And yet more tidbits from the San Francisco trip...

So I haven't yet mentioned a cool surprise from the trip to SF... one of the best parts - that is, aside from getting to see my old studiomates, getting to spend some quality time with Sadie and meeting Nowell, seeing my in-laws, catching up with Jennifer, and generally touching base with the ole Bay Area - was accidentally stumbling upon a thoroughly grade A+, awesome, new, little, excellent, fantastic fabric store. Whooo!!! I was planning to sniff around for some more fabric for future installments in the "fabrication" series while I was out on the West Coast... I just didn't expect that I would happen upon the exact perfect place just wandering from my studio over to meet a friend in the Mission. But that's exactly what happened: I was shuffling down 18th Street on Friday afternoon and happened upon Whiz Bang Fabrics, a physically small but amply and carefully stocked repository of awesome fabric product. They had EXACTLY the type of fabric I was looking for - interesting, vibrant prints, primarily 100% cotton. Plus the owner is really nice and her mother and her intern too (yes, I was there 3 different times in my short trip) so I highly recommend you pay them a visit if you are even remotely interested in fabrics and other fabric-related crafts and you plan to be in the SF Bay Area anytime soon. You will be overwhelmed by their awesomeness.

Fortunately, the fabrics I purchased also passed the stringent quality standards maintained by our cats (upheld via extensive sniff tests and vigorous rubbing). Behold:

Above: Libby tests the fabrics for chin supportability. Below: Emmy rubs her entire body against the stack of fabrics, ensuring maximum cat hair dispersion.I love those guys. And my new fabric.

More Open Studios recap.

So 1890 Bryant Studio #212 is still a groovy place, with groovy people. Here's a view of me with my paintings, which Tessa was kind enough to let me hang in her studio... this particular space used to be mine (the long studio space is divided into 4 semi-separated workspaces and a storage area, currently shared by 4 artists) and I miss it. Sniff.Though sales were minimal, the reception to this particular series seemed to be relatively positive, although most people seemed to think it was a significant departure from my previous work. For me, of course, I don't see it - maybe because I know that everything I come up with is coming from the same brain, it naturally all makes sense to me. Hmm. Anyway, it left me wishing that I had planned ahead enough to type a little explanation of where this "fabrication" series came from. Its genesis and all that. Naturally lots of credit for the fabric idea goes to Juliette, with whom I did an artistic exchange in the past couple of years; she paints on antique sheets and other linens, though usually those without a pattern. Anyway, that's what gave me the idea initially... I'll elaborate on the full development of the idea soon, when I have more time... in the meantime, let's take a look at what my studiomates are up to - here's Michele King and some of her paintings, and some lilies:And here's Tessa with her paintings:

As for the stay in SF as a whole, it was great but short - but not so short that I didn't get some quality time with one of my favorite SF residents:

I ♥ Olio.

Open Studios Recap.

Just back from San Francisco, and participating in Open Studios at my old studio... good ole 1890 Bryant Street Studios. Ahh. I'll have more updates when I've recovered from the redeye flight back to the East Coast - but in the meantime, some photos:

Michael, all wistful and melancholy and such.

Michele, Chris and Tessa, all feisty in the studio.

More soon. Zzzzzzzz.

Open Studios San Francisco 2008

Before I forget to mention it, I'm going to be showing work this weekend, October 17-19, 2008, with my former studiomates out in San Francisco. You can find me and the rest of the gang - Chris Leib, Tessa Merrie, Michele King and Michael Schoenig - at 1890 Bryant Street Studios (Bryant at Mariposa, which is between 17th and 18th Streets), Studio #212. If you're in the San Francisco Bay Area, I hope you'll stop on by to say "hello" – here are the dates and info:

Open Studios Fall 2008 - 1890 Bryant Street Studios
(Mariposa & Bryant Streets, San Francisco - btw 17th & 18th)

    Come on up to Studio #212 on the following dates:
    Opening Reception: Friday, October 17, 7-10pm
    Saturday and Sunday, October 18-19, 11am-6pm

Here's a pic of the studio from a couple of years ago, when I was still there (sniff):

In a muddle over mediums. (media?)

I'm not sure if other artists go through this, but I find that I occasionally battle with myself back and forth over whether it is better to work with the highest quality painting mediums, paints and supports possible, or if I should be creative enough, improvisational enough, free enough (whatever you want to call it) to just pick up any objects or mediums, supports etc., and be able to create something brilliant out of it. Does anyone know what I mean here? Anyone?

Anyway, when I'm not thinking about those issues, I'm just going ahead and painting, these days on printed fabric:

ladies, your prince has arrived oil on printed fabric 12"x12" 2008, by me, Diane Feissel

Excitement.

Okay - this one goes out to Sadie:

some of us crave excitement, oil on printed fabric, 10"x10", 2008, by me, Diane Feissel.

flick.

Okay, I finally opened up a "flickr" account, here's the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dianefeissel/. So far I'm mostly uploading pics of recent paintings or paintings-in-progress and so forth... here's a sneak preview, below, of a piece from the series on fabric I've been working on:

chewing the scenery, oil on printed fabric, 12"x10", 2008.

I've also uploaded some new paintings from this series on my website, at this link.

Dropping in.

Hi, I'm back. Dropped out of sight for a while there, at least according to this blog. What have I been up to? Namely, painting - especially portrait commissions, trying to catch up on that front. Other activities of late include getting mowed down by lousy Raleigh drivers, weaning myself off a bad peanut M&M habit, working on my latest series of paintings (entitled "fabrication" - you can see some examples here), weeping over the sad state of the country, visiting Triangle area farms, reading Judy Blume books in French, and taking plenty of naps with Emmy. Oh, and having twelve thousand headaches from the frequent low-pressure systems here in Raleigh. It's hurricane season, apparently.

Anyhoo, now that it's already time for First Friday in Raleigh for October, here's a painting I had showing for the month of September... and yes, in the future I solemnly vow to be 110% less lazy about posting here.

painting (dammit, I forget the title I gave it), 2008, oil on canvas, 20"x16", by me, Diane Feissel.