Up with sketchbooks! YAY

This sketchbook is wrecked. The pages are falling out because of so much handling. The top pages include a napkin from Chipotle showing how to fold a burrito. Random. This is done with acrylic and ball point pen.

The middle pages are about dating. I got a mini Old Maid deck of cards and glued them on the page. I say if you end up with the Old Maid card you win. They should make the Old Maid hot. I actually painted a deck of Old Maid cards. You can see it on my other website. Just arrow down to my January 11 entry. So anyway dating sucks and tends to end up in my sketchbooks a lot. I am not very good at it. I do have a crush on Mike Rowe, the Dirty Jobs guy. I need a guy like that for sure. Oh well what can ya do?

Last but not least is my bored page. I think I ruined it by adding color to the bored part. It was simpler before. But you have to take risks and try stuff even if it ruins something. Thats what sketchbooks are for.

New sketchbook to peruse

Here is a new sketchbook. When I started it it was a strange picture-free cookbook with lots of recipes for liver and 1950s type ingredients. Who makes welsh rarebit these days? I picked it up at an estate sale. I like painting on cookbooks the best.

The middle picture is based on a bumper sticker I saw. "Love Me Love My Mule." Huh? The car was covered with stickers about mules. Sweet.

The bottom image is collage, paint and ball point pen. So is the mule page. I don't like the drips coming down from the Love part. I think I'll paint over that. Too cheesy.

Sketchbook End of the Road

OK this is the last of this sketchbook. As you can see there isn't much to look at. Once I do something on these pages I will upload them. I will show more of my other sketchbooks in the meantime.

Last night I went to see Leslie Hall at the Armand Hammer. It was a most enjoyable experience and I am still smiling the next day. She is hilarious and amazing and a great performance artist, refreshing and inspiring in this world of slick, samey, packaged music and videos. Ring a ding ding!

Not everyone will get her, but check her out if she comes to your town.

Sketchbook Valley

Getting to the end of this sketchbook. Not much going here but colors and shapes. These pages are mostly in the beginning stages of work. I'll post them again when I add stuff. But I did start painting fruit here and it inspired a couple pages on my painting-a-day wesbite. My sketchbooks definitely influence the rest of my work.

Lately though, I have been neglecting my sketchbooks because I am trying to work on a huge painting and not doing a good job as of yet, just gesso. Freelance jobs take up a lot of my time, so does teaching and my painting-a-day. Having too much to do makes me happy and stressed but I love it. After this sketchbook is done I might post some images from my big painting. Not sure yet... I don't want to give away all my secrets! I also haven't forgotten my portrait project. Too many ideas and not enough time!!

Also thank you for the comments. I love hearing from people. It is nice to know someone is reading this!

Sketchbook City

Hopefully you aren't bored yet. Maybe I should do something else. Anyway. Old cookbooks are a source of excellent stuff. I love them!! They need to be from the 50s and 60s, though because the printing quality from that era is the greatest. Check out the pancakes (above the corset in the top image) with letters in them. Very sweet.

So these pages are in various stages of finish. I was trying a little typography and breaking down jello into basic shapes. Jello rules. It is the most amazing thing. I should make sculptures out of jello somehow. Jello fascinates me. I am weird.

sketchbook-a-rama

More pages. This sketchbook is actually painted on a scientific book. When I was starting out I worked part time at Baxter Healthcare. The office I worked in closed down and they had all these old scientific books that were being thrown away. So of course I kept a bunch to paint on. It is better than spending money on new sketchbooks. Plus I hate painting on a pristine white pages so this works much better for me.

hey more sketchbooks

Sketchbooks are good for putting your mind on paper. They say you shouldn't need words. Your picture should be good enough to get your point across without explaining it. But I love words. I love short declarative statements. So here are some words on paper.

The middle page is an example of the beginnings of a sketchbook page. Just some colors laid down. This page hasn't called out to me yet. I am sure soon there will be something that needs to be painted on pink and green. We will see.

Sketchbook Town

Hello. These super groovy sketchbook pages have a little collage in them, pieces of paper I pick up off the street or find in the messy piles in my studio. I think this is part of a conversation I had about dating. Yuck. Dating is not fun, but it is true the person I would like to date would be different but cute. Simple right?

Anyway I digress, on these pages I was experimenting by being more graphic. Playing with shapes and colors. Breaking stuff down to the basics and adding collage. I like it.

Sketchbook Village

More sketchbook pages for ya. I hope this is interesting. I get my ideas for the sketchbook from TV, magazines, looking thru all my weird stuff I collect, driving thru L.A., overhearing conversations...randomness.

