Creativity in all forms

Wow, I can't believe I haven't posted here in a week, for shame! I've been admittedly lazy and a bit down, truth be told, and when weather permits taking my creative impulses out to the gardens. (I even started a new blog about my gardening experiences, Garden By Chance!) This is a prime example of how even when I am not actively "making art", I try to live as artfully as possible. In the past this has involved things like the interior decorating of my living space and surrounding myself with aesthetically pleasing things, making zines, and carefully considering everyday dressing almost as costume (though you'd never guess that nowadays).

Lately, there is nothing better to me than getting outside and soaking up the sunshine and digging around in the dirt, and I have big plans for my little backyard this season. Last weekend I spent some time continuing to clean up the beds and prune some bushes, but also ended up rather unexpectedly expanding some of the beds! And, being an artist, I can't just make a regular square bed, no... I had to get a little fancy:







I obviously have plenty of work left to do... but it was a good start. And I found that the process of creating the shaped beds was very similar to that when I am working on a new artwork... very intuitive and organic, seeing where it takes me rather than vice versa. I hadn't really planned to do this, but it just suggested itself in the clearing out process. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

That's not to say that I am not anxious to get back into the studio and work on some house paintings, though. I have all those photos that I took a few weekends ago to work with, and I am excited to see what comes of it.

On another somewhat related note, let me remind you that I will be presenting my last exhibition-related activity at the Castellani Art Museum next Sunday, May 3rd titled Invisible Voices: Zines as Art. In addition to a slide show and talk about what zines are and their surprisingly lengthy history, I will demonstrate how a zine is put together using various techniques, with the opportunity for YOU to get hands on—complete with a tour of her extensive personal zine library, which includes zines that she's collected since the early 1990s.

AND, my dears: if you would like to bring some materials to make into your own zine (writing, images) PLEASE do! Let me know if you have any questions.

It's free to attend, though you should register an RSVP with Curator Michael J. Beam at 716-286-8286 or email mjbeam@niagara.edu. Space is limited.