COMMUNITY ART | SEASONAL PULP

We're gearing up for our second bi-annual Seasonal Pulp - a FREE, all ages, all skill level, crafting workshop that will contribute an ever evolving window display at Wild Goose Creative.  

With this "Make Two, Take One" event, you'll be guided to making the pieces that will be on storefront display through the holidays.  Participants can take their artful creations home, and leave a few behind to contribute to the display.

Below is a sampling of some of the pieces we'll be making... We can't wait to see you there!

 

IN THE STUDIO | LAURA WEISER

We've been so amazed by Laura's art for years, and even more impressed at her ability to teach at OSU and CCAD, be an amazing mom and at the same time find the time to make beautifully crafted pieces. We met up with her well over a month ago for a studio visit and we're just now getting around to post this piece on her. But first, a quick background on Laura (taken from her artist website).

Laura Weiser was born and raised in Parkersburg, West Virginia.  She studied painting and printmaking at West Virginia University, where she graduated with a BFA. She moved to Columbus, Ohio in 2007 to attend The Ohio State University and graduated with her MFA in painting and drawing in 2009. Currently, Laura works as an Instructor of Art at both The Ohio State University and Columbus College of Art and Design.

Laura creates 2D works that incorporate encaustic, drawing materials, and oil paint. She works with images of architectural interiors and exteriors and creates connections between their history and how they are currently perceived. Inspired by ghost stories, her work imbues these places with apprehensions, nostalgia, and imagination. Laura has shown her work recently at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, ARC Gallery in Chicago, IL, Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts in Minneapolis, MN, and The Parkersburg Art Center in Parkersburg, WV. She has had recent solo exhibitions at Stone Village Gallery in Columbus, OH and the City Art Center in Delaware, OH.

1. When did you start making art?  Is this something you've always done or been interested in making?

I’ve definitely always been interested in making art but all children are really, I just kept doing it. My earliest memories of art making were from kindergarten, I would draw and cut out sea creatures and spread them out on the floor as if it was the ocean. I also started making books around then, just simple, stapled together books with illustrations. A lot of my recent work has a narrative quality so maybe I’m returning to that thought. Maybe I should start doing floor drawings too! That’s actually not a bad idea. 

I took art classes throughout middle and high school and saw what I could of art in museums (I grew up in a pretty small town, but we travelled a lot). When you’re young of course, it’s about making art as realistic as possible. I remember winning best of show for a charcoal drawing of pigs in a barn at the county fair. Then when I went to college there really wasn’t too much question about what I wanted to study and then grad school brought me to Columbus and OSU.

Laura's home studio overlooks the back yard where a series of bird feeders bring nonstop chirping and chatter of a variety of birds.  She now shares the space with her daughter's toys.

Laura's home studio overlooks the back yard where a series of bird feeders bring nonstop chirping and chatter of a variety of birds.  She now shares the space with her daughter's toys.

The encaustic process.

The encaustic process.

 

2. How has your art changed since you started teaching?

You really have to understand the fundamentals in a different way, in a much deeper way. I teach first year students so I am always steeped in the fundamentals of design and the process of art making from ideation to creation. Its also keeps me up with contemporary art and the ability to think about and describe work. It’s like going to art school all over again! Teaching also rekindled a love of drawing for me. Drawing was the first thing I ever taught (at OSU) and I just love the immediacy, connectedness, and temporal qualities of drawing. It’s such a personal thing, the mark is so tied to your body and a specific thought at a specific time. You can have a class of 20 students all drawing the same still life but each student’s translation of it looks different, feels different, and communicates something different.

Untitled.  Graphite and charcoal on drafting film. 2015

Untitled.  Graphite and charcoal on drafting film. 2015

Void. Graphite, enamel, watercolor and charcoal on drafting film. 2015

Void. Graphite, enamel, watercolor and charcoal on drafting film. 2015

 

3. You have a 2-year old daughter now, how has that affected the way you make art (in terms of craft)? More importantly, has the act of having a child change the way you see things?

Actually she’s 3 now! 

