BAD JONES RISING

Hump Day Hooplah Monday night I was in a way. Do you ever just...

Wed, 30 May 2012 08:46:37 -0400

cut his eyes out!

started a ribbon, erased a ribbon

blind guy

great mustache!

dopey

Hump Day Hooplah

Monday night I was in a way. Do you ever just get in a funk? I was so deep in an art block bog, swamped with chaos and brainmush I nearly fainted! I did what I always do, cleaned my workspace up and re-organized the stuff so I could see straight. After working all weekend on my 3TT collages I thought a change would be nice. (I started so many secret projects this past holiday weekend! I was exhausted) I got rid of all the colorful stuff and went back to my graphite. I just wanted to sketch with pencil just to get myself back in the groove. Luckily, it worked and I am back on my A+ game.

The photos above are just some quick sketches of guys with big noses and no eyes. Not sure what I’ll do with them, because they aren’t final or needed for anything in particular. I scanned the stopping point so you could see where my mind was. Can you believe it’s already the middle of the week, and the end of the month!? Crazy…

Triple Threat Tuesday #4, What’s Red and Black and White...

Tue, 29 May 2012 08:32:00 -0400

a simple rock city turned color palette!

mini ccc, with a hint of pink! 3"x5"-ish

8" x 11", main

Triple Threat Tuesday #4, What’s Red and Black and White All Over?

This is my 4th 3TT and every time I do it, I like it better than the last post. This is definitely my favorite so far because it’s so visually crazy and stimulating for just 4 colors! It was difficult for me to stick to the criteria this week, and not use pink. Since red and yellow are usually my go-to colors, pink is an easy glue for color schemes. I really want to get out of this though, to appeal to a wider audience and also challenge myself. I used to only use limited color schemes, but grew out of that with the willingness to be more “free” with lines and expression. It felt really good to revisit old techniques. I also find that red, black, white, and gray are best suited with bold images and text found in glossy magazines. I used some patterned paper and the arrows you see are freehand, and cut out of construction paper to show some variety in texture.

I was originally inspired by sneakers (of all things!), and the crazy crackle my fiance suggested I try to reproduce. I immediately searched for all the red, black, and white sketches I have. Surprisingly, after watercolor and gouache spiderwebs and layers of lines and dots, I had a great “crackle” effect. As I starting pasting down my images and text scraps, I realized that I was having fun and it was coming out way better than I thought. Eventually, as you can see, the “crackle” disappeared. I save some pieces and will use them in some future projects. The main collage, 8” x 11”-ish, was dominated by black so I used the white and grays to make the mini one. The lesson of the day is to always remember where you came from. Use old techniques with new ideas and 9 out of 10 times you will get a positive result. Happy Tuesday!

Monday Motivation #4, Brain Pickin’ w/ Clinton...

Mon, 28 May 2012 09:57:46 -0400

silkscreen monoprint

Silkscreen monoprint, 6x6 inches

Check out those lines!

Love this one, a fav among many.

Monday Motivation #4, Brain Pickin’ w/ Clinton McKay!

Clinton McKay is a fellow artist, blogger, and collector of not-so-well-known art. I first found him via his mail art and immediately signed up for a trade. Over time I have really put him on the top of my favorite artists list. He is continually putting out great work and is a constant inspiration. He was kind enough to answer some questions I have been wanting to ask him for a while:

RJ: I have always loved your blog, but I really wanted to pick your brain after your last big run of silkscreen monoprints. They are small, but make a big impact on the viewer visually. Can you tell us about those?

CM: Thanks! The silkscreen monoprints were my first attempt at paring away all of my dependencies on presses and light tables—in preparation for working from in my studio apartment during grad school. I’ve been working for about a year on developing techniques for silkscreen monoprints (you can see some 18 inch ones on my blog) but this series is a little different. I have a statement for the project on my website, but basically, I’m planning to make hundreds or even thousands of the monoprints, all the same size and shape (6 inch squares) and show the most successful pieces. The set I’ll show will change repeatedly as I make more and more prints, meaning the same show could have an entirely new set of images each time you see it. The prints only require a small screen, some hinge clamps, and a small table (and acrylic inks) so I’ll be more than capable of producing them in my apartment. I might even start a project making a new print each day as part of my morning routine.

RJ: You just graduated and that’s pretty awesome! Congratulations! Tell us your big plans for projects now that you don’t have to worry about tests, grades, and deadlines.

