Pre Corona
When I think about the things that seemed unusual or extreme before Coronavirus it seems odd to me now. I was at Dollar Tree (one of my favorite stores) and I saw this gentleman. I had gone to look for water and other supplies. I took these pictures March 5, 2020. #perspective
Another Art Crush.
A friend in Philadelphia told me about Stephen Powers’ work and I’m so in love 😍😍😍
He’s an artist that’s works heavily with typography and if you know me, you know that’s my fave. His project, Love Letters is so inspiringly simple, it’s genius. Mainly bright colors and sentence fragments from would-be poems, the words leap from the wall. Why hasn’t anyone else done anything like this? Just proves that the perfect idea doesn’t have to be complicated Or multilayered, just one that resonates.
Established Establishment
Oh. Hey.
Hello there.
Maybe I’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere.
I thought I was applying for funding alongside those who are emerging and established artists that hadn’t yet been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Obviously I took a way the f**k left instead of going the way I was supposed to…whatever way that was.
Well.
Since I’m here. Can you tell me if it’s truly possible not to be biased in favor of someone putting in a grant app right next to me who’s already done a show at Carnegie Hall and a group that made a movie with Spike Lee?
Me? Oh. No movies yet or documentaries. Or articles published about me by BBC or New York Magazine. Yet.
Ill just keep working on that grant app…
On Trend.
I apply to many art and grant opportunities throughout the year like thousands, if not millions of other artists around the world. Happily. We all apply hoping that our proposals will be accepted. Interestingly enough, I enjoy the learning process that is necessary to understand how to respond to each opportunity. I change as an artist each time, or at least have a better understanding of how to present my work to others. It’s a healthy exercise if you care about the art sharing portion of the business and world that is art.
It’s become more obvious to me that organizations and entities doing the choosing are doing so based on what is on trend. On trend in terms of politics and culture, what people post about on social media the most. Not that these current events shouldn’t be highlighted or that a response to them can’t be profound or nuanced but… Isn’t the purpose of art (most of the time) to push us forward? To bring things to our attention or into view that weren’t even on our radar?
To me it would seem you (an art entity or money giving organization) aren’t creating the next wave of art artist or even predicting it/them but simply riding a wave (of safety) someone else has created which might ensure sales or positive feedback. Of course show attendance and money are important factors of how art is chosen to fund and show. Having assurances in relation to these factors makes the investment of art a little safer. Safety is the exact opposite of art isn’t it?
Just a thought…
In Love With This New Work Of Mine…
If I hadn’t mentioned it I work with primarily recycled materials. The pedigree of these pieces are “I used to be a rain suit.” and “I used to be a grocery bag.”
The Dragonbox Art Subscription. A Fun Way to Collect Some Art…
Collecting art can be an intimidating process.
Navigating the art world to understand what to buy, knowing how much it should cost can not only be time consuming, but maybe even a little boring until you get to the art that interests and excites you. But the desire to be more culturally developed is always there like a dragon in a dark corner lurking.
But maybe this dragon isn’t scary at all. Maybe it just needs to be understood. Maybe you just need a guide. Maybe, you just need a little help on the journey to learning how to ride a culture dragon.
I think art should be fun. Always. Learning about it, making it, and of course collecting it. That’s the idea of Dragonbox.
People have often approached me and said they don’t know anything about art, least of all collecting it. Let me help. You like art from The Urban Atelier? That’s what you’ll get. I do such a wide variety of work, it will always be something interesting and it will always be a surprise. Right this moment I’m working on a photography project, 2 soft sculptures, and a book. I also sold 2 really great adornment pieces recently.
This is one of my most favorite ideas! It’s a fun way to share art and for someone to collect art. There’s power in collecting art. Let me help you to harness it.
I’m Bored…
We are in the middle of an impeachment trial and Americans are bored.
It’s sad and frightening that we expect to be entertained by Democracy.
It’s frightening to think this is who we’ve become.
Four Ways to Establish + Maintain Your Personal Rep As an Artist
A positive professional reputation in any line of work is hard won and important to keep.
Artists already have it tough sometimes, considering the pervasive and often comical stereotypes floating around out in the ether that are hard to dispel. Artists are often pigeonholed as weirdly eccentric, difficult, or simply unable to communicate effectively; of course this isn’t true of most artists- some of us, sure- not most though. How do you ensure that you aren’t heaped in with those artists that don’t observe the most basic professional guidelines for running their business?
Sketchbook Sketchings
“Sketching is the breath of art: it is the most refreshing of all the more impulsive forms of creative self-expression and, as such, it should be as free, and happy…”
Fruit
While making
It sometimes overwhelms me
How beautiful the tiny and detailed manifestations of nature are.
Let's Break The Wheel!! For Reals This Time.
What we can all do to break the wheel.