2 posts from January 2008

I'm taking advantage of this little slow time to work in my studio. Work has been a little slow - not many calls - the last two weeks. Rehearsals aren't yet underway for "Witness". I have 3 meetings this week for various church committees - Administrative Council, Pastor-Parish Committee and the one that I chair - Worship and Missions. It's really too many "church meetings" for one week. I wish God would help me understand what He has in mind for our little church. They don't understand that in order to grow they have to change. They just want to "attract new people" to the church by doing things the same way that they have for the last 30 years. I introduced the projector a couple of years ago, and they like it okay - but they don't want to do the great new music, they want to sing from the old hymnals. Yeah, right...that will bring in people seeking God who are just learning. They make me tired. I bet they make God tired, too.

Okay - I'm done with that conversation.

Now - the postcard series got finished. It ended up kind of fun and flirty. The worst part was when I finished the top with a diamond glaze it made some of the collaged papers below pucker and bubble. With a little work, some of it lay flat again, but not all. As per the swap instructions, I also sent an artists statement. As an extra goody, I made a copy of the song the series was based on and sent it, too. Also finished the recycled container swap. I covered a cigar box with embossed felt and vintage buttons. The buttons were stacked and lined up on the top. The inside was a kind of rich looking  print. The Christian matchbox swap turned out well, too. An "illuminated" Jesus was the focus on the top and a cool laughing Jesus pic on the bottom with the "fruit of the spirit" scripture. I used torn handmade paper as a  base. Also used part of a vintage necklace to outline the top.

I'm still working on the "create a world" Joseph Cornell-esq swap. I've got my box painted with a blue-black and I've been playing with some very small humenoids made of sculpy. I'm thinking of gathering  several "people" off center and looking up and calling the whole thing "star gazers" or "hello up there" or somethng like that. I've also been playing with the idea of layering papers and light gels (colored acetate), and putting in a light-up element in the box.
I'm afraid the littlle sculpy guys won't travel well when they need to be mailed.

Tax time is here, too. Being an independant contractor / sole proprietor is such a pain when it comes to taxes. This will be the first year that my DH has a W-2. Always worked for himself before. I hope that enough money was taken out for taxes from his paychecks that we don't owe too much this year. Always such a worry.

More later,
Indygirl

Lots of busy-ness in the last few weeks. Christmas. New Years. Drove with Dad to Florida and spent a week hanging out there. Work, work, and more work. A sinus infection that kept me home from work a couple of days, and a couple of fun swaps. I sent out a matchbox shrine,(black and pink kitty shrine as per my partner's profile), 2 five dollar frog "stuff" swaps, and an ATC fat girls art swap. I have received a fat girls art ATC swap back. They are well done, but a little sad. Kind of self potraits of this person who had a baby and now has stretch marks and can't lose the weight. The little projects were supposed to be celebrations of little fat characters - you know, cute....sweet....or goddess like. Oh well. Maybe it helped her work out something.....art therapy. I sent a Christian large matchbox swap and got such a hearwarming thank-you for my partner. It really made my day. I took a couple of pictures and may post them. I'm currently working on a series of 5 collage postcards for a swap. It's been a tough one. Lots of ideas, but they tend to lend themselves to a 3 series instead of a 5. I decided to do a series based on one of my favorite songs,"Betty's Diner" by Carrie Newcomer. I have 3 well underway and pieces for #4 and 5, but I'm not likeing the commercialism in them. They don't have enough "depth for me. I may dump the whole thing and try something else. Something less literal. Just make some pretty pictures that tie together with color or technique or something. I'm signed up for 2 other swaps - a "make your own world" swap and a "repurpose a container" swap. Both are right up my alley. The "world" swap is really like the shadow box and mixed media stuff I like to play with, and I have lots of different containers that I have saved simply for the purpose of repurposing. I think I am going to make a purse out of one of the cool electrosol limited edition tins I bought (filled with the detergent) last fall. I really like the little Elroy from the Jetson's that is on the front, so I'm not sure how much I'll alter the actual graphics on the the tin. It has a cool hinged top, too. Perfect for this swap!
I really need to do some web work on both the site for work and the site for Kappa Kappa Sigma. it's so frustrating when you are self taught. Everytime I want to do something different, I have to teach it to myself before I can make it apart of the site. I really need to learn how to have a password protected area of the KKS site so that I can post the directory for the membership to access. They all get a hard copy once a year, but an online copy could be constantly updated and be more accurate. Plus - it could save us lots of money if we no longer had to print a copy for each member.
Auditions for "Witness for the prosecution" are next weekend. I haven't done much work on it yet. I'll be doing the lighting design. I don't know exactly what the set looks like, as the set designer has a penchant for the odd and disturbing, and this show kind of screams for a classic 3 wall set. The lighting will be in the noir style, so I hope I can get the angles I need. The show opens in the first of April.
Soon we'll begin working on another fundraising luncheon for the cancer society. We want to move it to June. So much to do. I hope I have a good committee. I already found the perfect favor for the tables. We can make these cute little puse pendants that hold a "lucky penny"
It's frigid cold outside - somewhere around "0", so I'm planning on a jammie day. My first in years. It feels really decadent. All I need is some chocolate chip cookies to make it complete!
Later - indygirl