CM: Bad news, I still have to worry about all of those things. I’ll be moving to Bloomington in the fall to begin grad school. As much as I hate to say it, although I love printmaking, I need something more tedious and structured to feel fulfilled (that sounds insane, I know) so art will always probably be only half of my career. I’ll be a Systems Librarian at a university library if everything works out well—and I’ll be able to take print classes (as well as language and philosophy classes) without paying for them. So the ultimate goal is to get access to a print studio and a decent income to keep working and hopefully showing on a regular basis.

RJ: Is there anything besides printmaking that you want to experiment with? I think you would be great with sculpture. You have such a sense of texture and tactile elements in your work.

CM: It’s interesting that the physicality of my work brings up this question. I think my strongest passion aside from printmaking is conceptual and performance art. I have tried to incorporate different aspects from historic conceptual and performance art work into my printmaking pieces. I think Fluxus is the most interesting movement from the past century and its influence on my work is undeniable. The three pieces in my BFA exhibition last month were fine art printmaking reinterpretations of work by Yoko Ono, Robert Watts, and Ray Johnson (all Fluxus artists) and I’d love to continue working in that vein. I’m not sure I could ever separate my work entirely from the visual aesthetic or the physicality of semi-traditional printmaking, but I do plan to continue exploring conceptual and avant-garde ideas through my processes and through performances involving my prints (like my Cut Pieces)

RJ: I appreciate you as a fellow blogger. You run a blog for your own work, and then you have one with art that you love. Where do you find your current inspirations? Are there any artists that you are really into at the moment?

CM: I have a long list of tags I check pretty frequently. I follow every term relating to printmaking and also quite a few artists. It’s really interesting how easy it is to find the influences in my work from all of the artists I follow so I’ll list them: Cy Twombly, Collier Schorr, Frank Stella, Gerhard Richter, Helen Frankenthaler, Jenny Holzer, Josef Albers, Marina Abramovic, Morris Louis, Ray Johnson, Richard Serra, Sol Lewitt, and Willem de Kooning. Aside from these artists, I have made quite a few very talented friends on Tumblr whose work inspires me conceptually and visually all the time. My art blog (appropriatorium.tumblr.com) is actually almost entirely about visual inspiration, but I make it a point to include not only classics that you might hear about in a good art history class, but also some of the new work talented Tumblr-ers and young artists are producing today. My aesthetic is really textural. I have to admit I’m apt to love a painting, drawing, or print just for its visual appeal even if it’s devoid of real substantial content and even if it’s not necessarily something you would think of as fine art (although I would argue that everyday experiences can often be more significant aesthetically and conceptually than art per se).

RJ: Mail art is a big part of your process and style. In fact, you and I have traded postcards! How is that going? How has mail art and blogging played into your recent projects?

CM: My work with Mail Art was a terrific experience, and it played a huge part in my work during college leading up to my BFA show. It actually started as a way for me to print anything I wanted and still unify all of the work in one massive dialog with an art history as well as with actual real life people. I like to think that my art is all about exploring the boundaries of art (I know that seems trite but I’ve spent quite a bit of time talking about the conceptual limits of what can and can’t be considered art and why people define the boundary the way they do). I think sending people original art in the mail is a really great way to force them to question their operating assumptions about art and its function in society so it’s perfect for a Fluxus enthusiast like me!

RJ: Do you have any advice for the fellow artist, when it comes to work ethic? You put out so much work, with so much impact! How do you stay motivated?

CM: I think I make the amount of work I do because I’m just very obsessive about things. I’m constantly thinking about printing and I get a really great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day if I’ve made a new print (or 15 new prints, as it’s been lately). I see a lot of people working really tediously on giant paintings and insanely intricate etchings—and that’s great, definitely, if that’s what you want to do and you have the patience for it—but I see 10x as many artists who just get depressed seeing those tedious artists cranking out massive, detailed work. I’m not the kind of person who can spend 100 hours working on an image and I don’t think that makes me lazy or a bad artist. If you just can’t handle making insanely complicated intricate work, don’t just give up on it, find a way to get what you want in a single stroke! Just be prepared to do it a thousand times.

Good advice if you ask me! Thanks so much Clinton for answering my crazy questions. To see more of Clinton’s work you can visit his website, follow his blog, and like him on facebook. Happy Monday and art-making!

