Exquisite Corpes

I am featured on my boy's blog about poetry busking. We went out for sushi today for lunch, and after we were done with our yummy fish rolls, we wrote this.

Studio Practices

Hi babies,
I have launched my new project: www.studiopractices-au.blogspot.com
It is a collaborative blog consisting of myself, and a few painter I thesised and graduated with. It's going to be a great way for us to stay in touch and keep our art juices flowing. Visit us!!

Studio

Hi kiddies, here are some decent pictures of the studio spot :

Early organizational stages

(studio-dog poses)

Where is that red ball??

(studio-dog acts coy)

I recently cam into possession of an awesome table, not yet set up, but I am syked.

(studio-dog gets ready to follow)

Extra storage space.

(studio-dog follows)

One of my favorite images...

Mom always said "that is me and daddy"

I am for the art of....

I am for an art that is political-erotical-mystical, that does something other than sit on its ass in a museum.

I am for an art that grows up not knowing it is art at all, an art given the chance of having a staring point of zero.

I am for an art that embroils itself with the everyday crap & still comes out on top.

I am for an art that imitates the human, that is comic, if necessary, or violent, or whatever is necessary.

I am for an art that takes its form from the lines of life itself, that twists and extends and accumulates and spits and drips, and is heavy and coarse and blunt and sweet and stupid as life itself.

I am for an artist who vanishes, turning up in a white cap painting signs or hallways.

I am for an art that comes out of a chimney like black hair and scatters in the sky.

I am for an art that spills out of an old man's purse when he is bounced off a passing fender.

I am for the art out of a doggy's mouth, falling five stories from the roof.

I am for the art that a kid licks, after peeling away the wrapper.

I am for an art that joggles like everyones knees, when the bus traverses an excavation.

I am for art that is smoked, like a cigarette, smells, like a pair of shoes.

I am for art that flaps like a flag or helps blow noses, like a handkerchief.

I am for art that is put on and taken off, like pants, which develops holes, like socks, which is eaten, like a piece of pie, or abandoned with great contempt, like a piece of shit.

I am for art covered with bandages, I am for art that limps and rolls and runs and jumps. I am for art comes in a can or washes up on the shore.

I am for art that coils and grunts like a wrestler. I am for art that sheds hair.

I am for art you can sit on. I am for art you can pick your nose with or stub your toes on.

I am for art from a pocket, from deep channels of the ear, from the edge of a knife, from the corners of the mouth, stuck in the eye or worn on the wrist.

I am for art under the skirts, and the art of pinching cockroaches.

I am for the art of conversation between the sidewalk and a blind mans metal stick.

I am for the art that grows in a pot, that comes down out of the skies at night, like lightning, that hides in the clouds and growls. I am for art that is flipped on and off with a switch.

I am for art that unfolds like a map, that you can squeeze, like your sweetys arm, or kiss, like a pet dog. Which expands and squeaks, like an accordion, which you can spill your dinner on, like an old tablecloth.

I am for an art that you can hammer with, stitch with, sew with, paste with, file with.

I am for an art that tells you the time of day, or where such and such a street is.

I am for an art that helps old ladies across the street.

I am for the art of the washing machine. I am for the art of a government check. I am for the art of last wars raincoat.

I am for the art that comes up in fogs from sewer-holes in winter. I am for the art that splits when you step on a frozen puddle. I am for the worms art inside the apple. I am for the art of sweat that develops between crossed legs.

I am for the art of neck-hair and caked tea-cups, for the art between the tines of restaurant forks, for odor of boiling dishwater.

I am for the art of sailing on Sunday, and the art of red and white gasoline pumps.

I am for the art of bright blue factory columns and blinking biscuit signs.

I am for the art of cheap plaster and enamel. I am for the art of worn marble and smashed slate. I am for the art of rolling cobblestones and sliding sand. I am for the art of slag and black coal. I am for the art of dead birds.

I am for the art of scratchings in the asphalt, daubing at the walls. I am for the art of bending and kicking metal and breaking glass, and pulling at things to make them fall down.

I am for the art of punching and skinned knees and sat-on bananas. I am for the art of kids' smells. I am for the art of mama-babble.

I am for the art of bar-babble, tooth-picking, beerdrinking, egg-salting, in-sulting. I am for the art of falling off a bartstool.

I am for the art of underwear and the art of taxicabs. I am for the art of ice-cream cones dropped on concrete. I am for the majestic art of dog-turds, rising like cathedrals.

I am for the blinking arts, lighting up the night. I am for art falling, splashing, wiggling, jumping, going on and off.

I am for the art of fat truck-tires and black eyes.

I am for Kool-art, 7-UP art, Pepsi-art, Sunshine art, 39 cents art, 15 cents art, Vatronol Art, Dro-bomb art, Vam art, Menthol art, L & M art Ex-lax art, Venida art, Heaven Hill art, Pamryl art, San-o-med art, Rx art, 9.99 art, Now art, New ar, How art, Fire sale art, Last Chance art, Only art, Diamond art, Tomorrow art, Franks art, Ducks art, Meat-o-rama art.

