Sketching 13

Collages are super fun to make. Sometimes I just randomly grab images I have collected in a folder and try to make something with them. I really like how this one turned out.

Sketching 12

I really like those lattice shapes. I want to do more with them. They're just really fun to draw.

Sketching 11

More microbiology inspired sketches. I'm a little behind in scanning these--this drawing is from December of last year.

Starting a new business

I finally stopped talking, and took the plunge today, setting up an Etsy shop. I've been batting the idea around for a few years now, never getting to the point where I actually made the effort to put my words into action. It was always something I'd do "someday," or "when I have the time," or whatever. I had plenty of excuses for why NOW was never a good time. It'd come up in conversation, and I'd list out my ideas and plans, brainstorming as I went....but it never led to anything concrete.

I'm really good at making work but not much selling it. I've probably got over 50 paintings and collages sitting in my parents' basement right now (and another dozen or two stalled works-in-progress). I had a full time retail job for four and a half years that sucked away too much of my energy and focus. By the time I'd get home from work, I'd be too tired to do more than poke around in my studio for a bit. I only had time to work in bits and pieces. I was actually pretty productive, but just didn't have the mental energy to focus on setting up my art as a business.

And then last year, I totally fell off the art making wagon. I barely made anything of consequence in 2012. I wasn't feeling very motivated artistically, and it didn't help that my job was taxing my energy levels more and more. You only have so much to go around when you live with chronic health issues. Then, I started dating Colin, which was absolutely life changing...but I had a decision to make. I had to decide where I was going to focus my energy. Art? Or my relationship? I wasn't going to commit to both and then half-ass it. I knew I had to really commit to one and let the other slide (for a time). I chose Colin. Which turned out well:

photo by Steve Coleman

So, we got married in February, and I quit my job right before our wedding. I didn't have a plan for what I would do next, but I knew I couldn't keep working in retail. I didn't have another job lined up, but after talking with Colin at length about it, we decided that would be the best course of action. My knees, legs and feet were hurting all the time. On my days off, I always had to ration my energy and turn down doing anything that was too draining.
When I quit, I suddenly felt amazing. I felt so energetic and alive--it was quite a dramatic change!

After settling into married life, getting our new apartment in order and just adjusting to a new life, I started job hunting. I've been applying to jobs since February, landing a few interviews here and there, but no solid leads. The market is still competitive, especially for the entry level office positions I've been applying for.

In my free time, I've been getting back into making art more regularly again. But living in a one bedroom apartment, I have less art creating space and need to be more intentional about my projects. I've already finished one street art project in the last couple months. It was a simple, small series and didn't take long to make and distribute. I wanted to settle into my next big, long term project, but didn't want to clutter up my apartment with artwork collecting dust. And I was ready to transition away from the assemblages I'd been making since college. I had started feeling like I was just repeating myself; my work didn't feel like it was evolving or going in any new directions. Being without a job and a lot of free time on my hands, I'd been feeling a bit directionless over the last couple months.

And then my older brother sent me over 50 small boards (about 4inx6in) as a wedding present (art materials are always a great gift!). A small germ of an idea started growing, and I realized now would be the perfect time to finally create that Etsy shop. Here was a chance to challenge myself to work in a more simple and pared down style so that I could make paintings with a more affordable price point.

So I've spent the majority of the day setting up my shop and listing items. I feel really confident in what I've done so far. It's time for me to stop saying, "someday" and starting putting my ideas into action.

You can check out my Etsy shop to browse through more pictures of what I have for sale: http://www.etsy.com/shop/AbstractAmbience

Sketching 10

Investigating microbiology organisms more. They're always so colorful in textbooks too.

Jewelry ideas

I've been asked by many different people whether I make jewelry. I never really felt any inspiration because most of my ideas had already been done and much better than I could do. But I've sketched out lots of ideas. I drew some recently that I decided to try to actually make.

I get a lot of my inspiration at work

Cardboard is plentiful at my job, so that's the material I chose for my first go at it. It's easy to work with and if something doesn't work out, it's not a huge loss.

Attempt 2

Attempt 1

I wore this one at work the next day.

