Treasure

My trips to salvage shops have been, in part, fueled by the hope of finding a real treasure. You know, the item that gets you on Antiques Roadshow. That dusty old lamp that turns out to be Tiffany. The "ugly" painting that's a lost Piet Mondrian. The armoire with the cracked varnish that's worth a small fortune. The simple diamond ring you found in a friend's flowerpot that's from 1886 (this one was real. No, I didn't keep it).

But then, I thought, "treasure" is a subjective term. We've all heard the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." And it's very true, which is likely why the phrase has stuck around for so long. I'm not an expert on antiquities or art, nor do I have much interest in becoming one, so toodling around secondhand stores is likely to get me nowhere if I'm looking for something of monetary value.

I have a few original art pieces in my home (not counting my own), and I bought them because I liked them. I didn't care about resale value; in fact, I'm almost certain two large paintings I have are just expensive forgeries.

So Antiques Roadshow is out. And that's okay. I got a really nice stained glass panel from an antique store in Sellwood about a month ago. The only information available was that it was from an estate in California, and likely constructed in the early 1900s. The previous owner was a collector of stained glass. It's clearly American, and original. The price was reasonable to me, knowing first hand how much it costs to construct a piece of this size, so I bought it. I can't haggle to save my life, so I didn't.

But I'm very happy about it! It's an early Christmas present to myself, so it's wrapped up and I won't hang it until then. Here's a picture:

I saw it in the window and I just had to have it

It runs in the family

I'm not a scientist. I have not studied genetics beyond Punnet squares. But anecdotal evidence and personal observations tell me artistic talent is hereditary. 

I'm pretty sure mine did NOT come from my mom's side of the family. I have never, in my 29 years, seen my mother draw. As a small child, whenever I asked her to draw me a picture, she'd smile and say, "I can't even draw stick figures! YOU draw something for ME!" I think the main talent that runs on her side is music (which, hurray! I got it, too). There's some crafting and quilting, too, I think, but not as pronounced as on my dad's side.

Yup, I'm pretty sure that's where my arts & crafts gene came from. My grandmother was an excellent seamstress and knitter, as well as a painter. When I was in 4th grade, I drew a picture of a dress I had dreamed up. Mom suggested I send it to MorMor. Not long after, a package arrived with the very same dress! She had made it using an awkward kid's drawing as a pattern! She also taught me to knit, something I still do, and painted. I am sure she had many more talents and hobbies, but those were the ones I knew about. She died when I was thirteen.

My aunt and cousins are also very crafty. We lived in Michigan and later moved to Oregon; my dad's family lives in Maryland, so we didn't get to visit as much as we wanted to. I remember my aunt often carried a knitting or crochet project, which she would work on as we chatted. The last time I saw my cousins in person, they had a Lord of the Rings painting project in the basement (and I'm sorry for messing it up). That was... God, that was about 13 years ago. Anyway, through the wonder of Facebook, I occasionally see a drawing or cross-stitch project, and they're awesome. Two of my cousins are entering the Etsy, blog, & craft fair scene! Go look: Tiffany Rex Designs (blog).

Good luck, cousins, and congrats on getting yourselves out there! (And get that shop up quick so I can buy something!)

Adventures! part 2

Two weeks ago, the same day I visited Muse Art & Design, I went up to check out The Rebuilding Center on Mississippi. I wasn't sure what to expect. I had a vision in my head that was somewhere between a thrift store and Home Depot.

Which wasn't too far off the mark. It's a huge warehouse divided into various sections. The cabinets were to the North, the doors to the South, the plumbing, lighting, tile, etc. in between. And then another warehouse across the alley to the West with trim, floorboards, brick, countertops. And all of it was donated or salvaged. Some of it was new and left over from building and DIY projects (LOTS of backsplash tiles), and some of it was ripped out after a remodel (there was a full set of kitchen cabinets, maybe 12 pieces, frosted glass doors and all).

I found a few things, some mirrors that I considered getting, but even though the prices were great, I had only intended to look and not buy. One of my "bosom enemies" (to quote Louisa May Alcott) is impulse purchasing. When I got home, I thought of quite a few places I could put the mirrors, but I wasn't broken up about it (pun intended). However, these cabinet doors I should have gotten, as I had the space in my car and even an idea for a project:

I'm sure they're gone by now.

The idea was to strip 'em down, repaint or stain them, join them at the middle to make them one piece, and then put a mural or mosaic behind it. It would look lovely over a twin bed (and I do have a daughter who is getting too big for her current bed). Maybe I will go back soon with that in mind. I am sure these are gone by now, but that doesn't mean there aren't other awesome doors or windows or mirror frames that would work just as well. And it changes all the time. It's kind of like a treasure hunt.

