Completely Random

PHOTO SERIES 3: 'COLOR STORY'

'color story' 2009

PHOTO SERIES 2: 'SQUARECIRCLERECTANGLE'

'squarecirclerectangle' 2009

PHOTO SERIES 1: 'NIGHT FALLS FAST'

'night falls fast' 2009

Confession

Thank you for the letter, especially the watercolor postcard paper.
I will draw you something while in New York! Did you get the box
of goodies?!? I wanted to share because it has been awhile. Tonight
I went to Greencup for an event called Open Mic Confessional.
I decided to read a poem I have had memorized since high school.

When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be

When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high - piled books, in charact'ry,
Hold like rich garners the full-ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And feel that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour!
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love;—then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think,
Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.

---John Keats

Confession: I wish I could have read something I had written.

And more soon on notes from the Leonardo da Vinci symposium and
my experience being blind for an hour through the exhibit,
Dialog in the Dark. Both incredibly insightful experiences and much
stimulus for thought. Then after that, adventures in bookmaking!

Simple illustrations. Simple humor.

I love this! Marc John post-its.



And this zine I found at Greencup!

Why yes we are!

I wondered if you knew I was posting. The thing with blogging is that it is always there. Not like a lost letter or words in one ear and out the other. Ironically, I just had a debate last night with my friend Dustin about techonologies' insistence on becoming part of our "humanness". I'm not even sure I know what I'm talking about but I like trying to work that idea out.

I love Miranda July's site. Bold and brazen. Love it. I will add it to our favorites list. I have been told her most recent book is a fantastic read. Speaking of good reading. I found the greatest book at a co-op bookstore here in Birmingham called the Greencup. It is letters between Georgia O'Keefe and her artist friend Anita Pollitzer. It was such a great find as O'Keefe has been on my mind. My photo of my legs below was an homage to her in a loose intuitive sense - the abstraction of form and femaleness. I relate to what O'Keefe thought about and how they shared their ideas with each other. Much as we do and write - I will share the book when I am done. It delves into her relationship with photographer, Alfred Stieglitz and their influencing of each others work. I've been thinking about that lately. Where do I find inspiration? Who influences me? Obvious, that I would try to surround myself with people who are creatively sensitive, see life as art and art as life, people who challenge themselves to think differently, and people who are engaged to the world and really alive.

Another book I am reading is by art critic/theorist Lucy Lippard. It is called Overlay. I just figured out she is the co-founder of Printed Matter! I did not know that. And I bought a book by her there when I was in NY in July. More spheres completing their circles. Anyhow, Overlay is so interesting. I don't know if I'll be very good at explaining why. She basically studies the correlation between art in prehistory involving the land and natural forms and the overlap of some recent contemporary art with ancient imagery. She believes we are drawn to this because

in much art about elementary systems there is a certain longing for precision that is simultaneously anti-technological and anti-romantic

There are so many quotes I want to call out. Maybe in a real letter. My creative spirit is rearing its pretty head and Time is such a luxury. I can't wait for you to come back and share your sights seen in Rio!

we're back!

ms jackie! i didn't realize u were posting! hi back! how r u?
well, here's a link or two worth sharing: www.mirandajuly.com
today i'm off to www.paratyemfoco.com.br - international photo festival in a town near rio. other than that, i'll post some pix when i get back. there's a ton of art going around here, check out beatriz milhazes (google her), she's a big one.
oh and ur napkins r on their way!! u'll get a package soon since i sent it priority/express.
and also, kavalier and clay is good so far. i just started it so i can't tell yet if i love, but so far, good. (it's my 2nd try reading it) beijo ms jackie, have a nice weekend!
i'll come back soon!

More Bham Artwalk Stuff

It is amazing to me that I have not started collecting artwork until this summer. I guess I just thought that the upkeep - space and framing - let alone the cost of artwork was just over my head. I now realize that I am willing to spend money on art that speaks to me and well, as for space and money for framing, I'm more committed to the idea of being a collector. I am so thrilled to be framing. So this weekend I purchased a linocut print of the great Majestic Diner in Atlanta.


It's a small print and I just realized she had a larger one on her site of the whole side of the building. Oh well, probably wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway.


