Shoes + Art

  Earlier this month, I had the privilege of taking part in an Art show at the McColl center, and spending time with some great 2ed graders. The show was put together by Sole +, a really great charity that works with marginalized and underprivileged groups in our society, bringing them an art outlet, as well as fulfilling the practical need for shoes. Sole + often works with homeless shelters and underprivileged schools and after-school programs. I was fortunate enough to get to work with one such after school program here in Charlotte.

This pair was painted by one of the students I worked with. I was kind of more proud that his shoes were put into the show, than I was about my own work! He did an amazing job! 

 Freedom School, is an amazing after school program that provides a great extra curricular experience for elementary school students in Charlotte. For two afternoons I helped a small group of 2ed graders paint and decorate their brand new Converse All-Stars. They were so excited to have a blank canvas that they would be able to wear! The kids were so creative and excited, that they didn't seem too interested in color theory, or cleaning their brushes before dipping into the next paint, for that matter. I had an absolute blast, and hope to return to Freedom Schools in the near future.

 For the show, local artists were asked to decorate a pair of All-Stars with a social consciousness theme. My Fibers teacher presented us with the opportunity, and although most of the other artists were professionals, everyone in our class was able to contribute a pair to the show. For my shoes, I ended up working with the idea of staying the course, while dreaming big. I painted to shoes to resemble a night sky, and transfered the image of a compass onto the tongues of he shoes. As I think you will see below, there were some really amazing shoes, and I think our class contributed some of the most interesting pieces.

My Contribution.

This was a pair by a classmate. They are based on the Woman in the Shoe, and the windows actually light up, and there is a shingled roof on the opening of the shoe!

Another really great pair by a classmate.

I thought these were pretty great. Nails are a lot harder to insert into fabric than you might think.

This is a pair that the founder of Sole + , created on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.

Embroidery!!!

 Today, I thought I would share some of my favorite artists who work in the medium of embroidery or decorative stitching. This is one of my favorite ways to work, and I am constantly being inspired by the creativity and skill of the Fiber Art community!

Melanie, by Stacy Page

 I just discovered Stacy Page's work while researching for this blog, but I had to include her. Take a peek at her website, she has some truly exceptional pieces. 

Keyring, by Aubrey Longley-Cook

 When you take a look at Aubrey Longley-Cook's blog, you have to check out Runaway, which is a series of embroideries that he created a stop motion video clip with.

Delilah, by Orly Cogan

 Orly Cogan is one of my favorite artists working with embroidery. Her style is fresh and compelling. One warning, her website isn't exactly safe for work. While I wouldn't classify her work as dirty or particularly salacious, it is mostly adult content.

Elegy (This is my House...) , by Stephen Sollins

 Stephen Sollins does some incredibly original work,by un-working vintage needlepoint pieces, and creating something new in the process. I also tend to love the mix of modern and antique in his work.

Pretty great stuff, huh? I am only about halfway through my favorites, but I think I will save some of those artists for a part two. What do you think about embroidery as art? I find it to be warmer and more personal than a lot of new painting work. (Of, course, I am more than a little biased towards Fiber mediums) Is this kind of work something you would like to try your hand at?

The Artist Blues

How to Feel Miserable as an Artist, Keri Smith 

 I am not sure if it is the short days or the stress of finals, but I have been battling the Artist Blues, as of late. All of us, creative folks suffer from the Artist Blues from time to time. You feel like the project you are currently working on will define the rest of your work for the rest of your life, and you hate this current project. You feel like a fraud, like you should just give up this pipe dream and enroll in business school. This past week, I was paralyzed by the Artist Blues. I hate a project I have been working on, and I allowed that project to determine my worth as an artist and thinker. I actually ended up crying in the middle of a critique in class. I have absolutely NEVER done this before. After crying in class, I was soo stressed out about another project, that is for a charity. I just felt like I was worthless and my work was shit. I am feeling significantly better now, thank you very much! I am actually excited to start woking on my next project and I can feel my ideas flowing again. 


 Today, I thought I would share my experience and offer a little something that I think will help whenever we suffer from the Artist Blues in the future. One of my favorite Artist/Bloggers, Keri Smith, offered The Artist's Survival Kit a few years back, and I thought I would share the link. It is a fun, and thought provoking group of prompts and lists and questions, that should help shift your outlook. I printed it out today, and am going to house it somewhere on my desk, so that motivation is always just a few feet away. 

Keri Smith

 How do you deal with the Artist Blues? I would love to get a few ideas!