A Passion For Creativity

The cover of “Good Mail Day”

What fun is this? A book on creating art for mailing! If you poke around this blog you’ll discover that Mail Art is one of my passions. There’s a worldwide network of us, people that love to send their art visibly through the mail; art of all manner, shapes and sizes.

It’s obvious that “Good Mail Day” which hit bookstores September 1, 2009, is a labor of love for the authors  Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler. It’s an engagingly written intro to the creative aspects of making your own mail art and decorated envelopes using drawings, collage, recycled items, and more. Their can-do approach is accessible to all. Throughout the book, illustrating the ideas, are images of mail art examples from around the world, including my contribution of a collaged rattle/music shaker.

It’s a paperback, but with a nice heft to it and has beautiful photos in an original layout with illuminating bits of mail art history thrown in. Get yourself a copy and be inspired!

“Good Mail Day” is available at amazon.com and in Barnes & Noble bookstores.

photo collage of studio journals

There’s that quick little note about something inspiring that I read or saw. Several labels from favorite art materials. An article about block printing that intrigues. All this and more is gathered in my studio journals. There’s a binder for articles and such, plus a smaller notebook for quick sketches and writings. As you can see there’s lots of documentation about colors. Color mixing can be very experimental as I try out new colors, such as Daniel Smith’s Duochrome and Interference acrylics, and play with fresh combinations. Keeping a record of colors created and what was used in particular paintings is helpful. In the back of the notebook there’s a running inventory of numbers and sizes for stretcher bars, frames and glass on hand. Couldn’t do without it.

What does an artist’s working space look like?  I’ll be posting some more shots of the studio here. This is the steel rolling cart that holds brushes on top and paints underneath, and it’s where I mix colors.

Many of the brushes in the background are for oil paint. Yes, there are separate brushes for each medium. Love your brushes-take care of them. Good ones are pricey and using them is like playing a beautiful instrument; there is no off-key twang, just harmony and control as you sculpt paint with them. Even less expensive brushes can last a long, long time with care.

In my younger days, I’d let paint dry on brushes. Even after cleaning them, pushing those around on the canvas later was like wading through gritty mud. No matter what hand-eye control there was to muster, the brush could not respond fully.

Let me say it again. Love your brushes!

In working with acrylics, I use a sheet of framing glass on top of a piece of white paper as a palette (it’s actually white palette paper so there’s a coating on it, water doesn’t soak through if it gets sloshed). The white paper gives good contrast for mixing colors. Acrylics dry quickly so I cover them with reused plastic snack cups and just pull out a bit at a time. That way, I can mix a good amount and it’s usually good to go the next day also.

The three jars are filled with water for cleaning the brushes: first wipe off excess paint; swish off excess paint in water; rinse, and rinse again. It’s become automatic between colors or when switching brushes. At the end of the painting session, the brushes are washed with “the Masters” brush cleaner and preserver soap.

With early morning light flowing in from the East, here’s a pic of my painting space in the studio. The working easel is on the left. Two more easels behind with a completed landscape on the right. The foreground shows the palette and mixing area.

photo by Sherry Gaskin

From the “make art”  table. One little girl’s version of a prayer flag, sending a positive message out on the breeze.

What have I been up to lately?

Several months back, my friend Elaine across the lake, had a terrific idea about assembling an event celebrating local women artists, and hosting it in her backyard at the time of the Summer Solstice.

Getting involved would distract me from immersion in studio work, but it sounded SO RIGHT, particularly at this point in time, when so much is doom and gloom, and people are holding back. This is exactly when we need to brainstorm, and realize that we possess many resources for creating new directions. Also, it would create a fine venue for art display, which is always welcome, so I committed to the idea.

We discussed the artists we knew. There’s an incredible wealth of female talent in this community in the Fine Arts. Besides, we could identify many cool ladies who would attend and enjoy such an event. As individual artists’ names came up, it was apparent that this could be expanded to include singing, dancing, and poetry, in addition to visual art, creating a balanced day of the arts. This also meant being selective about participants, keeping physical space and time in mind.

