scenes from my art studio, November 14th

I have had a renewed determination lately to get as much work done as humanly possible. It all started with an amazing and inspiring talk at the Garrison Art Center by artist Judy Pfaff (who I'll write more on later as she is my absolute new favorite artist). It also coincided with what I thought would be an open studio event at my studio building last week, which by the way, didn't even know had a name: "KUBE". Although it turned out to be free chips and red wine for someone else's opening, I ended up with an organized and raring to go studio space, which is always a much needed good thing.

here's my space last week just about ready for company

This morning I started my day looking around and thinking,
"I don't know what the hell I'm doing but I sure am doing a hell of a lot of it".

studio view this morning November 14th, 2014

sculpture pieces

It's been an interesting week. Monday I met my studio neighbor for the first time and another painter down the hall. Tuesday I brought my daughter to work with me. Wednesday I went and bought some new painting tools to play with and a space heater to keep me from freezing. Guess whose landlord decided to turn the heat on as soon as I plugged it in?

space heater

painting tools

my new favorite toy

Thursday I ended up cleaning all my brushes before I went home. I also may have had a great moment of clarity (which doesn't happen often by the way), so much that I changed my plans for Friday so I could spend another day working.

dirty paint brushes

I now have 6 paintings I am working on simultaneously, the source of which is all the same two globs I've had tacked to my wall for years.

meet my muse: the mark on the right and his dialogue

After all of this and due to all of it, the end of the day, and week, appeared much more promising than the start of it.

the two pieces I worked on today

this one might actually be finished

this one definitely isn't

braided sculpture

here's some braided sculpture from this past week. part of a series of knots, balls, and chains all in progress and made with spray foam. stay tuned to see where this is going...

all images copyrighted by Samantha Palmeri 2014

art studio activity

this was my studio at 10 am this morning. lots of activity going on. all very new works in progress.

studio view

this series of small paintings each measure 16X20"

remember those drawings I did of the ocean?!

oil paintings 

I'm still having fun with my spray foam and have been going back and forth between the painting and the sculpture. new this week are the braids.

braided sculpture 

I'm also trying out different metallic paints on them. it just occurred to me this is my spray foam ball and chain!

oil paint and metallic pigment

and here's the studio at the end of the day. a little cleaner and with three new canvases on the left just barely started.

studio view

new works from the studio...

I got a new camera this week and am 

so happy to share some pictures of studio life here in 

Beacon New York -

it's so cool I am able to walk to my studio from home

kinda weird though that it still smells like an old high school

lots of activity going on right now

and still a few boxes that need to be unpacked-

finally put these brushes to good use for the first time in too long

and I can FINALLY see all my supplies all together

here's some of the work which right now is neither here nor there

made with spray foam and mixed materials. this one has some laundry meat stuck in there

I've been checking out a lot of John Chamberlain lately thanks to Dia: Beacon

these could be models for something bigger

or just meaningless balls of spray foam!

here's some experiments with braided spray foam

fun to make but tough to work with

the first time I did it I couldn't get the sticky off my hands for two days

taking the gloves off to get a better grip is a very very bad idea

here's a group of canvases with spray foam slathered on

hard to see the true texture from the photos

better in this one

there's about 9 of these but I don't really know what to do with them yet

and then there's my collages

in between every project, and when all else fails, there's always collages

if I could get what I like about these on a canvas I'd be very happy

they're very thick because most of the cut out papers are heavy watercolor

they're fun to make almost like working on a puzzle

So there it is, pretty much everything I've been working on lately.
There are also some canvases that I started but not picture worthy yet,
and much more to come... see you soon

How do artists adjust to instability and changing environments?

Sometimes life takes over and the studio gets a little dusty for a while-

well, here is some 'life' for my blog about art and life:

All signs are pointing towards us finally selling our house. It certainly isn't a done deal yet as we've been at this point before, but we're hoping for the best, me and the family...

With that said, I just came across a blog about how to stay creative on the go. Interestingly it had really nothing to do with creativity at all and more to do with what to pack in your backpack, but it got me thinking: how will I manage to keep my work going through the next few months?

How do artists adjust to instability 

and changing environments?

aforementioned backpack

I've always wanted to be one of those artists who walked around with a bag full of art supplies ready to go. You know, like a photographer with their camera, only with pencils and paper and paint and brushes that I could whip out on the fly. Inspiration could hit at any moment and I'd be like wow, look at that amazing tree or crack in the sidewalk etc. At one point I did assemble a little plastic backpack full of drawing materials just to take around with me. Truth be told, that backpack has taken quite a few trips-
shoved under my painting table, buried in the closet, and flung on the studio floor, still unused.

I just don't think I'm much of an on-the-fly kind of artist. 

It's hard to stay focused on so many things at once. I've been so caught up in this house selling thing I feel like I'm getting the evil eye from my works in progress. The other night I went in the studio just to swish some paint around so I wouldn't feel so guilty, but I don't think it made much of an impression. Although this past year I managed to undertake quite a few diverse projects at once, they were mostly very low key and tidy, and I've only recently been able to get back to my oil paint in all of its glorious untidiness. 

What can I say- this is life. On the one hand I have no deadlines looming, and with that the obvious implications; on the other hand, it is a great luxury to be able to come and go as I please.

At some point I know I will have to wash my oily brushes out. For the moment I will pretend to keep working, at least until I am forced to start packing up the room.

Hopefully I won't bore you with a bunch of moving house photos, before and afters, etc. 

But I am excited to find and make a new studio space, and that I'll keep you posted on!

work in progress, mixed media, approx. 22X26"

work in progress, mixed media, approx. 20X28"

detail of work in progress, foam, acrylic & oil paint