30/30

Dear friends, 

Sorry I haven't written in a while.  Below is what I was up to during the month of April.  We (One Strange Bird) hosted our spring gala on May 4th.  It was an amazing success and I can't wait for next year!  I sold all but two of my 30 and I'm feeling pretty amazing about that.   

Lately, I've just been working on prep for our awesome art classes in Chicago.  I've been working on a moss graffiti recipe, playing with stencils (next post), and doing loads of image transfers.  I think this project really opened my work up a lot and I am excited to see what enters into my new larger works this summer (if I get time!) Teaching classes at OSB has been really inspiring to my paintings and I'm excited about the craft/art dialogue that is happening.  This project also allowed a little representation to creep back in...

Department of Beautification Report #5

From our Civil Disobedience class at OSB here are some of the latest wheat pastes.  I am taking some with me to New York tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I also can't wait to be on art overload-street/museums/galleries!

Lady Bird//// 

From my strange bird series

Perfect wheat paste recipe- 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons flour, a pinch of sugar.  Heat up water, whisk in flour slowly and heat stirring continuously until the mixture thickens.  Transfer into air tight container and store in the refrigerator.  *Add mint essential oil to prolong shelf life

I also really enjoy using a rubber glove to spread the paste with my hand.  Then, you can just throw the glove straight into the garbage and you have an easy clean up.  Mod Podge from the craft store is my other secret weapon, it adds a layer of protection, a slight glossy finish, and some of my work has lasted months with it. The only downside is that it can get expensive,  especially if you are working very large.

Lastly, I also just discovered the joys of Staple's whole sheet sticker labels...ah the endless possibilities.  I have been printing out my drawings, coloring them with Coptics/AD markers, coating the stickers with acrylic medium to weather proof, and cutting them out.  They look just like wheat pastes but are faster, cleaner, and easy to stick up quick.

My neighbor's sleeping bunny :)

Natural Habitat 

Department of Beautification Report #3

Hello, Everyone.  Sorry it has been sometime since my last update.  The giveaway was such fun.  My awesome artist friend Mathew Paul Jinks won a small painting.  I will post pics of it in his new home as soon as he returns my calls.  Ha!  

I have been really busy with the craft side of my practice making stuff for my two Etsy shops.  (There are links to them on the left-hand side of the blog.)  I have also been crafting with my girls Amanda Baker (super talented an all-around amazing person) and my sister, Madeline and fake sister, Allie Corwin.  Madeline moved back to St. Louis for the summer, so I am sadddddfaced. :(

Below you will see the most recent of street pieces I made.  I realized Mod Podge has subversive potential.  You can see below some lady heads in Wicker Park....

She is in good company with my good friend Hebru Brantley.

This next piece is on Milwaukee Ave. and is a "time based" work, in that I have been adding birds to her head over a span of about four weeks.  She now has four birds on her head.  I have to photograph the other two still, as we went out at night last time. 

Bird #1

Context: Street art in wicker park

Two birds up on her head

That's all for now!  Enjoy the sun, beautiful people.