Blog / Vlog / Video Log Thingy / New Big Painting!

Who needs to type when you can just make a video?  Obviously not me.  Not this time, anyway.  Since my art is kind of a visual thing, I thought creating a video blog made some sense.  Here it is, and be sure to click to watch it in HD full screen so you can see all those details that took me so long to paint!

And here are some images of the painting.  They're not great because I impatiently photographed it when it was still wet, but oh well.  You can see more detail in the video.

Oh, and her name is "Unity."

"Unity" oil on canvas, 24"x48", 2015 by Heather Clements.

"Unity" (detail) by Heather Clements.

"Unity" (detail) by Heather Clements.

As I said in the video, I'd love to hear comments on this painting!  Comment on technique, concept, emotional response, gut reaction, or anything else!

Thanks so much for visiting my blog/site!

-Heather

The Dream Studio... Complete!

It's FINISHED!!!!  MY DREAM STUDIO IS COMPLETE.  ((Okay, it's almost finished.  All it needs is a door latch and the corner of the table rounded so I don't impale myself one day.))  But it is complete enough for me to be more than satisfied, more than happy, just ECSTATIC.  Let us revel in the beauty and glory that is my dream studio:

On the right you will see one of the newest additions: a table with a storage shelf.

And here is the other new addition on the left, a large shelf for large vertical storage of large art and supplies.

Let me remind you how this space looked when we first moved in:

 And here is the exact same corner of the room now:

If you have been following the blog for a while, you'll know that we have been slowly working on making this into the dream studio for over a year now.  My amazing soon-to-be-unoffical-husband Mat, and his father Xelle have helped soooo much.  I also would not have been able to afford this awesome face-lift had it not been for all of you out there who have supported my endeavors via buying art, commissioning art, taking classes, and helping me promote.  So if any of that applies to you, THANK YOU!!!  I walked the fine financial balance of "how can I make this as cheap as possible while still keeping it good quality?"  And just over $1,100 later, I think I did a pretty good job, considering all of the following renovations:

• installed roof insulation
• put in ceiling
• installed track lighting
• flat file added
• floor raised and leveled
• painted ceiling

• added insulation and paneled walls
• added floor, ceiling, corner, door, and window trim
• painted walls, doors, and all trim
• bought art supply storage cabinet (just $60 at Goodwill!)
• vinyl flooring put down
• added outlet for air conditioning unit
• built shelves for verticle storage (canvases, paintings, etc.)
• built table/counter with shelf storage
• painted shelving and table/counter
• bought area rug (hand-made from factory scraps and super cheap)

Phew!  All of that took up a lot of weekends with Mat and Xelle, and at least 15 full days of me working on my own.

I can't believe how fortunate I am to be able to live off of my passion, and now in such a warm and beautiful environment.  Fortunate, but with lots of hard work and help.  I couldn't be happier.

So if you would like to visit the studio, see lots of art (I have more stored that you cannot see in the photos,) and maybe talk art, please let me know.  Hit that 'Contact Me' tab at the top of the blog.

Inspiration Source #7: "Planet Earth" and "Life."  Each series is by the Discovery Channel and the BBC.  Many of you who may read my green tips may think "Jeez, what's so great about other life on this planet that I should do anything to help preserve it?"  Well, watch "Planet Earth" and "Life" and I guarantee it will all make much more sense.  Every episode of these is phenomenally breath-taking and awe-inspiring.  I can't express the amazement you will experience at all of the completely unique and fascinating landscapes and creatures on our very own planet.  If I could only own two DVDs (or DVD sets) they would be these.  They still give me chills and I could watch them over and over.

When you do buy or rent these, definitely get the versions narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Thank you for your visit!

-Heather

New Studio Floors! and "Clothing Optional" Exhibit

Let me tell you a little story.  It all began in May 2011 when we bought a house that had an outdoor shed that was to become my studio.  At the time I was thrilled.  I still am thrilled, but with how far my studio has come, I look back at this first photo of this place (a shed then, a studio now) and I hear a hitchcockian woman screaming.