I figured out that I need to paint both sides--more mileage out of the same piece! Also, I'm going to coat these in resin so they're more durable. I wore the second necklace all day at work, and it held up really well.

It was really fun playing around, and I'm definitely going to make more! 

Sketching 9

I drew this in church last Sunday. There was a lady sitting in front of me wearing a really cool crocheted shirt,  and I just had to make sure I remembered the part of the pattern I really liked. I never know where inspiration will strike, that's why I always carry a small sketchbook with me.  

Sketching 8

I think thoughts of summer were swimming in my head when I colored this in  a while back. And now it's hot here, so I'm wishing it were cooler again. Oh how fickle we Minnesotans can be when it comes to our weather!

Collage 3

More collage fun! 

Collage 2

Same collage, two different color choices. Sometimes I just like to see if the composition holds up if I take the colors away. Color can distract from poor layout. I actually like both of these a lot--the colored one for the bright popping hues, and the sepia one just has a completely different feel even though it's the same image.

But I did it my way

Every time someone tells me I can't do something or I have to do such-and-such in a particular way to be successful, I just want to prove them wrong. There's a part of me that exclaims, "Well, why?! Why do I have to do it that way? I'm going to do it how I want-and work harder at it-just to prove you wrong!" That side of me gets such a thrill out of doing things differently and making it work out anyways.

I'm quietly contrary, I guess. I don't argue to someone's face, I just go off and work at proving them wrong. Talk is easy and cheap. Actions back up and confirm my point. For example, I felt pressured by my advisor to apply to graduate school right away after completing my under-grad degree at Northwestern. I was burned out on school, and especially so after my last semester when I was working 40 hours a week and going to college. I got the impression that he thought that if I didn't go on right away for further education, I wouldn't amount to anything. I just wasn't interested in that path. I was like, "Why can't I simply keep making art on my own? I don't need a master's to be an artist. I'm just going to get my work out there!" And that's what I did: I applied to a bunch of calls for art, created business cards, made a point to carry CDs with my artwork and resume on them in my purse at all times. Within a year of graduating, I had work in 8 different art shows. Would I have been as motivated if someone hadn't told me that I was supposed to go about being an artist a different way? I don't know, but it definitely put a little extra fire in me to try harder and push myself further.

It's the same with my faith sometimes. I've always chafed under people telling me what I'm "supposed" to believe and do, how I'm "supposed" to be a Christian, a godly woman. There are so many voices out there who think they know exactly how everyone else is supposed to act--they've got the rules laid out, in detail, in their numerous books on how to live a better life/be a better Christian/be a 'real' woman/blah blah blah. It boils down to "This is what you're supposed to do. And if you don't, you're not really a Christian." That's legalism, not the freedom the Bible talks about. It's made me question things more, ask myself why I'm doing a particular thing--is it because I feel genuinely convicted to do it...or is it because I'm checking off a religious to-do list, trying to please others and not focusing on glorifying God? It's one thing for people I respect and love to speak into my life and point out error--I need that! It's another thing when you get blanket statements about how everyone is "supposed" to be.

For a time, I questioned and stepped back from all the "basics"--reading the Bible, praying, going to church. I knew I should do these things, but why? I knew it's what Christians are "supposed" to do...but that's not much of a motivation at the end of the day. I felt very aimless for a couple years, because I had to come to a conclusion for myself, not based on what everyone else says, but decide for me who I was going to be and how I would live out this thing called faith.
Eventually, I did make up my mind about all of it. I read my Bible pretty much daily, I pray a lot, I go to church every Sunday I don't have to work. But it's not because I'm "supposed" to, it's because I genuinely desire to.

I'm just pig headed that way, I suppose. Part of being such an independent person is that I question everything (sometimes to my detriment). I don't take things at face value--I don't want to know simply the "what" but the "why" as well. I have reasons behind everything I do. Empty actions are just so pointless to me. I guess it's that I want my whole life to have meaning and thoughtful purpose behind it. And simply jumping because someone says I should rubs me the wrong way.

Sketching 1

Here's a peek into my sketchbook. I just drew this the other day. I'm trying out some new ideas, just figuring out how I might incorporate micro-organisms into my work. Also, I'm trying to be more loose when I draw and letting things be more organic and less uptight.

