Summer is Over?

Well, it is for a few days anyway.  I'll be fleeing the country in 17days!  I'm headed to Central America!  All part of my mid-life crisis.  Number 3 as far as I can tell.  The current crisis always seems to be the worst one.  

I haven't turned my back on the art dream, just needed a break from it.  I really enjoyed summer! Swimming, camping, beaching and spending as many hours as possible absorbing as much vitamin d as I could.

And now, fall clean up, packing, and planning for the future will ensue!  Who knows what the future will bring.  Plus the future never gets here.  We only have today.  So let's live it while we can!

xo!

Starving Artist Sale! Make me an offer!!

And I really do mean make me an offer.  Everyone has a price in their head for what they'd like to pay for something they like.  So, tell me what that is!  I'm sure we can work it out!  Check out the link!  Starving Artist Sale! 

Send me a message if you are interested and the price you'd like to pay for one!  Nothing will offend me! :) Serena@almostmonday.com 

Thanks!  Oh and happy Friday!!!

Here's some examples!

How Do You Throw In The Towel, When You Don't Even Have One?

You don't!  I've heard from a lot of discouraged people this week, myself included.  Maybe something is going around.  Maybe times are tough.  Maybe we all fall into a funk at times.  Things happen, things change, moods take over.  What remains constant?  Art.

Must focus.  Art, art, art.  Art.

ART!!!

:)  Tomorrow is a new day!  Tomorrow art will be made! 

What will you make?! 

I looked out this morning and the sun was gone...

Nothing like a Boston song stuck in your head for weeks!  Everyone! "it's more than a feeling..."

I was going to post the video but didn't want to startle anyone. 

It's raining again here in Portland.  Yesterday was soooo lovely!   I did my Business Foundations homework, or tried, outside.  Did my daily marketing, some yard work, and rearranged an ef-ton of furniture.  Rearranging the entire house isn't exactly fun, but nessessary.  Granted the house is only 780 square feet, not counting the garage(aka my future painting studio) but I have a LOT of items.  Too many items.  The goodwill pile is growing.

Anyway. I say all that to say, that I'm organizing and de-cluttering my life. From house to brain.  Spring cleaning for the soul, if you will. 

What do you do when you feel disorganized and cluttered?

More Changes Here,There and Everywhere!

Yesterday was a hard day.  I was really struggling with what I'm doing in my life.  Primarily around the business/job area.  Taking these business classes and listening to the negative voices in my head and around me regarding making a living off of art was getting to me.  I may yet decide that having a day job is the best option, and I am looking for that perfect day job.  or I may decide I have a better idea for a business.  But for now, my business Almost Monday and my oil painting need to be the focus of my site/blog energy.  I've been given the greatest gift of time and I should not squander it on doubt and depression.  I've been really productive over that last 6 months and will continue to do so.  But I am allowing myself to enjoy the summer weather while I can!  Any small business is a lot of hard work!!
And I'm not afraid of hard work! 

The changes - My domain name will now point here, instead of directly to etsy.  I'll be using this blogger page as a website until I'm at a place to have a "real" website.  I'll be practicing some different marketing techniques and also expanding my general knowledge of business and art.  I'll be focusing less on unemployedness and more on the making of art and business.  

Suggestions are always welcome!  I love hearing from you!  It makes me know I'm not just talking to myself!  I really appreciate each one of you as you listen to me ramble through my life changes and struggles!

Happy Friday everyone!  I hope the sun fills your yards and warms your heart this weekend! 

This and That and the Other...

The Kenton Street Fair was Sunday, I shared a booth with Bike Cozy!  It was my first outdoor fair!  Sorry I cut off some of both of our booths in the photo! 

New kitchen floor to replace the one scratched up by the cops after the burglary! Cat not included. The tape is to hold the seems in place.  It's gone and I have baseboards now too!

looks like a melted crayola box! I love it! and the kitty!

 I also received some lovely mail art from Jessica at Natures my Friend!  Thank you!!! Fun stuff for sure!!

why can't i rotate this!?

Happy pre 3 day weekend week!

Brushes down!

After a few minor changes and additions, I placed Mona in her frame today.  She makes her way to her new home tomorrow night! 

Forgive me Leonardo.

My dearest Leonardo,
Please forgive me.  It's hard times out here in the 21st century.  An artist has to do what an artist has to do.  or does she?
Yours truly,
Serena

I was approached to paint my interpretation of a "slutty Mona Lisa" reproduction.  I thought about it for a few seconds and agreed.

Need less blurry photo!

However, once I started painting I felt a bit funny about it.  Embarrassed or slightly ashamed.  Or maybe just irreverent.  This is one of the most well known paintings in the world, done by Leonardo Da Vinci for kitties sake! Shouldn't I be more respectful?  As I kept painting I needed photo reference and in my research found a bazziliontrillion knock offs and reproductions from alien heads to Micheal Jackson in Mona Lisa drag.  Soooo, I decided to embrace it and paint that best damn Mona Lisa I possibly could in the time frame I had.

