objects of power, danger, wonder or warning, all with a mysterious aura and an offbeat, lopsided charm.”

A few more photos of her work are available HERE at the John Davis Gallery. I love the simplicity of much of her work.

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New Gallery...NYC

7/13/2013

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Under the umbrella of our own local Cannibals Gallery, I've joined ten other Portland artists for a group show at a new gallery in New York City, Celebration of Whimsy.
This venue is actually a small theater located in the East Village area of Manhattan. It's a very interesting space...I got to visit there and meet with one of the owners in May. My work, five small collage pieces, will be on display with the work of the other artists until September. We've been promised lots of visibility for our work as the International Fringe Festival (one of the largest multi-arts events in North America) is held at this theater, as well as some twenty other theaters across the city during the month of August. There is conversation about our being able to show new work again at the Celebration of Whimsy for November and December, 2013.

If you live in the NYC area, check out our work:
Celebration of Whimsy
21-A Clinton Street
New York, NY 10002
(between Houston and Stanton)

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Gracie

7/11/2013

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Introducing Gracie...newest member of the family! She's a mini labradoodle (poodle/labradoor mix), three months old, nine lbs., but will be about twenty-five to thirty pounds as an adult. She's still at that "baby stage" of life (with the sharpest teeth imaginable), sleeping many (many!) hours each day. She's extremely mild-mannered, non shedding, beginning to understand the routines of the household, and has just recently learned that the many cats in the neighborhood who cross through the yard...need a good barking! Crate training has gone well, house training is still ongoing, and she sleeps through the night without a whimper. She knew nothing about playing with toys the first few days, but she's quickly become an expert, and prefers the tiny little rubber (kong) tire that rolls on the floor and fits her mouth so perfectly. We went to our first "puppy social" a couple weeks ago where Gracie got to meet a variety of other puppies...great fun...we plan to do more of that. I had blogged about a doodle that I met while gleaning at the Metro Transfer Station about a year ago during my art residency. A few photos of Gracie:

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Jen LaMastra

Sarah Wolf Newlands

Chandra Glaeseman

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