Yikes.  

Ick.

It had no ceiling, no interior walls, no insulation, a crappy beat-up deformed floor, and rats (or mice, I never saw one, only their droppings.)  Now, thanks to my art business doing well enough to pay for it all, and of course, Mat and Xelle for SO much help, it looks like this:

The most recent addition was the flooring, which I put in myself this week.  It was the second attempt at flooring, the first attempt being cheap laminate that wasn't square, therefore would not lock together and stay down.  After a lot of effort, raw knees and hands, money, and trips to Lowe's and Home Depot later, I am quite happy with my new floors.

Charlie and Frankie are cautious of this new floor:

But not for long.

Why should I blab so much about the finishing of this space?  Because it's the DREAM STUDIO, duh!  It's actually better than any studio I have ever dreamt of.  It is my space to soak in inspiration, and create.  I really do think the studio environment feeds one's creativity, because I have made more quality art here than in any other location.  And to think just a year and a half ago I was attempting to make art in the corner of our bedroom.  That's definitely do-able, but when making art is your full-time job, there comes a time to treat it like one.

All that being said, the studio isn't quite finished yet.  We still need to build a shelf over the flat file for large vertical storage of canvases, paintings, frames, etc, and a table/counter for more surface area to work on, and a bit more storage as well.  But it's so close to being finished I can taste it!  And it tastes like art!

Alright, enough of my love affair with an art studio, here is another of my nude figure paper cuts:

I have now made 19 of these.  NINETEEN!  I had not anticipated that I would make so many, but I have been so inspired by the figure, due to the upcoming "Clothing Optional" exhibit at CityArts Cooperative.  My trip to Europe also strengthened my love of the human figure, after seeing so many beautiful sculptures by Bernini, Michelangelo, and so many others.  The figures are taken from sketches I have done during Figure Drawing Classes at Studio b., and CityArts.  (I still teach Figure Drawing every Thursday at CityArts, 6:30-8:30pm!)  

Here is the poster with info for "Clothing Optional."

I hope to see many of you at the reception!

While I have gotten positive responses to the new green tips and inspiration sources, I decided from now on to just do one or the other for each post.  It will make each post shorter, and allow will myself and the reader (you!) to focus more on each tip.

Green Tip #5: Composting.  Great for the environment, less waste, great for the soil.  Some people have the impression that this is a gross thing to have to do in your home.  On the contrary, now that I compost, I find throwing all your food in with everything else in the trash is gross.  Just get a bucket with a lid that seals well, and throw your food waste in there.  Then, dig a small hole somewhere in your backyard, and dump the food in there, cover with a layer of dirt, and you're done.  Repeat at same spot.  There are fancier ways of doing it, but this way has worked perfectly for us.  After it's in the ground, it doesn't stink.  At all.  Really.  Then you can use the compost in your garden if you so choose.  I don't know about composting meat though, since we don't have meat at our house.  But here are a couple websites with some more in-depth information on the subject:

EPA Environmental Benefits of Composting

Earth911 Benefits of Using Compost

Thanks for visiting!

-Heather

'Heather, Heather, Heather' Show and a SALE!

Coming soon:

That's right, there are THREE artists named Heather who are directors at CityArts Cooperative.  So OF COURSE we had to have a show.  Yes, the title is annoying to say and type, and yes, we have heard way too many Heather jokes, and yes, it is totally worth it!  I am honored to show with two lovely ladies, Heather Parker and Heather Hay.  

We have a lot of annoying FUN ideas in the mix for the receptions:

• All Heathers in the area invited!  All Heathers get cupcakes (maybe we're namists...)
• We will do a group photo of a field of Heather
• We will leave out a board for you to get those Heather jokes out of your system
• We will be showing the movie "Heathers" (which also has 3 Heathers!)
• I will be playing musical saw (which has little do to with playing off the name, but it's still fun!)
• We may have a collaborative piece that the three of us will work on during the length of the exhibit (and any other Heather is welcome to contribute!)

