Lisa Call

Lines Everywhere

The other day Gillian asked to hear more about what I think about in terms of artistic process.

This is what I think – I think these lines are amazing. I love the framing of my new addition. Angles every which way. It totally rocks. I go out there and just stare at all those 2×4s all lined up. Seriously – I find it mesmerizing – I just stand there and stare at the ceiling and walls for ages.

I want to figure out some way of keeping the framing all showing. Think they make clear drywall? I LOVE these lines. This is what I want to make art about. This is art. Lines, evenly spaced, a bunch going in one direction, then some going in another.

It is absolutely one of the coolest things.

If you want to what I think about in terms of art – check out all the construction photos I’ve taken over on smugmug (latest batch here). All those framing pictures are what will inform my art for a long time to come.

Girls Only

Today was double joy day (in case you missed it – I’ve dedicated December to 31 days of joy). Not only did I take more photos of my awesome studio construction, I spent the afternoon with my best friend, Cindy.

We went to a play/improv show called Girls Only – The Secret Comedy of Women at the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Wonderful afternoon with a wonderful friend and much laughter.

7 Things Meme

A while back I listed 7 things about myself and tagged anyone with exactly 2 Es and 2 As in their name. I know of 2 people that responded – check out their 7 things here:

Shelia Barnes
Jeanne Williamson

Thanks for playing (although Jeanne didn’t mention it in her post, she knew my post tagged her also cause she emailed me about it).

Anyone else?

December Studio Newsletter

Reminder that I will be giving Structures #83 to a subscriber of my newsletter in a few weeks. Sign up here for a chance to win.

You can check out a sample Studio Newsletter here: Lisa Call Studio News .

Subscribe 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.

Still Time to Shop

Also – don’t forget – there is still time to buy some amazing original art for your friends and family for the holidays.

If you are thinking about this option please check out these online sites:

Fine Art Department
Small Art Showcase (organized by Jeanne!)

Structures #102
©2008
6"x 6"
Purchase Here

My Seven

I was tagged by Susan Donley for this meme. Write 7 things my blog readers don’t know about me then tag 7 people to keep this going. I’m not sure which one is harder. Is there really anything I haven’t written about on this blog over the past 3+ years?

Here’s my try:

1. I’ve only owned 3 cars in my life. I didn’t buy my first one (Bufurd) until 1989 right before I got married at age 26. Bought the second one (Annabel) in 1992 right before my son was born and it was clear we would have to become a 2 car family. I bought the 3rd one a few years back when the one from 1992 was totaled in an accident. The first two I bought new, my current car is a 1996 Honda Accord named Pam.
2. In my grad school days I was a co-author on a few computer science research papers. We presented one of them in Orlando and I had to fly down to Florida with my adviser in his small airplane. He made us (myself and fellow graduate student) help navigate. I didn’t want to and put no effort into it. I was generally on the wrong map page when he asked me to show him where we were. We still made it to Florida and back just fine.
3. When my grandparents sold their farm in 1987 or 88 they had a big auction. I bought my grandmother’s floor quilting frame but couldn’t get it home with me on the plane so a few months later I drove from Wisconsin to Kansas (in Bufurd) to get them. So basically I drove 1200 miles round trip, alone, to get a bunch of old 2×4s. I came close to getting rid of it when I moved this year but didn’t, so it is currently crammed into my storage locker.
4. I’m really really good at playing Blockus as I’m really good at thinking spatially. I have to bribe my kids to play with me but mostly they refuse because I always win. I’m also really good at tetris and prefer 3-d tetris cause regular is too easy. And even better, I’m really good at packing a car with tons of stuff. I think this is why I like making the type of art I make, it’s very much like putting a puzzle together to make it all work out. Requires a lot of spatial reasoning.
5. My first cat was named Radiation Burn. I called her Raid. I stole that name from my best friend Kelly as she was going to name her first child this but her husband objected. I’ve since had cats named Toxie (Toxic Waste) and Indie (Industrial Waste). Our current cats are Nukie (Nuclear Waste) and Abby. My daughter was 5 when we got Abby and didn’t quite pick up the pattern. Next cat is already named. It’ll be Medi (Medical Waste).
6. I was a girl scout growing up. My mom was our leader and we did lots of camping and backpacking and I loved it. I have many fond memories of those years. In my 20s I dreamed of having a daughter and being her girl scout leader. I was most happy when my daughter said no way she would do girl scouts. Whew – off the hook. Teaching and herding kids is not very high on my ‘like to to do’ list. My mom was a saint. (Thanks mom!)
7. I don’t like rules.

