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.

Killing Two Birds With One Stone

I just finished my walk, which I love.  I’m meditating and exercising all in one fell swoop.

When I first started walking years ago I didn’t set out to do both at once, it just sort of happened.  Now I do it intentionally.  No iPod with music or books, just wide open spaces for my mind to wander. And that allows the ideas to find a cozy spot to land.  An oh, so very cool thing to watch unfold.

Today this process reminded of the questionnaire I recently filled out for the Cloth Paper Scissor magazine. The one question in particular that came to mind was, “Where do you find ideas for your work?” I can’t remember how I answered exactly, but I know it had something to do with having no control over the ideas, they just come. I suppose I should have answered through meditation, but that might sound too esoteric. And it’s not. It’s just plain and simple walking. And thinking. One foot in front of the other and I am worlds away. It is a beautiful thing.

Naturally there are other ways for ideas to formulate and land; this is just one of the ways that came to mind today.

But now I gotta know; where do you find ideas for your work?

The title of this blog reminded me of these mixed media on cardboard pieces I did two years ago.



mixed media, Kim Radatz©



 

mixed media, Kim Radatz©









Two pieces, two birds, two years ago, lots of twos going on in this blog.

There could be a reason for that. But more on that later.

I hope you have a creative day!

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.

Do you ever get distracted?

I think this might even be considered lost, instead of distracted! Nah, just kidding.

But honestly, I set off last Wednesday to deliver work to FMWA in DeLand and ended up going on to Daytona and spending a few days there. Nice. No distractions, no computer, but yikes, that can cause some problems. Especially when one is used to logging on every day. A forced vacation from the computer due to an impulse. This is also not like me at all. Remember the anal organization on my studio? Yep, the anal stuff runs deep! Organized. Planned out. Etc. So this was a nice.

All of that to say, I never posted the pix of the collages prior to delivering them to the museum gift shop. So here is a quick look.  Thankfully, one sold the day of delivery.  Very nice to get that confirmation.

collages©, Kim Radatz

And this makes me wonder about you, since we've been sharing some Q and A: Do you ever get distracted?  Do tell.

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©

 

Sunshine and Creativity

Brrrr, it’s cold here. Been cold all weekend. Not what one would expect in early November for The Sunshine State.

But the sun is shining and I’m ready to get lots of work done today. Which answers another of the questions posed by Cloth Paper Scissors that I have shared with you: Does the weather affect your art-making? For me, ABSOLUTELY. I don’t do gray skies well. I go into hibernation, in a big, bad way.

I had SAD (Seasonal Adjustment Disorder) long before it was a commonly known disorder. And now that I am aware of it, I prepare for grey days accordingly. This is why I live in Florida where the sun shines most of the time. And fortunately, while I am in Minnesota, the days are long and the sky is so very big.

I have been inspired to make some small collages today by my friend, Martha. She is obviously never deterred from her studio for any reason whatsoever as she is the most productive artist I know. Check out her blog, An Artist's Journal, and you’ll see what I mean.

Off to work I go. Enjoy your day and I hope that it is a productive one!

Preparation for collages

Stacked up and ready to go.

Selling Off Some Old Friends

You know, I too have been pondering the questions I posed the other day. Specifically, “What’s your workspace like?” and “Are you messy or neat?”

I am pondering these as I prepare for a garage sale we are having tomorrow.

In addition to the regular household items one typically finds, I am selling quite a bit of my mixed media supplies. It’s scary. It’s a bit like selling off old friends. Some of this stuff I have had forever and some items are recent acquisitions. But all are loved by me. I don’t just bring any ol’ thing home; it has to speak to me first. But now I am moving some of them out. And I’ve got to say, it feels rather nice. Scary, but nice.

I have long believed that cleaning out older work gives you permission to make more. But this time, it is more than making space, I am downsizing in a big way.

Maybe it’s because I had a very productive summer in my tiny studio in Minnesota. That probably is a major motivating factor. If I can produce lots of stuff in a small space, just a corner carved out of my bedroom, what can I do in my larger studio if I have wide open space? Make lots and lots more?

Time will tell on that front, and I will keep you posted. But for now I shall enjoy the empty spaces.

Oh, and to answer the questions- full of bright natural light; orderly; messy in the process and tidy between pieces. Some might say anal. I’m okay with that. Here are 2 quick views.

The pix don't look as bright as in real life, but you can get an idea.

East end of studio



one wall of storage

I hope you have a creative day in your studio!

http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/

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.