rusted mustard

Livving on the Earth

2010-06-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

My mother's collection of 60s and 70s gem once included this book, which I have now added to my collection. I highly recommend having a look at this book, it will open your mind, if you know what I mean. From learning to sew a toga to growing herb in your backyard, Alicia Bay Laurel school's us all in this DIY bible. I especially like the illustrations.

El Drift Store

2010-04-28T06:39:00.001-07:00

I had a grand old time recently illustrating the store for Drift Magazine. They launched the store today...go check it out.

Finding light at the end of darkness...

2010-04-05T05:08:00.000-07:00

Spring has been sprung here in freezingville and there is finally a cheerful light being cast over my fair city. Today I have light on the mind and I would like to point out two amazing things concerning darkness and light. Dark Dark Dark, who just released an album titled "Bright, Bright, Bright" played at Space Gallery last week and I was completely smitten. Such talented people whose music is actually really surprising, endlessly beautiful and not contrived in any way. This will be my spring soundtrack, I especially like the title track.
Also, my dear friend Katrine Hildebrandt-Hussey, whose work never ceases to amaze all of us, has been working on a series of cut paper pieces that stray from her usual color palette and explore the depth and mystery of black, or darkness. Check out her blog for an amazing quote she is finding inspiration from. It's Seriously headdy.

Rusty Petals' Apothecary Spring Style

2010-03-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

I'm geting married.

2010-02-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's true. I will be wed sooner rather than later. Here is a photo I took from a campsite not far from where we got engaged in Point Reyes, CA (the place we named our dog after).

New Work

2010-02-09T08:29:00.001-08:00

Katrine Amazing Hildebrandt

2010-02-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

Late late late on getting this up, but our best pal Katrine Hildebrandt Hussey has a jaw dropping show entitled "Above, Below, Within" up in Indiana at St. Mary's College in South Bend. If you're in the area I suggest you do you eyes a favor.

MWM

2010-02-05T06:51:00.001-08:00

Our pal Matt Moore is gettin' crystalized in Paris...

Big Cartel Store

2010-02-03T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hi all. I just opened my Big Cartel Shop. Check it out, I'm starting small, but will perhaps add more in the future. Enjoy!

Haiti Relief

2010-01-25T07:04:00.001-08:00

Starting today I am choosing one item from my etsy shop per week to benefit relief in Haiti. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale will be donated to relief efforts. This weeks item:

Rusty Petals for the winter!

2010-01-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

New jewelry in the shop!

Yes, please.

2010-01-18T11:39:00.001-08:00

Found this little gem for sale right here in Maine...hmmm....

Mildred

2010-01-14T18:41:00.000-08:00

Jackie Dubois of Mildred has some lovely vintage pieces in her etsy shop...go there.

White Walls, Alex Kopps

2009-12-29T07:27:00.001-08:00

The Winter Group Show at White Walls Gallery in SF is looking pretty fancy if you know what I mean. I'll be heading to San Fransisco in a couple days to bask in those fog laden rays of perfection. If only I had a few grand lying around...I would certainly be taking home one of these.

Alex Kopps' work available through the White Walls website

Cheryl Dunn

2009-12-28T05:48:00.001-08:00

If you're in the L.A. area in the upcoming month you are very lucky. New Image Art's new exhibition will feature Cheryl Dunn's stunning artist portraits. The one of Margaret brings a tear to my eye. And of course the ever so amazing Swoon:

Cheryl is the best.

Have a Rusty Holiday!

2009-12-21T13:14:00.001-08:00

New gems in the shop!

old times

2009-12-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

Just dusting off the archives and found some photos from a sunny day in Oakland...see you soon
Oakland!

Tinder

2009-12-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it's the bitter cold weather that is prompting my obsession with hot beverages, but it could also be the seductive mint green or the ever so quaint ode to the fisherman bottle cover...Nothing says winter more than curling up in front of the fire smelling all birch barky with a mint green flask of Jameson and a loved one. Throw in some Silk Nog and a batch of Russian Tea Cakes and I'm in! (actually, I'm in either way) Thanks to Tinder you too can make this a reality.

Stone & Honey

2009-12-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

Very lovely jewelry by Stone & Honey.

redefine Magazine picks us up...

