melarchy

Opinions are like...

2011-03-21T20:08:00.002-05:00

Arriving early to a ceramics demonstration this afternoon caused for listening in on an interesting take on firing oxidation. One curious attendee asked another's opinion on wood firing pottery. The artist answering said something to this affect:

When I think of wood firing I think of pizza. Would you rather a wood-fired pizza or a frozen one from the grocery store? Firing in an electric kiln is like eating a frozen pizza: It's edible, and it fills you up, but it doesn't really taste good. Of course you want the wood fire.

Hmm... interesting, and incorrect. :)

National Cup Show - Lux

2011-03-14T16:28:00.005-05:00

I've entered a few events that have been juried by Julie Galloway in the past. I admire her work and I guess in return have wanted her to admire mine as well. Another exhibition arose recently that she would jury and I decided (sort of jokingly) that this would be my last try. I made it in!

I have three pieces in the National Juried Cup Show at the LUX Center for the Arts. Even better is that I received a Juror's Choice Award.

Last week I began a new job. I'm now Development Assistant at the Morean Arts Center. So far, so great.

St. Pete Clay Company is currently hosting the NCECA Blast Off workshop and several Ole Miss friends are in town for the workshop. Its really nice to reconnect with them. Its been a year and a half since we moved.

Roses are Red

2010-11-16T13:34:00.008-06:00

I've been working on a new pattern, Roses. My third pattern since beginning this body of work. I find it so hard to believe that I started making molds in April or May. Seems like I've been making this work much longer than that. I think I've painted around 100 pieces in that time. It's been an exciting time. I currently have work in 4 galleries and have been selling and showing.

The holiday season begins next week and I have been casting and painting furiously. Next week is the Black Friday Brunch Sale, The following week is the Holiday Sale, both being held at the St. Petersburg Clay Company. The week after is Atomic Bazaar Craft Fair, and I currently have a nice set up of work at the Florida Craftsman Holiday Sale and in my Uncle's Gallery in Colorado.

Pictures of my set up at Florida Craftsman Gallery. Prime Real Estate!

and lastly our good friends Nigel and Cheyenne over at Rudolph Clay Studios are having their annual Holiday Pottery Sale. I have to brag, so bare with me. I created the card, which I think is fabulous, but I also created Cheyenne's hair which is even MORE fabulous than the card.

Hey, have a great holiday season. Let's keep in touch!

Happy Birthday, Me

2010-11-01T19:41:00.002-05:00

I turned 30 today.

Leepa Rattner Artist's Market

2010-08-20T11:30:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend Adam and I participated in the Artist's Market at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art. We're trying out craft fairs and artist markets this year to see if it's something that works for us. It was all day Saturday and half a day on Sunday. At the end of Saturday we had officially sold two of my skull ornaments and our souls. We did get a lot of positive feedback and many people took our business cards. One thing that stunted us, in my opinion, was that we were in the land of jewelry. It was our booth surrounded by 3 jewelry makers, and a lot of the older crowd bee-lined for the jewelry.

Sunday was much better! We actually sold a few things on Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised, not really expecting to see too many customers on Sunday.

The even better part about Sunday was that we were invited to have our work permanently on sale in the museum's retail space. Thank you, Leepa-Rattner!

Dining In

2010-08-11T08:23:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from the Dining In III Exhibition.

My pieces are right up front on either side of the table. Cheyenne's butter dish is on the right near my place setting. Very cool.

All photos taken by 18 Hands Gallery. Also, here's a link to their facebook album.

Webpage Spotlight

2010-08-03T11:38:00.002-05:00

I recieved a tweet this morning from Melody Tiemann saying that I was on an email from 18 Hands Gallery. I recently got into their Dining In III show. I didn't get the email so I decided to look on their website...and Low and Behold... I'm the first dinnerware set on the top left of the page. Wow, I'm super-stoked about that. Yay. I circled it in magenta just incase you needed the help. :)

"Studio" Visit

2010-07-07T09:08:00.003-05:00

Painting like a mad woman before the family gets in next week!

Come Together, Right Now

2010-07-04T11:50:00.004-05:00

I finally feel like things are coming together for me. A really nice way to start July. I have been working my butt off making a new body of work: creating molds, slipcasting, painting and glaze firing. Of course, this is all with the help of Adam.

But I now feel like things are starting to take off. Adam and I got into two juried craft fairs: The Atomic Holiday Bazaar on December 11th and the Summer Artist Market at the Leepa Rattner Museum of Art August 14th and 15th.

We're excited about those 2 events and hope they work out. We're giving art fairs a try to see if they're worth continuing on with.

I've also been chosen to be a featured artist in the Zen of Summer show at the Studio @620 Annex Gallery here in St. Pete for the month of August. First time showing my work locally outside of the Clay Company so I'm jazzed about that.

