IMAGO CORVI

OMG - I can't believe it's been 10 weeks since I posted here!  You have to understand that LiveJournal was my first entry into the cyber world of social networks - and because it connected me with my WisCon friends it was doubly special :-)

But I have been seduced by Facebook.

Not just Facebook.  I now have a LinkedIn profile, an Absolute Arts profile, two MySpace pages (one for music, one for art) a blog, an Etsy store and  YouTube channel.  I have given in.  I have realised that one cannot simply live in the real world anymore (and I admit this with some sadness - because I really like it there much better ...)

But I can no longer make a living doing shows.  It really is not the recession that is the cause of this change - it really is the Internet.  People don't buy at shows anymore because they know that they can find you again on-line ANYTIME.  As soon as I got my first rudimentary website back 10 years ago I experienced the phenomenon of people who USED to buy, now taking my card and putting it in their pocket and saying: "I'll visit your website".  But of course - most times they didn't.

Maybe they intended to - but they got sidetracked - chasing down the meaning of valitudinarian, or searching for childhood friends, or playing Scrabble, or looking up Dorothy Parker quotes (all worthwhile activities!)

So I have tried really hard to understand how to re-create those wonderful interactions I used to have with people when I met them at shows or conferences. Exchanging stories, sharing different versions of myths and folktales ... *sigh*. It's JUST not the same. Maybe for those of you who grew up with this medium it's not so bad, and for those for you for whom writing is a vocation ... but it is just not satisfying to me. I have resigned myself to it - I am a smart girl - I can do this! But I am not happy about it.

Except for Facebook. I actually enjoy Facebook,  because it doesn't pretend to replace meaningful interactions - but it allows me to connect with people in a really fun way. I just post what I am actually feeling first thing when I arrive at the studio  (and I like the little moment of self awareness that this brings to my day) and  my crazy friends write silly jokey things back that brighten up my day. It's fun! I have my language set on Pirate English so that I can "Belay" or "Arrr" instead of deleting of OKing (some of us are easily amused)

In fact - on Facebook - I often make plans to meet people, and then actually see them face to face later in the day!

Now that's my kind of Internet interaction!

I feel like I have been neglecting LiveJournal. But please - don't take it personally - I am also neglecting MySpace, my blog, Absolute Arts and LinkedIn. How did we get so trapped in this world of on-line social networks?? I actually have a LIFE! With real "face-to-face" friends (Isn't it a bit scary that I have to put that in quotations??

Anyway - I thought I would share with you what I have been up to - because it's been REALLY fun! I honestly never knew I could paint! And now I can't seem to stop - and I am having lots of fun exploring different styles. The challenge of firing every layer (about 7 or 8 of paint usually - plus two firings for the base coat on front and back) is getting a little easier



I don't have my camera at the moment - so these are scans. You can't really see it here - but she has a bit of green irridescence on her wings. My first attempt at a human face. I used a photo as a model - put I changed her features some ( mostly without being aware of it!)
This isn't quite finished - but also incorporates some bits of silver foil for the bridle and harness fittings



And here is another addition to my stable of mythic animals


and the fabled hare!

Here is one of my previous pieces - finally bezel set


And last but not least - the white crow:


Next up - a bee!

I am excited!
I am on three panels this year
"The Story in the Object and the Oject in the Story"
"Where is the Goddess Today"
and
"Death is Weirder than you Think"

I think I am going to have a good time!

Well, I have distracted myself with grisaille enamel painting and SEO and this blog and starting a new business and production work and everything else I can think of - even housecleaning - but the reality is that one of these days I have to sit down and realise those cloisonne panels of the Armless Maiden story that I came up with OVER A YEAR AGO! That is how well I can procrastinate.

Though I have to say that in this case, it's not procrastination of the lazy kind, but of the fear kind. Cloisonne is not a technique that I have a lot of experience with - and you may remember that I did a series of cloisonne designs based on images from nature in order to practice. Well - that was so long ago I have practically forgotten all that I learned. Or maybe I have just been internalising and processing all of that experience...

Anyway I picked up this fish project - which I left unfinished three years ago - and decided that I could complete it now. That wasn't a fear thing - that was a making a living thing. Sometimes it makes me sad and sometimes it makes me angry - but the reality is that I can only spend a certain amount of time on things that are going to be hard to sell. When I started this piece - it was even before the Armless Maiden panels were a thought in the back of my mind. I just wanted to explore cloisonne. But I stopped in the middle of this piece - because it was clear from the labour involved that it would be in the $300-$400 range - and that is higher than I can usually afford to sell ...

I have mixed feelings about having to think about money while I make my art - sometimes it prevents me from doing my best work - and sometimes it forces me to be creative in ways that I wouldn't expect.

I like to think that when someone buys something from me - it's not so much an exchange of money for merchandise - but an expression of the fact that they support my endeavours as an artist - they give me the money to support me while I work - and I give them a gift ...

