Topping Out
Topping Out
For the pure fun of doing something silly I decided to top out my home construction project today. Definitely in the joy category as it marks an exciting milestone in the construction project – that of the structure reaching it’s highest point.
Had I done the topping out correctly I would have done it last wednesday when they put the trusses on the roof and attached an evergreen tree to the last truss raised. Then it’s time for a little ceremony to mark that the framing has reached the top level.
It’s supposed to bring luck to the project but when I talked to the construction guys about it, to them it just meant they were supposed to get a beer. I gave them cookies.
So apparently I don’t know the rules, especially since I didn’t have a real tree, so instead it was a sparkly purple fake tree.
It will still bring good luck to the project, cause already it’s going really well. And it was pretty entertaining. I guess I owe the guys a beer sometime.
Latest construction photos are here: December 2 .
Artful Home
Structures #39 was selected to be included in this year’s Artful Home holiday catalog (pictured above). Today I had the first nibble of someone interested in buying it. Hurray! That is definitely joy. They changed their mind but I’m sure the right buyers will come along soon.
Being in the catalog, which is mailed to 200,000 homes, is delightful in and of itself. Here’s the page with my textile painting:
I think they did a fabulous job photographing the work. I need to tweak mine a bit:
Structures #39 ©2006 43"x29"
December Studio Newsletter
It’s nearing time for my 4th quarterly newsletter for 2008. I’m thinking I’ll have it in the mail in the next couple weeks.
I’ve decided to select one of my subscribers to receive one of my textile paintings as it seems like a festive joyful thing to share my work this way. I think it will be Structures #83 but I haven’t decided final details. I might decided to give away a couple ACEOs also. So if you’d like a chance to win a piece of my artwork please sign up below.
You can check out a sample Studio Newsletter here: Lisa Call Studio News if you’d like an idea of what you are signing up for.
Sign up here:
And of course, I will never share or sell your email address and will only use it for the purpose stated above. All emails sent will include a link to unsubscribe should you decide you are no longer interested.
Posted by Lisa in: Being an Artist
Tagged: artful home, Joy, newsletter, structures, topping out
Hi Lisa,
I am a regular reader of your blog and I generally enjoy following your activities. However, I’d really like to seem more about your art making.
Could you weave in some elements that deal with the process of making things. What materials do you use? Do you dye the fabrics? Can we see some of that? What decisions do you face in this part of the process? What things do you experiment with.
Your affinity, learnings and experiments with colour, size/scale, design, etc, all this would be interesting to follow along week by week as you are engaged in the process. You have been describing the physical aspects of mounting the affordable art pieces, but what about aesthetic choices?
What do you think? Would you like to do that?
Thanks!
Gillian
Hi Gillian,
I’ve blogged about many of the things you mention.
Fabric Dyeing (I was on a TV showing how so did a series of posts on how I really did it cause TV isn’t very real)
http://blog.lisacall.com/2006/11/dyeing-rinsing-out-the-fabric.html
If you search on the word thread you will find several posts talking about the thread I use.
I don’t experiment with materials – I’ve found what works for me and I stick with it, which is probably why I don’t write about that very much because it doesn’t change. I look to push myself in the design of my work, not the techniques and materials used.
There are some in process photos of some of my pieces along the way.
Here are some posts about structures #48 and how it came about that I think you will find interesting:
http://blog.lisacall.com/2007/03/weekend-goals.html
http://blog.lisacall.com/2007/03/progress.html
http://blog.lisacall.com/2007/03/more-progress.html
http://blog.lisacall.com/2007/03/even-more-progress.html
http://blog.lisacall.com/2007/03/quilt-top-finished-structures-48.html
As I’m not doing larger work right now there isn’t much to post along these lines, but I’ll get back to it again. There are other pieces I’ve shown this type of progression with – Strucures #53 is one – I think you can find the posts if you do a search. Recently I did this with a Markings piece – I think it was #21 – again a search shoudl find it.
Is this the type of stuff you were looking for? If not let me know!
Hi Lisa,
Wow! #39 is a gorgeous piece! You do need a better image of it, though the one from the magazine certainly works! Really stunning.