Fresh inspiration

This is a magnified view of a bacterium. Sort of looks like a doily, doesn't it? I've always been interested in microbiology actually--I like looking at diagrams of cells and other micro organisms because they're so visually appealing to me.

My sister, Hannah, recently shared this pink image with me, and suggested I might want to look at other magnified images like it to inspire me. I Googled a bunch of different diseases and found some interesting images. Horrible illnesses, bad bacteria and viruses can be quite beautiful when seen under a microscope. They're obviously some sort of coherent structure with their own symmetry, but organic and natural enough that it's not too geometric. It's natural not man-made. I'm intrigued by that balance between structure and randomness.

My work in the past has been slightly influenced by this background interest in microbiology but only subtly. I've been thinking about genetics and inheritance off and on for awhile, but I didn't feel like I could convey those ideas in the way I wanted to. As I've expanded my repertoire of art making materials and played around in the studio recently, I feel like I'm getting closer to the heart of what I want to convey with my art.

I think this is going to be a more overt inspiration from now on. More to come....

The Gunnar Collective

I was invited just last night to check out an art opening this evening in Northeast Minneapolis. I was especially excited to go, because it's the inaugural show by the Gunnar Collective.
What is that, you may ask? Well, I went to Northwestern College in Roseville, MN, graduating in December 2008. The artists who showed their work tonight were a few years behind me. The name of the group comes from something that is scrawled high up on one of the walls in the main studio: "A. Gunnar." Apparently, a student from about 10 years back wanted to leave a lasting mark on the art department before he graduated. Now he's got an artists' collective named after him!
These students started getting together and doing critiques on Wednesdays last year, and wanted to push themselves out of the college "bubble." One thing led to another, and someone's basement has now been transformed into a gallery space! Tonight was great, because, if there's one thing you learn in the art department at Northwestern, it's how to present your art really well and throw a great opening (meaning, have good food and fun conversations).

The art on display ranged in subject matter and media but felt very cohesive overall when viewed as a whole. My favorite pieces were a series of four photos of parking spaces by Jason Wynia. Sounds kind of boring to describe them, but they were quite ephemeral and haunting. Snow outlines the empty black space where the car was, tire tracks cutting through the emptiness, footprints the only human presence. I've seen my share of urban photography (decayed buildings, smoke stacks, city skylines, etc, etc ad nauseam), but this is something I haven't seen before. It felt very fresh to me and wasn't trying to be too precocious. I wouldn't mind having one of those on my wall.

I also liked the performance pieces, which can be quite tricky to pull off. You have to find that delicate balance between accessibility, getting your idea across but not so heavy handed that viewers feel like the artist is talking down to them or being so esoteric that the audience gets turned off.
The first piece was birds made from snow by Hannah Lagoon. They were scattered around the gallery and slowly melting. As the basement is fairly old, the floor sloped at interesting angles, so the water was pooling in bunches here and there. I don't think some people even realized that it was a piece, as I saw a few visitors standing in the puddles.
The other performance was far more jarring and discomforting. Ever seen the movie Donnie Darko? Remember Frank?

This freaked the crap out of me when I saw that movie

Take the creepy down just a couple notches, subtract some clothing, add mud, and you get the monster rocking in the corner. I was too chicken to poke him or interact at all, but I think that was the point. It definitely lived up to its title: "Unsettled." I don't know where Rachel Moretto came up with the idea for that, but it totally made the show in my opinion. You're walking along, like, "Oh, some minimalist watercolor paintings....black and white photos....sculpture on the floor.....Gah! What is that and why is it looking at me? Wow, this basement suddenly feels a lot smaller....Okay, it can go away now."
It added a nice note of discord, that without it the show would have been good but not so memorable. Everything else then took on a bit of that off-ness, and I looked at the rest of the work again, made aware of what might lie beneath the surface, focusing on the meanings more than I did on my first look through.

Overall, I was really impressed with the Gunnar Collective's first outing. There were a few pieces I was pretty ambivalent about, but when I consider that some of the artists are still in college, I at least could see the beginnings of their artistic explorations. I'm interested to see what these artists will be making five years down the road. They're making a good start.