It's also really hard painting from crappy photos online.  It's also hard to extrapolate breast augmentation.  It's obviously not a direct reproduction, I've made some changes to the clothing that I thought appropriate to her well-endowed and time period.  I have a few small things to touch up, but it's 99% finished at this point. 

Have I stepped on Leonardo's, as well as the feminist toes here?  Probably.  Thoughts?
I'll also post a process blog at a later time.  

Art is a Luxury? *WTF?

I was meeting with my AA group yesterday.  That's Art Accountability group to you!  And a certain someone brought up how her family was taught that art is a luxury. And the 3rd person in our group agreed!!! I was SHOCKED to say the least.  Art is NOT a luxury, especially for an artist.  Art is a *M.F'en necessity!

A little Rococo for ya!

I'm still in shock.  Image, if you will, there is no art. Look around you.  Bare walls, no color, every piece of furniture ceases to have style.  Every house would look a-like, all our clothes would only be utilitarian.  Art is embedded into every nook and cranny of our cultures.  You might not think of yourself as an artist, but every time you arrange your furniture, pick a particular combo of clothes, paint a room, arrange a flower vase, you are expressing yourself.  You are creating a composition.  You are, in fact, living art.  

Horse
c. 15,000-10,000 BC
Lascaux, Franc

Now, if you don't consider
yourself and artist, and apparently even if you are an artist,  you may disagree with me. But you'd be wrong.  :) Art has been an integral part of society.  I'll spare the art history lesson today.

Function without form?  Sounds horrible.  For me, art is a necessity! A staple in life's my diet.  My hope is that it becomes that for you too!  A life without expression hardly seems worth living.  

Disagree?  I'd love to hear why!  Agree?  Do tell!!


*M.F'en is my abbreviation for a shocking offensive pairing of swear words, same for WTF! :) Just in case you didn't know.

Rejection.

How do you handle rejection?  Is personal rejection different than professional rejection? If so do you react differently?
In my case it's artistic rejection, and I do not like it. Today I received my very nicely written rejection email from The American Academy in Rome.  It went something like this:
Dear Serena Van Vranken,

Thank you for your application for a Rome Prize fellowship. When the jury met recently, they carefully considered your application materials. I am writing to inform you, on behalf of the American Academy in Rome, that the jury did not recommend you for a fellowship in Visual Arts.

Academy juries change every year, and a previous application in no way compromises your chances of winning a future fellowship. We hope that you will consider applying again, as many Rome Prize Fellows have applied more than once before being selected.


I guess I was more delusional than I imagined, as I am really disappointed. And was secretly putting off making some decisions until I heard from them. Now what? 


The AAR gets hundreds of applicants each year.  most of the winners are professors or are pretty far along in their careers but I was still hoping. It was a sort of tough application - you must have all the usual stuff plus an essay outlining your project.  Basically my project was painting the modern Roman in ancient Rome.  I'm intrigued by how old the city is and how modern man functions with in it.  I was excited to paint ancient architecture with the everyday modern men and woman interacting with it. Guess I'll start thinking about a stronger concept for a project!  


I haven't talked too much about my oil painting on this blog. Some of you may not even know I'm an oil painter.  Here are the photos I sent for the application process.  http://serena-van-vranken.artistwebsites.com/
I hope you'll take a moment to check them out!  I apologize that I'm not able to post any photos from the computer I'm working on at this time.

Thanks for listening to me whine.  Sweet dreams.

ps. It occurs to me, now that I am posting this publicly, that for me embarrassment follows rejection. But I'm sharing it anyway.  As this is what I've promised this blog is about.  Trials and tribulations.

Cascade Print Exchange!

Brochure and Packet of my Prints

Inside Cover of Brochure

My Linocut "Night Sky" Top of Page 85

Print exchanges are awesome!  For this one I printed an edition of 15 and mailed them off.  I get 12 random prints back, a brochure and a spot in a the exhibit of Fairbanks Gallery, OSU May 2nd - 24th 2011.





The Reception is Tuesday May 3rd 
4:30 - 6pm.  I will certainly try to attend!

Here are some examples of the ones I received!

Kelly Tully Intaglio on Monoprint

Left to right:  Vesper White "Pencils" Intaglio, Watercolor.  Maren Burck "Smallest of Birds" Lithograph.   Amanda Abraham "Sparrow" Lithograph

Intentions! My Jar is Working!

Yesterday as I was sitting at my desk contemplating life.  I looked over at my intention jar.  I was happily shocked and a little frightened to realize that it is indeed working! When making an intention jar it's imperative to be specific and make sure the things you place there are things you really want.  and understand the ramifications of your intentions/desires.

