by ruralpearl | Feb 9, 2012 | News & Events
The Spring 2012 edition of quarterly Lawrence Magazine is out now, and there’s an article titled “It’s Not Always Black and White” about Lora Jost, Dave Lowenstein and myself, all full-time Lawrence-based artists adding new context to traditional, high contrast art forms. Check it out online at http://issuu.com/sunflower_publishing/docs/lmspring12 or find it around town. (PS, I said it was free when I first mentioned it, but I was wrong.. just free to read online).
Magazine images (c) Lawrence Magazine.
by ruralpearl | Feb 6, 2012 | Cut Paper, News & Events
I just finished up a presentation on my paper cuttings & animations with a group of 5th graders (and I get to go back for the 2nd group tomorrow!), and I wanted to give them something to take home to try out, so I made this since it’s close to Valentine’s Day. And it’s here for you to download and try if you want. You can do it with scissors or a craft knife. I’d also encourage you to add in your own details! Directions are on the download. It will print two of the same templates on a regular sheet of typing paper. You can use the paper you print on or use it as a guide for other colored papers. Happy cutting (and try to ignore the typo on the template directions… doh!).
Click the image above or click HERE to download the pdf template.
by ruralpearl | Feb 3, 2012 | News & Events
This isn’t until June, but registration is going to open up soon. I’ll be giving a presentation & workshop in conjunction with the “A Cut Above” exhibit at the Sabatini Gallery at the Topeka Public Library on Saturday, June 30, from 3 – 4:30. For ages 10+.. The room will hold about 30 people. We’ll be talking about paper cutting, making shadow puppets, and how to animate them. I’ll post a registration link when it’s available. Also found out Cindy Ferguson and Nikki McClure are part of this exhibit along with Clay Rice and Beatrice Coron. It’s gonna be a good one.. and I’m honored to be exhibiting amongst them.
by ruralpearl | Jan 31, 2012 | Inspiration, Music I Like, News & Events
Two years ago at this time, I was shoveling 2-3 foot snow drifts out of my mom’s driveway. Today I woke up to sweatshirt weather and the smell of spring rain and it’s making me a little antsy to be outdoors and to hit the road for some travel.. I love being out there. I told a friend once that the reason I liked to go out for morning country drives is because no matter what I’ve got going on, at least I’m moving forward… I got laughed at.
In other news, I just found out that Beatrice Coron and Clay Rice, two amazing cut paper artists that I’ve admired since I began cutting paper are both in the exhibit I’m in this summer in Topeka. I saw a Beatrice Coron exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library when I lived in NY. It was mind blowing.. I’ll be giving some sort of presentation during the month of June for this exhibit – working out the details now.. more on that later.
The MacGuffin, a national & international literary magazine, is coming out in Feb. My work titled “Stacks” is the cover image and I’ll have a few works inside. I’ll post it when it’s out.
Also, look out for Lawrence Magazine, a local Lawrence, KS, magazine on city-goings-on, for an article about Lora Jost, Dave Lowenstein (two Lawrence-based artists) & myself. It went to press last week and should be hitting stands anytime.. and it’s free.
That’s all. Here’s a song. “Dust On My Boots” by Jerry Jeff Walker
by ruralpearl | Jan 30, 2012 | News & Events
(c) Alt For Damerne
Many thanks to leading Danish women’s magazine Alt for Damerne for including me in their ALT Interior trend guide. Check here for more details (it’s in danish, btw). I spotted a couple of my prints (by the red arrows) in the picture.. now I know why I was getting all those orders from Denmark. Thanks!
by ruralpearl | Jan 19, 2012 | News & Events
I’ve added 8 new greeting cards to my Etsy shop. I’ll be adding some more announcement sized cards and a bunch of new prints over the coming weeks.
New retailer! If and when in Michigan, check out Holly Candle Shoppe in Holly, MI, run by a woman also named Holly. My cards are now available there. They are located at 109 Battle Alley.
During the first week of February, I’ll be giving a presentation and demonstration of my art and life as an artist to 5th grade art students at Pinckney Elementary School in Lawrence, KS. Made possible by a private donation to the Pinckney art program.