The drawings are so precise and technical. Alot of work. Julie, any new rubberstamps? Can't wait to get the napkins...they will get framed ofcourse!

Bridget just reminded me of a project/website called 20x200
where the artists sell small prints for $20, medium prints for $200, and large limited edition prints for $2000. Such an amazing idea. Props to Jen Beckman. I am pretty sure there is a print I want to purchase on that site so I will save for it. Better not sell out. I'll tell you once I get it. I like the idea of The Hand Project by Jason Polan. And I love these sold out prints by Ken Rogowski!


That's it for now. I'm exhausted.

Hi!

Emily wants to post but we can't figure out how to post it. She said she wrote an essay!
Emily and I went to the ArtWalk in downtown Birmingham this weekend. Interesting to see Birmingham artists' work and all the new development downtown. I am happy to see the revitalization of downtown Birmingham - new lofts and galleries and restaurants!
Will post more with photos.

Bella!

Oh, and some other things you have to see...a movie called Bella. It was emotionally rich and visually stunning. I cried. Watch that and Factory Girl. Okay! Goodnight.

Labor Day @ Lake Martin

I should be asleep but I wanted to share some of my creative energy from a good weekend spent at the lake with Kim and Emily doing yoga by the water, bookbinding and of all things, breaking a pinata (my surprise for the weekend ofcourse)!

Mariebelle!

You would love Mariebelle Chocolates. There are so many unique flavors from cardamom to earl grey, even buckwheat (that's the one with the yogi's - ofcourse). They are so beautiful to eat. Such a treat. I was eating two, sometimes three a day for a month and photographed a few of my daily tea/coffee and chocolates. I was eating from a box I had bought my mom for her birthday (back in December!). She had kept them in the freezer. She said every now and then she would open the box and just look at them because they were so precious! Cute huh? Well, then the power went out after a storm one day and they started to melt, hence my excuse to gobble them up!

DAVID BYRNE ORGAN

One of the most memorable experiences I had while I was visiting new york was a performance on David Byrne's Organ installed in the Maritime Building, an old south ferry station. It was captivating and meditative as we listened to the building sing, literally. The building was connected to the organ by wires so as keys were pressed sounds were made elsewhere in the building- clacking inside walls, whistling through columns, noise from the ceiling...a orchestra of noise! It was one of those moments where I felt I was in the right place at the right time- and time stood still- though above the sun was setting over the city into nightfall. So special. If you want to read more about it, click here for an article from the NYTimes.

I took those photos above during the performance as well as a few other artsy shots I was inspired to take in the space...the first I call "footsies" and a couple of abstract photos of my legs...homage to georgia o'keefe.




My legs are so marred. You can see a scratch and a giant welt of a spider bite!

Dearest Julie,

After a long hiatus away from our blog, I am coming back to it...I can say I have followed your napkin project a bit on your blog. Share some more pictures will ya? My summer summed up has been spent in a car (driving back and forth between Birmingham and Atlanta) and in yoga poses (various locations) and in New York (twice) and mostly in my head (in the interstices of being full of ideas and then being emptied whilst meditating) and I will have to post all the missed opportunities for interesting entries and food for thought on art and life and the intersection of the two. Ah, life. It has been an interesting journey. Love from Alabama. Jackie

Inspiring sketches...

very worth visiting: http://jamesjean.com , click under SKETCHES (i'm not particularly in love with the paintings)

Diaries make their way into my artwork

this started out as a comment but turned out longer therefore, it's a post.

i think about what i call "one liners" quite frequently. they are not necessarily quotes. in a whole text, there's always one line, sentence, or phrase, that sums up the whole concept of what the person is trying to say. those, to me, are "one liners."

i used to grab "one liners" from my old diaries and use them in my artwork. i once replaced fortunes from cookies with one liners from my diaries. the concept was, basically, that history repeats itself in a small scale and also, that whatever is very specific is also very general. whatever i wrote in those diaries, the viewer has also felt or experienced.

