Stitches and Folds

Down to the wire, and missing a page or two, I finished and shipped my Art House Coop 2012 Sketchbook Project on the postmark due date -- nothing like waiting until the last minute! The theme I chose was "Stitches and Folds." As many of you know, I have a series of dress drawings, done mostly in pastel. I have been wanting to sew on the paper with a sewing machine, but Stonehenge Rising paper is too soft, despite the thickness. The sewing needle just shreds the paper. This sketchbook allowed me to experiment a bit with different papers, and with the sewing machine itself, using thread as a drawing medium.



I jammed up my machine quite a bit, but I have some ideas on how to avoid some of that. I'm also excited to see how this process influences my artwork!

I'm also excited for friends and family to be able to physically "check out" my work without having to be in Arizona. Starting in April, my book will go on tour around the country. Afterwards, it will be catalogued and housed permanently in the Brooklyn Art Library. It's really fun to be part of such a project!  

Supporting Bisbee's Young Artists

Did you know that creating art helps children read better, score higher on tests, and perform better in math and science? Art in schools is so important! In Bisbee, the elementary and junior high schools have a visual arts program, but no funding for supplies. Thus, the Art Department relies on donations from individuals and organizations to keep a quality program. 

During the Bisbee After 5 artwalk on January 14th between 3 and 8 pm, Heather Green Studios will be collecting items for the art department. Here are some easy ways to support Bisbee's K-8 artists without spending money!

Electronic Device Recycling

Did you receive a new cell phone or camera over the holidays and not sure what to do with the old one(s)? Have empty ink cartridges lying around? The Art Department recycles these and other items on the list below, receiving money for art supplies!

These electronic items do not have to be in working order. Just be sure to remove all personal information before donating! DVDs must have the original case. By donating old electronics, you have cleared clutter, help minimize landfill waste, and have supported the arts all in one fell swoop!


Clean Out Your Closets (or your offices, craft rooms, studios, garages, attics, etc.)

Is your New Year's Resolution to clear out the clutter, or at least to find the floor in the guest bedroom again? Before throwing out items, consider their art-project potential! Here is a list of items to get you started:

• Old Calendars
• scissors
• packing peanuts (s-shape)
• scrapbooking papers, wallpaper samples, wrapping paper, etc.
• the Sunday comics (in color)
• scrap wood pieces
• wire
• glue sticks
• Sharpies
• aluminum foil
• pencils, erasers (large)
• nuts, bolts, springs, odds and ends
• fabric, ribbon, buttons, beads
• craft supplies (ex: googley eyes, pipe cleaners, feathers, etc.)
• colored pencils and markers
• hand tools
• paint (all kinds)
• matboard, posterboard, foamcore, etc.
• old (but functioning) clothing iron, blenders, electric skillets, double boilers

Purchase Supplies on Art Room Aid

Perhaps you are free of all clutter and extraneous electronic devices and crafting materials, or you live far away but would still like to help. You can purchase art materials from Blick Art materials via Art Room Aid! It is set up like a wedding or baby registry, where specific items are linked for purchase online! You can purchase items outright, or donate money towards items (like a gift card) for the teacher to choose! The lists are for general supplies, some with specific projects in mind. All supplies will be sent to the schools directly. Links to the supply lists are below:   

Greenway Elementary School
Lowell Junior High School

Feel free to contact Heather Wiechert, the art teacher, at hwiechert@busd.k12.az.us if you have any questions.

My Paper Anniversary

I'm so excited for the opening reception of my "Paper Anniversary" exhibit! To celebrate one year at 27 Subway Street in Bisbee, Arizona, I had an open call to Arizona artists to enter work that included a paper element and measured 11" x 11." So many wonderful artists that I admire and respect have entered work into the show! I am also amazed by the creativity of these artists. One chose to print her images on wallpaper. Another artist painted and collaged on a circular tin tray edged in a rubber tire to measure 11" in diameter. A local artist pushed his work into the third dimension by creating an 11" x 11" x 11" cube. Some artists made their own paper, used paper-mache, paper clay, or created their own frames.  Some made their own wooden panels. An old door panel was even upcycled into a piece that framed a traingular monoprint. 