So I hope to see many of you at one of the receptions!

In other news, Studio b. is in the process of moving to Watersound!  Today I picked up all of my art for the transitional period and now due to my art coming down from a few other locations... I HAVE TOO MUCH ART IN MY STUDIO!  (Blasphemy!)  But it's true, it is difficult to store it all.  So because of this I am offering 20% OFF all non-paper-cut art from my studio for 2 weeks! 

Contact me if you are interested in any art in particular, or if you would like to visit the studio to browse.

My Studio Is Now Flat and Dry!

My studio is now one big step closer to completion.  If you have been following the blog for a while, you know I have been working on making this studio final.  You may have seen when we put in a ceiling with insulation.  My boyfriend/life partner, Mat, and his Dad, Xelle, helped with the ceiling, and yesterday helped me level the studio. 

We needed to raise and level the studio for two reasons.

Reason #1: The floor inside peaked so much, adding walls in the future would be too difficult.

As you will see in my amazingly complicated illustration below, the floor on the inside was wonky, to say the least.  It peaked in the center so much that if you put a marble on it it would rush to the side wall in quite a hurry.  We compared it to a skate ramp, hence the skateboard in the illustration.  I didn't mind this wonkiness too much, but it would make it very difficult to put walls in, so something had to be done.

Reason #2: The pitch of the porch.

As you will see in amazing and complicated illustration number 2, the pitch of the porch slid toward the studio, so rain water ran toward it.  This not only kept me from having a lovely welcome mat, but also would rot the wood in no time.  Raising the studio shifted the pitch so the water will now run onto the soil.

This was no easy task.  The studio was jacked up many times so that we could add blocks, subtract blocks, over and over playing with a 4' level to make it as good as possible.  Then, we had to cut into my floor to adjust the blocks under the center.  It took all day so thank you SO MUCH to Mat and Xelle for all the hard work!

Project Perfect Studio tasks accomplished so far:

• roof insulation
• ceiling
• track lighting
• painted studio floor
• flat file added
• shelves adjusted for vertical large storage (canvases, paintings, etc)
• floor raised and leveled

Project Perfect Studio tasks still do do:

• paint ceiling
• take down all shelving and large 'L' table so we can...
• add insulation and paneled walls
• rebuild shelving and large 'L' table
• paint walls
• paint shelving
• buy or make area rug

Woo!  I'm getting closer!  This building was built just as a storage shed, but we are slowly but surely making it into a beautiful art studio.  I do believe that creating a space that you love and makes you feel comfortable encourages creativity and productivity.  So if I'm already so productive now, just imagine what it will be like when my studio is complete!

Sprained Wrist = No Art!

My dominant wrist is sprained slightly... again.  I've seriously sprained it 3 or 4 times.  I've semi-sprained it another 2 or 3 times.  Why?  I fall a lot.  Apparently only my right hand can stop a fall.  This time I didn't even fall, I just went into downward dog yoga pose a little too enthusiastically.  My wrist is very weak from the multiple sprains so it really doesn't take much for it to get hurt again.  Which is obviously very annoying for an artist.  I sure can't make cut paper with a hurt wrist.

I am in the middle of a piece of art I started last week but it may be a while before I can work on it again.  So I have no new art to post.  But the blog must go on!  So here is a semi-pointless video of my studio!

 

I hope you enjoyed that!  (Maybe even just a tiny bit?)  Thanks for reading/looking/and now watching!

The Leaves of the Trees - Papercut

I am still playing and experimenting with this new medium.  On this piece I painted the paper with watercolor.  It's called, "The Leaves of the Trees."

*SOLD*
"The Leaves of the Trees" by Heather Clements.  8"x10" paper cut.

I've realized these papercuts are much smaller than they appear in photos.  This one and the last one are 9"x7".

