Ode To Jasmine

When the rainy weather

Makes me feel blue

Little Miss Jasmine

Knows what to do

She gets real close

Her and me together

"Scratch my head,

You'll feel a lot better"

If my nose is runny

And I can't get out of bed

Upon my chest

Will be Jasmine's head

She's there for me

In good times and bad

With Jasmine's love

I'm never sad

"Oh My God" Moment of the Day:

Wow.  That is the corniest thing I've ever written.

But then I'm kinda bored right now. Oh yeah. And a little stoned on NyQuil. Which for some reason doesn't knock me out during the daytime. What's up with that?

What Have I Done?

I've had a head cold since yesterday. Combine that with the overall crappy weather and the fact that Eric is in Dallas for work and I've got a major case of cabin fever!

So, what did I do today? I joined Facebook. I mean I created a personal profile. Not to be confused with my Fan Page. It feels kinda weird, actually. But I guess I figured: Everyone else is doing it, why not me?

And also I didn't really want to be That Girl anymore. You know, the one who answers the "Are you on Facebook?" question with, "No, it's not really my thing" and then I have to listen politely while they explain to me how awesome it is or they say, "Oh. I would have totally invited you to that thing but I only sent that to my Facebook friends."

So, okay. There you go. I'm on it.  Friend Me.

Anyway, the fact that Facebook is a time suck is not unknown.  It really is what you make it so I'm just gonna keep it pretty casual.  I'm not gonna crowd your News Feed with status updates all of the time or post a million pictures of my dog (although she is super cute) or comment on your Wall.

Wow.  I think I need to go lie down.  Let what I just did sink in a little.

Burning Man Art Grant Update of the Day:

I submitted my project proposal today.

Now I wait.

Trust Your Feelings, Luke

Yeah.  I know.  Total geeky quote up there.  But I could really use some Obi-Wan wisdom right about now.  I've lost faith in my instincts.

So, last week I had a job interview at this art supply store in San Rafael.  It went really well.  Truth be told, all of my interviews go well - I am good at that.  The pay was crap but the people were cool and, being that I'm an artist, it was a pretty good fit.

But I left feeling uneasy about the whole thing, for a few reasons.  The most important one was the hours - 4 days (30 hours) a week.  That would keep me away from the studio and my art more then I wanted.

But, still, a job is a job and I do need one.  Eventually.  The other issue is that I have a potential job situation that would be much better suited for me and I would enjoy it a lot more.  But it's all up in the air and will be for at least a couple of months. 

I figured I'd wait to see what happened in regards to the art supply store job.  If I didn't get it then all of my concerns would be moot.

Well, today I was offered the job.  And I turned it down.  Told them I was concerned about the number of hours, didn't think it would work for me, that I didn't want to say "yes" and then bail on them a few months later when I realized that it wasn't right

But as soon as I hung up the phone a sinking feeling crept in.  Oh my god, what if I just made a huge mistake?  My gut feeling was to say "no".  But then, that feeling could also have been the shepherd's pie I had at dinner last night.  This is my first job offer since I started my search two months ago.  Maybe this is my only chance.  I just don't know!

I have so many questions in my professional life right now:  Will I get the art grants that I am applying for?  What art will I be making this year?  Am I going to have to skip MARBLE/marble this summer?  How am I going to continue paying for my studio come June?  Is my Etsy shop worth my time and effort?  Who invented liquid soap and why? (Sorry. Had to get silly there.  Felt like I needed a little "get a hold of yourself, man!" slap in the face).

Okay.  So, it's all unknown right now.  When is it not?  Do we ever really know anything at all?  I feel like I just kinda fly by the seat of my pants on a pretty regular basis, waiting to see what happens.  And, you know, it's pretty much guaranteed that something's gonna happen.  I just don't know what.

I guess I am going to have to trust my decision and have faith that things will all work out as it's supposed to.  No matter what that may be.

