Moving to Wordpress

For those who come here every now and again, I'm moving things over to Wordpress, I like the dashboard better. The new address is colleenpatriciawilliam.wordpress.com

I hope you all like it, I've decided to get serious about this, now I have the time. :)

Art and the Economy

I find myself looking at the bills, and it hits home that the art market is not what it used to be. The art market is there for a select few; the few that have the contacts and that know someone. The rest of us are struggling to survive.
It's not just the gallery scene, because lots of those have closed. It's the shrinking middle class, that class used to be the staple for the regular artist, but no longer. As the middle class has disappeared, the money that they used to purchase luxuries like art has dried up and blown away.

This leaves many of us out in the cold. Prices are now often too low to buy more supplies. Because of the economy that is not recovering, artists are now worse off, in my opinion, than they were before the Great Depression. But there is no New Deal coming to save us.

WIP- The Alien Brain Project

At least that's how I see the thing. It started as a mistake, my ill fated first attempt at hollow form resin casting, but I sure got a great looking alien brain kinda thing out of it! I LOVE the thing, really. It has these great textures, that were great before, but DYNAMITE when lit from below with some of those itty bitty blue LED lights. They are just fantastic!
As my use of my hands gets worse, the art that I can make has had to change. This is a a part of that change. This is what the alien brain is looking like now. It has quite a bit of work to finish it up, I haven't even started on the base!
More of the 3P will be in the base. Thus far, it's been an integral part of the piece. I couldn't have done this piece without it.
The husband is a trooper! He held the thing for me, so I could apply the wax and use the heat gun. He follows directions with flawless precision, too. No major explanations needed! More work on this to happen this afternoon!

The Internet Blackout

In support of the movement to kill the SOPA bill in Congress, my site will be blacked out until Thursday morning. I will be offline for that time.
Everyone, be safe!
Also, call your congressperson and tell them a vote for SOPA equals a non vote for that person come elections.
This is a dangerous piece of legislation and does not protect the little guy.

I am a kind of split. I won my fight for SSD, and while that is great in one way, in another, it's sad. It's an acknowledgment of the slow deterioration I'm experiencing.

I have so much to do! I have art to complete, and one of my urgent matters, is to get that 501(c)(3) designation for Continuum Heart Gallery. I do have to say, that will be one of my easier chores. Doing a nonprofit is really pretty easy.

One thing I am interested in, though, is the trademark stuff. It turns out that one's agents are supposed to do searches to see if other organizations preexists that trademark claim, and it turns out that in the case of Art with Heart, her attorneys dropped that ball big time!!
There are over 80 organizations that are antecedent to her trademark claim, and her attorneys, well, they SWORE that there were no other organizations, and they either lied or just plain did NOT do the work, in my opinion.

I have some theories about the relationship between Perkins Coie and Steffanie. Lots of reason to wonder about that. Lots of them, and she's lucky I have other stuff to do. I love stories, and puzzles. My spidey senses are telling me that there is a story with a puzzle there that might not stand the light of day, so to speak in someone's mind...
Perception is reality, for all of us. What to others may be no big deal, may seem as a mountain for someone with a perception of guilt. Either way, if I didn't have so much other stuff to do, I'd really like to dig into this conundrum!!

Now, off of the subject of minions and their masters, and on to art!!!
I've been working with this cool new stuff coming out, and here's one of the first serious pieces to incorporate the Expanding medium.
This stuff is way cool! I will have more images to show very soon with more progress. I got a lot done on it last night, so I'm close to finished, period. Yah!!!

We've packed up most of my studio, I'm winding down on some unfinished projects, and then we finish this remodel, put her on the market, and we're outta here! We're moving to New Orleans. It's so much easier to create art when one is warm and not shivering....
The bottom image shows the encaustic base.

This upper image is of the new project I'm almost done with! The ball is lit by blue LED. It's a ball of resin that was supposed to be a cast hollow head. As you can see, it didn't quite work out the way I was hoping for!