And finally, I woke up yesterday to an email from 18 Hands Gallery in Houston, TX saying that all 3 of my entries into the Dining In III: An Artful Experience got into the show. Pictures of my 3 entries below.

Fuschia Angel Earrings Place Setting

African Daisy Place Setting

African Daisy Water Service

And on a final note. I'm so sunburned I look like a lobster and feel like one entering a pot of boiling water.

I Love Florida.

This is AMAZING

2010-07-01T11:09:00.002-05:00

A printmaker given the opportunity to create storefronts for Barney's New York. Insane.

Here's the article about Dennis McNett and pictures of the storefront.

Dennis McNett Barney's Storefronts

Score one point for printmakers.

Art Around the House

2010-06-22T09:10:00.004-05:00

We're very lucky to be friends with several great artists, and through these friendships and connections we get to own pieces of their work. We've both had the honor of working with some artists in our fields and they've been kind enough to give us work as well. Here's a little peek into our collection:

Cup shelf that adam built a few years back.

Adam did some work for Don Reitz and John Balistreri recently and acquired tea bowls by each of them. He was THRILLED. On the right is a rabbit by Sarah Teasley (one of my favorite pieces).

Shot Glass shelf with another piece by Sarah Teasley below. I love making shot glasses.

Jars on the breakfast bar. Made by Adam.

Dishes!

Above the bed. Vases on either side, a painting by Amy Evans in the middle, student prints on the night stand.

2D hallway

And that's just a small taste. Like I said, we're lucky.

New Work, Modern Work

2010-06-08T08:31:00.002-05:00

Welcome to summer. Actually, it's been feeling like summer for a while now. I think we started going to the beach well over a month ago.

I'm still figuring out how to make prints at home and be happy with the quality. I'm not there yet. A couple months ago Adam found a recipe for making silkscreen emulsion at home. Totally cool. Very fun. I'm just not liking the quality of the prints. It has little to do with the emulsion, which is not perfect itself. It stays pretty soft and washes out, so I end up having to spend quite some time patching the screen. The biggest problem or dislike is that I'm using cheap craft paint. Spending 50 cents a bottle of course the quality is going to be terrible. There's not much pigment to the paint and its runny and streaky. I'm not thrilled with my outcomes so far. Call me old fashioned but I really miss having a press to run through and oil-based ink.

On the other hand, I'm loving my ceramic work. I've included a slide show of my first firing below. I found some pieces that I liked, and then Adam and I made molds of each piece in order to slipcast. I'm pouring with a low-fire white clay body, then painting with underglazes, and glazing with a clear gloss. I'm also firing a monogram iron decal on the bottom of each piece.

Cheyenne and Nigel Rudolph of Rudolph Studios have an HP Laserjet printer and are nice enough to let us use it for printing decals. I'm very thankful for that! If you don't know their work then get familiar.

The idea for the work starts out as simple, but I'm also trying to then complicate it further. I started out with a project idea that I give to students, and was given to me as a student. Pick 3 to 5 adjectives and then form a body of work around those words. I chose my words, and then delved into other areas for inspiration. I looked to history and modern times simultaneously, with a dash of pop culture and consumerism. The work has turned out to be completely self-indulgent. I wanted to include a technical aspect to the work because I so love working with Adobe products. The imagery starts out with a photograph of flowers or vegetables, which is then drug into Adobe and altered until I'm satisfied with the final image. I then print a template to transfer from paper to ceramic, which is then painted and fired.

Enjoy!

Craft Fair Time

2010-03-15T15:23:00.007-05:00

!!! Etsy Update !!! click the banner

Has it really been three months since my last post? Wow.

I'm still trying to figure out all this making prints at home rigamarole. What with not having the funds, the space and really not wanting to o.d. myself and alien with fumes. However, I think that Adam and I are going to turn our extra bathroom into a silkscreen space. Other than that I have been able to make a respectable portion of ceramics with the kindness of Charlie Parker and others at the St. Pete Clay Company.

With making in mind Adam, Ginger, Jared and myself gave craft-fairing (sp?) a try this past weekend. It was a bust, but we had a good time anyhow. I'm proud to say that we participated in the Historic Kenwood Art in the Park Craftfair. Quite the mouthful, isn't it? Our collective name was D'JAM Ceramics. Adam and I have been thinking about breaking out into the craft fair and morning markets scene more.

A few pictures from the craft fair and some pictures of favorite pieces follow:

!!! Etsy Updated !!! click the banner

Happy Holidays

2009-12-12T13:32:00.003-06:00

Its December 12th and it's 73 degrees outside. I've already been to the beach twice this week and may go for a third time. I love it here in Florida.

