Hell's Kitchen.....

"Corradina Ruggeri Tandurella"
My Saturday morning did not start out well yesterday. I woke up on the wrong side of my fabulous, plush, Queen-size bed as seems to be my pattern lately, and then as usual the weekend train schedule was a mess. I was already running later than I had planned and the walk through the Theater District to my studio felt more tortuous than usual. Why are there so many tourists in New York and why do they walk so damn slow? URRGGHH.

A very cranky me finally made to the studio around 2:00pm. I ran a quick drop off of some costumes for Elena and by the time I was heading back to the studio it was already close to 3:00 in the afternoon. I figured it was more than late enough in the day to start drinking so I picked up a bottle of Pino Grigio and some Potato Leek soup for lunch and started to work. The combination of the soup, wine, and having the studio all to myself was the perfect antidote to the grueling morning and I actually got in a good 5 hours of productive work.

"Freaky Doll"
I got an evening visit from my friend Bradley which topped off the day nicely and it was the first time in weeks that I felt satisfied with my day. Being in a funk is no fun and lately I've been stuck in a low-grade malaise which I am finding it hard to get out of. The best thing to do when I'm feeling like that is to get to the studio and immerse myself in something productive. Not only does it keep my mind from pulling my emotions into a black hole, it's always a wake-up call that reminds me how lucky I am to have the life, friends, and resources that I have.

Detail

A long enough hiatus......

It's not uncommon for me to go several months between periods of creativity, so the fact that I haven't posted anything since April is no great surprise. I've come to accept the fact that I am an intermittently prolific person, someone who goes through alternating periods of creativity/productivity and rest/observation. It's during these periods that I spend more time engaged in other productive pass-times like sewing, rearranging my furniture, reading, and sometimes even cooking (although I admit that my version of cooking is heating up some already cooked thing from Trader Joe's).
Having said that, last weekend was my first real productive time spent in my new studio space (which by the way, I absolutely love). I can't say I'm thrilled with the outcome but I'm accustomed to the awkward "re-entry" period after being out of practice for some time.


I also dragged myself to my brothers drawing class on Tuesday night and I'm so glad I did. It's like going to the gym after being completely inactive ~ it's a great place to get back into the swing of "seeing" and flexing those drawing muscles. And of course, there is no better teacher on earth than my brother. Even after all these years I am still in awe of his talents as a teacher and the miracles he brings out in people. I tend to take more risks in the classroom setting and because my brother knows me so well, he can really push me to move away from my habit of 'staying safe'.



I did this drawing and then cropped it with my trusty iPhone camera. Because it's an exercise done in class, I'm not attached to the outcome, and because I'm not attached to the outcome, I usually walk away with a nice little surprise. I'm thinking this might end up in a new collage piece, which would be a new direction for me ~ less realistic imagery and more pure form. I think it will be a nice change.....

Something old / something blue....

I came home feeling somewhat blue and alone tonight. That's kind of putting it in the simplest of terms because if I really examine how I feel, I'll get all existential and bleak. So let's just leave it at feeling "blue". Whenever I experience these moments of isolation, I either put on some Joy Division music and wallow (which is always a bad idea), or sit in my studio and look around (much better idea). Just being in the presence of all the stuff in there gives me back my sense of self and purpose. Tonight I focused on all the old books and thought about the people who wrote them so long ago. None of those people are alive today, but this object, this book, this....piece of pulp and cardboard they created still exists.

In this short life we've all been given, the only real meaningful gesture of permanence we can make is to leave something behind after we're gone. For some, that thing may be children, or a legacy of wealth, or an idea or invention. But for other's it's simply a piece of art. And for me, that as important as anything else....

So this night will end and tomorrow I'll feel better, because we all know feelings are fleeting and changeable. I'll wait anxiously for the weekend when I will make an effort at turning that "old stuff" into something lasting and more permanent than myself.....

"Threads of Memory"....

Just finished working on my first costume project for a piece entitled Threads of Memory choreographed by my friend, Nile Baker. After four weeks of sewing, un-sewing, and re-sewing at Elena Comendador's Treehouse Productions Studio, seeing the final project danced by 5 incredible young talents made it all worth it. My encaustic collage of the Grand Canal was also projected on a rear screen behind the dancers, pulling the whole piece together and creating a cohesive visual environment for Nile's vibrant and singularly individual choreography.

I documented the process of the sewing and choreography from start to finish. Except for the moments my nerves were torn to shreds and my one tearful breakdown when I thought my friendship with Nile was coming to a screeching halt, working with friends was a wonderful, learning experience. Elena patiently re-threaded the machine every time I missed a loop, and Nile calmed my nerves even though he was under the incredible stress of finishing the piece with one of the dancers missing an entire week of rehearsals.

