The Indie Path Interview

The great team over at The Indie Path have just posted an interview I did with them. Check out their cool site and the interview at http://theindiepath.blogspot.com/2007/12/indieview-with-suzette-morgan-of-studio.html .

Peppermint Girl

Peppermint Girl is my latest creation, my first serious attempt at digital painting. I must admit I am quite fond of the results. I am offering Peppermint Girl as a print in my Etsy shop.

Enter the Drawing For A Free Print

Okie dokie, here is your chance to enter a drawing for a free art print from my Etsy shop .
To enter please leave a comment saying which print is your favorite as well as a way for me to notify you if you win. I'll accept entries untill midnight (that's Eastern time USA) December 10th. I'll be putting everyone's name on a slip of paper and letting my rabbit draw it out of a hat.

Nexus Familiaris

A new painting on wood, cute and sentimental balanced by a serious Latin title. I think I may adopt that title strategy for my more lighthearted paintings, I really like the contrast. If you would like this for your very own you can find it in my etsy shop.
I'll be making a print version available but not before I get a new computer (hopefully this week). Doing any kind of image editing on my antique causes me to tear my hair out!

Exhibit Pics

Well, I have finally gotten the exhibit pictures downloaded from my camera. I was so disapointed to find that most of them were blurry. This one came out fairly o.k., it shows the wall mounts I made out of Ikea mirrors (displaying Sheeple) that proved to be just as popular (if not more so) than my paintings.

The design worked perfectly well in my head, but not quite so well under real life conditions involving gravity. However they did the job and I'm working on ways to improve the design.

My Name Is Simon

Sometimes I find I just need to go into my studio, clear off all the projects in progress, and just play. That is just what I did yesterday, and My Name Is Simon was born.
If any of you were tots in the 1970's and watched the t.v. show Captain Kangaroo you might remember the animated short segments called "Simon" that used to appear frequently on the show. A little boy created a world with a piece of chalk. The foggy distant memory of that show was the inspiration for this painting.
I listed it in my Etsy shop last night.

Let Them Eat Cake

I have a new print in my Etsy store, Let Them Eat Cake. A bit of social commentary presented in a lighthearted manner. You can get one of your very own here.

Trunkt

I was recently accepted to Trunkt, a wonderful juried shopping guide to independent artists and designers. Each page of this gorgeous site is filled with amazing talent and creativity. You can sign up for a free wish list account and rate portfolios and choose goodies for your list.
If you check it out my portfolio is StudioSpiral
If you are an artist or designer who would like to apply to Trunkt, please use my name (StudioSpiral) as a reference, it would help me get a free membership upgrade which I would very much appreciate.

One Million Masterpiece

As I was checking my email this morning I found an interesting invitation in my in-box for a project called One Million Masterpiece. The idea behind it is that one million people create a square of art that will be added together like a quilt to make one large work of art. It is open to anyone, you don't have to be an "artist", though there is some truly amazing work on there. The project is raising money for charity and bringing peopel together from all over the world.
The thing I especially like about the website is that you create online using their painting program, and anyone can replay the creation of any piece on there, which can offer an interesting peek into the creative process.
I spent the better part of the morning on my piece, mind you this is the very first entirely digital work of art I have ever done and I must say, working with a mouse is pretty clunky compared to an aresnal of paint brushes!

On a philosophical note, I find it really interesting to see what people create when they are all given the same tools, the results are so diverse!

Exhibits Exhibits

Why I have not posted about this before I don't know, but it's not too late to catch my solo show at the Spotlight Gallery. It will run through the 29th of October. The address is The Spotlight Gallery @ The Arts, 32 W. Market Street Corning, NY. Gallery hours are Mon-Fri 9-5 and by appointment.
The opening reception on the 4th was amazing, everyone was so wonderful, from the super sweet gallery staff to the enthusiastic attendees. Unfortunately the batteries in my camera were dead but I will be posting some pics of the exhibit in the near future.
I also have a piece in a group show at the George Waters Gallery at Elmira College. That show will run through November 3rd.

Study of a dying bee

This is the drawing I did today of a dying bee my daughter Isadora found on the way to the park. She is quite passionate about bees, all insects and animals really, and she tenderly scooped it up from the sidewalk intent in saving it.

As the kids played at the playground I decided to sketch it. This was a very different approach to creating for me, normally I am so immersed in my inner landscape when I paint but this time the focus was external and required an unaccustomed discipline. It sat docile on my notebook while I peered at it with close fascination. I nudged it ever so gently with my pencil to line it up straight and it pulled its legs in, so that's how I drew it, exactly as I saw it. It was a very moving experience to observe it so close at the end of its life. I was continually startled by its beauty, discovering every tiny part for the first time. I don't think I had ever had such a close examination of a bee before, never fully took one in as more than a concept of "bee" in the general, this was the first time this marvelous insect became "bee" in the particular.

Pinkie

A new print is available in my Etsy store.
Ms. Pinkie here began her life as a handpainted purse (which I may get around to listing in the store eventually) and with a little digital magic she began her new life as a print, ready to bring her odd charm to walls around the world.

Follow The Leader

I just finished this painting yesterday. It's titled Follow The Leader. I think I'll hold on to the original for my solo show in October but prints are available in my Etsy shop, StudioSpiral.etsy.com.

