Summer Recap

It’s been a looong time since my last post and we have some catching up to do! Here’s a sampling of my summer…

THE NEW STUDIO

New studio...A-250 at the Stutz Business Center

I moved into my new studio at the Stutz Business Center in June and instantly got to work of a new series of paintings. I’m feeling very at home in this new space located on the second floor of the A building. Great neighbors, great energy, all around great place to be (note to self- go pay October rent so they don’t kick you out).

NEW RESIDENTS

I also headed up the Stutz Artists Association Residency search in June and July. Each year the SAA provides free studio space to two local artists. As the 06-07 Resident, I know what a huge deal this is. This year we selected Patrick Flaherty and Lydia Burris. You can learn more about them here.

Patrick and Lydia will be moving into their new studios within the week.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

While I would love to be making art full time, other things have occupied my time this summer. As a homeowner, I’m realizing that summers will now be filled with all sorts of outdoor home improvement projects, including this year’s new driveway! It’s just beautiful- but you’ll have to imagine it because I only have pictures of the ‘before’…

Before...the old, crunchy, crumbling driveway.

MICHIGAN

Back to the art…or rather, the inspiration. I spent about a week in Western Michigan sitting on beaches and gallery hopping up the coast. I made stops in St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Saugatuck, Holland and Grand Rapids. A huge storm passed through the area one of the nights I was there and produced some spectacular clouds for the rest of the trip. Still plenty of sun, but the low, voluminous clouds have inspired a few paintings.

     

There’s nothing like a Michigan sky…except maybe a Montana sky.

SOCIAL MEDIA WRITER?

In addition to my part time duties in Guest Services at the Indianapolis Art Center, I’ve taken on the Art Center’s blog and Facebook page. This has proven to be great fun. I’m now on the look out for fun and interesting stories to post on or about the Art Center and it’s goings on.

While the focus is still getting the word out about all the IAC has to offer by way of classes, workshops, events, and other programs, I plan to show a more behind-the-scenes side. So come read my stuff! Posting weekly, it might just help me to post to my own blog more often.

So that’s the summer in a nutshell. Looking forward to fall and the new adventures and challenges it brings.

-KJO

Moving On/In

Just got word yesterday that my new studio is ready for occupancy so I pick up keys and sign my lease on Monday. Good thing too, I already ordered business cards (and per my accountant’s ‘ah-ha’ moment as we sat going over my taxes, they now say what it is that I do). My diningroom has also been overrun by various tools and objects for artmaking. With a new studio I can do something extraordinary and actually eat in my diningroom.

I’m hoping that a new space, all to myself, will spur some ideas. I’ve been in a creative slump for some time now and a new environment should push me to do more work.

Patrick behind his work.

Additionally, my friend Patrick will be moving in with me for a short while. Another artist in the house…I’ve missed that. We’ve decided to push each other into more creative endeavours. Whatever that means.

Pictures post move in coming soon.

KJO

Latest Sketchbook Pages

More from my sketchbook…

Hole Pottery

Art Fairs are fun and there’s one almost every weekend somewhere in the Midwest. Sandi Finney (aka my mom) is at most of them. She produces gorgeous functional pottery for everyday use.

Recently, in another step towards mastering modern technology (the first was letting me set up a website for her, the second was signing up for Facebook), she created an Etsy site. So, this is my promo for Hole Pottery on the web, both the website and Etsy. Visit either www.holepottery.com or www.holepottery.etsy.com to be kept up to date on the latest work and shows. If you can’t make it to an art fair, Etsy is the way to go.

One day, I’ll actually get my act together and get my Etsy shop up and running and open for business.

Best,

Kate

Mess Making

I’m working on a new body of work…something that I’m not sure of, but I keep plugging away…there is that Picasso quote, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”

Not sure of direction or theme at the moment. For now it’s a bit of mess making on smaller canvases (starting with 12 x 12 inches), hopefully growing larger. I may have the opportunity to show a bunch of new work next spring…I’m determined not to show anything older. More on that later…

Just for Fun…

For all my artist friends who ever wanted to do reality TV, here’s your chance…

BRAVO Begins Casting for Artist Competition

By Christopher Rocchio, 07/01/2009

Bravo has announced open casting call dates and locations for Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker’s new Project Runway-like reality competition series for aspiring artists.

