my studio!

I've finally schlepped the last necessary items to my new studio space.  I spent a good part of yesterday setting things up and doing an inventory of materials.  It's so exciting to have a space that is solely dedicated to making things!  I've begun working on a clutch made from antique fabric and a salvaged metal clasp - hopefully I'll have it finished by tomorrow evening. 

oh puppies

It looks like Oliver is going to have to find another foster home...  Wrestling puppies make too much noise for the top floor of a duplex so if I don't find a new home for one I might get both of the little buggers kicked out.  If anyone in or near the Rochester area can help out please let me know!

Oliver

In other news I've been allowing myself to imagine a life where Allie doesn't get adopted and has to stay with me permanently.  It's a very slippery slope. Yesterday I must have spent at least two hours brainstorming awesome gangster names for her.  Giavani Capone (Gia for short) is my current top pick. 

Giavani Capone?

I even let her chill on the couch now.  I'm dangerously smitten.  Look at that face!  

nursery silhouettes

A while ago some friends asked me to paint silhouettes in their son's nursery.  It took me a while to finish it (I used to be a lot better at self-imposed deadlines...) but I finally got it done and am pretty happy with the outcome!  There is a giraffe reaching for a branch over the changing table and an owl perched over the little man's bed. 

 

 

a bag and a gift

During one of my recent antique excursions I ran across a bunch of old toy letter blocks and I knew exactly who they needed to belong to.  Some friends of mine have a beautiful baby boy and I never got around to finishing his 'welcome to the world' present.  The blocks will have to do.  And it gave me a chance to brush up on my sewing skillz!  I made a simple fold over bag with a button from my mother's collection.  I can't wait to give it to him!

And yes, I did a lead test, he can slobber on them as much as he wants.

now to work.

I finally have a working/sewing area in my apartment!  I found this gorgeous 1960's typewriter table on craigslist.  After three days of struggling to fit it up my narrow staircase I had to completely take the desk apart and then put it back together upstairs.  But it was all worth it!  The desk has some old student graffiti carved into, and even some dates (1961, 1970).  It's beautifully worn and the deep drawers are perfect for stashing all my creating stuff.  And my Elna Supermatic looks quite nice sitting on top.

Work area!

I also checked out the studio space I'm going to be sharing with Pistachio Press and Jim DeLucia.  It's massive!  I'm hoping to start moving my stuff in this week.  The biggest challenge is going to be scheduling in weekly studio time and sticking to it.  I now have this wonderful space and I need to make use of it!

off to a good start.

I think an introductory post is in order. 

Hi.  I'm Jen.  I'm about to turn 23 and am pretty happy with the direction life is taking me.  I graduated last May with a Studio Arts degree and was lucky enough to find myself employed as soon as the ink on my diploma dried.  I absolutely love where I work and get along wonderfully with the people I am surrounded with on a daily basis. 

For the past 5 years I've had a mini dog-sitting business that got going when I tapped into my professors' dog community.  I am a huge animal lover so getting paid to play with someone's dog (cat, snake, rat, ferret, horse, etc) is probably the best job ever.  Getting involved in dog-sitting and watching my friend Rachael Hetzel foster the adorable Dolly has spurred me to start fostering my own dogs.  My favorite breed is the all too misunderstood pit-bull.  My first foster was a beefy 4 year old pit name Chico.  He has recently been adopted by a dog-sitting client of mine and from what I can tell he is super happy and being spoiled rotten!  Most recently I have been put in charge of the most adorable brother/sister duo, Oliver and Allie.  They take up quite a bit of my time but I'm very proud of the progression they've made in their training!  I'm hoping they get adopted by a friends, or maybe friends of friends. 

Allie with her rawhide.

Most recently I've gotten a second job as a secretary/personal assistant at a local gallery and teaching institute.  Yet another job I love and that is full of wonderful people to work with!  Things have strangely been coming together recently.  I've been going through a bit of dead period when it comes to art making.  I basically haven't made crap since my thesis show last May and its been pretty depressing.  But recently I've finally gotten the 'making' bug back and have begun to collect materials.  And just as I'm starting to convert my tiny living room into a studio a good friend of mine calls and asks if I want a space in her beautiful studio.  Hell yes!  And then a couple days later when my sewing machine starts going on the fritz another friend offers to let me borrow an absolutely gorgeous mint condition Elna machine! 

The Rochester artist community continues to amaze me.  Up until a month ago I had completely made up my mind to leave this city and go onto other things... but everything that has been happening is making me think more and more about sticking around for a bit longer and seeing how things progress.  We'll see what happens!

here we go. again.

I believe this is the 5th blog I have tried to create in the past four years or so. Each time I kept them going for a few months or a half year at most and then my interest waned as I regretted my chosen blog name or questioned my reason for blogging in the first place. But this time will be different! I hope.

With my first post I would like to present you with a photo of two adorable 5 month old pit-bull puppies. Their names are Allie and Oliver and they are currently living with me but they need to find a forever home! We think they might have some lab and/or boxer in them. They are the cutest and most loving puppies I've ever met! I'm sure there will be many more picture posts of them in the following weeks.

Oliver and Allie playing it up in the kitchen.

Visit Allie and Olivers' adoption pages!