One of the best parts was that in just about every aisle there were tutorials from a local Do-It-Yourself-er on how to repurpose the materials. Someone had made a birdbath from an old ceiling light - the kind shaped like a dish. Another person had used an old sliding pocket door as a canvas for an awesome mural.

I have never watched Dr. Who, but I did see a set of blue doors that reminded me of a TARDIS. Should have taken a picture, but oh well. Bet those are gone, too. Some old doors had mail slots.

I can't quite put into words how I felt. From the cashier singing "Ain't No Sunshine" (she had a gorgeous, rich voice) to the passionate volunteers to the entry made entirely of rescued wood (doors, beams, 2x4s, floorboards, etc), I was totally blown away. I felt humbled, awed, excited, but even these words don't quite hit the mark. I'm getting goosebumps remembering it. I can't wait to go back.

Have you ever visited The Rebuilding Center or some place similar? What was your experience? Did you buy anything? What did you do with it? Leave a comment - I love hearing new ideas!

Adventures! part 1

Last week, I ventured outside my comfort zone. I visited two new places in parts of town mostly unfamiliar to me.

I am a creature of habit and somewhat shy. I generally buy things new from stores I know that are near me and part of a chain. I don't know why. I just always have. It's not wrong - it's worked well for me, but now that I'm older I'm making a point to try new things. You know, just to be sure I'm not missing out on anything.

And my adventure paid off! I got new supplies at Muse Art & Design on Hawthorne, and then visited The ReBuilding Center on Mississippi. I will talk about Muse in this post, and save The Rebuilding Center for next time. I had no problems finding Muse thanks to Lena (my car/GPS). I had to parallel park, and I'm sure the lady watching from in her car across the street got some good laughs. It went back up, go forward, correct, back up, overcorrect, hit the curb, go forward, back up, check alignment, try again, hit the curb again, etc. Then she saw me spend about five minutes trying to figure out why the damn car wouldn't lock (the passenger door was open).

I was beet red by the time I walked in the door, so I avoided eye contact and hid behind a paintbrush display. I slowly emerged, and after staring blankly at unfamiliar brand names, I asked a friendly woman named Nicole for help. The appeal of the store is that every employee is an artist and therefore knows the tools on a practical level. I stammered out my need for a brush recommendation. I felt like a little kid, and said so. I have a lot of talent but little to no knowledge. Most of my art supplies were gifts or bought as a starter/student set at Craft Warehouse or Michael's. I have no idea about quality, brand names, ingredients, etc.

Nicole cringed a bit when I admitted to thinning my acrylics with water, and recommended I buy something called GAC 100, a thinner specifically for acrylic. She recommended a paint brand for when I run out of my current stuff. She took a look at my current brushes and helped me choose new ones. We talked about what to paint on, paper or canvas or board, and what does "gessoed" mean? She encouraged me not to be embarrassed to ask questions - everyone starts somewhere and we are our own worst critics. I had fully intended to be more "out there" and ask tons of questions and talk about her art as well as mine and ask about the shop's history and if there were any workshops I could join... But I was still feeling overwhelmed and shy. And there is always next time, right? Because I will go back - my first experience at a "grown up" art store was very good.

Sylvia, another friendly face, rang me up and further set me at ease about venturing outside of my comfort zone. We talked about colored pencil brands - I needed to replace four colors from my Prismacolor set and could only find two. That sparked a discussion about how Prismacolor's quality has declined over the years, so they are carrying more stock in a different, better brand.

The shop itself was smallish, but I have only large chain craft stores to compare it to. The big front windows let in a lot of light, and everything was well-marked and easy to find. It was quiet despite being on a main street. The atmosphere felt... familiar and intellectual, if that makes any sense.

Outside, a woman in a long skirt with a serene disposition had parked in front of my car. She was standing on the hood of her hybrid SUV, calmly picking leaves from an overhanging tree. She smiled and said hello, as if nothing was unusual. Well, I guess there wasn't - this IS Portland, after all. What she was going to do with the leaves? Some of them she put in her messenger bag, some she had arranged on the hood of the car. I could have asked, but I think in this case I'm happier just wondering.

I started up Lena and entered the next address. "Route guidance will start once you reach the highlighted route," she said. It was a good start.

Art Supplies

I was working on a commission today and noticed that some of my brushes are falling apart. That's to be expected, of course, but for some reason I thought all my supplies were pristine and ready to go.

