Red Shoe Studio

Necklace #1

A couple weeks ago when I attended that class in order to learn the basic skills of working with glass and solder...this is what I had in mind...

I used a collage image from my altered Valentine book and resized it to 1" wide on Photoshop. I sandwiched it between two thin glass sheets and soldered it together adding jump rings.(That was the fiddly part, I could have used at least 3 steady hands!) I added pearl and crystal drops  and strung it on some ombre-dyed silk ribbon. For a first attempt at this I'm pretty happy, I hope it all stays together!

Sweet Home Chicago

(Well, I did grow up in the Chicago suburbs...)

I went to the Ambroise Vollard show at the Art Institute twice, it really was that good. Vollard was the gallery dealer for artists like Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Redon, Picasso and others as well as a  publisher of albums of prints and special edition books. The exhibition had many representative art works and included some amazing pieces like Gauguin's Where do we Come From? What are We? Where are we Going? and Picasso's etchings for Suite Vollard (lusty drawings of minotaurs and maidens.) but, by far, my favorites were the pieces by Van Gogh...they are so beautifully painted and the colors are so rich that I just stand there and stare and stare and wish I could take one off the wall and bring it home.

Aside from all the art gazing, I overate at some great restaurants (I was always on the "bad" side of the table that ordered wine and dessert,) and walked lots and very fast 'cause it was so darn cold!
The kids are glad that Mom is home....Kate is off kitchen-duty and Graham has to go to bed on time tonight!

Pygmalion

One thing most of us don't learn in art classes is classical sculpture techniques, and it's probably just not a popular method to use these days. But when I look at over-the-top statues I kind of wish I could see the artists in their studios looking at the huge chunk of marble  and starting to rough out the figures....I'm such a 2-D thinker, that I literally can't imagine the figures inside the stone much less the technical know-how to use the tools.

I would love to have an old-fashioned sculpture garden with strange statues around hedges and trees that you would just come across as you wandered. I probably should have lived in the 18th or 19th centuries...

Here comes the sun...

Finally we've had a stretch of warmer temperatures and the snow and ice have melted for the most part. I can open my windows briefly to get some much-needed fresh air in the house and the stale winter air out...

Even the everyday things seem to sparkle and shine. I am starting to think about spring cleaning and organizing. (Thinking, I said, not actually doing, yet!)

Off to Chicago this afternoon for a show at the Art Institute tonight, and some general shopping, socializing, eating out, and taking lots of photos!

Procrastination...

Procrastination is not always a bad thing...for instance, I was one of the last two people in my freshman class to sign up for dorm housing...20 years later, Janet and I are still best friends and talk almost every (okay, every) day.

I emailed Dorie the other day and was luckily one of the last 2 people requesting a spot in her Redwork Swap. Lucky because I was so excited to see that my swap partner, Bethany and I seem to like lots of the same things...I have a great idea for her and can't wait to get started!

The only redwork pieces I own are two flat pillow covers that are rather large, about 24", that I found  so many years ago I can't remember where or when. I forgot all about them 'til recently, I think I might use them in my guest room...(maybe with a little chocolate candy on top?)

Winter blahs...

Doesn't this look cozy? It was 5 degrees here this morning, with a wind chill of -7...that's just ridiculous! I'm suffering from a bit of a food hangover today, yummy dinner last night, but too much to eat and drink! Actually, that's probably not true..I can sure chow down on the pizza when I want to, it's the really good food I guess my body doesn't tolerate as well. (I'm not really complaining...although I love to cook, having someone else do the prep and clean up afterward is something I could definitely get used to!)

Hoping for chocolate...

(Flowers are nice, but chocolate is definitely the key to my heart)...here's what I made for my valentine...

My first attempt at an altered book, I incorporated lots of photos and images that have special meaning to us...our feet in France...

since he's a sailor...I also used silver ink to draw in the constellations for our zodiac signs...

cut papers and paint....

ditto...

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

I joined the club...

The thrifting club that is. I have never been much of a garage/estate sale/thrift shop kind of person. I know this may seem like heresy to some (sorry, Blair) but everything seems a little musty and old, not interesting and "antique."
I'm working on an art project and needed some hardcover books with interesting covers for dirt cheap...so I bit the bullet and headed to my local Salvation Army store. To my surprise, not only did I find the books I was looking for, but some more with fantastic illustrations I can't wait to use.
My favorite is this Arthur Murray How to Become a Good Dancer c. 1941.

I also found a 1909 book titled Advanced Physiology and Hygiene which has some fantastic medical illustrations.

Oh how the snobby have fallen!

Shameless Plug...

or Mother's Pride? (Okay, both!)
Check out my daughter's new Flickr site..

Enjoy!

Now I see...

I usually ask for books as gifts...I always have a few on my wish list that I just can't justify buying for myself...I received Pretty Little Things by Sally Jean Alexander for Christmas and was particularly attracted to the little glass houses and furniture. I've never been excited by glass as an artistic medium (kind of like ceramics, I never wanted to throw the pots, just do the surface decoration!) After looking through the book, though, I realized I was a little scared to do the glass cutting and soldering stuff without any real-live instruction...so I took an all day class on Saturday at a local stained glass studio(see beginner results below)

Yes, I scored,broke, foiled, soldered, and leaded this piece myself and I'm happy to say I no longer think I will sever an artery or suffer a third-degree burn if I attempt it at home. So I bought a soldering iron and some scrap glass to practice with...I LOVE new art materials!

Sunday was a blast, too, because I finally got to meet some local bloggers at a fun get-together at Alicia's house...we ate, talked about everything from potty-training (boy, am I glad I'm long past that!) to Battlestar Galactica and, of course, blogging ups and downs...we also had a fun fabric swap where old fabric found new homes.

Thanks again, Alicia...see you guys again soon!