"Are You Serious?" Moment of the Day:

Boy, I sure would hate to be WONDERING IN BIRMINGHAM's kids.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I don't live somewhere like Portland because I do not do well in long periods of gray, gloomy weather.  This past week of non-stop rain here is starting to affect me emotionally .  It just really gets me down.  I need sunshine.  And lots of it.  Warmth is good, too.  But my mood is so much better when the sun is shining.  Even if it's 50 degrees out.

I've been feeling kind of blue all day.  But I'm trying really hard to not let it drag me down. So, I've been looking for small rays of sunshine among the clouds.

The first one came this morning while I was at the gas station.  Standing next to my truck while I was filling up I looked at the wet ground in front of me.  There was enough water to create a reflection of a leaf barren liquid amber tree.  It looked black in the reflection and contrasted with the gray sky in a rather pleasant way.  The falling rain and the blowing wind caused the water to ripple ever so slightly making the reflection of the tree look like it was shimmering.  It was mesmerizing.

And for those brief minutes as I waited while the gas was pumping and just took in the vision before me I was no longer dissatisfied with the weather.  But it didn't last long.  Back on the road, driving to my studio, the blues returned.

So, at the studio I spent some time making Valentine's Day themed bottle cap art to sell on my Etsy shop, Bottlecap Bizarre.  It seemed like a timely thing to do and I will say that bottle caps flowers are capable of bringing a smile to just about anyone's face.  Including mine.

But again, those warm and fuzzy feelings were short-lived.  And so it goes.  Long stretches of cold and wet weather giving way to long stretches of down-in-the-dumps feelings punctuated with rare moments of inner glow and warmth.

I know it won't last forever.  The weather, as well as my bad mood.  But, still, is a little bit of sunshine too much to ask?

Inspiring Quote of the Day:

"You don't just make something to be famous or to be cool... You do it because it's amazing. And it moves you. And it's important. And then all the other stuff is just a gift. And you get there eventually. You just have to trust."

-- L. Gabrielle Penebaz from "Bootlegger Blues" as heard at The Moth

As It Should Be

I am more inclined to write here about stuff going on in my life as an artist.  I don't usually get into the mundane details of my day-to-day activities.  But yesterday was such a great go-with-the-flow day that I have to share it.  I'll keep it brief.  I promise.  Oh!  And there will be pictures, too.

It began with me having a fairly lazy morning of sleeping in, solving the Friday and Saturday Sudoko, and enjoying breakfast.  Eric spent some time reassembling the frame of my 2010 art bike, "Pink Lemonade".  At least, I think that's what I'm gonna call it.  We'll see, it's got a ways to go.

Eric and I got hungry again and decided to have lunch in San Anselmo at this awesome Mexican restaurant called Taco Jane's.  We were super full from that so we decided to walk around downtown, do a little window shopping, enjoy the no rain situation.  It was a very nice walk.

We made our way back to the car which was parked near a hot tub place that we like called Shibui Gardens.  We thought that a half hour soak in an outdoor redwood tub was more then in order so we popped in and were in luck!  The nice tub in the back was available.  It was lovely.

Upon exiting the building we were greeted with a beautiful double rainbow.

We did some stuff, went home, did some more stuff.  During the "did some stuff" period we were driving through Fairfax and saw this guy blowing enormous bubbles in a parking lot. So, we turned around to go check it out.

It was totally cool.  These bubbles were HUGE.  And the reflections in them were beautiful.  It was so worth stopping for this.

Later we went to Tres Hombres in Petaluma to see our friends' bands play.  Hung out with some good people.  Listened to some awesome music.  Enjoyed the relaxed vibe.  We called it kind of early because Eric has an Early Bird crit today.  I was glad to get a good night's sleep.

Everything just flowed perfectly from one moment to the next yesterday.  It was like a flawless day.  It was the first time I've felt really relaxed in over a week.  I may just have to do that again soon.

Oh, and thanks for wading through a "we did this and then we did that" blog entry.  I assume if you made it this far you either really dig reading about my life or you spend waaaaaaay too much time on the computer.

Why I Love Pandora Proclamation of the Day:

Because I can stream it through my Roku box and listen to the Thievery Corporation channel over my stereo system while I make chili and corn bread and clean the house.

