It's been a long couple of weeks. Working arse off to prepare for Art in the Park and took a couple of days off, to recoup and re-group. Will do two more shows this year, so hopefully they will bring in some much needed cash flow.
I need to market myself more. I wish it was easier than it is, so many talented hand craft artisans out there...how do you make yourself stand out? Been meditating on that without much success.
Decided to overhaul my studio and re-arrange everything to make it more productive? Always second guessing ourselves...Taking all week to do, never realized just how much 'stuff' I have and as a mixed-media artist we don't throw anything away! Perhaps I should focus on one thing?
I don't believe it's in my make-up for that so...too late! :-)
I need to look through my myriad of books to get inspired again, just feeling very melancholy these days...
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
A fun little diversion!
Been playing on Betabrand site where you can design your own striped socks! Since I like playing with colors...why not! So, I've signed up and created three new pairs of socks! Two of my socks had colors that have not been named yet! So, I've created some new 'color' choices for the company!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Pooped! Taking a couple of days to reflect...
The Art in the Park was an amazing day, the turn out was outstanding, I believe it was the best Art in the Park ever in my memory! I didn't realize the profits that I had hoped but I still made a small profit after booth costs were deducted. I met a lot of people and received a great amount of feedback for my works. Brought back my "Drifting Saints" after a long hiatus and there were people that came up to the booth specifically to tell me they bought one of my "Drifting Saints" about 18 years ago! I said yes! that's the last time I made public sales with them! The felted vessels made some rave reviews, but didn't sell. I thought if I focussed on 'functional' art they would sell, however, I believe I will focus on large wall art and go back to painting my watercolors for awhile before going back to the 'art to wear' items...
Right now, I'm spending time with my honey as he's been an 'art widow' for the last 3 months. Giving him some extra attention this week!
I will post pictures of the event. I didn't get all the pictures from the entire festivities as I didn't have time to see them all!
Right now, I'm spending time with my honey as he's been an 'art widow' for the last 3 months. Giving him some extra attention this week!
I will post pictures of the event. I didn't get all the pictures from the entire festivities as I didn't have time to see them all!
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Friday, September 02, 2011
So excited for upcoming Art in the Park festival!
This years Art in the Park is under new organization and I was fortunate enough to get in on a cancellation! I only have a week left to get inventory up to snuff in anticipation of the event. I have only about 5 nuno scarves on the go, plenty of scarf-lettes, some hats and I've recently been working on felted vessels and vase covers. Really nice....Drifting Saints are making a comeback as well, so we'll see what the next week brings. I've been experiencing RSI due to doing too much at once, so I'm giving myself lots of breaks and variations in my duties!
http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3148131 This link is to a local paper advert for the upcoming show for those that aren't local to the event!
I'm going to upload my recent videos too!
http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3148131 This link is to a local paper advert for the upcoming show for those that aren't local to the event!
I'm going to upload my recent videos too!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Hot and busy Summer!
Wow! Can't believe August is coming to a close already! Crikey! I haven't blogged in awhile and I've been wanting to, but as usual, I get distracted! First show of the summer was very nice, not much in the way of sales, which part of the reason was I was not able to showcase/sell my jewelry line because of the over abundance of jewelry artists, so I had to build up my inventory on my hand painted silk scarves and felted items. I also re-purpose vintage wool blankets/cloth into hats and booties etc. so I made some of those up too. My hats were popular as were my scarves.
There was really good energy at this show and I met some fantastic artists! Good networking!
I had another show within two weeks of this one and this time I showcased my jewelry, but there were very few people that came through the venue! The crowd was congregated too far away to be drawn toward the vendors and such! Too bad because I had made up a good number of my chakra bracelets and necklaces along with some amazing POG's that I had made up too.(Positive Orgone Generators are based on the principal of orgone technology by Wilhelm Reich. Orgone energy is also known as chi, ki, prana, life force, is the energy present within all objects. It surrounds us and is within us.)
Right now I am getting ready for one the big annual Art in the Park that is held every year the weekend after labor day. Unfortunately because I was a late registrant, I cannot do jewelry again! Just too many jewelry artists! Can you blame us for loving the bling?? :-)
The only down side to all this is I have major repetitive strain in my left arm right now, so I'm in a lot of pain and I'm trying to wet felt scarves and slippers!
I will post some pictures of the last two shows...but you can see some photos at my Facebook page and hopefully you'll
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Patti-Cook-Mixed-Media-Arts/113872642030786?sk=photos Just click on the Art in the Park and that's the first show of the summer with my Scrum Sisters!
There was really good energy at this show and I met some fantastic artists! Good networking!
I had another show within two weeks of this one and this time I showcased my jewelry, but there were very few people that came through the venue! The crowd was congregated too far away to be drawn toward the vendors and such! Too bad because I had made up a good number of my chakra bracelets and necklaces along with some amazing POG's that I had made up too.(Positive Orgone Generators are based on the principal of orgone technology by Wilhelm Reich. Orgone energy is also known as chi, ki, prana, life force, is the energy present within all objects. It surrounds us and is within us.)
Right now I am getting ready for one the big annual Art in the Park that is held every year the weekend after labor day. Unfortunately because I was a late registrant, I cannot do jewelry again! Just too many jewelry artists! Can you blame us for loving the bling?? :-)
The only down side to all this is I have major repetitive strain in my left arm right now, so I'm in a lot of pain and I'm trying to wet felt scarves and slippers!