I am for the art of bread wet by rain. I am for the rat's dance between floors. I am for the art of flies walking on a slick pear in the electric light. I am for the art of soggy onions and firm green shoots. I am for the art of clicking among the nuts when the roaches come and go. I am for the brown sad art of rotting apples.

I am for the art of meows and clatter of cats and for the art of their dumb electric eyes.

I am for the white art of refrigerators and their muscular openings and closing.

I am for the art of rust and mold. I am for the art of hearts, funeral hearts or sweetheart hearts, full of nougat. I am for the art of worn meathooks and singing barrels of red, white, blue and yellow meat.

I am for the art of things lost or thrown away, coming home from school. I am for the art of cock-and-ball trees and flying cows and the noise of rectangles and squares. I am for for the art of crayons and weak grey pencil-lead, and grainy wash and sticky oil paint, and the art of windshield wipers and the art of the finger on a cold window, on dusty steel or in the bubbles on the sides of a bathtub.

I am for the art of teddy-bears and guns and decapitated rabbits, explodes umbrellas, raped beds, chairs with their brown bones broken, burning trees, firecracker ends, chicken bones, pigeon bones, and boxes with men sleeping in them.

I am for the art of slightly rotten funeral flowers, hung bloody rabbits and wrinkly yellow chickens, bass drums & tambourines, and plastic phonographs.

I am for the art of abandoned boxes, tied like pharohs. I am for an art of watertanks and speeding clouds and flapping shades.

I am for U.S. Government Inspected Art, Grade A art, Regular Price art, Yellow Ripe art, Extra Fancy art, Ready-to-eat art, Best-for-less art, Ready-to-cook art, Fully cleaned art, Spend Less art, Eat Better art, Ham art, Pork art, chicken art, tomato art, bana art, apple art, turkey art, cake art, cookie art.

Claes Oldenburg

May 1961

Life's a beautiful blue-eyed redheaded bitch

I have been very busy.

I am sitting here, on my first night off in seven days. Doesn't sound like a lot, but for what I am used to, it is. Ah, what can I say about my lovely job? I have worked well over 40 hours this week, and made well, a lot of money. Waitressing, serving, waiting tables, what have you. I would call it an inglorious job. It is a people pleasing business, in the lowest most demeaning form. Serving some one food. I go out to eat, I love going out to eat. I love work sometimes. I usually have so much fun at work. But I'll be blunt it is a shit job. I am basically someone's personal bitch for 45 minutes to an hour. Then sometimes I think about the people I work with who are "lifers". People who usually don't have an education, and maybe an illegitimate kid. Or three. I also have worked with work moms. My mom was one of these. A 30-something married woman with a few kids, and perfectly respectable life. They only work on the weekend, just for some extra grocery money, of whatever it goes to. They usually play mom to all the other girls at work too. I love my work moms. That reminds me, Renee, please come back. We miss you, and we need you. You also don't usually see male "lifers" or male "work moms". You will however, always encounter foul mouthed male cooks. This, my friend is only the tip of the iceberg. I am constantly looking over my shoulder and guarding my money against thieves (aka co-workers). Some are more of a risk than others, but I like to play it safe.

I fall somewhere in the crowd that has another career ahead of them, and we are just doing this to put ourselves through school, or until we leave for grad school. Boring story, but true. Putting up with - you don't even wanna know.

There is nothing better than getting dirty looks from customers because we are out of cranberry sauce...

I did paint this week. I spent three hours trying to paint a tomato. It was rough. I haven't painted in so long. Not this way, anyway. But I will tackle it. Money is very important right now, and the only way to get it (that I am willing to do) is working at my job. If this week is anything like last week, I won't be around here too much, nor will I be painting too much, but I am determined. I have tomorrow off, and I plan on finishing the little tom.

I am also welcoming Bethany of Bloom, winner of Ruth's give away! Congrats! Welcome, Jessicaleighlalou!! Please visit both of these lovely ladies bloggies. I hope this doesn't change anything ...welcome chickies!

This is priceless. I love Regina..... Enjoy!

loveyouall

Getting Mail and New Followers

Two of my favorite things are getting mail and getting new followers, here at The Art Process. Welcome!! Beth of Green Tea, charming and simple by the way and Monica (Onic) of gimmie smoothies

Green Tea is so charming and simple, I look forward to following you!!

And gimmie smoothies is amazing - blogging about clothing and all sorts of wonderful stuff!!! What a deal. Love it. Following you too ;)

Any way, welcome welcome. I hope you enjoy your time here :)

The Bloomin' Winner

Congrats Miss Bethany of Bloom for winning the give away!!

Photo via Bloom

Check out her blog...beautiful photos!!

Opposite, there of

This entry shall include pet-peeves of I, Jana, the author of this here blog. I consider it the opposite of my last posting.