Well, I guess we might as well say the hell with it and give...

Sat, 26 May 2012 18:22:50 -0400

So much good junk

Sweet book, right!?

tape, tape, and string and string

a page from my book. Copyright 1973!

perhaps I will finally learn how to knit

Well, I guess we might as well say the hell with it and give Summer a warm welcome! It hit 90 today and my first thought was to have a cold beer and a nap. Instead, like the good artist I am, I went to some yard sales and found some inspiration through junk. I was so excited with my finds, I just had to blog about them!

I found another sweet shadowbox/display box that is a bit bigger than the last one I bought. I also found my lime cabbage a Mrs. and two babies! The guy sold all three pieces to me for $1! I also found some of the sweetest notepads, masking tape, polyester string, stickers, weird electrical tape, soldering wire, and tags. I bought something like a “grab bag”, filled with items of my choice for $3. What a deal. I will honestly say, the winner of the day was the vintage Victorian House Treasury of Lesser-Known Examples. It is in PERFECT condition so it will be added to my house collection. Every page is filled with the strangest and most beautiful photos. I am going to scan some and post them on tumblr later on. I also uploaded the picture of the box of yarn, garden books, and sewing stuff because that was aquired and never mentioned. Who would throw such amazing craft goodness away?

Have a wonderful weekend kids, and be safe. I know when it’s hot out, y’all want to act all types of crazy!

#photofriday #3, Hidden Inspiration I had so many ideas for...

Fri, 25 May 2012 19:17:55 -0400

#photofriday #3, Hidden Inspiration

I had so many ideas for #photofriday today, because I was up late last night thinking about the possibilities. The strange thing is, every time I went to take a picture of my ideas I wasn’t that impressed. I went out all day taking photos and saving them, uploading none. THEN! All of a sudden I am standing right in front of these weird, peeling, weathered letters that are bigger than my hand. I was instantly inspired, and realized that I have looked at these numbers a million times!

After taking some time to really examine them, I began to appreciate them more than I ever had. The red is a bright fire engine red, and the metal that they are on is rusty and has the nicest oranges and ochres in it. I thought of gritty, urban alleys and graffiti. It also reminded of some of Michael Chase’s Area of Interest photography which I have always been a fan of. Beauty can be found in the most unlikely of places! I am really glad I took the time to take this photos. I already have sketches and pieces in mind for them. Isn’t is crazy how the most ordinary things can be so inspirational?

The Day After Yesterday Yesterday was a really crazy, lazy,...

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:37:00 -0400

The Day After Yesterday

Yesterday was a really crazy, lazy, stressful day for me. I try not to have too many of those and when I do I get kind of sidetracked. I was having internet troubles and didn’t get anything uploaded or posted. I did some spring cleaning and tried to wind down by drawing and coloring. I want to start a new blackbook, and I figured I could just cut and paste this one in. It’s a BJR design, because I want some more color in my title image.

I also made this video the other day and completely forgot about it. It is of the December book I made and never archived the pages. (that is a long term goal) The quality is not the best, I am warning you now. Then again, the video is not the important part, the juicy awesome art inside is!

ochremesa: December Sketchbook ‘11, a flip-through, by...

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:33:00 -0400

ochremesa:

December Sketchbook ‘11, a flip-through, by BadJonesRising

I made this quick flip-through of a sketchbook I made back in December & January but never really showed the whole thing. It was probably one of my favorites that I have completed. It’s full of textures, tactile surfaces, patterned paper, collage, and stitching. I was listening to the Garden State soundtrack so you will hear Coldplay & Frou Frou…it’s also not the best quality so I apologize for that. I really just want to give you an idea of the inside of the book. Also, thanks to my little sister for her help. Thanks for watching!

I am going to make more like this soon…you can read more about it: here, here, &here

Triple Threat Tuesday, a purple surprise! My inspiration for...

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:40:28 -0400

Notice the lack of purple

Main collage, lots of purple

Mini CCC

Triple Threat Tuesday, a purple surprise!

My inspiration for this week’s color palette is from my recent gluebook (here is an example of an older one that I posted). I like finding inspiration there because I haven’t really done anything final with the pieces in there and it’s a great source for color schemes. This particular collage had one lazy little line of purple and as you can see, I used it to my advantage. Making color palettes with found papers is one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have done lately. If you have never tried it, you should.

I wanted this week’s main collage to mimic the way I art journal. I used the text from the gluebook image, “on rare occasions” and ran with that. I also used my classic “patchwork” and “quilting” technique to bring in more of that handmade feel. I hated the collages yesterday, but they look nice scanned. I really thought the purple was overwhelming but it’s not really when you consider it’s a weird gritty hue. Plus, it reminded me of my Color Collecting challenge for the month of May! Now if I could only figure out watermarking and cropping… That digital editing stuff is for the birds and we all know I’m a fish! Happy Tuesday, and I hope you are making something awesome today. Use my color palette and send me your artwork! I’ll post it!

Also, if you are in the color palette making mood, join Brandi’s Color Palette Blog Walk and meet other color-lovers! And don’t forget to read this awesome interview I did yesterday for Monday Motivation.

MONDAY MOTIVATION #3, Studio Questions w/...

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:48:05 -0400

Green and glorious!

secret garden?

organized and more organized!

nooks, crannies, and secrets!

what a view! so inspiring!

stacks and books and artwork

music stuff!

MONDAY MOTIVATION #3, Studio Questions w/ @Chongolio!

Chongolio kindly answered the many questions I had about his creative days and his awesome studio in Hawaii! We have been bloggin’ buddies for a while now and I thought it was time he was featured on BJR.

RJ: After doing the awesome guest post over on your blog, I couldn’t wait to have you featured here on BJR! Let me thank you for doing this for me. I know you have a crazy schedule with all of your new blog stuff, vlogs, and projects. You have one big project in works right now. Can you tell us a little more about your Tiki Mug project and any other works in progress?

C: The Mug project is a collaboration with my good friend Holden Westland who owns and runs Tiki Farm. Holden and I have talked about working on a mug using one of my designs over the years but both of us keep pretty busy schedules and our timing never really synced. However, at the beginning of the year, Holden had contacted me and asked if I was interested in a special mug project that he wanted to work with me on which involved a series of mugs that were based on the authentic tiki gods and legends of Polynesia. Since he knew of my interest in Hawaiian culture, the artistic influence it has on my creativity and I was actually living in Hawaii he thought I was a pretty good candidate for this project and my plate was pretty much cleared off at the time. I am actually very honored to be picked for this project since Holden has worked closely with some amazingly talented artists in the past. If all goes well with this series of three mugs we are hoping to move onto some of the other legends and mythos of other island located in the South Pacific.The Tiki Farm mug project is the biggest project I am currently working on, but I have also been doing a bunch of the backend stuff and research for creating ebooks and online workshops that can help others to get in touch with their own creativity and inner artist. Essentially, this is what my Video logs (VLOGS) and blog are the start of and I hope to expand off of over the course of the years ahead. I also continue to work on logos for clients and friends and always have a dozen or so of my own artistic noodlings going on. Keeping on top of all this stuff is hard work and time consuming but I love it and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

RJ: After looking at tons of work in progress photos and studio shots, I didn’t think I could be surprised. Of course, I was terribly surprised when you sent yours over! It’s so full of neat things, nooks, crannies, and stacked goodies! Have you ever taken a panoramic of your studio? Have you ever sat back and really, truly looked at it?

C: Part of the reason my home studio is so jam packed right now it that I just moved out of a space that I was using as my art studio. It was nice to have the room to stretch out, work and make a mess but I have recently moved and that space is no longer close or very accessible anymore. I also found that having to drive somewhere and designating a time to be creative wasn’t really working for me either. I need to have my stuff near me so when I am inspired its at hand and close by. Back to your question, yes, I have taken steps back at times to look at my creative space and I get overwhelmed by all the unfinished works and ideas that I have started and want my attention who compete with the calling of the ideas and projects that want to get started. I am trying to be more focused on the things I choose to work on and starting to look more actively for the common threads that links several projects together so that they can help each other to develop. I suppose a good example of this would be the characters I draw and create that become the subjects of songs that I am working on, which are played on instruments that I am building while thinking about the characters that I envision. It’s a kind of a circle of dots that I try to connect whenever possible. I find making those connections inspirational and it does help keep me motivated, finish works that I have started, flush out ideas and stay somewhat focused. When one artistic piece or idea is not quite working out or becoming clear I find by moving onto something else the puzzle eventually will unravel and the solutions will come and help loosen the part I was stuck on. My whole life seems to work on a weird level of random connections that somehow end up helping each other to develop and work themselves out. I am very into this whole notion of cosmic serendipity especially when it involves creativity and events in my life. But that is another topic that I can ramble on about for hours. For now I will stay focused on your questions though. See? I am getting better at staying focused ;)

RJ: I especially like the view from your window/door because you live in Hawaii! I am from the East Coast, so water is really important to me. I bet you can smell the salty ocean and hear the crazy beach birds. Tell us about what you see everyday, and does it effect the way you work, and what kind of projects you make?

