:: blarg ::

{ the time is nigh }

Thursday May 17 | Jane

Oh man. I'm so tired...I don't even recognize certain words anymore, they look and sound so weird in my head. I've been mulling over the dreaded artist statement - revising, editing, what have you - and this word, 'picture' has lost all meaning for me at this point. Picture. PICTURE.  Pick...Sure? 

I overheard my father telling my sister that if you are going to bother with killing yourself, at the very least you should be romantic about it. I am certain that I will meet my end by way of drawing fatique - clutching tiny, broken pencils in my rigor-mortised hands - inky, mascara-ed tears lining my cold cheeks...that's more on the pathetic side of romantic (and not nearly dignity-robbing enough an image for what will likely transpire for me when the time comes) but whatever, my exhaustion is strong proportionally where everything else is weak; my brain is trying to quit everything and my body wants to peace out emphatically. 

Want me to stop belly-aching and show you a drawing? I think it's for the best if I do.

(another girl - colored pencil on paper, 10" x 8", 2012)

WERRRRRRRRRRRK

Tuesday May 1 | Jane

After a much needed bit of debauchery and respite in New Orleans (with my Lovely and Talented friend, Amy) I have really hit the ground running in studio to get ready for my upcoming show at the Opie this June. I have always struggled with discipline - I don't think procrastination among creative types is uncommon (it really seems to be a natural part of the stuff-making process) but it's a stereotype I hate myself for re-enforcing. Now that I have a real deadline looming, I'm working late at night and sleeping not nearly enough and making myself a little bit sick.

I've posted a few pictures from the trip - as well as some rough images of the work I've made since getting back...

Opening tonight at Vincent + Greer!

Friday Apr 13 | Jane

I have an opening this evening from 7-9 at Vincent + Greer Hair Studio! I'm really excited about this body of work, I've been making small-scale drawings for the last year and it's a bit of a departure for me - I hope to see you there!

(please forgive and overlook the dodgy photo - one day I will learn my lesson and hire a professional to shoot my stuff rather than rely on the quality of my filthy phone...alas, today is not that day.)

{ about face }

Monday Dec 19 | Jane

I like being busy. My brain works better when my dance card is full and I tend to be a bit happier as well.

Sadly, my body doesn't much care for it. Generally speaking, I don't deal with stress or anxiety very well (I tend to get insomnia, or run-down, or full-stop sick), recently my anxiety and stress took a change of course and manifested itself in the form of a nasty case of perioral dermatitis (that's FANCY for face rash -  $40, please), the cure for which being the same meds that are prescribed to people afflicted with LEPROSY. 

Damnation, Y'all.

That said, things are going well (facial-hideousness-be-damned). I have three shows coming up in February ( two group, one solo), two collaborative projects a'brewin' and a solo show scheduled for June.

And, not for nothing, I'm very fortunate to have some truly lovely friends in my life - one of whom, The Divination Diva, pulled this badass card today:

 ‎10 of Cups: Fulfillment. Here we must learn to be fully present and participate in fulfillment, and enjoy it. Let all of your emotions truly be yours. Satisfaction is hard to stay with. We are often looking forward to the next issue or challenge. Stay with it a bit, enjoy what we have earned now. Let's enjoy the goodness this life can offer. This card invites us to celebrate life with our chosen family. This can be called the happy endings card...the moment at the end of the film where everyone is happy, all problems are resolved and the credits roll...so we can just linger in that moment and not plan the issues for the sequel

Good stuff to keep in mind. Happy Holidays everyone - I hope you get everyting that you want and want for nothing!

. 

{ holiday show at Leedy-Voulkos Art Center }

Wednesday Nov 30 | Jane

I am super happy to be a part of the Holiday Show at Leedy-Voulkos Art Center!   The show opens this December 2nd and will run through January 28th with an opening reception this Friday from 6-9.

See you there?

PS - here is a sneak peek at one of the drawings in the show (please forgive the crappy photo)

{ studio }

Saturday Nov 12 | Jane

Things have been stupidbusy lately - I'm really happy to be working and the studio is finally starting to feel like my place. Wanna see? Lookie!

I've been collecting images for inspiration for a while now - random stuff, but stuff that I like to look at just the same. I'm not sure how all of these things will tie in together, but here is a peek at it in no particular order:

{ whoa }

Tuesday Oct 11 | Jane

My goodness, it's been a while. The process of buying a house, selling a house and moving into the house that I bought pretty much took over everything this summer and I am just now getting back to something that feels relatively normal. To wit, this week I put pencil to paper for the first time in months - I've missed it so much and it has felt really wonderful (and incredibly humbling) to be working again on something.

After being free of any kind of deadlines for nearly a year (A YEAR), I am happy to  have a few new projects lined up that I'm excited about :

- I'm collaborating with my brother who is in the process of getting his first novel published. John asked me to make some preliminary character sketches which will be shown on his website - I will provide links and images as this project moves along.

- My friend Nancy Greer Weber has asked me to make a small show for her salon, Vincent and Greer and the space is so amazing! The best part - besides having my work in her gorgeous space - is that the pieces I've been experimenting with will work really well there. I love it when things come together unexpectedly.

- Thirdly, my cousin Sara got herself hitched recently and one of the awesome bi-products of her wonderful wedding was forming a new friendship with an incredible couple (what's up Missy and Ajit!) In addition to having new friends, I'm excited to be doing a trade with the lovely and talented Missy DiPiero-D'sa!

Managing my time will be the tough part - it always is - and I'm hoping to avoid the anxiety-fueled insomnia situtation that happened that one time (shudder). Fingers are tightly crossed.

{ this one is on the house }

Friday Jun 24 | Jane

Things have been nutballs upinhere.

We spent the first two weeks of June traveling for out-of-town weddings (congratulations to Brian's sister Heather and her husband Cory - and to Caron and Patrick Parnell) and we up and bought a house WHILE we were traveling...you know, like you do. Because we are real estate moguls. (no, we are not). I am very excited about the new house - it will be a good move for the kiddos and I will actually have a studio space to work in. I've been gradually moving my belongings over to the new space this week and it's been a bittersweet process - I've loved being able to work in close proxemity to Linda Lighton (I have rented a space in her building off and on for 10 years and some change) as well as the other artists who work at the Allsman building and I will miss being there. That said, I am excited to NOT be trying to make drawings at my dining room table at 3 in the morning under the dim light of a clip-on lamp, I think I'm just surprised a bit by my own sentimentality over moving.

Anyways - this is the deck behind the new digs - I fell in love with this deck and am already looking forward to having big outdoor dinners on it and then passing out directly under it.

Because of the pending move, I have made very little artwork lately and I have to say that it feels really weird.  I'm looking forward to setting up a good work space and getting my hand back drawing-wise - it can't happen soon enough.

I did finish one piece that I have been making for a very dear friend of mine. Her name is Amy and she was diagonosed with a very rare kind of cancer this April - she recently underwent a pretty scary sounding, aggressive surgery and I am very glad to write that she has been doing really well since then, though her recovery from it will take a while. She had asked me a to make something for her to hang on her wall - I finished the piece today and will be either mailing it or delivering it to her in person very soon! 

(colored pencil, paint pen on wood panel, 2011)