From experience, I know that a select group of women can produce a supportive, encouraging, co-operative, and inspiring atmosphere. That was the intention for the Celebration, and that attitude carried through all the planning.

Color framed the day, heavy on burgundy and reds, as reflected by the postcard invite.

photo by Sherry Gaskin

Out  Of  The  Question kicked off the festivities.

Music was by the group Out Of The Question, with Pat Seamount, Katharine Edmonson, and Kris Wilber. What’s more, most attendees contributed their music during a later percussion fest.

photo by Ellen Schafhauser

Keeping the beat with gourd shakers. In the background, art displays line the entry.

Visual Artists participating were Eve Laeger-watercolor, Sherry Gaskin-photography, Elaine Shrader-painting, Ellen Schafhauser-photography, Katharine Edmonson-assemblage, Pat Seamount-painting, Marjorie Carroll-sculpture, and myself.

photo by Sherry Gaskin

Jill shares her short stories

Ann Beman with a poetry workshop, and Jill Sloan reading her short stories represented literature.

photo by Sherry Gaskin

Ann drums everyone in for the poetry workshop.

photo by Ellen Schafhauser

That’s me introducing drummin’ fun.

photo by Ellen Schafhauser

Friends Hannah and Emma collaborate on a frame drum.

photo by Sherry Gaskin

Graceful Heather from Tribal Moon Rising

Day flowed into the evening with individual dance performances by Pamela, Marluna, Ankhet; and members of the troupe Tribal Moon Rising- Heather, Melynie, and Kristie. The grand finale was everyone on their feet dancing, celebrating our common abilities and potential.

The June 26^th issue of the Kern River Courier, page 12, has a lovely article by columnist Donna Fitch, about the Celebration, titled Show fetes Midsummer Moon Art

Recycling…considering the process

An 18″ x 20″ collage created from recycled paperboard which is part of the Arvin Green Arts Festival Juried Show in Arvin, California,  May 16-17, 2009.

More than fifty people participated, ages three to eighty seven, to create this feathered 5′ x 36 ” image at the South Fork School Arts Festival. A great mix of individual style. We’ve got color!  This mural and the one from last year remain at the school.

You are looking at the group mural from the 2008 Arts Festival. We’ll be creating another one this Saturday April, 18th, 1:00 PM-7:00 P M. at South Fork School, 5225 Kelso Valley Rd. Weldon. The Arts Festival also has art exhibits and other workshops, plus great music, and food to fill your belly. The day is geared toward kids, but all ages are invited to participate. Come be creative!!  Here’s the whole fishy story for the Mural. Hint, this year we will be flying instead of swimming!

Envision walking through a downtown arts district on a Friday night with open, brightly lit gallery spaces, featuring contemporary art, interspersed with conversation and thrumming music flowing from aromatic coffee shops and ethnic sidewalk restaurants. Sounds stimulatingly cosmopolitan, doesn’t it?

Bakersfield is probably not there yet, but I sure got the sense it’s heading in that direction after reading the Spring 2009 issue of ArtLook, the Arts District and Community e-Newsletter which popped into my mail box yesterday. Designed, compiled, and distributed by my friend, artist/gallery owner Jill Thayer, ArtLook showcases the galleries and the upcoming visual art events in downtown Bakersfield. The colorful, photo-filled, 8-page newsletter spotlights particular galleries and ends with a listing of gallery venues available. You can download your own copy of Artlook on Jill’s site. Oh, and while you are taking in the downtown art scene, don’t forget to check out a favorite restaurant, Mama Roomba, serving Caribbean food.

a clipping from ArtLook -listing galleries.

My work is included in this exhibit 

10TH INTERNATIONAL MINIART EXCHANGE MEXICO

Cultural Center Acasolo at the School of Architecture, 

University Autónoma in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico

March 25 to April 23, 2009.