Anyway - thanks to all of those who have supported me over the years - as I am going to spend some time making a probably totally unsaleable series of cloisonne panels based on a folklore tale! And I am going to do it NOW.

Had a quite different musical experience than usual this week-end - all becasue of a man needing a van!  This is how it started (on Facebook):

 Kevin Mallon  needs a man with a van really urgently!

Dan Restivo :don't we all!

Johanna Maria Rose : Gee, all I can offer is a girl with a pearl...

Catherine Crowe: Does it have to be a man?

Steve Mcdade (via Facebook Mobile) Does it have to be a van?

Johanna Maria Rose: Do you like green eggs and ham?

 Catherine Crowe : or perhaps a side of spam?

Eleanor Verrette : Maybe even toast with jam??

Merrilea Shields : I need a man too.. van or no van!!!

Steve Mcdade (via Facebook Mobile) A rack of Lamb?

Rose Bolton: I am going to have a glass of cran. (~berry juice)

The long and short of it was that Kevin's Baroque Ensemble (Aradia)had been double booked, and had to move to a nearby venue that didn't have any chairs. So just for picking up said chairs I got tickets for myself and a friend to go and see. They did a program of Jean-Baptiste Lully (who is my all-time favorite baroque composer) WITH a period dancer and it was a breathtakingly excellent night of music. FOr those of you who have never heard of Lully (poor souls) run (don't walk) to your nearest video store and rent "Le Roi Danse" from the International section. There are some clips from it at YouTube as well, but the lack of subtitles makes it a LITTLE hard to follow, even for a supposed bi-ligual Canadian like me ;-)

OK this is where I want to live. Click on the picture to see more

My latest experiment in grisaille has involved translating some illuminated manuscript illustrations into the painted enamel technique. I love the stylised form and composition of these old illuminations. The Codex Manesse is one of the most beautifully illustrated - go and have a look at all the full colour renderings. You will notice that the poets all look remarkably alike! This is not becasue they are all related ;-) The Codex is a compilation of biographies of famous German romantic poets of the period, and the illustrations are idealised portraits of the poets engaged in 'poetic' activities, probably never meant to be actual likenesses.

This one is based on the biography of Der Kanzler (folio 423v) who was apparently a german poet of the mid 13th c of fairly low social status who versified on knightly and moral topics.




This one is based on Herr Konrad von Altstetten (folio 249v) who stood in the service of the Abbot of Gallen, who was himself on of the 'knightly' abbots.

The last few weeks have been crazy busy as I try to put together an on-line enamel supply store. I have taken workshops in E-Commerc e and had meetings with accountants - which is not something that usually happens in my world ;-)

The only thing that keeps me sane through it all is doing some work in the studio.

Here is the next step in my adventures in grisaille.


detail


detail

I was all set to write a very disgruntled St Patrick's Day post about the evils of green beer and issues of cultural appropriation as applied to Irish culture , but I was completely sidetracked by an e-mail from my friend Bairbre McCarthy this morning.

I've been away from blogging for a couple of weeks as I try to get my head around opening my on-line enamel supply business. Been taking E-commerce workshops and talking to IT specialists - which you wouldn't think would be very conducive to creativity - but in fact, once I get into the studio I find myself pretty energized. Here's the latest project:























I am SO enjoying painting. It's very satisfying. I can also complete a grisaille in a day, while champleve takes me six days before I see the results. I have some more cloisonne projects ready to go, so I will be posting them soon.

I thought it was high time that I posted about music again - and since I had a great musical experience on Thursday night, I thought I would share it with you.

I have been friends with October Browne for some time, but since I have moved to Toronto,and she lives just around the corner I can drop in on her any time - and often do! I took this pic when October was playing at Gate 403 down on Roncesvalles where they have a Saturday folk club from 5-8pm. We often meet there and share a song or two.

October is a dedicated full time musician, and has just gotten back from a tour with Teresa Doyle. We have been trying to find time for a visit as we rush about trying to get all of our projects finished. So, I got an e-mail on Wednesday that she was playing with Brenna MacCrimmon ( below) at the Tranzac (Toronto Australia New Zealand Club and home to many of Toronto's folk/traditional events)

When I looked up the event - I saw that other musical friends would be there Ben Grossman, Anne Lederman ... so I decided that I deserved a treat. It started late (10pm) but that was OK because my Metal Arts Guild meeting went til 9:30 ...

I am SO glad I went! Not only did I get a chance to see my friends - I had a truly amazing night of music. Anne, Brenna and October started the night of with a lively set ranging from Moon Dog's compositions to Scottish Waulking songs in Gaelic. They are all amazing musicians - but I particularly enjoyed Brenna's singing, as it had been a long time since I'd heard it!

