paper scribble & stitch

a sister's eulogy

2011-11-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

I can't stop thinking about this article I read in the New York Times. I hope that someone says something this amazing about me at my funeral.

OPINION

A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs

By MONA SIMPSON

Published: October 30, 2011

At a memorial service for her brother, Mona Simpson recalled his love of beauty and his family, and his final moments.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/mona-simpsons-eulogy-for-steve-jobs.html

emily barletta

2011-10-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

I am loving Emily Barletta's work. Can't remember what blog I discovered her on. Sorry. Check her out here.

sarah kay

2011-10-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

vivian maier

2011-01-12T12:35:00.001-08:00

Vivian Maier is an inspiration.

Thanks you Cindy for sharing.

ok go

2010-11-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

Last Leaf

OK Go | Myspace Music Videos

via Likecool

Machine with 23 Scraps of Paper - Arthur Ganson

2010-11-06T22:53:00.000-07:00

jim denevan

2010-08-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

The Art of Jim Denevan found via pia jane bijkerk's great blog

oakland museum of california

2010-07-15T06:58:00.001-07:00

I went to the Oakland Museum of California to see it's fabulous new renovation recently. They did a great job. If you haven't been, you might want to check it out.

Garden Sculpture, pictured above, is by Landscape Architect, Walter Hood and is installed near the gift shop. Hood's firm designed the grounds for the new de Young Museum. I have a new found appreciation of landscape architecture since my sister, Rachel, decided to become one. Hood's work is amazing. Garden Sculpture is more like an art installation than landscape but it's kind of all the same anyway, isn't it? It is on exhibit until the end of August.

This is what the museum has to say about Garden Sculpture:

Garden Sculpture invokes cultural artifacts from two canonized gardens in history: the Alhambra Gardens in Spain and the Katsura Imperial Palace Gardens in Japan. The Alhambra fountain and the Katsura lantern are appropriated as serialized hanging objects within the building and landscape environments of the Museum.

The installation is placed in outdoor vitrines as a space for art that is an experiential zone viewed from within as well as from without. The visitor has the opportunity to participate as both subject and observer in this garden sculpture landscape.

i love the color pallet of this video

2010-06-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

Tricot machine || Radar from Dare To Care Records on Vimeo.

i might have a crush on an older man

2010-06-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

I think that Sir Ken Robinson is a brilliant man and funny too. Watch this TED clip and you might develop a crush too. If you like this one, check out his earlier talk on TED or in this post. Brilliant. Brilliant.

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution! | Video on TED.com

biz ladies

2010-06-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

The blog Design Sponge has a great series for women about running your own business called biz ladies. I think that there are aspects of this series that apply to all creatives who work for themselves. Check it out here.

another mustache

2010-05-18T10:22:00.000-07:00

I found the Missed Connections blog (via pia jane bijkerk 's blog) and found another mustache to love. I love this illustration by Sophie Blackall. The good news is I can get it from her etsy shop.

scrapertown by california is a place

2010-05-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

I love this video. I love the project. Most of all I love the bikes. They are works of art. I want to make one.

Scrapertown from California is a place. on Vimeo.

sustainable artist - carbee soy gesso

2010-05-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for more sustainable products to use in my artwork. Today I found this gesso. It's expensive but I think it is worth it - for my health, my family's health and the health of the planet.

Do you have any suggestions for art friendly materials that you use? Please comment below. I would love to hear about them.

the girls with glasses

2010-05-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

I found this video via Oh Happy Day. It is my daughter's new favorite song. She's going to capture the world. So, what do you think of that?

I Am A Girl - The Girls With Glasses Theme Song from The Girls With Glasses on Vimeo.

where did they go?

