Kate E. Austin's Art Blog

Moving!

2011-02-01T21:02:00.001-08:00

Hey all,
I'm moving my blog over to my website, www.kateaustinavon.net.
I also keep a blog at www.myadvokate.com.

See you there!

Etsy class!

2010-11-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

How to Sell Your Artwork Online
Saturday, Nov. 13, 10-11:30 a.m.

This beginner’s class with artist Kate Austin-Avon is for the artist or crafter who is finally ready to part with some of their work. We will focus on Etsy, an online community selling everything handmade! We plan to cover opening an account, setting up shop, photographing your pieces, describing your work, shop policies, promoting and more. It takes place at The Shirt Factory, corner of Lawrence and Cooper Streets, Glens Falls, NY. Class fee is $20.

Sign up required: kate@kateaustinavon.net.

My artwork on an ALBUM!!!

2010-02-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

As you may or may not know, folk singer/songwriter Gary Moon approached me about an album cover for his new CD, Big Sky. Now the CD release party is coming up! Listening to the songs over and over (I'm not kidding - if it wasn't a rude thing to do, I'd be in the front row singing them at the top of my lungs while Gary performs), I came up with some paintings inspired by them - and I'm really proud of the work. I'm really excited to see what he's done with them and to finally have the songs and art together as a package.

Come to Caffe Lena for the party on Saturday, March 20! It's also Phil Henry's CD release party.

Facebook!

2010-02-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

Are you a fan? I am!
(I'm also the man behind the curtain on these two... so join up!)

Kate Austin is a fan of

The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls

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Kate Austin is a fan of

North Country Arts Center

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Lots of news!

2010-01-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

I have been asked to join the board of Art in the Public Eye (A.P.E.), the umbrella organization for Third Thursday Art Walks. Adding this to my already full plate will be a challenge, but I'm honored to have been asked. My first ever solo art show was through Third Thursday, so this is a nice full-circle moment for me in my art life. These folks are dynamic and going places. I'm excited to be a part of it.

I'm continuing on with North Country Arts Center as board member, and will again help chair this year's Colors of Fall Art and Craft Festival - which we are already starting to think about for 2010. If you have feedback, are interested in becoming a vendor, or would like to help out, please let me know! The organization is also looking to expand to the north - be in touch if you're up that-a-way and want to jump on board with some new initiatives.

I am also a part of the new Buttondown Gallery in The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, which has its first show, Winterscapes, coming up. The reception is Saturday, Jan. 30, from 3 to 7 p.m. I think Rhea Love Doran (who will be running Buttondown) has a lot to offer.

I'm also helping out here and there at LARAC - another organization I'm proud to be involved with. I'm also helping out at Hocus Pocus Consignment, the awesome new children's store that has opened up next to Finders Keepers (same management) on Broad Street in Glens Falls. Some of my artwork and jewelry will be displayed there for sale, so come and check it out! Lots of quality kids' clothes, toys and more, too. Stop by Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. if you want to see me there.

Some of the artists in the vampire-themed show at Galleria Transylvania at The Shirt Factory were interviewed for Mountain Lake PBS (self included!!!). It was filmed in late 2009, but will be airing next week. We should be able to watch it online here once it's aired.

On the jewelry front, I'm trying my hand at silver chainmaille. Materials are crazy expensive, but the end result is beautiful. On the flip side, I'm also making some funky earrings made with garbage - Tupperware lids, take-out containers, styrofoam, broken scissors, etc. Keep an eye on IVYTEAKETTLE - I'll update once I have a free second!

Let's do it again!

2009-12-10T10:32:00.000-08:00

There's a second open house this weekend at The Shirt Factory!!! Come check out my studio on the third floor from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19 and 20. Be sure and pop in to all the shops, galleries, studios and and outside vendors on your way up!

New gallery!

2009-11-26T19:10:00.001-08:00

I'm trying out a new way to host the gallery on my site - check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Also, don't forget the Shirt Factory Holiday Open House this weekend! Here's the info, pasted from my latest newsletter (which is available here, by the bye).

Annual Holiday Showcase at The Shirt Factory!
What: An old converted shirt factory houses studios, galleries and shops! Wander the hallways and do some shopping at the tea shop, art supply store, quilt shop, or any of the 30-plus studios! Pottery, fine silversmithing, jewelry, felting, paintings in oil, watercolor and acrylic, mixed media works, pastels, fabric art and SO much more! Just in time for the holidays!
*New this year -- a Shopper's Advantage drawing! For every $25 you spend at the open house, you'll earn a ticket to the raffle. The prize is a basket containing more than $500 in gift certificates and merchandise from Shirt Factory shops and artists! Whoa!
Date: Friday to Sunday, Nov. 27-29
Time: Friday from 5-8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (I won't be there on Friday, but it's nice to get a preview. Make your way up to the third floor to see my studio and browse my chainmaille and plarn jewelry and prints!)
Stay tuned for a possible second weekend!

Sign up for the email list!

2009-10-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

Join the Kate E. Austin e-mailing list! No spam, just art updates.

The Kate E. Austin Newsletter

2009-10-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

...........Click here to see the latest newsletter!

Classathon!

2009-10-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

What can Kate E. Austin teach YOU?
Good question, my friend. You're about to find out...
CLASSathon!
Tuesday, October 27
Take one class – or a whole day!

How to Sell Your Artwork Online
2 p.m.
This beginner’s class is for the artist or crafter who is finally ready to part with some of their work. We will cover everything you need to know to start up your own online business, including which websites to use, how to use them, describing your work, shop policies, promoting and more.

Intro to Chainmaille
4 p.m.
Learn the basics of chainmaille – where to purchase supplies and how to put together a stunning bracelet in your choice of colors! All materials are included in this class, and you will leave with a gorgeous piece of jewelry you have made yourself! Students are asked to bring two sets of pliers. As an added bonus, we will also learn to make “plarn” from plastic shopping bags. Additional $10 materials fee.

Exploring Mixed Media
6 p.m.
Learn what Yupo is and how to use gesso, inks, kosher salt, Windex, cheesecloth and plastic wrap to create stellar textured paintings in this demo and hands-on workshop. Additional $15 materials fee.

$20 per class. $35 for two. $50 for three.
Sign up by Oct. 20: 353-2121 or email kate@kateaustin.net
Info: www.kateaustin.net

Classes held at Kate E. Austin's Studio, #307 on the third floor of The Shirt Factory
Corner of Lawrence and Cooper Streets in Glens Falls, NY.

Click here for the class flyer, complete with photos!

You know what time it is!

2009-09-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

New studiomate time!

So - We're looking for a studio-mate. (Yeah, again.)

The studio's on the third floor of The Shirt Factory, which, in case you don't know, is a converted old shirt factory in Glens Falls at the corner of Cooper and Lawrence Streets. It's a community on the up-and-up, full of respected and professional artists, shops and galleries.

Right now, it's Larissa Cardone (teaching children's classes and "sprucing" up furniture), Cindy Gorman (master metalsmith), Sarah Bates (pottery person) and me, Kate E. Austin (mixed media artist).

PERKS:
- There's 1200 square feet of room total, and you'd get your very own sectioned-off block that you can paint any color you choose, refinish, tear down the wall, whatever you want.
- Lots of light, high ceilings, and just a really cool building to be a part of.
- There's a Shirt Factory Association, and there's our biggest open house coming up -- plus there's an option for group advertising, if you like. Good way to get your name out there & sell stuff.
- There's a sink right there, we have a fridge and a microwave you can use, and a quite fetching green couch. The bathroom's close by, in the hallway.
- You can get in to do your thing any time of day or night that you want.
- You can keep and do whatever you want there (as long as it's not stinky, dead or illegal).
- Your new built-in studiomates are pretty talented & responsible people.
- It's great for artists, crafters, musicians, or people in need of some storage space.
- It's $120 a month, a year's lease, plus security deposit.

Interested? Drop a line, we'll talk. I have pictures, or can give you a tour.
kate@kateaustin.net or (518) 353-2121.

Vendors needed for Craft Fair!

2009-06-27T09:20:00.001-07:00

Would be lovely to see you there! Feel free to comment here with questions.

Donate to the Freedom To Read Foundation!

2009-05-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Ten percent of proceeds from sales in the Idiotic Idioms shop benefit Intellectual Freedom, now through July. Support the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Foundation and own some fun prints while you're at it!

Check it out in the Office for Intellectual Freedom blog and also on their Twitter feed.

The idea came from Gail Weymouth, at the Sherburne Memorial Library. Thanks, Gail!

Check out the shop:

Open house at The Shirt Factory!

2009-04-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

OPEN HOUSE!

The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls holds its annual Spring Open House on Saturday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Shirt Factory, located at the corner of Cooper and Lawrence Streets, houses artists' studios, galleries, a holistic healing center and shops. The tenants offer demonstrations, art receptions, sales and information on classes, custom work and services. In the building: Artists working in paint, textiles, pastel, clay, glass, fine jewelry, photography and more; plus shops selling tea, quilting supplies, art supplies, art, framing services, gift items and more. Admission is free.

Come see me on the third floor! You can meet my new studiomate, pottery girl Sarah Bates!

Studiomate needed, once more!

2009-01-31T08:54:00.000-08:00

Hey you out there in internet-land,
It's that time again! We're looking for a studio-mate.

Right now, it's Larissa Cardone (teaching children's classes and "sprucing" up furniture), Cindy Gorman (master metalsmith), Mitzi Miller (making awesome paintings) and me (mixed media artist).

The studio's on the third floor of The Shirt Factory, which is an artist's community in Glens Falls on the corner of Cooper and Lawrence Streets.

- There's 1200 square feet of room total and you'd get a decent chunk of that.
- There's a sink handy, we have a fridge and a microwave you can use, and a fetching green couch.
- The bathroom's close, in the hallway.
- You can paint your walls any color you choose (and we're working together on a co-op gallery/shop idea, which you could be in on).
- You can get in to do your thing any time you want.
- You can keep and do whatever you want there (as long as it's not stinky, dead or [very] illegal).
- Lots of light.
- Your new built-in studiomates are pretty awesome.
- It's great for artists, crafters, musicians, or people in need of some storage space.
- It's $120 a month.