(And don't think I'm some sort of art savant--they had cards with a map of the space with all the titles and artists listed)

Art Submissions

Today, I have already submitted work twice in response to calls for art posted on MN Artists. It's pretty tedious and time consuming, but that's how I get my art shown. The thing is, no two submission processes are the same. Each one requires you to label, arrange, re-size, and write about the work in completely different ways. This one requires a full artist resume, that one wants a one page summary, another does't want any supporting documents. And if you don't follow the directions exactly, down to the most minute detail, they'll just throw your submission out. They don't have time for artists who can't bother following directions. If you don't submit work exactly as asked, it also reflects poorly on how serious you take being an artist. It also depends on what kind of call for art you're responding to. Colleges, art galleries, and contests tend to have very specific, detailed instructions, whereas a coffee shop or restaurant just wants to keep it simple so their time isn't getting wasted.

I have gotten a number of shows so far by physically handing a CD, burned with images of my art and contact info, to a proprietor of a space. But that's like cold calling someone for a job--sometimes you get a bite, but most of the time you get nothing. It pays to be prepared though: I had work at Beloved for six months last year; I didn't even know they had a gallery space before I walked in the door. I was there for a tattoo consultation that day, but because I had a CD on hand, they saw my art right away and I came across as someone who is serious about being an artist. There's nothing worse than telling someone you make art and not having any way to show them some work when they ask. People are more likely to look at the art if there's a tangible thing to put in their hands, rather than trying to remember a random website later that was written down on a scrap of paper.

Today is the first time in a while that I've sat down and seriously focused on submitting work. Since November last year, I'd totally slacked off in this. I don't why, but I lost all my motivation and drive to respond to any art calls. I let a lot of good opportunities pass me by, not feeling like taking the time (maybe an hour at most for submission, which really isn't that much). I stopped being really proactive about leaving my art CDs at places. I haven't made much art this winter either. In 2010 through the beginning of 2011, I made over 100 different pieces. Since the end of last summer, I've completed maybe 15 paintings, and only this past month gotten serious about finally deploying the rest of the Doily Ninjas. It's just been within the last month that I've gotten back into some serious art making. I don't know what threw me off my game so much either. I just didn't feel the push that I normally do. I'm usually pretty good about using my time effectively and consistently working on art making...but up until this month, I'd been so uninspired. I'm just tired. And not particularly in a physical way, it's more in a mental way. Physically I always struggle with low energy reserves due to my health issues, but that never stopped me in the past. I've learned to manage and work around my fatigue if I really want to get something done.

I don't know, maybe it's just a seasonal funk. I'm trying to not let my emotions get the best of me and get back on track to get my work out there.

Like here!

Doily Ninjas Deploy!

It's funny--I started this blog to talk about my art, and I think I've written all of two posts so far on that subject. I guess I like to create art more than write about it. Well, I'm going to rectify that mistake and try to share more about my art and what I get up to as an artist.

This past Sunday, I scattered a handful of Doily Ninjas around Minneapolis. Thankfully, I'm friends with a great photographer, Lois Babatz, so she documented where I left them all. She got some beautiful shots of the city and my ninjas. Here's a few of my favorites:

#68 near W Lake St in Uptown Minneapolis

#22 on the Sculpture Garden bridge in Minneapolis

#77 on Main St NE in NE Minneapolis

#85 leaning against a power line pole in North Minneapolis

at Washington and Dowling in North Minneapolis

If you come across one of my Doily Ninjas and take it home with you, I'd love to see a picture of where it winds up. You can send me an e-mail: elisabeth.preble@gmail.com

Year in review part 3: Me

So far I've shared about family and friends (and church). Now it's onto a more personal focus, what's been going on with me this year (I wanted to keep the whole alliteration thing going with the titles, because I'm weird like that, but I couldn't think of a good word that starts with F for this post).