2010-05-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

My children have been into hiding in plain sight lately. I think it is a testament to their creativity and their ability to suspend reality for the purpose of fun. And they do have fun.

mustaches are sexy - just look at oliver jeffers

2010-04-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

If you need some mustaches of your very own, you can buy some like these on etsy.

whiskerworks

somethingshidinghere

MaroDesigns

You could also go here to get these. But just remember - you would not be buying handmade and handmade is better.

great paper cutting video

2010-04-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

snow feet, rain feet

2010-04-14T09:23:00.001-07:00

angie lewin

2010-03-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

I just discovered Angie Lewin through this post on Lobster and Swan .

Check out all her work at www.angielewin.co.uk/.

brian dettmer

2010-03-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

living greener and cheaper

2010-03-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

I have been inspired by Dottie Angel's Challenge. And I have gotten my husband to agree to shop only used or handmade for six months (only half as long as my inspiration but I figured it would be better if we were both doing it). We started at the beginning of March and so far we are doing really well. I have made several gifts already and I am enjoying the excuse to go to thrift stores, the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse and Urban Ore in Berkeley. We have a few exceptions such as food and other necessary consumables, gift cards we have received, and anything that would be greener/cleaner to purchase new (i.e. milk based paints instead of left overs that would off gas in our home). I also allowed my husband to buy some new things for the earthquake kit he has been assembling.

I think it will be interesting to see how this effects my art work. Can I get all my supplies secondhand? Will this save us money? Will we consume less and live greener? Will it have a permanent effect on our shopping habits? Time will tell. Wish us luck.

ok go

2010-03-05T21:46:00.000-08:00

My husband sent me this today and I had to post it. These guys make the best videos.

what i would tell her

2010-03-02T23:16:00.000-08:00

A video essay about motherhood by Katherine Center http://www.katherinecenter.com for the Mom 2.0 Summit in Houston this Februaryhttp://www.mom2summit.com

favorite blog

2010-02-18T10:45:00.001-08:00

Wish Jar by Keri Smith is my new favorite blog. I also want to go out and buy all her books.

courageous girl

2010-02-17T15:31:00.000-08:00

The Tree from Leander Huizinga on Vimeo.

inspiration: ruth asawa

2010-02-16T14:33:00.000-08:00

Photo by Laurence Cuneo

Her life is as inspiring as her work. You can learn more about her here and see more photos of her amazing wire sculptures. However, photos don't do them justice. I have seen them several time at the de Young Museum. I would recommend going to an exhibit of her work if you ever get the chance. The de Young has always had a few pieces on display by the elevator to the tower when I have gone.

For a great video about Ruth Asawa check out this on Spark.

Ruth Asawa: Spark | KQED Public Media for Northern CA

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post-its

2010-02-10T23:12:00.000-08:00

creative growth

2010-02-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

I first learned about Creative Growth through a disabilities studies class taught by my professor Katherine Sherwood at UC Berkeley. She is a brilliant artist and phenomenal teacher and her class was amazing. She offered internships with Creative Growth as part of her class. I recently watched an episode of Spark on PBS about them and was once again amazed by the work that they do. Here is an introductory video to their Art Center.

drawn from life

2010-02-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

I ran across this article, Drawn From Life, by Owen Edwards in Smithsonian Magazine's November 2009 issue and fell in love with these sketch book images created by Janice Lowry.

"creativity, now, is as important in education as literacy"

2010-01-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

I didn't say that. Sir Ken Robinson did in this TED video which I found via Amelia's blog 101 Bird Tales. She found it on another blog and maybe it has been around the blogoshpere already but I had to post it anyway.

I found this to be smart, funny and oh so inspiring. Just watch it and see.

inspiration today

2010-01-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

Rethink Scholarship at Langara 2010 Call for Entries from Rory O'Sullivan and Simon Bruyn on Vimeo.

haiti

2010-01-14T11:34:00.000-08:00

Haiti is weighing on my mind.

The NPR picture show Haiti: A Photographer's Reflection And Plea By Jeff Antebi is a beautiful reminder that a crisis like this is about people and families and not just the horror and numbers that we get through the media.

I will be thinking about the people and families in Haiti and sending them love and good wishes.

lisa hannigan

2009-12-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

I have been hanging out with two of my beautiful sisters looking at youtube videos and was reminded of these.