2009-12-11T07:08:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Corduroy Gallery for giving the heads up over at redefine Magazine, an indie art & music site that's "fighting the independent fight." They recently featured the pieces you see below, as well as my pal Katrine's amazing work, that's part of the current show "Gift" at Corduroy. Oh, and just below that post is a feature by my art school pal, Juliana Swaney, of Oh My Cavalier! fame. Thumbs up everyone!

Buy My Work!

2009-12-08T16:54:00.001-08:00

The three pieces that I have hanging in Corduroy Gallery are available in their online shop...

30/30/30

2009-12-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

I have work in a show at Roots and Tendrils in Belfast...worth a drive to that beautiful northern town.
Also check out my work at Corduroy and at Fore River Gallery in Portland.
Happy wintertime!

Photos from Shop-A-Do at Space Gallery

2009-12-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

Huge thanks to everyone who came out and supported me!
See you at Picnic next weekend!

Petals that are Rusty

2009-11-10T07:25:00.001-08:00

New stuff in the shop...get your holiday spending started early.

oh yeah!

2009-11-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

Rusty Petals has some fresh new glitz...

Worst people ever

2009-11-04T06:56:00.001-08:00

I hate to say it, but I'm really ashamed to be living in Maine right now. Same sex marriage was repealed yesterday and I'm very, very sad. How can people be so inhumane? Haven't we seen this pattern before in Civil Rights history? In my opinion,

These are the worst people ever, especially you
Frank SchubertFor them to be celebrating their "win" makes me ill. We are talking about human beings wanting to share the rights that their fellow human beings are enjoying, but because of these assholes they are being treated like wild animals. I'm sure their marriages are perfectly sound and moral and I should probably live my life reinterpreting the words of an ancient book, too. I'm so sorry. My heart goes out to all GLTB people everywhere. Keep your heads up...this is just a bump in the road.

Lovely Clusters

2009-11-03T07:24:00.000-08:00

Some of my jewelry work is now featured on the website Lovely Clusters. It's a very pretty site...take a look.

Distance Don't Matter Documentary for Art 21

2009-11-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

You can see yours truly pop up a few times...

Distance Don't Matter

2009-11-02T06:24:00.000-08:00

I spent the first weeks of October helping with the install of the show "Distance Don't Matter" at Space Gallery. It was such a lovely group of people and I'm so glad to have had a chance to help them out and be a part of such an awe-inspiring installation. Tod Seelie and Monica Canilao just posted a recap on fecal face. Go check it out. And here are some photos that I took of the opening...

New Rusty Petals Bling!

2009-10-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

New stuff up in the shop...

Grizzly

2009-10-09T10:08:00.000-07:00

Please go check out photos from the pine haven collective's artistically saturated weekend. The drawing rally was super fun and Sacred and Profane was soaked but lively. I trekked into Boston last night to see Beach House and Grizzly Bear, and I just have to say that my sock were definitely knocked off. Grizzly Bear is so fantastic, just some of the most original sounds out there if you ask me. Very much worth while, even though one beer cost me TEN DOLLARS! I'll be busy helping out with Swoon's installation all week, so if you're in the Portland (Maine) area, come to the opening on this Thursday the 15th...that's it for now. Have a lovely weekend.

Dream Room...

2009-09-26T09:43:00.001-07:00

Draw Your Face Off

2009-09-26T07:48:00.000-07:00

We are still plugging away at organizing this drawing rally. It is going to be a lot of fun...our artist list is growing too. Please stop by on Friday from 5-8 pm and grab yourself some affordable artwork!

MV and EE Road Trips

2009-09-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

I just received a package from Matt Valentine of MV & EE containing the finished product of a portrait I did for them a few months ago. It is a limited edition 12 cassette box set of live recordings from 2002-2009. On the cover is the portrait I did for them...I just have to find myself a tape deck. MV and EE are some of the most talented musicians out there and I am honored to have had the chance to work with them. Go see them at The Henry Miller Library in Big Sur this weekend...they are playing with some of the most amazing bands ever...The Mumlers, Papercuts, The Dodos. So bummed I'm missing it!

