Some Better Reading

This is my collection of arts and crafts books that  I have been collecting for years.  I have some general how to books on stamping and collage, bookmaking,  and anything to do with mixed media.  Since I have a lot of books, I like to look before I buy because I don't want to get duplicate information.

I am a big fan of Alisa Golden and I have all her books.  I was interested to hear that she had a new one entitled Making Handmade Books and I wanted to take a look at it.  I went onto Amazon and read several glowing reviews to I broke my number one rule of not looking at it first and bought it sight unseen.

 These are the two books I already owned

This is the "new " book

There was something familiar about it.  It turns out that it is a combination of two of her previous books, Creating Handmade Books and Unique Handmade Books with some some additional information.  Boy was I disappointed.  This book is essentially a rehash with little new information.  It is a good value at $19.95 (cheaper on Amazon) and it is nice to have all the information all in one place but come on!  Are there no more original ideas out there?

Additional Ramblings

I could not believe it snowed again.  There must be at least another 5 or 6 inches.  At least it covered all the snirt (snow and dirt).

Anyhow I told you yesterday how I got my reading material from the dump.  Since I had never read Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises was one of my finds and I just finished it.  Well, I would like someone to tell me what that was all about.  I slogged my way thru 250 pages waiting for something to happen.  All they did was drink and go fishing.  So what if he talked about a bull fight or two?  I fail to see what all the fuss was about.

I have taken a day off or two from studio cleaning and I have promised myself that I will finish tomorrow and there will be an official unveiling.

And More Cleaning

I did one of my favorite things - a trip to the dump as we don't have curbside pick up.  I dropped off two giant trash bags full of stuff from cleaning the studio along with my recyclables.

Now what makes the dump so much fun to visit is the Swap Shop where you drop off some good stuff and hope to bring home better stuff.  This is where I get all of my reading material and I must confess that I have made more withdrawls than deposits over the years.

When cleaning, I decided to get rid of some art pieces that have been hanging around  and I was hoping to do this without being seen as I did not want to be connected with this stuff.  There were some student pieces of mine and some fairly decent collages but I didn't want to be seen dropping off.  No such luck.  A very nice woman asked me if I made these and I had to say yes.  Anyway, she liked some of the things and took them home.  As I was looking for books, more people stopped in and most of it was taken before I got back to the car.  You gotta love the Swap Shop.  I left with three books, two mysteries and a book on zen, and a frame.  Not such a bad trip.

Still Cleaning

I put in another two hours of studio cleaning and still looks the same.  I will keep trying until something looks different.  So far I have filled two trash bags and I have two boxes of stuff to recycle.  But in doing all of this, it clears the mind as well as the creative spirit.  I have come up with my next project which may also turn into a series.   

I saw a large canvas of pears, very nicely done.  Who doesn't like pears?  I have a 30 x 30 repainted canvas  that will be great as pears.  Now I need to get a few and get rid of more stuff before I start.

Still Hanging in There

Just checking in to let you know that I invested 2 1/2 hours cleaning up my studio last night and you can't tell so I am not showing results.  Tonight I have some free time because my last class in Beginner Photoshop was postponed due to school winter vacations.

Some things I have watched recently and enjoyed:  Grey Gardens (HBO special via Netflix), the Pacific, the Amazing Race (How come no cops from Providence?), Entourage, Detroit 187, and the Fighter.

Where I create

I wanted to show all of you where I create.  Now I know what you are thinking and I cannot agree more.  I really need to clean this up but the mess is so overwhelming.  The sad part also is that when I do clean, you can't tell.  I just need to get in there and be ruthless.  Wish me luck. 

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

I was enjoying my coffee and Bear Claw at the local Panera this afternoon before I trekked over to AC Moore to spend my 55% off coupon and collect some bonus points.  Gotta love a puny $35 dollar tube of cad yellow for $15.88.  Sorry but nothing beats cadmiums for color.

Anyway I just wanted to share my latest efforts.  This is for a fundraiser for the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset with the theme of Fools, Fakes and Forgeries.  I love the art of Modigliani and this recently sold for $68,000,000.  I liked the way the first one came out so I made myself another.  Haven't decided which one to keep.

My First Post

I have finally done what I have been promising myself for a long time:  Starting a blog.  Now that I am here I wonder if anything will come up worth writing about and if anyone will find me out here in the vast and scary cyberland.  Anyway, here I am with not a lot to say.  

As a way of introduction, I work at a frame center by day and I am a wannabe artist by night living 20 miles or so south of Boston.  I am about to end my five year journey at the Rhode Island School for Design (RISD for short) when I  will receive a certificate in drawing and painting in June.  It has been a challenging journey and I think I have grown as an artist and done many things that I would never attempt to do on my own.  (A self portrait?  Painting naked people?  I'm supposed to do what?!?)  I will miss the camaraderie and the accountability that an academic setting provides.  It is a good school and Providence is a fun city. 

I will attempt to publish frequently to keep you all coming back and I will promise not to be too whiney about the weather and things that bother me.  It has been a rough winter and I am anxious for spring to arrive.