Super-Villian: The Paper Cutter!

Halloween is my favorite holiday because it's the most creative.  It brings out creativity in many people who may not realize how much they have.  I love making costumes and I love seeing other people's hand-made costumes.

This year my Halloween costume is a super-villian... The Paper Cutter!  It's an inside joke, but if you're reading the blog then you probably get it.  I cut paper... HA!

It only took me a couple of hours yesterday to create this awesome costume.

And my awesome boyfriend, Mat, decided to be PAPER to go along with my costume.  He made his costume and it looks great!  We went to a party and of course the people who don't know my art didn't get mine, but EVERYBODY got Mat's.  He even brought a bunch of markers so that people could write on the paper throughout the night.

We're such dorks and I love it.

Happy Halloween!

Solo Exhibit at Studio b. Getting Closer...

It's just over two months away...  My solo exhibit at Studio b. called "I Cut Paper: Art by Heather Clements."  I am honored to be chosen for a solo exhibit at the beautiful and amazing Studio b.  I have been with Studio b. since the beginning and what better way to celebrate than with a solo show?  The opening and artist talk will be Friday, December 30th so mark your calendars now!!!  Here is the poster:

In anticipation of this show, I will not be posting any more full images of new artwork.  I may post some detail shots as teasers, but I want people to see some completely new works when they come to the opening!

I CAN NOT WAIT for this!  Please share this with others and invite your friends to attend the opening.

Thanks for reading and I hope to see you on December 30th!

Escape - Paper Cut

Here is the latest paper cut art.

*SOLD*
"Escape" by Heather Clements.  11"x14" paper cut.

It is called "Escape" and the frame is 11"x14".  It is in a transparent, floating frame.

This piece depicts a plant in our yard.  It was previously trimmed and manicured to attempt to control its shape into somewhat of a sphere.  We have decided to let the land that is legally our property return to its natural state.  Many of our neighbors may think we are lazy or apathetic as our yard grows tall weeds.  In time, though, the land will grow thick enough with more permanent plants to a more beautiful and natural state.  This piece, to me, represents the earth beginning to make new growth after years of mistreatment.

It represents hope.

Paper Necklaces and Fun with Kids

Last Friday was the opening for 'Figure It Out' at Studio b. The exhibit showcases over 150 drawings from many talented artists. As the instructor for figure drawing classes at Studio b. I was proud to attend the opening. But what to wear? I had the idea to create a paper art necklace and I think it turned out great. There was a model (clothed) and easels set up for people to draw during the opening.  Here is a photo of me drawing, and one of me instructing, per request.

Here is the second necklace I made:

This is my "Oh, I can't believe how beautiful this necklace makes me feel!" shot.  

Cheese-factor intentional.

Once I get the clasping method down I plan on making more of these and having them available for sale at CityArts Cooperative, Studio b. and online at my etsy shop.  I'm excited about the possibilities of wearable art.  I think the paper medium and the subject of nature in the form of jewelry represents the delicacy of the natural world.  

And last but not least, here are some shots from my kids art class at CityArts Cooperative!  This was a 2-week project of paper-mache birds!  The cardboard and paper scraps were recycled, and the paper-mache mix was all natural!  The kids really loved this project!

Kids Art Classes at CityArts Cooperative (in downtown Panama City) are every Tuesday from 4-5:30pm.  $15 each class or sign up for 8 weeks and pay only $100 ($12.50 a class.)  Ages 7-12.

Learning More Art Biz

This professional artist thing isn't exactly the easiest gig.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, I love what I do.  It's just not as simple as many other jobs where you simply do what you're 'supposed' to do.  I have to figure it all out for myself.  Or so I thought.  As professional artist, I am also a business owner.  That means I am not only an artist, but the accountant, the PR manager, the graphic designer, the secretary, and more.  I have been doing pretty well, well enough to make a living.  That, I think, is a huge accomplishment.  But when my wrist was sprained and I wasn't able to make artwork, it gave me a chance to think about the business.  I've just been learning as I go, picking up what works here and there.  I decided it was time to see what other people have learned in more years of experience.  So I picked up a couple of books.  The first one I borrowed was from the 90's and seriously said, "You may want to consider the possibility of owning a computer." and "Did you know that artists can now save images of their art on CD's?"  So while that book did have a lot of valuable information, I needed one that was more up-to-date.  After a lot of research I found the book for me:  "I'd Rather Be In the Studio: The Artist's No Excuse Guide to Self-Promotion."  I'm only halfway through this book and it has already been extremely helpful.  I'm taking tons of notes and already putting certain tips into action.  I have a head-start on a lot of things in these books, but there's always room for improvement.  I'm not trying to get rich (because who needs that?) I'm just trying to get my art to reach more people and places, while making a comfortable living.  So if you're an artist trying to make a living, I highly suggest this book.

A lot has happened this week.  Here are some not-so-weekly examples:

• Mat's parents let us have their beautiful piano in our house!
• That piano got tuned!
• I got a MacBook Pro!  Holy crap, this is long overdue, I've been using an oooooold slooooow PC for tooooo looooong.  It got to the point where a 5 minute task could take an hour and a half, so I finally gave in and got a new computer.
• I met with Colleen Duffley, owner of Studio b. to solidify some details about my solo exhibit that opens there December 30th.  (More info soon to come!)
• The opening for "Figure it Out" at Studio b. is tonight!  It is an exhibit of all figurative works.  I have some work in there along side many talented artists.
• I finished the painting for the next Panama City Visitor's Map.  I can't show you the whole thing, you will have to wait until the map comes out.  I can show you a tiny little detail as a teaser, though!

Thanks for following!