In addition, went to the beach last night for late night drinks and to see a few meteors from the geminid meteor shower. Going back today and tonight. A high of 79 degrees! Tally is up to 5 times to the beach this week.

Sad and Pathetic

2009-11-07T14:58:00.003-06:00

This post is going to serve more as a cautionary tale rather than a heart-warming story.

I recived this email a few days ago:

Good day to you.

I am so excited that I came across of your work on internet search,I am interested in purchasing these creative artworks from you......................

22 Caliber rifle,Hammer,Peaches and Yellows
Hammer,Mallet,Knife,Broken glasses,black,white and gold
Knife,12 Gauge shotgun,peaches
Hammer flowers pink
Hammer magneta
Let me know their various prices.and how much discounts are you going to give?I will be happy to have these selected artworks hanged in our new home in South Africa. As well, I want you to take out the shipping cost.I have been in touch with a shipping firm that will be shipping other house decoratives.

We are traveling from our Dallas home to our new apartment as soon as possible.On Paying for the artworks,I will be glad to pay you with a Money Order or Cashier`s check in US funds that can be easily cashed at your local bank,please let me know on how to proceed for the payment of the creative artworks.

I will await your advise on how to proceed.Have a wonderful day.

Take care,
Monica Earley

I got really excited, but also very skeptical at the same time. It seemed way too good to be true. I contacted the woman in a way that I needed payment before sending the artworks out. I also googled anything that I could think of. I did find a Monica Earley, she's a beauty pageant queen NEAR dallas. Here is her response to my email:

Hello Melissa,

Thanks for your response to my inquiry regarding your creative works of art,I`ll love to proceed with the purchase of the artworks as follow:

Hammer, Magenta
Monoprint with Relief on Japanese Rice Paper
$300.00

Hammer, Mallet, Knife, Broken Glass, Black, White and Gold
Monoprint with Relief on Japanese Rice and Tissue Papers
$900.00

Knife, 12 Gauge Shotgun, Peaches
Monoprint with Relief on Japanese Rice and Tissue Papers
$650.00
And as I stated earlier from my first email to you,I`ll be handling shippings and handlings myself..

Therefore, I`ll want you to get back to me with your physical mailing address so that my hubby who has been shuttling between Jo-burg and our Dallas Home since he resumed as the Head IT section for the organisation he works in Jo-burg,SA will make out the payment to you as soon as possible.

Regarding shipping,I`ll forward your contact information to the shipping company contracted to handle all our house decoratives and other house wares to get in touch with you and make shipping plans with you.They can arrange for FedEx pick-up right from your studio/residence..They are also been charged to handle insurance and other logistics involved with the shipments.

I`ll look forward to hearing back from so I`ll know how best we can proceed.

Sincerely,
Monica Earley

So it still seems to be to good to be true. I emailed her again saying that I would take the weekend to locate the work, but in the meantime I need her address and phone number for my records.

She returned two addresses of which I googled and came upon this website:
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8107992&postID=5956062646511940496&page=1

I'm glad I didn't send her anything. I'm glad I'm not so easy to trust people. For those who read my blog, just be careful if you get any strange email like this. It's really pathetic what people will do to get anyone's money. It saddens me.

Hanging out with new friends

2009-10-20T13:14:00.005-05:00

A couple weeks ago I helped Nicole take photos of her show at the Clay Company. In return she took Adam, Ginger and myself out for a "boat of sushi". The menu said it feeds four, but I'm pretty sure seven people would have been stuffed eating the boat. Soup, Salad, Seared tuna, Tempura Veggies and Shrimp. That's only the appetizers! The boat had seven delish sushi rolls and salmon, tuna, and white fish sashimi along with more veggies, crab sticks and octopus slices.

Adam when the boat was at full capactiy, Nicole with sushi, Dani "cutting" sushi with chopsticks

Oh no! Man Overboard! Quick, Ginger, Take him down!

I can't believe that we actually finished the boat 'o sushi. It was delicious. Thanks, Nicole!

We also had impromptu pumpkin carving party at the Rudolph's this weekend. Just a warning to everyone: The cooler the pumpkin looks the harder it is to carve. Cheyenne, Nicole, Ginger and myself got the pumpkins with warts and other cool growths on them and were practically impossible to carve. Adam and Nigel got the traditional pumpkins and had no problem slicing through. Here are the results: Adam created one of his gummi bears, Dani did two talking creatures, Cheyenne did cute little crows/birds, and Nicole did a supertextural polka dotted pumpkin.

This is my sad pumpkin! Happy Halloween everybody!