It has definitely changed the way I see things in a million impossible to describe ways. In terms of how I work- I used to think that I needed to be in this solitary, quiet place to make work and that just isn’t going to happen for me. I don’t think I made any art work the first year of her life, but eventually I figured out how to. You can’t ever make art that exists in a vacuum and you certainly can’t make it in one. So really my life as a mom is all a part of the process of making. Logistically, I have learned to work when I get a moment even if it’s just for a moment and to work with or alongside my daughter. Sometimes she draws or paints too, other times she’s watching a movie in the next room. I’m sure that this arrangement has changed the art work in some way but I haven’t quite put my finger on it yet. One thing that’s really great though is how interested she is in what I’m working on. She tells me what a painting looks like to her or she is asking me about what exactly I’m doing. When I am finished working on a drawing I always hang it on the wall of my studio to keep it safe so lately she’s been making drawings and then taping them on the walls.

 

4. What record are you currently listening to? (Because we are always curious and we always ask this question).

I am really out of touch with current music so I am usually listening to something old in my record collection. The most recent album I listened to was Lust for Life by Iggy Pop. 

Untitled. Encaustic, charcoal and graphite on paper. 2012

Untitled. Encaustic, charcoal and graphite on paper. 2012

 

5. What's your biggest influence at the moment (person / place / thing)?

I don’t know if this is an influence or just an interest but I have gotten really obsessed with storytelling lately. I listen to podcasts of the Moth Hour, Snap Judgement, Home of the Brave, etc… when I am doing busy work in my studio or while driving. 

 

6. Describe a typical routine day, or describe how you go about making an art piece. From start to finish, please.

I always start a piece with source materials. Sometimes I work from photographs that I take, documenting things that might work well in a drawing or painting. Other times I have an idea for an image and I have to go online and try to find already existing photos and combine them to get the scene that I want. When I start on a piece, I almost always include some experimentation with material and process. I often think that I am making things hard on myself by complicating the process of drawing or painting but that part is really exciting to me. For example, I might sandwich imagery between layers of encaustic wax, or I scratch into the surface of the wax and then fill the lines with paint to create marks (like an etching). With my recent drawings I have been using drafting film which is a translucent paper and I have been experimenting with drawing on both sides of it. 

Throughout much of college my artwork was abstract but still referenced architecture. It’s only been the last few years that representation has come back in my work. I am always questioning whether I can still work like that. If I have to draw a house or a chandelier or whatever, I am never sure if I’m going to have the skills to do it or not because I took such a long break from working in that manner. But the great thing about experiencing both abstraction and representation in your work is that you learn a lot about your materials and can become more sensitive to things like the process and the mark. 

Chandelier with Reflection. Graphite, pastel and watercolor on drafting film. 2015

Chandelier with Reflection. Graphite, pastel and watercolor on drafting film. 2015

 

7. What were the decision factors to create a home studio?

After I got my MFA it was a necessity because I couldn’t afford a studio space. But now I really don’t even want one. My schedule is such that I can only work for short periods of time and if I had to add traveling to that equation I would never get anything done. I was talking to a professor at CCAD and he said he paints every single day if even for just half an hour. I am striving to do that-a little everyday. So much of art making is busy work anyway: building a panel, preparing a surface, slowly building up a drawing. It’s not like I need some sort of secluded, sacred place to do that. Plus I like that it makes my work part of my everyday life in a very literal way. My studio really is part of my house too-I don’t even have a door I can close.

8,  Let's have some fun: Choose two of these more light hearted questions to answer:
   What's your spirit animal?
   Are you into skirts or shorts?
   Favorite summertime activity?  Hiking, grilling, and porch sitting
   Best holiday?
   If you could be a super hero who would you be?
   Secret shopping addiction?
   What's your go to drink?   IPA 
   Cats or dogs?

Through the Woods. Encaustic, collage, oil and watercolor on panel. 2015

Through the Woods. Encaustic, collage, oil and watercolor on panel. 2015

You can see the majority of the pieces in this blog at her Solo Exhibit, opening tomorrow at the Stone Village Church in the Short North.  Opening is from 5pm - 7pm.   Click here for the event invite and additional information. Stay tuned for the next IN THE STUDIO session, coming up later this summer.