The second set was almost all Turkish music (Brenna has just put out a new CD of all Turkish songs) and was really fantastic. The ensemble, which consisted of Ben on Hurdy-gurdy, Rick Hyslop on fiddle and Bret Higgins on stand up base backing Brenna's vocals was just great. I am no expert in Turkish music - but there was a large Turkish contingent in the audience, and I don't think I enjoyed it any less than they did. It is very evocative and moving music - and Brenna's vocal stylings just took me right to another world - I loved it!

Music that is based in some cultural tradition is always more moving for me than pop music. It has some powerful connection to what is essential in us. Some of the pieces that were performed were written recently - but they still had that archetypal feel. You just know, without having to understand the language, that they were about the things traditional music is always about: love, loss, longing...

I have been having a ball with my grisaille - and feeling like I am getting the hang of it. It's actually a real pleasure to be painting - which is something I have never done for any extended period of time. Anyway - I thought I would post a few of the pieces:
(I am still developing the stories that will go with them, but I have some clues ;-)


Sadb, Ossian's mother


Blodeuwudd


I am still looking for ghost fox stories - if anyone knows one, I'd be happy to hear it. I have always had a special draw to foxes, as they possess many canine features, as well as many feline ones.


Selkie

I love holing up in the winter in my toasty warm studio in front of my toasty warm kiln! It's very inspiring!

OK this is apropos of nothing but I couldn't resist it:

www.youtube.com/watch


Enjoy!

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google
(Thanks to my friend Naka Ishi for posting this on her Facebook)

Growing up in a world where Marshall McLuhan was a hero - I have always been interested in the effect of the computer on the way I think. My discomfort led me, about a year ago, to severely limit my internet use. For me it wasn't a lack of concentration - but just a feeling of overload - like there were too many windows open in my brain. I don't have WiFi in my home or studio - 4 days a week I use the express computer at the library on my way to work - it cuts off after 15 minutes - so I have to get everything done in that time. It helps me focus! Two days a week I go to an internet cafe for an hour or two so I can write blogs, update my social networks, keep in touch with friends and generally take care of business. It has been better! I feel more free to be myself. I feel like my brain is my own again.

And I think that's a good thing!

This one was more challenging as I was working from a photo of a dark coloured horse and had to imagine more ;-) The piece I chronicled in my last post was based on an actual grisaille - so it was easier to see where the layers went

First coat painted


First coat fired (it's 1 1/2" diameter)


I forgot to take a photo of the second coat painted - as I was too involved in getting it done!

This is the second coat fired


Third coat painted


Third coat fired


I might do a fourth coat - I haven't quite decided yet. It's harder to imagine where the highlights should go ...

As usual - I am working on two projects at a time, so that when I am waiting for one to dry or cool I can be working on the other.

The other is a portrait of my neice - and it is proving much more challenging. The greyscale photo that I am working from has so many subtle shades that I think I will need more than three or four coats ... more later!

It was three years ago I saw my first Grisaille up close and personal at the Taft Museum in Cincinnati. It literally took my breath away. My heart started beating faster. I knew I had to try and do this - but I had a problem. I couldn't draw.

This was the kind of piece I was up against!


I know you will think that I am lying. Since I am a full time artist - you will think "She can draw!" but actually my designs have been very stylized, and I use a lot of templates and guides to make them turn out right. I can 'sort of' draw - or I could years ago - but I was terribly out of practice.

At first I it felt like I would never be able to do it. But as I often tell my students: being an artist is having the courage to fail. I have a lot of stubbornness in me - and a lot of patience. I find that these two qualities are more than all the talent in the world!

This was my first attempt:


About a year later I had progressed to this


Last night I did this:
First layer of white painted (two coats of Imperial blue on front and back)


First layer of white fired


Second layer of white painted


Second layer of white fired


Third layer of white painted


Third layer of white fired


Fourth layer of white painted


Fourth layer of white fired


I have been wanting to do a post on practice - so here it is! Practice in every sense of the word. Art is my practice - and I have to practice all the time! People know that you have to practice in order to be a good musician - but they think that if you can't pick up a pencil and draw something beautiful right away you 'can't draw'.

No matter how bad you are - if you pick up a pencil and draw every day, at the end of a month you will be better! Of course - this will not make you great - but it will make you competent. I think for me it is a compulsion to make the idea that I have in my head into something concrete that drives me.

I still have a way to go to reach my own personal goals - but I am well on the road now - and can see the end in sight! And I'm excited about the journey!

OK I have been entirely remiss in posting. I was going to post the rest of my Paris trip - but Christmas orders and then Christmas itself, and soon New Years got in the way. I am trying to get back on track, but I had a REALLY weird dream last night and I thought I would post it first.