Some pages turn out better than others. The middle one is a portrait of Brigid Berlin's mother. Uppercrust rich lady with helmet hair and lots of make-up. I am much looser in the sketchbooks. I actually wish I could just do these all the time.

More sketchbook pages

Here are some more pages. These were done after watching a documentary about Brigid Berlin called Pie in the Sky. You should rent it if you can. I love documentaries about unusual people and Brigid Berlin is an unusal person. My friend Frieda introduced me to this one.

The color on the pages in my sketchbook usually comes from the excess paint I mix when I am doing a job or a painting. I HATE wasting paint so I cover pages in the book and then go back later and paint over it. I also can't throw away paint brushes even if they are mangled beyond recognition.

My Sketchbook

I thought I'd post a whole sketchbook in stages. Not all the pages are finished. I consistently work on and change the pages until I think it is done. I use my sketchbooks to experiment with new ideas and colors. It is nice cause I feel free to mess up and make ugly stuff or be embarrassing or stupid. Then the challenge is to make the pages work.

Here is the cover and first few pages of a sketchbook I started 3 years ago. I think I'll post a few pages at a time. Thanks!

Finger nail biting

I am biting my fingernails right now. This must mean anxiety. I think it is because I am at a turning point in my career. Birthdays always make you consider stuff. I used to know exactly what I was doing and now I am questioning everything. I know this is part of the normal process of life so I am not too worried about it. I figure something good will come of it.

I decided to buy some big canvasses and act like I am painting for a solo show in the future but without the pressure of actually painting for a scheduled show. I want the freedom to be weird or experimental without over thinking about who might buy what or if people will like it or not. I have a hard time getting out of the people-pleasing mode, but I have done it in the past and I will do it now.

The piece of art above is for a show this summer at Uppercase Gallery in Canada called the Shatner Show. 76 artists are painting their interpretation of William Shatner. It is going to be made into a book and is backed by William Shatner himself. A portion of sales from the show go to his favorite charity. I get asked to be in a ton of groups shows and am having to turn most of them down, but I thought this was an interesting concept so I said yes.

Candy Culture Interview

Hello people. I am going to toot my own horn today, but then again blogging is one big old horn toot, isn't it? Anyway. Candy Culture did an interview with me in their current issue. It is a pretty cool online magazine. Download issue #7. They also interviewed my friend Tara McPherson too.

Here is today's freedomwig art. Thanks!

Wack

Hey I went to Wack! Art and the Feminist Revolution on Saturday at the Geffen Contemporary. It is a HUGE exhibit and some of it really is wack, but there is mostly really cool stuff to look at and learn about. I would recommend if you are in L.A. that you check it out.

I was definitely more attracted to the representational work like Alice Neel's paintings, but there is plenty more to see.

I also really dug Martha Rosler's photomontages especially Nature Girl's Jumping and Hothouse or, Harem. They used the latter for the cover of the catalog.

Violent Femmes / Wendy's???

I had to comment on the fact that I just heard Violent Femmes music on a Wendy's commercial. What the F?

Was I imagining that? Add it Up on a Wendy's commercial? They didn't use the lyrics though, just the tune. If they had used the lyrics that would have made my head explode. Random.

Also, haven't had a Diet Coke in a week. I REALLY WANT ONE!!!!!

Hollywoody

Went to the Damien Hirst opening at the Gagosian Gallery last night in Bev Hills. Super paparazzi hollywoody. My pink Old Navy jacket rubbed up against a lot of fancy fabrics.

If you look real hard you'll see our lovely govenor Arnold in the middle of the picture.

Lots of pulled tight folks. I love it! The people were more interesting than the art. Where else can you run into Courtney Love, Flea, Jon Waters and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the same room? Sweetness. I love L.A.

Diet Coke Addict / Randomness

Random...I am trying to quit Diet Coke again. Today is the first day. I have a sweet headache going right now. Might get cranky later. Just so you know. OW.

BUT am feeling way less anxiety lately. Finally. I am working on a commercial right now where they will animate my artwork and I get to do my sketchbooky type stuff. Groovy. I am excited to see how it will turn out. I need to take some motion graphics classes so I can make own art move.

More random thoughts....I am surrounded by so many successful people out here. Sometimes you feel like you don't add up when in reality you are doing exceptionally well. But other people's success is good. It keeps you on your toes and working hard. I don't think I would be doing what I am doing right now if I wasn't around all these talented people.