Interested? Drop a line, we'll talk. I have pictures, or can give you a tour.
kate@kateaustin.net or (518) 353-2121

The new studio & open house

2008-11-24T05:30:00.000-08:00

Well, the planets aligned and there are likely to be five of us in the studio rather than four, which means a cheaper rent and more exciting things happening in one room. I'm psyched about it! We've got Mitzi, who's a painter and a friend of mine, and Cindy, who's a metalsmith and jewelry designer. They'll be moving in (Cindy is still a maybe at the moment) as of December, and Larissa, who is taking old things and sprucing them up, is already moved in! I really am lucky.

But before December, there's the annual Shirt Factory Holiday Showcase! It's this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Come in and see what the Shirt Factory is all about!

Studiomate needed!

2008-10-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well, our studiomate Zack Zoll is looking to move out, and that leaves us with a gap in the rent. Right now, it's Casey the Candy Thief (seamstress and funkmaster), Steve Gallucci (piano rockstar) and me (~~messy person~~ visual artist-slash-stuffmaker).

The studio's on the third floor of The Shirt Factory, which, in case you didn't know, is an artist's community in Glens Falls on the corner of Cooper and Lawrence Streets.

- There's 1200 square feet of room total and you'd get a corner of that.
- There's a sink handy, we have fridges and a microwave you can use, and a fetching green couch.
- The bathroom's close, down the hall.
- You can paint your walls any color you choose.
- You can get in to do your thing any time you want.
- You can keep and do whatever you want there (as long as it's not stinky, dead or [very] illegal).
- Lots of light.
- Casey, Steve and I are pretty awesome.
- It's great for artists, crafters, musicians, or people in need of some storage space.
- It's $150 a month.

Interested? Drop a line, we'll talk. I have pictures, or can give you a tour.

mantras, wishes and prayers.

2008-10-10T21:08:00.001-07:00

Tonight I won a prize at bjsartworks' "From Victim to Victory: A Domestic Violence Awareness Project" art show. It was a good show - normally I'm not wowed by every single piece in a show, but there was so much emotion in every single one of them that I really was in awe. The reception itself was powerful, too, with a sing-along and original song by Pam Barker, who had inspired Bev Saunders to put this show together.

The painting I put in is called "STOP." I have a way of trying to use my art as a way to wish, pray, do mantras or voodoo or - I don't know what. It's like if I painted this hard enough, it would stop. I've done that with others - if you look on the website's gallery and click "Tell the Sky" or "Wish" you'll see the same sort of thing. Let's hope this stuff works.

Here's the winning painting, and the ribbon. Thanks to Bev for putting it all together - this was a really wonderful show and I'm glad I could be a part of it.

Bjsartworks is located on the second floor of The Shirt Factory, on the corner of Lawrence and Cooper Streets in Glens Falls, New York. The show is up until Halloween, and I really recommend checking it out.

Obama vs. McCain: Arts policy

2008-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

What just came through my email inbox? Why, it's Barack Obama's Arts Policy. Just skim the headlines - funding for the arts and arts education, cultural diplomacy, this Artist Corps sounds fun... even... WHAT? HEALTH CARE for artists. Wow. WOW. I think I'm hooked. Reading through this is like eating candy, like reading a wish list of mine. Even if most of these things don't happen in real life, I can't believe we've actually got a guy running for President that's actually thinking this way. Artists are so used to working late into the night for little to no recognition that this nod our way seems way too good to be true.

However, in the interest of fairness - and I don't mean this sarcastically. I work for a newspaper now and am increasingly aware of the importance of fairness - I thought I ought to look up John McCain's arts policy.

From what I can find on the internet, he doesn't have one. I'm not the first blogger to bring this up, either. A google search on "McCain's arts policy" brings up several posts about this very topic. Artocracy has actually tried contacting McCain's campaign to figure out his policy and gotten no response.

Elizabeth Currid of Election 2008 writes, "McCain doesn’t have an arts policy, other than a desire to eliminate spending directed toward the arts."

Her entire article is worth reading, as it outlines what cuts have been made to arts funding in the last 15 years and provides statistics that are hard to argue with about how the arts makes up a good percent of the workforce.

I have to say that this is very smart marketing on Senator Obama's part. Senator McCain must not realize how many of us there are who, while are also concerned about the economy and safety of our country, really struggle every day with this stuff.

I'm open to rebuttals -- has anybody out there seen otherwise on this issue?

Okay, maybe I get it now.

2008-09-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

I just may have figured out why so many people around here paint pictures of Lake George.

Some background, if you're not from around here: When you're checking out the local art scene, it's kind of a "blah blah blah Lake George" thing. EVERYONE does paintings of Lake George, and it's a serious snooze. Sure, it's pretty, but it's decorative. My idea of good art isn't decorative. Blecch.

My idea of good art is that it means something. It pushes envelopes. It's personal, it's emotional, it's important, it invokes a reaction and conveys something real and human. It makes people angry, or sad, or joyful, and number one, it's original - it's not just blahhhh, ANOTHER painting of a lake - how very exciting for you. There's so much "pretty" art out there, and I really have no desire to clutter up the world with more of it. How many times can people paint the same thing before the painting police put a stop to this!?

Honestly, I realize that people want to have something pretty in their homes, but gosh, it's so boring. Admittedly, I've done a landscape or three, done my small share of florals, succumbing to the sad fact that nobody really wants to buy my angsty life on paper.

However, I had the opportunity last week to go out on Lake George for the first time, for an Editorial meeting in my boss Mark Frost's boat. And I think I get it.

When you're actually there, soaking up Lake George, you want more than anything to paint it, to take that feeling of exhilaration and relaxation and capture it so you can share it with everyone else. When people buy paintings of Lake George, they can point out the islands - Lake George vacationers and natives know the names of them, and have good memories associated with them. It is a personal thing. I took lots of pictures...

I even liked it so much that I went back to the Lake with my boyfriend Cory. We hiked in, laid out a picnic, jumped in the water and laid in the sun. I took pictures of that, too. Watch out - you just might see some Lake George paintings from me yet!

... I'm not gonna pretend they're anything original, though.

Colors of Fall!

2008-08-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

So, the show.

2008-08-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

I was worried... I knew none of my family could make it, and Cory had to work, so my definite attendees were going to be missing, and I had a certain paranoia about the whole thing.

However.

I happen to have really awesome friends and coworkers. Really. Awesome. Thank you so much, everyone who made it out. You made my night, and it was wonderful to have you there to spend time with me during the reception.

Thanks for eating the cheese with me. My fears were squelched with your warmth.
Love and hugs.

Fear:

2008-08-21T05:41:00.001-07:00

eat the cheese

v.
1. When nobody shows to an art reception, the artist is said to have "eaten the cheese."

Origins: In the olden days, artists used to provide refreshments at their art openings. On the occasion that nobody showed, they would be left with heaps of fruit, crackers, wine and cheese, to eat what they had hoped to share with friends and family all by themselves in an act of shame. This practice is now out of date because after this became commonplace, artists stopped bringing the food in the first place.

"I totally ate the cheese at my Ridge Street Coffee Co. show."

New solo show - Reception Thursday, August 21!

2008-08-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

North Country Studios Tour

2008-08-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the first ever North Country Studios Tour, put on by the North Country Arts Center.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the participating artists in their studios--in a converted factory, renovated barns, farmhouses, newly designed spaces. They are painters, sculptors, potters, jewelers, photographers, textile, mixed media, and "new rustic" artists who create works of art that are often exhibited and sold beyond the borders of the North Country.

The organizers of the tour are artists collaborating to help connect the community to the arts by opening their studios. They were inspired by last year's successful open studio tours east and north of our region. We believe open studios will demonstrate individual achievements and present vital currents in fine art and crafts in our region and offer visitors a chance to purchase works of art directly from the artists.

So... This Saturday and Sunday, August 9 and 10, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM, pick up a brochure or visit the website and come out to see the studios! I'll be in The Shirt Factory on the third floor in mine, working on some new stuff - stop by to say hello!

Going digital

2008-07-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

My sister came to visit me last night and I helped her make herself over for an internship interview at SPAC. After work, we went for a walk around downtown Glens Falls in another outfit I picked for her, and we ended up doing a spontaneous photoshoot. I played around with some of the pictures in GIMP and am really loving some of them.

This shot is strangely similar to a drawing I did back in 2003 or so...

And this one was a lucky accident - she was fixing her headband, but the way the camera blurred made this really wonderful and intense...

They're both available for sale on http://aephemera.etsy.com now!

Flower painting...

2008-07-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm 26 now. Working at The Chronicle is still going well - it's a lot more brainwork than I'm used to, but that's not a bad thing!

I came out with some surprisingly nice flower paintings at Garden Time last weekend. It was nice to have time to devote solely to painting. I haven't done that in a long while. Here's a photo of some of the work that came of the plein air painting:

From left to right, that's an orchid, a Venus Fly Trap, and some kind of lily. I had a good time. Nothing sold, but painting just felt really nice. I'll have to make more time for it.

Three shows, plein air painting, and a birthday!

2008-07-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

The new job at The Chronicle is going well!

Yesterday I hung up a show at The Glen at Hiland Meadows on Longview Road in Queensbury. It looks really nice - check it out if you can! It's up through July. I have a show coming up at Ridge Street Coffee Co. on Ridge Street in Glens Falls for August, and also still have work hanging in the hallway between Aimie's Dinner & A Movie and Wallabee's Jazz Bar.

This weekend I will be plein air painting with Betty O'Brien at Garden Time on Quaker Road in Queensbury for their big tent sale. There's going to be a radio station there broadcasting, and food, vendors, a bounce house, and a huge raffle. Stop by and see me! Janet Nolin of ButterflyGrace Creations will be selling her flower photo cards as well. I'll be there from noon to three on Saturday and from ten to one on Sunday.

Monday is my twenty sixth birthday!

