Turning 37 and The Creative Entrepreneur

Thirty-seven years ago today I was born. Today I'm contemplating that and all that I've experienced in my lifetime. I'm grateful to be here and thankful for a wonderful husband and to have been brought up in a very supportive family.

I'm working through Lisa Sonora Beam's The Creative Entrepreneur and above are images from my own visual journal. I'm still working on the text. It's in some places and not in others and I realize combining the writing and the visual image does not come easily to me. It's something I admire in other journals and works I've seen and and so my attempt at it will give me an even greater appreciation.

Something exciting I've learned through this process is that papers or pieces that were treated as "scrap" or "messups" are no longer, they're now given a new life in my visual journal. They are now a page in an actual book. It's curious and makes we wonder about what else I can breathe new life into. What was junk at one point or even garbage and now has a new life because of you?

I'm really enjoying Lisa Sonora Beam's book and the process of thinking differently. I'm working through objectives, strategies and tactics for 2009 and it's much more detailed than I've ever made it. Really exciting stuff. I'm looking forward to the new year and what it brings. Interested in taking a class in Oakland with Lisa Sonora Beam? Visit her website to find out more about her and let me know! I'm looking forward to potentially hosting a class of hers.

I came across incredible signage at the ZTA Architectural Office in San Diego. Click on places, commercial and then ZTA Architectural Office to see pics.

Support Women Artists Now (SWAN) day is March 28, 2009 and is put together in part by The Fund for Women Artists. I'm excited. I'd like to do something to celebrate… something creative and with women. Interested? Let me know! For many years I've been inspired by others who inspire. It hasn't been enough for me to just witness this, I realize that part of my mission is to be a leader, to connect and inspire others myself.

Art, Animal and Food Fusion

"What are you going to be doing on your trip with your sister?"

"Eating and shopping for food…"

"…and what else?"

"More of that and then the art museum…"

On an average weekend, Erin and Dave go to about four markets for food. They say that there was a while when ten was common and twelve has been the record. We arrived in San Diego late yesterday morning and our first stop was North Park Market for Mediterranean feast fixins. Our lunch and dinner consisted of Greek Kalamata olives, French feta, Halloumi from Cypress, homemade tabouli, yogurt cheese with hummus, dolmas, whole wheat pitas, mint-flavored yogurt drink, Poblano peppers, fresh dates and Dave's homemade multi-colored salad with red paprikas from Bulgaria, (I thought this only came in a powder!) grapes, walnuts, Asian pears, frisée, arugula and red leaf lettuce, feta, Mediterranean cucumbers and red onion. Yummy!

In between we trecked to the downtown location of Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego for my benefit. This is one of my favorite museums. I drag my siblings here whenever I can. I really appreciated a particular exhibit entitled: Artists Respond to a Changing Planet. I couldn't get over the story told by an artist who interacted with Kenya children and introduced them to colored pencils. What a treat!

As I'm writing this, we're preparing dinner. It's all about the food. This morning Dave picked up coffee for us from Peet's and Erin cooked us breakfast: aka miso soup with a poached egg, Szechuan peppercorns and primary dashi from a cookbook Tom couldn't put down last night called Japanese Cooking A Simple Art by Shizno Tsuji. After breakfast we headed out to the unique and fabulous Catalina Offshore Products and picked up incredibly fresh swordfish and bay scallops. Just experiencing Tommy and his antics is worth the trip. He grabbed a gift of baby abalone shells for me when he found out I was visiting from out of town. Tom commented that I'd be able to do something with them. It was really funny when we saw an art piece later that day consisting of similar shells.


Above images are the swordfish and the Bay Scallop Ceviche Erin made for dinner.

We returned home with the fish and Erin made buckwheat soba noodles with seared scallops. We dipped the noodles in a noodle dipping sauce (Tsuke-jiru) Dave prepared. (Recipes from cookbook above.) It's incredibly enjoyable to eat and share such wonderfully different foods with Erin, Dave and Tom.

I woke up in the middle of the night, dreaming of getting tattoos on my arms and walking down streets of mismatched houses. I had such excitement, a desirous feeling of getting up and writing, documenting my experience, wanting to capture my emotion, translate it, share it… not that this excitement had much to do with the dream but it was in me just the same.

One of the highlights of our trip was Dave's chai tea. So good… I wasn't feeling well and it helped me feel much better.

Dave has a giant stuffed bear named Sergei and on previous occasions Dave has discussed Sergei's need for glasses. Inspired and working with what we had, I suggested a wire hanger. (I initially suggested we go to the art store but am grateful we went this alternate route.) Dave found a hanger and Tom quickly fashioned it into a spectacle shape. I patiently removed the kinks from the wire and added some copper wire Dave found. We needed something to attach the glasses and Dave came up with some dental floss. Tom tied it around Sergei's head. So simple and fun. I really enjoyed this collaborative process.

Erin and Dave also treated us to the San Diego Zoo. Fabulous fun and such great inspiration for art and fashion. I was really taken by the birds, something I didn't expect. But then I imagine that might have to do with Nick Bantock or Joseph Cornell or Martha Stewart.

I thoroughly enjoyed our trip. I'm inspired to eat some different foods… add flax seed to my morning yogurt, enjoy more birds, stop more often and enjoy life.

Card Catalog Inspiration

One of the highlights (I just love little drawers) at Building Resources in San Francisco plus they have tumbled glass! Looking forward to working on the garden in the spring…

Interview with Hedy Peterson

Hedy Peterson makes beautiful, well-crafted handbags. I'm very lucky to carry a fun black leather bag with purple, red and brown suede polka dots that she designed especially for me. Many years ago, I met Hedy when I was looking for a bag to carry my portfolio. I couldn't find anything I liked and she designed a stunning black bag with a heavy duty zipper for me.

I get lots of great compliments on my bags and I want more people to know about Hedy Peterson. Read on to experience her inspiring interview and see photos of her work. Check her out on Etsy.com!

Where can you be found on the web? Or out in the real world?
I’m currently working on a website: HandbagBoulevard.com which should be up before too long. I have a shop at Etsy.com under the name of hedilu. I also do open studio in Berkeley, CA on Saturdays from 10-5 so people can come see where I work and buy directly from me.

What do you create?
I design and produce handbags and small accessories mostly in leather. I also make a small collection of Christmas ornaments (mini-stockings and tote bags) that I originally designed for a group of decorators in San Francisco who were doing a charity fundraiser.

How did you learn your craft?
I mostly taught myself how to design and sew leather. There was not a school closer than England when I first started, so I just had to do a lot of trial and error.

Where do you find inspiration?
That’s a question that I have some trouble coming up with an answer for. Since I’m a very visual person, nothing escapes my sight and I think I synthesize much of that input. In other words, a beautiful pointy toed shoe and a brown and white puppy I just met may come together in my creative mind to become a brown bag with white stitching and a pointed flap. But, for me, it’s all about taking a bit from over here and something from over there and spinning it from inside myself. That’s the best explanation I have for it.

What motivates you?
I just love the creative process. I’m very motivated by the materials I use. A beautiful piece of leather or a sublime piece of hardware motivates me to get going and turn it into something else.

When did you start your business?
Sometime around the middle seventies.

What early creative memories stand out for you?
When I was about 14 years old, I asked my grandmother to help me make a purse and together, we made a beautiful little shoulder bag using crocheted pieces and cotton backing. Before that, when I was much younger, I used to gather up every toy and lots of other stuff (small pieces of wood, boxes, old thread spools and who knows what else) and set up my own little town on the floor of my playroom. It took up the whole perimeter of the room and took weeks to make. I still don’t know what that was about. Perhaps I missed my calling as a developer. (chuckle)

Why did you decide to start your own business?
I was working at a bookstore doing accounts receivable. I have no idea how I could have possibly gotten that job since I could hardly type and to this day do not balance my checkbook. But there I was..miserable in a job that didn’t fit me at all. One of my roommates had a booth at a cooperative craft store in Palo Alto called ‘The Artifactory’ and that looked very attractive to me, so with $55, I was able to rent a booth for one month and buy some clothes at the second hand store. I cut up the clothes and made them into skirts, jackets and shirts and sold them at the Artifactory. My first business was called ‘HedTrips’. It was a good name in the ‘70’s.

What do you love most about creating your work?
The feeling of being a creator is a hard one to explain. It’s the flow of creation through me that keeps me going. I guess it’s the connection to all of creation and the energy that created me and everything else. It’s the stepping into the flow. And I’d be lying if I said the outcome wasn’t important. Seeing that finished product after hours of doing detail after detail and working to get each one of those right is so great.

What's a favorite book of yours and why?
I fell in love with the writing of Robertson Davies after I read ‘Fifth Business’. It’s art on the printed page. It’s clever and intelligent and witty and draws on the metaphysical in the storyline. All the things that draw me in.

What advice would you give to women starting their own business?
I don’t think I’d be giving too much advice to someone else other than to ‘go for it’. I feel like I’m still figuring things out for my own business. When I started, I didn’t have any idea at all how to run a business. I just knew how to create and I tried to plug in to marketing that fit my product.
OK -- if I had to give advice, I’d say learn some basic business skills. Or find a partner that has business savvy if your forté is the creative part.

What's the biggest challenge you face in your work?
The previous question spotlighted my biggest weakness. I think I’ll take my own advice and take some business classes.

How do you get unstuck?
I go and do something else for a bit. There’s nothing like gardening or doing the sanding on a wood project to loosen things up. It has to be something that takes my attention off the stuck area. If I just go for a walk, I just stay mired in the problem.

What's your approach to balancing your time between work and life?
I have a set schedule for my work. Sometimes it flows outside of that schedule, but mostly it’s never a problem for me. If I have to be out of the studio for a time, I just make it up later. I have a tv at the end of my big cutting table, so if I find myself working at night, I don’t have to miss watching ‘The Office’ or any of my other faves.

What do you love to do in your free time?
I enjoy anything outdoors. I have a couple of bikes that I like to ride. I also really like to go dancing. Cajun/Zydeco is very cool. I’ve always been athletic, so any kind of sports or games is fun for me.
What are you working on right now?
About half a dozen different things. I always have a few things brewing in my mind, so when I finish with a project, I can pluck out another and get going on it right away. I’ve been producing a series of woven bags and I know I haven’t made all of those that will be in the collection, so for today, it’s that. Tomorrow, I may have a different answer.

What's one thing you wish you knew when you started your business?
How to be absolutely fearless in the face of great obstacles. I now believe that nothing is worthy of fear.

What's your favorite quote?
All my favorite quotes seem to be set to music. I don’t have just one, but for the sake of answering the question, it’s this: "and, in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make" ~the Beatles. Brilliant.

Anything else you'd like to say?
Thanks, Leah.

Art has a (personal) voice

"Tom Rocks City Council" was Regina Schaffer's subject line in her email out to Woman's Will Board Members late last night. We left Oakland's City Hall after 10:00 p.m. last night with the meeting still in session. The question of cutting funding for Oakland's Cultural Arts and Marketing Department was the matter at hand and Oakland's art community – at least 300 supporters and 200 speakers at the podium – came out in full force. It was an exciting place to be.