Earlier in the dream I met the McGees (a large noisy happy talkative Irish family that I have known since I was five) but that part of the dream is foggy. Later I was in an abandoned house, it wasn't completely abandoned - it was still furnished. Someone told me the owners had been gone without explanation for three days (or maybe three weeks) but it looked like someone lived there.

Suddenly I noticed a tiny fawn curled up under a cushion in the corner of the sofa. I touched it and it fell on the floor and the mother appeared looking at me very resentfully. I was afraid it had been hurt but it wasn't (somehow I remember first seeing this animal outside - and touching it and it falling off into the bushes - but I also remember it in the house).

Then a man came to do some repairs. He was slightly oriental in appearance, but spoke English without an accent. As he finished what he was fixing - he noticed Carolyn's plaster work  (my roommate had just done some plaster patches in our house in the real world) and said "I see someone else has been doing some work".

I agreed that we had and he asked how much it had cost as we might be able to get reimbursed, but I wasn't interested. Instead I asked him if he knew anything about natural history, and when he asked why,  I took him in to see the tiny deer. As we approached the couch I saw that they were gone, so I thought he would not believe me. When I told him there had been tiny deer - he turned over the corner of a blanket - and there they were!

He told me what they were called ( I can't remember the name now) and told me they were indigenous to a certain area of Canada (perhaps the north - but I remember thinking - they can't come from the North - that would be too harsh a climate for them,) He seemed to know all about them. When he left I was wondering if he might ask me out for a coffee or something - as I felt we had made a connection - but he just left.

Later my niece showed up and I was really excited about showing her - I kept telling her she must be quiet and not scream when I showed her - so she thought she was going to be frightened, but I told her "No, it's not frightening, but you will want to scream"

I took her by the hand and pulled her into the room. A tiny sheep jumped off the couch as we came in, and then a little dog popped out from no-where (looking a lot like her little black Westie-poo Dickens only older) She was delighted.  I showed her the deer, and they rolled a little on the blanket, so that I was afraid of harming the little one again and put the blanket back as it was. I was then distracted by the puppy I said "This is just what Dickens will look like a year from now" They I got up and started walking towards the door when I felt something crunch under my foot. I was afraid to look but I was convinced it was the baby deer. I threw myself on the floor and began to cry disconsolately. Either Anastasia or her mom (or perhaps my mom) asked me what was wrong and as I said the words "I think I stepped in the baby deer" I woke up.
My mom, my neice Anastasia and me

I don't remember my dreams very often and I like to record them when I do - so I am happy to be able to record them here - thanks to coyote_eyes   for the idea!

If anyone has any ideas as to what this might mean I would be glad to hear them!

I don't know what it is. I have had a website up for years. I get VERY erratic sales from it, so I didn't think an Etsy shop would be worth it. But I decided to give it a try, so when I got back from Paris last week I madly took pictures of everything I had in stock, and sent out a notification to my mailing list and lo and behold - I am making sales!  It's just weird.

www.imagocorvi.etsy.com

Anyway I wanted to post my new classical pieces. I was really happy with these


I am working on a few more (Iris, Selene, Aphrodite and Artemis) and I am trying a slightly different technique - with two layers of paint built up. I will post them soon!

Also - most importantly MY PARIS SHOES

I have always regretted that I didn't buy shoes when I was in Madrid MANy years ago - and I was determined not to make the same mistake again!! So here they are!! I love them!! Are they not beautiful? A work of Art? They are leather inside and out and I spent more than I should have on them - so they are just right ;-)



I can't wait to go to some Christmas parties and wear them and have someone say -"Nice shoes - where'd you get them?" so I can say  "in Paris"

For anyone who's interested I have posted my Paris photos on Flick'r:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/imagocorvi/

Maria and I in the Places des Vosges


I will be bloggin' about it eventually, but I am still recovering at the moment...

 Tomorrow is my last day in Paris.
I am having a truly amazing time! I met up with my University roommate Maria whom I have only seen twice since we both graduated in 1979 and it was just as if we saw had seen each other yesterday. I have been to The Beaubourg, Le Marais and the Place Voges. I have eaten in a classy restaurant, tramped around the Louvre and eaten several crepes sales (fromage et jambon) on various streetcorners.  Today I visited the tomb of Abelard and Heloise in the Cemetary Pere Lachaise (where I visited several other famous dead people like Chopin, Oscar Wilde,  Balzac and Sarah Bernhardt) I have been to the Cafe Universal to see a french chanteuse, and if all goes well I will be singing myself tonight at an Irish session in LeMarais. 

I won't be able to put it all in perspective until I get home and have a chance to digest, but it has been just truly amazing (Oh yes! and I bought shoes!)

I will download more pics when I get home - but this is me and my amazing friend David who made it all possible by bugging me all year to come and stay with him (He and his partner are living in Paris for a year to improve their French)


and this is his partner Hamilton and my friend Maria in the fancy restaurant

Vive La France!