The night before the performance, Nile and I nearly asphyxiated ourselves spraying shoe polish and enamel paint on the tulle skirts, but the final effect was absolutely perfect. Now I'm looking forward to getting back into my studio and painting again......

Beginner's Mind.....

I'm working with a beginner's mind these days. It seems I am also working with a beginner's hand. It always takes time for my hands and eyes to 're-learn' how to do what they do best between studio sessions, especially when they are a month apart from one another. As expected, frustration reigned supreme in the studio today. And now I am rewarding myself with a glass of wine, some Scott Walker on my iPod, low lights, and cozy PJ's while I gaze upon the fruits of today's labors.


I'm collaborating with friends on several dance projects, which I am thoroughly excited about. But, it has been both exhilarating and exasperating at the same time, as collaborating tends to be. Regardless, it has been an incredible learning experience, and I'm hoping it leads to further collaborations with dancers, writers, and musicians.
Ahhh, what a journey.......

Arithmos 6......and beyond........

I have finally come back to the studio, after several MONTHS of inactivity. The summer had a feeling of being on vacation, with my dear friend Dee staying with me for 8 glorious, but infernally hot weeks. I enjoyed playing around the city with her, doing lots of ashtanga yoga, eating, drinking, and laughing. All of that left very little time for working in the studio. But love and friendship feed the soul, and the soul is the seat of creativity. So now the fall is upon us and having been fed to the gills all summer long with pleasure, joy and friendship, I'm looking forward to getting back to work with a new series of works.

Arithmos 6
Several weeks ago, to top of the end of summer, I had a successful showing of my family history pieces. Myself and 5 other artists shared a one night event called "Arithmos 6". The turnout was spectacular and the response to my work was better than I could have ever asked for. It was all very reaffirming and exhilarating. So now I'm trying to hold on to the feeling of inspiration that comes after a positive response to ones work from both friends and total strangers. To get the ball rolling again, I revisited an unfinished piece that has been sitting around for ages and brought it to a simple conclusion. Best not to try too hard when you are teetering on the brink of productivity and inactivity.

Hot Plate.....in the sun.....

There is no particular reason for posting these two great photos of my hot plate in the afternoon sun....I just felt compelled to share them because they look so darn cool. They were taken with two new iPhone applications which create all kinds of fun photo effects, such as heavy color saturation, vintage photo effects,

infrared, silver tone, and a whole bunch of other neat stuff. I recommend them to anyone who likes the instant satisfaction of snapping artful photos on their iPhone. They're called "CameraBag" and "Hipstamatic" and they're well worth the couple of bucks they cost to download. Enjoy!

Gray day at the office.....VS....Gratitude

Another gray day at work....(at the office, that is). I haven't been in the studio since last weekend and this weekend is starting to look like a bust as well. BUT, I'm grateful to have a full-time gig that pays the rent, (even though some days I can't help but resent being here). I've sworn off complaining since January 1, 2010 because it's a waste of time and serves no purpose at all. Gotta keep reminding myself how lucky I am to~ A) have a studio at all; B) have the resources to support my (art-making) habit; and C) the earth I stand upon is stable and not shaking underneath me....


My quote for today is:
"Small minds are much distressed by little things. Great minds see them all but are not upset by them."
~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Repetition, Redundancy, Repertoire.....

66 Buick / Sunny Day
What's the difference between developing ones own artistic language and repeating oneself? Damned if I know. I've been working on this in the studio and some days, I just think I am singing one note over and over again. Other days I feel like I am creating a cohesive series of related melodies. It's absolutely imperative to repeat oneself in order to develop ones imagery and to move it to the next level, wherever or whatever that is. The trick is to take some detours every now and then. Risk taking, experimentation, and letting go are all so essential. Today was productive as far as quantity goes, but I'm still not sure if I sang that same old tune, or if I composed a new related melody. It will take me a couple of days to decide whether today was productive in terms of quality.
320 Court Street / Provincia di Ragusa

Sometimes a little means a lot....

Work in progress: "We Are Leaving Rome"

I haven't had much time in the studio this week so I'm really happy to have done a bit of work today. And I'm really loving these little 4X4 panels. They are very unintimidating even when I'm experiencing the dreaded "blank canvas" syndrome. I always seem to be able to pop something out and at least feel like I made some progress. I hate feeling unproductive, but with these small pieces I can keep myself working regularly and consistently because they don't take as much time as the bigger projects do. Making art is just like working out ~ if you stop exercising for a while, you lose your strength and muscle tone and can sometimes even experience a physical setback. Well, you can lose your "muscle tone" in the studio as well. The longer you stay away from work, the harder it is to build up those muscles again. Just like with exercise, even a little bit each day is better than nothing.