Draw Your Face Off Drawing Rally

2009-09-23T05:48:00.001-07:00

My pals and I are hosting a Live Drawing Rally at Space Gallery on October 2nd. We are also doing an installation to coincide. If you're in the area, come check it out. It should be a good time.

Hello autumn winds...later summer breeze.

2009-09-22T08:09:00.000-07:00

It's starting to look a lot like fall lately, my favorite season here in New England. Since I spent the majority of last fall in India I missed out on the highlights of the season...you know apple cider doughnuts, mulled wine, the neon orange foliage, sweaters. I didn't post much on here over the summer because I was busy doing a lot of this:

Workin' hard on some fresh new jeweles...

2009-09-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Rusty Petals' workshop has been quite raucous lately. I'm in the process of updating my Etsy Shop with all of my new work. Here are a few teasers:

Department of Eagles

2009-09-18T06:34:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite artists, Marcel Dzama did the costumes for this amazing Department of Eagles video...have a look see....

The Mumlers new album!

2009-09-13T07:39:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Go buy one!

Drift

2009-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

My partner in crime Joe Conway has been working hard for months and has finally launched the coolest new surf/art/environmental online publication. Go check it out...photo copyright Ed Fladung

And tell all your friends!

Apenest

2009-07-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Katrine Hildebrandt's birthday. For it she received from her hub-to-be Apenest. Apenest is "an experimental publishing/printmaking project run by Cody Hoyt and Brian Willmont. Our goal is to create a high quality and accessible creative publication solely focused on showcasing good art by emerging artists. We promise not to bombard you, the reader, with complicated, self-indulgent layouts, repetitive features on the same trendy artists, or record reviews. We are artists first and foremost, and the goal of this project is creativity and experimentation. Not a 'lifestyle' or a vehicle for advertisements."

I highly reccommend seeking out this project and buying a book because these guys have an eye. They raise money for publishing by collecting and selling contributions from the artists that are involved in the current project. It all comes full circle. They hand print the works themselves and they are for sale on their website. Katrine knows them from Mass College of Art who seems to be pumping out some talented individuals----->also check out Alex DeMaria's work. I like it.

Up to my shoulders in driftwood, imbibing on the beach and Cheryl Dunn

2009-07-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Not that I have a huge blog following or anything, but those of you who do read this are probably wondering where I have been. I thought about ending my blogger days because of my lack of desire to sit in front of a computer lately. Winter allows more time for that, but these days, despite the rain, I haven't felt too much like typing. But, alas, here I am to update you all on what's been going on. The festivities of the fourth left me in a state of potato-ness but I somehow mustered up the energy to move the massive haul of driftwood from our patio in to make room for the shack that we have been planning on building. I rescued some slugs, moaned a bit, and found myself in a pile of wood that I couldn't get out of. Oh, and I was exhausted beyond belief. Anyways, this morning the painters came to paint the house and I had to move it all back. Oh well. Also, I have taken a bit of time off from painting in order to get some sewing and jewelry-making done and ready to go for Picnic. I have been working with vintage brass charms, scaling down the feathers and using some delicate brass chain as well.
I was browsing the inter-web the other day and I started looking at Cheryl Dunn's website, which is so incredibly cool. The format is gorgeous and her work is incredible. There is a link on her site where you can buy books and such, so I bought Some Kinda Vocation which was published in 2007 by Picture Box and came with a DVD all for only $10! I was so excited that I got this gorgeous hard cover book for so cheap, and it came with a DVD, and when it arrived I opened it to find that it was signed! Am I missing something? The film chronicles simultaneous exhibitions of thirteen American artists including Margaret Kilgallen, Barry McGee, Chris Johanson, Thomas Campbell and Phil Frost that took place in Japan in 2001. I highly recommend that you make the same purchase as I did, because this film is so beautiful, and rarely do you get to see Barry and Margaret working with this type of intimacy. Thanks, Cheryl.

The Pine Haven Collective

2009-06-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

We've been busy lately, but things have finally slowed down for summer. I have been looking forward to spending some much needed time in the sun. Too bad it's raining. Oh well, I guess I'll go paint. Oh, check out the pine haven blog's new look...