And so given #7 I’m going to skip the part where I tag other people specifically. Instead I’m tagging anyone that reads this blog and has exactly 2 A’s and 2 E’s in their name (first and last). If that’s you – your turn!

Small Art

This weekend I was hoping to wrap up the small art I planned for the online holiday sale I’m participating in but it didn’t quite happen. Which is fine as I’ll wrap it up this week. Along with packing up my house so they can rip down walls.

The above piece is part of the sale and in the next day or 2 I’ll get my webpage up with all of the work. It’s been fun to make these little works but I’m also itching to get back into making some larger pieces now.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Structures #90, Structures #86, Structures #85
Structures #87, Structures #88, Structures #81
Structures #89, Structures #91, Structures #82

 
Last month I managed to come across Tracy’s Pay it Forward post and jumped right in to be one of 3 recipients of a piece of artwork from Tracy.

In return I agreed to continue the Pay it Forward tradition as follows:

I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.

When you leave your comment, please also do one of two things: leave your post address or e-mail it to me.

I will be making 3 small textile art pieces this weekend for the first 3 people that leave a comment requesting to receive the gift and are willing to continue the Pay it Forward tradition on their blog. My current thought is to make some 6" square pieces along the same lines as the above pieces but that’s just a thought, we’ll see what mode strikes me when I get to the studio.

This has got to be a record – 2 days in a row of blog meme type stuff. Now I can go back to ignoring these things for another year. Although this one I really like – not only will I receive a wonderful piece of art I also get to share my work with others.

 
Blog administration: I have setup hotlink protection on my blog – this has the potential to break the viewing of images in feed readers. If you read my feed from a feed reader and the past few weeks the images have disappeared please let me know and I’ll see what I can do to fix it for that reader. I fixed google reader this morning.

 
I was tagged a few weeks back by Stacey for the 5 random things about myself meme traveling about the blog world and tonight feels like a good night to think of 5 because I don’t feel like writing about art and goals, etc.

1) I used to do a lot of hiking. The above photo was taken in 2002 on top of Crystal Peak near Breckenridge. The peak behind me is Pacific Peak. Climbing the 14ers has become very popular here in Colorado and there is a steady stream of people headed to the top so I started hiking the high 13ers instead. Same thing only significantly fewer people because there is no score card to be kept. I have no goals in my hiking other than to enjoy the outdoors.

2) A few years ago for father’s day I hiked to the top of Quandary Peak alone, a 14er also near Breckenridge, for the sole purpose of calling my dad from the top to wish him Happy Father’s Day in celebration of all hiking we did when I was a kid. I guess I do often have 1 goal in hiking, and that is getting to the top, something I think I inherited from my dad. Gotta see what’s on the other side!

3) I used to love skiing. Then I moved to Colorado in 94 and haven’t skied since. The traffic, cost and crowds are not worth it to me.

4) I’ve (mostly) been a vegetarian since 1985 and eat very healthy, mostly home cooked simple meals.

5) I love melted velveeta and rotel with chips, in stark contrast to item #4. I even like those nasty nachos in theaters with the plastic cheese. I know, disgusting.

 
Now to tag 5 folks. This is the part I don’t like – that whole popularity contest thing I don’t like. So instead I tag everyone that reads this post. Consider yourself personally tagged, and thank you for reading my ramblings, be it just today, or all the days you read. You are much appreciated.