new orleans

new orleans

I just got back from a short trip to New Orleans and Florida with "Juicebox". We had a great time getting out of texass for a bit, and I miss NOLA so much, the good and the bad. There are so many memories for me tied to those streets of some past life I lived for 3 or so years. They are still so much a part of me. We stayed at a gorgeous hotel on St. Charles right in front of City Hall and ate at some of my favourite old haunts. It was really quiet in the city and the cold front kept us inside much of the time.

We drove the beautiful I-90 between Nola and Biloxi along the beach. Hurricane Ike literally destroyed all the old mansions on the shorefront ...wiped them clean. It's rather tragic. I picked up some broken shells and played in the sand, put my feet in the cold Atlantic very quickly and left.

This whole trip I was busy hand wireing all the antique bottles. I estimate that there will be 200+ tiny hanging bottles on my new improved Mandorla Aureola installation. They need some new Lightning inside. As soon as Papr gets back, I'm really gonna go at that piece hard and build flying buttresses, a new huge backdrop and 2 more hanging gaslight bowls....for the love of compound chopsaws and beautiful southern architecture.

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flying frying pans

flying frying pans

Yesterday was spent feeding my fire to keep warm, complete with Brandon's yummy potato and leek soup. I had a lovely day outside, cleaning my studio and burning all the fallen leaves. Miss Baru came over and we all sat around my fire with wine and brownies ...a perfect day.

btw...here's 3 flying frying pans ...I love them, they make me laugh. It's funny how much the loved but rusted old pans and the fan blades wanted to be joined together.

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plastic spoons and crowns

plastic spoons and crowns

I have been meaning to gift all of my silverware chandlers to GAGA. I really enjoyed making them, and they keep asking about them.

They went well with my recently destroyed mirror ball ponys...Some teenage kids raided the Forest, ripped down and played kickball with a 50-60lb. mirror covered plastic pony. They also got to my Temple. Untill the Forest reopens I may not be putting stuff down there for awhile...or at least till I can take a picture first;)

I'm currently reading Art & Fear Observations on the Perils and Rewards of Artmaking. The title really caught my eye. I've never really before run into an artistic blockage, I'm always tinkering with something...I cant help it. But last year, after Art Outside, really threw some amazing roadblocks and in my way. It's not the destruction or having no audience for what I make, (although I'm feeling a little artistically isolated). I'm constantly producing, good or bad ....whatever. But "That Art Feeling" was gone after too many heavy hitting failures. My Muse had gone on vacation to California or something, leaving me at home. My only relief was staying busy... constantly. busy. always. Yet it wasn't helping my sanity.

here's a quote from Art & Fear...

"For most artists, hitting a dry spell in their artmaking would be a serious blow; for a few it would amount to annihilation. Some artists identify so closely with their own work that were they to cease producing, they fear they would be nothing--that they would cease existing...

"Some avoid this self-imposed abyss by becoming stupendously productive, churning out work in quantities that surprise even close friends...

"Still, there must be many fates worse than the inability to stop producing art ...Annihilation is an existential fear: the common--but sharply overdrawn--fear that some part of you dies when you stop making art. And it's true. Non-artists may not understand that, but artists themselves (especially those who are stuck) understand it all too well. The depth of your need to make things establishes the level of risk in not making them."

I really need somthin good this year...and God, I'm really looking forward to Lightning in a Bottle...

But for now, I had a tin can breakthrough, and some rock wireing inspiration due to Miss Shelly's "Craft Night Upstairs" last night... I'm out to sort and wire some antique bottles

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gettin' down to it

gettin' down to it

So had this dream the other night, I was on my way down a path with two little animal friends that clung to me, all snug in my pockets... a little mouse and a frog.
I was heading down into a ravine making my way back to the Forest and the mouse fell as I stumbled over a rock or something. I searched and called it's name...it was trying to find me. Then the beloved froggy snuck out of my pocket, and I desperately was searching for both of them. It was getting dark and i couldn't see anymore as i felt my way through the trees and down the hill trying to get home

I remember trying to interact with all the Forest family with a deep anxiety of trying to keep it all together. I wanted to run away and find my precious mouse and frog, almost in tears. I figured they were ok

I have recently breezed thru The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It's a juicy little book, a quick read. Here's a quote within his book by a Scottish mountain climber that stuck with me concerning the above dream and beginning this blog.

"Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would not not otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way."

I have been riding the wave of productivity these past six days, nonstop with no Resistance and am feeling a difference. Maybe cause I lost my frog and mouse.

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3 days...

3 days...

Well after rounding all my corners for 3 days I've finally gone live. I'm still riding the waves of productivity but am really itching to get out of the office and make something new, but today was cold so I only felt a little guilty for waking up so late.

Short and sweet, here's 3 more.....

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january 1st, 2009

january 1st, 2009

Due to this whole new year and stuff, I thought I'd start a little visual blog.

I make art daily and thought it might be nice to make an effort at documenting it. In case ya dont know, I am artist and designer at the Enchanted Forest in Austin. And as for my first entry...here is a little thing I made last month...

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miss mary quite contrary

miss mary quite contrary

In an effort to expand my little Forested world…I’ve decided to start a blog of all the little snippets and tendrils that make up my day. I am currently an artist in residence at The Enchanted Forest
I also have a little website maryquitecontrary.org
so connect the dots and watch my garden grow...
and don't forget to feed my little fishies

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