Drawing and a doodle

Two more pages from the sketchbook...one is very much a doodle for my roomie.  The other is a random sketch during one of my hour sessions that I think will become a part of something nicer (likely a print-possibly a painting). As always, camera quality is due to my crappy phone...

Busy Busy Busy-Applications and shows

Another doodle for your consumption.

This week has been a little crazy but in the best kind of way.  I've been making a strong effort to draw for at least an hour everyday even if it's random doodles like the one above or the one I posted earlier this week.  A lot of the time what I think is my best work comes from random sketching and doodling in the books so this is a good practice.

I've also been trying to write up a description of a really huge project I'd like to take on which would be finished next year so that I can start proposing for shows.  It has to do with the domestic violence work I've been doing with AVLF and I'm both very excited and very passionate about it.  The first step is getting my supervisor to approve of the information I'd need to use for the project so hopefully I'll get the go ahead and can start working on it soon.  The biggest problems I'm going to face are finding a good space for it because it's not a particularly commercial project and it would be huge (I'm talking more than 2000 prints).  No matter what happens I'm pumped.

In addition to working on that I've been trying to complete applications for many different things.  I'm applying for a grant from the Elizabeth Greenshield's Foundation which I don't really expect to get but would be awesome if I did.  I'm also applying for a studio spot at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center which I'm also pretty sure I won't get but I have a back up plan if that happens.  I really want a studio space, working out of my messy apartment isn't especially conducive to my studio practice.  There are a couple other opportunities and things I'm looking at so I'm really trying to get my shit together (Idea Capital Grant, Press Room Mini Solo Show, etc etc).  It's hectic and kind of exhausting but good for me to remember this side of being an artist.

I also met with Mark Basehore of Beep Beep pretty briefly this week but it was cool to finally chat with him a little bit about randomness.  He was very chill and encouraging about sending him some images of my work.  I did and got an invitation to be a part of their December group show.  That kind of blows my mind but it seems casual so I'm not trying to let it freak me out too much (in a good way).

I also went out with Lloyd Benjamin of Get This! gallery last night.  It was a pretty surreal experience because we started by seeing this pop up show for Chris Hobe at the W which is a super swanky hotel I'd never been inside of.  Then we switched gears and hit Northside Tavern which I'd never been to.  I don't think I've ever seen something so randomly cool.  The people there were dancing like something out of a movie to this blues band and it was incredible.  I even got in on the dance action.  It was really a blast.  I really liked hearing about Lloyd's work too and he even listened to me ramble about the Domestic Violence project I mentioned earlier.  He made the suggestion of utilizing 15 Minutes at ACAC which I'm definitely going to do to sort of flesh out the idea and see what kind of feedback I can get.

Updates abound I guess but I link to all this crap in case anyone actually does read this and wants to click through to some of the opportunities themselves.

The (sort of-not really) Daily Doodle

Had the day off from work yesterday and spent it doodling in the coffee shop while the woman next to me looked at me like I was crazy.  Not a bad day.

Here's one of the randoms:

I know-blurry crappy pic, but I had to use my phone...alas.

Recent Activities: Elevate

Yeah, I'm pretty much failing as a blogger.  I'm no good at this writing/updating thing but I do like sharing things I like and have been pretty active on the ZinkaProject Tumblr, both with pretty images and articles I can't help but like.  One day I'll figure out how to get fancy on the web and have a little feed connected to this blog, or on my nonexistent website.

I have been pretty actively trying to engage in the Atlanta art scene since the emerging artist show at APS.  This means I've been hitting up Ponce Crush and the Castleberry Hill Art Strolls.  I also got to go to Burnaway's fantastic fundraiser shindig, and finally checked out Get This! Gallery and Saltworks Gallery (two spaces I had been meaning to see for ages).  I'm getting really geared up for Flux 2011 tomorrow night.  Probably the most exciting happening in the past month and ingoing for the next month has been Elevate// Art Above Underground.  I went to the opening night events and caught a little bit of last weeks events as well.  I've been trying to see as much as possible but I've been slacking.  Luckily there is another month of excitement so I should get my fill of Elevate before it's over.  Why so exciting?  I'm really trying to think about how to get more involved publicly with my art and see how others do this, which is a lot of what Elevate (as well as a lot of the other HUGE things going on in Atlanta-like the Beltline Projects) are all about.  The idea of interacting with those who aren't normally connected to the art scene really appeals to me (like print making's ability to be more accessible than other mediums by a wider audience). I also got the chance to meet some of the artists and coordinators (like Nathan Sharratt and some of the peoples of Dashboard Co-Op) of the event and being the fan girl I am, that was pretty freaking cool in my mind.  There has, of course, been a ton of buzz and coverage about Elevate in most of the Atlanta publications that exist and they can all do much better justice to it than I so here is a laundry list of all the articles and links to images I could find quickly:

pretty lighting

Official Page
^Check this out for all the upcoming events in the next month and a down loadable program for your phone!  But probably the best resource is their page on FaceBook which updates regularly with photos, links, etc etc.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

I showed up at the opening event right at 5.  I was a little confused about when everything started and where it all took place but I enjoyed hanging around underground, something I had never particularly done, as well as getting a chance to talk with randoms and see set up for a lot of the things going on.

Everything looked pretty amazing at night.

Richard Arnold's work-embarrassing story: When I met him I didn't recognize who he was and he was talking about the pieces working vs not working with a friend.  I had been kind of excited about the whole thing and the way it works (lighting up when you take a pic with your camera) so I proceeded to explain it to him.  Yeah, color me a dumb ass.  He was pretty kind about it to my face though.

More publicity for me + free tickets to the Jack Daniels Urban Art Show

My sister found this article today about Atlanta Printmaker's Studio which also features an image of my work.  Sweet!  A+ for free publicity!

Check it out!

Also, I was reading through the creative Loafing today and saw an ad for Jack Daniel's Urban Art Show and free tickets so I immediately hopped on my new smart phone and scored some admission.  Very fun.  It looks like a killer show so I'm pretty pumped.

And finally some at work doodling for your entertainment (this is how bored I am some days):