White Oak Studio

7-18-08 County Woman Publishing Date Set

DJ — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:08:22 +0200

I received a telephone call from Country Woman editor, Ann Kaiser, earlier this week. She had a few last minute questions for me and promised to e-mail the draft of her upcoming "Country Work Day" where she worked along with me in the art studio.

I got to read the copy, making a few minor suggestions, and best of all I got to relive the fun of those two days when Ann was here last September. Being a former newspaper writer myself, I found myself wanting to make more changes than suggestions. For examples, changing chocolate retreiver to chocolate Labrador Retriever and the like. But I kept myself under control. Ann is a consumate professional and so what, if the readers do not realize that Spirit is a Labrador retriver. It really isn't all that important.

What is important is national exposure for my artwork and three pages of color photographs and a sweetly written story!

Watch for the October/November issue of County Woman magaine and the Garden-Grown Paper: Ann Goes for "Green" Papermaking with Michigan artist.

7-1-08 Hanging the Show

DJ — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:51:25 +0200

Hanging an art show can be a challenge even under the best of situations. Under the worst...it is a nightmare.

Because I have been hanging my own artwork, and the work of others in a gallery setting for more than fifteen years, I have a fairly highly developed sense of what is needed. In this case, I visited the library hall beforehand to see how work is hung there, spoke to the person in charge and made my plans.

When I arrived no one could locate the hooks and wires they promised me. So the decision to use our fishline was made (luckily I had brought it just in case.) Then after more than two hours of trying to hang artwork that kept falling off onto the floor, I discovered that I was expected to hang my precious work from the metal grids of an acoustical ceiling - an impossible task! And, worse yet, no one at the library bothered to inform me of this small issue.

Six hours and a crooked line of art later, we gave up and went with "the best we could do." (Personally I prefer my artwork to all be X inches down from the ceiling and hanging in a nice tidy and straight line - like a professional gallery show.

The moral of the story here....ask how they hang their work and check, double check and triple check.

Lesson learned the hard way.

6-22-08 Kalamazoo Gazette

DJ — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:07:26 +0200

Now that my public art gallery has closed I have been working hard to get publicity of a different kind. One never knows what might come of such exposure.

The regional newspaper, The Kalamazoo Gazette, is coming to my home to interview me and photograph my home ("filled with art and antiques") on August 6. Even though the focus of the piece is not directly about my artwork, I figured any publicity is free publicity. This also gives me a chance to "post" on my chat sites and to get my name out in front of the newspaper reading public.

2008 Promo Plans:
1) Solo Exhibition - South Haven Memorial Library, July 1-31, 2008
2) Feature article Kalamazoo Gazette (regional daily newspaper)
3) Feature Article Country Woman (national magazine)

I have also been given the opportunity to speak to the members of South Haven Scott Club but have not yet set a date as I have focused, instead, on promoting my exhibition.

6-20-08 "Uprooted" Exhibition

DJ — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:26:09 +0200

I've been off-line for a number of reasons; computer problems, modem loss, husbands surgery, our "Spring Rush" and my art exhibition prep work. Hopefully I can now get back on task once again.

My media release has been written and distributed and I am waiting to see if any article or relases will appear in the papers. Eveything is physically set for the exhibtion; the work is made, the inventory/price list is complete, the artist statement is written and the date for delivery is agreed upon.

The wheels are in motion.....

4/12/08 Gas Impacting Consignment

DJ — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:22:33 +0200

Yesterday I spent the entire day separating artwork to go to galleries for the 2008 season. Each outlet gets a detailed computer inventory for tracking purposes.

Pile 1: Are items to go to Khenemu Gallery, Fennville
Pile 2: Are items to go to Local Color Gallery, Lakeside, Michigan (Harbor Country)
Pile 3: Are items to save out for my solo showing In July at the South Haven Public Library

It took a half of a tank of gas, or more than $25.00 worth of gas to deliver artwork to this gallery located in a resort community about an hour and a half drive from my home. I worry about how much longer I am going to be able to continue to consign with the cost of gas?

4/11/08 Local Color Gallery

DJ — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:16:21 +0200

Yesterday I delivered a load of artwork to Local Color Gallery in Lakeside, MI. www.harborcountry.com

My work had been there for over a year and I felt it was important to swop out for some new pieces as we approach the 2008 season. I was please to find that I had sold another canvas, this time a piece called "Ancient Ferns." It was actually a dyptic of white on white paper (with black flecks of Oregon seaweed and kale in it) highlighted with large, unusual ferns on it from the Tallgrass Marsh. It was very exciting to be handed a nice size check today!

She took one large pieces and two of the narrow vertical canvas's as the gallery is tight on space with over 90 consiging artists and the upcoming "Art Attack," scheduled for early May.

This means I have sold two large canvas's, a small framed collage and several smaller pieces at this gallery during the past year. Not too bad for the current poor MI economy! (I suspect these are being sold to individuals from IL who find our modest prices, quite affordable.)

Whoever the buyer, I am grateful!

3/11/08 Cast Paper Bowls & Vessels

DJ — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:25:23 +0100

Today I browsed the Internet to see who was making cast paper bowls and vessels. Very interesting artwork out there, and all quite different from mine. Do a search on cast paper bowls and vessels and see for yourself.

I am anxiously awaiting the new photograhs of the cast pieces and very anxious to get them downloaded onto my website. www.whiteoakstudioandgallery.aftosawebsosting.com

3/11/08 Hand Papermakers

DJ — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:33:14 +0100

Being a hand papermaker is a most interesting avocation. Most people I encounter have never heard of this form of art. If the conversation comes around to "What do you do?" I typically answer "I am a visual artist." Most people immdiately think, aha a painter. When I go into detail and tell them I make paper from plants and use that paper to make art, the conversation typicaly takes a decidely curious turn...

A few understand. Some say, you can sell that? And others can't quite conceptualize anyone who does not work for an hourly wage in a career that does not, to them, make logical sense.

I found an interesting article on the Internet this week about the concept of papermaking; historically and its role in the modern world. I recommend that you take a few minutes and read it. Its is enlightening.
www.craftsreport.com/october97/handpapermaking.html -

3/9/08 Work to Photographer

DJ — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:41:04 +0100

Yesterday I drove the newest 3-D cast work to my photographer Rob Soltysiak www.khnemustudio.com. It's always a bit like taking your child to college for the first time and dropping them off. You know that you'll see them again but they will look and smell different when you do.

After the photographs are documented they go next to my newest gallery outlet, Khnemu Studio. Then the images will be placed put on my website. (Which by the way got 4 new images yesterday.)

3/8/08 Coastal Plains Marsh

DJ — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:34:01 +0100

Today I spoke to Biologist, Joe Lurg. he is the specialist at the State Game Area who is currently conducting the plan for the Karner Blue Butterfly Management Plan. At Joe's suggestion I visited the pertinent MSU website

msue.msu.edu/mnfi to gather additional details on the marsh which will be used for my artist statement, info. sheet and other promotional materials.

I find it very intriguing that the Crooked Lake Marsh is considered a Costal Plains Marsh - a quite rare and unique wetland community. It is called that because of its characteristics of presenting wet in the spring, drying up in the summer and becoming wet again in the fall. According to the Joe Lurg these swings are classic and typical of ths type of habitat. The plants that live there have, over time, adapted to a lot of change in the water table and include a mix of annuals and perennials. The site lists typicaly plants, animals and insects found in this type of habitat.

Itintrugues me that each time I walk to the marsh, it is like I am in a different wetland. Even thought I cannot see the water and can walk clear across the marsh and sit in the grasses, I can feel the wet ground beneath me like a spongy bog. Spirit and I walk there together, often bring a sandwich in my pocket. I sit back and take in the glory of the warm sun and blue sky and Spirit runs, smells and bounds through the tall grasses - just for the pure joy of it. This is, in fact, how I came upon its nickname, "Tall Grass Marsh."

This is a wonderland of beauty, space and quiet. This place of solitude replenishes me.