i still have interest in working with old diaries and one liners and i wanted to go into "accessories" as well. i'm always very interested in extremely short pieces of information that convey a lot. i wanted to embroider the one liners from diaries on satin, baby color, ribbons and use them as bracelets. i wonder if people would have any interest, in buying or reading, them as well... (i never found anyone who would embroider such a variety of things on ribbon. i don't want to print 1000 of the same phrase. i'd like variety. if you do know of anyone, definitely let me know because i'll do it!)

do you know these brazilian "fitas do senhor do bonfim"? you tie them on your wrist and make 3 knots. for every knot, you make a wish and we say that your wishes will come true when the bracelet wears out/comes undone/tears. i love the thought that i can wish for things with such an ease and i think it's beautifully brazilian to think that these wishes really will come true and that is why so many people wear them. hm... maybe i should put one back on...

TEETERING BULB

Kurt and Zelda are amazing illustrators! Again, talented artists I went to school with and I wanted to share their work...

love the style, coloring & line work...I think Kurt sketches and Zelda colors the drawing in the computer...awesome.

QUOTE

"Nothing exists until or unless it is observed. An artist is making something exist by observing it and his hope for other people is that they will also make it exist by observing it. I call it "creative observation". Creative viewing." William S. Burroughs

FINALLY, SOMETHING WITH TAPE

I'm beginning to work on tape art....

closeup.
And another one below with cool tape Emily just sent me.

Quoted Jewelry

I found a necklace as I perused Comfort Station's online store that was simply a quote typed on the shape of a banner. I thought the quote quite beautiful...
"COVER me over in dusk and dust and dreams."
Beautiful. I would like to know what this feels like.

Jeanine Payer is another jeweler whose work utilizes inspirational quotes.

I want to dig up some other quotes I go back to time and time again. For a later post...
Good night m'dear.

Escalators

Hey Juls,
I pulled up some photos I had taken of escalators at the airport that look like the ad...
I spent one Saturday in the main terminal of the Columbus airport writing and observing people hustling to their gates. I love airports! (Which is why I never mind delays or giving up my seat.) It is a great place to people watch and a good creative writing exercise making up stories about who they are and where they are going. All this talk of airports and I am antsy to travel again soon.
jax

Funny ad

have u seen this ad by any chance? it's a young & rubicam ad for some hair product. very funny...

More on photography

browsing through the web i found felicia nitzsche's site. beautiful projects. under the column entitled "works", i especially like the "dove" and "confetti".

Greg Miller Photography

I went to school with this wonderful photographer! I remember to check out Greg's site every once in awhile and am reminded again and again of how amazing his work is. See for yourself - http://www.seemoreglass.com/ His photos are exquisite, especially the portraits. Interesting angles and perspectives. I love how emotive and moody they are. He makes me care about the subject and the story behind the photo. I wonder what these subjects are thinking about?

I asked Greg if I could pull some of these pictures off of his blog
NEW EQUATION of his daughter, Illiana, and his new son, Finn, to share. Too precious!



I also found a series of photos he had taken of things he found at the bottom of a dried up lake... love the grit...



for more click on dumbo.

This makes me wish to be a better photographer.

Not art at all today

hi, i've been so insanely busy this week that it's not a matter of not having time to post. it's more of a no space left in my brain to question and consider art these days... crazy hectic. a lot of parties, gallery openings (part of my job - i'm so lucky) and a wedding this saturday. so definitely good things but yes, buuuuusy!

i was noticing waldo and how he sits by the window very often and today, i was glancing at what he was looking at, and how cute is that? he's staring at a little pug by the window as well.

i've considered more than once to get another pet just so he has a fulltime playmate but i think it'd be too much. or too much right now at least. plus, it's not like he's alone all day. my work hours are flexible and i do play with him. 

waldo's latest addiction: qtips! (he plays around with them because they're easy to spot colorwise and light. he'd rather a qtip than styrofoam balls or felt clouds and mice) *cute

One last post for the night

I had my third day of yoga training and I am feeling restful and at peace. This made me want to put together a photo montage of peaceful imagery I have taken photos of in the last few months. The top two are from Christmas at Rabbit Hill Farm. Middle and bottom left photos: The lights from Northstar that are so familar to me now and the blossoming teas at ZenCha are some of my favorite and quite calming things in Columbus. Then, I think it was our second really snowy day when the boughs of trees glistened with the glittery powder of snow. And fitting of all my days, I noticed someone who reciprocated my thoughts, the words written on a back door to a restaurant said, "I have spent the day trying to find the right words." Shanti.