Winter will be a Hott Mess

2009-10-03T14:03:00.007-05:00

Adam and I have now been in Florida for 2 months. That's bananas. It seems like we've been missing from Mississippi for longer than two months, and at the same time it feels as though we haven't been in Florida very long. We're living in an apartment, it seemed to be the best bang for our buck. Its a nice apartment. We have a large living room and even a second room where I can make art.

Alien likes it here. Mainly because of her collection of dog beds. She's not a big fan of the obnoxiously hot weather.

I have been painting quite a bit. I just finished a dinnerware set for a fundraiser at St. Pete Clay. Most of my energy is spent looking for a job. Did you know that we're in a recession? And that unemployment rates are at an all time high? Yeah, its pretty rough out there. While there is a lot of art in St. Pete I have quickly come to learn that there is no money to back it, and it seems as though every place is on a hiring freeze until 2010, or looking for volunteers only. LAME

So speaking of St. Pete Clay... It is made up of some of the nicest people I've ever met. The owners are great, and the A.I.R.s are pretty cool too. Two of them have webpages: Nicole and Matt. Good people who make good work. Recently the A.I.R.s participated in the Folkfest. A few pictures follow:

This was my favorite booth. Wacky sculptures made with found materials.

A picture of one of the many, many local harbors.

Miss y'all in Oxford. Peace.

New Paintings

2009-07-25T20:39:00.006-05:00

These are a few gouache paintings that I have been working on. They are two of the chairs that were in my Color Theory class this summer.

Student's Chair, Gouache, 11 x 15

Teacher's Chair, Gouache, 11 x 15

Teacher's Chair (detail), Gouache, 11 x 15

We're two days away from the big news. I'm excited, nervous, sad and happy all at once. Saying goodbye to Sheri was really hard. Adam and I have had so many nice going away parties/get togethers. Thank you to everyone. We're very appreciative!

Bookmark

2009-07-21T17:38:00.001-05:00

http://store.falkiners.com/store/

New Prints

2009-07-16T16:18:00.007-05:00

Countdown T minus 12 days to ship off. Exciting, nerve-wracking, all of the above feelings are happening right now.

I had a few prints to complete before leaving. These are my last two prints made in the Ole Miss Printshop.

1/10 'Print Search' Silkscreen

1/22 'Growing Pains' Dye, Relief, Silkscreen and Stamping

Also, the Saturday/Wednesday Midtown Farmer's Market has a new stand that sells freshly squeezed milk. It is delish! Straight from the cow the morning of. And the bottles are fantastic. I will use them to store rice and couscous! If you frequent the market you must try this milk.

SEE YOU IN FLORIDA

Mission to Ben and Jerry's

2009-07-09T21:26:00.003-05:00

Mission to Marzipan = Heaven in a little paper container. For who knows how many years now Marzipan as been a favorite candy. To see it in ice cream form is just perfect!

Second Week's Favorites

2009-05-24T15:14:00.000-05:00

Faves

2009-05-16T21:22:00.003-05:00

This week I started working with the Southern Graphics Council International Print Archive once again. I'm so thrilled that Dr. Dewey asked me back. I've put together a slide show of my favorite 20 or so prints of the week. Maybe at the end of my four weeks I'll pick the ultimate winner.

Enjoy the show:

hortus memoria

2009-05-12T21:06:00.006-05:00

Dear In-ground Garden,

I’m sorry that you are gone, and am missing you dearly. We worked very hard together for two months to make you the beautiful and lush garden that you were until this morning. Sweet garden, I am not sure what kind of a monster would destroy something as beautiful as you, especially when you are enclosed in a cute, purple fence. I question the moral fiber of a landscaper who has mowed 3 times and left you to be, but believes that gardens, unlike cats, have only 3 lives. I don’t understand the type of person that would take a weedwacker and obliterate such a beautiful plot of land that is so obviously fenced off from the rest of the weeds. You were NOT weeds. Peonies, Columbines, Ranunculus, Dahlias and Daisies you are missed.

Love,

Your Tender Gardener

2009-04-07T10:02:00.006-05:00

I was told about these cards on www.someecards.com HILARIOUS they are. someecards is great no matter what, but I love the MFA jokes.

I have work in a show at The Fire House Gallery in Georgia. Its an invitational for Printmaking Professors and one of their students. The show seems really great, and progressive as far as the work is concerned. You can click here for a link to the show.

I also received my Oregon Ink Spot Print Exchange prints in the mail. I'll apologize ahead of time for the horrible quality. I took these pictures with Photobooth. I got some really exciting prints back. The theme was What is your current studio practice like.

Folder

My print submission is above. The prints I received are below in no particular order.

2009-03-22T20:20:00.003-05:00

It has been about 2 years since I've made any ceramics. I was finally able to do a firing and I'm so thrilled with the outcome.