C: I absolutely love where I live! Seriously, a day does not go by where I am not grateful for the ocean I get to surf in, the waterfalls in the green mountains that I can see from my yard and all the wonderfully noisy critters that I share this paradise with. I have always dreamed of being an artist living in a tropical location so this really is a dream come true. I find so much inspiration in nature, especially when it is untamed and running wild. Personally, I find nature’s boundless creativity and endless ways of expressing itself totally inspirational and here on the islands you cannot ignore it. It doesn’t yield to man’s demands and does what it wants. You can put concrete on the ground and surround yourself with walls and try to hold back the plants and creatures but eventually the grass is gonna grow up from the cracks, a spider is gonna find its way into your bed and bite you on the ass and a gecko is gonna crap on your stuff. It’s not all pretty and sometimes it can be a bit gross but it’s all part of the big picture. I try to remember that when a painting I am working on goes sour or something just falls apart on me while I am building it. It may not be pretty or come out how I expected, but in the larger picture, it is serving a creative purpose and helping me to grow and learn. Kauai is a part of everything I do now and really has become a part of who I am artistically, physically and emotionally. I love this island and I am pretty sure she likes me too, but sometimes she has a strange way of showing it.

RJ: One of your most recent VLOGS, #16, included little buttons, plastic found things, and knick knacks used for altering art. I have watched all your videos and I personally liked that one best. That particular video inspired this feature. I am so curious about where you find things. How do you decide what to keep and what to leave stuck in the sand? Do you have any favorites that you just want to be a part of the collection, rather than being glued and spray painted onto an art journal?

C: Really glad to hear you like the videos! Leaving stuff behind is hard. As I mentioned earlier, I have recently moved my art space and honestly could not believe how much stuff I have collected over the past five years that I have been living here especially after making a huge purge before I moved. If you were to see all of the stuff I have collected together in one place you would think I didn’t leave anything behind. Right now space is really the determining factor for what I keep and what gets left behind. If it is really something I can use right now and is going to be put to use I will grab it. If it is just going sit around and take up valuable real estate I have to leave it behind. I really am a pack rat but until I can find a permanent space to call my own I try to remind myself of what a pain it is too keep shuffling buckets of driftwood, boxes filled with old toys and bins of discarded electronic equipment from place to place. I am trying to get better at letting stuff go and the feeling that I have to hold onto things for that one “special future project.” I suppose the stuff that is the hardest to let go of are the items that I have collected while I was growing up. They have so many memories and still hold the magic that I found in them when I was younger. I really do have a loving relationship with all my little toy creatures, figures, knick knacks and scraps of stuff which at the time, and still are, keys to the world of my imagination. I never outgrew any of those things and have a hard time sacrificing them to art projects which could mean losing them.

RJ: One thing that sets your studio apart, is the music stuff. For those readers that don’t know about the kind of music you make, can you give us some info about how making music fits into your usually visual artisticprocess? Are you currently working on any musical projects?

C: Music is another one of the keys to my imagination, I have always loved music and drawn so much inspiration from it. I have played guitar and ukulele for many years and wanted to be a drummer when I was a kid but would often get discouraged by my lack of ability. It wasn’t until recently I figured out how to stop comparing myself to others and began to accept my music as something I do purely for myself and for my own enjoyment. Sometimes the music I make can only be described as noise or what I like to call “ambient collage.” However, I am trying to write more traditionally structured songs with lyrics that hopefully will be a little more easier to listen to by others. I have committed myself to writing and recording a proper song each month for the year of 2012 with something resembling a common verse, chorus and bridge structure. My songs are usually written about characters that I have thought up and created. This is mostly because I found my writing about life, love, happiness and despair sounded pretty lame and cheesy. I also write all the little snippets of background music in my VLOGS which tend to be more in the way of musically wandering around with not a whole lot of thought going into the direction I am going with it. That stuff is usually added at low volume and hidden behind the narrative so I can get away with a little more experimental sounds and noise. I do try to keep it interesting and not to grating on the ears bones.

