sadly harmless

Dormant Gems

2013-02-24T11:46:00.003-08:00

My first art show in 3 years opens in 5 days. Working on it has required some attitude adjustments. It's been scary, liberating, exciting, frustrating... There was one drawing that I had to do 4 times because the first time there was a freak accident with a glass of water, and the 2nd and 3rd times my paint was just too muddy. But I persevered!

Everything is coming together and it feels good to make a body of work that I am proud of and that fits a theme of optimism. The pieces are simple, because the feeling is simple.

The show is about something I have a hard time putting into words, because it's just something that's difficult to explain. Last summer I had sort of reached the pinnacle of pretty bad anxiety issues (mix some depression in there), and I just decided enough is enough. Something just clicked. I don't know how or why, but it did. Once I had made the decision to not let outside things dictate what I do and how I feel, well, it was like I had found hidden gems that had been dormant for 30 years. Except gems aren't alive, but maybe you know what I mean. I don't want to say that I am "cured" because I know that it will always take work to keep the gems from getting buried again. At least now I know they are there, and they are mine.

If you are in the Bloomington area, this show will be up for the month of March. The show will be up in Cincinnati at Fabricate in July, and then I will be putting all of the pieces up for sale online and will have them at fall craft shows.

January

2013-01-29T08:08:00.001-08:00

January has always been difficult for me. It's very gray here in Indiana, and I'm one of those people who have a hard time without a lot of sunlight. For Christmas, I got a "happy lamp" and I have been using it every day. It has helped a lot! But I've still felt really unmotivated, uninspired, directionless, and trapped.

I need to be able to go outside. I need to be able to walk around in my house in bare feet. I need to be able to sit on the porch with my dog, drink coffee and sketch. January does not allow such things. I lay around a lot, catching up on my favorite tv shows that I had to miss out on during my holiday craft show season. I look at Pinterest for inspiration and ideas. I check Etsy to see what things I can find that are amazing. I think about drawing. And then I don't do it. Well, not much. It's like I am surrounded by gray clouds that suffocate my creativity. I know, it's pretty over-dramatic.

Something happens in January where all of my energy (both physical and mental) just gets zapped. Little by little over the month, I gain the strength to "get back into it." It is a S L O W process. At this point I have gone through enough Januarys to know that these feelings will subside, the sun will shine again, it will get warm, and the need to create will re-emerge. After all, January is only 31 days.

Toot your own horn

2013-01-16T08:55:00.001-08:00

It seems silly and braggy to write about how many accomplishments I had last year, but I am a firm believer that if you work hard at what you do, then you should be able to toot your own horn. So here, I'm gonna go ahead and toot it.

In 2012, I worked harder than I ever have. When you are a self-employed artist, there are no guarantees. Every day is a leap of faith. I know that every opportunity that I get is important, and I try to make the most of each of them.

In 2012 I did 15 craft shows, which may not sound like a lot, but it is a lot. There is obviously a lot of preparation involved, and sometimes I have to drive several hours to get to the shows. The more I do them, the more I like them, and I've really come to appreciate the culture that surrounds them. I feel like that's where I belong! I was accepted into Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago, which is sort of like the Super Bowl of craft shows. I felt like I had passed some kind of mile mark or something.

Part of my set-up at Renegade Craft Fair

In 2012 I made and sold 262 shadow boxes, 265 calendars, and 653 prints. (These numbers don't include all of the items I sold in stores around the country.) That totals to 1,180 things that came straight out of my head, went into my hand, onto paper, and into someone else's home. Amazing!

One of the tricky things about being a self-employed artist is figuring out how to get yourself motivated and figure out exactly what you need to do and when it needs to get done. I finally figured out a way to make goals and schedule them so that there is some flexibility. It's very simple and probably seems kind of stupid, but it worked amazingly well for me. It involved lots of post-it notes and a wall calendar.

I made my 6th annual Sadly Harmless calendar, which I really love and had a lot of fun working on. It was a big success!