I Won!

Wait. What? What did I win?

Silly me. I thought when I saw the email from Live Nation that began with the word "Congratulations" that maybe I had won something. Like front row tickets to see U2.  Cool!

But no. The rest of the sentence was "your Live Nation Ticketing order has shipped".

Okay, so since when is that something to be congratulated for?  I mean, I expected that to happen.  It wasn't like, "Oh, I wonder if I'll be successful in receiving the product that I purchased?"

But I guess that's what happens when you are a monopoly.  You play with your customers.  Because you can.  With Live Nation and Ticketmaster on the verge of merging there really is no competition.

So, it's like: "Hey, Congratulations!  We're gonna give you the tickets you paid for.  'Cause we're nice like that.  We like you.  Oh, and Congratulations again!  You get to pay an additional 40% of the face value of the ticket to us.  Just for fun.  We'll call it...ummm....let's see....what sounds vague enough to be legit?  Oh, I got it, "Ticket Fee"!  Yeah.  That's the Ticket!  Heh, heh."

Grrr!  You know, a while back I got so fed up with this kind of crap that I was going to boycott seeing live music at any venue that forced me to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster or Live Nation.  I was going to purchase tickets from box offices only or through on-line venues that charged only a nominal fee, like $1.00, for processing.

But then I started to make exceptions for my favorite bands.  Like this recent purchase to see ALO at the Fillmore next month.  I wasn't making it up that I was charged an additional 40% of the ticket price for something called "Ticket Fee".  WTF?

Seriously, I gotta get back up on my High Horse.  This is crazy.

Self-congratulatory Moment of the Day:

Making it this whole blog post without mentioning my art, studio or Burning Man project proposal.

Wait. Oop. Oh, well. I almost made it.

Flower Power

So I was sitting in bed this morning reading the comics, doing the Sudoku.  Generally avoiding the start of my day.  (Totally bombed on the Sudoku, by the way, but I cracked today's Jumble!)

Anyway, I was working on the Sudoku and found myself doodling a flower at the same time.  It made me realize something.  I draw little flowers.  A lot.  It's, like, my go to doodle.

If I am talking on the phone anywhere near a paper and pen chances are I'm drawing flowers while I am doing that.  Weird, huh?  I mean, what's with the flower obsession?  It's constantly in my art, at least in my bottle cap art.  I've been making bottle cap flowers since I made Bottle Cap Tree.

And now I'm making sculptures that are flowers, or at least flower-like.  Pretty girlie, actually.  All these little flowers popping up in my art and life.  Not sure what it means.  Is it about Nature? Growth? Blooming?

Who knows why our brains go to the same places over and over again.  I suppose it's habit.  Honestly, half the time I don't even realize I'm doing it. It's just something to occupy my hands while my brain is concentrating on something else.

It probably means nothing.  Just something I do.  I suppose flowers are better then some negative image.  I mean, who doesn't like flowers? They are pretty and smell good, too.  Giving someone flowers is a really nice gesture.  Maybe when I doodle flowers it's my way of giving myself something nice.

Weather Comment of the Day:

Rain is good. Rain is bad.

Rain is good because it eases the draught. Rain is bad because I hate getting wet. Rain is good because it keeps me at home and out of trouble. Rain is bad because it keeps me at home and out of trouble. Rain is good because it waters my yard. Rain is bad because thunderstorms scare my puppy-dog.

The Undertow

I love going to the beach and playing in the water.

[I should clarify that.  I love going to the beach and playing in the water when the water is Warm.  So, I don't go swimming much in Northern California.  But I still love the beaches here just the same.]

Anyway, in spite of the fact that I am not a thrill-seeker (in other words I am a scaredy-cat), I do enjoy boogie boarding and body surfing.  It's really cool when you catch a wave and ride it all the way to the shore.  It's a lot easier then surfing.  Although, I wouldn't know that for sure, I've never tried surfing.  You know, being a scaredy-cat and all.

But sometimes you miss the wave and it comes crashing down on you.  Hard.  And pulls you under the water.  You're only down there for a moment but, man, it feels like an eternity.  You're spinning. You can't breathe.  The weight of the water is heavy and holding you down.  The surface seems a million miles away.  How am I going to get out of here?

Then, Woosh, your head pops out of the water.  You look around, get your bearings, and then paddle back out and wait for the next set.

All day yesterday I felt like I was caught under water.  I just could not get into my groove.  It was like I had lost everything: motivation, energy, clarity, focus.  I got work done but it was a real struggle.  I was so distracted.  It was nothing like the two or three weeks prior when I felt Unstoppable.  Yesterday it was more like I was Unstartable.

Somehow or another, though, today my head finally popped out of the water.  I felt okay again.  Kind of worked-over but okay.  I've definitely been more focused today then yesterday, anyway.  So, I guess you could say that I am recovering from my Monday set-back.  It was a pretty minor set-back, I will admit, but it is nice to see that I can bounce back a little faster then I used to.

All of my mental energy is on my Burning Man art grant right now. It is consuming me.  But I am very close to finishing it. I am hoping that once that's sent off I can put all of my attention on other projects while I wait for the decision of whether or not I am selected for funding.

Boy, this art thing is totally consuming.  I wonder if all artists are this obsessed?

Self-promotion of the Day:

Bottlecap Bizarre is now open for business.

Your on-line source for affordable and unique bottle cap art and craft.  Choose from a variety of handmade items such as coasters, magnets and wall art.  Great for the home or as a gift.  Ask about custom orders.

Clover Wall Hanging

14" x 14"

$25.00

Available only at Bottlecap Bizarre.

Buy it now!

Fourth Day Funk

So here I am going on and on about how great things have been lately:  How motivated and inspired I am.  How much I love working in my studio.  How I have so many great art ideas.  How present and in the moment I am.  Blah.  Blah.  Blah.

I knew it wouldn't last.

I was driving to my studio yesterday thinking about my last couple of blog posts and feeling like maybe I needed to shut up about how wonderful my life as an artist is right now.  It makes me sound way more together and balanced then I really am.  And, quite frankly, I was afraid I was gonna jinx the whole thing.

Sure enough, yesterday the Fourth Day Funk came and hit me square in the face.  It was like running full speed into a brick wall.

What's the Fourth Day Funk, you ask?  Well, it's something we refer to at MARBLE/marble  and I can attest that it is a true phenomenon.  Our carving sessions are eight days long and for a lot of people the fourth day of the session just sucks.  You get to work that morning and all of a sudden everything about the sculpture you've been lovingly carving for the past three days is wrong.  All of your tools work against you.  Your stone will not yield to your will.  You feel terrible.

A few years back I developed a sure-fire way to avoid the Fourth Day Funk: I take the fourth day off.  Can't have a Fourth Day Funk if you don't have a Fourth Day, right?  Well, I guess all those Funks that I avoid when I am out there like to accumulate and hang around and hit me when I least expect it.  Like yesterday.

So, I am working on this new bottle cap wall hanging that I spent all of last week designing and getting the materials ready for assembly.  It's a cool image of a bicycle and I was making it with the intention of it hanging in the bike shop of these acquaintances of ours who are relocating to a new space in downtown San Anselmo.  It's rather large also, about 5 feet by 3 feet.  There is no question that once it was completed it would look great.

But while I was assembling it (using the same technique for making the walls of my abandoned Bottle Cap Bar project, I should mention) I realized that This Sucks.  I hate making wall hangings this large.  It's really, really hard.  Not to mention time consuming.  Oh yeah, and also Not Fun.

Why was I doing this?  It's not like it was a commission and I'd get paid.  It would be for sale but who's to say anyone would actually buy it.  Is my time worth the effort?  Do I really need to suffer so much for my art?  Hell No!

So, I just stopped.  Said, That's It!  No Way!  I'm Outta Here!  Just like that.  I'm able to spot losing situations sooner then I used to.   But I feel awful about it just the same.  All that effort and time, wasted.  The feeling of failure, of giving up, it's heartbreaking.  And I'll never get to see the end result which I assure you would have been awesome.