I love these videos. Lisa Hannigan's voice is beautiful and I really appreciate the paper craft.

babies

2009-12-02T13:08:00.000-08:00

I love this video and so do my kids. We watched it over and over again.

little artists at work

2009-10-24T23:55:00.000-07:00

my daughter's purse

2009-10-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

If you ever are in the position of buying a purse for a toddler or pre-schooler, may I recommend that it has at least one clear side.

Our first clear purse came from the thrift store and I think it cost $1. I thought it was cheap and not destined to last, but my daughter loved it. Every kid who came into our house loved it. Hours were spent emptying and refilling that purse.

The original purse eventually gave way and I spent much time looking for a replacement. I bought another cheap one but the handle broke soon after. I found this one in a shop in Japan Town. It was about ten times as expensive but is holding up much better and I think worth the $10 in the end. Now she uses it mainly when we are going out but her brother loves to empty and refill it.

Another thing I love about clear purses is I get glimpses of what is inside. And it often makes me smile. What is inside today?

Tattoos -a necessary item for play dates, just ask any 3 yr old;

2 pairs of sunglasses because she has decided that they work best when worn in pairs;

pictures of her and her brother as babies;

her butterfly flashlight;

a retractable measuring tape from the pacifier fairy;

fake money - cause you never know when you are going to have to pretend to buy something;

magnifying glass for the unexpected exploration;

and an empty wallet.

for tina

2009-10-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

I found this video a while ago for my sister when she wrote this post on her blog.

It is still one of my favorites. Not sure why.

no time for art/lots of time for kids

2009-10-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

So I have not been posting because I have not even had any time to even sketch in my sketch book much less make art. I know that sounds unbelievable. I mean it is not that hard, right? But it really is. The class that I am taking has absorbed all my down time (nap and after 9pm) and if I get out my sketchbook with the kids around it just becomes an exercise in frustration (for them and for me). I will get back to the art in earnest as soon as the class is done.

It is crappy that my art is the first thing to go, isn't it? Am I not dedicated enough? It is what it is, I guess. And the class is part of my progress forward too so I will have to settle for that. In the mean time, since writing about my art is not an option, instead of just ignoring my blog I will blog about everything else. So here is goes. Let me know what you think.

Being a mom is so easy and so hard at the same time. I love my kids. I love spending time with them. I love doing art with them. I love building things out of legos with them. I love reading to them. I love just holding them. I love spending time with my kids.

I think the thing that makes being a stay at home parent hard is that there are so many other things to do that keep me from spending time with the kids and so much of it is repetitive like laundry or, my least favorite thing, cleaning the floors. It makes doing what I do stressful. Very different from the kind I used to have at work which was all about deadlines and job performance or in school which was about deadlines and grades. Now the stress comes from never having enough time to finish unending repetitive tasks and more importantly about doing what's right for the kids. "How should I handle emotional breakdowns?" "What preschool should my kids go to?" "Is it ok for them to eat a little chocolate everyday?"

So lately I have been trying to do more for me ...

focus on my diet

exercise

finish my class

be more mindful

reorganize my house (this is an ongoing project)

be creative

family clean up before bedtime so I may study or relax after the kids are asleep

....and at the same time I have been trying to focus on the joy of being a mom...

spend some time each day focused on just playing with the kids (w/o interruptions)

notice the little stuff

fake laughing when we're crabby (a trick I learned from my brother-in-law)

i am back

2009-09-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, how I didn't want to ever write this post but here it is after just a few months. I am sorry for my terrible neglect. I have been traveling, starting a new class, taking care of the kids (while my husband went to Asia for almost three weeks) and traveling some more. I have barely done any art and I have of course neglected my blog. But now I am back and I am very excited to be.

My class is the last thing I need to do to get my degree. It is an American History requirement that is typically fulfilled with a high school course. I found out I needed it when I was pregnant with my oldest nearly four years ago and was in my last semester at school. I have been putting it off all this time. Getting it done is really part of my new push to build my own career as an artist. I hope that completing it now will enable me to take some workshops and studio classes in the future.