2012 was also a big year for personal growth, revelations, etc... Being in the moment, making plans, having adventures: they are all important. While getting work done is a huge priority, having fun should be an equal priority. I'm still trying to find a balance, but just realizing how important it is for my sanity is a big step!

Visiting a secret beach is very important. Always bring freezie pops.

Thank you to all who supported me and my endeavors in 2012! What an amazing year.

Do a lot of work

2012-02-27T11:33:00.001-08:00

Ira Glass once said:

Ever since I found this quote, I've been thinking a lot about how difficult it is for me to create things that I really love. Purely aesthetically, that is. I can love the idea, but hate how it looks. I become emotionally attached to most of my work, even if I'm not happy with it. I create these things out of thin air. They are like babies. Some of them I think are ugly. To a certain extent, I feel like I have little control over what comes out. Yes, I make decisions about where that tree goes, or is that bear going to be laying or walking? But stylistically, I draw what I draw without really thinking about it. I draw how I draw. I can't draw another way. Or if I did, I'm sure it wouldn't feel right. It's strange. But I often find myself feeling dissatisfied with the way things are turning out.

This quote, in a way, has completely changed my view of art-making. I had never really thought that my taste level and skill level weren't on the same page. But it's totally true, and it's probably true for a lot of makers. My evolution as an adult draw-er has had a lot of ups and downs. In college, I was made to think that everything I made was very, very important, and while this was a lot of pressure, I also feel like I made really good work. I put a lot of time into it, and it was extremely personal. As a self-employed draw-er, I don't get this kind of feedback. I either get positive responses or I get nothing at all. So all of the criticism just bounces around in my head and I don't know if any of it is real or not. As a BFA student, I was subjected to/given the privilege of a critique every semester in which I put all of the work I had been doing for months on the walls, and about 30 of my peers and 3 professors would essentially dissect my work and ask me questions. It was extraordinarily scary and mind-opening.

It's really hard to not have that anymore.

I live a very solitary life. I work at home, by myself. I create things. I put my work on the internet, I take it to various craft shows around the Midwest, and sometimes I have an art show. I get polite, often enthusiastic comments about what I do. This helps reassure me that I'm doing the right thing. But sometimes I long for those critiques.

I printed the quote out and taped it to my wall, because Ira is so right it's scary. If we don't just keep making things, just keep doing it even if we hate it and think it's terrible, we'll never get through all of the bad stuff. We'll never learn how to make things the way we want to make them. I had a drawing teacher who once said that you have to draw pages and pages of things, hours and hours, hundreds of drawings, just to get a few good things out of it. And he was right. I'll never quit, because I just CAN'T. I have to make things. But I take comfort in the fact that as Ira says, "Your work will be as good as your ambitions." I will keep making, and I will wait.

We are our own biggest critics. I aim to impress myself.

Detroit Urban Craft Fair

2011-12-08T09:22:00.001-08:00

This past weekend I got to visit Detroit for my first ever show in Michigan: The Detroit Urban Craft Fair! It was held for 2 days at the Masonic Temple, an amazing building and the largest masonic temple in the world, apparently.

Photo from handmadedetroit.com

The only show I've been to with it's own candy bar. Also the only show I've been to where one of the organizers got proposed to.

What I got when I arrived. They made all of the booth numbers out of rope licorice!

Photo from michiganblogger.com

One thing I was really surprised about was the amount of Michigan crafts there were. People in Michigan are crazy about Michigan! We're not really like that in Indiana. I did get to trade with several other vendors, which is one of my favorite things about doing craft shows. All in all, DUCF was amazing and I definitely hope to be back!

DIY Trunk Show/Chicago Trip

2011-11-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year I applied for a spot in the DIY Trunk Show in Chicago, and was accepted into my first show in The Windy City! My boyfriend, Mark, and I traveled up a day early so that we could do some exploring.

On the way to Chicago, there's a stretch of land with tons of wind turbines. It's really amazing to see. At night, they all blink a red light simultaneously.

It starts getting dark at 4:30 in Chicago.

Navy Pier at night from Lake Shore Drive.