Kate E. Austin July Newsletter

2008-07-08T20:48:00.001-07:00

Kate E. Austin Newsletter
July 8th, 2008

WHAT'S NEW
In the span of one week, I graduated from college with my Bachelor's degree in Art, started a new career, and moved in with my boyfriend! I am now Arts Writer for The Chronicle, a local weekly newspaper right down the street from my new apartment. I'm still settling in, but I'm very excited about it.
The change in routine and ridiculous heat we've been having has put my studio hours on hold for now, though. I'm trying to make it in when I can, but right now nothing is regular.
I am still Co-President of the North Country Arts Center. We are still looking for artists and crafters who are interested in our Colors of Fall Arts & Crafts Festival. Be in touch with me or visit the website at http://www.northcountryartscenter.org for an application! I am also coordinating the North Country Studios Tour, which is taking place August 9th & 10th. More on this event is available on the NCAC website as well.
Classes are all on hiatus until further notice. I am still available for one-on-one instruction this summer. To work something out, contact me at 353-2121 or kate@aephemera.net.

EVENTS AND SHOWS
“Light Fair” (Group Show with the Upper Hudson Valley Watercolor Society)
Location: LARAC (Lapham Gallery), 7 Lapham Place, Glens Falls, New York
Date: Now through August 2nd
Plein Air Painting at Garden Time
I will be painting flowers in shifts with watercolorist and fellow Shirt Factory studio owner Betty O'Brien, a watermedia painter who will also be displaying her work. Janet Nolin of ButterflyGrace Creations will have her flower photo cards available for sale as well.
Location: Garden Time, Quaker Road, Queensbury, New York
Date: Saturday and Sunday, July 12 and 13.
Time: My shifts are Saturday from noon to three and Sunday from nine to one.
Kate E. Austin Solo Show
Location: The Glen at Hiland Meadows, 39 Longview Drive, Queensbury, New York
Date: Now through the end of July
Reception: TBA
North Country Studios Tour
Come see the studios of over 17 artists throughout the North Country! Mine will be just one of many.
Location: Studio #307, The Shirt Factory, Corner of Lawrence & Cooper Streets, Glens Falls, New York
Date: Saturday, August 9th and Sunday, August 10th
Time: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Kate E. Austin Solo Show
Location: Ridge Street Coffee Co., 1 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, New York
Date: August 2008
Reception: Thursday, August 15th
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm

GOODBYE
Hope to see you at one of the upcoming shows!
Please keep the following sites bookmarked as I try to keep them all updated often:
http://kateaustin.net – My website
http://aephemera.etsy.com – My online store for my artwork
http://ivyteakettle.etsy.com – My online store for jewelry and bags
http://kateeaustin.blogspot.com – My blog

Level Up.

2008-06-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while... and a lot has changed. My life has been simply surreal lately.

* On Sunday, June 1st, I moved in with my boyfriend Cory into a new apartment down the street from my old one.

* On Saturday, June 7th, I graduated from Empire State College with my Bachelor's of Science in Visual Arts.

* On Monday, June 9th, I accepted a job offer from The Chronicle and in two weeks will be an Arts Writer - a job that will morph into Arts Editor as Cathy DeDe, the current Arts Editor, readies to move out of town. I will be starting June 25th, 2008.

* Today, June 10th, I submitted my two weeks' notice to my job with W.F. Lake, a job that I have held for the past three years through two moves and through going back to school and through quitting smoking - I have changed so much sitting in that desk day after day.

It's as though my life is a video game and I just got a Level Up. 2008 has certainly been a year for change.

Needless to say, my art and my online presence has taken a back burner while I re-sort my life out. I'll be picking it back up as soon as I settle into a groove with everything. Thanks for staying with me!

Someday we'll be somebody's dead grandparents.

2008-05-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't really played much with any kind of photoshop for years and years. I used to do much more with it, but it was mainly wanky self-portraits. I was feeling lovey yesterday so I toodled around with GIMP and came up with this. I'm pretty happy with it, despite the fact that it's really low-res. Maybe I'll play more with this... I had fun.

Revolution Money Exchange!

2008-05-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so. Revolution Money Exchange. RME. Seems like the consensus, from what I've read on the etsy forums, is that it's completely legit, a company that is starting up competition with PayPal. Works pretty much exactly like PayPal, but they're just starting out, so they've got all these promos - including one that gives you $25 if you sign up by 5/15. Today. Yes, they need your SSN and bank account number, because you're opening a bank account. Everything I have read says that it's completely safe and legit. Also, for every person you refer, you get an additional $10 to spend wherever RME is accepted. Today I got a convo from a buyer asking if I accepted RME. I think this is going to be a really widespread thing. So....

Here's the link:

And yeah, if you sign up with this link I get $10. But you'll get $25! Also, now my three shops Aephemera, Ivy Teakettle, and Idiotic Idioms ALL accept RME - so if you're shopping around with your free $25, be sure to check them out!

US Artists - You are about to lose all your rights.

2008-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is scary! Please take action and pass on to artists you know.

As an artist, you have to read this article or you could lose everything you've ever created!

An Orphaned Work is any creative work of art where the artist or copyright owner has released their copyright, whether on purpose, by passage of time, or by lack of proper registration. In the same way that an orphaned child loses the protection of his or her parents, your creative work can become an orphan for others to use without your permission.

If you don't like to read long articles, you will miss incredibly important information that will affect the rest of your career as an artist. You should at least skip to the end to find the link for a fantastic interview with the Illustrators' Partnership about how you are about to lose ownership of your own artwork.

Currently, you don't have to register your artwork to own the copyright. You own a copyright as soon as you create something. International law also supports this. Right now, registration allows you to sue for damages, in addition to fair value.

What makes me so MAD about this new legislation is that it legalizes THEFT! The only people who benefit from this are those who want to make use of our creative works without paying for them and large companies who will run the new private copyright registries.

These registries are companies that you would be forced to pay in order to register every single image, photo, sketch or creative work.

It is currently against international law to coerce people to register their work for copyright because there are so many inherent problems with it. But because big business can push through laws in the United States, our country is about to break with the rest of the world, again, and take your rights away.

With the tens of millions of photos and pieces of artwork created each year, the bounty for forcing everyone to pay a registration fee would be enormous. We lose our rights and our creations, and someone else makes money at our expense.

This includes every sketch, painting, photo, sculpture, drawing, video, song and every other type of creative endeavor. All of it is at risk!
Click here to read the rest of the article - CRITICAL information!: http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no=3605&page=1
More info: http://www.illustratorspartnership.org/01_topics/article.php?searchterm=00185
A petition: http://capwiz.com/illustratorspartnership/issues/alert/?alertid=11323791
Discuss in etsy forums: http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5604578&page=1

Remember, signing a petition is definitely action, but it's not as effective as writing an actual letter! I've heard it said that an actual e-mail is worth 6 petition signatures, that a hard copy letter is worth 6 e-mails, and that a handwritten letter or phone call is worth 6 hard copy letters!

Let's be LOUD about this!

Be who you are, Love who you know.

2008-05-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

50% of the proceeds from the sales of this necklace will be donated to a local LGBT group called The Bridge. The Bridge is run by Andrea Adams, an absolutely amazing woman who started the organization only a few years ago. Now it is a full-blown organization with events, programs, testing, and groups. Wear this necklace proudly to be who you are and love who you know!

Now you can purchase Idiotic Idioms!

2008-05-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Now, archival museum-quality giclee prints of Idiotic Idioms are available! Visit http://idioticidioms.etsy.com to check out the shop.

Winner of the giveaway!

2008-05-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to let you know that EVERYONE who participated in the giveaway will be receiving an Esmerelda Mix Tape Bangle. Thank you all for your help promoting this blog, and Congratulations!

New show, Post Star coverage, and the LGBT Meet & Greet

2008-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I've hung the show at Wallabee's! Yesterday I skipped out of work early to hang the show. My wonderful boyfriend Cory helped me by running all over town when I realized I forgot to pack nails, and that I wanted a painting that was hanging at my apartment. It looks nice, I think... and is my THIRD show that's up right now! I've got one at the Lake Sunapee Bank in Killington, Vermont, one at Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe at 19 Exchange Street in Glens Falls, and now the one at Wallabee's Jazz Bar right across the street!

I was also in the Glens Falls Leader that came out yesterday. This week, if you're in town, pick them up someplace and check out the insert covering roundtable discussion on the State Of The Arts! I think they transcribed it from the audio tape they took, so when you read it, I seem a little disjointed... There are three pictures total of me in there, though - pretty exciting news!

Tonight is the LGBT Meet & Greet at Wallabee's Jazz Bar. It's put on by The Bridge and is sure to be a great time. Andrea Adams of The Bridge asked me to put my work on the walls at Wallabee's, and they'll be raffling off a couple prints of mine. I can't wait! I made a special pair of rainbow chainmaille earrings for the occasion... Check out the event and come OUT tonight!

Exciting news!

2008-04-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Ralph Nader was in Glens Falls on Saturday for a campaign fundraiser. I helped out planning the event and got a picture with him in front of my artwork, which is on display at Rock Hill Bakehouse!

Also, the Rusty Matcutter's monthly newsletter is out, and they've got a picture of my chainmaille jewelry in it, which is now for sale in their gift shop. Check it out!

MORE news! My artwork will be on display at Wallabee's Jazz Bar/Aimie's Dinner & A Movie for this Thursday Night's LGBT Meet & Greet, organized by Andrea Adams of The Bridge. It starts at 5:00 pm and is just a $5 cover charge at the door. It should be a colorful night! For more information, visit the website here. Here's the breakdown:

WHAT: LGBTQ "Meet & Greet"
WHERE: Wallabees Jazz Bar-Exchange Sreet (off Elm) Downtown GF
WHEN: Thursday, May 1st
TIMES: 5:30pm to 8:30pm
COST: $5.00 donation at door
Cash Bar Plus:
Plenty of free appetizers and side dishes, great music plus receive a Rainbow pin to wear!

Art Show!

2008-04-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Giveaway!

2008-04-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm doing a giveaway! Free Esmerelda mix-tape bangle to the winner of this contest!

All you have to do is post this button somewhere on the internet - it can be in your blog, on a message board, your MySpace profile, upload it to Flickr, post it on your website, just make a link to it in the etsy fora - anywhere! Make sure it links back here! If you're worried about it looking like spam, you can offset that by actually browsing through my blog and letting your readers know a little bit about the blog, and my two etsy shops IvyTeakettle and Aephemera.

Copy this code and paste it somewhere:

Then comment on this entry with your email address and a link to wherever you posted the button, and I'll draw the winner from a hat on the first of May! Good luck!

