Welcome to my new website!
Hello and welcome to my shiny new website! I've been working on it for a while in my spare time, but since I have so little of that and prefer to spend most of it creating art, I've held off on having it go live until now. I was waiting for it to be perfect, you see, and then it dawned on me that I'm an artist JIm, NOT a webdesigner, so I'ma hafta let my inherent perfectionism slide on this. So here goes!
For anyone who has followed my burgeoning career as a painter, you've probably noticed I've been on a bit of a hiatus since my youngest was born just under four years ago. (Gee I wonder why?) I've certainly not given up on painting but as I've been unable to hide myself away in my studio for hours at a time to apply color to canvas, I've found a new creative outlet in, of all things, millinery. How is it easier to make hats than to paint, you ask? Well, in my experience, hatmaking does not require the same absolute focus as painting. Plus its much easier, and less messy to be mobile with a small sewing kit and in-progress hats (all 4" mini top-hats so far) so I can set up shop around the house and work while still keeping an eye on the kiddos. (It goes without saying that sharps and chokeables are kept well out of their reach unless currently being utilized.) If anyone had told me four years ago that I'd find as much joy and satisafaction in hat-making as in painting, I would have thought them quite barmy as I'd never been much for head adornment. But then in 2013 I had the privilege of attending the Edwardian Ball in San Francisco and instantly fell in love with the art of it all. So much incredible--and incredibly inspiring!--music, performance, art and fashion! My eyes were opened to just how much fun hats, fascinators and various other over the top fashion accessories can be to make and wear. My friend Erinn, who invited me to attend the ball with her, is a fellow painter/designer and mom who has become an exquisite, and entirely self-taught fashion designer and costumer. Check out her amazing work on her blog Refashioning History.
With my son now in preschool part time, I've been able to get back to painting on the regular as well! I've pulled a few old, unfinished canvases out of the basement to get going again AND also started a new Boxed Still Life series.
So this new website will be featuring my hat work as well as my paintings. Or whatever other random creative undertaking strikes my fancy. Sometimes I make fairy houses.