Rusty Petals

2009-06-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

I have finally updated my Etsy sight with my new jewelry for the Rusty Petals line. Check it out.
RustyPetals.etsy.com

City Livin'

2009-06-18T06:12:00.001-07:00

Mattson 2 Family Benefit Auction

2009-06-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

I am honored and pleased to be a part of the Mattson Family Benefit Auction that will take place Friday, June 26th at Surf Indian in Laguna Beach. If you aren't familiar with the Mattson 2, I would suggest you become familiar because they are two of the most talented musicians that have ever graced the jazz scene. And they are also super sweet and fun to eat pizza and sit indian style on the floor of a surf shop until 3 in the morning with. Their parents are having difficulty with medical bills due to cancer related illness and the family is hosting this benefit auction to help them out with the expenses. I am joined by some really amazing artists from all over, including Tiffany and Thomas Campbell, who have all donated work to be auctioned off at this 'one night only' event. I really wish I could be there to see all of the work in person, but alas, I moved far far away from California. So, if you're lucky enough to be in the area, definitely head down to 4658 Mission Blvd, Pacific Beach, on the 26th to support this wonderful family, and get a chance to listen to the best jazz you will ever hear. This is the piece that I sent:Also, a big thanks to Jamie Watson for all of the hard work and positive vibes you have put forth to prepare for this event, I sure I'm not the only one who appreciates it.

Margaret

2009-06-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

Margaret Kilgalen is my biggest inspiration. This woman was such a powerful, subtle, and honest force and I am truly grateful to have discovered her work, because I will always be motivated and utterly humbled by everything that she did. The other day there was a rainbow prism forming around the portrait of her from the first ANP Quarterly that we have hanging on our wall, and it struck us as rather symbolic.

June Busy-ness

2009-06-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Spring and summer have sprung, my friends, and with it has come a full regimen of art-making and beach playing. First off, "Revival," The Pine Haven Collective's first real "solo" show together, opened last Friday at eLLO Gallery in Portsmouth, NH. We have spent the last few months collecting all of the driftwood in Maine to build a shack for the show and it was well worth the labor...Here are some of my photos from the opening:

The Shack

Pine Haven written in Rag Rug by Katrine HildebrandtCluster of framed peices of mine hung in barrel rings "Waving" animated shack by Joseph Conway
We made t-shirts too

Our new friend Ty Williams also showed up to hang out in the shack, and posted a few photos on his blog:
The driftwood extravaganza doesn't end there though, because we will be building another shack THIS Friday (my birthday!!!) at the Space Gallery for the Tryst Haunt show. It's hard to explain what the show is really all about so here is the gallery's announcement for the show:Local label L'animaux Tryst celebrates the release of three limited edition vinyl LPs with TRYST HAUNT II: Space Is The Place - a biennial label showcase and "happening". The psychedelic hullabaloo begins with living-room sets from improvisational drum 'n' drone commune Tempera, kaleidoscopic free-folkers Cursillistas, and spaced-out dub-style Americana group White Light. Then, Visitations' alter ego A.M. Frank get you waving your freak flag and loosened up for the long awaited return of MODNIGHT featuring Ian Paige spinning the most danceable garage, Motown, and soul from both sides of the pond. The party wraps up with a Free Your Mind... DJ set from members of Cursillistas.

Though I spent much of my youth canoeing through the forest, this will be the most psychedelic event I have ever been included in.

This shack will include neon rag rugs, crystals, magazine beads and a salvaged jagged edged sign. Don't miss it.

Also, I made some weird pins for the Portland Pin Project, which had an opening last Friday at Space and Eli Phant. Thanks to Kris Johnsen and Brian Buchman for devoting their time to making 700 drawings into pins!!! I have also been working on a portrait of MV & EE which may be featured on one of their upcoming releases. Needless to say I am super psyched about this opportunity, but it is also testing my drawing skills for sure. I feel like I'm learning how to draw all over again! I'll keep you all updated when the drawing materializes into album art.
Also, I will have a photo included in the Port City Show. Port City Show is a juried photography exhibit featuring work by over 30 photographers with one subject: The city of Portland, Maine.
This isn't the photo that I will be showing, but it is one that they didn't pick, but that I really like. I guess I'm a sucker for cement and overgrown shrubbery. The opening for the show is June 20th at Portland Photoworks on high and congress.