Idiotic Idioms

2008-04-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few quick announcements - I've moved the Idiotic Idioms blog from LiveJournal onto WordPress. Hop over to the new site and see if you can guess the answer to this week's cartoon!

Also, a couple reminders: The Shirt Factory Final Friday Open House is this Friday, April 25th from 5:00 - 7:00 PM. Come up to the third floor and check out the studio! Also, Janet's bookmaking class is coming up this Saturday, April 26th at 10:00 AM! Register now - seats are extremely limited.

The show is up at Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe at 19 Exchange Street in Glens Falls. It looks GREAT! Pictures to come. Swing by, grab a coffee, and peep the new art on the walls! Reception is May 15th 5:00 - 7:00 PM.

There's new stuff up on Ivy Teakettle! Then again, that's nothing new - I'm always updating the shop.

As always, see KateAustin.net for more information...

Upcoming Classes!

2008-04-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Rusty Matcutter & Muses' Gallery

2008-04-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm busy getting ready for my next show at Rock Hill Bakehouse. I'll be hanging it April 20th, and the reception is Thursday, May 15th from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. But I want to share a tip with readers about hanging a show - There's a new frame shop in town!

The Rusty Matcutter & Muses' Gallery will be framing a bunch of art for me for this show, and I was really surprised to find that their framing prices came up to just about exactly what it would cost for me to frame something myself! I've been doing my own framing for the two years I've been showing my art, and while I certainly am proud of that fact, it's such a relief to leave the grunt work up to somebody else - especially when I'm not paying anything extra for it! These guys really appreciate the starving artists out there.

Another exciting thing about these guys is that they have a gallery. There's a Figures Show coming up Friday, April 18th from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm that coincides with shows going on in the Tom Myott Gallery and Dave Francis Studio - all located in The Shirt Factory, at the corner of Cooper and Lawrence Streets in Glens Falls, the same building that houses my studio.

Timeless Comfort, M.C. Huskie

What's even more exciting than the gallery at The Rusty Matcutter is the gift shop, and I'll tell you why - they're carrying my chainmaille jewelry and upcycled bracelets! In time for the May Open House, on Saturday, May 3rd, there will be a display of Ivy Teakettle jewelry. It's especially exciting because presently they are the only brick & mortar store carrying my items. Now you can go in, try things on, and see them in person - and while you're there, peruse the other neat goodies in the gift shop! You can always look in the Ivy Teakettle etsy shop to see what's new, as well - it's updated almost daily.

The Rusty Matcutter and Muses' Gallery is open:

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Stop in and check them out!

Kate E. Austin March Newsletter

2008-03-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Kate E. Austin Newsletter

March 27^th, 2008

INFO

First things first - Hopefully this isn't coming across as spam. You may have signed up at an art show or event for the newsletter, or perhaps I know you in person or came across your business card and added you to the list. I'll be mailing a newsletter periodically, whenever there’s news to be shared! If at any time you wish to be removed from the newsletter mailing list, reply to this e-mail or write to kate@aephemera.net with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.

NEWS

w I’ve launched a new shop on etsy called Ivy Teakettle, where I am selling funky chainmaille jewelry and eco-friendly bags made of “plarn” (plastic yarn upcycled from shopping bags – see my blog for a tutorial!). I’m having so much fun making these items! I’m working on getting some of my work into local shops, so keep an eye out for my work when you’re shopping around town!

w I’ve also established regular studio hours – Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays from 5:00 – 10:00 pm. Of course, my many meetings often conflict with this, so there are exceptions. I’ve got a Google calendar (also on my website under “News”) to keep everyone updated with my schedule, though. Feel free to stop by during studio hours to see what’s new!

w I continue to be busy with North Country Arts Center. We are currently looking for artists and crafters who are interested in our Colors of Fall Arts & Crafts Festival. Be in touch with me or visit http://www.northcountryartscenter.org for an application!

w I’m also available for custom artwork, custom chainmaille pieces, and web design. See artist Laura Neadle’s website for an example of my work.

w My art blog is still updated weekly, as is the Idiotic Idioms cartoon blog – be sure and bookmark them!

EVENTS

I’m booked right up for 2008! Here’s the list of upcoming events. Keep in mind that I will have some new pieces for each show, so try to make it to all of them so you don’t miss anything!

Kate E. Austin Solo Show at Lake Sunapee Bank

Location: Lake Sunapee Bank, 1995 Route 4, Killington, Vermont

Date: NOW – April 13^th 2008

Final Friday Shirt Factory Open House

The last Friday of every month will be an Open House at The Shirt Factory. Stop by to see the studios of artists, painters, potters, stained glass artists, felters, jewelers, fabric artists, pastel artists, woodworkers, and more! There are also shops open – a tea shop, an art supply shop, and a quilting shop, to name a few.

Location: Studio #307, The Shirt Factory, Corner of Cooper & Lawrence Streets, Glens Falls, New York

Dates: Friday, March 28^th, 2008

Friday, April 25^th, 2008

Friday, May 30^th, 2008

Friday, June 27^th, 2008

Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm

Kate E. Austin Solo Show at Rock Hill Bakehouse

Location: Rock Hill Bakehouse, 19 Exchange Street, Glens Falls, New York

Date: April 20^th – June 14^th 2008

Reception: Thursday, May 15^th 2008

Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm

Kate E. Austin Solo Show at City Hall Gallery

Location: 42 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, New York

Date: July 2008

Reception: Thursday, July 17^th 2008

Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm

Kate E. Austin Solo Show at Ridge Street Coffee Co.

Location: Ridge Street Coffee Co., 1 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, New York

Date: August 2008

Reception: Thursday, August 15^th 2008

Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm

Kate E. Austin Solo Show at The Glen at Hiland Meadows

Location: 39 Longview Drive, Queensbury, New York

Date: October 2008

Reception: Thursday, October 16^th 2008

Time: 5:00 – 8:00 pm

CLASSES

To register for a class, please be in touch with me

at 353-2121 or kate@aephemera.net

More information can be found at http://www.aephemera.net

Class sizes are limited, so reserve your seat early!

All classes take place at the studio, located at The Shirt Factory, Suite #307 (Third Floor), Corner of Lawrence and Cooper Streets, Glens Falls, New York

How to sell your art or craft online

Date: Saturday, April 12^th 2008

Saturday, May 17^th 2008

Saturday, June 21^st 2008

Time: 10:00 am

Fee: $20

This beginner’s class is for the artist or crafter who is finally ready to part with some of their work. We will cover everything you need to know to start up your own online business, including which websites to use, how to use them, describing your work, shipping, shop policies, promoting, networking, and more.

Introduction to Chainmaille

Date: Saturday, April 19^th 2008

Saturday, May 24^th 2008

Saturday, June 28^th 2008

Time: 10:00 am

Fee: $20 Class fee

$25 Materials fee

Learn the basics of chainmaille – how to make rings, where to purchase supplies, and how to put together a stunning matching bracelet and ring in your choice of colors! All materials are included in this class, and you will leave with a gorgeous piece of jewelry you have made yourself! Students are asked to bring two sets of pliers and to reserve their seat by April 5th.

Bookbinding class with Janet Nolin

Date: Saturday, April 26^th 2008

(Keep current on the website for May and June dates!)

Time: 10:00 am

Fee: $20 Class fee

$25 Materials fee

All materials are included in this class! Walk in with nothing, walk out with a beautiful handmade journal and all the skills and information you need to make more! Class is led by Janet Nolin of ButterflyGrace Creations.

GOODBYE

Hope to see you at one of the classes or upcoming shows!

Please keep the following sites bookmarked as they’re all updated at least weekly:

http://aephemera.net – My website

http://aephemera.etsy.com – My online store for my artwork

http://ivyteakettle.etsy.com – My online store for jewelry and bags

http://kateeaustin.blogspot.com – My blog

http://idioticidioms.livejournal.com – Goofy cartoons, updated every Monday

KATE E. AUSTIN

WWW.KATEAUSTIN.NET

Owwww.

2008-03-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I learned something today. You can't go two days in a row making chainmaille for five hour stretches. At least, not with dollar-store pliers. Let me tell you, my wrists are killing me! On the up side, I've got a bunch of jewelry that I'm in such love with, though... Wouldn't bother me terribly if nobody bought it and I could keep it for myself! Here's my new favourite item, the Aphrodite Earrings (click the picture to see the listing and the rest of my shop):

After a whining session on the etsy forums, I decided to invest in some new pliers. I don't want to end up with carpal tunnel, here. I just ordered these ergonomic ones from etsy user MailleEtc. I'll let you know how it goes!

New shop on etsy!

2008-03-21T22:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't like the flea-market look of my original etsy store, aephemera with the art AND crafts, so I made a separate one for the crafts! I've got my plarn and upcycled purses there, my chainmaille jewelry, and I'll be selling supplies too. Now aephemera is just for art, and ivyteakettle is just for bags and baubles. Check it out!

What I made Friday Night

2008-03-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

I finally had a day away from meetings, so I spent some time in the studio...

This purse is listed in my etsy shop right now and is made from plarn, reinforced with pink cord.

This one is made from cut-up strips of scrap fabric, crocheted together and upcycled into the height of trashion. I'll be listing it soon.

I also made two chainmaille bracelets:

Red Cross Art Auction

2008-03-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Art Auction at the Queensbury Hotel to benefit the Adirondack/Saratoga Chapter of the Red Cross. They collected Windows and handed them out to local artists to decorate with the theme "Windows on the Adirondacks". I made one - pictures 1 2 3 4. They did a good job of advertising, a mass mailer, lots of posters and even went through the work of putting all the images up on their website.

However, the hors d'oeuvres were lacking, the drinks were expensive, and most importantly, the auction seemed to be mainly attended by the artists themselves, not necessarily patrons of the arts with fat wallets. Of course I love events where I can meet socially with my fellow artists, but the "starving artist" title isn't ironic - it's true.