1 You pull up to a red light. It trips, the light turns green. You start to go (I am usually turning left). The light turns back to yellow before you are even half though the intersection. Annoys me beyond belief.

2 Cheap asses

3 Wet door handles

4 Sweeping carpet

Four. That's all for now.

And I apologize that two of them are directly related to my only job. I just got off, and it's all still so fresh in my mind.

Congrats to the winner of the give away!! (to be announced in a few hours, by Ruth!!)

Felicitous Findings: II

1 Being able to say I've never been to the McDonald's in my town.

2 Morey

3 Oh so pleasant customers

4 The prospect of Ruth visiting me in less than a month, and all the fun we are going to have!!

5 Banana bread

Painters Reunite!!!

I am excited. I get to be reunited with most of these lovely ladies tonight!! I miss seeing them everyday, in their spots in the studio. I miss talking with them for hours about nothing everything and nothing. Being pulled away from them so abruptly was something I was wasn't prepared for.

It has taken me a long time to get to where I am, in the studio. And I am still no where near back to normal.

I believe that I will never be back to that specific normal. I will have to fine a new rhythm and a new normal. One that involves solitude and little or not instant feed back.

Oh, how I wish I had known what was coming. How I wish I had better prepared myself. How I wish I could have stayed like that forever.

But nothing lasts forever. And everything is impermanent. More on that later....

GIVE AWAY

Hi Everyone!

I am so excited to announce that I will be participating in my first ever GIVE AWAY!!

Just visit Ruth at Ruth Writes, and comment on her Give Away posting. Simple as that! (You should really become a read and follower of hers too, because she is just so wonderful, but it's not required. Highly recommended, but not required.)

Enter before Sunday October 12th, 12 am EST for a chance to win a necklace or a pair of earrings from my Etsy shop!!

And look for another give away over at For The Easily Distracted next week!!

Cheers!!

New On ETSY

Hi misters and misuses!

New work on Etsy, from the small Cut and Sewn series.

My Shop

Felicitous Findings: Maiden Voyage

Ruth has been writing Felicitous Findings for months now. They are one of my favorite things to read on her blog. I am officially borrowing "Findings" from Ruth, so start finding joy in my own life.

I will follow suit, making a list of 5 for every entry.

Forgive me, I am a first time Finder:

1 Doing "swaps" ...the most recent I signed up for being the Photo swap!

2 Good pizza.

3 Doing Yoga in the morning.

4 Watching Morey chase leaves.

5 Candy Corn. The first 4 or 5 pieces, anyway.

Has anyone been on Google today? What is up with the barcode?

Welcome Melanie!!

Hello Mel, and welcome to The Art Process!!

I hope you enjoy my musings and creations.

Mel is a fellow Arcadian Painter, graduating with Michael in '07. She has some beautifully moving paintings and drawings; all of which I love.

You can view her work here.

Visit her!

:)

photo SWAP!!

Take a look, over at my new favorite blog: For the Easily Distracted. What an awesome idea!! Check her out!

New Etsy Work

Internal Suggestion No. 14 small Cut and Sewn Series

Buy!

detail

Place, Seven

Buy!

Piia Harris & Naturally Nina

Look at this girls beautiful work!! Piia Harris is an illustrator currently living and working in Israel. She is Naturally Nina's giveaway this week!!

Hope I winnn!!!

Animals At The Zoo & By Boe

I recently decided that part of getting myself "out there" is immersing myself in other blogs, and drawing others to mine, by commenting. (Thank you, lovely Ruthie.)

I was looking at Animal At The Zoo, and noticed these amazing little leather rings from By Boe. I love the gray-silver one! And the orange one. I especially love that on there website, things are organized by jewelry "with color" and metal jewelry. This color-lover is smitten.

Speaking of Animals At The Zoo, I love what they are doing. Seriously, look at the blog. Then support the artists on there. Maybe someday, I will be on there. Not yet. I am not ready to be famous yet. But I will be.

Getting myself out there

I am doing everything I can think of, short of rent and airplane with a banner, to get myself out there. Hopefully Craigslist will inspire a few more shoppers over at Etsy.

I will be participating in a drawing or contest of sorts with Ruth of Ruth-Writes. Keep your eyes open for more details either here or over on her blog!!

I would also like to draw some attention to "L Garvey" or "EL" or as I call her, my friend, Lauren. She has a few beautiful paintings up on her blog, and I'm excited to feature some here:

I have always loved Lauren's paintings, but these three are my absolute favorites. Especially the bottom one. It is on my wish list for Christmas. If only I was independently wealthy, I wouldn't have to wait until Christmas!

HERE WE GO.... (betsey!!)

I recieved my partner for the shop swap, and I am super excited to get my painting for her underway. Her name is Audrey and she lives in Canada. She makes adorable little painted wall hangings (amongst other hand-painted things!), and I am so lucky to be partnered with her!

And she sews!!!

View her stuff on her blog here, and if anything suits your fancy purchase here ;) !!