First Time Sewing at Lill St Art Center

This week I taught my first class at Lill St Art Center here in Chicago! Aptly enough, the class I'm starting with is first time sewing. The class went GREAT! I have amazing and dedicated students and I can't wait to see what they make throughout the five weeks of our class. No pictures yet, but for now:

(Thanks to Johanna for the image! When are we getting t-shirts?)

Renegade Season in Chicago

This past weekend was Chicago's Summer Renegade Craft Fair! As opposed to the winter fair, at which Lucy and I shared a booth, the summer fair is out-doors. And even though the weather here has been beyond gorgeous and fall like all week, Sunday was determined to be the hottest day known to humans. Despite being sweaty messes, we had a blast- and dropped a fair chunk of change. Seriously, though? Between the heat and the hordes of beer drinking customers, Lucy and I didn't really envy the merchants.

I only walked away with one purchase, but I WANTED to walk away with a lot more! Here are some highlights from from the veritable stack of business cards that came home in my pocket:

1. Handbag with amazing front pockets! By Cut Out And Collect

That's right: those front pockets are like skirt pockets- fully lined, baby!

2. Adorable Charm Necklaces by Michelle Hartney.




3. Skull Dip Bowl by No Tengo Miedo Clay.

(For the Murder Credenza, clearly.)

4. Embroidered Cards by Despina Papadeas.

(An excellent sentiment.)

5. Stitched leather wallets by Robbie Moto.


A friend once told me that she would never vote for a political candidate who hadn't personally shaken her hand. At the time, the notion seemed a little impractical. But it stuck with me and I slowly started thinking that way about things other than politics. There is a lot of stuff in the world and we, as consumers, are so often disconnected from the makers and the designers and, really, any part of the process. Being able to meet and talk to so many prolific artists/designers/craftspeople at an event like the Renegade Craft Fair allowed me to feel connected what I was buying. And I like that.

In a lot of ways I am extremely intimidated by the Indie-craft movement and it would have been very possible to be completely knocked-out by Renegade: there is JUST SO MUCH STUFF. (Not to mention that a lot of it looks really similar...) As a craftsperson trying to make it out there in the carnivorous world, how am I supposed to carve out a place for myself? Should I make objects that are just like everyone else's because the imagery will be automatically popular? Or should I gamble on going in a different direction? Finding a balance between the two has been an elusive task over the past few years.

But instead of coming home, drinking straight from the bottle of Kraken and despair... this year I decided to be energized by the crazy hoards and the boatloads of owls and squids and pennant flags. So, in the words of Voldemort from the Harry Potter Musical,

"Look out world, I'm gonna getcha."

Right after I take a 4 day nap.

The Burrow Studio Blog!

That's right, friends... The Burrow Studio- my home sweet home and studio sweet studio- officially has it's own blog. Which will, undoubtedly, be equally if not more awesome than this here blog because it combines the incredible artistic powers of one comic genius Lucy Knisely and my humble self. And guess what! We're gonna update it every sunday! Which is only a couple days away! You should probably go there right now and catch up what you've already missed. (Be sure to click on the links... the photos and comics are SO worth it.)

Sudio Blog!


Go now and be amazed!

Queer Etsy Street Team!

So, apparently the etsy community is a complicated and uber-supportive network. Who knew? Not me! But now that I have nigh-on infinite time to peruse the interweb, I'm discovering all sorts of helpful sites.

Like the Queer Etsy Street Team!



"We are a mutually supportive community inclusive of all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersexed and Questioning etsy sellers. We're a global team and plan in future, as we grow, to organize regional and national events focused on queer art, crafts and entrepreneurship. We currently operate a team store funded by member donations. 100% of proceeds from our shop (less etsy and Paypal fees) are donated to various charities. If you're queer, here, and etsian, we want to meet you!"

How cool, right? I had to join.

The group has a group store (linked above), a yahoo group with almost constant chatter, and a great blog! This summer they have been doing a series of color themed challenges which focus a rainbow selection of products made by members. The most recent was the Green Challenge... so I contributed my Green Plaid Hip Zip!

(Hot model!)

You can buy any of the Green Challenge products at the Etsy Treasury here!

Very cool, internet... very cool.

Erstwhile Inspiration: from Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen

I've been thinking a lot about Claes Oldenburg this summer so I was delighted to find book of his sketches on Lucy's shelf. (One of the greatest thing about living with another artist is that I get to look through all of her awesome books!) The collection, put together in collaboration with his wife, Coosje Van Bruggen, is entirely sketches of food.