No art went for more than $250, I believe, which is an insult to the artists - the time spent on some of these is worth thousands of dollars per window. There were windows sold for a dollar. There were a total of 112 windows, which makes for a very impressive show, but also for an excruciatingly long auction. The fee to even get in to the auction was $35, which is steep, in my opinion. I think that if it was lower, more people would have come to the auction and bid, and also that people attending would have been a little more excited to spend money if they hadn't already dropped a chunk of it at the door. The fact that the auctioneer didn't know much about art and had to practically beg people to bid was very nerve-wracking to me as an artist. The entire time, I was mortified that my painting was going to be insulted and then sold for a dollar.

To my relief, mine found a good home with Post Star photographer TJ Hooker. HUGE thanks, TJ! Here are the pictures TJ took for the Post Star.

I couldn't help but think that there must be more efficient fundraisers that aren't as frightening to artists. As is, art isn't the most thriving business - there is a very small percentage of the population who cares enough about art to make it to such events, and an even smaller percentage of that percentage that can afford to pay a fair price for artwork. The auction was impressive as an art show, but I feel badly that the Red Cross (and the artists donating their work) put so much work in for so little return.

Of course, with Glens Falls striving to cater to a more sophisticated and cultural audience, perhaps the next charity auction in this town will be better than the last few.

March Madness & Blog features

2008-03-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

My studiomate Casey the Candy Thief and I have decided we're doing a CLOTHING CHALLENGE this month! She made a flickr group - so anyone can participate! This week is all about wearing the clothes in the back of your closet that you never wear. Joining flickr is free - check out the group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/fashionmadnesschallenge/!

In the past week, I've been featured on THREE different blogs:
No Ordinary Moment on 3/7,
Making a House a Home on 3/10,
and this one that's affiliated with the Post Star:
Getting Greener today, 3/11!!!

Plarn for sale...

2008-03-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

A few people on LiveJournal requested the plarn itself when I posted the tutorial, so I just wanted to put it out there that I've now got plarn for sale in my etsy shop! I've been working on some chainmaille jewelry too, so keep an eye on the shop for that.

How to make "plarn"

2008-03-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

I've been making "plarn" - plastic yarn out of grocery bags - and thought I'd share with you how I've been doing it.

Here's a video tutorial:

(Music is "Prince Charming" by Jim's Big Ego.)

And if you prefer to see still shots, here's a Flickr photoset showing you how-to!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aeph/sets/72157604042093357/

Start with a flattened plastic grocery bag. It's better if it's kind of flimsy.

Fold one side to the middle.

Then fold the other side to the middle.

Fold it again.

One more time.

Cut off the handles and recycle them.

Cut off the bottom of the bag and recycle it.

Cut the rest into strips. How big the strips are depends on how thick or thin you want your plarn to be. It doesn't have to be exact.

Unfold one of the strips into a loop.

Lay two loops down, one over the other.

Fold one of the loops up over the other one.

Then bring that loop through itself.

Pull it tight! If it breaks, just recycle it and use a new loop.

You can make a whole bunch of it at once, or just add on loops as you go to form a pattern.

I made this purse out of it!

...And this hideous hat.

Studio hours!

2008-02-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

I've been going through a lot of art angst, and it seems that the solution is to crack down and get back into the art part of this whole thing. The marketing plate is spinning, and it's time to go back to the production plate, and spend some hard hours in the studio. I've decided to try out studio hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 5pm - 10pm.

With the knee-jerk ink-dumping paint-spattering ten-pictures-an-hour whirlwind habit that I've gotten into, this is going to be torture. Five hour studio stretches? You may as well tell me to run ten miles. It's going to be just like starting to exercise after a long break. But hopefully this will get me back to center, get me in focus again, and get the creative juices flowing.

Feel free to stop by the studio during those hours - I'll be glad for the break!

Exceptions to the new studio hours (this coming Wednesday is a NCAC meeting, for example) will be posted outside the door and on my website's calendar.

New art

2008-02-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I was thinking about my art, and thinking about how I wanted it to be edgy and raw and honest, the way it used to be, but how I had really strayed from that autobiographical and guts-baring path. I had all these thoughts, these self-doubts milling around in my head, and I wrote them out on scraps of paper. Then I thought - hey, why not take these insecurities and just go for it and make them into art? The finished product is here: "On the couch - Insecurities and Truths". I think I'll go with this theme for a while... will likely frame these, and just go with the writing a la Jenny Holzer. Stay tuned for detail shots of this one...

Kate E. Austin Newsletter

2008-02-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

Kate E. Austin Newsletter
February 3rd, 2008

INFO
This is a copy of the periodic newsletter I email out. Let me know if you'd like to join the mailing list!

NEWS
I’ve launched a blog called “Idiotic Idioms” which features a weekly cartoon, updated every Monday. Be sure to bookmark it and check back every week to see if you can guess the idiom!

I’ve been busy performing as Co-President for the North Country Arts Center as well. We’ve got a lot of programs coming up, including On My Own Time, and we’re already starting to plan the annual Colors of Fall Festival. If you’re interested in a booth, be in touch. Also, we’re planning an Open Studios Tour in Warren County. Let me know if you’re interested in being a stop on the tour, or would like to be part of the planning committee!

My third solo show of 2007 at Sherburne Memorial Library in Killington, Vermont is still up at the moment, though I will be taking it down soon. Run and see it if you’re in the area! Many thanks to all who showed up for the reception.

ONLINE
The website aephemera.net has gotten herself a makeover, and she’s super pouty about it. Take a look and see for yourself!

I continue to update my etsy shop at least once or twice a week. Check it out to see some new artwork for sale!

EVENTS
If you can believe it, I actually don’t have any shows lined up until August. There may be a group show here and there, but other than that I’m wide open. If you know of a gallery looking for an artist to show before then, please drop me a line!

Valentine’s Day Formal
Date: Friday, February 15th a
Time: 7:00 pm - ???
Where: My studio located at The Shirt Factory, Suite #307 (Third Floor), Corner of Lawrence and Cooper Streets, Glens Falls, New York
What: A formal dance to celebrate Valentine’s Day! Both couples and singles friendly. BYOB and potluck. Click here to RSVP on MySpace!

CLASSES
To register for a class, please be in touch with me at 353-2121 or kate@aephemera.net
More information can be found at http://www.aephemera.net
Class sizes are limited, so reserve your seat early!
All classes take place at the studio, located at The Shirt Factory, Suite #307 (Third Floor), Corner of Lawrence and Cooper Streets, Glens Falls, New York

Valentine’s Day themed Bookbinding class with Janet Nolin
Date: Sunday, February 10th 2008
Time: 10:00 am
Fee: $40, All materials included*

Why not give your loved one a gift you make yourself? We will have Valentine’s Day themed materials as well as other beautiful papers to choose from. All materials are included in this class! Walk in with nothing, walk out with a beautiful handmade journal and all the skills and information you need to make more! Class is led by Janet Nolin of ButterflyGrace Creations.

How to sell your art or craft online
Date: Tuesday, February 19th 2008
Time: 6:00 pm
Fee: $20

This beginner’s class is for the artist or crafter who is finally ready to part with some of their work. We will cover everything you need to know to start up your own online business, including which websites to use, how to use them, describing your work, shipping, taxes, shop policies, promoting, networking, and more.

Introduction to Chainmaille
Date: Saturday, March 1st 2008
Time: 10:00 am
Fee: $45, All materials included

Learn the basics of chainmaille – how to make rings, where to purchase supplies, and how to put together a stunning “fringe” style necklace in your choice of colors! All materials are included in this class, and students will leave with a gorgeous piece of jewelry they make themselves.

* You may notice that the price for this class has gone up. For our first two classes, we were still feeling out the cost of materials and have calculated that in previous dates, we had taken a loss. The price change has been changed to reflect proper coverage of materials used.

GOODBYE
I hope to see you at one of the classes or at the Valentine’s Day dance! Please keep aephemera.net and aephemera.etsy.com bookmarked – they’re updated at least weekly.
Have a happy Valentine’s Day!

KATE E. AUSTIN
WWW.AEPHEMERA.NET

Jack of all trades, Master of none

2008-01-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

One of the things I always seem to be angry about is my tendency to change horses midstream. (Is that the phrase?) I took ballet from age six to ten, then decided I'd rather ice skate. So I was a crappy ballerina and also a crappy ice skater. I could have been one or the other and been it well, but I wasn't. This pattern has continued my whole life.

I worked in the social work field for two years. I worked in the sales field for what, five or six years total. But I don't want to do that, I want to be an artist. Or do something with the community. Or maybe try social work again. Or make a lot of money, which means none of the above. I'd also like to be a writer. Or a teacher. Also maybe a librarian or a carpenter. Or a crafter, with my own business. Of course, most of those require more schooling, which I don't feel like doing. I just want to jump in without committing to more fat stacks of student loans.

I do this with my promoting - I'm on MySpace, I'm on Facebook, Etsy, Craigslist, the Post Star, the Chronicle, the Saratogian, the Times Union, LARAC, Google Calendar, my website, IndiePublic, my blog is on Blogger--no wait! It's on LiveJournal. Well, how about both? I'll have a blog for idioms and a blog for my art. And a blog for my political beliefs and a blog for my every single thought. Plus the MySpace blog. And the private journal. And my art journal. I'm hanging posters up in The Shirt Factory, I'm hanging them up all over, I'm on message boards, I'm in the NCAC newsletter, the LARAC newsletter, the Killington Arts Guild newsletter, the Watercolor Aociety newsletter, I'm sending mass emails, I'm all over the fricken place like a crazy person and you know what? If I was earning an hourly pay for all my running around talking myself up, I'd be super duper rich. But I must be doing a crap job. I'd say right now I might be earning myself five cents an hour. Whoopee.

I do this with my art, too. Okay, I'm a watercolorist. No I'm not, I'm a mixed media artist. My work is autobiographical and experimental. Except for that Britney Spears one. Britney Spears is not a part of my life story. And the one I painted of a model that I don't know. And all those goddamn landscapes I painted because people like goddamn landscapes. Also, I like acrylics. And painting on wood. And photography. I'm a photographer! Also, I paint with my hair. Actually, I do idiom cartoons, I'm not autobiographical at all. Well, I'm doing decorative things now to sell on etsy even thou nobody's buying them. I do whimsical cartoons of little kids. I do custom graphic arts work. I'm a website designer. I'm doing paintings writing out all my insecurities. Now I only paint on windows. I paint on glass. I'm super edgy and in your face! I'm going to make art magazines because i'm so edgy and controversial. I'm guts-baring. Actually, that's tough because people might pick on me so I'll say the same thing except quieter, and I'll erase half of it. I'm cryptic. I paint on huge boards that have been covered with gesso. Maybe I'll start a business selling chainmaille jewelry. I'm a teacher, I teach classes. I want to change the world with my art! I'm political. I'm environmental. I'm feminist. I want to learn to sew. I want to silkscreen. I want to learn ceramics. I want to revisit welding. I want a welding studio! I will only make huge sculptures. I want to make jewelry. I use found objects in my art. I'll just make notecards, actually. My style is impressionist, kind of. No, i mean cartoony. I will do cartoons in newspapers! Actually, I only do abstract pieces with lots of texture.