Here are a few photos from my travels starting with roadside elk.

My family on the beach in Oregon.

My sister's cabbages. You will, I'm sure, be hearing more about my sister and cabbage. This is just a small taste.

These are the aftermath of a bath, a very fun bath. And they just made me smile.

a little inspiration and a wee bit of envy too

2009-08-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

FRANCESCA LONDON

Check out her blog, Mrs. Eliot's Books, and see what I mean.

the things that inspire

2009-08-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

I am fascinated by memory and how it works, how it is pieced together, which is why I started using material and thread in my work. I also use translucent materials for the same reason. I love paper and thread together. Paper with cutouts. Old greeting cards and letters. I love maps and charts. I love office supplies. Magazines, old and new.

I have a thing about mushrooms, birds, eggs, pigs, cows, bugs, chickens, farm buildings, more recently rabbits. I love to draw hearts and brains, well all human anatomy really. I love trees and wood grains. Leaves and roots. Houses and nests - particularly the ones of my childhood and my imagination which are often intertwined. Pebbles. Corn and wheat fields. Knots. Keys. And the sound of antique clocks that fill my childhood memories and are very difficult to catch on paper.

My family is Scandinavian and as a result I have a fond interest in Norse mythology and symbolism.

I have found a new inspiration in being a mom, having gone through pregnancy and birthing a baby. So my sketchbook is catching bits and pieces of children, birth, and housework.

I was inspired to record this list after seeing this one http://www.louloulovesbooks.com/inspiration.html. My list is not quite as beautiful but there it is.

What inspires you?

the sister project

2009-08-17T22:52:00.001-07:00

I am sure you have noticed how often I write about my sister, Tina, the writer. She has been particularly helpful to my creative process as of late. I am forever grateful for her advice and inspiration. I found this post on The Sister Project and, while I don't agree with it 100%, it did make me think of Tina. I am also grateful for the support of my other sisters both related and not. I have many. Some live right next door and some live across the country. I love them all.

The End of Writer’s Block. Done. Finished. No More.

by MARIONROACH on AUGUST 11, 2009

WRITER’S BLOCK? NONSENSE. There is no such thing. Despite the fact that...(click on the title to read the article)

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look what i got

2009-08-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

My sister recommended that I check out this book, What It Is by Lynda Barry. It is written for writers but I love it. I have started to do some of the exercises from the book - altering them a little bit to be about drawing instead of writing. It is really good at getting me out of my head where I find myself struggling with the art school voices - is it good enough - and my desire to create something that is marketable - will people pay money for anything I create. I become immobilized. This book is perfect for helping me silence those fear driven thoughts and find the inspiration to just create.

nothing to fear...

2009-08-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

So, I listened to the talk with Squeak Carnwath that I posted over the weekend. In it she talks about how she tried to teach her students to be courageous and reveal themselves. Then, my sister, without knowing what Carnwath said, suggested that I listen to Elizabeth Gilbert’s Ted talk where she talks about much the same thing. Next, I listened to a video (from the Thirty Day Challenge) that advised getting rid of fear in oder to avoid procrastination. I think the Universe is telling me that I have to ask myself, “what do I fear and how is it getting in my way?” I don’t believe that fear of failure is all bad as it often encourages us to be our best but it can be stifling at times. What do I fear? Failure is there but I think what I fear most is looking stupid. Why do I worry about that so much? Who knows. I feel as though I have always worried about that. I will tell you this, I think working to let go of this fear could benefit me in more ways than one. Wish me luck.

returning

2009-08-07T23:14:00.000-07:00

I am finding that part of returning to my art really has to involve tapping back into my creative soul. I am finding myself again. I didn’t realize quite how much I had been neglecting myself by neglecting my art. Keeping a sketchbook has been a key component to that. I also have started to carry a camera around all the time too. I am forcing my whole family into the act as well by making visits to museums and galleries a higher priority on our to-do lists.