I started out the year with an art show. Four of my paintings were on display at Coffman Union at the University of Minnesota. My art was chosen for all the promotional stuff, which was pretty awesome. It's really neat to see a big ol' poster with your work splashed across it. The art shows continued, February being the best month, when I had art in FOUR shows at the same time! I had work displayed in an upscale salon, a tattoo shop, restaurant, and an actual gallery. Beloved Studios (the tattoo place) left my paintings up from February until August! I didn't have too many other shows this year, but I did get to road trip a little for one. In October, I drove up to the Iron Range in northern MN with all my Doily Ninjas to be part of a street art show. My grandparents live just two minutes from the gallery, so it was fun for my Grandma to get to see my art in person. My grandparents also had more to brag about when pictures of some of the Doily Ninjas got published in the Mesabi Daily News. Thanks, Grandma, for the newspaper clippings--I will totally hang on to those!

Any press is good!

I got a really good response from people, probably because I gave away a few of the Ninjas. The Doily Ninjas are my most successful series so far; it's been really fun to see where they end up--my Ninjas are more well traveled than I am! Someone brought a Ninja to Japan; Hannah's taking one with her to New Zealand, and another friend is packing one when she and her family go to Cameroon next month. Just remember to take pictures for me, guys! 

The Doily Ninjas have been extra fun for me, because I always planned to give them all away. I got the wood shapes for free, and I just like to share art with others. Sure, I like to sell work as well (money is good), but part of my artistic philosophy is that I give some stuff away too. God gifted me with a passion and skill for art making, I like to give back by not clinging so tightly to everything I make. Beauty is meant to be shared. 

Speaking of art, I just applied for graduate school this month. If I get accepted, I'll be attending the U of MN next fall for a Master's in painting. I feel like God's telling me it's time to start a new chapter in my life and focus more on what I really want to be doing. Now that my application is out of the way, I'll be gearing up to apply for more art shows after Christmas. 

The biggest thing this year was getting my tattoo. It's been something I'd been thinking about for a long time and finally had the money to do it right. I'm so happy with it, and it just feels right to have it there now. It's a visual aid for a great story about Who God is and what He's done in my life. In the coming year, I look forward to sharing that testimony more. God has really been impressing on my heart that I need to not give into fear, but be bold and courageous, standing up and proclaiming that I am who I am today because of His great love. Without Jesus, I would be lost, broken, alone, bereft, in darkness and hopeless. I never want it to become this trite, faky smile story. It's not like, "Everything was horrible, then Jesus showed up and now it's all perfect!" *cheesy grin* Life has its ups and downs, and God is there with me through it all. 

Another cool thing this year: my sisters and I went on a great American road trip across the country. We went from MN to Omaha, Nebraska (where our aunt and uncle live), then straight through to Tucson, Arizona. It was just the three of us and my red Elantra, zipping through mountains and desert, there and back again in a little less than two weeks. It was alternately draining and relaxing. Our friends in Tucson spoiled us and played tour guide--I definitely want to visit again! I love road trips, and there's just so much to see in the Southwest. Note to self next time: don't try to drive straight through the night, pay the money for a hotel. It was really hard to come back to the humidity of the Midwest after the glorious dry heat of AZ. If I didn't like MN so much, I would move there right now.

I'm going on three and a half years at Half Price now. It's been a decent job with some nice benefits--they take pretty good care of their employees. I'm grateful to have great health insurance, that's for sure! I appreciate having such a flexible job when it comes to getting days off. Because of that flexibility, I've been able to do as many art shows as I have and volunteer as well. There's not too many jobs you can just take every Tuesday off to go volunteer somewhere. I really like that I can do that. I also love the fact that I'm surrounded by books every day and get paid to read. I've learned so much from all the awesome books I've come across at Half Price. I always said when I was growing up that I wanted to work at a bookstore someday. 

But lately, the store's been feeling smaller, claustrophobic at times. There's an itch, I guess you would call it, a quiet longing for something more. A little voice whispering in the back of my mind as I go about my day: "Don't settle. Don't stagnate, Elisabeth. You will not be happy or content to stay here another three years." It's scary though, because I don't know what's coming next. It's safer to just settle into neutral and not strive too hard....but it's not the best way. I want the less traveled road, the journey through uncharted territory. I can feel it's time for something new--God's been poking me most of the year to get ready. He knows that I like being comfortable and am not a huge fan of big life change. 