This drives me crazy. Because it's bad business. If you want to be an expert at anything, if you want to succeed at anything, if you want to make money, you have to be a recognizable person. You have to have a style. A brand. Use the same colors in each piece, or the same brushstrokes, or characters, or hell, even the same freaking medium. You can't be all over the place like this. Renoir does ballerinas. Georgia O'Keefe does flowers. Gus Fink does horror. Pollock does paint drips. Casey Dwyer does funky feathery headbands and neckerchiefs. Tom Myott does stained-glass horses. Betty O'Brien does bright colors and birds.

I don't have a brand, I don't have a style, I don't have a medium. I don't have one website as the go-to, or even one goddamn blog. And that's just how I am. I get bored. I have too many ideas to just pick one thing and do it to death. But it gets me down that I really know better, I really know that it's smart business to have a "look"... but I just can't stay put. I get angry with myself over that.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go cross-post this in my personal LiveJournal, my LiveJournal art blog, and my MySpace blog.

Some news from LARAC!

2008-01-24T22:00:00.000-08:00

LARAC Hosts an Artist Potluck

Musicians, writers, poets, and visual artists of all mediums are invited to join us in Lapham Gallery at LARAC on Thursday, February 7th at 6pm for an Artist Potluck. The event is free, just bring a dish to share.

Come meet other artists, exchange ideas, network, share resources and help us celebrate Chinese New Year!

LARAC staff will also be on hand to announce upcoming events in 2008 at LARAC.
You do not have to be a member to attend.

Larac is located at 7 Lapham Pl. in Downtown Glens Falls on City Park. Directions: www.larac.org or for questions please call 798-1144 x 2.

Coming on February 16th "Marketing Your Art" Workshop for Artists at LARAC

Back by popular demand, LARAC again hosts artist/ business entrepreneur, Susan Wiley on Saturday, February 16th from 10 to 3pm for a "Marketing Your Art" artist workshop.

This interactive, day-long workshop will cover marketing, selling and presenting your work, representing yourself as an artist and as a business person, packaging yourself, believing in yourself, living your passion and sharing it with others. There will be a question and answer period.

The Workshop will be held in Lapham Gallery at LARAC. Cost is $15 for LARAC members and $20 for non-members. There will be a break for 45 minutes for lunch on your own. To register and for more information please call 798-1144 x 2. LARAC is located at 7 Lapham Pl. in Downtown Glens Falls on City Park.

“Toolkit for Shop & Studio Owners” workshop
Thursday, May 15th 5-7pm
Workshop leader: Nadia Korths, Craft Consultant, Adirondack North Country Association
Description: The workshop will begin by providing participants with a summary of best marketing practices gleaned from gift shops and studios across the Adirondack North Country region. The latter part of the workshop will be devoted to actual critiques of local gift shops and/or studios during which each participant will be asked to write some ideas, suggestions, and/or observations which will then be provided to the shop owner.

Classes

2008-01-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

The class on how to sell your artwork online went really well yesterday. Thanks to Brian, Nicole, and Janet for coming! The feedback I got was very positive, and I'm inspired to offer the class again in February...

Other news is that it's Martin Luther King Day! There's an event happening in Glens Falls that I helped to plan. Read a blog post I wrote about it here.

Also, for some reason, kateaustin.net is acting up and not linking. To access the site, just keep going to aephemera.net.

Lastly, I also do some writing! Check out my article on Gus Fink that was recently published by Associated Content.

Valentine's Day themed Bookmaking Class

2008-01-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day Formal

2008-01-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

This is a potluck, BYOB event - bring your dancing shoes!!!

Website update!

2008-01-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

KateAustin.Net = Aephemera.Net

And the site has a new look (same content)!

A new class - "How to sell your art online"

2008-01-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

Are you an artist?
Would you like to know how to sell your artwork?
Most artists have the skills to create wonderful pieces of art, but none of the business knowledge required to sell it.

This class is for you!

(Visit aephemera.net for details and to see full-size image)

KateAustin.NET

2008-01-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't been tuned in all along, I ought to first tell you that I used to have a "personal" website back in the day of emo poems (Before emo existed! Pre-mo!) and self-portrait glamour shots. It was called aephemera.net because I liked the word ephemera and I liked to spell things wrong. As I began to show and sell my artwork, I changed it into an art website. The problem with this is that it's a hard word to remember how to spell, not very advertising-friendly. I've been promoting the hell out of it for several years and it's pretty established now, people remember how to say it but not how to spell it, but they do remember that it's there and what it is. But. I think I'd be doing better if I had an easier website to remember. But, Now I'm so far in that I don't want to just confuse everyone with the change. I bought KateAustin.Net and right now it just forwards to aephemera.net... I'm not sure what to do from here. Advice? Thoughts?

Idiotic Idioms!

2007-12-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

I may or may not have mentioned this already, but check out Idiotic Idioms, my weekly cartoon! I've emailed the Times Union and am hoping to hear back from them that they are interested in linking to it from their website. Keep your fingers crossed!

The reception on Friday at the Sherburne Memorial Library was wonderful. There was a decent turnout, and I had a chance to catch up with some family friends in Vermont. Thank you to the library staff for hosting this show, and to everybody who made it out that snowy night! The art will be hanging until January, at which point it's looking like it may shift to the Post Office in Killington - stay tuned for details!

Reception!

2007-12-14T22:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight (Friday, December 14th) is the art reception at the Sherburne Memorial Library at 2998 River Road in Killington, Vermont. The opening will be from 5-7pm. Hope to see you there!

Buy handmade this holiday season!

2007-12-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

Well, you all know about my shop at http://aephemera.etsy.com. Artwork is a thoughtful and personal gift, and buying handmade this season is a wonderful way to support people, rather than corporations, and it's always nice to be able to talk to the person who created something! Don't forget to take the pledge to buy handmade!

So this year I'm plugging handmade small businesses, crafters, and artists especially in my local area - meet some friends of mine. I can personally vouch for the superior quality and care in each of their products, and I see each of them at least once a week! Check out:

- Janet Nolin of ButterflyGrace Creations, my neighbor and friend who makes beautiful handmade journals and address books - she can also do custom books. She also sells handmade cards and photography here.
- Crooked Spoke Press (or Dan and "Fang" as I know them!), my boyfriend's neighbors who create hilarious tongue-in-cheek greeting cards (yes, and Christmas cards!) in their garage on an 100-year-old letterpress.
- SensibiliTeas, a loose tea shop run by a friend of mine, Donnalynn Milford, in the same building as my studio. I've given tea as a gift on so many occasions, and I'm hooked on it myself! She's got biodynamic, fair trade, and single estate teas too, and knows where each tea is made and how.
- The Candy Thief, my studiomate Casey's "Handmade Fancies For Funky and Fearless Females" - funky and feathery felt headbands, totes, handbags, pins, and neck coverings.
- Laura Neadle's cute animal shopping bag holders, great gifts for animal lovers. Laura's my teacher and also has a studio in the same building as I do. She also is an artist and has artwork for sale.
- Zack Zoll is another studiomate of mine and has photography and prints of his artwork available.
- Judy Olson Photography, a friend of mine who makes awesome hand-assembled calendars of her photographs and also does digital manipulations.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Images of Lady Jane Grey

2007-12-02T22:00:00.000-08:00

Lady Jane, the inspiration for the Rolling Stones song of the same name, reigned as Queen of England for nine days, and nobody knows for sure what she looked like. Jane was well educated, lauded as one of the most educated women of her time. She turned to her books as an escape from her mother, Frances Brandon, who was abusive and who beat her daughter daily for being too "meek and gentle" in an attempt to harden her. In 1546, she was sent to live as the ward of the more nurturing Catherine Parr, the wife of King Henry VIII. After King Henry VIII died, Catherine remarried Sir Thomas Seymour, and then died herself during the birth of her only child.

Jane went back to the custody of Brandon, who forced her to marry Lord Guilford Dudley against her will. With the help of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, the throne was willed to Jane by Edward VI and she was named Queen in 1553. She refused to name Dudley King, but offered to make him Duke of Clarence instead. Within only nine days, the people of England voiced their support for Mary Tudor to take the throne, and she did, charging Dudley and Jane with treason. The sentence was death, and she was beheaded in 1554 at the young age of seventeen.

To date, there is only one authenticated artistic rendering of Queen Jane. Several portraits have been thought to be her, but evidence has shown that none of them were painted from life.

Battista Spinola, a Genoeses merchant, has left a contemporary report of Jane's appearance:
'This Jana Groia...is very short and thin, but prettily shaped and graceful. She has small features and a well made nose, the mouth flexible and the lips red. The eyebrows are arched and darker than her hair, which is nearly red. Her eyes are sparkling...her colour good but freckled...In all, a charming...person...very small and short."

Experts at the England National Museum recently deduced that a portrait formerly thought to be Queen Jane was actually a portrait of Catherine Parr. Analysis of the jewels worn in the portrait below yielded this conclusion.

The "Streatham Portrait of Lady Jayne" underwent much scrutiny as well. Faint writing on the portrait reads "Lady Jayne" and was painted at the same time as the painting. Dr Libby Sheldon of the University College of London examined it using several techniques including spectroscopy and Raman laser microscopy, concluding that the painting is authentically Tudor-period in origin. However, dendrochronological analysis of the boards on which the portrait was painted yielded conclusive evidence that it was painted at least forty years after her death. So although it is possible that this is a copy of another painting that was painted while she was alive, there is no substantiation that this is what she really looked like.

