Clowning Around and Thinking Out Loud in the Bag

I have been teaching myself to sew this summer. Yep, for more than a few years I have used the sewing machine as my main tool, yet I officially don’t know how to sew.

I can get the job done, mind you, my work just hasn’t been about the sewing. To me, using the sewing machine is akin to using welding torches, (which I do know how to use); the end result is the same, it’s the materials and the tools used to attach two parts together that are different. But connecting together they both do.

So I bought a book about sewing and started the lessons. It has been an interesting journey so far. Obviously, some things worked out better than others, but each one has taught me something, and that is always a good thing.

About the time I started my lessons I received my dresses back from the Cloth Paper Scissors Artisan Search which now hang in my studio. After looking at them for a while I was inspired to try one of the projects in the book with the paper fabric that I used for the CPS dresses.

Below are a few of the bags I have made. Not sure where they’ll go from here but I have been enjoying the process. It has been a labor of fun, with a touch of aggravation thrown in. =D

And now I shall put the fabrics and sewing machine away for the weekend, very appropriate for the Labor Day Weekend, me thinks.

Wherever you are and whatever you do, I hope you have a fantastic and safe Labor Day Weekend!


Kim Radatz©



Clowning Around Red, Kim Radatz©

 

Clowning Around Blue, Kim Radatz©



Thinking Out Loud, Kim Radatz©



How Do You Do That?

A fellow blogger recently asked about the dresses that are in the Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, specifically about the patterns, dress patterns, and if the dresses are wearable.

Re my process, I use actual dress patterns, 2 per dress, purchased from a fabric store adhered to vinyl with any medium of choice. My preference is Liquitex Matt Medium, but there are a bazillion others to choose from.

The patterns on the dress patterns (that is a difficult one to figure out, yes?) are achieved in a multitude of ways depending on what my direction is for that specific piece.

Both Clowning Around and Lemon Drop have paint, graphite, and charcoal. Tuitti Fruitti is collaged tissue paper.

And no, those specific dresses are not wearable. Though I have worn a skirt made from this material for openings I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody. And I would never subject any kid to that torture. It is made out of vinyl, which does not breathe. Which means it is very hot. And the fabric doesn’t bend, so standing is the only option.

I hope this helps. And I hope you have a creative day.

Clowning Around, 2010
Kim Radatz

Lemon Drop, 2010
Kim Radatz

Tuitti Fruitti, 2010
Kim Radatz

Happy 4th!

May it be happy and safe and filled with fun!

Questioning Our Allegiance, Kim Radatz

A dress I made a few years back inspired by The Pledge Of Allegiance.  Questioning not only the various versions, but also the rules on how to treat a flag and our choice to ignore many of them.

Q and A Monday- How? and What?

Judy Hayes, a fellow Minnesotan, asked the other day, “How did you get started making pattern paper dresses? And, “What inspired you?”

First, what inspired me?

Long story short, I started out life as a potter, and pottery deals with containment. Not that I was a production potter, but I do know how to throw on the potters wheel and have made my own dishes, cups, teapots, etc., so the whole concept of “containment” in deeply entrenched in my brain. Plus, all of us are essentially “containers” moving through the world. Our bodies literally contain our thoughts, ideas, and memories, in addition to the stuff of our physical beings. So, I‘d have to say that concept is the jumping off point for the dresses and almost all other work that I do.

On using actual dress patterns as material, well, that takes a bit longer to explain.

I collect things and vintage dress patterns have long been on my list of favorites. It probably started with the patterns that my Mom used while I was growing up. Both of my sisters and my Mom were great seamstresses. Me on the other hand, not so much. I loved looking for fabric and patterns and wearing clothes that reflected my design sensibilities, I just wasn’t good at sewing. In high school I actually had some of my clothes made by a local seamstress. So the sewing machine as my go to tool didn’t happen by choice.

Fast forward approximately 20 years to when I was invited to do a themed show about “transparency.” My original idea didn’t work out as I had hoped and with a looming deadline, Plan B was hatched. I thought to use some of my vintage patterns but quickly realized that I needed two matching patterns for my vision to work. Nix the vintage patterns and buy new ones. The next hurdle was how to stabilize the patterns to withstand the actual sewing process and survive getting delivered to the gallery. Which I eventually figured out through much trial and error.

I have been making them for 6 or 7 years now and I have fine tuned the process even more. In the past few years I have moved beyond dresses into other forms including a swing set and a boat, with still others yet in the works. I’ll share pictures of the newer work in the near future. In the meantime, here are pictures of the swing set and boat.

Games People Play by Kim Radatz,

installed at

Gala Corina’s iluminación, 2007

Wishful Thinking by Kim Radatz

installed at

C. Emerson Fine Art in St. Petersburg, 2010

Thanks so much for asking, Judy.

