Monthly Archives: August 2009

the hump.

Posted on by

changes are hard to take and sometimes the hump is the hardest part.  getting up the incline and over to where it’s down hill the rest of the way.  but i think i’m getting there.  i’ve gone down to part time at my job again.  it’s funny that monday (yesterday) was my first “day off” according to the new schedule, but it has made a world of difference.  i got a crap load accomplished and had some serious work time saturday, sunday, monday AND today.  i should be able to get in some significant time tomorrow too.  yeah!

right now i feel like i’m stock piling things for the installation but the truth is that i won’t be able to stop working after that.  i have a few events coming up that i still need work for.  one is the folk fest, which is put on by creative clay and that’s a week after my opening.  i’m also doing the atomic holiday bazaar in december and today i was invited to participate in a small craft show in gulf port.  i haven’t attended it before but from what i understand it’s a very high quality show of quirky, eccentric work.  i’m feeling a little myopic right now, can’t see past tomorrow, but i think i will definitely participate.  one of the curators is a local doll artist who’s work i respect immensely  so i am honored to be considered.

ok, it’s almost 2 am and i just got back from the studio a little bit ago.  have to go pass out but first some pics of work in the studio.  more to come.

new wall pieces.

new wall pieces.

connections: jessica wilson

Posted on by

it’s a very exciting time at st. pete clay.  graduation time.  from the residency that is.  next up is an amazing mixed media show by jessica wilson.  getting to see this work come together from across the studio has been really interesting.  so many concepts and materials alongside her stellar ceramic work.  i can’t wait to see the show up and in it’s entirety.

jess card 96dpi

cha cha cha changes…

Posted on by

i guess there always comes a time when you have to decide whether you are going to write about how great everything is or how things really are.  the thing is that things are not usually great with out some hiccups or horrible with out some bright spots.  the last month has been quite a lot of both.  it’s been awesome seeing friends prepare to exhibit, to see them succeed and move onto the next step in their careers.  it definitely makes me very excited for the next move i’ll make and for my upcoming show but it’s hard as well to see folks moving on.  it occured to me while wondering the streets of bowling green, ohio with j and s that this last year has definitely been a hey day.  these are the times you remember.  i’ve always felt confident that if you go after what you want the universe (or whatever) will sweep in and provide support, whether that means money,friends or public transportation.  and it certainly has.  what a great year with a great studio, great friends and roommates, great jobs, the list could go on and on.  great and comfortable.  then enter the last week.  studio is full of new people, everything at work is different and of course two of my favorite folks are gone.  thank goodness for j and n.p. and m and v.    it’s funny though because everyone is going through these changes alongside me but for some reason i’m balking.  i just don’t want to move right along to the next step.  i feel grumpy about music in the studio and and nervous about sharing the bathroom with some one new and possible less tolerant than s and i feel like i want to escape.  why the heck am i so full of all these super useful and rational feelings?

oh yeah!  i hate change.  i crave it but when it’s happening i hate it.  for awhile.  and then i get over it.  at least i think i do.  and i better get over it soon because i have about 700 things to do in the next month.  so check back in a month.  let’s see if the brattiness gets the best of me.

disparate worlds

Posted on by

some installation pics of jamie bardsley and sarah tancred’s incredible show “disparate worlds”.  jamie is now settled in bowling green, ohio  and sarah is off to gainesville, florida tomorrow.  you go girls.  so honored to have experienced all this together.

installation1

installation2

roadtrip day 3

Posted on by

030

024

jamie: we made it to ohio.

nicole:  yeah, we got to see some good art today, made it through three states and met up with missy mccormick.

jamie: (she’s staring at the ceiling, about to fall asleep?) who would have thought that 70 degrees would be freezing?  driving through the tennessee mountains was beautiful, until you wanted to put a bag over your ears.

nicole:  yeah, who would have thought i was such a sensitive, fragile flower?  but i didn’t actually puke, so that was good.  the views today were great.

jamie: it was like a roller coaster ride.  big bone lick state park!  who would have thunk?

nicole:  ok, so the blue spiral was sweet.  especially the book arts guy.

jamie:  um hm.  shame the clayspace coop was still closed.  but that’s ok, i didn’t need to buy anything considering the car is filled to the gills.

nicole:  totally.  oh man, i loved that guy at the service station.  i love southern accents.

jamie: did we talk about the music in asheville?  i’m ready to move just to listen to the fiddles and banjos all day.

nicole:  it was super nice, especially the one woman’s singing and the banjo guy.

jamie:  what about the fiddles?  3 fiddles, 2 banjos and a guitar.

today was a fun, packed day.  we went to the blue spiral gallery in downtown asheville.  there was a whole bunch of sweet art there, like virginia scotchie, shoko teruyama and alice ballard.  i was especially delighted to see ballard’s work in person.  i am such a huge fan of her forms, especially the pods and rattles.  did a quick stop by the river arts district, got on the road and powered through until cincinnati, ohio.  once there we checked out a clay studio called funke fired arts at the recommendation of recent cincinnati local missy mccormick, who i know from her time at fau.  there was a great gallery space up front, a retail store and a huge work space which was shockingly tidy.  i had to snap some shots of the highly organized space.  this is the kind of think i dream about.  seriously.

wheel not in use.

wheel not in use.

mops at every work station

mops at every work station

after that we went over to missy’s studio and she showed us her work.  i loved the little wall pillows she was working on in denmark and the patterns she’s working with now.  it was great to catch up and hear about someone so fully living the clay life.

finally, at the hotel.  time to crash.

post from the road.

Posted on by

024

we left yesterday and stopped in atlanta around 8pm.  kelly of kspots.com put us up for the night.  after looking at new work of kelly’s (and making a sweet little trade–wall piece for wall button, and me purchasing a couple of bowls) we ventured out to little 5 points to get burgers at the vortex. after that we headed to cabbagetown to meet up with blackie and patty, checked out their sweet space, rooftop view and kudzu graffiti among other things.  so great to see old friends.

today we leisurely made our way to asheville getting in just before everything closed.  all talked out we decided to type our conversation for a glimpse into all this fun.

jamie:  was it yesterday that we left?

nicole: um hm.  here we are in asheville.  what do you think so far?

jamie: i wish something was open!!  good food though.

nicole:  yeah, my portabella and goat cheese sandwich ruled.  but you’re still burping up onions aren’t you?

jamie:funny…it hurts!!

nicole:  good thing i can’t smell.  in that little car.  no but seriously.  we met some of the residents at oddyssy.  that was cool.  loved the drawings and the phobia cups.

jamie: they were both very cool…have to stop back tomorrow for a tumbler and maybe a phobia cup for you…

nicole:  yeah, but i have to decide which phobia.  cats, puppets, sitting??  might have to go with sitting.  i am kind of uninterested in sitting generally.

jamie:  no seriously, i noticed throughout the drive..

nicole:  i get so antsy.  i hate sitting still.  when you guys aren’t in the studio i am constantly constructing with dance moves.  to gravy train.  anyway, i also dug their salt kiln.  it’s a nice size to fire alone.

jamie: i think we all do that…singing, dancing…its always a good time chillin in the studio alone.  their spaces really were amazing.. huge too!

nicole:  yeah, and also more enclosed.  they could rock out in their spaces anytime.  haha.  anyway, think we can get a tour of highwater’s factory tomorrow?

jamie: maybe we can try… how about the fact we werent dripping sweat the second we walked into the spaces??  that was pretty sweet too no need for ac

nicole:  that was nice.  you really do type with one hand!

jamie: ok we are freaks lets go check out the town

ok folks, it’s almost 7:30 pm.  we’re going out.  heading to lexington or cincinatti tomorrow.