RJ: Give us a normal day in your shoes, or no shoes since you are usually barefoot! From breakfast to bedtime, tell us your creative process.

C: I will give you a day when I don’t work in the silkscreen shop because those days are boring and tend to be creatively stagnant for the better part of the day. However, everyday starts with writing at least 750 words right when I wake up. I use this time to acknowledge all the things that I am grateful for as well as to write down the things I want to get done that day and as any other thoughts, snippets from dreams or random musings that are rattling around in my head. I also do most of my online posting before I get out of bed as well. I then make a cup of coffee, a bowl of oatmeal and pack a lunch before I head out the door usually by 8:00 clock. If I am not going to the shop, I am headed to the beach to go surfing. After a morning surf, I will do whatever errands need doing in town and will usually pop into one of the thrift stores to see if there is any bargains to be had or little toys or things that need a new home. On my way back home I like to stop off again at one of the other beaches and eat my lunch and write in my daily journal. I will usually also pack up some art supplies and work on art for a few hours if the weather is nice. Once I get back to my studio, my tendency is to get online and catch up with all the blogs, people, groups and forums that I follow and participate in as well as any research or info gathering that I am doing. I am not really very artistically productive in the afternoons and will usually just clean up, work on my gardening and do paper and busy work until I hit the 3:00 clock wall and then go down for an afternoon nap. After my nap is when I get my second wind and will start digging into what ever is on my creative list of things to work on which include everything from recording audio and video for my VLOGs and songs to working on artistic projects that are on the front burners or in my art books and journals. I like to take and evening walk before dark and go feed the horse down the street some apple slices. After that I just keep working on my projects until about 10:00 and then will sit in bed and mess around with music apps on my iPad until I crash out. I lead a pretty simple and easy life and I am grateful for every stress free second of it!

RJ: I know that an artist and his studio are one and the same. Is there anything you would change about your studio? Are there parts that are “classic” Chongolio, or is all of it inspiration for a creative lifestyle?

C: I would like to have more room and space that I can call my own so that I can feel less transient and more grounded. I think I would be more likely to take on bigger and more permanent and challenging projects if I didn’t have the nagging voice in the back of my heads always telling me “You are gonna have to tear that thing apart and move it when you move.” So I suppose classic Chongolio would be the portable and easily mobile nature of my studio and the improvising of furniture and areas to work in. I would also have to say when describing the Classic Chongolio studio you would have to include the word cluttered. My studio is always a part of where I eat, sleep and live so it really is an extension of myself and my lifestyle.

RJ: If you could give advice on how to keep a creative, inspiring, and stimulating studio what would it be? Sometimes artists need a break, even from their own space. Are there any other neat places that you like to brainstorm and create besides in the studio?

C: For me organization is key. My spaces are always packed and cluttered but I know where everything is most of the time. Also, keeping the stuff you use frequently use to create close at hand and at the ready to use is a must too. Which also ties into me always trying to keep at least one table free at all times so whenever an idea hits I don’t waste time or lose the impulse because I had to find a place to work or take time to clear a space. As mentioned earlier, I love being outside, in the water or just walking down my street and feeling the wind and seeing the mountains and the ocean. I also like goofing’ off in the garden that I have recently started to put together. I really strive to find a balance in my life where the technology computer geek, the dirt loving hippy, the adventure seeker and homebody can all coexist without hassling one another.

Thanks for reading! For more art, tips, tricks, & techniques by Chongolio: please visit his blog, watch his VLOGS, and follow him on twitter for fun links & #photofriday!

Third Friday #2 The photos above are from my second attempt at...

Sun, 20 May 2012 08:38:00 -0400

yes, they are new.

window shopping w/ nifty price tags!

the brick did wonders for my art lol

my sketchbooks basking in sunlight

Third Friday #2

The photos above are from my second attempt at Third Friday, the small local art walk that my hometown does each month. It’s a new event, and relatively unknown but it’s growing and I am glad to be a part of it. I stressed a lot less this time around, considering I had everything in order, counted, and organized. I made price tags, kept things in the correct spaces, brought new work that people were interested in, and already had my answers lined up for frequently asked questions.