A trip to the Shedd Aquarium was in order the next day, so we took the train, but first stopped at a nice place called Yolk for a hearty breakfast.

Across the street was a bunch of sculptures of legs in Grant Park. A little research led me to find out that it's called "Agora" and was designed by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz.

We decided to get the expensive passes at the aquarium so that we could see everything. Most of it was worth it.

These fish were huge and didn't look real. I forget the name of them.

One of the main reasons we got the expensive passes was to see the beluga whales and dolphins perform. It actually wasn't very impressive because they're still training for their big holiday show. I still loved seeing belugas, though.

Right now there's a special jellyfish exhibit. The moon jellies are my favorite.

One of the things I really love the most about the Shedd Aquarium are all the little details in the architecture and design of the building.

We got up Saturday and I of course had my pre-show anxiety nausea. This is what happens when you're a worry wort.

But I had nothing to worry about! The show went wonderfully. Sold all of my shadow boxes, most within the first few hours.

Thanks for having me, DIY Trunk Show! I hope to be back next year!

Things I am obsessed with

2011-07-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Ursa Cub by RoyalMint

I should mention I'm also obsessed with the other bears in her shop also.

Giant fabric whale by Philadelphia artist Tristin Lowe

Go Confidently

2011-07-12T13:45:00.001-07:00

Go Confidently, originally uploaded by sadlyharmless.

Mini printed shadow box

Where We Landed

2010-11-17T10:18:00.001-08:00

Where We Landed, originally uploaded by sadlyharmless.

One of the pieces in my show up in LaLa Gallery in Lafayette. Show is up until Dec 11!

2011 Calendar Pre-Order!

2010-08-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

It's finally here!

The theme for the 2011 calendars is ADVENTURES!

It's my first full-color calendar, and you'll find ink and watercolor illustrations of animals exploring and venturing to places they wouldn't normally go. You'll find foxes sailing on the high seas, caribou on the moon, polar bears climbing a giant tree, penguins in a hot air balloon, and more!

They're only $12 and you can see more of the drawings and order them from my Etsy shop or directly from my website!

2010-07-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

I've been working on the 2011 calendars for the last 5 weeks. They should be done by the end of the week! The theme is a secret until they get printed up, but here are a couple of snippets from two of the pages. This year they'll be in color!

Other than that, I'm working on a duo show with my friend Candice Hartsough McDonald that will be in Lafayette in November. I'm doing a series of shadow boxes with cut paper. It feels so good to be making actual art!

I'm doing a bunch of craft fairs in the fall, including the gigantic Strange Folk Festival, located just outside of St. Louis. There are going to be 150 indie craft vendors! I hear it is pretty awesome, and it will be my first outdoor 2 day event!

Lastly, I started a new mailing list, which will be sent out once a month. I also really want to surprise people with things in the actual mail! So be sure to sign up and put your snail mail address. You never know what you'll get! Clicky here to sign up.

2010-03-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Why don't I ever update this?

In my younger years, I used to write constantly, and I think it's because I went through so much emotional turmoil all the time (I was the epitome of teenage angst, though you might never know it from looking at me.) I have so many journals kept away in my drawers, and I haven't written in one in over a year. I think part of it is just growing up, and that life has sort of "evened out." I feel the most creative when I am going through something rough, and the urge to write very rarely visits me anymore. I find this to be kind of annoying, because I'd like to write and like to make updates. I just feel like I don't have much interesting to say!

So for now I'll just tell you when I've been doing the last few months.
I've made some new prints of illustrations, and mainly I have been working on the next Bloomington Handmade Market which is coming up on April 3rd. I've also just been juried in to my first out-of-town craft fair, which is Crafty Supermarket in Cincinnati!

I haven't really made a real art piece in forever, and it's really starting to get to me. I've been making things that I know I can sell, which is fine, but I want to make some things that really mean something. I have a show in Lafayette in November that I want to make a bunch of shadow boxes for, which really I should start on now. The fall/winter is going to be so busy!

Calendar Pre-Order now available!