Poplar base, resin ball, the thick silver tendrils are left over wire from construction trash, and the thin ones are copper wire left overs from the same trash heap. My husband brought them home to me. There will be more to see regarding the thick aluminum wires in the future!!

This is a close up of the resin ball, in it's unlit state.

The resin ball. This was supposed to be a cast resin hollow head. I just didn't factor in speed like I should have, sigh! But I also could NOT throw out that ball that I made, either. Then it hit me! In a flash this project jumped into my mind!

The green and blue tentacle-ish stuff is the ever awesome 3P Expanding Art Medium. I've been helping the inventor along with a very good friend and colleague, Cayenne Link. She makes the coolest jewelry out of this stuff...
More to come!

Not so very nice people out there!

Well, I AM important! How do I know this? Because I have 
the law firm of Perkins Coie, from Seattle trolling my site, 
looking for ways to sue me, on behalf of a person that I don't 
like, for good reason. 

Why don't I like this person? Due to what I perceive to be bad behavior


 towards the disabled, this high falutin' law firm, in my legally allowed opinion, 


 is out to make sure I do not use those  pesky First Amendment rights.

 How do I know I am in their sights? Well, I have a statistics counter that


 records IP addresses. And boy, did theyvisited my blog!! I think they are 


stalking me.  I have that visit on record, to show any 


interested party that would like to see it. Just email me from my contact link


 on my site. 

So, my question is this? What is this law firm, and this woman, that in 


MY OPINION, destroyed a gallery for no good reason is this: Why are you afraid of me?


 Because you are,  and now I know it. 

Your client has made a PR error, William, old son. Blame her, don't try to demolish the 


Constitution any  further. Why is the truth of the situation frightening to you? Hmn....

I do wonder about that! 


Also, she IS a public figure, therefore, artists ( I used that word again, teehee) do 


have a right to make works about her. I believe that has been settled. I'm not too 


worried. I'm filing bankruptcy,I have no assets, so bummer for her attorney, Rava!

They applied a scorched earth policy, in my opinion,  towards an autistic


 man and his partner. I'm sure that she and her pro bono minion


are salivating to destroy me, too. "They" including  this woman that I believe to


 have done  harm with vindictive intent. They fined  them $250 daily because 


they could not afford to move fast enough. One might think that some slack


 could be cut, ( it IS the holiday season)  and these poor guys have zip for assets, 


so I believe the entire point was to destroy and shut down a perceived competitor, 


which they were  not. She says she helps kids, they were helping adults. 


She had a poshy attorney  to help her,  (I do wonder who paid the filing fees, 


the couriers, as well as the process servers...hmn...I wonder...), they did not.


 She is tax exempt, they are not. 

And now look at that! *wink and a grin* 

I have this tony law firm, and William Rava, Esq.(he IS her attorney of record)


  and his frightened pro bono client that calls donors "customers"( that is in


 the legal paperwork served on the guys)  looking to take me down!


 Once again, art  (yes, I used that verboten word!) is under attack, with 


artists being targeted, as well, in my opinion. One thing about this action that I 


 find disturbing is the lack of compassion, what I see ( that means opinion, gotta 


keep this straight for the edification of M. Rava)  as a heartless (yes, I used that


 forbidden word, too) attitude that was displayed towards these men, who


 made no profit, they were still operating in the red. So why?

Simple. It was all about the Benjies, in my opinion. Why are they looking to attack me?

 In my case, I  posit(that means opinion, a guess, in case that word wasn't encountered 

in prelaw)  that it's twofold:

fear, and those Benjies...

Newest Exhibition in Philly!

This Friday is the opening night of an exhibition called "Wax Poetic" at the Nichols-Berg Gallery in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. http://www.nicholsbergart.com/shows/wax-poetic-contemporary-encaustic-works
I have three pieces in there, and I so wish I could go, but I have too much to do here and too little money to go, but I have a fellow artist that is going to be there and will let me know how it goes.

