Why yes, I am a sell out

So, it is about that time I crank up the blog, and my flimsy art career again. You haven’t missed much, because I haven’t been making anything. Literally. Since maybe… April. So I have a legitimate reason for not posting anything. Not that it really matters… did you know that there is a blog that is dedicated to people who post blogs apologizing for not posting? It is pretty crazy. Why do we feel the need to apologize to the inter-world who probably barely knows we exist?

Back to the reason for this blog- get ready for my shameless plug- it is getting to be Christmas, and I know you people are looking for things to give your loved ones… so how about a painting? A tree made of shredded book? (that one is a favorite) Burned book? Or what about an actual hand-made bound book?

Commission me! I have bills to pay! School to try to pay for! Food to buy! Fancy beer that I like to enjoy! But seriously… take a look at my website again (http://abilynne.com) and if you see anything you like, tell me and I will make it to your specifications. You know, match the curtains and everything. For a good price too!

Who said artists have to be inspired order to create? Or not told what to do because it just comes from their insanely creative mind? Oh no. When starving, you will do just about anything. Well. Almost. Let’s not get crazy people.

artist exchange

this’ll be short and sweet, but my good friend Bob Miller took some amazing pictures of my work, and completely transformed the way that you can view it online. We did a little artist exchange, he took pictures of my work, and I will teach him and his wife Allison how to make a book. Oh yeah, as well as destroying books, I also make them. I made one for them as a wedding gift this summer and he wants to make one every year that they are married. So here are the pictures. Enjoy.

also please note that you can find my work, these books, at Maralyn Wilson Gallery in Forest Park, located right next to V. Richards and across from Silvertron Cafe.

studio

i am sure most people have an idealized view of the artist studio. a place where the magic happens, you walk in and it oozes creativity and inspiration. maybe it is in an abandoned building in a field, or a loft in the city- high above everything else, complete with balcony whenever you seek, or maybe even a basement area that has been cleaned out. white walls, tall ceilings, exposed beams, cement floor covered in drops of paint form the artistic process.  inspiring works and quotes on the wall, completed paintings in the corner, unfinished works, that look like works of art themselves sitting on easels.. unintentionally yet artistically messy. you walk in and you just want to create.

well. i am sorry to burst your bubble but for most artists, it is not always the case. unless that is, you are a successful new york artist, or a full time one who can actually make a living that way. that is my dream studio, but for now, as a fledgling artist, this is what i have. a red room in my little house, that shares a space with our guest room. so i apologize for the mess, whoever decides to stay in our house! ha. you will be greeted with the smell of drying acrylics, paint droppings, and drying and finished paintings leaning on every available wall space. here are some pictures so you get the idea of what i have to work with.

but i am lucky to have this space. some people graduate college and have no where to work for the first few years. you see, we get brainwashed into this huge studio space where you have your own corner and easel and all the paint you could ask for at your disposal. you graduate and realize, well dang. i have to rent a space to work, buy and easel, buy all of my gesso and paint and brushes and mediums and glass jars. you even get used to having a huge sink to wash all of your brushes off in. well if you are like me, now i have to use the kitchen sink, and try my hardest not to get the paint onto the drying dishes or even the sink itself. you have no idea how hard this is. especially when you are a messy painter like myself. dear roommate, i am truly sorry for the paint splatters i leave behind!  then there are the charming paint droppings, that in school i never even thought about leaving behind, but when you are in a house, especially one you rent, at some point you have to really think about how to get them off of the floor. anyways. i am not complaining, it is just the adjustment that is hard.

what is exciting to me is, i was discussing this with my friend Spencer, and he came up with the idea of a workspace, with all sorts of freelancers, web designers, marketing, lawyers, salesmen, illustrators, designers and artists. this could be amazing. i am excited to see what he comes up with. if you are an artist or someone who typicall works at home, let me know if you want in on this… it could be really exciting!

later on today i may post some of my work in progress. finally! (you may say)

cheers,

abi

love.

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one,     not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.” cs lewis

i just love this. wanted to post it. that is all!

sketchhhh

while ive always thought that while the finished work of the artist is wonderful, some of the most interesting things to see is an artist’s sketch book. so i am going to reluctantly post some snapshots of my sketch book. not that mine is extremely interesting, just thought since i am baring all, i might as well post some photos. not everything will turn into actual pieces, in fact for me, usually the sketch book is where i work out ideas, and play with different images. when i go to work on a piece, i usually just make it up as i go and never follow the sketch. this sometimes works against me. and my art professor would probably have a fit if he knew. but every artist works differently.  keeping and working in a sketch book is vital for sorting out ideas, what works and what doesnt, and also perfecting technique and developing new ones. some of that you will see.

anywho. enough jabber. enjoy some of my unfinished thoughts. i am a bit embarrassed to post some. ha. o well!

old school

sunday afternoon. beautiful sun outside, so i turn to sketching. and here is what came out. (above) ok so when i was in highschool, this is the type of thing i used to spend hours and hours drawing. i taught myself how to draw by copying anime characters. so my art became something like this- these waif-like fantasy type characters. it transported me into another realm. as i became more “sophisticated” in my work, i migrated away and abandoned these. i was always slightly embarrassed to share my sketch book because it made me seem nerdy.

but now i crave it again. my new work is maybe more intelligent or whatever but i think it would be interesting to integrate some of my old elements into my newer work. i like to think my art could transport someone elsewhere, maybe this could help? i dont know. i have loved making these fantastic wonderland type trees, and i think this style  could be incorporated. like these tree nymphs.

nothing to see here… yet

seriously. i have all the plans to make this amazing, however right now i do not have access to my camera. so i could just tell you what i put in my little sketch book, but i will have to wait til later.

just thinking about the book medium and how long i plan to carry on with it. honestly, there is nothing better to do in terms of developing  ideas than just making… and i am definitely not done with my quirky patterned books. but too many? been thinking about different patterns, trying new techniques? i am kind of on my own here because i kind of taught myself this. and since being out of school, i no longer have access to a room full of twenty other artists to give suggestion. hence the blog. any artists out there want to start a crit club? i mean, i think this would actually be interesting. you dont even HAVE to be an artist, you just need to be able to give great feedback and maybe bring something of your own to the table. writers, designers, etc.  i think that would be interesting and helpful.

hm.

i want to go large scale i think. maybe pasting down multiple books and burning them all together. one huge long pattern. that would be awesome. either a major win. or a disastrous fail.

also, i want to paint again. i miss this. but the incorporation of paint and my books sometimes results in a very kitsch painting. like someone just slopped paint and thought “ooo here is a book page, let me paste it here. oh thats different”.

not that i have to be different. i just crave the new and interesting.

book burner

i am an artist who burns, tears, cuts, and artistically disassembles books. this is my online sketchbook of thoughts, ideas, processes. etc.

i am in a way, unfamiliar with the whole blogging. so basically this is what you can expect to see here.

pictures

random thoughts

rants

long winded confusing brain waves of ideas that may or may not make any sense to you.

sketches

other artists i admire.

lots of rambling.

since i am artist rather than writer, please excuse the grammar and the lack of punctuation. i would rather not make the extra effort to get to the shift key.

also- please feel free to make thoughtful comments, praises, accusations, hateful comments about my work, suggestions, links to your blog, critiques, your own brain ramblings etc. i like to get lots and lots of feedback. since not being in school i kind of crave the “your work sucks, make it better” type critiques. makes me better.

ok. thats all i got for now.