It was really nice out for the most part, lots of people showed up, and I learned some new things. I also saw some old friends from art class and we talked about teaching and growing in such a small community. I did receive some signups for art swaps which is always fun, and I did an awesome trade with my friend Donna from Barking Dog Gallery. I traded the famous Mushroom piece for a beautiful bronze piece she made. I instantly loved it because it reminded me of a shape from one of my rock cities! It was definitely my favorite part of the whole evening. I’m off to make ATCs for the signups, so have a good day. Happy art-making kids.

badjonesrising April Showers Bring May Flowers, a rock...

Sat, 19 May 2012 13:48:00 -0400

look at all those rocks!

detail shot

detail shot

badjonesrising

April Showers Bring May Flowers, a rock city

Mixed Media Painting on Found Wood, 3’ x 4’

badjonesrising May Fiesta, a rock city Mixed Media Painting on...

Sat, 19 May 2012 13:42:00 -0400

badjonesrising

May Fiesta, a rock city

Mixed Media Painting on Found Wood, 3’ x 4’

Finally! badjonesrising Frozen Amoebas, a series (#1, #2, &...

Thu, 17 May 2012 08:05:45 -0400

#1

#2

#3

Finally!

badjonesrising

Frozen Amoebas, a series (#1, #2, & #3)

Watercolor, Pen & Ink on Coldpress

See the other two pieces here & here.

There is always work in progress. Above: bird’s eye view...

Wed, 16 May 2012 14:05:16 -0400

There is always work in progress.

Above: bird’s eye view of my workspace as I was counting cards and stickers for the art walk this week.

I am uploading photos are new artwork as I write this post. I will blog about some new watercolor pieces I made and the really nice pen & ink originals tomorrow or this weekend. I can’t believe it has been a month since Third Friday. I am trying to gather everything I will need for another successful trip, while staying on my blog schedule, while making new artwork. I am really organized and all my To Do Lists are in order. Things are flowing and that is all that matters.

Triple Threat Tuesday #2, Buttercup & Teal You thought I...

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:00:41 -0400

Main collage

Inspiration from old gluebook

Mini Color Composition Collage

Triple Threat Tuesday #2, Buttercup & Teal

You thought I forgot, but I didn’t! Happy Tuesday! I had a really good time making these collages. The colors remind me of summertime’s sky, sunshine, sand, and the sea. I didn’t include the palette, but if you want to see it or use it, you can find it here. Remind me to upload all the 3T Tuesday collages on flickr. If you didn’t see the first Triple Threat Tuesday, read the intro!

Both of this week’s pieces were inspired from an old sketchbook page. I think that is the greatest place to find it. Old stuff that I didn’t like or use, becomes the driving force for new work! The main collage includes scrapbooking paper, masking tape, text from my gemstones book, and images from various magazines. The mini-collage is of course on an index card and includes patterned paper and china markers. Which one do you like better?

Monday Motivation #2 : Color Palette Madness! Think of...

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:33:00 -0400

BJR Studio CP#1

Brandi's CP Blow Walk!

BJR colourlovers CP#1

Monday Motivation #2 : Color Palette Madness!

Think of today’s post as Part 2 of last week’s post, and first new feature, Triple Threat Tuesday! I have waited all week to continue the post and picked a great day to do so! 3T Tuesday is going to be an on-going thing, at least until I get over my color palette obsession. I know you have seen them, and I know you love them. I wasn’t going to write about them but since they inspire me and help me create new collages, they deserve a post.

For those of you who don’t know, let me break it down. Digital color palettes are usually made from a well composed photograph. Each photograph or pic of artwork has certain colors that stand out to complete an inspiring color scheme that can be used to make new art, blog layouts, or even outfits! I like to think of them as digital paint swatches. There are digital color palette generators found online, websites dedicated to them, and blogs based on them! I hope these links inspire you to read about them, collect them, and make them. Here are a few favorites to get you started:

Brandi Hussey does a Color Palette Blog Walk which is one of the greatest online projects I have seen in a long time. She has gorgeous photographs on which she bases her blog posts on, and is very helpful with the process. I used her Tip Shares to make my very own color palette (seen above) and I couldn’t be happier! Please visit her blog to learn and love.
Color-Collective doesn’t really have many words to read but keeps things simple. This is a blog of color palettes usually based on lifestyle or fashion photographs.
Design-Seeds is a website run by Jessica Colaluca and is one of the most widely used digital color palette sites. I actually enjoy her blog better because she shows a more personal side, mood boards, and pics of her workbooks and studio.
Libby over at Current Observations doesn’t make color palettes, but instead has a great spin on the digital swatches. She picks colors and matches them with flickr finds to double the inspiration! I just love this idea, and she was the first person I followed on ColourLovers.

