Work and Hobby

As I've said, art show preparations are in full swing. While I have been working in bits since September, there are certain aspects that can't be done until the month before the show. I am torn! My type A personality insists on organizing my art show to the point of obsession, but my right brain says, "It's good enough! Let's play!"

So tonight, I spent a moment to work on sketching various thumbnails for the future and a little blue jay illustration in watercolor.

And at last, a little snuggle husband time and the walking dead. Goodnight all.

Matting the thousands

Well people, sorry I have been absent the last week.  It has been busy as usual.  I have had to put all my personal creations on hold, since I realized that I have 2 months until my annual art show.  As a result, I am crunching down on finishing up the matting and getting the pieces hung on string.  That is the best way I have found to hang work with ease.  I glue 5-7 pieces on a piece of jute so that I can easily tack the top of the string to the wall.  At my campus, the walls are made of plastic panels, which are very hard to stick things to!  Hot glue works okay, but hot gluing thousands of pieces of art sounds miserable.  The other option is to tape them up, using masking tape or duck tape.  Again, very time consuming even with parent volunteer help.  

I hope everyone had a splendid Valentine's day this week!  My husband and I don't tend to celebrate Valentines like it is something special.  We have plenty of special dates throughout the year when the flowers aren't overpriced and the restaurants aren't all reserved :)  We decided to stay in, order pizza from a favorite pizza place (Atomic Pie), and watch a movie.  A perfect evening!

Create something new everyday!

New blog header up!  Started it last night and had to cut my work time short, due to the need to sleep.  pshh! Who sleeps, anyways? 

Here are a couple of pics from my instagram, @iveybyrd, as a little progress of clay birds.  I found this project on another blog that I will have to go back and find to give credit where credit is due.  I have modified the lesson a bit, but still looks so stinking cute!  We used one of my favorite artists, Charley Harper, as our inspiration.  These are what is hanging on the tree display in my last post, Teacher Talk! 

www.charleyharperprints.com

Keep checking back to see the finished product!

Teacher Talk!

Happy Monday!

Sometimes you just gotta keep telling yourself that on a Monday.  Today was a long day back to work, but it was nice to get back in the swing of things.  Upon looking through my calendar today, I realized that I sure have a lot of prep work to do for the annual art show.  I have been matting artwork since September, but still need to get the pictures hanging on string and decide any display changes for the year.  I got rave reviews last year about the displays I used, but I like to switch it up a little still :)

Here are some of my favorite displays from the 2012 show.

 



So tonight is composed of netflix, hot glue, and LOTS of little kid art.  I love their fresh approach to new mediums and ideas that are hidden within their work.  So fun to ask questions about why they are creating.

I have been getting farther along on my crochet blanket and am getting seriously addicted!  I think it's the idea of my small little chains becoming a large blanket that is so exciting.  Trying to fit in a day full of art teaching, matting artwork at night, creating illustrations, and my new crochet addiction is sure hard to schedule in. Don't know how I'd do it with kiddos :)  Guess it's a good thing I dont have any yet!

Better get back to work! These little munchkins await....

Fare the well!

-iveybyrd

January is already gone??

It has certainly been a wild week around the ivey household.  I have been home sick for 2 days, which would be a fun time to get some hobbies and art accomplished, except that whole being fatigued and sick part. :P  This afternoon, however, I have been working on getting my blog up and going and preparing some doodles in my sketchbook.

I have also embarked on the world of fibers! I have always been attracted to the texture of fiber arts and crafts, but had little knowledge of the medium.  Of course I have done my share of elementary weaving projects with my class and taught myself to knit once, but never really pursued either.  I decided to take a chance on crochet.  Turns out people were serious when they said it was way easier than it looked!  I have just begun a crochet blanket.  I know you are supposed to work in loose stitches, but they look so good neat and tight!   This will be a lesson on letting go of my habitual perfectionist work.  It's so funny that I want my work to be "just so", but my office is a mess.  Ah, the life of an artist :)

Here are my 2 favorites pieces of art from this January.  Doggie Portraiture diptych.

 

Since I am trying to fight off this illness, I had better get to bed! ...well...maybe after a little crochet :)

Until next time!

-iveybyrd