Ugh!  The Funk.  It's horrible.

I left the studio and decided to stay away for a few days.  Do something else this week.  Avoid the situation until I have time to regroup.  

I guess you could say that while I was riding the crest of that killer wave for the past month and a half I got a little cocky, started showing off for the folks on the shore, and I fell off my board.  Ow!

I'll go back on Friday.  I don't stay down for long.

Inspiring Quote of the Day:

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
-- Confucius

Presence is a Virtue

One of the things that I have been working on for the past year or so is concentrating more on the present moment and focusing less on the past, which has already happened and is out of my control, or the future, which has yet to happen and is also out of my control until it is the present.

Focusing on the future has always been my biggest distraction and it usually comes in the form of worry.  I am a colossal worrier.  When I worry too much about the future sometimes it can completely paralyze me and make me incapable of getting anything done in the present.  And that is, indeed, something worth worrying about.

Lately I have been making an effort to put myself in the position of being able to receive the future that I want.  This is not a passive activity, though.  That is to say, I can't just lie in bed all day waiting for life to happen to me.  I need to take whatever action is necessary that will allow me to achieve my goals.  And I also need to accept that even when I do that I still might not get exactly what I want.  But either way, it is important that I concentrate on what I am doing in the present moment.

For instance, I have been trying to find a new part-time job for the past two months.  So, almost every morning for about an hour or so I do a Craig's List search looking for jobs for which I am qualified and that meet my particular needs and then I apply for them.  After that I go about the rest of my day knowing that the rest is out of my hands.  Instead of spending my time worrying, "when am I going to get a job, how am I going to pay for my studio when my savings run out in June?", I concentrate on making art or applying for my Burning Man grant or updating my website or walking my dog or working out at the gym or watching a movie with my husband or whatever.

For the past two months I have gotten zero responses to my resumes.  Until last Friday.  I finally have a job interview!  It's a part-time sales job at an art supply store in downtown San Rafael that pays barely more than minimum wage.  But it meets my requirements and it's something I am qualified to do and it pays better then my current job which is nothing.  So, tomorrow I go in for my interview and we'll see what happens next.

If I had gotten too preoccupied worrying about not having a job and been unable to continually apply for jobs even in the face of constant rejection then this opportunity would not have come along.   Maybe nothing will come of this but at least it validates to me that I must keep trying.  Whether it's applying for a new job, submitting art to some random group show or applying for grant money, I am guaranteed that I won't get what I want if I don't stay focused in the moment doing whatever I need to do to, at the very least, be in a position to receive the desired outcome.

We can't change the past because it is, well, in the past.  And we can't know the future because it hasn't happened yet.  So, really, spending any amount of time in either place is a waste.  The present is all we have.  Stay there and the rest will naturally fall into place.

Funny Image of the Day:

"No Dum Art"

The Importance of Good Space

Sometimes while I am working on my art, doing some kind of repetitive task like punching holes in bottle caps, I let my mind wander and daydream.  I imagine that one of my instructors from my alma mater, CCA, has asked me to give a slide lecture to the students in one of their classes.  Show them the progression of my work since receiving my art degree, give them advice and hope, encourage them to not give up their dream of being an artist.  "I'm doing it; you can too!"

I've always known that the one key piece of advice I would offer an art student who was worried about how they were going to make it outside of school is to Not Stop Making Art.  This advice was given to me by an instructor while I was in art school and it is the one thing I constantly keep in mind, especially when things aren't going so great.  It's really quite true.  You will never make it as an artist if you don't make any art.

But now I am coming to understand that another key factor in being successful is having a good space in which to work.  A comfortable and welcoming studio is so important.  I cannot believe how motivated and inspired I have been since signing the lease for my studio space at Big Art.

I really enjoy working there.  I stay long hours.  I never feel distracted.  It's wonderful.  And it's spilled over into other aspects of my art career.  I am motivated to promote myself more then I ever have been before. I feel confident.  I am working all of the time and it's because I really want to, not because I feel like I have to.  I do take breaks, have fun, get my rest.  I'm not insane.  But I am working 40+ hours a week right now and it's starting to pay off.  I really feel like I am making good progress.