I am on a scavenger hunt for more and more, so if you know of any please leave them in the comment box. I will add the link to this on-going post and link you as well!

New Rock City Painting, a work in progress. It’s the end...

Sun, 13 May 2012 18:58:29 -0400

color sketch

detail, beginning stages

shiny paint, from an angle

New Rock City Painting, a work in progress.

It’s the end of the week and thought I would show a WIP. I haven’t measured it, but I think it’s somewhere around 3’ x 4’, which is big for me. I haven’t painting in a long time, especially on such a large scale. I started oil painting outside a couple weeks back and desperately wanted to finish. Of course April showers brings May projects to a damn screeching halt!

Luckily it was super sunny last weekend and I worked over the oil layers with acrylic. Once the whole thing is done, I’ll go back with an oil glaze and I’ll be all done! I was inspired by a Colin Johnson picture that Chongolio posted on his blog recently. It instantly reminded me of Traci’s Doodles Unleashed work and the Strathmore class I took at the beginning of the year. (you can see the work I did here and here)

I have found a way to include doodling, and free-flowing marks and strokes in my work more often. The doodling really helps with Rock Cities too. The use of color seems to really play a part in doodling and can create artwork far different than what I originally planned on doing. It’s exciting to have such a big piece almost finished! I am already half way through another one!

#PhotoFriday, part of my neverending art card collection. Lots...

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:15:00 -0400

#PhotoFriday, part of my neverending art card collection.

Lots of people ask me if I collect anything. I have lots of strange collections but my favorite would definitely be my art card collection. I currently have them all over the place but I did decide to organize them and put some of them in a cigar box. These are New York postcards, cards from Philadelphia gallery shows, and lots of art cards from Art Star Craft Bazaar and Renegade Craft Fair last year in Brooklyn.

I have been collecting these cards since I was a teenager. I usually grab two because I like to collage with one, and save the other. When I poured these on the floor this morning I realized something interesting that I have never noticed before. I remember each and every card, where it came from, and who the artist is. It takes me back years and years. I think It would be really nice to make a bigger scrapbooking box or book for all of these. They mean a lot to me and I would be lost without them.

Inspiration Workbook WIP Photos! Finally! I did most of these...

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:12:57 -0400

Orange, which looks turned out peach

Lemon yellow

I love green. One of my favs to work w/

Blue is boring sometimes lol

Purple!

Pink is fun, lots to work with

Brown, sepia, coffee & tea stained!

Black. bold and oh so classic.

Inspiration Workbook WIP Photos!

Finally! I did most of these pages in one day because I really want to work on the pattern pages. I have so many ideas for the rest of the book! I know you are probably thinking, “wow, these are bad and look so unfinished..” but they are in the middle of working and reworking them. Think of the pages as guidelines or prompts. I plan on filling the book with snippets, clippings, scraps, tickets, cards, etc. I am very organized and already have boxes and folders with collage materials catergorized by theme. This book however, is going to be used for trash and scraps that are just too good to be thrown away! Wait and see, it’s going to be awesome and a huge help when it comes to my collage work.

Read more about the start of this altered book here.

Collecting Color : May is Purple! I am ashamed to say I...

Wed, 09 May 2012 22:09:58 -0400

Purple, violet, lavender...etc.

paint swatches and a stencil

I have so many of these!!

Old artwork from college, and some pens

buttons, of course.

Collecting Color : May is Purple!

I am ashamed to say I totally forgot that it’s a new month and there is a new color for Emily’s Collecting Color Challenge! Luckily, she tweeted about it last night and I put it on my To Do List for today. I drank a big cup of coffee and got right to it. Surprisingly, I had way too many purple things and had to narrow it down! I like purple, and I think I will start using it more. Regal, royal, and looks good with so many other colors. My favorite things in this month’s collection are:

My fiance’s ALIFE hat
My purple page out of my new inspiration workbook
Those hideous vintage wax grapes
and, of course, the Leinenkugel Berry Weiss beer box!