German Supplies!

How dope are these buttons?

I'm really excited about them, and can't wait to use them on some new scarves.

They are handmade from clay that is handmade...right here in Bavaria. 

The artist is practically my neighbor. Her name is Hana Simsa. I met her at a Ceramic Artist Craft Fair this weekend. In Germany we call it a Topfermarkt. 

Hana and her husband dig up the clay, clean it, and then combine the different colors to get these great patterns. A LOT of work goes into their production. They had many objects made out of this clay. I feel lucky that they made something I can use - Buttons! Reasonably priced clay buttons can be a rarity; so I jump on them when I find them. 

I also picked this up for my mom. She is a ceramic artist as well. She also makes mosaics. I thought this flower would be cool in one of her pieces. Let's hope it makes it across the ocean in one piece.

I'm Not Obsessed...

Every now and again I enjoy sharing an embarrassing moment.

I swear I'm not obsessed with myself but I sure felt like it yesterday when my landlord found me taking pictures of myself. (Don't worry. I was fully clothed. See above.)
If you read the Germany Page on this blog you know that I had a fabulous afternoon touristing with my neighbors. Afterward I declined their offer for a beer in order to go home and get back to work on my new painting. As I was putting my painting clothes on I realized I was having a great hair day. I have a bunch of new scarves and hoods that I need to photograph, so I thought I should seize the opportunity. I went outside (for optimum lighting) and got to work with the self timer. It was about fifteen minutes later that my landlord peaked over the side of his balcony to see what the heck I was doing. This is the exact position he found me in. (Please imagine a camera on a tripod in from of me.) I must say I was a bit embarrassed, like when you get caught singing in the car to the radio.
Trying to explain to Hans what I was doing in German was nearly impossible. Luckily he has seen my work and I gave him a business card, so it made a bit of sense. I wished I knew how to explain one man band in German. Instead I said, "I cut, I sew, I photograph, I put online, I sell."
Our silly Germish conversation about my painting and sewing prompted Ludwig and Katarina to come out on their porch too. We must have been a funny sight; four people on three different balconies all shouting a to one another. I wished I had the camera set up in the backyard so I could've snapped a photo. I imagine we looked like a scene from 227, that old TV show. Only we'd be the German version.
I am happy to report that this situation ends on a positive note. Hans remembered one of the other houses on the street is home to a pair of artists. He immediately made me go over to this house of artists with him so he could introduce me. I wasn't necessarily dressed for it, but who better to meet in your painting clothes than a pair of artists. Well, this couple was very nice but in the middle of entertaining guests so Hans and I didn't stay too long. It was a good thing too, because I was the only one who didn't speak German. I did understand however, that she is a painter and he is a sculpture and they own a gallery in town. They have a show opening soon and she is going to stop by my house soon with an invitation. Score! Chalk one up for Hans, my new favorite landlord.
This will be the second art show opening I've been invited to in one week. My first one is today. Coincidentally all of theses artists know one another. I love moments like this in life when little things just start coming together. I really hope that me, and art, and my new community can become better friends. If only my ability to speak German could come together a bit faster, I'd be golden.
We shall see.

Blank Canvas...and other projects

Welcome to my house! I finally found a strong, sticky hook to hang my wreath. It has been leaning on a shelf near the front door for too long.

My landlord came over this afternoon and hung some pictures for me. It's something I've been needing to get accomplished for a while, but can't do myself. The walls here are practically made of cement. Nine pictures took Hans 1.5 hours, and he isn't done. He still has four more to go but he ran out of hooks. He'll be back tomorrow.

Actually, it isn't fair to say he hung pictures. I had him hang blank canvases too. He was a bit confused by this. And of course I had no idea how to explain my intentions to him in German, but I tried. I think he got the gist of it by the end because he did the work. As cool as the house looks with a bunch of white squares everywhere, I will fill each and every one with a new painting. Then I will share them with you!

Here is how it looks now. I think it will be interesting to compare before-and-after photos.

And another piece of art from my mom next to my bed. I think it looks great with the jewelry box Phil got me for my birthday.

My side of the bed is all dolled up.

Phil's side is so empty. If you ask me; he doesn't have enough tchotchky in his life.

And my license plate collection has found a nice home in the half bath, or wash closet…if you will.

