Clarissa's Glassgrrl Studios

Copper Wire and Celluloid

2012-01-26T10:10:00.000-06:00

Okay, celluloid in spirit only, but still. It's accurate to say I'm smitten. You ought to see "The Artist". At least twice.

In local news.....
If you haven't purchased tickets for the amazing, annual fete known as the Omelette Party (Eggs Royale this year), what are you waiting for? No ticket sales the day of the party, only advance purchases allowed (something to do with staying on the right side of the ABLE Commission, which, though pesky, is probably still a good thing to do). It's one of the easiest ways to support our world class Oklahoma City Museum of Art; all the stylish, charming kids will be there, a wide array of talented chefs will be serving up fresh and made-to-order eggy creations, the JetSet Kings will be playing fabulous live music, and the open bar is like icing on the cake. But wait - don't answer yet, because as if all that weren't more than enough, you will also be entitled to purchase raffle tickets (very reasonably priced) allowing you to participate in the exciting art giveaway. Yes, that's right. There will be a gallery of stunning artworks ranging from painting to pottery to sculpture to furniture to who knows what else, all offered by the bestest and brightest of local artists. And every single piece of art will go home with some lucky party guests. Wowsers. I'm just sayin', if you miss this you'll be kicking yourself in the morning and beyond.
It's next Saturday, Feb. 4, so you haven't much time to muck about. Visit OKCMoA's site for more info and to reserve your tickets, and I'll see you there!
http://www.okcmoa.com/newsroom/2012/01/04/159/

Oh, and this is my offering for the art raffle.

Out of the Past

2012-01-12T14:11:00.000-06:00

While awaiting laptop repair, and while in the midst of making new art that's not quite ready for its closeup, I'm digging out some collage imagery from several years ago.

Bergamot Kiss

Granny's Purse

Key to Love

Happy Almost New Year, trying to post from Kindle while laptop is out of commission, and not having greag success.....

2011-12-30T12:41:00.001-06:00

2011-12-18T17:53:00.000-06:00

8"x8" canvas pub sign design, in a somewhat primitive style. One Christmas finished and delivered.

2011-12-11T12:17:00.001-06:00

Getting ready for Christmas (which doesn't seem at all only two weeks away!). A little making, a little vintage shopping.

2011-11-27T21:23:00.001-06:00

When the post office disappears, or becomes too exclusive for regular guy, every day use, I'll certainly miss sending and receiving things like this.

2011-11-08T12:58:00.000-06:00

I made some Halloween-themed atcs for a swap (not this one though; it went to a personal friend), for which I never received anything in return; and from one participant, not even acknowledgement of my cards. If this is the way of swaps these days, they're not for me.

Tony was in Tulsa for a PA convention, so I booked a charming 1920s oil baron's home turned into a B&B, for one night and joined him. We always enjoy Tulsa, it's visually stimulating. And the foliage was beautifully aglow with autumn colors.

A few days after, I joined a local book club for their jaunt in a cemetery, experimenting with the "night portrait' setting on my camera.

Red Dot

2011-10-20T14:29:00.000-05:00

IAO's Red Dot is coming up November 11; here is my offering.

"Lyric", glass and copper, 12"x17"

2011-08-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

Autumn events are lining up, despite summer continuing to blaze down upon us. Looming deadlines, fresh opportunities, and a delivery of new art supplies all combine to stimulate creativity. While considering how to complete my piece for OVAC's big event, 12x12, I've begun toying with other ideas, just to see what happens.

This morning I played with this:

Time will tell where it goes.

After introducing my summer camp kids to atcs, my own interest has rekindled, and there may be some tiny art card projects in my near future. Is in any wonder, when the children demonstrated such creative vision?

As for body painting, most of my upcoming events are private, but you will be able to find me Sept. 17 at Oklahoma City Community College, for the LifeSaver 5k run. I'll be gone by 11 am, so make sure to come out early, have some exercise, enjoy the festivities, and get your body decorated for the weekend.

Nearly Four Months.....

2011-07-26T11:42:00.000-05:00

Yes well, what is my defense? None really. Just doing stuff, and - since early June - trying to keep cool. This heatwave drought thing has long since lost its glamour, I can tell you. Back in the halcyon, mild days of spring, I painted an octopus on a face, and I liked it.