Previously ordered under the working title American Artists, the now untitled series will follow 13 aspiring artists as they compete in art-themed challenges from a range of disciplines — including sculpture, painting, photography and industrial design. 

In addition, the contestant will complete works of art that will be appraised by a panel of top figures in the art world, including artists, gallerists, collectors, curators and critics.

The eventual winner will receive a cash prize, gallery show and a sponsored national tour showcasing his or her work.

The network first announced it was developing the show — which Parker’s Pretty Matches production company had already previously begun developing with Project Runway’s former Magical Elves production company and former Miramax Television executive Eli Holzman over a year ago — last July.

The series is produced by Magical Elves and Pretty Matches, with Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz, Parker, Alison Benson and Eli Holzman all serving as executive producers.

Casting call dates and locations for the series are:

Los Angeles
Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12
10AM – 2PM
LA>

Miami
Tuesday, July 14
10AM – 2PM
Fredric Snitzer Gallery

Chicago
Thursday, July 16
10AM – 2PM
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Sullivan Galleries

New York
Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19
10AM – 2PM
White Columns

Sketchbook

Hardly working from my sketchbook lately and missing it. I carry it with me nearly everywhere, but haven’t pulled it out in a while. I flipped through it today and took some pictures to share.

 

As always, a work in progress. I hope to have some better stuff soon. Plus, I’ll be working on a new journal/sketchbook or two for the Journal/Sketchbook exhibit for StutzArtSpace Gallery next fall…though this likely means I won’t actually get started on them until about a month before the show. Procrastinators unite!

KJO

Englist Ivy on it’s way out…

I know this is very non-art related, but I still want to share in my joy. I have a hate for out of control English Ivy and after spending a year concentrating on the inside of my house, I let the outside slide a bit. The front yard is…or rather was…completely covered in mounds of it. Additionally, lurking in the midst of the english ivy was the dreaded poison ivy.

So here’s the progress…a huge section is now dead thanks to a few applications of Round-Up (In know, it’s chemicals in the ground, it’s poison, and normally I’d agree and hold off on such a broad use…but it really works). The funny thing about ivy is that it’s way easier to pull out when it’s dead.

It’s a long project. The next step is ripping out the dead ivy, putting in topsoil and a new flower bed along the porch and then actual grass for the rest of it! It’ll probably take all summer, but it’s worth it.

I’m working with GreenVista Landscaping out of Noblesville for the major work, but will be doing the planting myself. Stay tuned for more pictures throughout the summer.

-KJO

Rare as is

The truth is WE ALL ACHE.
WE ALL HAVE GROWING PAINS
and wonder if WE ARE
OKAY adn enough + loved.
THE THING IS – WE ARE.
REALLY.
WITHOUT the silver shoes
and lepord print sheet.
WE ARE ENOUGH WITHOUT
all the things we buy
to make us much more
than we are or need to be
we are simple
and complex
and rare
as is.

-Sabrina Ward Harrison

The Journal Show

The Journal Show is the name of a show I’m curating that will be at the StutzArtSpace Gallery next fall/winter. It’s not a very creative name, just a working title.

The dates are set…November 5-December 17, 2010. It seems so far away, but there’s tons to do between now and then.

So here’s the skinny on the exhibit…it will be an invitational (please no one feel bad if you’re not invited), featuring 15-20 artists. The ‘work’ on view will be artist’s journals and sketchbooks with the goal being to show the creative process of creating art. We are also asking our artists to show a piece of finished work to hang above or near their journal to show the end result.

The exhibit is very loosly based on the 1000 Journals Project, where 1000 blank journals were sent out into the world to be filled, culminating with a website and exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco this past Spring. We hope to have a few well-traveled collaborative journals too.

In addition to the art exhibit, we have a tenative agreement to do screenings of the 1000 Journals Film by director/producer/writer Andrea Kreuzhage- DVDs of the film will also be available for purchase. If you just can’t wait, you can buy it on Amazon now.

The last component of all this is a series of workshops…on the books (pun intended) are workshops on travel journaling, bookmaking, altered books and more.

So, the details are being worked out, I’m writing a budget (blargh), lining up potential artists, setting up long-lead PR, and making general plans for a sweet exhibit.

More info to come.

KJO