2009-11-11T09:24:00.001-08:00

This is the 3rd year that I have made a calendar of animal drawings. This year is Sadly Harmless' Creative Creatures. Each month has an ink and watercolor drawing of animals with hobbies! Featuring: stargazing giraffes, gardening elephants, knitting narwhals, musk oxen flying kites, and more!

The calendars measure 8.5 x 14 inches when unfolded. They will be printed on a cream paper with black ink.

This is a *pre-order* for this calendar. I am making a limited number of these, which is why I am making the pre-order available.

The calendars will be available on or before November 21st and will be shipped flat to you via First Class USPS. I will be sending emails to everyone letting them know when they are being shipped. Bloomingtonians can pick them up at the Bloomington Handmade Market or I can deliver it to you!

These make wonderful gifts for both children and adults!

How to get one:
Send $8 + $1.50 shipping to me via PayPal to sally@sadlyharmless.com
or
mail a check or well-concealed cash to:
Sally Harless
2836 S. Walnut St. Pike
Bloomington, IN
47401

Please e-mail me if you have questions! sally(at)sadlyharmless(dot)com.

Just a small update

2009-11-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

Some things:

I added a few new necklaces and prints to my Etsy shop.

I'm working on the 2010 calendars and will have them available by November 21st!

Speaking of November 21st, if you live in or around Bloomington, come to the Bloomington Handmade Market! I am one of the co-organizers, and will also have a booth there!

2009-10-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

I think I have done 6 art fairs so far this year, though it feels like I've done 100. And I have 4 more to go. I like them because it is good exposure and it's fun to see what other artists are doing. But it is SO TIRING. It takes everything out of me. The last one I did was the Indieana Handicraft Exchange, and it went really well. There were so many amazing artists. I sold almost all of my mugs, which is great, except now I have to make them all over again! Or I should say, I GET to. I often have to remind myself that what I'm doing is a blessing. It is insanely hard and I feel pretty burnt out all of the time, but I am working for myself! I feel stupid complaining about it.

The next one is this Saturday, which is the Hoosier Artisan Holiday Boutique in Carmel. It is all Indiana Etsy artists. I've never done an art fair in Carmel before, but hopefully it will be good!

2009-09-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I've been pretty terrible about keeping up with this blog, but I am going to post more often starting now!

I've been making lots of pendants and drawing on coffee mugs, and have also started making shrinky dink necklaces. Remember shrinky dinks? Mostly I've been drawing whales and sharks, and it's amazing to watch them shrink in the oven and stink up your kitchen! My roommates love it.
I'm doing a bunch of art fairs. Some are big and some are small. I'm also one of the organizers for the first ever Bloomington Handmade Market, to be held on November 21!

Here is the list of upcoming art fairs:
People's Art Fair: Saturday, Sept 5 in Third Street Park, Noon-6pm (Bloomington)
Fountain Square Art Fair: Saturday, Sept 19 (Indianapolis)
Indieana Handicraft Exchange: Oct 2 +3 (Indianapolis)
Hoosier Artisan Holiday Boutique: Oct 17 (Carmel)
Bloomington Handmade Market: November 21 (Bloomington)

2009-03-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

I've been working working working. Or at least, it feels like it. Mainly I've been working on documenting everything from my last show and putting it online. I've yet to update my website, but you can view everything on my Flickr page. I've also applied to be in the Indieana Handicraft Exchange in Indianapolis. I'll be honest, I don't really expect to get in because its more geared toward functional art and crafts, as opposed to fine art. However, in preparation for the application, I made my first pendants and also drawings on ceramics. I plan to continue to make these, regardless of whether or not I get into the craft fair. I'm finding them to be a nice break from making paintings, and also a way to sell my work at a less expensive level.
Coming up: a poster for a night of plays in Bloomington, a commissioned piece of elephants in peril, and a group show at the Art Hospital, which will be March 27th.

Custom Animal Portraits!

2009-02-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

Custom Animal Portraits!
$25!
$3 shipping

Now is your chance!
This listing is for one 4x6 ink and watercolor animal portrait that will be displayed in a quality vintage frame.