My last few paintings were abstracts on a large canvas - I used mostly sponge brushes. The commission I'm working on is a 16 x 20 acrylic landscape on paper. It requires a lot more detail. And the detail brush that worked just fine before started messing up my work! What an ass! I called him into my office. I told him in no uncertain terms that he's completely replaceable, so he better shape up. I also told him he needs to brush up on his technique. I don't know if I got through to him - his face was wooden the whole time.

Well, I went through all my other brushes, and oy. Some I used for an oil painting in, oh, 2002, and I must not have cleaned them properly because they were so stiff and gunky I couldn't use them. On others, while the bristles were fine, the paint on the handles was flaking off. I actually don't know what a quality brush is. All I've ever bought were student sets from Craft Warehouse. I never paid attention to brand or material. What's better, camel hair or synthetic? I think the last time I bought a brush was in 2006 or so.

So, on to my point - I'm off to the art store! This is actually quite exciting, as I will be trying a new store I found through Twitter. I feel like a "real artist!" I'm hoping to build a network of local artists, maybe feel like I'm part of a community. I'm shy at first (though not as much as I used to be), so putting myself "out there" might be the hardest part of this venture. There's always something that needs my attention here at home, so I don't venture out much. But that's not a bad thing - I like my house and being with my family (especially the dog, hehe).

I don't know if I'll get there today or Wednesday - the laundry has been out of control for quite a while. Er, this is important because I do all my art cleanup in the laundry room. Glamorous, I know. Anyway, the store is on Hawthorne, and while that's a bit of a drive, it's really good for me to get outside my comfort zone. I live in the 'burbs where there is always a parking lot and I know exactly where I'm going and where the bathroom is. And that's important because I had a baby and sneezing is now dangerous. The things they DON'T tell you about motherhood...

This is where I'll be going: Muse Art and Design. Yes, I will blog about it.

Stained Glass Window (and Twitter)

I'm on Twitter now! I tweet whatever weird musing comes into my head. Some of it is about art. If you prefer something a little more random and less organized than a blog, follow me @NowhereTreeArt

Still working on my Etsy shop. I wonder if I should start it up now and add listings as I finish them, or wait until I finish more pieces? Hmmm.

I'm questioning the quality of some of the items I want to put up. For instance. I have a small stained glass window square I did as part of a college course. It looks pretty good, but the solder is a bit blobby in places and I cut a few corners with the lead came.

Well, I'm my own worst critic. So, honest opinion from you (no sycophants, please). Would you buy it? I have to pay to list it, so I don't want anything up that isn't likely to sell. It's 11" x 10.5," so it would likely do well as a cabinet door or adapted to fit in a small window. I am thinking of selling it for $200.

Student art!

Let me know what you think. What can I do better? What's good about it? What's bad about it? Thanks and I'll see you on Twitter!

Art forms: writing

One of the things I love about art is that it takes many forms. Today, I'm talking about writing.

I was an English major and it was my dearest ambition to write and publish a book. I was good at poetry and non-fiction essays, but I really, really wanted to write fiction! And I was really, really bad at it. My senior thesis was a novella; one I'm hoping will stay in the university archives completely forgotten and never noticed again.

When I started writing my thesis, I was taking a few psychology classes and became fascinated with the concept of addiction - particularly pornography. I thought I needed to write as graphically as possible to get my point across. Turns out, I didn't. And I really didn't have a firm point anyway (pun totally intended). By the time I realized that maybe the university wasn't quite ready for this subject, that it might just open me up for criticism I wasn't ready for, and that it might just maybe embarrass my poor family, two of which were either employed or enrolled there... it was too late to start over. And the story was terrible, too.

After I graduated, I started on a new book. I wanted to write a super-cool young adult fantasy novel set in my home state. While I worked on it, I sent snippets to my two best friends, who are also literary types and voracious readers. When I asked what they thought of my latest chapter, there was some uncomfortable squirming and, "I was meaning to read it, I just haven't had time lately." Well, then and there I knew; it was just bad writing. My friends would make time for any reading they found interesting, and stay up late to finish. My work wasn't keeping their interest.

And that's okay. I have great ideas and maybe someday I will write that novel. But I'm not quite thirty yet; I've got some time. Maybe I will have more success writing a memoir, or maybe not. I'm pretty happy with this new venture of blogging and painting, and I love reading my friends' published articles and living vicariously through their success. My friend Tabitha keeps getting published in various magazines, journals, and collectives. I LOVE her writing and hearing her take on everything from "Mad Men" to feminism to video games. So, a toast to a fellow artist!

Here's a link to her latest piece of art on female identity: pdxxcollective: My Wife. And a link (pun also intended; you'll see what I mean) to a collection of my favorite essays: hobart: Games of my Youth.