My jar was mostly about things I'd like to have in my life and things I like.  So of course kitties ended up on my jar. It wasn't my "intention" to get more kitties, just to appreciate them and their cuteness.  A happy little kitty face.

Happy Little Kitty Face!

Item One:  Kitties! Little did I know this was going to throw the universe into action and I would become the care taker of 2 more kitties.  Bringing my total back up to 4. Which is dangerously close to 5.  5 is the legal limit here in Portland and also the number that indicates you are indeed a crazy cat lady.  I will spare the details of this nutalicious story.

Cheese on the jar

Cheese in my tummy

Item Two:  Cheese! I love cheese. Can't seem to get enough of it.  Side note: While in Italy a couple years back I extended my trip literally the night before I was to come home. Which meant I carried an additional 8 lbs of Parmesan cheese around in my backpack for two weeks. If you know anything about backpacking, 8lbs is a lot of extra weight.  Well worth it.  I follow @TillamookCheese on twitter, I like them on facebook, I even applied as their social media voice.  Then a couple of weeks ago I entered a little contest they had and won!  Yes! I won cheese!

2010 Model SOMA Mixte

Item Three:  Bike.  Last year I ordered a bike frame I loved.  Sadly, it was out of stock. When I tried to reorder the price went up and money wise things were looking sketchy.  I decided not reorder.  I continued riding the bike that didn't fit and needed a new bottom bracket.  A year later I placed the mixte frame on my jar. Thinking that it represented a bike that fit me properly.  A couple weeks ago my cohabitant found the frame in a lovely graphite color for less then last years model!  I decided not to replace my table that was damaged in the break-in, but, instead order said frame. I'm excited to get back riding, insurance or not!  Much better for my health to ride a bike than sit at a table.

ART all year long!  A happy year indeed!

Item Four: Art. On my jar I placed the words "ART all year long" and photos of paintings.  This week I received a commission piece! Should have put some printmaking items on it!  Does this also explain why I didn't get the job a couple weeks back? Hmmm...

 

Italy has lots of art and cheese!

I type all this to say: Intentions. Set them. Understand them.  Enjoy them! Extra kitties and all!

Sunday Crafternoon at Powells

Christine Answers Questions

If you live anywhere near Portland you know what Powells is.  If you don't know, it's city block of books.  New books, used books, signed books, collectors books and more!  They also offer pick up of orders, shipping, ebooks, and you can sell your books there or online too.  They feature book signings and readings and sometimes just a good time! 

Yesterday, at Powells, Christine with Yellow Owl Workshop was there.  She did have her books and wares for sale, and she was signing them. But the fun part was she did a short demo on how to make your own rubber stamps and turned the crowd loose to use her creations!  Yellow Owl Workshop creates rubber stamps for the average person to use.  They are thoughtful, creatively fun and surprisingly made in the USA!  Try to find craft items or anything else not made in China sometime.  But that's another ranty blog post all together.  I feel confident in using her supplies that no one was harmed in the making of and no one will be harmed using them.

Making Fun! 

Everyone had a really great time making cards and valentines with the supplies Yellow Owl Provided!  The event was co sponsored by I Heart Art: Portland, if you don't know who they are check them out!

My Valentine!

I made this!  I must say her stamps are much more thoughtful and pertinent to me than a lot of the ones I've seen in craft stores.

Yellow Owl Workshop offers other items beside the stamps, please take a look! There is stationary, pendants and cards. One of my favorite things are these LCD Write Your Own Message embossed cards. 

Thanks Powells, Yellow Owl, Christine and I Heart PDX!

Leftovers!

Amy at Wingtip Press came up with a great idea last year for all her leftover paper! A print exchange called Leftovers!  I heard about it from Anniepod Press. 

It's pretty simple.  I make 14 prints from my leftover paper, mail them to Amy and she sends me back a random mix of 12 prints. One set will be used to raise money for a charity and the other will be used for shows.  Pretty dang exciting if you ask me!

So today I rounded up my leftover paper.  Sketched out my design, redrew on to my linoleum and started carving!  

I cut out my original design to trace - Is this cheating? :)

I usually draw on a scrap piece of paper and then decide which way the design will look best. The way I drew it or flipped.  It still happens once in a while that I forget my design will be a mirror image once I print it!

Thanks for the press Nancy!

This is my first time using unbacked lino.  I wanted to get a more even ink transference by using the press I'm borrowing from my dear and fabulous artist friend Nancy.  I can't use a backed block in this mini press.  It is much easier for me to carve a backed piece, but I'm sure I'll get use to the unruly unbacked lino! 

Leftovers 2011

I'm pretty happy with the results and I'm really excited to see what I get back!  I'd love to be able to see the entire collection at a show too.  The deadline is March 15th and the cost is $12.  Please see Leftovers for more information!

Happy Tuesday and Happy Printing!