I initially signed a petition on the matter and with Tom's help and inspiration wrote a letter to Jean Quan, Oakland's District 4 Council Member. Tom volunteered to go and speak at the City Council meeting last night on behalf of Woman's Will. With only a minute to speak, he got some laughs and acknowledgment from council members, an anomaly in the Bay Area's all-female Shakespeare company. He related the art community to a tapestry that the government has a choice to weave together or unravel. It was very poetic. I feel very lucky to be a part of this man's life and to witness his support and passion.

Taking part in politics like this at a city level can be really exciting, and it definitely helps when your view is in the majority. I'm proud to be a part of Oakland's art scene. It feels very personal.

Visit here and here for more information on the details of Oakland's budget.

The relativity of time

My mood was down and now it's a bit up. Mostly just interesting to notice.

Time is relative. It's something we've made up and in many ways it's more about our beliefs about time than the actual time itself. I think "Oh I don't have enough time" and sure maybe there isn't but maybe if I thought differently that time could actually show up. That's when prioritizing and values are important.

I experienced time in a really rewarding way this weekend. A postcard for the upcoming Frank Bette show came in the mail this weekend and some of my work would work perfectly with their theme. I've had some ideas that I wanted to finish… I wanted to complete an aluminum series. Except that I had to get the work done… Tom and I had a busy and fun weekend with family so there wasn't a lot of "time" for additional things.

Tom challenged me and asked me if I wanted to do the pieces and submit them the next day. I'm totally up for a challenge. We worked together late Saturday night til almost three o'clock in the a.m. for about six hours. (I don't think we've ever stayed up that late.) It was such an incredible experience working together for a common goal challenged by the clock, desire and fatigue. The pieces came out beautifully. The concepts were fun. Unfortunately, the glue didn't actually stick and the aluminum pieces came up off the panels even more as I poured resin on them the next day. The resin took longer than I expected to dry.

This was the last thing that I thought I would encounter, a challenge in materials. It means more practice… we went out Sunday to buy more panels, glue and a different type of resin-type coating. I'm looking forward to creating more… It was so awesome to see the work we'd created even though it didn't turn out exactly how I'd anticipated. It was pure joy to catch a glimpse of the body of work that I'm longing to create, come together.

I'm grateful for the challenge, Tom, and for that exciting energy that we created together.

Various Musings

The ART door leading to my studio! Thanks to Tom for installing the letters.

Lots of stuff on my mind… I'm excited and have really good energy. It's 12:52 p.m. (luntime when I wrote this) I'm thinking that's a bit important because I was bummed last night and I knew it would pass. Needed sleep. My mood can be all over the place. Right now it's up and I'm very grateful. I blogged a while back about getting trees from the City of Oakland and this morning they were digging up concrete in front of our house. I'm so excited. I'm hoping for PINK crepe myrtles. Fingers crossed. We get four trees! Our lot so needs some color badly!

I'm so proud of my friend Hedy Peterson who makes beautiful leather handbags. She has her work on etsy.com. Check it out. I have three! One she designed especially for me. Actually two. I first met her years ago when I was referred to her and she made a custom bag for my portfolio. Her bio is great.

I'm teaching my Artist Business Circle and overall I'll say it's going really well. I have three incredible students. I'm inspired by how they all want to help each other. It's so enjoyable to witness. I feel privileged. Lots of things are coming up for me in this process. Stuff about myself that I don't like, but also stuff I do. Lots of new ideas, thinking bigger. I work to change the things I don't like. It's a powerful place for me to be. I'm creating something that's bigger than me and exposing myself at the same time. A vulnerable place but I'm very grateful for the growth and chance to be here.

I'm noticing with self-promotion how important it is to express what you do. I believe that people have a desire to help others succeed. I believe this in the biggest sense. Not everyone is going to give you what you want but they may be taking care of themselves. By them showing you this example, they may be giving you what you need.

Side tangent there. Anyway, I'm a collector and I love color and great design. Claudia gave me this great bottle. I think it's fascinating that she thought of me. Part of why she gave it to me was because I expressed my interest. Cheryl and Stephanie give me aluminum cans. Karen saves empty wine bottles for us for our garden. My friend Sarah sent me, among others, a great map of Oakland art galleries. My mom has come to all of my art shows and purchased my art. Tom has also come to all of my shows and encouraged me (multiple times in fact) to first exhibit at FBCA. It's so important to me to honor these people who contribute to who I am. When you express your passion and love for something, people want to connect with you. I think that when one witnesses passion in others, it connects them to their own passion. My own thoughts on why it's so important to express your passion. You're actually helping other people as well as yourself!

Cool house numbers!

Cool house numbers from Fred at the Alameda Flea Market. I worked hard to get a bit more interesting shots. Thanks to Tom who put them up. He also put up ART letters on the garage door. You'll have to wait for those photos…

Labor Day Weekend Insights

So much it seems! It's all good. I have a great cup of coffee this morning that Tom made and I'm up early. We went to a free CORE Training (Citizens of Oakland Respond to Emergencies) last night in our neigborhood. Feels good to be part of the community and to be getting prepared.

My mom told me about the coach Dave Ellis. Very inspiring.

Tom and I cleaned the gutters this weekend. I didn't realize how much fun that could be. I enjoy the physical exertion. For some reason when I work really hard outside, my sleep is so much better and I wake up without an alarm the next day. Such a great benefit.

Personal Sovereignty

I'm eating breakfast and drinking coffee. I do like mornings, after I wake up. It's the waking up part that tends to be difficult… well I know I have control over that, just sometimes don't want to.