Eric is loving it.  I'm not at home as much any more so I am less of a distraction while he's working.  And when I am at home I am usually in my office busy updating my website or working on a grant proposal or setting up my Etsy shop.  There's plenty of work for me, that's for sure.  (Wish I got paid by the hour!)

He's also loving it because I haven't been this happy, this satisfied, in a long time.  I'm less worried about what's going to happen and more focused on what is happening.  And that makes me a more enjoyable person to be around.

So, here's my advice to the imaginary Sculpture 101 class in my head: Get yourself a good work space, create as much as you can, don't stop making art, and never give up.  It's working for me so far.

Just For Fun and a Good Cause, Too:

In the Name of Love - A benefit for the victims of the Haitian earthquake tragedy

See the English Beat play at the Red Devil Lounge in San Francisco this Sunday, January 17th at 8pm.  Dance to your favorite 80's ska grooves while helping out those in need. Sounds good to me!

Making Your Mark

I am so behind on my bottle cap sorting. I've got lots of great inventory but it's not organized at all. Just last week I opened up for the first time a 19 pound box that I received last June. It's full of bottle cap goodness that I have yet to tap - and that just scratches the surface.

So, yesterday I was digging through a couple of my boxes of unsorted bottle caps looking for a few particular ones that I wanted to use in a wall hanging that I am making. It was like panning for gold. I would dump the entire contents of a box onto my studio floor and then sift through with my hands, spreading the caps around seeing if what I was looking for caught my eye. I'd grab the "gold" and then keep sifting for more. I'm sure I missed some but I got a fair amount of what I was looking for.

While I was sifting, other interesting caps would catch my eye. I was going through the bottle caps that came from my Bottle Cap Deposit Box set up at last year's Burning Man, and occasionally I would see a bottle cap with green paint on it. I looked further and saw that there was a handful of bottle caps on which someone had painted a green Burning Man symbol. I grabbed for those, as well. They were marked caps.

It was like when you get a one dollar bill and it has a Where's George? serial number on it. I want very much to make sure these bottle caps get used in a way that the person(s) who painted them are able to see them reused as art and feel more connected to the process.

That's one of my favorite things about making art with bottle caps - they all come from somewhere else.  Some other hand or hands touch it before it becomes art.  Unfortunately, most of the bottle caps that are contributed to me get lost in the sort.  One Pacifico cap looks just like the other; it's very hard to know where each one comes from.

Hopefully, just knowing that eventually the bottle cap will have another purpose is satisfying enough for my contributors.  But if you really care to track the progress of an individual cap then by all means mark it.  Maybe you'll see it again some day.

Good Advice That I Am Not Taking of the Day:

Stretch Frequently.

I've been putting in some long hours doing repetitive tasks that I know are not good for my upper back, neck and shoulders. I can feel the fact that I don't stretch enough or take breaks frequently enough taking a toll on my body. Note to self: Set a timer that reminds me to stretch.

Ahhhhhhh! I just stretched my back. Feels good.

Riding the Crest

I can't remember if I've written about this before but I think I probably have.  I'm talking about the ebbs and flows of motivation and inspiration that is inherently a part of the creative process.

When things are going slow artistically it's like all of the good ideas in the Universe have been used up.  There's nothing left.  And the Artist has no energy to even try and scrounge for the last, hidden morsel of creativity.  It sucks.  And during this period the Artist (ok, me) usually spends a good amount of their time in bed reading the paper and doing the daily sudoku.

But when the tide is high and the ideas are flowing more freely then the Grey Goose at an Internet start-up launch party in 1998, well, it's just amazing.  And the best thing that the Artist can do is ride the Crest of that Wave for as long as it lasts.

So, here I am, in my Body Glove wetsuit, holding on for dear life.  I can't stop working.  I worked all this past weekend.  I even worked Saturday night after we got home from a friend's birthday dinner party.  I had a flash of inspiration while at the party and so I had to work it out in my sketchbook while we were watching "SNL: the Best of Dana Carvey" (oh, god, I just love Chopping Broccoli!) on our Roku before going to bed.