Also, be sure to check out the Billboard Project, http://www.billboardartproject.com/
One of my very good friends as well as a very talented artist, Shanna Efferson D'Antonio, is an artist in this project for New Orleans, Louisiana. It's a really great project and I just love the work that was used!

Here are my three entries:
The Fat Lady Contemplates Her Song

Season's End: Menopause

 and Cracks in my Facade: Rupture

Art and Urgency

I am really feeling the crush these days. My hands are half numb, and I have soooo many projects to do!!
My wonderful soulmate, that man is the very best art supply that I could have. He stretches canvas. He makes frames for my work. He tirelessly and painstakingly supports me with all that he can.
He's built me an 8' easel. It is huge and will hold a canvas/panel up to 12' x 12'.
You should see the neighbors faces when we broke that out! They couldn't decide what was going on. I'm sure I saw a couple of the older Latinas cross themselves.
I've got one project that is getting finished tomorrow. Maybe tonight. Depends on how I feel. I feel, these days, that I haven't much time, and I have art projects beating on the doors of my mind. Each one is selfish and sure that it is more important than the other thoughts beating at the mind's door.
Sometimes, these images make it very difficult to sleep.
When that happens, it's best to just get up, and do what I have to to get that image happy enough to let me go back to bed.
I know that these are my thoughts, my ideas and my concepts, but many times, it feels as they have a life and a mind, of their own.
I'm just the messenger, sometimes. ;]

The travelling Artist

I had a great trip to Louisiana! LSU is a lovely campus; I think I'm going to do my Master's there. I also think that this little artist is probably going to move there.
The people were wonderful, the food was delish, and I have to say, I felt like it was home!
The lecture I gave went over well; all of the students as well as the profs, were engaged and asked plenty of questions!! It ran over time, and had to be cut short. I consider that a triumph, as well as the students that asked questions afterwards.
Baton Rouge is absolutely beautiful. I think that Louisiana as a whole, is just gorgeous. I'm hooked!
I think that most interesting part was how many of these people looked like me, prominent cheekbones, squarish face, curly dark hair and many with light eyes. I had an old woman welcome me home. She said she could see Louisiana in my face. I could see Louisiana all around me on the faces of the people.
Awesome!!

New Projects

I've been working on a new series of mosaics. They are going to be heads, but I want them to be clear, so I'm not limited on the art glass that I can use.

I need 'em hollow so I can mount the LED's. Therefore, that sexy beast I married is going to build me a rotational resin casting machine. I love that man!!

An hour in front of YouTube and he's got it. He hasn't failed me yet! That man can take a video, get the idea, and figure out an improvement whilst assembling the materials! I am one lucky cookie.

Futhermore, he works for love, affection and chocolate. No problem, I can supply all of those needs. *grin*

The first step was finding the proper form for the liquid latex rubber mold material. Then I used a paper mache-plaster mix to make the rigid form to set the latex mold in.
Done.
Then, with that completed, both halves of the mold were put together, with an inside overlap of latex rubber. Since these are going to be covered with art glass, a seam is not an issue. But I think that I'm going to be doing a few cast resin body casts. I have some visions that have come to me...

So, tomorrow, it's the materials for the rotational caster.
Then it's the cast. Will post pics tomorrow of what I have now.

I did have a happy accident, though. My first thought for the rigid mold was an air dry clay. Well, I put too much water in it. It cracked on the form, but in such fantastic ways!!
Now that has become a project. It's looking pretty cool. Tomorrow is going to be busy. I also have to make some more encaustic medium in order to finish that project!
It's going to be a mixed media piece. I've gotten wax. some fantastic art paper from I don't remember where, but I'm thinking Japan, encaustic, and I'm thinking some photo transfer.

Also, I have to report on my trip to LSU. But that deserves a whole new post of it's own, cause I have some fantastic stuff to share!!

The top is the inside with Gamblin's traditional gesso, and the bottom is the head covered in that lovely paper afixed to the head with PVA size. I have to take more images, but the cracks are sutured with copper. At least as suture like as one can get that copper wire to go!