I've been thinking about personal sovereignty since it was brought up in my therapy group over the weekend. Here's a pretty good link on the topic. I thought of many different examples but the one that comes to mind here is writing this blog. I wanted to start for quite a while and then at times I don't think about it and I don't particularly want to write. Tom gently reminds me about writing and I appreciate it. I feel guilty that I've "neglected" posting. But it was something that I started. Why do I feel guilty? I haven't made a decision to "own" this blog when I feel guilty. I created it and then I let it go. Maybe an issue with not finishing things as a child…

Anyway, I've received a lot of great, and some unexpected, benefits by blogging: getting to share my art, writing, expressing myself, connecting with friends, getting a lot of attention from Tom, meeting new people who share similar interests. It's been fun. I could try commenting on other blogs too and become more connected with the community. Just thinking out loud. Gotta jump in the shower.

On another note, I love reading Michele Maule's blog on a daily basis. Her current post is about encaustics. Something I know I really enjoy learning and experimenting with. It's on my list of things to do. Of course I want to learn how to make it myself. So I'm keeping my eye out for an inexpensive double boiler. Here's a recipe I found online.

Altered dictionary

I've been pretty busy lately with lots of different focuses. Here's something that's fun that I started in a class taught by Lisa Kokin. She's a neat woman and I really enjoyed the class. Her site is really beautiful as well. I appreciated the chance to see her artwork in person.

I've just placed the buttons on the dictionary for now. I'll be drilling holes in the book eventually…

Artist Business Circle

I'm really excited about this upcoming Artist Business Circle that I'm facilitating, inspired by Cay Lang's Book Taking the Leap: Building a Career as a Visual Artist.


Artist Business Circle
__________________________________________________________________

Need help launching your career as a visual artist?

We’ll begin this circle by dreaming big and sharing those dreams in a safe, supportive environment. The sessions include:

• Creating artistic goals and a workable strategic plan to make your dreams a reality
• Practicing self-introductions that pique another’s interest
• Discussing the importance of a mailing list and an artwork inventory record sheet
• Learning a daily practice to discover your mission as an artist
• Discussing your work as a tool to develop your artist statement
• Developing business cards, a resume, bio, letterhead and invoice
• Researching and developing a list of ten places, which reflect your personality, where you’d like to exhibit and sell your work
• Discussing the value of blogging, the effectiveness of a website and selling online

Including guest speakers: Michele Pred and Dona Turner

About the facilitator: Leah Virsik is an artist with a passion for bookbinding and repurposing everyday objects. She brings a marketing degree, a wide variety of resources and a love of research to this circle. You’ll also find her on the Alameda Women Artists board. Learn more about her at www.leahvirsik.com.

Dates/Times: Nine Tuesdays from 7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.
Sept 9, 16, 23 Oct 7, 21 Nov 11, 25 Dec 9 & Jan 13, 2009
Location: Frank Bette Center for the Arts
1601 Paru Street, Alameda, CA 94501

Register Online Now or call 510-523-6957

Questions? Email: leah at leahvirsik dot com

Cost: $150 (FBCA Member) $165 (Non-FCBA Member)
Plus guest speaker fee: $25 or less*

*Total speaker fee will be prorated among all artists.
Minimum sign-up for class is four artists.

Photo: Tom Virsik

Kudos to our Wedding Staff

I have incredible memories of our wedding… intimate, personal and filled with lots of love. We hired great people to help put on this event and I remember walking into the lodge and feeling well taken care of as our photographer, Megan E. Hanson, greeted us with her cameras. Sheryl Black of L'Aubergine Catering and her crew were busy setting up and Reverend Robert Shively was waiting for us. Actors from Woman's Will were busy rehearsing and Mel Speed of The Music Company was hooking up our sound system. I can't say enough of all the people we hired.

I had the bright idea of using Tom's iPhone to stream our music and it turned out that when we hooked it up to the sound system it didn't work. Megan E. Hanson came to the rescue by letting us borrow her iPod. It just so happened we had some similar music in common. Sheryl Black and her staff were amazing. We continue to get compliments from our guests on how good the food was. I had a hard time enjoying eating during the wedding but Sheryl packed up sample plates for us and when Tom and I got home we ravished through the leftovers. Crème Brûlée has a significant meaning for both of us and Sheryl went out of her way to make this special dessert for us.

My friend Cheryl referred me to Mel Speed at Fura Bodyworks. He gave me my Monroe piercing. When I went in to talk to him about music for our wedding, he had a ton of recommendations from all of his experience with weddings. He is a fabulous resource and has such a positive attitude. He also does wedding coordination and although we didn't end up hiring a coordinator, I definitely considered him.

Mel referred us to Reverend Robert Shively who was incredible to work with. We had him over several times for dinner and really got to know him. He asked us what tone we wanted for the wedding and we responded with a desire to have something serious and playful. I wanted people to laugh and cry. Reverend Robert Shively brought his warmth, his humor and his genuine spirit to our ceremony. A friend of mine said she and her husband would have definitely hired him for their wedding, if they weren't married already.

It was really important for us to have whole families and kids in particular at our wedding. I wanted to share the story of how Tom proposed and he suggested we hire Woman's Will to tell the story. They put on an absolutely beautiful production of Edward Lear's The Owl and Pussycat incorporating us back into the ceremony. Our congregation and especially the children were mesmorized by Woman's Will's performance. This was especially obvious in my brother's video. That episode of quietness warmed our hearts.

It was August 8, 2008 yesterday and a big wedding day for many people. Listening to the news of this made me want to get married again. I'm so grateful to have such special wedding memories. The intensity of Tom's touch and the way his voice cracked with emotion as he spoke his vows touch me deeply. I am very lucky and appreciative of Tom. Thank you love for being such a great part of my life!

Photos above by Megan E. Hanson: Tom and I, L'Aubergine Catering and Woman's Will

Purple painted lamp and other fun things

My mom gave this previously white lamp to me years ago and I've moved it from place to place hoping to paint it. I finally got to it with Tom's help. He not only helped with the painting but also with the encouraging… encouraging me to finish… it's very helpful… and I feel much more productive with finished pieces. I also started using my great $10 sewing machine for the edges of the velvet.

The light purple is milk paint which I have previously mentioned in this blog and the dark purple is just acrylic with some gloss medium. This glossy/matte contrast was inspired by Sol LeWitt's exhibit at the SFMOMA years ago.

I've been busy today, working on stuff… This morning I did a bit of web design. I'm designing Alameda Women Artist's new website. It's so much fun. Slowly, it's coming together, the css and xhtml, but it's making sense and I'm learning which is the extraordinary part.

I'm going to take my bike in to get it tuned up for next week's Oakland Museum bike tour.

Hammie: Installed in Our Garden!

"We're the house on the corner with the giant purple and mirrored fish head on the lawn," as Tom likes to mention. Hammie is terribly fun and was a joy to create with Tom. Plus, it's nice to have him done. The yard is in process. We're looking to plant Blue Lobelia around the bottom of Hammie, as if he's coming out of the water, as suggested by a couple of friends. Tom just recently added the purple fountain grass in the back.

A lot of things are getting done. We're putting art up on walls, I'm working on finishing up decorating a lamp that I've had for years. It feels really good and kind of amazing: being so productive and creative. Our home is coming together… I enjoy the planning process. We stained an old mirror frame that I've had that works really well with our bedroom furniture. It's no longer "mine" anymore and the collaboration feels very fitting.

Online Training Recommendation + More

I've been hiding out a bit… from writing lately… working on developing a site design for Alameda Women Artists. It's funny how I've been working on this site development… I've worked on it, shown it, put it down, come back to it, shown it again, put it down, come back to it again and then it clicks. Just a friendly reminder that process takes time and other people's input can be very valuable, especially when it's a project for a group.

I'm on the board now for the AWA and am really enjoying them. I had suggested we listen to an interview by Alyson B. Stanfield of Peggy Klaus on her book Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It for our meeting last night. I have listened to it almost three times and what really stood out for me is how well Alyson B. Stanfield brags about herself in a natural, conversational manner. She mentions her own book and how it relates to the interview. It's of value to the conversation. I think when we don't share or brag about ourselves it's never known what impact there would have been. It reminds me of this quote from Martha Graham to Agnes de Mille which is also mentioned in Carol Lloyd's book Creating a Life Worth Living.

I'm having a fabulous time on www.lynda.com for $25 a month every chance I can get. Great creative inspiration and online training. I'm working through the coding movies now and am looking forward to their WordPress movie as well.

Thank you Tom for the prodding for me to post.

Trees and fish

Speaking of trees… Tom and I picked up our first tree to plant, a Bloodgood Japanese Maple… such emotion for me about planting a tree together… a marking of becoming an adult. Pretty cool. His name is Mo…short for momiji, how the trees are known in Japanese.

And we've been working on Hammie…



And I found a milk paint recipe that worked well. I'm working on painting a lamp so once I get that finished I'll post the photos here.

Trees in Oakland

Ever since we moved into our place I've been hoping to remove all of the extra concrete that surrounds us. I figure it'll happen eventually… but I found out that the City of Oakland has a tree planting program where they'll plant sidewalk trees for you and cut your concrete. Wow, who knew?

Here are more links: Jane Brunner and an article.

I Heart Oakland

Tom is guest blogging today. I love it. I haven't been wanting to blog, or do yoga or whatever… but I did make a little book this week and I have been working on putting together an artist business circle and I've been thinking about an art project around the theme 7. Tom, thanks for initiating. Here's Tom below.

Oakland, our 'hood, has a reputation as a crime-ridden and unattractive alternate to SF. Gertrude Stein famously said of Oakland, "There is no there, there." (And to apparently prove her wrong, in the last few years Oakland installed a large sculpture of "here" and "there" on MLK at Ashby).

Well, a couple weeks back our modern car died while on the freeway in the Montclair area of Oakland. We managed to coast to an off ramp but could not get past the initial intersection. Within two minutes, two blue collar immigrant types in a pickup (meaning accented English and tools in back of their truck) stopped and helped push the car to a safer spot on a street next to the off ramp. The street is undeveloped in that a park area is nearby, i.e., no houses in this section. While we waited for assistance from AAA, loads and loads of people offered to help. We did not keep count but we estimate at least 20 separate cars stopped to offer assistance. The occupants were young and old. Male and female. All sorts of races. The cars were fancy and crappy and everything in between. A real cross-section of Oakland stopped to offer help.

And this occurred whether Leah and I were both with the car or it was just her or I. Perhaps specific people were at times more drawn to Leah or I, but they kept offering help no matter who was the obvious stranded party.

A friend suggested we may have a good "aura" that influenced people to stop and help. Maybe. But what I take from this is that all of these people (maybe 50 persons all told) were ready and willing, and for that I am grateful.

Thanks Oakland!

Hammie in purple

Hammie in purple, originally uploaded by Leah Virsik.

Photo by TV

Tom got a lot of painting done on Hammie this weekend. I helped as well. Still lots more to do…

I tried out Martha Stewart's Milk Paint Recipe and it failed miserably. I used non-fat milk. Isn't that what skim milk is? Anyway, gonna try another recipe. I bought lots of colorful pigment paint and I want to use it. Lots of things are happening. I'm putting together an Artist Business Circle. I'll have more details on that as I put that together. There's a new salon in Rockridge that wants art. I have a fun idea for an art piece around their theme "7" involving aluminum.

Tom painting Hammie

Tom painting Hammie, originally uploaded by Leah Virsik.

Kiss Me You Fool

After cooking a fabulous risotto (we make it vegetarian and substituted white balsamic vinegar for the white wine) Tom and I were trying to plan when we could next paint Hammie… Tom suggested just painting his bright red lips and orange mouth, such a difference just to start something and so much you can do in 15 minutes… I enjoy tracking our progress as well.

I spent a huge amount of time organizing the studio/garage over the weekend and it felt really good. Still have more to tackle but I'm grateful for Tom's acceptance of my process as it comes together.

Savannah Memories

Lots of stuff on my mind. Thinking about our Savannah trip… I found some of my notes for our trip. Still working on cleaning up the office… We had the best croutons on this salad from Alligator Soul. Tom also had an amazing vegetarian dish. Our server gave us the recipe for these amazing croutons. Make white grits, add Parmesan and let them get hard, probably in a square pan would be best, cut them into cubes, dust with flour and fry them (or you could try baking them).

The Shop SCAD store was one of my favorite places in Savannah. Some of the artists that stood out to me were: Rebecca Walker and Claire Teschel as well as Monica James and Robin Miller.

It's getting late… and I need to head off to work. I want to move over from Blogger to Wordpress… want to learn more about coding and have more flexibility… plus, I'd like to make my website and the blog interconnected. Big project but fun to think about.

I''m trying to add an image but for some reason I'm unable to… no photo this time.

Mornings, etc.

DSC_0185, originally uploaded by Leah Virsik.

The mornings are generally FULL of potential for me, probably even when I'm in bed, dead to the world. Lots of stuff in my head. Looking forward to Wednesday's AIGA Design Shorts.

There is so much I want to learn. My photos are cut off when I post them from flickr but I'm glad that they are the length of the text. It's minor stuff but I obsess about it a bit. And then how do I post multiple photos from flickr in the same blog? And then what's the best way to organize my photos? And what size? And when I take them in raw format, it's such a hassle to save them down to jpgs, should I even be taking them in raw? Learning, learning.

I lost 20 pounds prior to my wedding and someone noted that it was really quick. It wasn't quick for me. It took six months with Weight Watchers and was such a process. I kept going up and down the scale, little bit up, little bit down, until I levelled off. And maybe that's a more realistic way of looking at things, if you step back and see something from a different perspective. Not so close.

This photo is a close up actually of a tree on the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill, North Carolina from our honeymoon. Great murals too.

The process of Hammie

Hammie 2, originally uploaded by Leah Virsik.

Tom and I put on a coat of primer on Hammie today. Such a warm day and after looking at art at Pro Arts Open Studios it felt good to do some painting myself. Those pots in the back are wanting some paint as well. Signed up for a flickr account tonight… Trying to figure out how this all works… Tom and I are working on organizing the garage. It feels really good.

Morning Rant

Tired, this morning… wanting to design this blog layout so that it looks different… don't have half-n-half… having decaf tea instead… have a lot of things I'd like to do… wanting to buy a typewriter… am enjoying Michelle C. Moode's artwork, she had a piece with something typewritten on it, very sweet, I'm inspired to take a printmaking class, gotta think about that one…

I picked up a a ticket off the ground yesterday for a Castro Valley high school dance, it brought back such memories of me and high school dances… I thought it would be fun to tear up my yearbook and make art of my memories, could be pretty powerful…

Reminiscing about our Napa Getaway

The paint recipe that follows has been on my mind since Tom found it on our Napa getaway. I'm looking forward to painting some pots in our backyard towards the end of the month. Speaking of Napa, these photos are from a Napa house that was for sale. The owner was gracious enough to let me take some photos and then on top of that took us in the back and showed off his backyard as well. So much fun! Oh to have seen the inside! Looking forward to seeing the insides of San Francisco homes on this AIA Home tour in September.

Martha Stewart's Milk Paint Recipe:

Milk paint is an organic material that gives surfaces a distinctive color-washed finish. As the name suggests, milk is a principal ingredient in the material, acting as a binder for pigments the same way polymers do in latex paints and oils do in oil-based ones. People have been mixing milk paint for a long time; it has been found on artifacts dating to ancient Egypt, although it's perhaps most commonly associated with colonial-era furniture. The fact that the material doesn't give off noxious vapors (often called VOCs) accounts for its continued appeal within today's green building community. Craftspeople, meanwhile, value its saturated colors and translucent finish, which can be used to give wooden furniture, terra-cotta pots, and other textured surfaces an antique look.

You can't, however, simply mix milk with color pigment and spread it on the walls. The following recipe will yield enough paint to cover a bureau or other large furnishing:

Milk Paint How-To
1. Mix the juice of a lemon with 1 quart of skim milk in a large bowl. Leave the mixture overnight at room temperature to induce curdling.

2. Pour it through a sieve lined with cheesecloth to separate the solid curds from the liquid whey. Add 4 tablespoons of dry color pigment (available at art-supply stores) to the curd; be sure to wear a mask, and stir until the pigment is evenly dispersed. Artists' acrylic paint also can be used in place of powdered pigment.

3. Add it one drop at a time, and stir constantly until you achieve the desired hue. Whether pigment- or acrylic-based, milk paint will spoil quickly, so it should be applied within a few hours of mixing. Rest assured, its sour smell will disappear once the paint dries. If you prefer, you can purchase milk paint rather than make it yourself. One source is Old Fashioned Milk Paint.

Hammie

Hammie (the Hamachi) is our latest project… Tom and I found him at Urban Ore and are very excited to begin painting him. He'll be emerging out of the ground in our garden. We have an early August deadline so that'll get us moving and I'll post our work in process.

Organizing

I'm organizing my files. I'm thrilled, it sounds crazy but there's something about getting organized that is very soothing for the soul. I have my office I'm working on and then I'll conquer the studio garage. Tom and I've put some dates down on the calendar for an open house party and some get togethers, so it'll be even more helpful to get the house in order. A big part of this inspiration is thanks to Alyson B. Stanfield's I'd Rather Be in the Studio recommended to me by Bonnie Randall Boller. Alyson has a very direct, action-oriented approach, that really helps me become more aware of the excuses I've been making.

Another soul-soothing thing I've been doing lately is going to Alice Joanou's Loka Yoga. Besides the great workout, the slowing down and the peace I feel when I'm there, the atmosphere is great as well. It smells really good besides.

There's always more to write. Earlier, I was shredding 2003 phone bills… I'm going to now change my current phone bill to an electronic version!

Daily Practice

One of the benefits of blogging is that you get to meet and interact with people with similiar interests. Tom brought home some old law books that he thought I might be able to use. He suggested I could make books from them and ErinZam posted some recrafted law books on her blog which further lead to this inspiration posted above.

I get a lot of pleasure out of reading Michelle Maule's blog about her daily practice. I aspire to write daily, at least during the week.

On a different note, Tom and I discovered Autobody Fine Art in Alameda. Pure pleasure. It's a beautiful gallery: youthful, emerging, a little "rough" in a good way and brings it out excitement in me. I had a great therapy experience around this as well. Instead of thinking that this gallery is "outside" of me, I can actually relate to it as being "me" and "take this pill" whenever needed to bring that excitement back to my daily life. We had lunch at Burma SuperStar in Alameda. Super yummy and we'll be back!

Alameda Women Artists Group Show Friday

ALAMEDA WOMEN ARTISTS presents A VISUAL WORD
16 Artists at the new Alameda Free Library Meeting Rooms Gallery
1550 Oak Street, Alameda, CA | June 6-July 19, 2008
The Artist Reception is the First Friday, June 6th, 6-8pm. LIVE MUSIC.
Exhibit hours: Mondays-Saturdays 10 am-4 pm, Sundays 1-4 pm.

This is just one of my pieces that's in the show entitled "Rhymes with Pink". I've been collecting aluminum cans (thanks especially to Cheryl and Stephanie) and I'm looking forward to developing more pieces for this series.

Lots of updating on my website tonight. Some photos from Savannah from our honeymoon, one in particular of wine bottles in a garden that has me starting to collect bottles now. I would love anyone's help in this process.

Tom and I are talking about painting a big concrete sculpture that we'll put in our front yard. It'll be obvious that our place will be the neighborhood art house. I'm looking forward to that!

Dreams Do Come True

Photo captured by Mr. Virsik. Thank you.

We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.

~Woodrow T. Wilson (1856-1924, Twenty-eighth President of the USA)

I thought this quote was appropriate for today, brought to me by Cyber Nation. Tom and I had an incredible wedding. So touching and precious to me. Much more than I expected and very easy. Someone asked if my mouth hurt from smiling and when I thought about it, I think it did.

We just got back from from a really enjoyable and relaxing honeymoon. I have lots to share with my loyal readership! Here's just a list to tempt you with… yummy fried pickles from Blowin' Smoke in Savannah, Alligator Soul, gourd trees in North Carolina, sweet grass baskets in South Carolina, wildflowers on North Carolina freeways, Angel's BBQ, Telfair Museum of Art, SCAD shop, sushi/Thai restaurants?, how walking/running is such a great way to explore and cover more territory, Myrtle Beach, metalwork photos in Durham, Savannah Bed & Breakfast Inn , Meredith Brickell's ceramics and paintings in Bull City Arts Collaborative, recycled art show in Savannah, clean restrooms in SC, Chapel Hill, Greek deli, NC fleamarket, grits, croutons, key lime pie (it's not green), live oaks and Spanish Moss, Back in the Day Bakery and much more…

Love for the Cowboy Junkies

Dear Cowboy Junkies: Margo, Mike, Pete and Alan,

As artists, you don’t always know how you affect people. You only know that need to do what you do. I’m writing to share with you what an incredible effect you have on my fiancé and I.

Early on in our courtship, one morning Tom had left the house and gave me a call from his car, telling me to turn on the radio to KFOG. “Anniversary Song” was playing and it was my first introduction to the song. I can’t describe how touched I was, listening to those lyrics. This man thinks about me more than I’ll know.

In putting together our wedding music, we’ve chosen two versions of “Anniversary Song” to play. Watching Tom respond to your music is such a joy for me. Very few people bear witness to Tom smiling and dancing and I’m grateful to say that I get that privilege. I’m very lucky to be marrying this incredible man -- who really does make me a cup of coffee in the morning -- next week on May 4th. (This is our sanity weekend before our wedding.)

We’d be thrilled to hear you perform “Anniversary Song” tonight. We heard you perform it at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California last year but not at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz -- also a romantic Junkies centered weekend out of town. We’re looking forward to seeing you again in the future, as a happily married couple. Thank you for your gift of music and for the positive effect you’ve made in our lives.

Peace and love,

Leah and Tom
Oakland, California
www.designwithabandon.blogspot.com
April 26, 2008

Public Art

Tom and I got our marriage license today. Whoo hoo!

The Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's office has such great art. Of course, I can't go anywhere and not pay attention to the art. Here were some of the artist's that stood out for me: Lisa Kokin. She's got a great website as well. Plus, Christine Wong Yap, she's got a blog and writing that I want to read.

Tom and I had dinner at Delfina. Excellent food. We're a bit on the critical side. It's nice to enjoy such wonderful food. Of course, more art I was interested in: Gregg Renfrow. His work includes pigment dissolved in polymer medium applied to translucent sheets of cast acrylic.

We had some yummy tastings of ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery. We accidently went into the Bi-Rite Market at first. I would love one of those in our neighborhood!

Afterwards, we went to a birthday party at a friend's house and met someone who told me about Climate Theater. They have show and tells, where you can bring in slides of your artwork and talk about it for $5 or less, if you bring food. Their next event is April 13 from 2-4. What a great place to practice speaking about your work. They mentioned you can bring work in progress as well. Sounds like something that would be good for me.

