I finally got my act together and opened an etsy store!
Steep learning curve, here I come…
http://www.etsy.com/shop/OneThousandFlowers
PiBoIdMo 2012: It’s that time again!
http://taralazar.com/piboidmo/
It’s that time of year again! Can I do it? You’ll never know. But it’s worth the fun.
“I do solemnly swear
that I will faithfully execute
the PiBoIdMo 30-ideas-in-30-days challenge,
and will, to the best of my ability,
parlay my ideas into
picture book manuscripts
throughout the year.”
1460 wallmountables 2012
Starting this week, I have four pieces in the DC Arts center’s annual 1460 Wallmountables show. Every year DCAC divides the gallery into 24″x24″ squares. I have two, and a new DCAC membership.
I’m showing two pieces from my Artomatic TCIAWOA bluegrass set, Pretty Saro and Big Sciota, as well as two smaller pieces. Eli, Eli, which was shown a couple of years ago at the now defunct Climate Gallery in NY, and one of the four For Just A Moment variation squares complete my installation.
This is just the installation photo before the tags were put up and the strings removed. I was in a bit of a rush and forgot to bring a real camera. Sorry about the poor Android picture.
July 20 – August 25
DCAC is open Wednesday through Sunday from 2-7pm, and later when there is a theater performance.
Opening Reception: Friday, July 20, 7 – 9 PM
Installation: Wed & Thurs, July 18- 19 from 3-8 pm, and Friday, July 20 from 3-6 pm.
Deinstallation: August 25 and 26 2 – 7 PM
DC Art Center
2438 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
recycled art show 2012
I’m recycling my art!
No seriously, the Hotel California (Kenter Canyon) piece I did for the Zip Code Show in 2009 is part of the display at Arlington Central Library.
More information here:
http://library.arlingtonva.us/2012/06/08/recycled-art-show-reception/
Photos here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arlib/sets/72157630080973010/
And a little press:
http://www.sungazette.net/arlington/people/recycled-art-exhibition-returns-to-library-after-hiatus/article_e082eb8a-b6dc-11e1-8c34-001a4bcf887a.html
artlibs
UPDATE: January 21, 2014
I want a meringue! And not just any meringue.
Totally unrelated to anything I’ve been up to lately, I finally got around to doing a proper photo and cleanup of my Artlibs piece from 2012. My Illustration of La Colmena Bakery in Barcelona. It’s also now available as a photo and canvas print on deviantArt. I wish the meringue was available too. I think mail order from Spain will take too long.
June 5, 2012
Delighted that I had been asked to submit an illustration proposal for the Artlibs show, I decided that I wasn’t busy enough moving, trying to sell our house, participating in Artomatic, and chasing the toddler, and I happily submitted. Thanks, Sherill, for the push. Though I am starting to think that quip in The War of Art about Leo Tolstoy writing War and Peace with a housefull of kids and a lot of other crap on his plate, might have left out the teensy detail that his wife was probably taking care of everything so he could work! That’s currently supposed to be MY job.
The Artlibs show is a nifty idea. We artists get to fill in the blanks of the stories with our art. I was assigned a noun.
Because I haven’t yet learned to do things simply (I REALLY need to read up on my Picasso), I chose to illustrate La Colmena Bakery in Barcelona from photos I took a few years ago, though I could have simply illustrated the cookies and left it at that. Bill was just pleased I finally did SOMETHING with some of my photo references. He’s still waiting for me to illustrate some of the houses on the Venetian Grand Canal from our honeymoon (among countless others). I did borrow the Catalan labels from the bakery’s website.
By the way, La Colmena has THE best meringue on the planet. I wish I knew of anything remotely like it near here. After painting miniature versions of their enormous crunchy-gooey meringues that you eat with a spoon, I am seriously craving them. Any local suggestions are welcome.
To complicate my life further, and because I’ve spent way too much time on the computer over the years, I wanted to paint the illustration in guache. I haven’t used guache in over 10 years. After tossing out half my dessicated paint, buying more, and wondering how long this was ACTUALLY going to take, I did finish the painting the morning I was supposed to turn it in. Oops. But it is done. There are plenty of things I would like to have done better or clean up. But all in all it was a good learning experience. And it felt nice to use actual paint again.
Artlibs
Artist Profile – Mishka Jaeger
June 18 – August 10, 2012
Arts/Harmony Hall Regional Center
10701 Livingston Road
Fort Washington, MD 20744
Some press from The Sentinel. I’m pretty sure I’m “The Bakery.” http://www.thesentinel.com/pgs/Art-Libs-exhibit
AoM 2012: TSIAWOA bluegrass
Bluegrass music mostly originated from the old time music of Appalachia, which itself was partly imported from the British Isles. Country, Gospel, Blues and the amorphously named “American Folk” styles were also thrown into the mix. More or less codified by the middle of the 20th century, the name and instrumentation derived from Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys band whose members also included Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt.
Each piece shown here represents both a bluegrass song as well as one of the instruments that comprise the bluegrass band. The pieces are strung with the strings of that instrument. I did some of the arrangements myself (though that is hardly saying much considering I could only fit a couple of bars on each piece). Yes, in some cases I committed the blasphemy of altering the key to make the notes fit and look better on the staff. The banjo piece was also influenced ever so slightly by the work of George Crumb.
Though Bluegrass music has evolved over the past 75 years, the basic flavor of the music remains the same. The musicians I’ve chosen, who play the music on which my pieces are based, represent different generations of performers and styles but none of the songs themselves are particularly new.
Fiddles
 |
Little Cabin on the Hill (#2 & #3): Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
Oh, someone has taken you from me,
And left me here all alone,
Just to listen to the rain beat on my window pane,
In our little cabin home on the hill.
Music from these artists:
Bill Monroe
Flatt & Scruggs
Guitar
 |
The Blackest Crow: Uncle Earl
The blackest crow that ever flew would surely turn to white,
If ever I prove false to you bright day will turn to night,
Bright day will turn to day my love, the elements will mourn,
If ever I prove false to you the seas will rage and burn.
Buy this song (version not from this artist).
Music from this artist:
She Went Upstairs (this song is on this album)
Raise a Ruckus
She Waits for Night
Waterloo Tennessee
Banjo
 |
Blackberry Blossom: Mean Mary
instrumental
Buy this song (version not from this artist).
Music from this artist:
Thank You Very Much
Walk a Little Ways With Me
Mandolin
 |
Pretty Saro: Engines Of Commotion
My love she won’t have me so I understand,
She wants a freeholder and I have no land,
I can not maintain her with silver and gold,
Nor buy all the fine things that a big house can hold.
Music from this artist:
Engines Of Commotion
Resonator Guitar (Dobro)
 |
Big Scioty: Aly Bain and Jay Ungar (Jerry Douglas-dobro)
instrumental
Music from these artists:
Transatlantic Sessions – Series 1: Volume One
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
Jerry Douglas
Bass
 |
Wayfaring Stranger: Johnny Cash
Although this piece was created with Johnny’s version in mind, licensing issues are keeping me from being able to use Johnny’s version for your reference. This cover is by the High Point Bluegrass Band. I cannot find any information on this band.
I’m just a poor wayfarin’ stranger,
While travelin’ through this world below.
Yet there’s no sickness, no toil, nor danger,
In that bright land to which I go.
I’m goin’ there to see my Father.
And all my loved ones who’ve gone on.
I’m just goin’ over Jordan.
I’m just goin’ over home.
Buy this song (Johnny’s version).