Laume's Studio

It frustrates me a lot that I don't post more regularly on this studio blog. But alas, to post about art generally requires one to be making it a lot more regularly than I seem to manage. I have been doing a lot of photography lately. It's the one art process that I don't have to push myself to do. I love it. But then, other than sharing it here, what do I do with all these photos? I have some ideas for using it in collage work, but I haven't managed to get all the supplies gathered up yet. If I did nothing but frame it, I could request a show at the local art's council studio. I really need to get my ass in gear. Alas, I'm afraid it's gonna take drugs, whips, and threats to get me going.

Mostly I'm sort of running in circles trying to decide whether to write, do visual art, or go back to major reorganizing of my house. Mostly I end up just feeding the bottomless pit of a teenager and running household shopping errands and then "Oh, look at the time! I'll sit and watch television shows." One reason, or excuse if you want, is that the time of day, evening, when I'm most inspired to get up and do something, is also the time when my family is home and so I feel guilty if I go off and hide from them in the studio. I did manage to get some fabric combinations lined up for more blue/green Ohio Stars the other night (which sounds easy but definitely was not!). I didn't have to choose between family and art because the only television that had sound for American Idol (we were having cable troubles) was in the studio, so they all followed me in there.

I think Georgia O'Keeffe was right when she said she had to choose between having a family and being an artist. Right in the sense that she knew she personally had to choose one or the other, that for her it wasn't possible to do both. Of course then there's someone like Tasha Tudor that seemed to combine the two lives effortlessly. I'm sure it wasn't effortless, but she made it seem like it.

Jeff and I took a day trip to Reno on Wednesday and one of the highlights was a visit to the Nevada Museum of Art. I already mentioned it a bit over on Beach Treasure, and put up some photos we took along the road as well. It's always a toss up whether to upload them here or there. So go check them out.

I saved a couple photos for here. You couldn't take photos inside the museum. This was outside in a small plaza they have in front of the building. I liked the red on red. Which photo do you like best? Jeff and I were split on which was our favorite.

The close up or...

...this one that includes more of the setting?

This sun sculpture was on the roof. I liked how the shadow made a crescent moon inside of the sun.

The big exhibit was Andy Warhol. They had some fun interactive stuff set up to go along with it - mostly for kids. The best were oversized cans of Campbell Soup to stack and make patterns with. I would have played with them but a little boy beat me to it. But that didn't stop a couple of us adults from spending time at a stamp and color markers station set up so you could make repetitive "Warhol" inspired postcards. This is what I made, it is a hodge podge of things we saw on the road that day.


Hmmm, it needs some background color, doesn't it.

One of the paintings I liked best on this visit was called Moth Prayer. (Look at what is on her skirt. And I loved the snails around the border.) It was in an exhibit called Voces Latinas displaying work on paper in the comtemporary Latino culture. I really should have made a list of the other artist's names on pieces I found intriguing so I could have looked them up later online. Oh well.

I ordered a book from our inter-library loan program called Celebrate your Creative Self. I thought it was going to be an inspirational jumpstart sort of book. Instead it's more of an art class on painting techniques. Some of it I already know, although it's never a bad idea to play with the basics. Some of it is new to me. I could spend years just working with new medium ideas from their how-to exercises but alas, I only have the book for a few more days before it needs to be returned.

Do any of you have any suggestions for inspirational books? I'd still like to find something like that.

And speaking of books, I saw this one at both bookstores we visited during our one day vacation. It's called Artist Trading Card Worshop by Bernie Berlin. Hmmm, the Amazon link is waaaaaay to long to share.... but wait! She has a blog! Visit her there and you can click on her book in the sidebar. I really have to get my own blog sidebars updated, they are practically useless now. I've found a bunch of great new art and photo blogs recently but here I am hiding them in my private bookmarks instead of sharing them with you. Sigh. My to-do list gets longer instead of shorter every day.