Who needs two legs when you have wings to fly?

"Girl" is made of an antique box, doll parts and wooden toy blocks, hand-painted paper mache torso, aluminum mesh, paint, spiral paper clips, copper wire and a small basket of mini sewing notions.

Her dimensions have yet to be determined as she hasn't yet been measured.

As usual, click on the image for a larger version.

Thoughts? Feedback? Comments?

Since I've been busy in the studio, I thought I'd give you a mini-tour so you can see where I create my art. Some of you have been asking for awhile now so here you go. As usual click on the images to see a larger version.

As you enter the studio, this is the first view. In the center is my main workbench. This is where I journal, work on altered books, paper collages and do the preliminary building of my assemblages. To the left are the carts where my unmounted rubber stamps, papers, ephemera and scraps are stored. To the right, my drill press, tool and hardware drawers, and supply storage.

If you look further to the left as you stand in the front door you'll see the soldering and metalworking station (hidden behind works in progress) and an antique letter sorter I use to store bits and pieces. On top of the sorter is my collection of dolls, otters and other odd stuffed toys.

From the front door to the right, you'll see a storage rack filled with plastic tubs and bins filled with papers, ephemera, odd and ends and junk I saved for assemblages and sculptures. There's the supply shelves and cabinet as well.


Here's a front shot of the letter sorter filled with various and sundry goodies with the dolls and stuffed toys on top. They live in my studio because they creep Manthing out.


This is the encaustic station. The old crock pot holds my encaustic medium and the peg board keeps my metal working tools handy. Directly to the right of the encaustic station is the soldering and metalworking station (not pictured).


And finally, here's a close up of my workbench. The top shelf serves as a bit of an altar. The middle shelf holds reference and idea books, supplies, materials and tools. The workspace also hold not only the latest project (which were altered cabinet cards that day) but more supplies and tools.

Now you have an idea of what my studio looks like! Whatja think?

*Note: You'll also find an album of these photos on my artblog.

***DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS LOUL FANGUAGE. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK***

Okay.

Enough is enough now.

Anna Nicole needs to buried with her kid. Leave her other kid the fuck alone. Her husband/partner, daddy's baby has the last word. Get over it.

She hated her mom. Her dad was absent to say the least. And everyone else needs to stay the fuck out of it.

It doesn't matter that mommy wants to assuage her guilt or that daddy wants to take a stab at martyrdom. Or that both of them are gold digging hillbilly dumbasses.

Let the woman die with some dignity already.

And shut up about it.

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Having said that, one of the things that has perplexed me since beginning this thing I call an art career are those artists who ship a piece of work out of state to a show and then freak the fuck out if its late. Often, its the artist who doesn't do insurance that freaks the most. But sometimes, even the ones who gold leaf dog turds and then turn around insure them for 3,590.00 dollars freak the fuck out too.

I've been told I told I don't understand. I've been told my attitude about my art is too cavalier; that I am not "serious" enough. If I was I would understand how "traumatic" it is to lose a piece of art to shipping.

WTF?

Shit happens, things get lost. That's what shipping insurance is for. You might not get all of the established price you chose, but you'll get some of it. If you cheap out and don't insure your work, I guess it sucks to be you. You takes your chances, as they say.

The way I figure it, I made it and while I may have lost time and energy in the piece, I can make another one. No, it won't be like the first one but who knows? It might be BETTER. Imagine that.

How does this make me less "serious" than someone who wrings their hands, loses sleep and nags the hell out of the gallery until they don't even CARE if it EVER shows up? Is it cavalier? I don't think so. How will freaking out help ACME Shippers find my lost art any quicker? ESPECIALLY SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF A FUCKING BLIZZARD?

OF COURSE, I'd be unhappy if a piece of my work was lost in shipping but would I be "traumatized"? I think I can save the "trauma" for more important things: like if my boobs were to suddenly and inexplicably fall off my person and hit my Birkenstocks in the middle of an artist's talk at a big opening. That would qualify as "traumatizing". And still, I think those around me would be far more traumatized by that event, than I would. Maybe it's all relative.

Nite, kids.

I read LA Weekly's newsletter. Why you ask? Afterall I do live in Virginia. Well because I like to see what's going on in my "hometown" and it's habit. I've been reading LA Weekly since I was a teenager.

Well anyway, he (Morrisey)recently did something he rarely does...he gave an interview. It's on the LA Weekly site and Kate Sullivan did a great job with the interview. Grab a cup of whatever you enjoy drinking, get comfy and read this lovely interview. I did with my morning tea and now have great hopes for a good day.