Few. I'm glad it's summer, but damn, I just want to lay down in a field with a jug of dandelion wine and soak up those rays like it's nobody's business. I guess you just have to make sacrifices to be an artist.

Revival! Revival! Revival!

2009-06-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

Revival! I am pleased to announce the opening of The Pine Haven Collective's first "solo" show together entitled "Revival." We spent all day Wednesday installing our work, and of course building a fine driftwood shack, and it's looking pretty snazzy. I will post pictures from the opening after, but for now, here is a sample of some of my work in the show:

"Revival"
Featuring works by The Pine Haven Collective
eLLO Gallery
110 State st.
Portsmouth, NH
June 5-30, 2009

I need a moment...

2009-06-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Joe sent me along a link to this site that is a gallery with 100 pictures of abandoned houses in the Detroit area. The photos are just as gorgeous as the houses themselves....let me take a moment to declare my love for abandoned buildings. I don't know what I'd do without them.

Dandelion wine...

2009-05-26T05:45:00.001-07:00

We headed up north on Sunday to hang out in a field by the sea. When we arrived at our destination we nearly fainted at the offering of a glass of dandelion wine, of which we have been trying and failing to produce ourselves. My friend Nikaline's pops made a bunch of dandelion, lilac, elderberry and rhubarb wine for her wedding, and let's just say, there was plenty left over for us to enjoy. There's really nothing sweeter in life than sitting on a big front porch overlooking the mountains and the sea, sipping on some wine made from the lawn. Oh wait, there could be something even sweeter:

I really Dig this dude's work...

2009-05-20T20:35:00.001-07:00

Patrick Gildersleeves....pure sweetness.

Front Porches, Whiskey and Papercuts

2009-05-20T05:08:00.000-07:00

Joe and I (and Reyes) just got back from seeing Vetiver & the Papercuts at Copperworks in Pittsfeild, MA. It was definitely one of the best shows I've seen in a while. Copperworks is a rad bike collective/music venue in a random little town in western mass that hosts really good music and art shows to boot. We really enjoyed the Papercuts and collected some of their vinyl and we can't get enough of it. After the show we rambled our way through the circuitous back roads of the west and ended up on our friend Caitlins porch. She works for Wingate studio, an intaglio printmaking studio that holds high resonance in the fine art world. She was all nonchalantly printing a huge Louise Burgeois plate when we went to visit the farm that the shop sits on. Matt Phillips was there making some prints as well, while everyone vibed out to some Panda Bear. These people know how to live. Make art for famous people all day, around 4 o'clock break out the whiskey and go from there. Needless to say, our time in western mass was a hoot. We are now back in the beach shack scrambling to get stuff together for the Tower of Song Festival that goes down this Saturday. Starting at around noon and going until around seven, music will be blaring from the Tower on the corner of High and Congress and vendors (us) will be hanging out across the street slinging their goods. If you're in town, you best be attending. I have been making a bunch of new jewelry with vintage brass chains and beads, and the Pine Haven Collective has been printing some sweet shack tees. Mildred will have some cards and such and it will be downright raucous. So come down, have a cup of coffee with us and give the gift of Lady Lamb and Rusty Petals to your ears.

moving and art-making

2009-05-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

I haven't been spending so much time on the computer lately. I've been moving, art-making, and picture taking. I thought I'd share some photos of that.

New Photos

2009-04-25T09:42:00.001-07:00

I took advantage of the nice weather yesterday and got a chance to explore some spots that I've been wanting to go photograph.

Just plain cool...

2009-04-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

Spending yet another morning feeling guilty because I spend too much time on Etsy, I felt justified when I came across the work of artist Jenny Lee Fowler. This Kingston, NY based artist cuts silhouetted portraits out of various materials including, but not limited to, leaves, bark, and paper, and they are so delicate and beautiful. Not to get all spiritual on you, but the inherent Buddhist-like sentiment in these pieces is just ever so humbling and admirable.

Thank you, Jenny, for questioning the fleeting nature of existence. Great work!