Improv Everywhere

This is the most incredible idea!
I'm glad you shared. I wanted to post it here because I love the idea that there is one place I can come back to to see these things that I enjoy and am inspired by time and time again.

You as a book!

I happened across this site that had this...Julie is Book
And I thought, what if we were books? What would it look like? How would you break yourself into chapters? Interesting exercise I just might try...

With some courage, here are some sketches

hi there. feels a little funny to post my sketches here but as i said, it would take some courage but i'd share mine as well. i'm taking another drawing class this semester. it's amazing having a live nude model to draw from. i feel it's the top exercise for me. i'm so in love with it. well, here are the drawings then. i think u can click for a bigger image (will open in new window). at first, after a bachelor's in fine arts, it feels funny to take another beginner's class drawing. but it's always good to learn and u can always improve no matter what level you're on. (i feel i can improve tons in drawing, for example) 

first class then, teacher starts by suggesting we do complete blind drawings of the model to warm up and then, start drawing for real. i used it throughout the sketches. to map out with a blind drawing and then, reposition, fill in, continue with observation "regular" drawing techniques. very nice. i think it works out well. 

have a good sunday, we're lazy over here watching movies and licking ourselves. waldo, that is. hee hee

A QUOTE ABOUT GROWING

Hi juls,
Actually, I miss you when you don't post.
I want you to post all the time! =)
I found this along time ago on Keri Smith's Wish Jar Journal site and saved the image...
I asked her if I could post it here. Her site is one of my favorite sites on journaling and creative living...It's amazing!
Enjoy. I'll write more later.
jax

Someone elses Moleskine

I love molskines and people's amazing sketches in them...

especially architectural illustrations. By CallanBowes off of Flickr.

Perspective drawing of my wall and rafters from my bed...

5 Things I Wanna Share

1.
I like those F. Santos' sketches! Something struck me about the last image...what's the little toy in the picture? so cute!


2.
I get updates from Gregory Euclide. He has new stuff up but I don't like it as much as his older stuff. I think I've shared his work with you before...I love this.


3.
I've seen some good movies lately. Two I recommend that are really imaginative, weird and kind of trippy... Across the Universe...musical set to Beatles Songs, and then last night I saw Fur, an imaginary portrait of Diane Arbus. I'm not sure I liked Nicole Kidman playing Arbus, but I really enjoyed the story nonetheless. Interesting premise to completely make up a story of a portrait of an artist as she is discovering her art. Very psychological. I never understood what made Arbus' photos great. I think knowing where she came from and the context in which she did her work gives me a much greater appreciation for it. Click on the photo for more of Arbus' photography.

The twins remind me of the scene in the Shining, which I'm sure is a reference to Arbus.

4.
I ordered this catalog of Simon Evans' mix media work from Family, a cool bookstore/gallery in LA that sells artist books, and it came today! Actually, I discovered his work when I visited you in Brazil. He was at the Sao Paulo Biennial and I found him so humorous and clever. He uses office supplies - pencil shavings, scotch tape, pen, highlighter...and his tape is dirty...I remember thinking it was nice to see art that wasn't a perfect clean drawing on a pristine piece of paper. His work actually got me thinking about the things that limit an artist, the things that limit me...There is something to say about working within the confines of your environment and accepting where you are...you might have to give up the idea that you will create magnificent work if only you had a bigger, better, cleaner studio space. I thought about fingerprints on tape, dog hair in paint, dust...how much does good craft figure into the visual value of art?


5.
I finally started drawing...I was trying to practice drawing faces and had Brad and my neighbor, Harumi, sit for me...work in progress...


I'm tired now. I hope this finds you well rested. I start yoga training Thursday!
Jax

L Filipe dos Santos sketches

hi, stumbled on this today... i'm so jealous of l filipe dos santos's sketches...


(click on the orange words - they're the way i link things)