Charity

This is a painting I did for the Charity by Number Show at the Corey Helford Gallery. They gave a bunch of artists old paint by numbers paintings. Each artist transformed the painting into their own thing.

Only ONE day left to bid on mine!! Click here to bid. 100% of the money goes to the charity, the Alliance for Children's Rights.

There are a ton of cool paintings left but not much time to bid.

If you can't read it, the painting says "The bigger the better the tighyter the sweater." I am so dang funny!

New Project

I have already gotten several awesome packets from very cool people for my portrait project. I still haven't worked out the details yet but I am getting really excited about it. Just remember that I don't paint pretty perfect pictures, just look left. So don't be mad, you might end up looking a little bit off. I want it to be more about the stories too. If you want pretty take a picture, right?

I am going to get off the computer to go outside and enjoy the 80 degree weather right now. Sorry to rub it in for those living in cold places. Everyone should move to California! No wait I take that back we don't need anymore people. I am being selfish. Pasadena is the ideal place to live except for how expensive the dang houses are. I am saving my pennies so some day I can buy a little cottage.

Excellent Time

I had an amazing time in NYC. The show looked great. This was one of the best openings I have been too. Nina and Wendy and Alix of Aidan Savoy Gallery did an amazing job. Good energy and lot's o' groovy people showed up. It was nice being around new people. I met some excellent folks and saw a bunch of old friends too. Here in L.A. you see the same people at all the openings. I sold a painting and hopefully will sell some more. Someday I will sell a show out. Someday....I hope. Click here to see all the artwork in the show. If you live in New York definitely go see the show.

This picture is of me, Alix (curator), Wendy (gallery owner), Frieda (artist), Lee (artist), Nina (gallery owner) and Pam (artist).

P.S. Hey the cold wasn't so bad. I wasn't as big a wimp as I thought I would be. Check out Freedomwig.com and check out the new stuff. Peace out!

Why so cold?

I am off to NYC tomorrow morning at the crack o' dawn. I am scared of the cold. I have maybe one warm sweater. I grew up in the cold but have lived in southern california for so long my blood has thinned and I am wimpy. I mean it was 80 degrees yesterday!!! How am I supposed to go from 80 to 12? HOW? I am wearing flip flops right now.

I guess I'll manage. I plan to write stuff while in NYC although ya never know. OK I'll quit my bitchin cause I love NYC no matter what. Here is another picture from the show. It is pretty small and simple.

I sure hope people come out to see. My whole family will be there. I am excited to see them. Hope to meet some new people too. If you know anyone in NYC tell them to go. All the artwork is on the gallery's website right now. Groovy.

Nothing interesting to say

I wanted to write on a more regular basis, but haven't felt like I have had anything interesting to say. All I have been doing is being neurotic over this show in NYC. Shipped the artwork out today and feel sick over it. I always do. Anyway you can only hear so much about someone's neuroses for so long. I don't want to be a one trick pony.

Anyway here is a piece of artwork from the show. ARG. I hope someone gets me.

I am looking forward to focusing on the portrait project when I get back from NYC. YAY!

I also purchased 3 BIG canvasses, one is 3 x 4 feet and two are 4 x 5 feet. I have never worked this big and I don't usually work on canvas. It'll be different. We'll see!

Soo wrong

This is my anxiety artwork. I have already quit the online dating thing. It caused me too much anxiety. It just seems so wrong, at least for me. I know a couple people who have met their spouse online and it worked out really well for them. Married with children and content. That is just not me.

It was too impersonal talking in emails with someone you have never met. It is easier to email people once you know what they are about. My emails tend to kinda be smartass and if you don't know me you might take them the wrong way. I think a few people did. oops!

I guess I just like meeting people the old fashioned way. In person.

Hey for the portrait project I will post more details the middle of February. This show in NYC is taking up all my time right now. Feel free to email me though, if you are interested!

Thanks!!!

Busy New Projects

I am busy finishing paintings for a show in New York. It is a group show with Frieda Clayton, Pam Henderson and Lee Bakofsky at Aidan Savoy Gallery. I am working on 5 paintings. I don't have much time left and I am freaking out, but hopefully they will turn out good. Here is one of the pictures. It is of Donny Osmond and you can't really read it but it says "get me a beer donny." I know that is a random thing to paint, but I like it. Most of my paintings are random.

I probably should be deeper but I think the meanings behind the paintings show themselves eventually. I used to have a crush on Donny Osmond.

As for the online dating thing. I haven't had much time to devote to it. I am emailing a few people. I'll let you know if anything interesting happens.