Egg-Shack

2009-04-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Last night we were discussing different styles of shacks that we could build for our upcoming show at ellO in June, and I was reminiscing about one of our trips to Big Sur where we hung out in a silk pillow clad egg-like orb shack overlooking the mountains. Let's just say, if I had to choose a place to spend many many hours or perhaps a lifetime, it would probably look like this:

Interviews

2009-04-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

I've been interviewing artists for the Pine Haven Collective's blog recently, and I'm really excited about them. It has been really interesting getting in touch with these artist's and asking them questions about their work. Clint Fulkerson was a follower of the Pine Haven blog, so I contacted him and asked him to do an interview, and he was very thorough and thoughtful. Next up will be Juliana Swaney, a friend from college who is just so wonderful and inspiring. Then it will be Elizabeth Kleene, a local artist who had work in the group show at Corduroy in December, that I also had work in. I will also be interviewing bands, which isn't my forte necessarily, but I'm stoked to talk to The Scrapes and Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. Anyways, that's whats been going on.

Etsy Etsy Etsy

2009-04-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

It's hard to find enough time to devote to every element of my art life these days, but I've been attempting to keep up with my Etsy site, rustypetals. I made some small framed pieces to try to sell there, as well as some new jewelry. Here are some of the photos:

So bummed I can't go...

2009-03-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

To the opening of American Realities at New Image Art in L.A. Work by (my fave) Clare E. Rojas, Andrew Jeffrey Wright and Lydia Fong. Musical Performance by Peggy Honeywell! Damnit!

Mattson 2 Benefit Auction

2009-03-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

If you aren't familiar with the Mattson 2, you should become familiar. They are a dynamic duo out of California, twins in fact, that make incredible jazz music. They also happen to look remarkably like my dad when he was younger:
Joe and I (and Katrine) just sent work out to California to be included in a benefit auction for the Mattson's parents, who are sick and unable to pay for their medical expenses (a sad and unfortunately common scenario these days). The benefit will take place in May in San Diego, and I think there will be a good turn out because these guys seem to have accrued some devoted fans (like us). Here is the peice that I donated:

"Shore," 2009. Acrylic, Watercolor, Ink, Graphite and Newspaper 11x14 in

If you like their music, and you have something to contribute, they are still accepting donations until April 30th. Visit pineappleluv.blogspot.com for more info.

Heather Benning, dollhouse extrordinare

2009-03-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

As a child I was a little obsessed with dollhouses, to the point that I had to keep my passion a secret as I got a little bit older. Well, I'm a lot older now, and I think it is time to express my undying love for the miniature shack replicas. Fortunately, I am not the only one who feels this way, and as I discovered the other day, there is actually someone out there that shares my passion enough to create a life-sized version. Canadian artist Heather Benning created a life sized dollhouse in a Saskatchewan feild and decorated it with 60's era furniture from the time when the house was abandoned. It is fully authenticated by the plexiglass wall that allows viewing from the back. This is my dream home.

Rusty Petals

2009-03-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

Rusty Petals, my etsy alter ego, is looking snappy these days with new work being added daily. Check it out if you haven't recently, I've been working up a storm!

Kim Cogan: Blower of Minds

2009-03-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have a whole slew of art heroes, but Kim Cogan is at the top of the list. His work leaves me speechless. You don't come across raw talent like that everyday. His ability with a brush is unfathomable. If I am striving towards anything, it would be to have an ounce of the talent that this guy has...behold:

Work in Progress

2009-03-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

I like coffee. I enjoy drinking it and also painting with it at the same time...here is the first layer of a brand new painting in the drying process.

Pineapple Luv

2009-03-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

Jamie Watson, the lovely lady behind PineappleLuv, is a sweet gal who has been giving me some pineapple luv lately on her website. She is also helping collect art for the Mattson 2 benefit auction that Joe and I will be donating some work to. She is also probably going to down some Guiness' with Joseph today in Redwood City in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Oh, and she also has work up at Corduroy. Busy gal, check her out!

Ernesto Caivano

2009-03-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Back in '04 I went to the Whitney Biennial and surveyed a an impressive deluge of delightful work. One of the artist's, whose work stuck itself into the caverns of my mind, is Ernesto Caivano. I had sort of forgotten about his work more recently, until I rediscovered it on the Richard Heller Gallery's website. His line work is just plain gorgeous, he works mostly with ink on paper. The work I saw at the Whitney was a series of drawings that illustrated some sort of narrative involving mysterious be-jeweled birds struggling against some inter-galactic force. They were gorgeous! Richard Heller also represents some of my favorite artists, such as Devendra Banhart, Mel Kadel and Marcel Dzama.Mel KadelMarcel DzamaDevendra Banhart

Kjell Peterson

2009-03-17T08:35:00.001-07:00

One of my good friends, and one of the coolest kids in California,
Kjell Peterson, has a new website up. It's sweet. Check it out.

