Tuesday, June 8, 2010

New Space

Why, hello there!
For some reason I assumed that adjusting to post-grad life would be easy. While I haven't really decided if it is or isn't, I've found that all I want to do is sleep. Sleep, eat, and clean. Maybe not so much the latter but I have been doing a lot of organizing. I finally have some semblance of a studio space (well, table) as seen here:Aaaand here:

And here: This last picture is actually my lovely new sewing machine that I haven't even gotten to hook up yet. It has been in my possession a week now, but there always seems to be something else I need to do. Like sleep, eat, or clean. Or go to work. I'm starting to understand what my professors meant about working part-time in order to keep up with artwork. Even with the few days a week that I am working, it's hard to just sit down and create. It gets even harder when you factor in:


-appointments
-family
-aggressively affectionate needy cat
-boyfriend
-piles of the semester's laundry (still not done)
-friends you've fallen out of contact with
-job hunting to replace current job which is up at the end of the month
-job hunting to replace whatever job you get to replace current job
-sleep
-mental health time
-grocery shopping
-calls to new healthcare provider (I won't even get started)



The list goes on as I'm sure you all know, but my point is that life after graduation isn't easy. For all grads (even though I'm biased towards those of us in the creative fields). But enough with the venting, ranting, sobbing, whatever you want to call it. There are good things to come!

Lately I've been inspired by artists who work with text. Joetta Maue is a fiber artist based out of New York who works both with text and what she refers to as "re-appropriated" linens. Basically, your grandma's doilies. Personally, I like the idea of mixing old with new. It kind of reminds me of a collage piece I did for Marty Blake. So I think my next step is to do a large-scale, stitched (text) banner for over my "studio". Sort of an homage to Ms. Maue, yet utilizing her technique in a way that is uniquely my own. We'll see where this goes. I definitely need to get the ball rolling as I have far too many lists of ideas running through my head. So until next time...Ta-ta!

J

3 comments:

  1. Nice setup! Best of luck to you getting into the sew-ing of things (I hope that joke wasn't too awful for you to get it :P). Go Jill!

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  2. I completely relate. The part-time work comment especially.

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  3. Hey at least you're getting stuff done. I spent three days setting up for a large scale stitched text piece that I'm not even feeling right now. Ugh. Oh well.

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