COMMUNITY ART | SEASONAL PULP, Vol. 1

SEASONAL PULP is a collaborative project that we have started with our friends at Wild Goose Creative.  It's a way to celebrate the seasons through community made installations.  Each season we will be hosting an origami workshop at the Wild Goose space (2491 Summit Street).  Participants are asked to make a handful of each origami design.  A few to take home, and a few to leave behind for a window display installation that will stay up for the duration of that season.

Our first ever SEASONAL PULP kicked off this past weekend.  Below is a quick time lapse video we did of us putting together the window display installation using all of the origami pieces.  Stay tuned for photographs of the final display coming soon! 

 

IN THE STUDIO | MEAGAN ALWOOD-KARCIC

We have a huge crush on Meagan Alwood-Karcic.  She's instantly of whom we thought of when we wanted our logo designed (thank you!  we love it!).  We each personally own several of her paintings. And, have you seen her perform on stage?  Its mesmerizing to say the least.

The main reason for starting this "In The Studio..." blog series was to get inside the head of the creative process of each of these artists.  And it's amazing how much we draw from different parts of our lives, from others, from nature, and it's just as interesting to know what we tune out in order to create.  Below are some of the photos from our home studio visit in January mixed in with some of her paintings, all accompanied by Meagan's responses to some of our questions.  We hope you enjoy!

Meagan's work can be found for purchase at Society6 and is happy to take commissions.  Check out the Alwood Sisters band information and past album releases here.

 

Leo. Part of the Zodiac signs series.

Leo. Part of the Zodiac signs series.

1. When did you start making art?  Did you always do painting / drawing? Or are there any other forms of art that you dabble in?

I think all kids draw, but I started kind of creating characters in 2nd or 3rd grade. I kept a notebook hidden in my room with the characters. I would design clothes for them, and draw different scenarios for them. My mom made a pattern for one of the coats I designed, and actually made it into something I could wear! I started painting in high school, and did a little bit of clay sculpture, but drawing is what I really love. I always want to dabble in other forms of art. I can't get enough, and fall in love easily with different creative outlets. Although I am self taught (and not that great at it), I love composing music. I absolutely LOVE to sing, and find a great deal of satisfaction in collaging. In my work, for consistency's sake, I try to do more drawing and painting than anything else, though.

2. What are your ambitions for your work for the upcoming year?

I am always looking for ways to improve or expand. I don't think of things in terms of years, rather in terms of movements or moments. At times I am sedentary, and consider these times to be resting periods. That being said, I am trying to build a foundation that strongly supports a new movement or moment in my artistic life. More specifically, I am hoping to open new doors of opportunity for design and commission work. I have a strong desire to be a functioning and inspiring member of society, one who gives a positive contribution to their environment. In terms of that, I am learning what works and what doesn't. It's a hell of a bumpy ride!

Family portrait commission series.

Family portrait commission series.

3. Who / what is your current inspiration? Who / what has made you stop in your tracks lately and made you rethink things? (don’t hold back this doesn’t have to be about your art, it can be anything at all).

Can I say Life? Haha. Really though, life itself is a pretty damn good inspiration. It is endlessly complex and rich. It is pure, undefinable energy. Sometimes you meet people who can be described that way, but they are only a microscopic fracture of what Life actually is. Nature will always stop me in my tracks, and rethink things as well. I walk in the woods daily, regardless of weather. I can't describe in words the genuine awe and surprise I encounter. And the fact that sometimes I am terrified fascinates me. Nature is really really pretty, but sometimes, it wants to kill you.

megan alwood-karcic-1.jpg

4. What’s currently on your record player? 

I have to admit, I choose to spend a lot of time in silence. I'm not sure why, other than it takes a lot for me to be able to concentrate. I suppose, in a way, listening to music is something I want to give all my attention to. So, regularly listening to music, does not happen for me. I am learning about different types of music and art movements right now in school, and having to write about them. This is forcing me to not only seek out new music, but to listen more regularly. The last thing I listened to was 'Gymnopedie No. 1' composed by Erik Satie. Its a really beautiful, dissonant, sad piece of piano music. Interestingly enough, I think his compositions are considered to be background music.

Vintage Dolly Parton.

Vintage Dolly Parton.

