Living in the eternal present
Do you think Albert Einstein unintentionally warned us about how much quarantine sucks, even though he was talking about living in the moment? “Life is a preparation for the future, and the best preparation for the future is to live as if there were none.”
It sure feels like we’re living in a Never-ending Now. I go to the studio, but it’s all I can do to complete just one task. It wasn’t until this morning that I remembered something due to happen in the future: I’m expecting a new collector to send me the final installment payment for the “Blue-Rare” collage.
I sent the first invoice at the end of December 2019, and I’m immensely grateful for the payments. But right now something else is more important to me: this collage ties me to a past, present and future. Time is moving forward. Glacially, but still moving. So maybe there will be a day when the COVID-19 quarantine ends… maybe?
Black Friday: put a little love in an artist's pocket
I used to go full Scrooge on all this holiday cheer… but these days I try to be a little more supportive. Really, I think we could all use some encouragement to keep going.
When you purchase my work, here’s what I hear from you: I’m telling a story in your life that needs to be expressed. I need to know that someone needs my work. And every purchase literally gives me more room to make new art. So I’m offering you a 10% discount on your first order, until December 31st. Use the code FIRSTTIMER at checkout. Oh, and if you subscribe to these posts and my newsletter you always get free shipping too. Like, forever.
Many of my fellow artists depend on the holiday shopping season to make it to the new year. So I’ve put together a short, totally-biased list of creatives you can support. (Nobody’s paying me to mention them — I just love them and their work.)
PAINTINGS, PRINTS & SCULPTURE
Juan Alonso Studio: paintings and sculpture. Check out the brand-new small bronze pieces, based on his most recent desert drawings.
Liz Tran Studios: paintings, and now accessories printed with her work in the Bookstore at Chihuly Garden & Glass.
Troy Gua: fine art prints and photography. Troy is best known for the LPP series honoring the late musician Prince. BTW, his online shop is having a big sale.
JEWELRY & WEARABLE ART
Evolve Revolt Repeat: handmade upcycled denim jewelry by Eve Sanford. To find her work at holiday markets, check this Instagram post.
Magpie Mouse Studios: handmade enameled jewelry by Sarah Meranda. You can also find her work at these gift shops.
Chief Seattle Club: selling indigenous-made jewelry and wearable art online. They’re also vending artwork at the Punk Rock Flea Market on December 7th.
STATIONERY & WORKS ON PAPER
Cat Snapp Studio: letterpress cards and fine art prints. For a limited time, your online purchase will also help support youth and families experiencing homelessness.
Studio Four Corners: stationery, collage and photography by Amy Duncan. She’s already had a studio sale, but you can still catch her work at Holiday on the Bay on December 7th.
Setzer Studio Arts: prints and original paintings on paper via her Patreon account.
Do what’s right for you: I encourage you to support one, a few, or all the artists I’ve mentioned. No one needs to go broke this season. But you know what they say about giving and receiving…
How to turn glass into gold: Lessons from a Netflix series
One day you’re blowing glass, minding your own business, and then Netflix makes you a local celebrity. Essentially, that’s what happened to Deborah Czeresko and the artists from “Blown Away.” But that was months ago: once the glass-making competition ended, all that attention died down. What do you do while you’re still hot, so to speak?
Get weird with it on an epic scale.
Deborah Czeresko’s “meat chandelier”, behind her & mentor William Gudenrath
Think about the idea you just knew wouldn’t fly, the stuff you thought was too weird for anyone but you and a couple other people. Do that. When else are you going to make a meat chandelier out of glass AND mock the “sausage fest” of a typical glassblowing studio?
Use the good stuff; hire great people.
For the glass artists, the Good Stuff would mean renting workspace, as well as hiring the assistants who are crucial to making their work. For me, it might be taking a master class at the Pratt Fine Art Center, plus hiring a caregiver to watch my youngest while I’m there. Or maybe I’d take the caregiver and my family with me to Miami while I network with galleries at Art Basel. Why not?
Believe (some of) the hype about yourself.
Sometimes the payoff looks like more gold in your bank account. But it could also be something more intangible, like support from new fans. Seattle contestant Janusz Pozniak said in a recent interview, “… Even if they aren’t in a position to financially support my work by purchasing a piece, they have encouraged me to continue doing what I love and not doubt myself.” That’s the kind of support creative people need when inspiration (or cash) is in short supply.