Don't Let's Start.

Winter Colors.

They Might Be Giants sounds so good in the winter. I remembered this after a trivia question about them the other night at the Pizza Shop. When I lived in Morgantown, I would trudge to the studio in the snow, listening to them on CD. Remember CDs? Golly...

No snow here. February first it was warm enough to wear a tee shirt outside. What? 

I've spent a lot of time in the Print studio this past week...and I am having a great time. But what am I doing? Still not sure. I am trying to give myself the freedom to experiment and play, but I seem to not be very good at that anymore. I feel sort of shy around printmaking. I can spend hours mixing up some lovely ink, I am scraping the hell outta some plates, and it feels so very good to ink plates and crank them through the press, but.......so? I guess we are getting to know each other again.

Mmm.

Mmm....

I have been decisively destructive. I have so many small, odd-size zinc plates. Many are little "demo" plates from teaching, and in grad school I was such a hoarder of old zinc. So I have been sawing some of them into shapes to be printed together, and in combination with larger plates.

I'm just sick of small rectangular things. It feels far too safe. Boring. I'm bored with my small safe-sized drawings and prints. So I've been thinking lots about format. 

Looking at big full sheets of blank paper.

How wonderful are anti-fatigue mats!?

I have a feeling this can has been around longer than Penland's print program.
"Burnishine!"

So I'm thinking a lot, taking notes, listening to a lot of music, (mostly The Who) and looking forward to many more long studio days this month. 

Thank you for stopping in on the ol' blog.

I can see for miles.

Right now I am interested in:

1. The Who Sell Out
2. Twin Peaks (no, never seen it 'til now!)
3. Microscope Research (open to suggestions. I'm in the market for a microscope.)
4. Kale

Winter Mope Advisory.

Just because.

This morning I warned my roommate of a "winter mope advisory." I have felt out-of-sorts today, a long sunny sunday at the end of January. I had too much sugar yesterday, and pizza two too many times this past week. I don't feel too creative right now, which makes me very down on myself.

But the day went on. We went for a walk up at Penland, which is so so so splendidly quiet this time of year. Everything there is crunchy and dry and pale, but the sky today was clear and vivid blue.

And there were snowdrops, and a few crocuses.

Snowdrop, 1.29.12

I understand that this has been a very mild winter thus far. This past week it was in the 50s during the day, which is bananas. Honestly I would rather have snow now than March. Come on, winter. Try harder.

I've been working on studio organization and getting rid of things I can't look at anymore.

Didn't I do that before I moved? Yes. But there is always more to move around and sort and let go.

Shaped etching plates...

I'm also getting ready to do some PRINTING in the next few weeks, as I will be a winter-renter in the Printmaking studio at Penland. I have some big etching plates, some little shaped etching plates, some pronto plates, and NOTHING BUT TIME.

If I can muster up some motivation, I think some good things may happen. Soon.

Didn't I go to California? Didn't I get a new camera? Oh yes. I am a bit overwhelmed by the 600+ photos I took on my first excursion with my camera. My brother and I did a lot, and had a fantastically full adventure. More about it in future blog bits. For now, just ...

My brother and the moon.

Happy Now Year.

Last year, somewhere in rain. Old news.

I'm heading to California soon for a very quick, very full visit. I'm taking my big brother and my new camera. Our trip out west includes a road-trip, (San Jose to Los Angeles), and I have been planning the hell outta this adventure. Okay, not planning...researching.

All about our adventures (with NEW-CAMERA PHOTOS!) in a week or so!

Little books from a very big year.

World-y interior.

 

Covers.

  

More covers.

Custom-made rubber stamp. Delightful.

Scrap-y little books started happening.

Some of the blank books I made this year.

Little things from a very big year.

 A lot happened this past year, most of it resulting from my choices.

And that's nice.

I'm looking forward to 2012. I have plans, and things to look forward to...and nothing so dramatic as a cross-country move. 

I made a conscious choice in the spring to step away from blogging and internet business, because I was occupied with packing/moving concerns, making books for two big handmade events, and the stress/anxiety/teeth grinding of that time.

But until my little camera quit on me, I was taking pictures. Here is a sampling of some little things I have seen this year, and evidence of some little adventures...

Crane on Los Feliz Blvd.

Some good looking chairs in Downey, California.

Santa Anita, Arcadia, California.

Pickwick Bowling Alley, Burbank, California.

Crab Cooker, Balboa, California.

Hollywoodland, California.

The road to Visalia, chaperoning some teenagers.

California Grand Bethel, JDI, Visalia, California.

Sequoia on a whim with my girls.

Beautiful breakfast with Yvonne, at the Village Bakery.

Colorful carrots at the Hollywood farmers market.

And a fancy cake I made.

I said goodbye to my goofy students at CSUN.
(and we all wore ties.)

I said goodbye to a wonderful ol' couch, now re-covered at
my grandma and aunt's house. Glad we didn't have to move it. 

I said goodbye to a beautiful apartment in Los Feliz.
This was the little brass peephole in the front door.  

 Next....books of 2011.

Stash.

A long time ago I bought this lovely little ipod case on Etsy from mariforssell. It is very well made and adorable, and I have spent a while this evening browsing around her Etsy store. (Ordering a camera led to thinking about camera bags, although I think her small DSLR bag would be rather roomy for my forthcoming Sony NEX-C3...)

Ooh, little camera bag....

And, oh... this print....

Plaid, houndstooth, herringbone, vintage wool, snaps, and nice craftsmanship. You should absolutely check her work out.