New Work

2009-03-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

After finishing the work for my solo show at Corduroy in February, I needed to take a little time to reflect on my studio work. I realized that I often find myself laboring over a piece, sometimes to the point of utter exhaustion and frustration. Although I think it is good to push yourself out of your comfort zone as an artist, I also know that there is a reason that I have chosen a path as an artist. It's that making art is something that I enjoy, it's something that I have to do, and even though I have a degree in Fine Arts, there is something inherent within me that will always be creating, regardless of purpose. I decided that I need to make some work that is less thought out, less planned, and just sort of flows. When I was a teenager, when I really started to embrace painting, I would often work with dead flowers and images from nature. Now, much to my parent's dismay, I'm not going to base my career on painting flowers, although I had earned some small town fame for it . There was something that was so free about this type of painting, I wasn't over-thinking the conceptual place that the imagery held in the scheme of the art world, or whether or not I could write an artist statement about it, I just painted simply because I enjoyed it. Well, it's honestly been a while since I've done that, until recently. Back in the fall we went for a hike and I picked up a few pieces of birch bark, and I kept it around because I knew I wanted to use it somehow. So, here is what I have been doing lately:
And, the good news is, not only has the making of this work been somewhat therapeutic for me, I feel like I actually could write an artist statement about it. But, I'm not going to.

Shanty Towns

2009-03-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a good stroll through a shanty town every now and then? I know I sure do. While surfing the inter-web recently, checking out some of my favorite art makers, I stumbled upon pictures from an exhibition at Anno Domini in San Jose in 2004. Gathering six Bay Area artist's, including one of my favorites Alex Kopps, the installation was called Shanty Town An Artist's Village Emerges.
Though this installation took place in 2004, I think it's inspiration and message ring even more true today:

"Shanty Town is both a celebration of the Spirit of creative culture and a gentle prodding to remember, less we repeat history once again. After all, it's safe to say that many of us are just a few paychecks from a reality we choose to ignore. For a good number of artists this statement holds a bit more truth than we'd like to believe. But we embrace the fact that money cannot restrict creative flow, it merely influences creative process. In a flailing economy, ideas are king."

I've been speaking with many of my creative peers lately about the artist's role in society during a recession. As the economy and market seem to be exponentially failing, artist's find themselves in a unique place that allows their DIY, handmade, think- outside-the-box nature to thrive. Everyone has started to become resourceful, learning to sew, baking from scratch, planting a garden, fixing their cars themselves, and so on. Artist's have been doing this forever. The 2004 installation at Anno Domini was at once reacting to it's immediate surroundings while clearly shedding some light on our future. Perhaps people should pay more attention to what artist's are saying. In a time of such negativity, I think it is our place to rise above it and show everyone else how it's done.

Andrew Shoultz installing his volcano shanty Jesse Rose Vala passing out in her sweet Shack

All of this talk of shacks makes me want to make more of these...

And also more of this...

I took a walk outside today...

2009-02-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

I love this lady

2009-02-18T08:31:00.000-08:00

Clare E. Rojas is the coolest. I pretty much idolize her in every way. She rips on the banjo (as Peggy Honeywell), her paintings are so gorgeous and free and radical, and she is a serious feminist and isn't afraid to let everyone know, queue the feminist surf wax...

Her work exposes the strengths and weaknesses of traditional female roles in society and her imagery calls upon iconic folk images to illustrate these concepts. I love the way that she is able to present these political sentiments in a quiet way without being too confrontational. She is definitely one of my biggest inspirations. Stay tuned for a post on my other heroine and arguably one of Rojas' biggest inspirations, Margaret Kilgallen.

