Living Walls!

In one week's time, I am headed to Atlanta to participate in this year's Living Walls: The City Speaks conference!! There aren't enough exclamation points to express how excited and honored I am to be a part of this landmark  project. From the Living Walls website:


In [August}, 28 artists will visually activate our urban landscape in the first all-female street art conference in the world. This year, Living Walls will change the game for street art and Atlanta.


Hear, hear! The lineup of both artists and events this year is phenomenal and I cannot wait to see the magic that happens. In addition to painting a mural, I will be showing work in an exhibition with some of the most talented female artists from around the world, some of whom have been personal inspirations to me over the years. I'm excited to be debuting a live string installation, as well as unveiling some brand new paintings and drawings.


The events this year include film screenings, dance parties, bar hops, a gallery exhibtion, photo projections, live painting/installations, pecha kucha presentations, a bike tour of the finished murals and (my personal fav) a traveling drag show! Production week begins August 8 and official festivities run from August 15-19. You can also follow the conference on Facebook or Twitter and Instagram @LivingWallsATL.

pins + string

I got home yesterday from a month on the road, and in that time my brain has been working away. I finally got back in the studio today to try out a new technique--push pins and string:

spartanburg

a couple weeks ago, i wrapped up a project in spartanburg SC with HUB-BUB, a wonderful non-profit that is trying to do big things for the upstate. they brought me in to paint a mural on the RJ rockers brewery building downtown, next to cribb's kitchen. (if you're in the area i definitely  recommend both.) HUB-BUB also hosted a show of some of my newer paintings and drawings, which is up through july 26 in their exhibition space, the showroom. look for a more in-depth post on this project on the HUB-BUB blog soon!

this was a big undertaking and i want to thank everyone who had a hand in its success. special thanks to: RJ rockers, stephen long, sawyer balance, erin haire, parker reid, cheryl mirer, betsy teter, peter caster, kari jackson, christine klinker cox, maddox, the entire staff of cribb's kitchen (the cribb's boys in particular), a generous anonymous donor, and the spartanburg community. thank you so much hub city!

 

with my two amazing champion painters: sawyer ballance and parker reid, love those suckers

"deviate"

i am working on some new pieces for a show next month (more details soon.) the studio has been a godsend--lots of open space, no distractions except for the birds that fly in through the open windows and can't find their way out.


here's one i finished yesterday:

"deviate," 22 x 30 in.

triangles no. 2

latest installment of things made of triangles, red sharpie on white paper, 38" x 50":

new studio

a couple weeks ago, i was lucky enough to find a building downtown to use for studio space--the former site of jay etkin gallery, my favorite gallery in memphis when i was growing up. the space is really something: a fully finished lower floor and mezzanine with gallery walls and lighting, and two upper stories with open floor plans, high ceilings, and enormous windows. this is my dream workspace!

the neighborhood has a bizarre history (most of memphis does.) martin luther king junior was assassinated across the street in the old lorraine motel that has since been turned into the national civil rights museum. the recipe for southern comfort was patented two blocks away, and down the street is a former brothel which is now home to ernestine and hazel's, one of my favorite bars, and hands-down the best juke box anywhere.

some pictures of the new space--

upstairs:

downstairs:

plant cells

i'm working on drawing up some tattoo designs for a good friend of mine. he wanted something like a plant cell so i drew these based on microscopic cross sections of the honeysuckle plant. i think these versions are too detailed for a tattoo but they gave me a good idea of the structure:

alberto seveso

underwater photographs by italian artist/designer albert seveso:

triangles

in today's installment of "things made of triangles":

from my sketchbook

on scratchboard

camstl workshops

i just got home from my second trip to teach a workshop at the contempory art museum st. louis, where i worked in the education department this fall. i love the museum staff and the programs they foster, usually free to the community. here's an aerial shot of yesterday's totem-making session:

here are some shots of from february's family day program. i lead a workshop making paper heart mobiles: