Conservatively Outrageous

Is it time to rent studio space? 

I’ve never been accused of being the most organized or tidy person, but as my work grows in size I find my actual living space to be on the verge of extinction. There are paint brushes in my bathroom sink, half finished canvases stacked in my living room, and don’t even get me started on my computer/polymer clay/shipping room.

So when should I say enough is enough? Is rented studio space in my near future?

This isn’t the first time I’ve considered it. In fact, I’ve sat down on several occasions and written out the pros and cons of having a space dedicated to art production. The PRO list is quite long. It includes the implied structure having a separate “work place” would give to my work schedule, being able to turn my house into a home rather than a work space, and oh so much less cat hair imbedded in my work.

Number one on the CON List is cost. Do I really need to add monthly rent to my list of expenses? Would I move only my paints and clay offsite but keep my computer work and shipping at home? Would I forever being traveling back and forth between home and studio to pick up forgotten items?

It’s all food for thought but, as summer art season grows closer, it will be put on the back burner once more. So — if you fall in love with a piece of my work at a show this summer season please excuse the stray cat hair or two. It comes from my models and only serves to increase the value of the work

Art History Three: DINE-er Jacket

Like most artists, I like to think that my work is completely original. With the exception of long ago assignments in art class I’ve never set out to create a copy of another artist’s work; but there’s a difference between copying and finding inspiration in the work of another. About a year ago I started a small mixed media piece based on a Van Gogh self portrait. In addition to my rendition of Van Gogh’s painting I also referenced Warhol’s multiple images and Parmigianino’s Madonna with the Long Neck. Next I tackled Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, keeping the Warhol multiple image format. My latest piece, and the largest of the three at 30″(h) x 24″(w), pays homage to Jim Dine’s Pop Art Robe’s of the 80′s and 90′s. Unlike my other sources of inspiration, Jim Dine is still very much alive and creating and exhibiting new work.

While each of these pieces found their inspiration in the works of others, I’ve included enough “Kurek” in them to assure that they could never be viewed as “copies”. They are instead original works that are having a bit of fun with art history.

You can find my originals and prints in my Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio?ref=si_shop 

Art History One: Van Gogh Meets Warhol Meets Parmigianino Meets Kurek

Art History Two: Moanin' Lisa

The Geek-Boy Squad!

This is finished yet but it’s getting there.

You can find prints and new work in my Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio?ref=si_shop 

…..sometimes aren’t that little and you have to let them out to keep from going deaf. These three were hanging out in my head and making quite a ruckus!

So here’s the plan.

Title: Geeks, Hipsters and Kings OR If Geeks and Hipsters were Kings.

Back ground scene: old concrete wall with graffiti — computer text (<geekspeak>) and a crown or two. I had planned on just painting the wall but decided that was just dumb. Buffalo is filled with old concrete, graffiti covered walls and it’s a gorgeous day. Here are a couple of the images I’m going to work with. Lot’s of photoshop manipulation — hand painted graffiti on a canvas print. This is either going to be very good — or it’s going to stink I’ll try my best to avoid the latter.

You can find prints of the new work along with others in my Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio?ref=si_shop 

hybrid |ˈhīˌbrid|

noun  a thing made by combining two different elements; a mixture : the final text is a hybrid of the stage play and the film.

• Biology the offspring of two plants or animals of different species or varieties, such as a mule (a hybrid of a donkey and a horse) : a hybrid of wheat and rye

• a hybrid car

We’re all familiar with hybrid cars, too many genetically modified seeds/ foods, and the mystifying array of dog breeds — but hybrid art?

I could argue, and argue well, that my art work is jam-packed with hybrids. I’ve used the “official” term, Mixed Media, for many years — but for my newest project hybrid seems a better fit.

A little more than a year ago I purchased an archival ink printer (Epson r2800). It’s an amazing, if somewhat temperamental, machine and it has paid for itself more than once over. To date I’ve created both paper and canvas prints of my original paintings and digital art. I’ve added hand sculpted elements to the canvas prints to make them more like my originals.

My newest series will go beyond that. I’ve painted a basic wine bottle still life and am about to start designing the individual labels. The planned labels revolve around ribbons/awards given in a dog show. There will be Best of Show Merlot, Best of Working Class Chardonnay featuring a boxer in plumber garb with a wrench, and Select Bitch Bordeaux featuring a sassy poodle in a  push-up bra. But I have more ideas for labels than the time needed to paint the bottles over and over again. And honestly — my work is MUCH more about the sculptural elements than the actual painting anyway  So — I’ve made a slightly smaller canvas print of the basic painting and will design a different set of labels to be painted directly onto the print.

Up till now, for lack of a better term, I’ve called my canvas creations “enhanced prints”, but the labels on the print will be originals in and of themselves, so what is the resulting work? And what do I call it? “Half Original, Half Print Hybrid” seems a bit cumbersome — and don’t even get me started on limited vs. open editions.

Suggestions anyone?

To see a selection of my work visit: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio

We all know that paying attention to our health, eating right and exercising is good for us — but did you know that it can be contagious? Here’s a comic look at the Ups and Downs of practicing yoga at home.

It started out just fine — but imagine holding your head still in Full Lotus with a twelve pound cat on your head! If your 60 pound dog decides to do the same I suggest you head out to a yoga studio ASAP!

You can find these prints along with others in my Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio?ref=si_shop 

For all the grumbling about Mondays one thing is for sure, they give us the opportunity to start anew. Last week was NOT a good week for me as an astist. I spent a good portion of it working on projects that focused a spot light on where my abilities as an artist stopped. I was so frustrated by mid-week that, had I run across an underground tunnel labeled “For Failures Only”, I gladly would have crawled in.

Thankfully, that was last week, and I used this Monday to start on a new series. Simpler and more dependent on line drawing than my big, color saturated mixed media works, these paintings are on paper, are far less time consuming and will appear in my shop (in print form) by mid-week.

As for that tunnel — good thing it was only a figment of my imagination

 You can find prints of the new work along with others in my Etsy shop at:   http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio?ref=si_shop 

I’d like to send a warm, flowery Thank You to Sharla of BeadedTail for including my Flower Dog print in her blog post today. Check out her post below and be sure to visit her blog AND her Etsy shop at:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BeadedTail?ref=pr_shop_more

Is February 13th too late to make a New year’s resolution? I don’t care if it is! I resolve to accept my limitations and say NO to requests for work that  I’m just not good at!

If you know anything about my work you know I make a LOT of animals. Animal paintings, animal ornaments, standing 3D animals, animal magnets ….. For the most part, I’m pretty good at it. I have a recognizable style: bright, fun and most importantly, not too connected to reality.  There’s a reason for that. A while back I faced my limitations as an artist and accepted that my abilities stopped short of producing realistic work. In fact, my realistic work stunk! I’m OK with that. Accepting my limitations gave me the permission to explore and expand upon what I COULD do  – and I can do a LOT!

So where am I headed with this self exploration psycho babble? 

Foolishly,  I accepted a commission for a pet portrait from the purchaser of the one and only “realistic” painting I’ve ever sold. Why? Because I’m an idiot! I’ll add in “…..it’s a slow time of year ….and she’s a nice person….. and my painting has improved….” but mostly, I’m an idiot! So here I sit, writing this blog entry instead of finishing the painting. But on the count of three I’m going to get up and do what I can to make it something I’m willing to sign my name to. 

One

Two

Two and half……

Hmm…. I suppose I could play a few rounds of online Scrabble first………..

You can find prints of my work in my Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio?ref=si_shop

I was sipping a glass of wine at a good friend’s house last night when a text came through that Whitney Houston had died. Neither of us had been big fans, nor could we immediately recall the titles of any of her hit songs, but a sadness set in nonetheless. That sadness returned again this morning after reading a front page article in The Buffalo News about her death. The article briefly stated the limited known facts surrounding her death, went on to the highlights of her career, and then delved into the darker side of her known drug abuse, her troubled marriage and the decline of her career. How difficult it must be to live such a public life! To have a spot light shine on your darkest days. 

The music world has lost more than one imperfect Diva in the recent past: Amy Winehouse in July 2011, Etta James this January — and now Whitney Houston.  Regardless of the inner demons these women wrestled with thankfully one thing will remain: music ……..beautiful, beautiful music.

I was listening to Etta James’ CDs when I painted this last month. You can find prints of this image along with others in my Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SilentMyloStudio?ref=si_shop