I know I am going to need a day off.  And soon.  But most likely I won't get to that until next Sunday.  Next Sunday, I have promised myself, I will sleep in, avoid leaving the house, stay away from my computer and my sketchbook, and try and get in a Family Guy marathon or something.  Maybe cook up a bunch of food to feed Eric when he gets home from his Early Bird Criterium race.

It's funny. I'm exhausted but exhilarated.  I just can't slow down.  I don't want to.  I know if I don't get rest soon I'll burn out but I need to ride this for as long as I can.  When you know what it feels like to be "down" (and also know that eventually you'll get back to that place sooner then you'd like), you hold on tight to every second of the "up" phase.

This is the High.  This is what the Artist lives for, creates for.  This is the answer to: Why Do You Do What You Do?

So, excuse me while I remove myself from writing this and head over to the studio.  Bottle caps are waiting.

Organized Silliness of the Day:

The No Pants! Subway Ride by Improv Everywhere

I first heard about Improv Everywhere on This American Life. The group was at it again yesterday when subway riders in 44 cities around the world, including San Francisco, participated by stripping off their pants while they rode the train. Brrrrr!

Working Artist

For so long I have worn with pride my badge proclaiming that I only make art that I want to make.  I don't focus on making what potential buyers might think would match the drapes in their living room or look good over the mantle.  "Commodity Art" is what I call it.  And, no, thank you very much, I don't make little pink marble cats.

But you know what?  That attitude works great when money is no object.  When you don't have monthly expenses that need to be covered.  You can just be selfish making art only for yourself and no one else and who cares if anyone buys it, right?

Well, actually, I kinda do care.  And I've been spending time lately figuring out better ways to make money from my art.  First I started by putting more effort into marketing my stone carvings.  Then, just a couple of weeks ago a friend suggested etsy.com to me.  It's a website where you can create an on-line shop and sell handcrafted wares for a small fee.

A few years ago I made sets of bottle cap magnets and began giving them away as gifts.  I had a few left this year and had given my friend a set for Christmas along with a jar of my award winning pickles (Best of Show - 2008 Marin County Fair).  [Homemade gifts are so awesome!]  When she saw the bottle cap magnets she said, "You could totally sell these on Etsy."  That got me thinking.  I've got a bunch of bottle caps and since I don't have any other jobs right now I've also got some spare time.

So, here I am working on all kinds of bottle cap crafts (magnet sets, coasters, wall hanging of a variety of sizes) with the intention of selling these reasonably-priced, user-friendly items on-line.

Man, oh man, though, is it time-consuming.  I understand why artists spend a part of their studio time working on art like this - it's much easier to sell.  But, still, it kinda sucks.  Oh well, such is the state of this economy, the state of the art market.  People have trouble justifying the expense of a large garden sculpture priced well over a thousand dollars but a ten dollar set of bottle cap magnets, that's something you can get your head around.

I gotta do what I gotta do to make this work, right? So, if you see me in the future selling little pink marble cats please give me a break and don't call me a "sell-out".  It's all just part of the game called Life.

Cool Bicycle Company Recommendation of the Day:

Ritte Van Vlaanderen.

Seriously, any bike manufacturer selling a bike deemed too pretty for competitive racing is awesome in my book!

Comfortably Familiar

Well, I've been in the new studio space for over a month and I gotta say - It's Awesome.  I just love being there.  I feel so comfortable.

But for a while I couldn't quite figure out why it was so comfortable.  I mean, it's kind of situated in a way that could make it potentially uncomfortable.  My work area is a pretty open space; I am totally exposed.  I'm working in an old, dirty, ugly (and I mean that in the most loving way) warehouse.  It's cold and most definitely noisy.

And yet when I get to work, the time just flies by.  I'm in my own little world.  And I Love It!

Yesterday I realized why I'm so comfortable, though.  It feels just like MARBLE/marble, the annual marble carving symposium in Colorado that I like to attend.