Banana Split, New York, 1987

And they're amazing! I guess it's unsurprising that he was so focused on food: so many of his sculptures ended up being edible objects. But what I loved about this book was that it not only gave me such clear insight into the sculptors' process but also into how he and Coosje sourced their inspiration.

Apple Core, New York, 1988

Apple Core, (1990) at the Israel Museum of Art, Jerusalem.

At the end of the book there's this very sweet bit of writing by Claes: "Coosje and I have spent thirty years hardly ever apart, operating together as one imagination on whatever comes into view." He goes on to reveal that the reason they started sketching food was that Coosje developed food allergies: "What had been a pleasurable activity became a dangerous one." Unable or unwilling to give up the joys of food, however, Coosje suggested a "displacement of the senses- that which could not be eaten could be consumed by the eyes."

I, too, have been battling with my relationship to food. After years of constant stomach aches, my doctor suggested I stop eating gluten. I wept for the loss of bagels in my life... but I did it (mostly). A year and a half later, I returned to the doctor only to be told that- partially because I had stopped eating wheat- I had developed extreme iron-deficient anemia. So now my food choices are this crazy balancing act: how much gluten have I had today? Am I gonna feel like crap? Was it worth it? Will refusing to eat the bread/pasta/beer at this potluck make me feel too awkward and needy? What happens over time when you have to weigh every eating decision- run it through a rubric of qualifiers- is that eating stops being fun. It takes on this monumentality that is, ironically, all consuming.

I have no way of knowing if Coosje had a similar feelings about her diet... but the knowledge of our shared experiences helps me to see these sculptures in a new way. The scale of the object becomes a metaphor for it's relationship to the human body- a relationship that is especially poignant when you consider that the human body is supposed to consume the food object.

Cake Slice with Cherries, Minneapolis, 1988

The sketches, as well as the sculptures, are without a doubt humorous and comical... but they are also a somewhat threatening: who exactly is in charge here? Is food's proper place in the world to be subjected by the human body? Or is the human body dependent upon food? The food becomes so large that it ends up taking on aspects of architecture.

Chateau Marmont as Caviar/Avocado Mousse, Los Angeles, 1991

From those sketches to the famous installations like this one:

Spoonbridge and Cherry, 1988
Stainless steel and aluminum painted with polyurethane enamel
29 ft. 6 in. x 51 ft. 6 in. x 13 ft. 6 in. (9 x 15.7 x 4.1 m)
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota

As I am spending increasing amounts of time in my studio it becomes more and more important for me to gain insight into the inspirational processes of artists I like. Without the structure of academic education, it's becoming harder for me to find my path... to know what to make next and why. I find that my brain is swirling with ideas but none of them seem important enough to be worth following through on. I think it's good for me to see how other aspects of my life- like my relationship to food- are viable sources of artistic inspiration. Thanks, Claes and Coosje!

But most importantly- where's the giant sculpture of this guy??

Langoustine, Paris, 1990

Bibliography:

Images a la Carte, by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen. Paula Cooper Gallery, New York, 2004.

http://oldenburgvanbruggen.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claes_Oldenburg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coosje_van_bruggen

Happy Print Table Day!

Check one more thing off my list of things I'd have in my dream studio: Last week, Elisabeth helped my build my very own print table! So much yay!! Pray tell, how did we accomplish such a feat? Well I'll tell you.

Lucy and I had already prepared a table-like structure using a plank of wood measuring 2' x 5' and the build-them-yourself saw horses. A proper print table is slightly higher than a normal desk or eating table so that you don't have to ruin your back bending over while you print. Ours is about 36" high. Because the legs of the sawhorse are at a completely indeterminate angle (shhh) there was some complicated/fuzzy math that happened in Home Depot that completely baffled both ourselves and every single employee we tried to ask for help. (Why is it that everyone who works there seems to be dumb as posts? Maybe it's having to sell posts.) But we succeeded in the long run and scampered home with our wood.

I ordered enough carpet felt to cover the wood table top twice and when it finally arrived in the mail... we got to work!

Step one: trim corners of felt and stretch it around the wood. Secure with staple gun.

The lovely, talented and tireless Ms. Elisabeth Roskos!

Step two: repeat with second layer of felt!

An actual conversation I had with the woman who sold me the felt:
me: "do you know if the felt is made entirely of wool?"
her: "well... it's felt."
me: "right, but I was wondering what the felt was made of."
her: "felt. It's made of felt. Reconstituted, factory leftover felt."
me: "riiiight. Nevermind.