And may all of you have a creative day!

Show and Tell Sunday- Serendipity Strikes Again

Life is so interesting, don’t you think? One never knows what seemingly insignificant stuff can turn into big and exciting news. A little over a year ago, my friend and fellow blogger, Martha, at An Artist's Journal, blogged about using Citra-Solve (spelling varies greatly, BTW) in her art work and mentioned reading about it in the magazine, Cloth Paper Scissors. I was intrigued by the sound of it, went to my local bookseller, and bought the magazine.

Also in that issue was a Call to Artists for their inaugural Artisan Search 2011. Hmmm, I thought, maybe I should check into this. Which I did and decided to apply for. Lo and behold I won in my category. All because I read a blog post. Wonderful stuff, this serendipitous path called life.

The winners in each category received a wonderful prize package and were interviewed to appear in the magazine throughout the year. I was slated for the July/August issue, so I jokingly called myself  Miss July/August. Made me want to walk down the red carpet with flowers and a crown. (Yes, in clothes, just in case bunny ears came to mind.)

And then the crowning jewel of this serendipitous path was reveled this past Friday when I received the actual magazine and was surprised to see my work on the cover. I am honored. And I promise to not take stuff like this for granted.

In lieu of scanning the cover, which I can’t do as I am traveling, here is the link to the magazine with the cover and info about the issue.

Until the next time, may your day be filled with surprises!

More on Melanie

I know you have seen this piece before, but it has come up in conversation so much lately that I gotta share it with you again.

Melanie,
Kim Radatz©

Here is how it played out, (pun intended):


I remembered the song from long ago and was inspired to do a dress using the song/title after finding a pair of vintage roller skates earlier this year.

the inspiration

The dress was in a show at C. Emerson Fine Art in St. Petersburg, Florida in September.

A friend of Melanie Safka, the singer that penned and sang the song, was at the opening and told me that Melanie formerly lived in Pinellas County (I don’t remember the exact city, but it wasn’t far from where the gallery is located). The friend took a picture of my piece to send to Melanie, who now lives out of state.

And now, this new HP printer commercial has prompted my family and friends to contact me to say, “Isn’t that the same song…..?”

If you haven’t seen the commercial yet, take a look. It’ll put a smile on your face.

All of this brings me around to say that now, as the year comes to a close, I have been having nice chats with family members and friends about the song, about life, about us in general. From one little song.  From long ago. It’s a good thing. Something more to be thankful about.

I wonder if Melanie feels it too.

Juried Shows are a Crap Shoot

Guests looking at Grey Area©

The Florida Museum for Women Artists opening went great on Friday. I visited with old and new friends alike, always a good thing.


As I mentioned before, it was a juried show, which is always such a crap shoot. I know quite a few women that were not juried in and their work is FANTASTIC. So why didn’t they make it in?


One has to wonder. It is a question I have had to ask myself when I didn’t get in a show. Was it the work? Was it the venue? Was it me? Was it all of the above?

Inquiring minds want to know.


Which is why I have recently starting reading books, blogs, and attending talks and workshops on art marketing. And it has helped me. Not necessarily by getting into a specific show, but by educating me for the long haul. Again, always a good thing.

So I want to share some of my favorites with you. Feel free to pass along your favorites too as I am always open to educational stuff.

I read Copy Blogger and ArtBiz Blog  on a regular basis as they cover tons of pertinant info on marketing.   ArtBiz addressed the jurying subject specifically back in June.

Also, I recently I attended a workshop by Alyson B Stanfield of ArtBizBlog in Jacksonville, which was great.  If you haven’t read her book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio, I would highly recommend it.

Good stuff, all of it.

And that, my friends brings me to what I am thankful for on this day before Thanksgiving:

to be able to pursue my passion, and continue to grow while doing so, surrounded by loving family and friends, even if at times it is a crap shoot.

I wish you the best of luck in the shows you enter!  May they all be "yeses."

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Do you use business cards?

And no, this is not a trick question. In these oh, so modern times I know some people don’t use them anymore.

But I do, and I recently learned about Moo products from Rebecca Sexton Larson.

Well, I have ordered from them twice now and let me just say, “WOW. I LOVE their cards!”

Wanna know what I like best? Their texture. Yes, the image is great. And the layouts too. But when I give a card to somebody 9 times out of 10 they will gently rub the card with their fingers. Yep, they notice the texture too, even if not consciously. Deliciously buttery.

Try ‘em. You’ll like ‘em. And if you’re a tad nervous about taking the plunge to order your own, you can have one of mine first. Just let me know.

But I think you’re gonna like ‘em.

I hope you have a creative day.

Life is a Highway

Gray Area, Kim Radatz©

And I am drivin' it today.  Interstate 4, here I come.

