Time Pieces

Something new I have been working on...

 

 

 

 

Thinking about time passing and what remains...

 

These are made with vintage pocket watch cases from CockroachShop on Etsy and human hair(...and glue and patience!) The curly one is from my last dramatic haircut; the others are hair extensions I purchased.

Sweet Home Sweets

 

Sweet Home Sweets: Paper clay with watercolor, cellophane wrappers, found plate. Each house around 1" tall.  2012

 

I found the perfect plate for these in my studio debris. I am using the word debris because it is quite a mess. However, mess equals activity...so I am delighted. More to come!

Looking Around: Puur Anders

 

 

Every so often, I see something on Etsy that sticks with me....and I just can't stop thinking about this leaf. You can find it in the shop Puur Anders which features the work of Miranda van Dijk.

 

Maybe it is because it is autumn here in Kansas (at last!) or because I have a little baby changing before eyes or because of my love of cloth between my fingers...or all of these...this peice has grabbed my attention and won't let go. Changing seasons, passing time, fleeting moments, fading memories, death....ah! So much more than a brooch!

 

If you care to explore a little further, you can read the Puur Anders blog and visit the website. They are a treasure trove of inspiration.

Considering Scale...and Food?

Scale has been on mind lately. I am working on a big project again...though I vowed to "take a break from big" after dealing with transporting one my largest piece to date, Rag Rug,  across the country last year. Sometimes I just get big ideas though...what can I do?

Scale is important in art. The size of the work in relation to the viewer has an impact on how the piece communicates; how it feels; how it reads. If a piece towers over you as you view it, it it feels very different than if you can hold it in your hand. An object can go from cute to creepy to menacing depending on its size. Creating unexpected extremes can be a powerful way to grab attention and stir thought. While it is easy to automatically make work of a certain scale because of standard size materials or costs or space in which to work, it is important to remember that scale can be a powerful tool with which to communicate.

Since I have been thinking about all of this, I have been seeing examples of scale extremes all around me. It all started in the grocery store...

with the cutest (and most delicious) potatoes ever...and then it continued on Etsy

with giant fabric food textiles by Brook Abboud...

and then on thisiscolossal.com with the work of Christopher Boffoli

These scale extremes caught my eye...and gave me a grin. 

Looking Around: Amanda Blake

A great weekend is coming to a close here and I think I'll wrap it up by posting about Amanda Blake, an artist I discovered while browsing on Etsy. Check out these lovely paintings...

Clover followed her imaginary friend everywhere

Nigel and Lily embraced by the sea

Rebecca wore a dress of wildflowers

She made wings of love letters and cherry blossoms 

They built a life out of hope and flowers

Where she went in the night

I respond to the dreamlike, almost haunting quality of these pieces. The painting itself is beautiful...the muted colors and the dry, sparing way in which the paint is applied. Flat and imperfect patterns and flat perspective give the work a folky, honest feel. The figures are mysterious...gazing out at me...waiting? listening? longing for something? I am left to insert my own narrative. When I look at these works, I feel like I am  remembering a nearly forgotten dream.

You can see more of Amanda's work online on Etsy, on The Enormous Tiny Art Show, and on her website. 

Ruth Tabancay

Another from my files....I first stumbled upon Ruth Tabancay in Fiberarts Design Book 7. Tonight, I visited her website and discovered even more exciting work. You should certainly take a look! Below are a couple of my favorites.

Sweet Dreams - hand-stitched tea bags

detail

Birthing Bed - wool felt and  liquidamber fruits

detail

What Linens Know - Hand embroidery on vintage linens

detail

Sweet Stop Motion by Elise Fachon

Stop motion is so fascinating to me. It is a tedious process but the results are so worth it.
I ran across this piece by Elise Fachon on www.thisiscolossal.com yesterday. Check it out...


PIN from Elise Fachon on Vimeo.

I constantly find myself personifying inanimate objects...spoons, cups, irons, buttons...so this seems very close to home. It makes me want to run to my studio with a camera and start moving things around!

Time is flying by...

Being a mom is great....even greater than I ever hoped...but it sure takes a lot of time. I just logged in to this blog after what I thought was surely just over a month or so of absense only to realize that my last post was on March 16th! March 16th!! Three months ago. Wow. Life is moving fast.

My son is now four months old and I am happy to report that I am starting to get in a rhythym at last. Of course it is not a return to my old rhythym...that is gone for good...but a new (even better?) rhythym entirely. I am learning how to get things done in the free minutes I find scattered  about my baby-filled day. I am learning to be more patient and more relaxed about my to-do list.

One thing that has been on my ever present to-do list for eons is creating an Etsy shop. I have spent countless hours daydreaming and brainstorming about what new thing I am going to start making and selling that is going to change my life and really bring home the bacon. Of course, I can't really just start making a product like that...on a whim. Afterall, there are only so many hours in a day and I want to make my art...not little things designed only to sell, sell, sell.  So finally, as I was setting up an Etsy shop for Paso a Paso Missions last week, something clicked in my head..."Just make a shop with your art. Who cares if it sells?! It is just another way to get exposure!" And that is exactly what I have been working on for the past couple of days. It is not totally finished yet but it is "open". I want to add a few more pictures to a couple of items and write more elaborate descriptions...but it is a start. I am excited!

You can see it here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/StudioBetsyTimmer
You can also visit the shop for Paso a Paso Missions here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PasoaPasoMissions
(I did some volunteer work in Guatemala last year and as a way to keep helping from the States, I am managing this shop.)

Lee Bontecou

Another of my inspirations...

This last one is my favorite...I like seeing the interaction between the individual pieces...a collection of characters. You can read more about her here and check out this video from MOMA below.

Julie Arkell: Combining Cute and Creepy

Below are some images of the creations of Julie Arkell, an interesting artist I first encountered in Selvedge magazine.


From earthangeltoys.com "Julie Arkell is one of England's best recognized contemporary folk artists working in papier-mâché and mixed media. It has been said that Julie, "...cannot resist the rejected debris of everyday life.  She especially favors discarded toys for inspiration and printed textiles”."


I have turned to papier-mâché  again and again because of the ease with which I can combine it with found objects...no firing or heating to damage the little bits of everyday I wish to employ. Arkell's work is funny and a little disturbing...it keeps me a little off kilter when I examine it....which, for me, keeps it from becoming too cute.

You can see more of Arkell's work here.