And finally, I’ve been invited to be part of an exhibit called “Paper Anniversary” at the View Arts Center in Old Forge, NY. This exhibit will run from Mar. 10 – May 6, 2012. Opening reception is Sat., Mar. 10 from 2-5pm.
by ruralpearl | Jan 9, 2012 | News & Events
I spent last Friday in my sketchbook which is always a nice place to be. Gives me a chance to let ideas just kinda flow out, and often that will happen when I don’t have a book in front of me, and I convince myself I’ll remember what new ideas I need to convert into a paper cutting and later find that they have escaped me. I also use it a bit for journaling, so it’s nice to go back into old sketchbooks or earlier pages of my current one and see what I was thinking or dreaming up previously.
I spent Saturday in local bookstores and record stores. That’s always fun.
Sunday, I found out I’ve been accepted in the Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver, CO, for next summer. That was my biggest show last year, and I’m so glad (relieved!) to have gotten in again. The jury process is very competitive. I think there are over 2000 applications for 200 spots, or something like that… Anyway, I’m trying to get ahead of my own game here and work slowly and steadily. Last year I was always cramming to get work done before each show, and I never felt like I was really ready. I’m hoping to be a little less stressed about it all this year.
Til next time…
by ruralpearl | Dec 27, 2011 | News & Events
In the wee hours of this morning, I’m putting the finishing touches on the final 3 out of 8 paper cuttings I’m sending off to the 200th Anniversary of the Grimm Brothers exhibit in Colorado. I have to have them ready to ship at 8am sharp (roughly 5 hours away). It’s always tough to have everything ready at this time of year with so much going on, but regardless, they’ve been a pleasure to work on. More to come on those soon.
I hope you all had a great holiday, whatever it is that you celebrate. I had lots of fun with family and hometown friends the last couple days, some of whom I haven’t seen in awhile. It was nice to catch up.
A special Thank You to you all who’ve purchased from my Etsy store– I hit a 1000th sale milestone the other day. I can remember biting my nails when I opened it in 2009 waiting for the first couple sales, which came months apart, and it’s steadily been building up since. It’s nice to know I’ve found a little supportive niche in the online world.
More soon..
by ruralpearl | Dec 22, 2011 | News & Events
Thanks so much to everybody who ordered online or stopped by to pick up some last minute holiday gifts! You kept me pretty busy over the last week, and I appreciate that.
Friday, Dec. 23, Elevate Massage: Mind Body Peace will be holding an open house, and I stocked them up with prints, both sizes of greeting cards, and my new coffee mugs today. They’ve also got about 7 of my originals on display (also available for sale). Come by between 6 and 9pm Friday night for food, free chair massages, a raffle and more. They are located at 1403 Mass. St. in Lawrence, KS. Check them out on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elevate-Massage-Mind-Body-Peace/123999670983673
by ruralpearl | Dec 19, 2011 | News & Events
I went out on a limb and bought my first non-Charlie Brown-esque christmas tree. There’s a good chance that it’ll be a year-round fixture in my living room — I like being surrounded with trees, I enjoy looking at it, it really warms up the room, most of my storage space is already full of art-business related supplies, and I can’t kill this one because it’s manmade.. (I’ve already unintentionally taken the lives of 1 hibiscus tree and 1 rosemary plant this year). I also made most of the decorations myself — I was feeling crafty: roughly 30 feet of hand-woven yarn as garland, leftover little sewn ornaments that I made for the art fairs, and slices of apples and oranges that I dried in the oven.
Some new news:
I’ve been invited to be part of a silhouette/ paper cutting exhibit at the Sabatini Art Gallery inside the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka, KS, during the months of June and July.
I’ve also been invited to put my work on the cover of a thrice-yearly national/ international literary magazine. I think that’s pretty cool. More on this later.
I’m teaching a class at the Lawrence Arts Center (Lawrence, KS) starting in January called Design Derby for 3rd-5th graders on Thursday afternoons. For more details and to enroll, click HERE.
I’ve also been invited to take part in a collaborative “designer” deck of cards. I’ll be designing two cards out of the 52 card deck, along with other artists and studios such as Peregrine Honig, Hammerpress Studio, Geo Sipp, etc., and all profits from sales of the decks will go to Harvesters, a community based food network for hungry families and individuals.