Lazy Sunday: Popham Beach

2009-02-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Living in northern California for a few years spoiled me on beaches. Not much compares to the beautiful extravagance of Big Sur, Point Reyes and my personal favorite, Rodeo Beach in Marin. So, when I said my goodbyes to the multi-colored sand and steep cliffs of the west, I resolved to seek out something that might hold a candle to the glory of these destinations. The Maine coast takes a more subtle approach to beauty, as does most of New England, and beckons it's admirers to do some searching. One lazy Sunday we decided to set sail for the illusive Popham beach. Making our way past the parking lot and through the woods, I laid eyes on a place that definitely holds a candle to my beaches of the west, a big candle. Winter time spawns vacated summer homes leaving a ghostly presence to the once over crowded shore. Driftwood with rusty nails, hot coral and mint green lobster rope, tangled ladies purses...am I in heaven?

Ships in a wine bottle, growler, mason jar and a medicine bottle

2009-02-17T07:49:00.000-08:00

Ever since we migrated to the great Pine State, you could say we have all developed a somewhat healthy obsession with the sea. When we were asked to do installations in the windows of Corduroy, without skipping a beat Katrine instantly suggested we make ships in a bottle, in some way or another. After a couple weeks mulling over this theme, Joe just laid it out; we paint the bottle on the windows, and we make the ships. Simple. And so it was. So, here are the photos of our creations: Logo by Katrine Hildebrandt

My Bejeweled shanty ship

Jo Jo's Sub-Gnar-ine in a Mason Jar

Katrine's Rag Rug Pirate Air Balloon Ship

Peter's Minimalist Hull in a Wine Bottle

Mr. Ryan Walker's Outrigger in a Salmon Run Bottle

View From the Streets

Recapitulation...

2009-02-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

Upon returning from my travels in northern India in the fall of 2008, where I was teaching art at a the Siddhartha School, I began work on my solo show, entitled "From Rags to Rust" at Corduroy Gallery here in Portland. I was pleased to see that the gallery had been renovated a bit while I was gone and was in tip top shape for an installation to commence. Over copious amounts of coffee and multiple conversations, fellow artists and dear pals Peter, Katrine, Joseph and I decided to put a name to our anticipated endeavors, and The Pine Haven Collective was thus assembled. We had been scheming for a while, seeking out the right venue to build an indoor shack, when it dawned upon us that we could install it as a part of my show. The owners of the shop, Jim and Tyler,
were so gracious and accommodating, giving us total creative freedom and trusting us enough to basically move into the gallery for a week.
Fueling ourselves with Pabst Blue Ribbon and the musical stylings of Neil Young, Brightblack and Beruit, to name a few, we gorged ourselves in the delight of perfection allowed when pieces of driftwood fit together like a puzzle.

Feeling rather proud of ourselves after hauling several pounds of driftwood from three different Pine State beaches in frigid conditions, we were able to finally relax in the glory of our newly constructed fort.I really can't conjure up more of an appealing scenario than lounging in a hand made shack with pals, libations, and a smorgasbord of LPs ranging from 70's Hawaiian jams to ornate whale sounds in the vain of The Big Lebowski. But, there's only so much time afforded for relaxation when you have an entire show to hang in an empty gallery, so I quickly had to snap out of my dreamy island stupor and begin installing my work. I spend so much time creating, obsessing, hating, altering, loving and finishing work that I don't even account for how much time and thought goes into actually hanging the work. It's a good thing I live in Maine where it snows constantly and allows one ample time to perpetually freak out indoors. In between the hours spent figuring out how to make warped wood flat, and crooked walls symmetrical, we were busy priming the windows of the shop for our installation of ships in a bottle; or rather ships in a jar, growler, wine and medicine bottle. Once again, thank you father/mother winter for gifting us with an oppressive ice/snow storm forcing us to be productive indoors.
Now all we had to do was wait for the party to start...
Phew, that was a good time. Many thanks to the Mosquitos for providing the psychedelic surf sounds, and to Jim and Tyler for providing the space, and to all my pals for providing the laughs...good night for now...

New newness

2009-02-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone and welcome to my new new blog, rusted mustard. Try saying it a few times, its fun. Here I will be updating everyone with news, photos, new work, rusting mustard, the state of my studio, and perhaps things that just plain interest me. I hope you enjoy...

Sincerely,

Jenny McGee D