Step Three: Repeat with canvas! In this process, I learned a few things about canvas. Those canvas drop cloths they sell at Home Depot? NOT 100% canvas. We were about to start stretching it onto the table when I noticed a tag that read "warning: FLAMMABLE. Keep away from heat." And I was like hm... on of my favorite things to do on a print table is iron... which seems a bit dangerous if the table is covered in 43% polyester and coated in a flammable coating. Blast! Thank goodness I'd already ordered a bunch of natural 100% canvas for bags! On with the stretching!

Wonky corners. Don't worry, you can't really see them.

Then we placed the newly padded top onto the sawhorse legs! I am now the official owner of a fully functional print table!


That looks a little like an imperial walker.


Right?!

These cocktails were called "the bee's knees!" They tasted just like summer. It was uncanny.

Out for a quick celebratory dinner at Lula... and then back to the studio, batman! We have printing to do!

I love pinning...

The first print:

Ok, so clearly I get a little nervous and carried away there what with the million passes... but yay! Happy First Print in the Burrow! Huzzah!

Now back to business...

Some seriously Nora-style printing. At least one of those Elisabeth took off her body to print.

The Burrow Studio Productions

Before I start this announcement-filled entry, I just want to take a moment to celebrate the fact that this is my 100th entry! Yay! Happy Birthday, blog! And it only took me 2+ years. Ok, onto the news.

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I never thought I would be the kind of person who moves around a lot, but I can't seem to help it. Last week I listed my 10th address on Netflix. It's a little unsettling (unsettled? Pun intended) to repack the same boxes every June and spend the summer months traveling only to find myself homeless every August.

This summer, the only difference was one of scale: instead of moving across town, I moved half-way across the country. And now I'm a resident of Chicago, IL. So why did I move away from all my lovely friends in Philadelphia? Love, Life, Friends and Itchy Feet. And while it was sad to leave Philly and scary to land in Chicago I keep having to remind myself that every move I've ever made has been worth it. Change can be terrifying but with it comes new possibilities. And I want to be the kind of person who gambles big.

So at the end of my summer frivolities I loaded my truck and headed west!

Yeah, I packed it pretty tight.

A very angry Ripley was my road-buddy!

I share my new apartment with Lucy Knisely, the brilliant comic artist and author of the graphic novel French Milk (and other autobiographic comic collections!) It's a beautiful and sunny space on the third floor. We have windows that look out in all 4 directions and because we live on a tree lined steet it's a little like living in a tree-house. One of it's other perks is the ample studio space! (Swooon!)

One of the scariest things about moving to a new city is the prospect of finding a job. Although a few of the teaching jobs I had hoped for look like they will pull through, after a TON of deep contemplation I've made the decision to try to eke out a living by my craft. Eeeeeeeeek! Right? I mean, really scary: there's NO guarantee of income and the studio start-up costs alone are pretty unthinkable! But that's the plan: I'm going to produce a new line of products and sell them via Etsy and local craft stores.

I announced this terrifying prospect to my new studio-mate and, somewhat to my surprise, she immediate exclaimed: "That's great! Let's start a home studio!"

And so, I'm proud to introduce the new collaborative home studio of
Nora Renick Rinehart and Lucy Knisely:

THE BURROW!

The Mascot: Ripley and Linney locked in an eternal tussle.

Like I said: the space is amazing! I've never had so much space to organize my studio supplies (that wasn't also my bedroom. Actually, with a studio space for most of my stuff my bedroom is pretty sparse.)

Lucy working in her studio nook.

The room is built with two sizable nooks, each with windows and lights, with enough floor space for a work table and a large closet for supply storage.

Thread! Beautiful beautiful thread...

Swoooon.... I had a blast organizing all of my supplies!


Unpacking all my familiar desk stuff...


...decorating the studio with Lucy...

I'm a little addicted to collecting paint samples. I may have spread the addiction to Lucy.

...and integrating our two felines into the space!

This photo is IN NO WAY indicative of how they get along: there's usually quite a bit more hissing involved.

They certainly do look good in the space, though!

I'd call it more of a brownish gold.

And to top off all of this wonderfulness? The west-facing window by my desk has an amazing view of the sunset. So much swoon!

This week has been a lot of unpacking, cleaning and getting organized; but there's no time to dawdle! If I'm gonna make a living at this, I've gotta get to making stuff. The first wave of supplies is ordered so next week: print tables, prototypes and photography. Stick around!