The next ten years

It is my hope, my wish, that we can recover our compassion, recover from the trauma that was inflicted on our nation. That we can look at one another and see fellow Americans, instead of Muslims, or Christian or Jewish or Pagan.
It is my dream that we, as a species, can learn to heal and to move on. Not to forget, for that is not possible, to forgive and move on, for ourselves.

New Work, Corporate Commission

The Phoenix Rising  encaustic on poplar panels

 This piece is done! It was an adventure, working on a piece as large as this one, in encaustic.
I modified an office chair and it worked perfectly!

These other images are closeups of the new art supply I've been working with. It's a proprietary formula, and so my lips, they are SEALED!!
This particular piece is for the Phoenix Brite corporation. They are a financial sort of place. Not my area, I'm just the artist...
;]

I love encaustic, I really do! This piece came out really well, better than I had expected. I think the shellac burned in really gives it a hot appearance. Nice! Fun to work with, and it can give such a fantastic webwork to the images texture.

WIP Middle Panel

This is the largest encaustic I've ever done. 48" x 24" for this center panel.

Here it is and boy, this was a beast to do!

This one is a corporate commission, and it has been a challenge, but I am pleased with the way it's coming along.

Commission in Progress

This is the largest encaustic I've ever done. Three panels totalling 48" x 48" meant to be spaced out.

I have the center panel pretty much done. The picture is the cartoon that went on the panel.

Will post images when it's done!

Art and Science

I am one happy little wax slinger! I've been invited to be a guest speaker at Louisiana State University regarding this fabulous art supply that the director there is making.

Ok, here's how an artist gets to go to be a guest speaker for a chemistry department:

As anyone who knows me well knows, I am no shy violet; nope, I'm more like a curious monkey. Or a magpie. If it's shiny or if it gets my curiosity going, well, I have been known to make mad right turns....

I transferred into Portland State University from a semester system and they're a quarter system. so that caused a wee bit of a discrepancy in the credits that I needed; it turned out that I needed half a credit in Chemistry. I'm a professional artist going to get a psych degree, so I'm totally there for the half a credit and the marvelous cookies, not so much for the actual presentations. Most of those went over my head.

But there was this one presentation....

From LSU, Dr. John Pojman, the director of the Chem department (I'm totally positive that's what it says in the signature at the end of his email) came to show us his current work in polymers for adhesive purposes. Interesting, my ears perk up.

Then he started the presentation, with film clips of these magical substances. My mouth fell open, the cookies almost forgotten!

Before my wondering eyes fantastic textures unfolded. Textures and the ability to bond this to that.

I hear you all rolling your eyes...get on with it, Colleen! OK, OK!

This stuff allows one to apply heat to it which allows one to bond plastic to wood, and to embed glass bits and other cool stuff.

Now all the good Doc is seeing is industrial applications. Not me. Oh no. I'm seeing panels covered in wonderful, crazy cool textures that one touches with the torch and this really cool reaction, the propogation front, marches across the stuff that was applied to the surfaces.

At the end of the presentation, when it was Q & A time, my hand shot up in the air!!

I had one question "Have you thought of art supplies for these wondrous things? I would love to have some of this! I have a problem I've been trying to solve and this is the answer."

He looked at me in surprise and said no, he had not and did I have time to discuss this after the presentation?

Yup, I sure did, and I am VERY happy that I did!

So now I'm off to talk to grad students and some other pretty important sounding folks! I gotta get out my top hat and brush my bowler hat off!! Now for some Mad Scientist goggles for the demo part. did I mention the demo part? Oh yeah...hot wax and torches, in the land of my foremothers on my maternal side!

Hot damn!

What to pack?

Art supplies, camera, torches, batteries, top hat, shoes would be good....I should probably put some clothes in there, too...and my faithful laptop as well as my Droid.

I'm gonna have a bourbon on Bourbon St, then some pecan pralines and some file gumbo!

I'm so freakin' excited!!!

Will post updates! ;]

Seattle was great!