And I visited the nymph fountain at Will Rogers Park. It's one of my favorites; I wish sculpture like this hadn't fallen out of favor, because it would be lovely to see more such creations as public installments.

Tony and I enjoyed a too-brief season of al fresco dining in our private Magnolia Room. *wistful sigh* Perhaps we can revisit it come autumn.....

There were also trips to lakes and rivers, the OKC zoo, an extensive and magnificent iris garden, and (of course) art. More very very soon....

2011-03-28T22:27:00.000-05:00

Sit, Stay, Art! was a successful event in support of Pets and People Human Society. For a one-night show, the crowd was epic, and a great many pieces of art were sold.

Both my pieces sold, and I was more than happy to help the animals. Looking forward to the next one.

There was also a quick jaunt to Kansas City with Jeri, to see the Parlotones and some snow. There was bowling at Red Pin, a Thunder Game, and some planning for the summer time.

A lovely Saturday morning kayak outing on the river just before the cold gloomy weather returned, and some new necklaces to be offered at "A Jeweler's Art" on the Paseo, just in time for this Friday's gallery stroll.

2011-02-20T12:02:00.000-06:00

Not technically 'under the wire', as there are eleven and a half hours yet till the deadline, but I've just submitted my entries for OAG's Oklahoma Friendly juried art show:

"While You're Away"

"Well-Told Tales"

Creations

2011-02-15T08:35:00.001-06:00

Submission to Post Card Mail Art Show in New Orleans.

Two pieces for IOA's Money Talks Art Walks live auction benefit.

"Charm Kitty", mixed media on canvas, for Sit, Stay, Art! show, benefiting Pets and People Humane Society.

Yes, it's been a month....

2011-01-26T21:54:00.001-06:00

...so sue me. I've been busy. Some kayaking, some art, some more art, some bicycling, some art. Photos soon, be patient.

Goodbye 2010

2010-12-27T13:42:00.001-06:00

Another year is quickly coming to an end. I have no reason to complain about what the past 12 months have brought me, and only hope the next 12 are equally as generous.

We were fortunate to have crisp, clear skies the night of the Solstice total lunar eclipse. It was a magickal thing to witness as slowly but steadily the shadow overtook the moon, until just a fingernail sliver of gleaming white remained. Once the shadow was complete, the moon appeared as a faint, muddy red orb, constantly undergoing subtle shifts of hue and dimness. My intent was to watch until the light began to return, but earth sure casts a huge shadow - the darkness must have lasted an hour, if not more, and by 2:15am, I was so cold and sleepy, I took myself indoors to bed.

I designed this heron as a gift for my client who lives near the wildlife area where Tony and I kayak. Patterns aren't my favorite thing to work with, but now and then I enjoy drawing one up and turning it into a completed work of glass and wire.

Christmas was a treat, as it always is. Low key, stressless time with family, as well as calling on friends to deliver cookies.

Here is a small portion of some of the charmingly thoughtful gifts I received.

This morning, I took myself to the Red Cup for a brunch of gringo salad and Columbian supreme coffee. And a little read of Little Edie's charming diary.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-14T12:15:00.001-06:00

May we all be as satisfied as Scrumbles and Miss Blue are with simple gifts.

A Little Color

2010-12-03T16:29:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend I was thinking I need to collect my found object painting, "Lisa se Klavier" from IAO Gallery after the Red Dot auction, but Monday morning before I left the house, the mailman brought a check and a thank-you from IAO for participating in the event. That's the kind of surprise I could get used to. I didn't recognize the name of the buyer, but am happy the painting has a found a good home.

Tomorrow night is Trinkets and Baubles at Red Cup, for which I've finished a few new works, other than charms and the previously previewed collaged pendants.

These are quickie photos, taken just before packing and delivering to the site, and primarily for documentation, but with a gloomy winter weekend looming, it seemed the thing to do to share some glowing color.

This evening is Paseo's First Friday Gallery Walk, which I recommend taking advantage of - much fresh art up and down the street (including some brand new saucy text pendants in A Jeweler's Art), treats and libations, caroling, some sort of tree-lighting ceremony, and mostly - one final balmy evening before winter blasts into OKC.

Tony and I were planning a kayak outing this afternoon, but time didn't allow, so I'm watching the lengthening shadows, knowing this could be the last golden, friendly day for some time.

Oh well, more reason to bundle up at the easel and make more paintings....

Trinkets and Baubles

2010-11-23T20:55:00.000-06:00

Red Cup Coffee House is having their annual holiday extravaganza in less than two weeks. December 4, in fact. While I'll have an assortment of arts and jewelry on offer during the event, today I created a new set of collaged pendants. Here there are, before soldering.
This photo shows side 1. Images are comprised of paper, transparencies, labels, foil, superfine glitter, tiny stars, text.

Here you can see the reverse side of the same pendants.

leaves in birdbath

2010-11-11T12:41:00.003-06:00

leaves in birdbath
Originally uploaded by glassgrrl_ok

Autumn is so beautiful.

Music and Art

2010-10-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

At 90 minutes, the drive to Tulsa for Decopolis' Gatsby Picnic was a jaunt. (The picnic was slightly disappointing in its near minimalism, but I'm still glad to have gotten to experience it.) At closer to 5 hours, the carry on to Kansas City must qualify as a proper road trip. Jeri and I made it to our destination without incident, and enjoyed a beautiful, high-energy outdoor performance by The Parlotones, who didn't even have their name on the ticket. Apparently 98% of the audience were there for Blue October, and it seemed a large portion of those had traveled from out of state for the show. We tried to stay & enjoy the 'main feature', but after having got what we came for, along with some photos and a chat with the band after their set, it just didn't seem the right thing to risk clouding the experience with a different band, different sound, so we retired to our hotel room up the street, content to bask in our delight.

Back home, it's been time to ratchet up the creative gears a notch or two. Pendants and other small items being made in time to offer at the Peace Festival, and completion of my mixed-media painting for IAO's Red Dot. A few detail images:

(Pics will enlarge with a click.) Want to see the entire piece? I guess you'll have to attend the Red Dot auction, won't you? (Or at least wait until I have a quality, all-over photo to share.)
It's titled "Lisa se Klavier", having been inspired by a song of that title. You can hear it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AME5nO672IY

Cooler, gray autumn days are so perfect for taking the kayak up to Stinchcomb, where the migratory birds are gathering on their journey south. It's a real pity hunting season opened Saturday, and more a pity that hunting is allowed at a wildlife sanctuary, and one inside the city limits. The 'ba-boom' of shotguns does not make for idyllic kayaking ambience. Nor does the idea of coming back with extra holes in my body.
Guess I'll stick around the house for a while and deal with things like rusted out water heaters.....

Busy

2010-09-16T10:30:00.001-05:00

Click image for expanded view.

Goodbye Summer

2010-09-14T11:07:00.000-05:00

More or less, anyway. It's been a somewhat slackery season for art. Commissions here and there, small batches to replenish the galleries, the usual face painting gigs, but no big exhibits or receptions for me to buckle down for.
With the advent of autumn, however, the calendar begins to fill up. Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition's annual fundraising gala, 12x12, is coming up September 25. More details here http://www.ovac-ok.org/Events/events_12x12.cfm

This year, in addition to the invitational artworks, there will be 12 photographs depicting the historic Fred Jones Manufacturing building , offered individually or as a complete set. There was a stunning variety of imagery submitted by area photographers, which was (somehow) pared down the final dozen. I'm honored and delighted to have had one of my photos selected:

In fact, I need to rush off this afternoon to sign the final print.

Another annual fundraiser is also coming up - IAO's Red Dot. I've been invited to paint a piece for this show, which will be in November, though I haven't the exact date. Should I manage to create something satisfactory, I'll post it here and give details of the show. Well, I'll give the details when I get them, whether or not I've managed to harness the Muse.

The Peace Festival will be on a Sunday this year, due to scheduling issues with the Civic Center, but I expect to be there nonetheless. Last year was my first absence in over a decade, as I couldn't resist the offer of sitting for the portrait workshop at Quartz Mountain, which coincided with Peace Fest's date. Make a note of Sunday, November 14, when I'll be joining with a very festive assortment of individuals and groups offering info, networking, food, and a wide array of gift shopping opportunities. I'll have my glass work, along with text and hammered wire jewelry, and who knows what else.

In non-art news, Tony and I have discovered the addictive joys of kayaking, and make a point to hit the water several times a week. With the two public boathouses in the city, our very reasonable monthly fee allows unlimited paddling both at the Oklahoma River downtown (although one has to share the water with Olympically-training rowers and paddlers, which can be nerve wracking at times), and the Route 66 Boathouse at Lake Overholser, offering more peaceful adventures and wildlife sighting up the North Canadian River and into Stinchcomb Wildlife area. A generous friend has offered us the loan of his kayak, which was otherwise gathering dust in storage. Having that little craft to cram in my car allows me more freedom to be impulsive, without worrying about boathouse operating hours.