5. Favorite daily routine  and/or  what would make up for a perfect day?

I really love coffee, so I love waking up just so I can drink coffee. I also really love walking. Especially anywhere that my dog can be off leash and freak out. I love watching that little doggie's tail wag. I love hug breaks, too. Sometimes, mid day, my husband and dog and I will all squish together for ten minutes for a nice love break. 

And as much as I embrace every season, a perfect day would definitely include balmy, dry weather. Windows open, my loved ones nearby, and all of us doing what we love. 

6. Any future aspirations and/or collaborations with others?

I am currently collaborating with another artist named Paul Giovis. We are passing art back and forth. We are trying to keep the images within an architectural realm, and eventually hoping to have enough pieces to make a show out of. 

As far as the future goes, I want to finish school, get more work, meet new people, and continue to grow/learn. I am hoping to do future collaborations with companies that work directly with artists. I really like the idea of interior spaces, and want to start working more with incorporating my work into interior spaces. In the past, I have experimented with printing my work onto plates, fabrics, tote bags, etc. I really like this idea, and would like to start to design textile and surface specific patterns and such.

A collaboration piece Meagan did with her sister, Amy.

A collaboration piece Meagan did with her sister, Amy.

from here to eternity 1.jpeg

7. Anything we haven’t covered yet you’d like to mention?

I am really grateful for the life that I get to live. I feel like thanking everyone around me everyday. I would like to encourage everyone to find out what it is that they love to do, and to try, against all odds, to do what they love as much as possible.

IN THE STUDIO | UNDER AURORA

Last month we met up with Tina DeBroux from Under Aurora, as a way to kick off our "In the Studio of..." series.  She works out of her lovely home, which gets great light and has some great cool hues.  Below is a Q&A along with some of our favorite shots from our session. And if you haven't tried her line of products yet, please do so, I'm addicted to her jojoba infused facial oil.  Enjoy!

 

1. How did you get started with Under Aurora?

I had been involved in aromatherapy & natural body care for over fifteen years but had never taken that step to start my own line. About a year ago I developed four essential oil blends which became the artist, the poet, the rebel, and the dreamer botanical body spritzes. Each were named for different characteristic that I feel all creative people, particularly creative women, seem to embody. I began selling the botanical body spritzes, as well as the coconut oil spray, on Etsy. Last summer I was approached by a major retailer that was interested in carrying the line. Ultimately, I decided that they wouldn't be a good fit for Under Aurora, but that is definitely what started the ball rolling.

2. What are your ambitions for Under Aurora for the upcoming year?

My number one ambition is to continue to get the line into beautiful and unique stores across the country. I would also love to increase the number of direct sales through the website.

 

3. Who / what is your current inspiration? Who / what has made you stop in your tracks lately and made you rethink things? (don’t hold back this doesn’t have to be about your business only).

I'm currently re-reading a book that I bought a couple years back called “The Natural Kitchen – Your Guide to the Sustainable Food Revolution” by Deborah Eden Tull. Tull is a former Buddhist monk and she writes beautifully about concious consumption, nutrition, and mindfullness in the kitchen. She tries to live with zero waste and has been quite an inspiration for me. I try to be aware of my waste and to utilize everything to its fullest.

 

 

4. What record are you currently listening to?

“Carne Levare” by The American Jobs hasn't left my turntable for months. It's so stark and haunting, a perfect winter record. It was actually put out by Savage Quality Recordings which is the record label that I run with my husband.

 

5. Favorite daily routine and/or what would make up for a perfect day?

I love the stillness of the morning and the ritual of preparing myself for the day. I start every morning with a pot of tea. Lately, while I wait for the tea water to boil, I've been giving myself a “honey pat”. I spread a thin layer of raw local honey across my face and then use my fingers to tap my face, as if typing on a keyboard. Then just rinse it off with cold water. It's so invigorating and make my skin glow.

 


6. Any aspirations to add to your line of products? Any collaborations with others?

I've been thinking a lot about solid perfumes so I think that will be next down the pipeline. I had an idea of working with different artists/illustrators to do special labels for limited runs. But that's still in the “just an idea” phase. I'm always open to the idea of collaborations!

 

You can find her products at any of these stockists, listed here and at pop-up shops and fleas around the Midwest.