And if I'm coming across as all uber-spiritual and faith-filled, because I mention God a lot, don't believe it. I floss more than I read my Bible. If I want to read something, the Bible is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind. Over the last 12 months, I definitely have gotten closer to Jesus and feel like I understand Him just a bit more...but faith is a never ending journey. I suck at it a lot more than I'm successful. That's one thing I've realized this year: I may have grown up in the church and a Christian household, which means I know a lot about the Bible....but it's much harder for that knowledge to be transformed into application in my life. I don't want to be a Christ follower simply in word. It's easy to talk, that's cheap and easy. The hard part comes when it's time to put one foot in front of the other and actually live out what I say I believe. I think if I focus on following Jesus first and foremost, the rest will get figured out along the way. 

Current Artist Statement

I just finished my application for graduate school the other day. There was much essay writing and re-writing that went into it. I applied for a full ride fellowship, had to say why I want to pursue a Masters in Fine Arts, what my art means. And I re-wrote my artist statement yet again. I've been doing that at least once a year since college anyways, but this was impetus to really do a good, thoughtful job. 

An artist statement is supposed to sum up in a page or less what your work means, why you make art and what you want viewers to take away from experiencing it. My goal is that everyone can read my statement and understand my art. I don't want it be overly academic and jargon filled. So for your reading pleasure, here's the latest rendition of what I want to say about my art (and yes, it is less than a page, it just looks like a lot): 

Evoking idealized childhood memories, I focus on the happiest moments, remixing those bright emotions into a shining daydream.  I don’t recreate a specific instance, more reference a romanticized feeling about the memory. I’m not interested in reality—real life is full of complications, sadness and disappointment. I choose to be easily pleased and enraptured, retaining a childlike enjoyment of the little things: a shiny jewel, a pretty bird, fluttering butterflies, a colorful button, bright colors, flowers, glitter, costume jewelry in all its sparkling glory. 

I pluck out the glorious moments of my childhood: the summer days of being a little girl when the world is exciting and full of adventure; the quiet contentment of eating a melting fudgesicle while sitting in lush green grass; the exhilaration of discovering the joys of reading as a young child; the sense of safety when my Dad would sing me to sleep at bedtime; the excitement of learning to ride a bicycle; feeling beautiful playing “dress-up” as scarves and old dresses get turned into a queen’s royal robes; the deep pleasure of learning to make beautiful things with my own hands; the surreptitious thrill of touching a sculpture in an art museum.

I still like to explore the world through touch—if I can’t hold something, discover its tactile qualities with my hands not just my eyes, it doesn’t feel real to me.  I want people to have that same pull when they look at my work. I’m portraying ephemeral and intangible concepts, yet the pieces themselves are weighty and substantial, catching the eye and inviting the viewer closer. I want sensible people to feel the urge to run their fingers across the surface, just to know if it actually feels like it looks. It’s that instinct to engage the world with all our senses that I want to evoke. You know you shouldn’t…but you just want to trace the curve of that jewel, the undulating hills of paint and varnish, the path of a twisting necklace.

In the studio, a sense of youthful playfulness and exploration pervades my art making process, though the more pragmatic side of me knows full well that those rosy memories are past and in fact, never actually were as I portray them. As much as I want to hold onto that idealized time of my life, reality intrudes.

In my recent work, I’ve been mulling over the turmoil that is adult life, the need to let go, and exodus: birds in migration, paint trails meandering aimlessly through the picture plane, jewelry in seeming disintegration, thread unraveling, materials actually hanging off the work as if caught in mid-dissolution. My paintings blur to various degrees over time, contributing to the sense of a dream dissolving as you wake up. The cheap jewelry I use tarnishes and discolors easily, bringing a touch of imperfection and decay to my idyllic daydream. The more layers I add the more blurred out the initial images become, sometimes ending up only as blobs of vague color. This is so much like our own minds in regards to memory: The further back you try to recall, looking through all the layers of time that have passed since, the less details you can remember--only a hazy general outline remains that you can project upon. The present can easily bestow a glossy veneer over the past. It’s mental flotsam building up to cover over the dark parts and leave the shining moments to glimmer through. 

You can see more of my work over on Deviant Art or MNArtists.