Seattle is a lovely city! I got some great pictures which I will post as soon as I get them off of the camera. I saw the troll under the bridge, my daughter and her friend took me to Pike's market and I got to ride the ferry to Bremerton and back.

Fantastic food, and the exhibition is going to look lovely.

Mother Earth looks fab, and here are some pictures of her.

Busy busy day...

Art and life can sometimes be a difficult mix. Two of my grandsons have been visiting, with Oliver, the granddog. Oliver is a Cocker, on a natural wire. That dog can bounce in a way that would outdo Tigger and is close to Superman's single bounds! That dog can clear an art table in no time flat. Glass went everywhere, and I do mean everywhere.

I'm finishing up Mother Earth, and didn't have the glass from her put away yet. I have the Green Man to finish, so I also had that glass up there.

Doh,

I know better; this was a case of magical thinking on my part. I forgot that this dog can levitate. I think he uses the floppy ears to helicopter up there...

Just to be safe, I put away the gesso mix with the rabbit skin glue. I keep having this disturbing image of acid free dog poo, colored titanium white, all over the yard...and the deck... oh, yeah, can't forget the laundry room....

It's a damned good thing that dog is cute, otherwise he might become a set of slippers...

Mother Earth

Here She is, my latest creation, the Ojibwa creation story. Mother Earth, her body is all of water; Muskrat sacrifices himself to get the mud from the bottom of the waters, to put on Turtle's back, to make a home for us.

Four birds are sent out with sacred seeds to populate the land.

I have Ojibwa DNA. Both of my biological children have Native dentition. I just wish I knew more about our heritage. I don't mean the dry stuff that one finds in books, but the day to day stuff; like the little daily rituals that make up our lives. What we eat for breakfast, what we do as during the day, these things are clear to me as an averaged American.

What these things are in Ojibwa culture is a mystery to me.

With what I have been able to find on my own, this is the story that seemed to reoccur over and over, so I take this one to be the closest to the original as my meager understanding of the story. It's shortened in my explanation; it's much more beautiful in the writings that I have seen.

Tomorrow is a wonderful day!!

Starting tomorrow, I get 10 full days to myself to do art. I have two mosaics to finish, an oil on the easel, and an encaustic piece percolating around in my head; not to mention the sweet little oxy actylene mini torch and tanks I'm going to go get....
Fire and glass, wax and steel, I have SUCH ideas spinning in my head.
In a way, it's full circle. Welding is what led me to art, and now art takes me back to welding.
I feel such a sense of urgency; my hands are slightly numb, my biceps and my triceps are weak and getting weaker. They echo the weakness in my legs and the spikes that seem to be in the balls of both of my feet.
The more it hurts, the more art I feel the need to do.
So tomorrow, I'm off to go buy my sweet little mini-torch, fill my tanks and set up my space. Glass and carbon steel, I want to create dragons and dragonflies; abstract towers made of dark, rusted steel and luminescent glass, lit from within...
I have so many creations that I want to do, and so little time to do them in, I feel. It scares me, actually. Life is just too short! There is so much to learn, so much to create, so many boundaries to push and unexplored concepts to examine!
I'll post progress pics!

This is another view of the crucified woman; you can see the process around the image. This one is also a political statement, so I think that I see a series coming on. These are going to be gritty, pain filled, and stark. These are my statements on the current political climate, which is no different in many ways, than all of the millenia women have been crucified for various things.

Women have been oppressed and in this supposedly modern and more civilized age, it still goes on. Since the Tea Party take over of the House of Representatives, there have been 900+ bills introduced that are anti-woman, as well as anti-social.

Antisocial behavior on an unbelievably long term scale, throughout history. There is no nation on the planet that does not oppress women, and the US has regressed significantly in this regard.

We see it in the news, rape and murder of women; we see in polls that the majority of men feel that rape is alright as long as they can get away with it.

There is the human trade, alive and well in the US. There is the denigrating ways that women are referred to, even by other women.

It is my hope that this image, this series, which I know will inspire anger, will also inspire thought.