To that end, we went to the Oakland Museum of California. They had an exhibit of paintings by Squeak Carnwath. Going to see art with the kids is a very different experience. They don’t have the patience for us to study a painting or read exhibition materials, sometimes not even the titles. Instead we must focus on making it fun for them too. We ask them to find all the circles or bunnies or blue squares or whatever. We ourselves get a feel for the artists work, an overall impression or maybe a bit of inspiration (my husband is an artist too, an industrial designer).

After seeing the paintings, we went to the the natural history section where I snapped the photo below as we were being rushed away for potty break. I loved the dioramas of all the animals.

Painter Squeak Carnwath: Forum | KQED Public Media for Northern CA

2009-08-07T23:10:00.001-07:00

Painter Squeak Carnwath: Forum | KQED Public Media for Northern CA

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my desk

2009-08-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

Still working on the pink painting which, by the way, is titled "wee, wee, wee, all the way home".

my old art

2009-08-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

One of my readers requested to see some of my old art so here are just a couple.

One of the first using fabric and thread...

If I remade it today, it would look totally different. I can see all the flaws now but I love this piece because I discovered so much while I was making it.

One of my favorites then and now...

I can still see flaws but I love paging through this little book. I hope to show you more like this in the future.

In addition to these pieces, is the one at the top of the page. It is a detail of a painting that I did for the 2006 Emeryville Art Exhibition. And the images along the side of this blog are from cards that I sold at the same show.

Happy viewing.

a little inspiration

2009-07-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

in the studio

2009-07-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

This week I returned to the painting in this photo. It is one that I worked on in school but never felt satisfied with. A couple of years ago I took it apart with a new plan for it but was not able to finish it (although I have finished it in my head a few times). It has been hanging in my bedroom like this for a long time, torturing me with it’s sad, half done, torn up state. So it had to be my first project.

In addition to working on my painting, I have made a serious commitment to my sketchbook. My sister, the writer, sits down nearly every morning and writes whatever comes into her head. She is religious about it and her commitment is inspiring to me. I am going to try to be like her for at least a month (I really am always trying to emulate her) and see how it goes. You never know - it might change my life.

suggestions please

2009-07-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

I bought my domain names this week. I decided they would be good to have somewhere down the road but for now I plan on just pointing them to this page. I just need to figure out how to configure them. If anyone has other ideas for things I should do now in preparation for selling my work down the road, I am always open to suggestions.

out of practice

2009-07-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

Out of practice - that’s how I felt this week. It was a bit of a struggle. I wasn’t sure where to begin. I just kept pushing and now it’s coming back to me. Slowly.

I was reading my daughter The Country Bunny one day this week and I found myself identifying with the mama bunny. I am looking forward to the day when I find myself wearing those golden slippers and my babies are a bit more independent (I don’t believe they will ever do all those chores though).

here I am and here I go

2009-07-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

I am a mom. Everyone who knows me thinks of me as a mom. But not many think of me as an artist anymore. My daughter was born over three years ago and I decided to let all else take a backseat and really immerse myself in motherhood. Not a choice every woman would make but it was important to me to be the best mom I could be. I have another child now, a boy, who is one. They are great kids. And I have been very happy and very busy.

But recently my creative mind has become insistent, keeping me up at night, interrupting me while I am doing chores or playing with the kids, invading my thoughts at every turn. So I decided now is the time.

While I was trying to figure out how to respond to the cacophony of my creativity, I also started reading my sister’s blog, Watch Me Practice, and my friend’s blog, Mama Does Good. I realized they were using their blogs to help develop their unconventional careers. So I started looking around for artist’s blogs and I found Artists Who Blog and my mind was made up. Here were all these artists who were doing just what I wanted to do and using a blog as one of their tools to do it. So here I am and here I go. Hope you enjoy reading and viewing.

My reasons to blog:

1.) help develop my own voice

2.) to create a scrapbook or record of my art and inspiration

3.) structure and motivation

4.) to connect with others (like you)

5.) eventually help market my work