The energy of all of the artists has been so inspiring. I love that they chose to solve the problem they were given with their own unique methods, materials, and styles. Most artists created new pieces for this exhibit, which is also exciting. I can't wait to curate the work. I have the task of making seemingly disparate pieces work together collectively, as if created to be shown with each other.

I am also really ecstatic that Cafe Roka will be catering the opening reception. Their food is such a treat, that I highly recommend eating there should one have the money to spend. Of course, you can try some of their salads and appetizers at the reception this Friday, November 11th (11-11-11) from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.

All work in this juried exhibition is priced at $110, including tax.

The work will be on display beginning this Friday, November 11 from 6 to 9 pm through November 26th.

Gallery Hours:

Fridays Noon to 5 pm

Saturdays Noon to 8 pm

By Appointment

Celebrating My Paper Anniversary



Collagraph 2"x2"

In November, Heather Green Studios will commemorate one year of being open at 27 Subway St. in Bisbee, Arizona with a special juried exhibition! I'm proud to announce a Call to Arizona Artists for this exhibit (Go to http://bit.ly/PaperAnniversary   for the prospectus & entry forms), on view November 11 through 26, 2011. The show is titled Paper Anniversary, a play on the idea that paper gifts are traditionally given to couples for one-year wedding anniversaries. Since I have my own love affair with art on paper, all art included in the exhibit must have a paper element in it. All media are welcome.

To extend the significance of one-year, I'm holding the Opening Reception on 11-11-11, and all work must measure 11" x 11", including framed pieces. Because of the strange dimensions, work does not need a frame. Paper clay reliefs, gallery-stretched canvas, and framed pieces must be properly wired to hang. Paper-based work that is not framed should be mounted on acid-free foam core**, to be hung with removable, double-sided adhesive foam squares. For $2 per piece, I can mount work on acid-free foamcore for you.

Artwork does not have to be for sale. However, all art that is for sale will be priced at $110 (basically $100 per piece, plus $10 to include sales tax). I would have priced it at $111 to continue the theme, but it's an odd price to ask people to pay. Heather Green Studios will take a $20 commission on each sale. Artists will receive a check for $90 within a week after the close of the exhibit -- the artists are responsible for paying tax on their work (Bisbee and Cochise Co. are currently at 9.6%). Heather Green Studios is equipped to take debit/credit cards securely through Square, Inc. via an Android phone platform.

The jurying and curation of the show will be done by me, Heather Green. For Paper Anniversary, I'm looking for quality work that meets the show requirements in a wide variety of styles and media. Each artist may enter up to 3 pieces, with an entry fee of $10 for the first, $5 for each additional piece. Please include a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) for notification of acceptance. You can either mail in the actual work, or drop it off to be juried. Mailed entries must be sent to Heather Green Studios, 27 Subway St., Box 644, Bisbee AZ 85603 with return postage and postmarked by Tuesday, November 1st. Local artists can drop off their work at the studio Friday, November 4th between 1 and 5 pm.

The exhibit will be open Fridays and Saturdays, November 11 through 26th from Noon to 5 pm. The opening artists' reception will be from 6-9 pm on Friday, November 11, 2011. The next evening is the Bisbee After 5 artwalk, held on the Second Saturday of each month where Bisbee's galleries and shops are open late, until 8pm. Heather Green Studios is a participating Bisbee After 5 member, which means additional advertising in the local newspapers, radio, in the Tucson Guide, online, and on local printed materials.  The final weekend of the exhibit is over the Thanksgiving holiday, when lots of visitors are in town for the Home Tour. Bisbee After 5 is sponsoring free carriage rides and will be placing luminarias along Subway and Main Streets, beginning a new tradition to kick off our "Small Town Holiday" weekend.

Please feel free to contact me at 520-678-1134 or heathergreenstudios@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns about entering the show. "Like" Heather Green Studios on Facebook to receive updates about the show. While you are at it, "Like" Bisbee After 5 as well.