Another idea I had was to have people who have read this blog send me a picture and a little bio and I would do portraits and then maybe someday do a show of the work. I love the idea of the random ways people meet, online, travelling, in a grocery store. People are interesting. This is going to be an ongoing project, a collection of real people. If you are interested email me.

Home / Dateville

I am happy to be home after a nice long break in Philadelphia. I had a fantastic time there and you will see, if you look at freedomwig (which I am updating as we speak), that I spent alot of time eating and drinking and gaining weight.

I did do my art almost every day (I doubled up at times) but some of it was very lazy work. I am still scanning and uploading and it will be completely up-to-date tomorrow.

Here is something embarrassing. I signed up for online dating today. I work so hard, I ignore people and therefore have found myself without a date in a while. I am too fun and groovy to be dateless. Will probably end up doing some art based on what happens. I hate the thought of it but gotta try something. OY! I will in dateville this month.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

I just went to see the special exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and it was incredible!! The exhibit is called: Tesoros/Treasures/Tesouros: The Arts in Latin America, 1492–1820. It is only up till the end of the year but if can go to it please do. I haven't enoyed an exhibit this much in a long time. If you are a minimalist though don't see it. Also saw a painting by Leon Frederic called "The Source of Life" that was incredibly creepy yet very modern. Amazing.

crazy

As much as I love being an artist, there is a downside...like when you have those insecure, crazy feelings like everyone is better than you, getting more jobs than you, and selling more art than you and for more money than you. Guess what? That is what I am doing today. Feeling a little bit panicky and anxious that I will not make it and everyone is passing me by. AHHHH. Stupid.

And to top it all off I have a big client who owes me a nice check and is late paying it and now my carefully budgeted money is dwindling to nothing. Makes me CRAZY!! and very ANGRY and stressed out. Writing it down kind of makes me be able to let it go. There ain't nothing I can do about it. I am trying not to throw myself a pity party because I really have it quite good and this problem is little compared to what others endure. OK I am done. Lovely. Crazy. Fun. Dumb ass.

Still thinking that blogs are weird. I should just be writing this in a journal or something. Jeese louise I have to stop being all insecure today.

Art is fun

When I started my freedomwig painting-a-day project I fretted too much about what people might like to see and trying to be all cool and artsy. The longer it goes on, the more I find myself not worrying about that anymore. This is refreshing. I am just doing it. Some turn out better than others, but it just doesn't matter. YAY. Thinking is overrated. Doing is better.

Holiday Shmoliday

I watched the movie Prancer last night. It was sweet and simple and made me bawl like a baby. Put me in a good Christmas mood. Haven't had that nice Christmas feeling in a while. Been too harried in the past. The holidays should be simple and sweet. I am blocking out all the selly selly buy buy stuff right now and it is much easier to appreciate. I believe in Santa.

I need to go on more dates.

I love painting.

Home / Southwest

I am back home. I ate too much good stuff in SF. The junk store was finally open!! It was piled HIGH with all kinds of junk and I found some amazing things but alas the fellow who runs the place priced everything too dang high. WAY too high for the way the place looks. It feels like the basement of your crazy old aunt with OCD who hoards everything. I was expecting rock bottom prices but he was charging fancy antique store prices. So I only ended up with some old movie magazines. He said he has to close down the store by January 31 so I was suprised he wasn't more motivated to sell. I'll go back close the the 31st and see what's up.

I have been flying Southwest alot lately. Have you noticed how crazy people who fly Southwest get about lining up in the A, B, C lines? The people in the A line are the craziest of them all! God forbid if you stand in the wrong place. The A-liners lose it if you stand wrong. Doesn't make sense because if you are in the A line you will get a decent seat even if you are the last A. I love watching people get all high and mighty about the order of the line. It is quite entertaining.

San FRancisco

I am off to San Fran tonight. Going to work on a project with 826 Valencia, a cool organization that helps turtor students to improve their writing skills. It was founded by Dave Eggers (McSweeney's). Maybe they can help me done write better too. I get to meet with a student who has written a story and together we will develop an illustration to go with their story. Coolness!

I love San Francisco. I go there whenever I need a quick city fix. Los Angeles is a great place to live but really isn't a city. It's just a bunch of suburbs all hooked together. San FRan is incredibly beautiful and you can walk around and the architecture is dreamy! Hopefully I'll get some good inspiration for my daily paintings.

There is this one crazy junk store in North Beach that is ALWAYS closed when I am there. My friend Jennifer calls me every time she walks by the store to taunt me because it is always open EXCEPT when I am in town. It better be open this week. I REALLY want to go inside. It is one of those stores that has dusty junk piled high everywhere. Please let it be open. PLEASE!!!