Wheel Thrown and Handbuilt Porcelain Ceramics with Painted Underglazes, Oxidation Fired to Cone 10

This collection includes:
Butter Dish
2 Cake Stands
3 Dinner Plates
2 Salad Plates
1 Soup/Pasta Bowl
6 Shot Glasses
3 Short Tumblers
1 Rocks Glass

I made this collection based on many things, one of which is how often my mom told me when I was little, "Beauty is pain, Melissa." But the collection also gathers inspiration from the music that I listen to, Arsenic and Old Lace, and tattoo culture.

I also had time to make my little puppy a new food bowl.

Alien sightings!

2009-03-14T11:08:00.004-05:00

I had a conversation with friends last night talking about ghosts and/or spirits, which always leads me to thinking about the extraterrestrial. So I was looking up area 51 news, and conspiracy theories on the internet this morning and stumbled upon a few pictures of the landscape. And you'll never believe what I found in a few of these pictures!

Alien in her pre-adoption days! This explains so much. I just wonder how she made her way to Mississippi? We're a pretty long way from Nevada!

2009-03-12T21:55:00.006-05:00

It's Spring Break and I'm gearing up to do more archiving for Southern Graphics. I'm jazzed that Dr. Dewey asked me to intern again. I absolutely love this job.

One of my students asked me if I was doing anything fun for Spring Break and I replied with, "Fun to me, but probably not fun to other people." and I told her that I was archiving. To which my other student replied, "Booorrrriiiing." Ahahaha!

Print no.1 and the last two are silkscreens by Tim High. These prints can be about 30 inks tall. Gooorrrgeouuuussss! The second print is an etching by John Winters, a former printmaking professor at Ole Miss. He has an amazing mustache. Print no.3 is 2 full sheet, CMYK etchings placed side-by-side. And lastly, the print with the pig is a lithograph that reminds me of Gulliver's Travels. I'll be so bold as to say it's a top 3 print from the thousands of archived prints I've gone through.

*and as always, click for a larger image. enjoy!

What an awful way to start off the new month

2009-03-01T22:14:00.006-06:00

I woke up to THIS in my yard this morning. I'm not a lover of snow. I'm a lover of humidity, and 100+ degrees in August. However, everything covered in white is a really beautiful scene and I couldn't help but take a few pictures. Growing up with about 2 snowfalls in my younger life I doubt I'll ever not be mesmerized by the site of snow. It still blows me away that its a constant every year of my life now. Makes me wonder what next year will bring.

You Scream, I Scream, We All Scream for....Cake?

2009-02-28T12:24:00.005-06:00

I decided to make Dominiqua a cake for her 29th b-day. I wanted to do something a little more for her than just buying something or giving her the standard, "I'm a printmaker, so I'll just give 'em an old print." She deserved something special. So I sent her a fake quiz about a month or so prior to the big day. Asking silly questions like, What is your fave city? What is your fave drink? But I also added fave flower, fave colors, fave cake, etc. So essentially she designed the cake, and I made it.

German Chocolate with coconut pecan frosting and chocolate frosting. Then covered in a dark chocolate ganache. And I sculpted a bunch of flowers out of fondant with her fave colors. Of course her fave flower, gerbera daisy, was the hardest flower to make since it has about 30 tiny petals!

Click on the pictures for larger image.

Success! She loved it! Happy 29th, Dominiqua!

2009-02-02T18:44:00.003-06:00

A few new pieces. I haven't had any work fired in 2 years! Very exciting. 3 Vases to enter into the upcoming 500 Vases book. The third vase happens to be my personal favorite.

Happy Factory: Ice Cream Dream
Wheel Thrown Porcelain (Thrown by Adam)
Painted Underglazes fired to Cone 11

My How Communication has Changed
Wheel Thrown Porcelain (Thrown by Adam)
Painted Underglazes fired to Cone 11

Beauty is Pain
Wheel Thrown Porcelain (Thrown by Adam)
Painted Underglazes fired to Cone 11

We also have a new member of the family. Meet ...? I haven't settled on a name yet. I got her from the Humane Society on Friday.

Employment Days/Daze

2009-01-07T23:14:00.005-06:00

yes. YES! YES! YES! I finally got myself a copy of the lithography bible. The Tamarind book that I preordered several months ago came in today and I am freaking jazzercised about it! Its great. I've already skimmed through it and found a few methods that I'm interested in trying. I've never been so excited about a book in my life, and believe me, I get excited about books.

in other news, some of you may be saying, "Hey, Melissa! What are you up to these days? Where have you been hiding out lately?" The answer is: Making job packet after job packet after job packet. They look nice. I'm impressed with them. Now lets all cross our fingers and hope I get hired by one of these great schools.