Gold Rush ~ or ~ Technical Difficulties

I found a really fun color oil stick by R&F ~~ Iridescent Gold. It looks great on my work, but it is a bitch to photograph. The gold seems to reflect any light that hits it making all photos look either over-exposed, off color, or it just creates too much glare.
Now this pair doesn't have any gold in it and, although the color is a bit wishy washy, it photographed truer to color. The surface texture of encaustic makes photography tricky to begin with, and adding metallic to the surface just creates another challenge. However the gold adds so much depth, warmth, and atmosphere to the work I don't want to give it up just because of a few bad photos. More colors to try ~ Iridescent Pearl, Iridescent Bronze, and Iridescent Silver. The last time I loved something "iridescent' thus much, was in High School when It was the color of my lipstick......

Setting up shop....

I've finally opened a new Etsy account entitled, appropriately, Quartz Inversion. This will hopefully give me the venue I have long needed to promote and sell my work. Unfortunately, I have run into some technical difficulties in setting up the shop and can't seem to get the graphic for my page logo to upload. My friend Dee designed three possibilities for me, which I can rotate, once I figure out how to get the darn thing up.....

The things that can work for or against me......

These are the things I struggle to keep at bay when I am working:
1. Becoming derivative of rather than inspired by
2. Being influenced by other peoples praise or criticism
3. Rushing too quickly to judge a new piece
4. Frustration, discouragement, lethargy

I have to remember it is best to live with a new piece for a while before deciding whether it is worthy of keeping, re-working, or discarding. I have decided to let this piece live.....

Dreary Friday 13th....

Well, season 3 of Mad Men has come to an end, my trip to Italy is becoming but a mere memory, swine flu season is here, the weather is getting colder, holiday season is approaching, and the one year anniversary of my mom's passing is right around the corner. Things are starting to feel a bit dreary. Even my plants are barely hanging on to life....

I'm certainly not giving equal weight to all the things I just mentioned - I mean Mad Men is a great show but the end of season 3 was certainly not as big a blow as my mothers passing last January. Having said that, my life always flows more smoothly and productively when I have a goal, project, or some little thing (like a brilliant TV show) to look forward to and not having one at the start of winter is not a good thing. I have started taking Italian classes, this time with a group rather than privately, so that might give me a small jump start. But it's gonna take more than learning the 'congiuntivo presente' to get me through the next five months.

I've always loved getting cozy and reclusive during the dark winter months in my rustic, sun-drenched, book-filled, top floor apartment in Park Slope, but that can backfire if I don't have some big creative mess going on in the studio. Gotta keep myself accountable to myself and get things rolling in there. Time to get my ass to Pearl Paint and get me some early Christmas presents......

Italian hours.......

So what was the most amazing thing about spending three weeks in Italy?....The fact that I came home more inspired creatively than I have been in a very long time. First let me qualify that by saying it was not the ONLY amazing thing. Seeing new places, like the incredibly fantastically wonderful Bologna, was also great. But even the most wonderful thing about Bologna was the way it inspired me creatively and how much I couldn't wait to come home and start incorporating those warm colors, the shapes of the arched porticos, and images of graffiti into my artwork. The whole city is like a living collage; layers and shapes seem to overlap one another in the most natural way--like the city was always meant to be seen that way. The barrage of graffiti-covered walls and scraps of peeling advertisements and posters do not take away from the burst of deliciousness that assaults the eyes on every street. It actually enhances everything about the city.

I was only there one day and two half days, but I made the most of every minute. I visited the Morandi Museum, the Casa Morandi (Morandi's former home and studio), MAMBO (Bologna's modern art museum which houses one of the most wonderful Sean Scully's I've ever seen in person), and the mind-blowing Santo Stefano church (known as Sette Chiese because it is a series of chapels, courtyards, naves, and rooms all inter-joining one another in a heavenly maze of connected-ness). But I digress......sort of.