Painting everyday

It is day 33 of my painting every day project. Today I REALLY didn't want to paint. Went to a wedding last night and needless to say the red wine was flowing freely. So today I got my butt to the studio and painted. I am glad I did. I have never been this disciplined EVER! It is kind of scaring me that I have kept it up so far. Hmm I feel good about myself. Nice. Can I do this for a year?

How come I can't be this disciplined about exercising and eating healthy? All these holiday holiday parties and weddings and dinners are kicking me hard. SOOO tired but having much fun. Tomorrow I am going to bed at 9:00 pm.

Nothing to do with art

While I was driving across the beautiful Pasadena suicide bridge, a lady in a big-ass BMW SUV, smoking a cigarette and flicking her ashes out the window, threw a crumpled up McDonald's bag out her window. She was wearing a baseball cap with pigtails. What a JERK! I hate people who litter. If she wasn't speeding so fast I would have pulled up beside her and yelled at her. DANG!

Also I am very happy that there are some people reading my blog. That is very cool. Thank you!!!

Don't Care

I decided that I am not going to care. See yesterday's blog. Yeehaw! I like painting.

Commerical Art

I have been feeling bad and discouraged lately because I have been listening to people pretty much saying that it is bad to be a commercial artist, that it is better to be a fine artist. Since I do alot of commercial art, which I define as getting hired to do art for some specific reason, it has basically made me feel crappy. I paint pictures for myself and for other people and it has always made me pretty glad, but now I am doubting myself. Maybe the fact that it is rainy and cold and I am tired has made me gloomy. I am sure I'll get over it.

Is it different to make money from art you sell to a client or to make money from art you sell in a gallery? Do people take you less seriously if you have been an illustrator? Why? Should I care? I am mad that this is an issue in my head right now because I really just like to make art. I like selling it in galleries and I like getting hired to do jobs. I like getting paid to do it and for it. It doesn't feel any different. Why are people ashamed of it? Am I screwed?

Sometimes I think it is better for me to sell my art myself so it can stay reasonbly priced and get into the hands of regular people who don't normally buy original art. Once you get in the bigger fancy galleries the people who can afford your art gets smaller. Why should rich people be the only ones to own art? But if some big gallery wanted to sell my work for lots of money I would probably do it.

I don't like elitism.

Yikes.

Writers & Me

Last night I hung out with a bunch of writers. It is nice to spend time with people who don't paint or draw for a living. Sometimes I forget that other people exist out there. Not knocking artists, but writers are interesting. That is something I wish I was good at. See look at that sentence. I might as well have written "Gee whiz I dang sure would like to write stuff n' junk." I can't write worth a poo. Oh well. I can do drawings.

I can't wait to eat stuffing.

Once more thing. I was just thinking about all the blogs and websites in the world and how everyone is crying out for attention including me. It is overwhelming. It is embarrassing always writing about myself and trying to get people to buy my art, or look at my art. I wish I was different and didn't care, but I really do want people to be interested in my junk.

So I just want to write this to get it off my chest. I might as well embrace it. Me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me and what not, me me me me me me me me me me and me. Me me me me me, heck yeah, me me me me me me me me me. Me me me me me me me me fantastic me me me. Ok me me me me. And last but not least, me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me. Thank me.
Sincerely Mine,
Me

Studio Party

If you live in Los Angeles please stop by our studio open house type party.

spam subject lines of today

Would you click on these spam emails? The subject lines in spam are interesting. They crack me up. Also have you ever accidently clicked on one and there is this strange almost literary writing? Why? It almost sounds like someone writing well, but then the words get all messed up and confusing. Weird. Here are some from today.

party liner paradise grackle

neat-ankled mother language

New, un-known and exciting high revenue occupation

Oh well I guess I have nothing better to write. Although a new unknown exciting high-revenue occupation sounds GOOD! I might click on that one.

Here is a fact. I love Campbell's Hearty Chunky Steak Fajita Soup. If you are on weight watchers the whole can is just 4 points. It be good and fills you up. Although it is weird eating hot soup when it is 90 degrees outside right now. Our studio is COLD! My feet are cold.

Above is an image from my new website freedomwig.com

Freedom.com

I don't think any one is reading my blog but if someone does please check out my new website: freedomwig.com

It is a website where I post a new painting or drawing every day. They are all for sale for under $300 bucks. I am trying to make myself more disciplined because I tend to be lazy on occasion.

Catch ya later!

Martha