We were well on our way to pricing assorted kayaks, and making a plan to purchase our own, but you know how life works. Yesterday I received a hysterical phone call from Sara, on her way to work, telling me she'd wrecked her car. The Saab we'd helped her buy only last month. Ouch. Other than being a little sore, she seems to be okay, though naturally frightened about how much worse it could have been, and very down about losing her wheels. So, there goes the kayak fund, and much, much more, no doubt. Ah well.....

Red and Shiny

2010-07-20T21:42:00.001-05:00

Haven't fired up the soldering iron for a while, but the east window gives nice morning light, and since I had a special request, I gathered some materials:

And whipped up a hand mirror:

(Click on images for detailed enlargement.)

Hot Hot Hot

2010-07-18T19:47:00.000-05:00

Has it been a month already? I guess so. Sometimes there's just too much living to do to take time blogging it (but that's a pretty lame excuse). Sometimes life experiences are so diverse it's a daunting task to condense them down to a couple paragraphs, which is a less lame excuse in my book. Anyone with a burning desire (?) to keep up with my day-to-day stuff is more than welcome to look for me on facebook, which is the perfect place for random nonsense that may contain a few genuine specks of interest, but only if you pay very close attention.
Things that have been going on: Tony and I have a weekly date night, cost be damned. Sort of. As long as we can splurge for a bottle of wine and have enough dosh left for an appetizer or salad, and maybe dessert, we call it a success. The challenge is to find a new place each week. While it can be a place we've visited before, it can't be a previous date night experience. I check the online menus to make sure there are at least one or two meatless offerings for me. (Though to be fair, several places that had none listed were more than happy to have the chef make adjustments for me. I don't relish being difficult, so it's always a delight to find tastily prepared vegetables strewn over my pasta rather than a slab of animal.) We also choose to stay nearish to home, having no desire to battle traffic up to Edmond or Memorial Road, or the Southside. Naturally, chain restaurants are out as well, so you can imagine how the pressure sometimes can mount when Tony casually asks, "where will it be for date night tonight?" After the first two or three, we began rating them on facebook. Things like service (of course), ambience, menu variety and/or flexibility, and that pesky, mysterious bar tax one sometimes encounters in Oklahoma City. I haven't cracked the code yet. Someone suggested it had to do with the "Empowerment Zone", which involves Midtown and Downtown, but some cafes in those areas didn't seem to charge it. If they did, maybe they just wisely incorporated it into the cost of the drink (bottle) itself.
Anyway, rather than going on about it here (too late, you have observed), I think I'll attempt to compile our experiences and favorite/least favorites eating places into a useful (and hopefully somewhat entertaining) entry. I also intend to take my camera from now on, to document our meals.

In other news, we've had a foster kitten for a few weeks. I think she may go home tomorrow or the next day, and I'll probably miss her.

She's a wee thing called Paris, who likes to lie on records, and help out with the Friday evening wine.

The red did come out of my white capris, so all is well.

We're on the verge of joining that kayak movement that seems to have gripped the Big Town. Tony went this afternoon, and I may just sign up this week for a month of unlimited water adventure. I would be a little more enthusiastic if the temperatures would drop 25 degrees, or one were at least allowed to splash around and swim in one of the local bodies of water. It's cruel to be so close, yet so far.

Artwise, I'm creating for myself mostly, except for the momentary laspe of reason in which I said yes to another wedding job. This one only entails the two Mazel Tov chairs, and it's early enough in the project for me to still be hopeful that all will work out, the first time. We'll see.

Changing Gears

2010-06-17T15:22:00.000-05:00

The Button Show was much fun, and by the second night, all three of my pieces had sold! Plus, one had received an honorable mention award, so it goes without saying I hope The Children's Center makes it an annual event.
Even though I've more ideas for canvas in mind, it's time to change gears for a while, and get back to the metal work. Today I've created a couple pairs of earrings and two necklaces, probably destined for Istvan Gallery by the weekend.
First, though, it's the exciting Edith Head exhibit at City Arts Center, along with "Mother's Hats". What to wear, what to wear?......