I've been going for the past eight years and over time I've crafted myself a very comfortable working situation there. I even have my own "spot".  No one gets that spot when I am there but me.  It's a bit off to the side of the main action where most everyone else carves because I like to be a little removed.  But it gets plenty of foot traffic since it's along the river path going to the kitchen, our main gathering area.

I like to keep to myself when I'm carving but at the same time I like to know other human beings are around.  I get that whenever people pass by me going to or from the kitchen. Most of the time we don't interact. Maybe I'll give a slight nod or wave to acknowledge my friends.  And occasionally someone will stop and talk.  But mostly I just feel their energy and that's enough.  It really works for me.

And that is what my new studio is like.  While my space is pretty much open to all it still feels plenty removed.  People walk through the bay that I am in going to and from their own spaces and that's about the extent of my human interaction there.  I give a wave or say hello and then get back to my work.  I feel the energy of others but also feel safe in my own little world.

So Cool!  I couldn't be happier.  Big or small.  Open or enclosed.  We all need nooks where we feel safe and comfortable.  I can't believe I found mine in a big, huge warehouse. But then peace can come from anywhere - it's just a matter of finding it.

Fun Adults Get To Act Like Kids Recommendation of the Day:

Exploratorium After Dark

"A cutting edge evening series for adults" held the first Thursday of the month at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. A mixture of science, art and cocktails - who could ask for more!

Weeds

A weed, by definition, is any plant growing where it is not desired.  Anyone with a garden has a deep familiarity with them.  They are a nuisance but if you've got the time it's simply a matter of removing and discarding what you don't want and tending to and caring for what you do want.

You could apply that to how we deal with other stuff, too.  When we accumulate new things usually we don't want the old things anymore.  We want to care for the new things.  The old things then become garbage.  And it's pretty easy for us to get rid of garbage.  We've got this nifty black can that the county provides for us and then, for a fee, we can put these cans by the curb each week and what we don't want goes away forever.

Well, not really forever.  But it's pretty easy to not dwell on what happens once the black can is empty.  Even if we do know a little something about this thing called the Great Garbage Patch it's not like its affecting us on a day-to-day basis.  Still, it is pretty disturbing.

The is one reason why I like to make art out of recycled materials.  One less thing to make its way to the Great Garbage Patch, at least for the time being.  It's not like I think my art will exist forever.  It's just delaying the inevitable.  But at least I can gain some joy from the process.

So, here's the latest "weed" that I'm tending to, Wheel Weed. And hopefully it's not going away any time soon.

Other Weeds Reference of the Day:

Weeds on Showtime.

Great show. Very funny. Mary-Louise Parker is outstanding in it.

Curiouser and Curiouser

People say that Curiosity Killed the Cat.  But in my experience I've found that Curiosity is what Satisfies the Cat.  At least this Cat.

Curiosity is one of the things that drives me to make art.  Most of the time (actually, it's probably more like all of the time) when I set out to create a sculpture I have no idea what I am going to make when I begin.  I generally know what materials I'll use but the form and the idea are usually vague to unknown.  I'm so curious to see what the end result will be that I just keep working until it's complete.

Oftentimes, I find that my motivation for creating is because I want to find out "what happens when I do this to that."  That is especially the case when it comes to my stone carving.  This past summer I wanted to try a totally new way of working, something that I had never done before.  I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or how the sculpture would turn out in the end.  I just made everything up as I went along.  And it was completely exhilarating.

The end result of my exploration was this sculpture, Self Spiral Emerging, which I feel is the most mature and personal stone carving I have done so far.  It came completely from somewhere within me that I had no idea even existed.  And it opened up a whole new way for me to work with stone.

It truly was one of the most exciting and fulfilling experiences I have ever had as an artist.

So, this year I have decided to fully embrace my curious nature.  Leave no avenue unexplored.  Use any and all materials that I find and see what happens when I work with them.  What are the depths to which I can go to create new and interesting forms?

I'm so excited thinking about - I could just burst!

Literary Passage of the Day: Alice in Wonderland

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't care much where-" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"-so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."