I'm also finishing up Adam's packets, since he got to leave and have fun for two weeks and call it "class". His packets look nice as well.

Meet the Parents

2009-01-06T21:05:00.012-06:00

Ohio was really a lot of fun. I enjoyed being around Adam's family. Very welcoming, great people. I put on a slide show of some of the places we went. The pictures that look like a plastic zoo or an amusement park are actually a grocery store called Jungle Jim's. Its the most amazing grocery store I've ever been to.

We racked up for Christmas. Thanks again to my parents for the vacuum!

I also came home with a Chia Donkey. I hope the Yungbluths are proud oh me:

Yes, that is a fully grown chia pet, and yes those pots are sprouting!

Memento Mori

2008-12-04T13:17:00.004-06:00

I've been browsing Mourning Jewelry on the web. I've been so fascinated by the Memento Mori artwork and jewelry since first reading about it. I think these objects are so lovely and the idea behind them is incredible. And creepy at the same time! It's just so fascinating living in a world where jewelry is based almost solely on luxury, and to think these were made by hand with a specific person in mind so they're one-of-a-kind. These are a few of my favorite pieces found on the internet.

I'm in a book!

2008-11-30T19:21:00.008-06:00

I made it into 500 Plates, Platters and Chargers. I'm excited. I have my own full page spread.

Now I'm waiting for 500 Prints, Lithographs, Reliefs, Serigraphs, Etchings, or Monotypes...

Xmas Presents

2008-11-14T22:07:00.006-06:00

I decided that this year I would finally make everyone's Christmas presents. I've wanted for a while now to screenprint gifts for friends and family. I'm going to make a 12 month calendar with all 5 color serigraphs. I completed January today...

I'm lovin' the perspective of this picture!

I was trying to let New Years and winter be my inspirations for the month of January. I'm also using all metallic paints. I love metallic paint!

Birthday

2008-11-02T19:37:00.004-06:00

Saturday was my 28th birthday. Adam got me this vase by Diana Fayt. She is one of my favorite ceramic artists. I think her style is incredible. I'm so in love with this vase. It also gives me an excuse to always have fresh flowers in the bedroom. I absolutely love it.

He also got me a sweet set of round cookie cutters. Thanks, Adam!

2008-10-28T21:05:00.019-05:00

Hello! I've been painting ceramics lately. I thought that I might post them. I'm loving them. They are full of bows, zippers, fish netting, corsets, and lace. And blood. You know I'm a sucker for adding a dark element to everything.

Here is a corseted dinner plate, and a zipped up salad plate. They also kind of act as shallow bowls. (by the way, the photo quality is quite shoddy. these were taken with the help of photobooth.)

Mmmh.. Chantilly Lace. I'm really into Memento Morie artwork and jewelry. That's a lot of the inspiration for what I paint on my ceramics. A dinner plate and a large salad plate.

And Black Chantilly Lace, but this time with pink blood. A dinner plate and a salad plate.

And I made cups! I'm so excited about them.

I can hardly wait to get the party started.

These are the cup bottoms. Can't forget that area.

I'm also working on a toast rack. Its hard to make out in this picture. It holds 6 pieces of toast and there are shallow dishes on either side to hold butter and marmalade. Tres delicate. And I have two cake stands and a butter dish.

Sale

2008-10-27T20:43:00.000-05:00

I just sold my first print on etsy. I'm so stoked!

I heart etsy.com

2008-10-24T21:31:00.004-05:00

I love browsing on etsy.com but I always stay within prints and ceramics and never venture to other areas. I was browsing in other sections today and am completely fascinated with the handmade dolls.

If I had 85.00 to blow for no reason I'd definitely get this little green teddy bear. I'm so in love with how odd it looks, and am really impressed with the workmanship.

Is that not the cutest damn thing you've ever seen.

I'm also pretty smitten with Tiny Humphrey:

I saw Jupiter!

2008-10-10T21:47:00.009-05:00

I went to Kennon Observatory's Open House tonight along with Adam, Dominiqua and Michael Ashley. I've always wanted to go and see what its all about. I'm really glad I went.

We were able to look through this telescope and see Jupiter and all its glorious rings. Its a telescope from the civil war era. Its huge! It was insane. Kind of scary climbing up the ladder, but to see Jupiter so clearly was amazing.

This is about what Jupiter looked like through the telescope. It was bright, but I could definitely make out some of the rings.

We were also able to look through smaller, but just as impressive telescopes. One was set up so we could see Jupiter at about this size and with its accompanying moons. There was four moons, and the nice man with a more trained eye than myself could see all 4, but I only saw 3 of the moons. Ah well.

There were also a few telescopes set up to see the moon. So amazing! I'd never seen the moon so clearly and with so much relief on it its surface. It was the most beautiful gray color.

