CCNY MFA Blog!

Ummm, did I already post about my mfa program’s blog?

Probably. But yesterday I just wrote a post on it, which is kind of exciting (just overall, yeah), and actually might describe my internship better than I have described it on here. Or just differently. More.

Here is a little bit of the post – which has a lot more information than this. Fun! Art! More more more! Below I am quoting myself, which is weird, but seems like the best way to show you a piece of the other blog. Also this is time sensitive information – the show is coming down soon – so you’ve got to hurry and come see it if you’re interested.

“Sylvia Netzer’s show, Whorl, is currently up at A.I.R.! Please come see it this weekend or next week, as it’s only up for a short time – and closes on September 30th. Netzer is a ceramics professor at City College, and has been instrumental in the graduate program for a long time. Her sculptural work at A.I.R. is wonderful and you totally have to see it in person! It’s bright, energetic, fantastic, and in the back gallery space at A.I.R. Come over!”

http://mfaccny.blogspot.com/2012/09/visit-air-gallery-to-see-professor.html

Please check it out, and check back on the programs blog for more posts about our upcoming show, city college rad times, and other fun new york stuff.

Thank you!

Katie

Sew What!

Hi!

So, it’s no secret that I think people should know their way around sewing needles. Like really everyone should know. Even spiderman made his own costumes… and he did a lot of other stuff at the same time. Sewing is a great skill, and once you’ve got it you’ve got the ability to take care of business more. Like you could hem your pants or whatever. And, really, it’s like my feelings about drawing. All you need to do is practice a lot, and you’re going to be good at it eventually.

Yesterday evening my awesome program had our first sewing night! We got out some sewing machines out (a few of us have them, as they are very helpful in artmaking) and talked about the mechanics of those lovely things. And we talked about some easy projects that can help familiarize people with sewing machines – so they’re not so daunting, which means they’re used more and will get us what we want faster! Also, easy early projects are helpful in making confident and smart sewers!

So, I’m going to describe a really cheap and easy bag project I did last year, which is still helping me out. Weedcloth tote bag!!!

I bought a roll of heavy duty black spun polyester weed cloth on the internet (agricultural, for blocking light/making heat to make sure weeds don’t grown in parts of your garden you want to be weed free) – this stuff is cheap! And you get a lot of it! It’s black and looks like those cheap totebags from the grocery. Make sure you get the kind that’s a teeny bit thicker… it can be super thin too – which would not help you tote things in your bag. If you are not in nyc you will easily find this stuff at the hardware store or garden center.

Cut a rectangle that’s about a foot and a half by 3 feet. Hem the short sides, this doesn’t need to be fancy hemming, just fold that edge over maybe an inch and sew close to the edge. you will just need to fold it in half and sew up the two sides (well they’re 4 pieces until you sew them) that aren’t hemmed. Make sure to put your hemmed sides out when you’re sewing the bag up so they don’t show on the outside of the bag once you’re turned it rightside out to use it. Voila, a bag!

Make two straps with grosgrain ribbon or more of that fabric -(to do that cut a piece that’s 2 inches by 2 feet. Fold it in thirds, like a resume you’re mailing. And just zigzag stitch that puppy up the middle). Do it again and you’ve got 2 straps. sew them onto the bag about 6 inches apart, a few of inches in from each side. Sew those on well, on the inside lip of the bag, and it wouldn’t hurt to sew once around the whole hole to make sure all the seams are nice and attached. Especially if you are like me and plan on pushing the limits of what tote bags are normally asked to do.

That whole bag will cost way less than a dollar to make, and you can make a lot of them for people, or sell them, or make something else (I’ve heard that fabric is great for halloween costumes) out of the fabric. I’m including a photo of one of the sculptures I also made with the roll of fabric I got for $10. You can see the sculpture in stop-motion action in my video from last spring, on youtube. It’s called life never waits, if you don’t already know. Check it out!

I will photograph my bag, but you will be able to find better instructions for something like this on youtube. They have every kind of instructional video about making stuff on there. I love them!

Before sewing up my bags i screenprinted pigeons on the fabric, which was kind of weird looking since it’s got a recessed ‘dot’ pattern. But it worked. And I made like 50 of those suckers and gave them to my favorite people in the world. I made myself one, which is seriously misprinted, and I love it and still use it almost every day. You could use cute fabric if you’e less cheap than me, and you could also sew cute patches to it if you have them. One of the bags I made I used a big patch and sewed up the sides and bottom to make a pocket! That one I sent to my bff.

So, that’s an easy sewing project for you. If you want to practice and be productive at the same time. Another thing about beginning sewing though, don’t be attached to your first 5 projects. You might have to redo a couple, since you’re getting used to it. Like drawing.

Here are a couple of links to tutorials about tote bags on youtube! These are not like the one I described to you, exactly… have fun!!!

