Hey everyone! Looking for an interesting way to end the weekend and kick off the week? Well, you’re in luck! Sunday (June 9th) from 5-7 Seed Space is having a tour of the art studios and galleries starting at 427 Chestnut. A guided tour is available from 5-6 but you can wing it on your own between 5-7 if you’d rather. Check out the details: http://seedspace.org/studio-tour.
Author: aeshep
Alice E. Shepherd is Artist/Owner of Artwork Cubed Glass Studio, creating original and small batch art for home, body and gifts.
The (not so) glamorous side of art…
I’ve spent the better part of the day working on my website appearance and online presence; trying to make a perfect circle of all my web locations. I’ve updated the sidebar to include my “Gravatar” info to make linking to other sites a breeze. And there’s a new slideshow on my homepage. Things are improving but it seems the simpler I make them the more complicated the tracking: so many accounts, usernames, passwords, and expiration dates. There’s just no escaping good record keeping. Can anyone say spreadsheet-arghh!!! Ah, well…I’m beginning to pine away for the actual crafting. So here’s a past shot of me in the garage workshop, priming kiln shelves:
From this perspective even this looks like fun! The kilns have been cold for much too long and I hear the thrumming of tools impatient from lying dormant…
And now for something completely different….
Howdy! I’ve titled this post for fellow Monty Python fans out there. Let’s not underestimate the FUN factor, right?! Time indeed does fly when you’re crazy busy. And in my case the crazy busy is a complete life changer: my experiences interning with artist/social practitioner Adrienne Outlaw combined with my experimental day job of seasonal plant merchandiser. I’ve been wondering how the two seemingly different activities might relate and how they compare to the ways in which I’ve spent, basically, my entire adult career. Which, lets face it, tends to define a good portion of one’s time. I’ve gone from desk and carpet and solitary crafts-person to outdoors and dirt and cooperative creative efforts. On reflecting I find a particularly striking similarity that addresses both curiosities. My day job is literally around the corner so I’m working in my neighborhood, which means anonymity is virtually impossible. Likewise, the internship in the art of social practice is necessarily community based: from interacting with artists in the same building to assisting exhibitors at Seed Space (Adrienne’s site for installation art located in her studio (http://seedspace.org/), to accessing a global community of artists and other professionals via the web. Nothing of value in either milieu can occur without the confluence of individual and collaborative efforts. Remember that degree in Sociology? I’m letting it out to play 🙂 And speaking of play and FUN…it’s time to go have some. Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!
My Fabulous Logo
A much delayed thank you to Micah Caputo for the awesome logo she created for me in record time:
and for teaching me about .png files (example on the home page of my website)! She’s working on her MFA: photography as the medium, mental illness as the subject matter. Be on the lookout for her and check out her work at http://mckennajane.com/.
Exciting news!
On April 10th Adrienne Outlaw, Nashville’s own socially engaged artist, agreed to have me intern in her cutting edge practice! I’ll admit to feeling like a star-struck adolescent. (Frankly, that alone is priceless :-). If you aren’t familiar with her work check out her website and blog at http://www.adrienneoutlaw.com. I discovered her work years ago at an exhibit at Cheekwood which fundamentally altered my perception of the roles that art can fill. I am humbled and grateful for this rare opportunity. Of the many – and there are MANY – things to learn the end game is to create and share more holistic and meaningful works that are a confluence of personal experience with my background in sociology and philosophy. To be sure it’s a tall order! I’m already working on my first assignment and thinking of ways to keep the blog appropriately updated. Until next time, stay engaged!
Blown Glass from Workshop
I’ve had the seed of an idea for some time for a piece that involves a heart. So when I took the glass blowing workshop my aunt Chris bought as a present for me I chose that shape for my take home piece. Here it is:
It covers the palm of my hand. The process is very cool (well, actually, it’s VERY HOT). Either way, I hope to incorporate this technique in some future work.
Debut of Personalized Sculpture
I’m very excited about the possibilities of the combination of techniques I used to make this piece: the word is made from mica (bronze) letters fired inside the glass, channels through the glass for the rope to hang it on and permanent image transfers. I totally love the transparent effect on the clear glass! The piece is temporarily assembled for display until I can finish it in my usual metal/mixed media style. The aesthetic for the piece was inspired by the couple’s beautifully organic wedding invitation and ceremony, which included their picture, and a quote from the rehearsal dinner invitation (“whatever souls are made of his and mine are the same”):
I’m considering offering such pieces as personalized art and/or for gifts.THOUGHTS ANYONE?
ALICE E. SHEPHERD 
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