I love it. It reminds me of a restroom you'd find in a funky beach bar in a tourist town on one of the Keys in Florida. I wish I had a buoy and some fishing net to hang with it.

And Another One...

SWISS LIFT

Here is another painting I just finished. It comes from a photograph I took in Switzerland. It's much smaller than most of my other paintings. My process was a bit different this time too. I made the painting first, then I spray painted the chairlift on it last. Usually I start with the spray paint. The following photos capture my efforts...

The sketch and the first layer of paint.

The final layer of paint.

Making the stencil out of a cereal box. I love to reuse.

 Puttin' on the stencil.

 After the spray paint.

Finito.

Steamboat Springs, CO

SiiiCK!

The latest edition to my chairlift series has been born!

This composition comes from a trip Phil and I took to Steamboat, back in '06, maybe '05. Man, time flies when you're having fun!

This painting is acrylic an spray paint. It measures 24" x 34." Look below as I demonstrate my process.

I start with a photo. I sketch out the photo. Then I sketch the image lightly on the canvas. Then I tape out the parts I want to spray paint.

I build a stencil from the masking tape and an exact knife.

Then I apply the spray paint. After which I remove the tape and Voila!

The actually painting, with brushes, starts somewhere in the middle.

This is the part where Phil gets scared because he thinks the painting looks like crap.

And I always agree with him, but the more paint I apply the better it looks.

Until one day when I've had enough.

I paint the sides and sign the back.

And admire it from all angles.

Ludwig's Furs

In case you haven't heard this is my neighbor, Ludwig. No, not the guy on the right. That's my husband. My neighbor is the gentleman on the left. Ever since we moved to Germany he and his wife have been one of the highlights of our life. They have been key members of our social circle. They don't speak much English and we don't speak much German, but we get along quite well. They are always sharing tips and tidbits to help us make the most of our German experience.

Ludwig is, in my opinion, a real man of the Earth. He is hunting and fishing all of the time. When he goes on these local expeditions he brings back deer, boar, rabbit, trout, and any other catch to be found in the woods or lakes here. He also will pick berries and bring them home and his wife makes jams, or desserts. Just yesterday he went hunting and brought home some fresh flowers. They shared them with me.

This flower is called a May Bell, and it smells delicious.

The reason I am sharing all this information about my neighbor with you is because he has a decent collection of furs from his recent hunts. Together we thought I might be able to help him sell them on Etsy. If you, or anyone you know is interested here are the links:

Fox Fur

Steinmarder Fur

These pelts are smaller and reasonably priced. They are perfect for someone just beginning to sew fur. Their size is just right for small projects like trim on a collar or a hand muff.

Ludwig hunts the animal population in the local woods, here in Ansbach, Germany. This has been his home for roughly 50 years.

The Florida Scarf Box

If you read my Germany journal you know I am proud of my new desk. It took a lot of effort to get. If you don't read my journal, shame on you, read the Ikea entry. It's about a month old, and contains some interesting insights about shopping at a European Ikea.
This desk is huge. Phil and I love it. It was intended to be a kitchen counter, but we're open minded. As you can see, the right side of the desk is completely open. When Phil finished building it I, very excitedly, started loading up the shelves with officey-type-stuff. It immediately looked like crap. Phil was like, "You aren't going to leave that like that, are you?" I was like, "I guess not." I needed to come up with a cool way to organize the shelves.
Another fact about me is that I like things on the cheaper side, and I like being resourceful. Really, I think they go hand in hand. So I decided to use my garbage art technique to make some boxes to organize our important junk. I love covering cardboard with fabric. So that's exactly what I did to make these six boxes. Phil and I think it turned out great. And all it cost was one large bottle of Modge Podge. Neat, huh? This is really a project that anyone could do. You just have to be patient with wrapping the boxes. If you don't take your time, they could really look like crap.
Choosing the fabric was pretty fun too. In the Florida Scarf stash there is so much to choose from. Phil and I tried to choose the wackiest vintage fabrics I had, and I had to throw in a little modern tiger stripe.

So let this be an inspiration to you if you're looking for a simple DIY project that doesn't require much of anything. With little investment, you have the potential for a big return.

Now that this project is complete, I am really excited to share with you my current project...a painting to hang over the chairs! Yay! It's going to eb another in my chairlift series!

It's pretty sweet that I had enough of the fabric left from our pillows to match the box that covers the printer. It really ties the room together. Don't you think?