Crish pendant

Here is the latest result of my collaboration with the Esty shop CharmdImSur. This image was from my original painting titled Crish, a half crow half fish toy, made into a whimsical handmade pendant. Available for purchase at CharmdImSur.etsy.com

Wear It!

I am quite excited about a new collaboration with the talented jewelry maker Jean Van Brederode of the Etsy shop CharmdImSur. She is working her crafty magic to turn several of my paintings into pendants. Two designs, Winged Mermaid and Threshold Of Discernment, are available now with more on the way. Stop by the CharmdImSur shop at Etsy to buy one.

In The Daily Ditty

A big thank you to Liz at http://www.wickedlychic.com/ for featuring Sheeple in the Daily Ditty section. This a great site for all things cool, indie and unique including an entier section devoted to Etsy shops.

I was double tagged

I was tagged an embarrasingly long time ago by both CC's Whimsy's and Morninglori and I am finally getting around to posting the 7 things about me.

1. I am quite hermitish.
2. I don't own any plain socks, they are all either crazy stripes or loud argyle.
3. I used to live on an island.
4. I'm nocturnal.
5. I am alergic to my favorite flower.
6. I really enjoy big thunderstorms.
7. Sometimes I dream about things before they happen.

I'm going to be a party spoiler and not tag 7 people, blame it on my hermit nature.

Innocence

Another tiny block, this time done in graphite with a bit of acrylic. I have been turning to my pencils more these days to create, and I have been experimenting with adding color to the drawings. My goal is to achieve the effect of hand tinted black and white photos, but for now I am just enjoying playing around.

I just listed Innocence in my shop at studiospiral.etsy.com

Miss Thing

This sassy little character made her way onto one of the little blocks painted recently. I'll be listing her in my shop, http://www.studiospiral.etsy.com/, this week.

New Work At Long Last

I recently completed several new paintings, little studies done on tiny wood blocks. Many of these figures will be making an appearance in larger works in the near future.

I really enjoy this small format, it is like creating mini artifacts from another time and place. This one is titled Dreamer. All of the blocks with rounded corners measure approx. 1 3/4' x 2" and are just shy of 1" thick.

I just listed her in my shop www.studiospiral.etsy.com

Artist Grants Art Grants

I came across this odd website http://web.mac.com/serviceworks/iWeb/Site/Service-Works.html today. It is a unusual foundation run by a man named Josh Greene. The basic gist of the site is that he funds art projects, the amount is determined by how much he earns in one night as a waiter. The site archives the projects which have been funded as well as a little write up on the night at work which generated the grant funds. Mr. Greene's project truly fascinates me, I consider the whole thing to be a work of art in its own right.

Sketching It Out

I have far more ideas than I have time to paint, such an unfortunate ratio. I have been toting around my sketchbook though, fleshing out ideas till they can splash around in the paint. This is a quick sketch for my next painting Follow The Leader.

My Museum

A tiny art filled package arrived yesterday, a painting from the very talented Tara Ross. The painting, Mon Chapeau, is a fantastic piece of whimsy. The boxy 4"x4" canvas stands on its own, I have it perched on top of my computer where I can see it as I work.

Tara's paintings and art quilts are fantastic, full of vivid colors and quirky imagery. Go see her work at http://www.tararossstudios.com , read her blog at http://www.tararossstudios.blogspot.com and purchase one of her creations at http://www.tarasartcamp.etsy.com .

Playing with blocks

I raided my children's toy box the other day searching for wooden blocks. They are perfect for miniature paintings. I think I have exhausted the supply of the chunky little ones with rounded corners, though one may turn up under the sofa someday.

I prepped and painted two, they are odd surreal little creatures with a vintage circus feel to them. She Bee has already flown to a new home, Rolie Polie is perched on top of my computer. I'm rather fond of her, but I'll list her in the Etsy shop soon.

A Major Renovation

My cozy little home on the web was looking a bit, well, pathetic. I have spent three days busily re-doing it, and at least for the time being I am rather pleased with the results.
I don't have any fancy software, I'm not a seasoned professional web designer, so I imagine what I want then work out creative ways to make it happen. Challenging, frustrating, tedious, but ultimately satisfying.
Check out the renovations at http://www.suzettemorgan.com/

The mad scientist's notes

I did two new paintings today, I was playing with the idea of painting odd subjects based on the imaginary notes of a mad scientist who is also a part-time toy maker. I listed one for sale "Crish", which is part crow and part fish on wheels. The other one is a tortiose and hare combination that I will be giving to my daughter as a birthday present.

Birth Of Mirth

For someone who considers gray and brown a wild and bright addition to her black wardrobe, I'm wondering where all this pink is coming from in my art lately. And stranger still...I really like it, though I really don't think this cotton candy color will be making its way into my clothing choices any time soon. Well, maybe some pink stripey socks...

My newest painting "Birth Of Mirth" is available as a print (minus the watermark of course) in my Esty store for which there is a handy dandy link to the right of this post.

A new direction

My paintings seem to want to go in a new direction lately. Brighter, lighter, more ...fun?

My inner landscape comes through the paintbrush, and I find that the paintings are maps of what lies just beyond the horizon in my life, a beacon of sorts, leading (and sometimes nudging me) along life's path. After obsessively painting locks and keys and brooding figures for a long time, it's a bit refreshing to burst into something new. Does this mean I will be pulling myself together at long last?