I am hitting the highway today to deliver my piece, Gray Area, to the Florida Museum for Women Artists in DeLand. What a beautiful day to do so as the sun is shinning and the sky is clear.

I am very honored to be part of this show and really looking forward to the opening on the 19th. Maybe I’ll see you there? I’ll hope so.

Gray Area, detail Kim Radatz©

 

Cloth Paper Scissors Artisan Search 2011

Regarding my earlier post about the Cloth Paper Scissors Artisan Search for 2011. I won in my category. Amazing, I am blown away. And I almost didn’t submit my work.

From this I have learned:

· Always trust in yourself.
· Don’t worry about the outcome, just do it.
· Apply to as many shows/opportunities that you can, especially when there isn’t an application fees, as was the case with this call.

I have received a questionnaire from CPS that I am to fill out and send back. Very interesting things to think about. Maybe you’d like to ponder them too? I shall tease you with a few.

1. Do you find inspiration from books? Which ones?
2. Does the weather affect your art-making?
3. Do you keep a sketch book?
4. Do you have a favorite color palette?
5. What’s your workspace like?
6. Are you messy or neat?
7. And the last one for today (I’ll share more at a later date.) Do you have a studio pet?

Yes, I do. And here is a photo of my assistants hard at work.

It’s baaaaack

Remember the content vs pretty musings a while back? It’s baaaaack.

I did make some “pretty” work this past summer along with a bunch of other pieces (it was a very productive summer!), and I like them. It’s not work I could show in all galleries, but isn’t that always the case? Correct work for correct venue? Yes indeed, it is the way it works.

But back to my earlier blog post.

This past summer I was flipping through the Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine, http://www.clothpaperscissors.com, and saw a reader challenge. Hmmm, I wondered, why not? Most of my work is large and problematic to ship (read expensive), and sometimes requires special installation as well, so if I were to take the challenge, downsizing would be in order. And maybe something a little different, like bright colors, possibly something more mainstream. Hmmmmm.

I let my brain toss around these different requirements a bit as I went to work daily in the studio. Some of the smaller dresses were better than others (naturally!!!), and some I never finished, but below are a few of the finished pieces.

I went ahead and submitted three of them to the magazine challenge and lo and behold, I am one of the finalists. Pretty cool, yes? It’s a solitary job working in the studio, so knowing other people connect with my work is encouraging. And oh so very nice. :D

I hope you have a creative day!

Content vs. Pretty

Is angst necessary for good art? Or even just serious content? I wonder sometimes.

I’m not so thrilled when my Mom calls my work cute, CUTE!, but understand the source and tolerate it with good spirits. But do I want other people calling my work cute? Definitive no. But still, sometimes the work comes out pretty, if not necessarily cute. What to do, what to do?

Keep making art, me thinks.

Yep, sometimes it will be pretty and sometimes it will have social content and sometimes it’ll be in between. I don’t want to sensor myself or I’ll freeze up in a nanosecond. Just keep working. Pen to paper, brush to canvas, insert here whatever mediums or materials apply. Just keep working. In the end, it’ll all be okay. And if not, toss it out.

Here is a “serious” one, based on stoning as capital punishment in Iran, among other places. It is about Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s conviction of adultery (ah, the Scarlet Letter appears again in my work. Tessie lurks in the back of my mind.) and murder.

Do you feel a cute one coming on? To be continued…

Photographing Work

Photographing work is a necessary evil in this business, me thinks. It’s not something I personally enjoy doing, and I find it very hard to take the time to do. But once I do take the time I certainly enjoy seeing and contemplating the work in print. I think it puts space between me and the work and I can look at it from a different angle, for lack of a better word.

Here’s one I’m contemplating now. It’s another version of Melanie (Some People Say I Done Alright for a Girl), this time in black and white. The previous one has the roller skates, which ties it closer to the original song by Melanie. I like to do a concept in different ways, just to work through all of my ideas. Since I am a twin, I find it very hard to see just one of anything. Multiples are a must for me!

I’ve got more to share and will do so as the day go by.

Have a creative day!

Save The Date

C. Emerson Fine Arts

909 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, FL

Friday, April 30th

6:00 to 9:00

Some People Say I Done Alright for a Girl

A call came recently for a show about bicycles.

Hmmm, I thought, would I be able to use those wheels I found ages ago in the trash dump?

Quite by accident, I also found a pair of vintage roller skates on EBay while searching for something else. Kismet at work.

Soon I was humming the words to “Brand New Key” by Melanie Safka and a new dress was born. It all came together quickly, which happens if I listen carefully to my intuition.

I think the blue pom-poms on the skates are fantastic and they inspired the blue trim and tulle.

I edited the song down to one line, “Some people say I done alright for a girl,” which is all that is needed, I think, but feel free to sing the whole song, if you are so inclined!