And lastly, we saw a binary star. A star that looks like one to the human eye, but is actually two stars close together. The guy operating this telescope said that many stars work that way.

It really was very cool. Thanks to the Astronomy and Physics Department.

A Quiet Moment

2008-09-25T15:37:00.006-05:00

I decided this afternoon that the better alternative to going home after class and going to sleep would be to walk around campus before all the hoopla begins. It was actually much more calm than I had anticipated. I took a few snapshots.

The debate starts here! At the walk of champions!

A few picture of the media tents and stages set up by the Gertrude Ford Center. I now understand the reasoning for the large green fences surrounding the area. I looked at the set up and imagined many young newscasters standing, talking to cameras and pointing behind themselves saying, "I'm in front of the Gertrude Ford Center where the Presidential Debate is GOING ON RIGHT NOW! on the Ole Miss Campus."

The Debate Starts Here Too! That's the big slogan. "The Debate Starts Here"

Big Ole Media Tent

Even BBC showed up. Adam and I are fans of their news website.

More buses, more satellites.

Fox News is hard at work. As usual...

And that's about it. The big stink about the debate being cancelled is starting to die down around here. I think this is one of the cooler things in life to witness, I must say. I hope P Diddy shows up to Vote or Die.

2008-09-14T19:47:00.000-05:00

www.yearbookyourself.com

Southern Graphics Archive Internship

2008-08-03T13:21:00.011-05:00

This past week I began working on the Southern Graphics Print Archive. This job entails photographing, scanning and documenting, digitally and on paper, the print portfolios that are part of the Southern Graphics Print Conference each year.

I'm having a blast with this job. Its given me the idea to apply for jobs like this and not just teaching positions. Its most enjoyable to look at so many prints all day. A few of the funny things hat I learned are that artists like to make screenprints about lithography and Alois Senefelder, the father of lithography. I have also come across either two or three Mr. Potatohead prints.

I've compiled a list of my favorite 30 prints from the past week. Some well-knowns, some unknowns, but all of these prints made me pause and examine them for a few minutes. All for different reasons. It would take me a long time to do a write up about each print, so I'll just put up some thumbnails.

Remember, these are my favorites, but there were so many more that I really enjoyed.

Click to enlarge!

Its been a long time, I shouldn't have left you, without a dope beat to step to, step to... -Timbaland

2008-07-05T11:56:00.013-05:00

Hey, I know its been a while. I graduated, and then took a well deserved break from life. I've been reading alot, animal sitting alot, which means watching tv alot. But now I'm back to the real world. I'm teaching again. Color Theory to be exact. I had forgotten just how hard that was when I was an undergrad learning this information. Its fun at the same time though. Then once the class finishes I begin working on the Southern Graphics Print Archive for a few weeks, and once that is over its time to teach again.

I feel really lucky that I have been given the graphic design position while Ginny is out having No.2. Child No.2 that is. I was also offered 2 different residencies, which is a huge, huge honor and a nice boost to my ego. I can always use those when it comes to making art. Speaking of art, I've been bouncing around a bunch of ideas in my head and I'm pretty excited to get started printing again.

I'm writing mainly because my Chicago vacation is finally going to happen! Adam and I will be staying with Dr. Sparks for Labor Day weekend. I can't tell you how excited I am. So in lieu of this trip I downloaded Google Earth, the free version. I just wasted 3 hours on it! Its amazing.

Don't worry, I did get two lesson plans finished before I indulged myself in mapping. So I took some screen shots.

Enjoy.

I found the printmaking room!

Our 500 or so mile trek.

Chicago!

We're getting closer.

Starting to see her apartment building.

Check out that swanky rooftop pool.

And there's the building.

Now, not all of the places I searched for on google earth showed up this nicely, but its still a fantastic program. We figured out a few places to get to by train, like the airport to her place and a few hot spots. It shows many places, and for bigger named spots like airports, universities, museums and even grocery stores you can simply type in the name of the place. NICE.

Toodles, poodles!

-Melis

2008-05-04T20:48:00.010-05:00

Matt Long throws a stool each semester for students related to ceramics to draw on. The seat is reserved for undergrads that are graduating, the top portion of the stool for Micah, Vitus and myself since we are graduating and Matt seems to like us, and the bottom for students currently enrolled in Advanced Ceramics class.

Here are some pictures of the section that I worked on. I decorated it with the intent that I would mimic my prints and the blocks that I print from. I'm pretty excited about how it turned out. I'm not really sure of what it will look like once fired. We'll see. I'll post some after pictures once its fired.

Tomorrow is the last final of my college education!