I will post some pictures of the last two shows...but you can see some photos at my Facebook page and hopefully you'll
likeit! :-)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Patti-Cook-Mixed-Media-Arts/113872642030786?sk=photos Just click on the Art in the Park and that's the first show of the summer with my Scrum Sisters!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
African Angels!
Well, not really, but I like to have titles with a ring to it, so this was fitting...who knows? I may end up calling them that anyway. Been wanting to make up some felted 'doll' pendants of a sort. I saw some really cute ones at a bead workshop and thought that I would do something a little different,I want my own artistic flair to it. So, I had sketched out some ideas and then thought of how much I love bright vibrant colors against a dark background, the way a lot of indigenous cultures do and then my thoughts went to traditional African kaftans and tribal dress. The women always look so beautiful and majestic in them, so, I am fashioning my doll pendants after various African attire! Here's a couple of pics I took prior to taking the video below it and a picture of my sketches I made of others based on some research I did regarding traditional African attire.
100_4418.MOV - Google Docs
This is my latest project (well, I've got a few going on) but I wanted to work on a small project/s this weekend and I thought that perhaps, I'll do my little felted ladies...I had some sketches and now I've got a series of colored pictures of African dress that I'm going to do...here's a quicky video of my first one.100_4418.MOV - Google Docs
Friday, June 17, 2011
Muscles I haven't used in a long time!
Whew! I've been going strong trying to get this Alpaca combed, cleaned and then ultimately felted! I have an upcoming show in July with my two other Scrum Sisters! The committee wouldn't accept my jewelry this year because they have "their quota" of jewelry artists! (These are also on the committee!) Good thing I'm a mixed media artist! I am going to focus on my felted works. I am doing some Nuno scarves, wall art, I even made a funky hat from a piece of an old wool blanket and merino wool roving. I have some wool blankets and thought to recycle them to be worn or enjoyed in some way again. Will post pictures. Been trying to find some free patterns for non-knitted hats! May just have to go in and look up some at the fabric shop. Dangerous place for me though, love to go in and come out with BAGS of purchases! ooooh, I best stay away for now, I was getting excited just writing about it. I found this amazing big old Canadian made woolen blanket a week ago at the local thrift shop. I will use it as a base for some small bags/purses and also woolen hats and arm warmers. I washed it in really hot water to get it a little more felted and I really like the thickness, it will make some warm head toppers! I will also be making some more mandala pendents/cuffs etc. as well as some goddess type pendants! After all the mystics are saying that we are moving into a more gentle feminine phase! This will give me a chance to slide in some jewelry pieces without being called jewelry! They didn't nix my felted cuffs! So, I'm bringing them too! My fellow Scrum Sisters also encouraged me to paint and add some of my "Drifting Saints" Driftwood pieces. Why not? Christmas in July!
Peace and love and all that gibbly stuff!
Peace and love and all that gibbly stuff!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
This is my ArtFire account. They are great! I was going to sell on Etsy, however, to get started on the web, ArtFire was a better deal for me and they are really taking off! I got in for ~10 a month for their pro account and boy do they give a lot of perks. I can upload as many pictures of an item to sell as I want at no charge. Serious artisans should check this out too!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Mademoiselle Chaos: How to make yarn from fabric scraps
I googled a querie on how I can make my own fabric yarn (cost me much more than fancy yarns!) I found this amazing site! She's amazing and full of free advice and how-to's! Here it is: Mademoiselle Chaos: How to make yarn from fabric scraps
Friday, May 13, 2011
Good photography advice?
Well, I hope I can get enough folks to read my blog and give me some good advice on photographing my work without having to commission it out to a professional! I am a starving artist here! All my money went/goes into inventory/stock and there's not much for the marketing. I have a great little Kodak easy share camera that takes pretty good shots and has a lot of settings on it, but like I said, I'm not proficient at taking good photos of my work yet.
Please post me or send me an email at pateos.place@gmail.com
Please post me or send me an email at pateos.place@gmail.com
Sunday, May 08, 2011
My Web sites where I have items for sale!
There are currently two places where I am featuring my items for sale. My website and my Artfire Account. I will most likely post on Etsy too as that is a household name for many folks looking for handmade arts and crafts. You can also email me at either my personal account or my gmail account. Thanks for looking!
Friday, April 29, 2011
This is the finished piece of a needle-felted mandala that I have been constructing. Didn't really know what direction to take with it, so I let it take me instead...this is what I ended up with! Artsy-Fartsy! This piece is actually a birthday gift I want to give to a great friend of mine. But I want to bring it out and see what the reaction to it is first, see if she really likes it and then I will sigh a big sigh and let her know I am super glad, because it's your birthday gift! LOL
Saturday, April 23, 2011
More felted mandala's (or medallions)
Here are pic's of some more mandala's that I have felted. Some will be further embellished with beads/stones and some will be left alone, however all of them will be incorporated into some form of wearable art!
I am also uploading pic's of some square mandalas that I put together with small wooden craft pieces that I found at hobby lobby and used resin to permanently adhere the pictures to the wood. I have also used inks to 'color' in the sides of some and some I have left plain. Those that will be made into a bracelet on their own, will be painted on the back side of the wooden piece, otherwise I'll leave them plain (maybe, depends on finished piece...:-)
Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!
I am also uploading pic's of some square mandalas that I put together with small wooden craft pieces that I found at hobby lobby and used resin to permanently adhere the pictures to the wood. I have also used inks to 'color' in the sides of some and some I have left plain. Those that will be made into a bracelet on their own, will be painted on the back side of the wooden piece, otherwise I'll leave them plain (maybe, depends on finished piece...:-)
Any questions, don't hesitate to ask!
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