In March 2007, Dr. David Starkey of Yale University discovered a brooch that was identified as portraying Queen Jane as the sitter in the portrait. By studying the jewelry worn by the portrait's subject, Starkey and experts conclude that "It is the first confirmed image of her painted in her lifetime."

References:
http://englishhistory.net/tudor/relative/janegrey.html
http://www.britannia.com/history/ladyjane/portrait.html
http://www.show.me.uk/site/news/STO969.html
http://www.somegreymatter.com/streathamportrait.htm
http://www.geocities.com/jane_the_quene/portraits.html
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article1469701.ece

The story of the Pawn Girl

2007-11-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

I went through a phase of drawing "woman monsters" - hideous caricatures of women whose only purpose was to destroy men. At the time I felt that this was how men saw women - as oppressive, destructive monsters, and that was how I felt myself. Inspired by a character in Pink Floyd's movie "The Wall" (1982) that morphs back and forth between skinny high-heeled flame-haired woman and hideous scorpion who stings the man, reduced to a puddle...

All of the above are scenes from Pink Floyd's "The Wall" (1982)

... I painted my own versions of the "woman monster", mimicking the gaping, consuming features that intimidated Pink in the movie, portraying the woman as oppressive and controlling, using her feminity against men.

Kate E. Austin, "Monster Women" One, Two, and Three, Watercolor, 2004.

This character had many incarnations, as a snake, a spider, a vampire...

Kate E. Austin, "Victim", Collage and acrylic paint, 2004.

This one shows the woman with blood on her face and fangs, and is titled "Victim" - I felt as if I was crying wolf when I complained about the relationship I was in, because I felt just as guilty of the controlling and manipulative tendencies, but was also hurt by his.

Kate E. Austin, "Spider and Fly", Colored pencil and watercolor on matboard, 2004.

This one was also inspired by the Rolling Stones song of the same name, in which the singer cheats on his girl, saying "hi, like a spider to a fly" to a woman at a bar. This one I liked so much that I made it into a mixed-media sculpture as well.

Kate E. Austin, "Lola", Mixed Media, 2006.

Over time, this character/self-caricature has evolved. I left that relationship and moved out of town. The character kept her thin shape, pale face, and flame-hair, but set out on her own. In a piece titled "Being without you is like being with you - It's lonely" she left the figure, locked up in his own cage. She grew her hair long and looked on with blank eyes and no face, desexualized, simplified, and mute.

Kate E. Austin, "It's Lonely", Colored pencil and marker, 2004.

Sometimes without even eyes, reduced to a white body, thin and purified, with her flaming hair. Her face was quiet, but not her hair...

Kate E. Austin, "Pawn", Mixed Media, 2005.

Finally she opened her mouth! After a brief fit of screaming...

Kate E. Austin, "Siren", Watercolor and pen, 2005

...This "pawn" girl, a symbol of simplicity, helplessness, being lost and yet independent and singular, loosened up. She started to bend and to become more playful. She began to enjoy her long locks, and to speak with the words behind her...

Kate E. Austin, "Pawn", watercolor on gesso, 2007.

Finally, she makes it to the end of the board and is "queened," as in chess, publicly, on a sidewalk in Glens Falls.

Kate E. Austin, "The Pawn is Queened", Chalk, 2007.

In recent incarnations, she's reclaimed her human form, flipped her hair back, and resurfaced, taking a gasp of air after being underwater for so long.

Kate E. Austin, "Dive", Acrylic and watercolor on yupo, 2007.

Famous Kate on TV-8

2007-11-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

Tune in to "4 Seasons" on Glens Falls TV-8 on the following dates to see an interview with a very nervous and awkward Kate E. Austin in her studio at The Shirt Factory!

Monday, 11/19 at 8:00 PM
Tuesday, 11/20 at 5:00 PM
Thursday, 11/22 at 11:00 PM
Friday, 11/23 at 5:00 PM

It's in the second half of the show...

Bookmaking Class with Janet Nolin!

2007-10-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

Kate E. Austin News

2007-10-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

INFO

First things first - Hopefully this isn't coming across as spam. You may have signed up at an art show or event for the newsletter, or perhaps I know you in person or came across your business card and added you to the list. I'll be mailing a newsletter periodically, whenever there’s news to be shared! If at any time you wish to be removed from the newsletter mailing list, reply to this e-mail or write to kate@aephemera.net with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.

NEWS

On October first, I moved into a studio in The Shirt Factory at the corner of Lawrence and Cooper Streets in Glens Falls. I'm sharing the space with Casey The Candy Thief, Zack Zoll and Heidi Price. Come by sometime to check it out! It’s on the third floor, studio #307. We’re having an open studio on November 2nd – details below. Pictures of the studio are on the website, aephemera.net.

Also, I was voted in as Co-President of the North Country Arts Center at their annual members’ meeting. I'm very proud to be elected and hope I can do my best to kickstart the organization! We’re welcoming new faces, so please be in touch if you’re interested in membership.

ONLINE

There have been new images uploaded to the gallery, and there’s a blog that’s updated frequently at aephemera.net. Artwork for sale is being listed at the etsy store almost every day. Check these sites out to see some new stuff!

SHOWS

The show at Rock Hill Bakehouse ended at the beginning of October after a two-month run. I received many compliments and know that a wide audience was reached because of this location - special thanks to Matt Funiciello of Rock Hill for the show, to Cory Avon for the live music at the receptions, and to CE Skidmore for helping to publicize. Upcoming and current shows – all open to the public - are as follows:

Studio-Warming Party / Art Reception!

What: The Escape Artists (Kate E. Austin, The Candy Thief, Zack Zoll and Heidi Price welcome visitors to their brand-new studio in The Shirt Factory with an elegant wine reception. This is your chance to see behind the scenes!
Where: The Shirt Factory, Corner of Lawrence and Cooper Streets, Glens Falls, NY
When: Reception November 2nd 7:30 pm – Click to RSVP on MySpace!

North Country Arts Center presents UpStArt

Where: Glens Falls City Hall Gallery, 2nd floor at 42 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, NY
When: October 21st - November 3rd, 2007

Open House at The Shirt Factory

What: Annual Open House – come see the studios of all the artists in the old Troy Shirt Factory! This event is the perfect opportunity for Christmas shoppers.
Where: The Shirt Factory, Corner of Lawrence and Cooper Streets, Glens Falls, NY
When: Preview on Friday, November 23rd from 5:00 – 8:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, November 24th and 25th from 10:00 – 5:00 pm

Killington Arts Guild show

Where: Sherburne Memorial Library, 2998 River Road, Killington, Vermont.
When: Autumn 2007

Kate E. Austin featured as part of the Third Thursday Art Walk
Where: Ridge Street Coffee Co., 1 Ridge Street, Glens Falls, NY.
When: Reception May 15th 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

CLASSES

In December, the studio will be hosting a bookmaking class taught by Janet Nolin of ButterflyGrace Creations. Space is extremely limited, so sign up soon. The class will take place December 6th at 6:00 pm in the studio on the third floor of The Shirt Factory, and the fee is $20 - this includes supplies. Reply to this e-mail to reserve your spot today!

I will also be teaching experimental painting classes beginning in January, and have a workshop on T-shirt modification in the works. Dates and details at the moment are vague, but please e-mail me if you are interested in either of these, or in a bookmaking class on a different date.

GOODBYE

I hope to see you at the Open Studio on the second! Please keep aephemera.net bookmarked on your web browser to check up on it from time to time – it’s always being updated.

Happy Halloween!

- Kate E. Austin
www.aephemera.net

Studio-Warming Party!

2007-10-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Escape Artists (Casey the Candy Thief, Zack Zoll, Heidi Price and Kate E. Austin) cordially invite you to check out their rad new studio at The Shirt Factory! All are invited!

This is a fancy-times art reception as well, so get your little black dress and/or tux out and let's do this up all posh-like. (Or come as you are, if you're not the dressy sort.)

Friday, November 2nd
7:30 pm
The Shirt Factory, Third Floor
CORNER OF COOPER & LAWRENCE STREETS, GLENS FALLS NY

Get in touch if you need directions. RSVP on MySpace or just show up! See you there!

The studio!

2007-10-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm all moved in! There could be some minor rearrangings, but I'm mostly settled. Right now the walls are a little bare because I've got some pieces at the Glens Falls City Hall Gallery. Pardon the stray easel in this shot:

Co-President!

2007-10-22T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm now the Co-President of the North Country Arts Center! We had our annual member's meeting on Sunday and I was elected in. On Saturday we hung a show in the City Hall Gallery in Glens Falls for UpStArt Arts Forum, and I've got several pieces in the show, as well. If you're in town, pop in to City Hall to see - if you take the elevator to the second floor, there it is!

Gus Fink Interview!

2007-10-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

Consume Till Death, copyright Gus Fink

After seeing my review in the blog, Gus Fink contacted me and informed me that I was mistaken on certain points of my review. He asked if I would interview him and write a more accurate article and I agreed. We wrote back and forth on MySpace and I asked him some tough questions, which he answered gracefully.

Fink related that he was never going for a gimmick, but that he wanted to praise his deceased grandfather for being his childhood role model - his father left him when he was 9 months old and his mother suffered from schizophrenia. He also made art under his own name, Josh Fields, but creating as Gus Fink helped him to deal with his grandfather's death. Besides Gus Fink, he has used other aliases to paint as well, including Alice Koon, his female character. He booked a show as Alice Koon, engaged in a collaborative project under the guise of Irving Berman, worked with a friend as Ed Beans, and his latest work has sold on eBay under the name Enwood Berger. Gus Fink has been living off his work since 2001, and has pushed his friends to do the same, with great success - his friend Jesse Reno brought in over $50,000 last year, Fink says.

I have always been overwhelmed at the fellow's productivity, and being able to live off one's art would account for some of that. When I questioned the time frame involved in each piece, Fink relayed that it could take anywhere from ten minutes to three hours to complete a work. He says that it's draining and often it's difficult to work for more than 4 straight hours, but that he multitasks as he works, and that he goes through phases alternating large pieces and small ones. He uses the cheapest materials he can find, including cardboard and found objects, as can be seen in his eBay store.