K

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X86lT38Twxs&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXR67U142Zs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky3xkDIT97A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVfr9Np79AM&feature=endscreen

this thing is made out of that fabric. i don’t think this is the final version of the sculpture, but you get the idea.

The New York I live in.

This is what it looks like sometimes.

‘in between’ show highlights work of CCNY mfa class of 2013!

Hi!

Check it out! I’m going to have work in a new group show super soon! Come to the CCNY Gallery, on the 1st floor of Compton-Goethals Hall, from september 24th to October 5th. The shows reception will be on Thursday October 4th, from 5 to 8 pm. Come check out the awesome work the artists in my program have been making in the past few months, in between our 1st and 2nd years of gradschool!

At the reception I will be selling a limited number of my brand new chapbook – Pigeon Manifesto! I just finished binding them today! I’ve included a picture…

My programs blog is up and running as well! It was dark for a few years, but passwords have been recovered and we’re excited to share what we’re up to, and fun stuff that happens in our program and such.
Please check it out! Look for updates about the exciting things we’re doing over at city college! http://mfaccny.blogspot.com/?m=1

Also here’s a fun video:
Laurel and Hardy ‘Tree in a Test Tube’ from 1943… Forest Service stuff… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MUx247xAUY&feature=youtu.be

Fun With Artscool!

Hi!!!

School is going well! The second week was fun, a little hectic but thats just fine. And my new gallery internship is great so far! The first opening was great! I sort of knew 2 of the artists already, and it was fun to see them. And it was great to meet lots of new awesome people.

A little while ago I made a bag for my yoga mat so I could bring it to school. I’ve been practicing meditation as much as I can… I need to learn some balance with this so I brought a mat with me so I could do it in the studio! I made a lavender & sage eye pillow to go with it!

I didn’t use a pattern, I learned how not to from my grandma on my moms side. Eyeballed it! It totally worked and I’m including pictures of all of the pieces and steps in case you also are an eyeballer. It didn’t take very long to make, overall.

I get crazy multiday headaches and for other reasons it seemed like a good time to start a meditation practice. So, here I go!

Here are some pictures of my cat helping me make the yoga mat bag! Also he is doing some yoga.

I’ll post some pictures of new art soon, and some info about the awesome gallery I’m interning for.

XoK

Fall Update Thing

I just woke from a dream about a teaching relay race type course, where I was running through the dark with some people I know. Right before I woke up I had aced the competition involving catching, cooking and eating a rattlesnake, and was moving on to the part with jumproping over big metal pieces tall as bike racks. The idea behind the relay course was to prove that you were good enough to be a professor, and prove that you’d do specific things even if they were dangerous or self destructive – for the sake of something bigger than you. This made me realize that I should check in on this blog, and relate my actual life to that dreamworld – as I keep up this educational journey, which is fun, and dangerous to my bank and relationships. Yay!!! Rattlesnakes!!!

My first week of school was great. The new year of students started, and they seem nice, interesting and variously talented (there are just 6, like my year). I have some awesome professors, and I am thankful for them. And am doing some more screen printing, and less sculpture – but still some of course. And I’m still working on video and books. I’ll show you when I get something finished… almost done with a new book. I’m going over to the studio pretty soon – even though it’s my last saturday off until it’s snowy and I’m living in my parka. I need to make stuff! And start working on my thesis!

And yeah, what I said is true, today is my last saturday off until December. I’m starting an internship next week! At the awesome AIR Gallery, which is now located in DUMBO (that’s ‘down under manhattan bridge overpass’, kind of far from here, but the first stop into brooklyn – which is kitty-corner and down more from west harlem). I’ll be there on fridays and saturdays working on exhibition stuff. I’ll be a point person for artists and I’ll help organize exhibition related information. I’ll learn all kinds of stuff about gallery management and I am excited! Also I will be at the openings, which will totally be fun. Come over!

AIR is super rad! It’s a feminist gallery, with a membership, but I don’t think it’s run like a co-op. I actually need to start before I really know about it’s mechanics. So I will update soon with more! The gallery started just about 40 years ago, a group venture of and for women artists. There wasn’t (still isn’t but it’s way way better) equal representation or opportunity in the art world for women artists so they made that happen themselves. This is totally my kind of thing! I’m super excited.

This is the AIR website, check it out! If you study feminist art you will find many familiar names who have been involved with the gallery through the years. Pretty revolutionary. And I am honored to be able to help out this coming term. And to learn how to be that kind of awesome as I shape my artworld career.

I will be very busy. And I will be at the studio most of my evenings and early mornings, and some daytimes without classes. I will try to figure out the internet there, but mostly I will be offline. Another change I’m looking forward to, though I do really like the internet. It’s time to focus again. Summer is over.

Take good care, you!

Love, K

PS Here are a few pictures of the studio, as it changes…