Let me step back to my first two weeks in Tuscany. The first couple of days were almost, dare I say, a disappointment. The teacher, Julian, a wonderful English art teacher with an undying penchant for all things Renaissance, was a virtual Bernini's Fountain of Knowledge! Unfortunately, it was a subject that could not be less interesting to me. But I stuck it out through the first few days of basic water-color lessons, visits to churches filled with Fresco's, and mini lectures on god-knows-which-Renaissance painter, and waited for an opening to start my own work in the studio independently of the other dilettante participants. Then one day, Julian showed me a new technique which he called 'monoprinting' and the flood gates opened. I spent the rest of the week cranking these things out on cheap newsprint paper, one after another. By the end of the week I was so wound up I decided to extend my stay for another 4 days. It was heaven on earth! Waking up every day with nothing else to do but work in the studio, eat the three delicious meals prepared by Julian's lovely wife Amanda, and at night drink all the yummy wine my liver could handle. E' stato stupendo!

I'd like to recommend this place to anyone who wants to take some time away and spend some unstructured time working in a light-filled studio one hour away from Florence, Arezzo and Rome, perched on a sun-drenched Tuscan hill on the border of Umbria. The website is www.artistinitaly.com. Tell Julian and Amanda that Jo the New Yorker sent you....Buon divertimento!

Miles to go....

Well, my last painting ended up in the crapper--literally. (It's that small thing over the toilet bowl...and I purposely made the photo tiny). Funny how "out of shape" you become after not working for a long while. One really needs to keep those artistic muscles exercised or it all just goes to pot. I expected it, though. My work has been so sporadic over the past year and it's gonna take some hard work to get my game back. Lately I've been spending more time pretending to be Martha Stewart (re-upholstering my kitchen chairs, painting furniture, sewing pillow cases) than I have in my studio making art. And when I'm not being Martha I'm pathologically watching MSNBC, CNN, C-span, and every other news channel on earth, frantically watching the presidential primary polls and obsessing over what a close race Iowa is. It's all just part of my mad procrastination plan to stay as far away from my studio as possible.
In my own defense, I did make some progress tonight and started work on some collages and shadow boxes. I spread out my collection of objects and scribblings and did some prep work. I've collected quite a selection of junk over the years and I think I get more pleasure just looking at it than I do in turning it into art. Each and every object has a story or memory and it's always hard to commit one of my obscure treasures to a piece of artwork, knowing that it will live there permanently. I sometimes prefer keeping things in boxes so I can take them out every now and again and just "look" at them.....

DUMBO Arts Festival--this weekend!

The DUMBO Arts Festival is this weekend and I have one painting hanging at Realty Collective, 25 Washington Street, suite 501. The festival is a lot of fun and DUMBO is such a great part of Brooklyn. Even though it's being completely bombarded with high end coop apartments and cutsey shops on Washington street it still has a great aura to it, with that wonderful bridge always looming over you. There's usually lots of food, live music and events, as well as ton's of great art.
For information on the weekend's schedule of events, go to http://dumboartscenter.org/festival.html.

Late night, Dreary day......

Kind of a gray day today. I was up super late again last night, watching the re-broadcast of the Democratic Debate. Late nights are usually when I work but having a roommate sleeping in the next room has completely cramped my creative flow. It's been over a year that I haven't had my space to myself and it's really starting to get to me. I have begun a new project though--collage shadow boxes--which I hope to sell around the holidays. Hoping to incorporate some of my unused ceramic "doo-dads" with encaustic, photos, clippings and whatever else I can find. I saw the Joseph Cornell retrospective in Salem, Mass this summer and was completely inspired by it. I've been thinking about working with collage and shadow boxes for a while and am now finally getting to it. Funny thing, Joseph Cornell was a complete recluse and although I am not quite as isolated as he was, I do feel I am a loner and I relate very much to his somewhat "offbeat" personality. I think shadow boxes often provide a "safe" representation of the little bits and pieces of one's inner life without really exposing too much of the real thing......

Work comes hard and infrequently these days.

I haven't been working much at all these days, and this is the last painting I did several months ago. It's hard to get much work done in my studio, which is just a room in my apartment. There are too many distractions and I rarely feel free enough to dive in and create havoc. The day job saps my energy and the evening hours drift by quickly leaving me little time to get anything done. Winter is approaching, so I'll be spending more time at home--which is good for my art, I guess. But the early onset of darkness does little for my frame of mind and just makes me want to crawl in bed with a movie at 9:00pm. Unfortunately, the summer was not very productive even though the long days invigorate me and I am usually up and feeling energetic until 2:00am. I may just have to start waking with the early morning light and jump right into the studio before I leave for work. It may be the only time my mind and body are in harmony and when I can get my creative juices flowing.....we shall see.

President Street, early evening in August

This is the view from the tiny windows in my bedroom, taken one August evening when the beautiful Park Slope sun is still high in the sky.