Bookbinding & Collage Creative Process

I was asked by someone how I made my books that are on display now at Frank Bette Center for the Arts. I was very touched by the inquiry and it made me smile because I saw myself in the questioner. I love asking about process, how someone does something… that's what interests me.

I realize I have so many people to thank for my own process and so I thought here would be a good place to share my process and to acknowledge other artists who have helped me get to the point where I am now. To start, San Francisco Center for the Book has some amazing bookmaking workshops and instructors. I've taken several bookmaking classes with Victoria Dunkak Heifner who was really great and inspiring. I didn't even mention their letterpress instruction, that is great as well.

For these books in particular, I came across Teesha Moore's site and her instructions on how to make your own journal. I thought her description on her own creative process was very informative. Per her suggestion, I used canvas boards. These can be found at a local art supply and are nice because they generally can take a lot of glue and water and don't warp.

I first did a Polaroid emulsion lift process with the photos I took during the Alameda on Camera weekend. I took some of the slides I had shot and printed them onto Polaroid 669 film with a Vivitar slide printer. You can find these on ebay or craigslist, etc. or you can purchase a Daylab printer. I heated water in a microwave up to 160˚ measuring it with a meat thermometer. The photos soaked for four minutes. I removed the emulsion from the paper backing, placed the canvas board under the water and moved the photo with a paint brush on top of the canvas board. This film on You Tube is a great visual. Plus, there are some written instructions in Jason Thompson's very inspiring Making Journals by Hand: 20 Creative Projects for Keeping Your Thoughts. I let the canvas boards dry outdoors in the sun.

Next, I pasted ripped paper around the photographs. Generally, I cover the entire canvas, this was something that Nick Bantock pointed out in a class I took from him. In order to get over the fear of the blank page, it's helpful to cover it quickly. That has worked for me, it gives me a goal. Working quickly is helpful too, you don't want to think too much. Generally, I don't have a specific idea of what the piece will look like when it's done. I try not to get attached to the different phases it becomes. After the paper is dry, I paint it with watercolors. I actually apply droplets of Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Concentrated Water Color on the piece. My grandmother gave these to me. The colors are really vibrant and beautiful. My friend Maria told me about Tsukineko Walnut Ink that I like to spray on as well. I like to use Java and Walnut Ink. These colors soak into the lighter colors of paper and give a more connected look to the piece. This is something I also learned from Nick Bantock: when you add paint to collage or glued paper, it ends up being more of a painting and a more cohesive piece. In the Padlock Book I created, I also used some pastels, oil and chalk. I picked colors based on ones I saw in the photographs and colors that intuitively spoke to me. Towards the end, I flicked gold and brown acrylic paint on the canvas and after that dried, I sealed it with a matte medium varnish or a gloss varnish.

After a thorough drying, I glued bookbinding cloth to the two canvas boards in the process that Teesha Moore describes. The cloth needs to dry overnight at least. If there are certain areas of the bookcloth that are not staying down, you can add more glue under the cloth, put wax paper on top and then put a weight on top. After a thorough drying, you can paint the bookcloth. This is helpful to cover any glue areas you might have and you can paint the interior of the canvas boards as well. You can also apply paper to the interior canvas boards and paint on top of that if you like.

For these particular books, I didn't want to use watercolor paper for the inside pages, instead I used Mohawk Superfine 28lb. Softwhite writing from Kelly Paper. I folded 8 sections of 8 pages each (with the grain direction), and cut them 1/2" shorter on the height (head to tail) of the books and 1/4" shorter on the width (foredge to spine). I used a professional guillotine cutter at work but there are some printers that will cut paper for you or you can cut it at SFCB.

At this point, I did some solvent transfers on the inside pages. You can read about this in Jason Thompson's Making Journals by Hand: 20 Creative Projects for Keeping Your Thoughts. The solvent is nasty so please wear a mask and try not to breathe it. One tip would be to put your image on the bottom and your paper on top, apply the solvent and burnish the paper where the resulting image will appear, rather than your transfer image. Another tip is, if you would like your image to be the way you see it, photocopy it with the mirror setting so that the image doesn't end up backwards.

I love exposed bindings and Keith A. Smith's Volume 1 Non-Adhesive Binding Books without Paste or Glue is a wonderful place to learn. I picked the Long Stitch/Link Stitch binding from this book. When finished sewing, (thanks to Tom's suggestion) I squared up the book by hitting the spine against my table so the book closes correctly.

KaTrings (Say "Kuh-TRINGS")

I'm so excited for my friend KaTrina. She's making these beautiful button rings above and is having great success getting them out into the world. KaTrina's been making jewelry and curving wire for as long as I've known her. I'm very proud to see her success and be around her excitement for her creations. It seems to me she gets a lot of joy out of making things. She has a big heart, lots of love and thoroughly enjoys animals.

I got the pleasure of seeing her rings in a black velvet-looking case and they just sparkle with all the great colors. It seems that you need one for each outfit! To purchase her rings, to send her your button collection or just for more information you can reach her at KaTrina at KaTrings dot com or give her a call. (Click on the link for her phone number.)

I can't help but want to promote her. Her enthusiasm is contagious and I want the world to know about her. At one point, Tom said something to me about art and the importance of "completing the circle" of finishing work, getting it out there and letting it go. That in itself is vital. It actually allows more space for one to create. I think this is similar in promotion. When you get to see your friends succeed, it opens up roads of possibility.

Alameda on Camera 2008

Thanks to Tom for getting these photos developed and for helping me stage them. At least one of these books will be shown at the Frank Bette Center for the Arts this Friday night, April 4th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. through April 27th.

I'm feeling crappy with a head cold so this is a short post.