2008-04-30T22:12:00.002-05:00

Alright, so I'm going to rant for just a second. I guess I'm biased being a printmaker and loving ceramics so much, but what I'm about to speak of really does get under my skin. There is definitely a common misconception about the worth of prints (and also ceramics as craft) being at the bottom of the fine art barrel.

Monotypes get pooped on far too much just because they are a form of printmaking. I think of them as paintings. I look around me at all of the fantastic paintings being created, and most of them take about the same amount of time as the monotypes being created. I've definitely had many conversations recently, because of graduating and people wanting my work, about how prints are acceptable for trade, but a painting is so much greater and they're not for trade. Why is this? My prints take just as long, and honestly probably cost more to make. Plexiglas, wooden boards, carving tools, inks, paper, and frames all go into making a nice print. But a canvas with paint on it that is unframed is viewed as being so much more precious. What's up with that?

A conversation with a recent BFA painter that I had today has kind of sparked this recent upset with me. I'm not even sure of how he and I got on the conversation of a trade, but what I do remember went something like this:

Dr: Hey, Melissa, Wanna do a trade?

Me: Sure Dr. That's cool. I'll take a painting home with me.

Dr: Alright. I'll pick out one of my little ones for you, but I want to be able to pick out which print from your show I want. My paintings are selling like hotcakes!

Me: Uh... What print did you have in mind?

Dr: One of the gigantic collage ones. I really liked those, man.

Me: No F!@#$*in' way, bro. Why would I give you a huge print for your smallest painting that you have picked out for me?

Dr: Because they're paintings, man. Your stuff's editions.

Me: No they're not. They're monotypes. You're in printmaking. You should know this.

Dr: Well they're not worth as much as a painting.

Me: Yes they are. They're paintings for printmakers basically. You need to go humble yourself a little bit. Your horse is getting pretty high. I'll pass on the painting. Thanks.

Can you believe that? The conversation was a little more hostile than that, but you get the point. The stigma about it really just bothers me. I hate that students are somehow teaching themselves that a print is worth about a tenth of what a painting is.

A good article that gets the point across.

2008-04-21T21:50:00.003-05:00

I love this website: http://www.someecards.com

Warning though, it is not for the non-sarcastic types.

Thesis Finale

2008-04-20T13:25:00.013-05:00

Well my thesis show is up, defense is done, and reception is over with. I'm relieved, I gotta say. The show went up a lot easier than I had expected. I'm thrilled with the outcome as well. Its so nice to see my works not in a flat file anymore. The defense was pretty interesting. It was cool to learn what people see when looking at my work, and since its so different from the norm it was very interesting. And I don't think I'll ever get used to receptions. They make me feel weird, especially since it was a solo show.

Full Gallery view standing at the back of the gallery, looking forward, and then standing at the front of the gallery looking to the back.

Four walls of large prints. The triptych is the connecting factor.

The left wall of the gallery was dedicated to small prints.

The front room housed several of the blocks that I printed from.

*All pictures enlarge.

Introduction in Pictures

2008-03-13T10:17:00.012-05:00

Welcome to Printmaking at Ole Miss, and the last few weeks of my life as a graduate student. I'm 4 weeks away from graduating with a masters in printmaking. the picture to the left is my studio door. Its like one of those closets that when you open the door everything falls to your feet. It'll take forever to be cleaned out. Anyhow, my door is home to many show cards, pictures and other things that friends have taped to it since I began grad school. I have to say, Bob Ross huggin the squirrel is my favorite.

Here is a picture of my laptop with the printshop stretching pretty far behind it. For the past two weeks building and painting frames has been my life. I'm getting better, I have to say. And I love that everything in my show will have been made by me.

This is my work table in the printshop. I've just kind of taken over the whole space, drawers included. The undergrads have become afraid to use the space when I'm not at it. Its pretty funny. Behind the table is the silkscreen washout booth, acid baths, and a press level litho cart that Micah and I built. I love how colorful our printshop is.

Flat files! I'll miss these the most. Top drawer is dedicated to fresh paper, second drawer to digital printmaking and the bottom drawer houses my prints.

And here is my drawer of beautiful Japanese papers. You've got to click the image and check them out.

And lastly, this is the press that got me through thesis. Its old, cracked and loud, but it prints amazingly. Even though we do have swanky new equipment and presses there's something to be said for the oldies.

So I guess that's an introduction to me in pictures. Enjoy reading my blog. Thanks for stopping by!

LSU Cup Show

2008-03-09T13:09:00.008-05:00

I'm rockin' the hell outta this poster! My cup is front and center on the poster. its the green and yellow one with the cherry and factory pipes painted on it. Adam is in the show as well, if you'll notice his name.

I'm quite proud. I've never been on a poster before.

-Melis, y'all