A purple christmas tree – that is funny :)
Gregory,
Yes – if I get it back I’ll rephotograph it. It’s currently at the offices of artful home as the plan is they will ship it directly when it sells. they really have the colors popping great.
My daughter is gaga over that tree!
Builders eh? Cookies are better than beer I say! :) And love the sparkley tree!!! Gave me a giggle. I wonder if the housemates would go for a tree like that this year?
I had a little package of joy arrive yesterday – and they’re beautiful. 4 little canvases with your lines on them! I’m so amazed at the work put into them, they’re even better than I expected. :)
love the purple tree! that is so great that you are in the Artful Home catalogue, it’s beautifully done and I always drool over the things in there…
The purple tree is a hoot! I am so excited to see the progress being made on the house and expecially your studio space. I still can’t believe we have snow and you don’t, but I am very glad the project is at least under roof now. It will be great once the building is enclosed completely and the interior finishing can start! That joy thing you have go going on – it is in my brain now and I have to thank you for that! It makes a person think about what is really important.
I agree with you about the catalogue photographswy – I’d love both the table and the quilt, they deserve to be kept together.
But with reference to your quilting table arrangements, mine are similar – the machine is recessed and I drag alongside my cutting table that I had made to the same height. It is interesting how people who use their machines a lot favour a particular brand. I have been in love with my Berninas since my first 730 in 1969. I recently bought two of these great workhorses second hand in great condiiton for DD and DIL . I will neve,r ever, part with my 1260. I think the more recent machines are not as good, but – I hadn’t thought of trying to get another ‘just in case’ – my US friends with them tell me these really are scarce as hen’s teeth there.
Love the little tree! The progress on the addition is fantastic- you certainly have a good crew. Nice to see that overhang going on to the roof profile. My dad (who was a general contractor) always used to say that without an overhang, things look “butt headed”. Don’t know why I shared that, but just remembering it and him, always makes me smile. And a big congrats on the Artful Home catalog!
Cookies are probably better for people who will be up on your roof than a beer would be! The tree is very cool.
Your post on 31 days of joy inspired me and I’m doing my own. So, thank you for that!
I love the tree topping out the onstruction.
And of course it even better when you have a purple one.
I shopped far and wide to get my purple tree for my Florida home last year.
It was fun and funky with the lime green, magenta and black decorations.
So much fun I left it up for about 3 months!
Kay Sorensen
Hello Lisa,
Thank you for such a detailed reply. I checked the links you gave and I remember reading those posts when you first did them. I guess that I’d like your blog to continue to touch on the process of making and the ways you push yourself in the design of your work. Just something to include as you go along. This would take us right to the heart of your art work. Maybe one post a week?
Or a month where you take a topic.. say ‘colour’, or ‘proportion’, or ‘line’ and share your ruminations about the subject now and then across the month. I love your colour palette. I love colour and can just drool over some colour combinations. Are you the same? Something about lavender + taupe seems to catch at me. The JOY OF COLOUR?
We hear a lot about you moving house and taking on the challenge of building a business, but I hope you continue to share your engagement with the creative process as you go along.
At least you’ve got me out of the shadows and into the comments!
Gillian
Lisa,
Congratulation on having Structure 39 in Artful home it looks stunning; Your building is coming on nicely also.
OMG I’m JUST now seeing this…congrats on the artful home photo, that is absolutely gorgeous lisa!!!!!! I’m just sitting here smiling and feeling happy seeing this piece.
(the purple tree…thats funny)
Wow – thanks for all the comments everyone. My daughter will be thrilled to know everyone loves her tree ::) and thanks for the congrats on the catalog.
Alison – I’m with you on the older machines. I give the new ones a try every so often but am not yet convinced to change.
Gillian, thanks for coming out of the shadows to comment. Truth is I blog about what’s on my mind, and with a major home remodel project and no big studio there isn’t much huge artness going on. But when the studio is there, it’ll be bacck. I figure everything just flows along like it should and trust my readers come and go as they need depending on what I’m talking about.
Kay – love love those colors for a purple tree – wow ! Gorgeous!
Congratulations for having your peice in Artful Home. It looks great.