These portraits are a great, inexpensive way to own or give away an original piece of art.

These are done on archival, acid free watercolor paper, with archival paints and ink. The background will be an acid-free paper that will have a pattern of your choice or a solid color.

Upon receiving your order, I will email you with a few questions about what you want in your portrait. I can draw any animal you like, and adorn him with whatever you see fit!

*Please note that this is not a listing for custom pet portraits, but rather a portrait of your favorite non-pet animal.

Email me at sally AT sadlyharmless DOT com if you are interested!

2009-02-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

If you live in Bloomington, please go see my show at Boxcar Books! Titled "The Winter Year," it features 15 new works of Arctic animals and giant beards. I was lucky to get some press for it, which you can read here. The work will be up until March 3rd.
The opening reception was great. So many people came out, and I even sold a few things. Making a show can be so stressful, but it always ends up being worth it.
Work from the show will be added to my website as well as Etsy within the next month. In the meantime, free calendars will be given out with every order or commission!

Valentine prints!

2009-01-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

I've had a print Gocco for a couple of years now, but rarely use it because the screens and the bulbs are expensive and have to be ordered. But I decided it was time to make some Valentine prints, so here it is! I also did some in red, but I think the pink looks better. They're 4x6 on acid-free cardstock and are available for $5 in my Etsy shop. Signed and dated on the back. The perfect way to show someone you love them all year round. I posted this on Craftster, and most people that replied said they would love it as a card. But my thoughts are that cards often get thrown away. Whereas a print is more considered a work of art. Though cards can be considered art too! So I don't know. I'm not making these into cards. These are meant to be given as small, affordable gifts that can be framed and hung on a wall.
In other news, my show in Lafayette went pretty well. I sold 3 pieces, which is great. I will put most of that work into my solo show at Boxcar Books, which opens February 6th.

2008-12-15T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have a write-up in the Lafayette newspaper about my show.
You can read it here!

2008-12-14T11:15:00.000-08:00

Please, please excuse my lack of updates! I was working on my biggest show ever! The show is called, "The Winter Year," and has 16 new pieces. It is up now through January 3rd at LaLa Gallery in Lafayette, Indiana. This is one of the pieces in the show. It's called "The Haunting," and is ink and watercolor.

I have an interview posted on the Indiana Etsy Street Team's website, which you can read here.

I stil have lots of 2009 calendars for sale! You can purchase them on my Etsy shop for only $8. They also make great Christmas gifts!

2008-12-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

2009 calendars are here!

Welcome to The Ocean World of Sallee Cousteau.
Sallee has lovingly drawn various sea creatures for this calendar so that not only will you know what day it is, you can also enjoy a different underwater drawing each month.

These calendars measure 81/2 by 14 inches when unfolded. The covers are ivory cardstock and the inside pages are a thinner green paper. These make really great Christmas gifts for children or adults!
$7 plus $1 shipping

*Btown kids get free shipping or hand delivery.

How do you get one of these?
Pick one of these 3 methods:
1. You send a check, money order, or well-concealed cash to me. Email me for my address.
2. You send money via paypal to sally at sadlyharmless dot com.
3. You see me in person and we go in the alley and seedily make the exchange.

These are also available on my Etsy shop!

adventures in rolling pin printing

2008-09-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

Whale Song
Linocut
14x8 inches
$18

This took FOREVER to get a good print from, mainly because the press I have does not like blocks that are more than 1/4 of an inch thick. I spent so many hours trying everything I could possibly think of, and almost gave up. As a last resort, I asked one of my roommates if she had a rolling pin, and she did! I've been spoiled in the past and never really printed anything by hand, but it was this or nothing. Surprisingly, it worked really well, with the help of a little wooden spoon action. Sadly, I used a lot of paper trying to get it to work, so I only got a few printed before I ran out. I'm hoping a second edition of it will happen soon.

new work!

2008-09-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

"Joshua Beardsly"
Commissioned piece
ink and watercolor

"Used Up"
Ink and watercolor
This piece is available in my Etsy shop.