I was mistaken before by insinuating that Gus Fink had formal art training. He corrected me and said that his only related training is in computers, PhotoShop and Flash - meanwhile, most of his art is handmade, and he only uses the computer to scan the finished images into the computer. He lists his influences as Todd MacFarlane, Sam Keith, Jim Henson, George Lucas, and all the "cool horror movies of the 80's". He says that he always pictured himself as becoming more of a Walt Disney sort of figure, rather than a painter/artist. Gus is married with two daughters now, and even his wife calls him Gus Fink. He is looking into changing his name in the future and has cashed many a money order or check under the name.

I recalled that in the eBay listings several years ago, the character of Gus Fink lamented his dead wife and claimed her death to be his reason for his artwork. In reality, Gus' grandmother is still living, and when I asked him what she thought of the claim, he replied that she had a good sense of humor and was glad to see his grandfather's memory with so much recognition and success. I also asked Gus about the reaction of his customers when he was outed on the internet as Josh Fields, and he said that most of them were already aware due to his outrageous bio, and many thought it was genius. He said that maybe two out of 600 collectors were upset and he offered their money back. Fink said that most of the people who were offended were jealous artists who weren't selling their art well. He was actually surprised to see my review, since there hasn't been any negative publicity since 2003 or so. I attribute this to Fink's excellent vigilance and desire for good press, and his impressive track record and damage control proves him nothing short of a brilliant businessman. Speaking of which, he's had quite a few accomplishments, including comic books, magazines, and his latest series of toys, which are linked to from his website, GusFink.com.

Fink concluded our interview with some advice to artists just starting out: "Give it your all, don't give up and you'll find your own way. It's better to find your own way on anything in life then to get too much advice from others. I learned that and its good for others to know it too."

My art will be in a movie!

2007-10-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

The motion picture that's being made here in the Glens Falls area filmed a scene at Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe directly in front of one of my pieces! I heard about it and wrote to the director of the film, Colin Bannon, and he said he loves my art and will credit me and aephemera.net in the movie. Keep an eye out for "Love Conquers Paul," touring independent film festivals and showing at the Glens Falls Centennial Celebration next year!

Art News - Studio!

2007-10-03T22:00:00.001-07:00

Well, we're moving into the studio! It needs a good sweep and some paint and extra light fixtures, but we should be up and running soon. We've decided to call our group "The Escape Artists" - I'll update once we have a better idea of what our hours will be, but if you feel like walking by to see if we're in, here's where the studio is:

Click for Google Maps.

It's at the corner of Cooper and Lawrence Streets in Glens Falls, on the third floor. The number is 307 - it's closer to Lawrence Street, in that right-hand leg of the "L" seen above. If you go in via the Lawrence Street entrance (by the Tom Myott Gallery) and take the elevator up to the third floor, you'll walk out of the elevator, take a left, and then take a right down a corridor, and ours is the one that says 309 on the wall and 307 on the door. Soon, I'll be putting up signs all around the building so you can find me when you walk in! Stay tuned...

Art News - Studio

2007-10-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Art Review - Gus Fink

2007-10-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Using a "brush name" comprised of his childhood nickname "Gus" and his grandfather's last name, "Finklestein", twentysomething right-handed artist Josh Fields fabricated a biography of mentally ill middle-aged widower Gus Fink. He used this character to sell offbeat artwork drawn with his left hand at low prices on Ebay, his listings accompanied by the faux life story, selling art like hotcakes. Fink is an Ebay phenomena, having sold thousands of his works supported by the guise, and is considered one of the greatest Ebay hoaxers. His true identity was outed on the internet, and has since dropped the bio of Gus Fink, but kept the name and continues to sell. He's now internationally collected and has shown in galleries across the country, been spotted in major motion pictures, and illustrated several books. His self-branded "outsider art" appeals to horror fans, goth kids, and collectors of strange things.

Some of Fink's work covers the standard "cute horror" art themes: creepy children, cute cartoons, guts, pointed teeth, religious undertones, adorable animals like bunnies, kittens and birds, characters with wide-set low eyes and large heads, splatters, scribbles, stitches, and primitive animals and figures that look as if drawn by a child. Despite his goal to create art on his own in the vein of self-taught "folk art", without the influence of teachers or fellow artists, the style and characters of nightmarish comic book artists Jhonen Vasquez and Roman Dirge are an obvious influence over Fink's work.

However, Fink builds on that base and branches off from the usual themes to develop his style. Much of his work is "altered art", using old photographs, board games, dictionaries, even straw wrappers and multivitamins as a base - pretty much anything that strikes him as being worthy of rebirth as art. He draws his frightening figures using a mixed-media grab bag that might include acrylic paint, pencils, oil sticks, Sharpies, inks, tape, china marker, and/or pen over those base materials to create something new. The mixed media and underlying material lend a fresh spin and unique flavour to the tired cute horror fad.

When it comes to Fink's work, it is less complicated to speak on the works as a whole as opposed to choosing one or two on which to comment, because the pieces are so multitudinous. To view the volume of his pieces, one must conclude that his process is impulsive, and that he must work often, completing more than one piece in a sitting. His composition and line is crude, and his palette limited - but of course, that's the gimmick.

Fink currently has several comic books published, and is releasing a series of Boogilyheads dolls. More news and a gallery of his works can be seen at his website, http://www.gusfink.com.

3 Horrids, Gus Fink

Art Review - "Crossing Borders"

2007-09-26T22:00:00.000-07:00

“Crossing Borders” – Laura Neadle’s show at Gardenworks

To arrive at Gardenworks in Salem, New York, one must first drive through farmlands and fields, twisting country roads and sunlit groves. Raspberry fields and friendly staff welcome you to the store and gallery, an old converted barn housing local produce, homemade jams and cheeses, and kitschy home décor, arranged busily. To get to the gallery upstairs, you must first pass rows and rows of dried flowers on pegs, reminiscent of colonial life.

In the gallery, the ceiling is high and the barn doors are open, allowing the sunlight to brighten the gallery. Light streams in through cracks in the big wooden slats of the walls. Laura Neadle’s work hangs on large white panels suspended from the walls and beams in the old barn. Dusty and cobwebbed antique farm tools are placed decoratively in the middle of the floor. Laura’s work pops off the panels at you – framed in gold to catch the sunlight, her colors brighter than the capabilities of paint. There is a unique texture used throughout her paintings – most notably in her work “Pillars of Stone”. This texture, combined with the bright colors and dramatic composition, sets a theme for her show, which is titled “Crossing Borders”.

She uses inks as her base, poured on yupo and inlaid with foreign texture. The texture is created by laying plastic wrap in the ink while it’s wet and then letting it dry. She then peels it off, and paints with watercolor over the interesting ink shapes. The bright oranges and warm yellows used throughout the show pop off the page, while the distinctive textures, and use of dark, heavy paint in her watercolors differentiate her landscapes from the traditional brand so common in the Adirondacks.

Her subject matter is unique, as well. These are not your typical locations for landscape paintings – they are off the beaten path, farmland most people drive by without noticing; bridges, quarries and shops documented on a lazy drive through the country. She concentrates on Rupert and Salem, where the show takes place, and the viewer’s long, languid drive out to Gardenworks sets the mood for the works. Take “Between Salem and Bedlam Corners” for instance – this piece is a landscape, but it’s no typical lake or forest scene. The texture of the foreground is that same ink-and-plastic-wrap technique, and looks like a stained-glass scene, stretching into the distance with extreme perspective. Houses are barely visible in the background – this is a familiar scene to anybody who’s gone for a drive through the country in Upstate New York, but the intensity of the dark-blue mountains and the rough texture of the dark soil makes it almost surreal.

All the houses in Neadle’s work are distant, always dwarfed by mountains or sky, and always outdone by the colors of nature. In “Red Sky at Night”, she uses the paper in a portrait fashion, rather than horizontally as most landscapes, and ¾ of the page is an intense red and blue sky, above what would be a bland watercolor of a house save for the color-storm hovering above it. “Farm Near Rupert” is practically abstract, a farmhouse in the distance, reverse-silhouetted by dark colors, with an enormous foreground of color leaping off the page in that stained-glass texture.

Neadle also had some traditional landscapes for the more conventional taste, admitting that some of it was older, and noting that her newest traditional landscapes are much freer, easier, and looser after her experimental materials and colors. The show blends with the location incredibly well, with a modern and surrealistic spin on the old standbys.
This show can be seen at http://www.lauraneadle.com under “Galleries” and “Gardenworks”.

Between Salem and Bedlam Corners, Laura Neadle

Art Show - Lake George Lakefront Walkway Show

2007-09-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

The First Annual Lake George Lakefront Walkway Show was well-attended, but unfortunately not by people seeking art. I'm grateful for the exposure, but I don't think I'll do this show next year unless they decide to advertise it better. I spent most of the day plein air painting (and getting a sunburn!), and created a new piece - Wishes. It's just about finished in the above picture. This piece is on a large piece of yupo, painted blue with acrylic paint, and then overlaid with watercolor drips and spatters. The swirls are places where I wiped away the watercolor to show the blue acrylic paint underneath. I touched everything up with watercolor. With pen, I wrote thoughts, wishes, prayers, and affirmations in the swirls coming out of the figure's mouth.

Art Show - Stockade Villagers Art Show

2007-08-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it was a long day at the show September 8th in Schenectady, but I made back my entrance fee, selling four prints. Hopefully those buyers will check out the website! The weather was beautiful, if not a little hot, and only sprinkled a few times. We packed up in the rain, but made it out with no damage! My only complaint is that it would have been nice if there were vegetarian options available at the show. See you again next year, Stockade!

Update!

2007-01-28T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Shirt Factory Holiday Open House was a great success! I couldn't count all the foot traffic, but it was a pretty constant flow, and I did make some sales... and a woman from Warrensburg asked if I'd like to consign some prints to her shop, MarenDunn!

Etsy sales are picking up, too. Don't forget to check and see what's new at http://aephemera.etsy.com! Soon I'll be listing some holiday artwork.

I've made a new blog for the idioms series at and will be updating it every Monday. Start at the beginning to try and guess the answers...

Tonight I'm hanging a show up at the Sherburne Memorial Library in Killington, Vermont. The show will hang through January. Be sure to check back to the website to see when the reception will be. It would be lovely to see you there!