In other news, I am scheduled to have a solo exhibit at Studio b at the end of December.  I am so excited about having a solo show at such an amazing and beautiful gallery!  30A sees a huge rush of people between Christmas and New Years which is why Colleen Duffley, the owner, wanted to have my show open during that week.  I'm going to work extra hard to create as much new work for this show as possible.  I will give more details sooner to the opening.

In other other news, I got a flat file!  Thanks Mom and Dad!  (for the birthday money that bought the flat file) Now my drawings can sigh in relief for they are no longer shoved in cardboard folders standing up allowing paper to sag, curve, crinkle, or worse yet, fold.  Now all of my unframed drawings, silkscreen prints, linoleum prints, and blank papers can be safe and FLAT!  Is it dorky to get so excited over something like this?  Perhaps, but who cares.  I'm ALSO excited about removing the middle shelf so that I could have vertical storage for my paintings, framed drawings, blank canvases, and more.  Studio geek-out!

Thanks everyone, have an awesome day!

A Ceiling! For My Studio

Well I had another busy weekend with hardly a moment to relax.  I worked all day Saturday, Sunday and Monday (I usually only work Tuesday through Friday since I teach classes most evenings it's about full time in 4 days... plus sometimes I end up working weekend days.)  Saturday and Monday was spent with Mat and his dad, Xelle, putting a ceiling in my studio!  This was desperately needed for two reasons: heat and poo.  We've been in such a heat wave that the AC window unit in the studio was pretty much useless.  It was like trying to air condition a tent.  It was HOT in here.  If I had work I could bring in the house, I did to get out of the unbearable heat.  I really needed insulation in the ceiling which is apparently where 70 - 80% of the cool air escapes.  And the second reason.... poo.  There were rats in the ceiling.  I never saw any, but when we moved in we had to vacuum up plenty of poo.  And as time went on I would notice little pellets of poo that had dropped on my tables and stuff.  Of course I couldn't just poison the poor little guys trying to make a living, just like me, so I just waited until we put a ceiling up.  Now I shouldn't have to worry about heat or poo!  Thanks Mat and Xelle!!!!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I will be painting the ceiling white at some point hopefully in the near future.

Here is Xelle working on the electric stuff for my track lighting.

 That's right... I said TRACK LIGHTING!

Walls will happen eventually, too, but I can't work Mat and Xelle too hard too often.

So what did I do Sunday?  Ugh I worked in Destin doing portraits.  Well, trying to anyway.  I have been watching a kiosk for Deano, a great characature artist, several times over the past few months.  I have been setting up to do "normal" portraits to try to make some money.  Many people come up, wanting a characature and I tell them, "Well, I'm a guest artist and I do a more realistic portrait."  I show them a couple examples most just make a face and then say, "Oh... I wanted the funny one" and then walk off.  Yesterday I worked a 9 hour shift, and drove an hour and a half there and an hour and a half back.  I hardly made any money and wasted an entire Sunday.  Boo!

Here is one of the few portraits I drew that day:

Welcome to My New Studio

That's right, folks.  I now have a FOR REALS studio.  No more working in the tiny corner of the bedroom with my art and supplies stored all over the house and shed.  A real life studio... How do you ask?  WE BOUGHT A HOUSE.  How the Hell do an artist and a coffee roaster afford to do THAT, you ask?  Because my parents are AWESOME and they helped us out with the down payment.  And this perfect little house just so happened to have a perfect separate building in the back yard just perfect for an art studio.


Welcome to my studio...

But beware... For it is guarded by a fierce cat and dog team.

Some time soon we will be finishing the studio: insulated the walls and ceiling, adding paneling, painting said walls and ceiling, and painting the floor.



So the move is partially why I haven't blogged in a couple weeks.  The other reason is I have been working on a commission but I can't share the progress because it's a secret... Sshh...  But it won't always be so I will share once I can.

And oh yeah!  Here is my final for silkscreen class that I spent forever on, made a silly little mistake, and didn't turn out very well...

And here is the progress on the PC painting...

Well, I really shouldn't be blogging right now because I have a LOT of work to do on the secret commission, so off I go!