Tuesday, September 16, 2008

. . . explored the catalog

I received the Dick Blick catalog in the mail yesterday, so I explored all the different media that are available for artists. Printmaking still looks most interesting to me. I understand that there is a new printmaking gallery/workplace open in the downtown/Crossroads Art district, and it plans to give lessons. I hope I can take advantage of that situation. . . either get good at it, or at least quench my curiosity about printmaking.
Still no pictures of my art. . . I was gone for most of the morning yesterday and when I returned I noticed with chagrin that my garage door was open, even though it's a habit for me to reach up and click the clicker. The garage is, of course, open to the rest of the house, and anyone could have just come on in and wiped us out. Fortunately that didn't happen, but the door was screwed up somehow. In an effort not to (a) call a repair person and (b) not bug my husband about it, I read the directions on the door, and just pulled on a cord. Hah. Not the thing to do, apparently. I thought I was trapped in the house, with my car locked in the garage, but I later found that I could quite easily open and close the door, just the remote didn't work. Well, good grief, I spent most of life without a garage, let alone without a remote control garage door opener, so I was okay with that. It's fixed now. . . so maybe I can get some paintings outside today to photograph. In the mean time, screwing around with Picasa, I came up with the above collage.
My husband went off to work this morning, saying something like well, off to make a few bucks. I scoffed. . . the headlines in the newspaper, the television reporting financial doom and gloom, the elections looming large. . . who will be buying anything unless they reallly really need it? Except the really really rich folks, and they usually don't buy Hondas, right? Or relatively cheap art, either. I also saw that some art (a pickled calf with golden hooves) sold for many many millions of dollars at Sotheby's. I wonder what I could get for the dead grasshopper on the deck. Maybe if I put some gold leaf on it. . .?

2 comments:

Gina said...

I really like this collage, Mary. Will it be an inspiration for a larger work?

I LOVE Dick Blick. Love their prices, catalogs, web site, service, and delivery. Usually save up items till I hit the free shipping amount or go in with other artists. For a city of half a million, I’m still shocked we don’t have the big name art stores (Jerry’s Artarama, Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff, D. Blick, etc.). As a result, I’ve cut back going to local Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, etc., unless I need something small or something now.

I’ve had the same experience with garage doors! Since we’d never lived in such a “modern” house with automatic garage door openers, when we’ve lost electricity thought the doors couldn’t open manually. But looking around much later, found a manual string to pull to open the door manually. Ah, high tech!

Think I read that same article about the artist who sells animals in formaldehyde. I know art is in the eye of the beholder, but does this say something about the artist or the buyer?

Mary Buek said...

Gina: You bet it's inspiration for a larger work. . . in fact, it's the next thing I want to work on. We don't have any big name art stores in town either, but we do have an art supply store that is absolutely wonderful and competitive with Michael's and Hobby Lobby because everything is 40% off retail prices, plus there's a frequent artist discount. And since it's locally owned, I like to buy my art supplies there. Plus they are very nice and supportive of my art since Day One, encouraging me to keep going even when I didn't like my own art. As to the pickled calf, I would like to see it in its new home. . .can't even imagine where it could be displayed. I think it says something about both artist and buyer. I just don't know what.