**If you have other suggestions for hanging work without a frame, I am open to it, as long as it is professional. For instance, you might not want to adhere a print on foamcore to show the plate impression, etc. . . . Once I receive a clearer description from a fellow printmaker, I will post info about a nail head/magnet option. ** -- Heather  9-19-11

Pinteresting Dresses and Art Concepts

Do you Pinterest? It's a virtual corkboard where you can pin images from anywhere on the internet. You can organize your pin boards, title them, and, like other social media sites, follow boards, leave comments, and share by repinning to your boards, or posting to other social media.

I discovered it in a design blog that came across my Twitter feed this June. I really love the concept, and have found it to be useful (really, it's not just a time vortex to redecorate your house with things you could never afford anyway). It's a place to keep things you want to look at again without inundating your "favorites" bar with links or taking up hard drive space with images, and saves on printer ink. For example, I am pinning inspiring dresses that may become fodder for my pastel dress drawing series.

I have also used it to compare paper samples, image concepts, and pricing for wedding invitations. Friends and family across the country were able to access invitation possibilities in a straightforward way, without having to click through a bunch of links in an e-mail. I am also using it to store art concepts and favorite artists, as well as art project ideas for my students. I imagine it would be a great place to keep recipes, gift registries, a log of books you've read, vision boards, etc. If you'd like an invite, let me know. Feel free to follow!

How to Print a Linoleum Block

The other day, I invited people into the studio to view a printmaking demonstration on my small proof press. I was printing a linoleum block that I had carved for the cover of my brother's wedding invitations. Here is the quick "how to" video recorded that day on my phone (all in one "take").




I printed 80 images that day, and am happy with the results. The words were printed with a copy machine, then the paper cut to size. Here is what they look like up close:

Stay tuned for other "how to" videos, and maybe some printing classes too!

The Great Title Search

After many discussions, suggestions, and research, I now have a list of title choices for my new series of blogposts in which I design a room, starting with a piece of my art. Others are encouraged to share how they have styled their rooms and show off how my art "lives" in their homes and offices as well.

Please help me choose a Title by taking this uber-short survey (one one question!). You can click on this Blog's title, or click on the link below. Thank you in advance for your time and help!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LNBJXPQ

Book Signing w/ Local Author

I didn’t feel like the savior of the universe. I was afraid of tiny cliff sides and dead animals. But I didn’t have a choice; people depended on me-- millions of people. My life was no longer my own. Just as the Mangitor de Sangue’s was not their own.

You've just read an excerpt from the book Propheticus: The Migliao by local author Emma Daley. The first novel in the series, The Mangitori de Sangue is a story of romance and mystery. This book offers readers more action and adventure, venturing into an ancient world that follows the characters on a dangerous journey to find out about the prophecy of The Dark Angeli (book 3 of the series, scheduled to debut in 2012).

Emma will be at my studio on Saturday, July 9th from 5 to 8 pm to autograph and discuss "Propheticus" her new Sci-Fi Romance series. Be the first to grab a copy of this just-released book and speak to the author herself! 

Congratulations! Drawing Winner & 100 FB Fans

Congratulations to BRIDGET ROSE SHANAHAN who was randomly chosen as the winner of the small print on the Heather Green Studios Facebook page. In honor of reaching 100 "likes" on the page rather organically, I decided to do a giveaway of a small collagraphic print, matted to 5"x7". I used the true random number generator, which kicked out 87. Bridget was the 87th person to "like" the page (not including myself and my married self, who are listed as page administrators), so she was the lucky duck!

Since Bridget lives in Bisbee, she is able to come to the studio and choose a print for herself. Here is what she chose:

If you would like to keep up-to-date on events and giveaways like this one, please "like" my Facebook Page www.facebook.com/heathergreenstudio

Paper Quilts

I just sold the only paper quilt that I had, which I LOVE... So, I made some more! They are from collagraphs (texture prints), which were made from different kinds of tape--you know, masking, scotch, strapping, etc.Here they are: