It's good to hang out with smart curators because they know where good painters are. I found myself at the Hungerford building today discovering the work of the collective known as Sweet Meat.

They clearly worked their individual and collective tails off to put together the fantastic experience that is sweet meat. Should you be here in upstate, cold state, seemingly sometingly feeling art-less Ro-cha-cha, I heartily encourage you to get out Friday night to see it because they'll be taking the whole thing down. They'll remove the paintings and the meathooks and the big bulldog and the fireplace and the...

see what I mean? here's your chance:

SWEET MEAT CO. - EXTRAVAGANZA! closing reception
Friday Feb 5, 2010
6-9pm
The Hungerford Bldg.
1115 E. Main St.
Rochester, NY

All the good shows full of collective energy are up and then they're down. On that, see this rad little roadtrip blog Mark made about the show and teaching he co-conspiratated on... I am very proud to have been a party.

And I'm pleased as punch that the artists are making their own shows happen. One sweet meat at a time...

onward and upward!
Rachael

Letters. I've been writing them. Since about December 27th or so, I have been writing a letter a day to an old or new friend. Often filled with random flotsam and jetsom, mundane details, and hopefully at least an ounce of joy, these letters are my whole hearted effort to regain the connections I used to have to magic people all over the country. Also, they keep me out of trouble. And the joy of these letters is that...

they've brought me back to the daily routine of writing something worth reading.

they've reminded me that I have old friends who are experts on the size of lemurs, community heroes in Sackville, New Brunswick, and fantastic people as well as artists.

they've further connected me with new friends who are modern day itinerant artists, people who made me smile every time I went through MARTA when I lived in Atlanta, and just wonderful people I met randomly.

Not to ruin the surprise, but today's Letter of the Day is to this artist. We used to play show and tell at the art library, each of us opening our sketchbooks and smiling at what the other had drawn. Now I suppose a letter can share about the same thing...

take care,
Rachael

hello strangers.

It's been a while since I've written anything here so for anyone listening/looking at this blog, bear with me as I explain that I've been single-minded lately. It's the needle. I have been trying to sew lots of things together for reasons I don't understand myself (getting sick of buying clothes with little style for too much money, feeling that all those years when I was a kid drawing fashion models should turn into something, and probably just the thrill of learning something new.)

See, I'm not a real sewist yet, but maybe I'm getting there.
I have had my sewing machine for about a year. That machine works for me to cut the stress sometimes. And somehow I've become mildly obsessed with sewing.

I now check Burdastyle daily. And now the The Selfish Seamstress. And often Amy Angry Chicken Karol, particularly when she is sewing



After some bazillions of projects in which I tried to figure out fitting, I did recently manage to make something I'm happy with. My Made to Measure skirt (of which I only have crummy pictures) was really just a plain black skirt until I remembered that I had this ribbon.



And a bright yellow zipper.


I slowed down to take my real measurements and tried to sew it better. I wear it even. And when I do, I can measure stuff!

happy making to you and thanks for listening, take care,
Rachael

A few weeks ago, at the Second Storie event, I gleefully traded a very lovely sketchbook by concepcioun for a paperdoll. I felt pretty confident I can/could/will fill it with private stuff (i.e. no opening the covers for others)

But first I had to finish my existing and very public sketchbook. So I crammed it with self-portraits and doodles like these.

And speaking of drawing in public, we will sketchcrawl in the new year folks, it will be good for filling books and starting 2010 off right. Right? right.

Draw your way into 2010, join us for a
Rochester Sketchcrawl!*
We’ll meet January 2 at 10 am at the Lamberton Conservatory in Highland Park.
They’re at 171 Reservoir Ave, Rochester NY, 14620. Entrance to the Conservatory costs $2 but the Sketchcrawl doesn’t cost a dime – just bring your own drawing materials and come ready to draw and have fun.
For questions, contact Genine at g9@rochester.rr.com or leave comments below...
*Sketchcrawling is essentially drawing in public. We gather in one place to draw and sketch. No instruction and not a lot of rules, open to anyone…See Enrico's awesome www.sketchcrawl.com to learn more about why it’s fun to draw with strangers…


And also, I love Doodler's Anonymous, and also I have to go draw...

Rachael

Courageous painters make the work they have to make. It is not always easy to look at and not always easy to find. This month, my city has two places to see good work. I see it as a little personal mission to let you know when I am pulled in, and back to artwork that needs to be seen. On little walls AND big walls.

That said, some disclosure is in order because the small one-woman show downtown, The Birds, is the work of Paloma Ayala, and I've had the pleasure of knowing her for a few years. And the big show, Paint Made Flesh, is at the Memorial Art Gallery and I work there. I didn't do anything really to bring the show here but I also am far from objective.




Paloma draws disturbing things for very good reasons. Some of them are here. I found myself drawn into the portraits in her bird show, but also baffled and confused and frustrated by them. Are these people in pain? Why are they so inside out, upside down? The drawings reward careful looking in many ways and I was so glad to see them. To be still thinking of them now.
Paloma's show is up until January 6th and it's a part of a larger show considering the idea of Upside Down. Here's tha back of the card with more info.

Paint Made Flesh is a different kind of show, but related in that in this group show, the curator chose 34 works by I think 32 artists. All of the work is post WW2, big name painters dealing with issues around the human body. I try to get in to see it often. Mostly, especially, particularly, to see this painting by Joan Brown.



Joan Brown, Girl in Chair, 1962 American, Oil on canvas, 60 in. x 48 in. (152.4 cm x 121.92 cm) Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Ginter, EX2009.GG4.11

See that painting lives in Los Angeles, and I live in Rochester, NY. And it could be that I would never see it. The thick paint, vibrant color, smart decisions. The way that woman SHOULD fall out of her chair- but she doesn't. Every painter/drawer I know who has seen this show, has a favorite and has picked up some ideas.

Marie Via, the curator, was on tv about the show here. And the review in City Paper was smart and funny.
Paint Made Flesh is on view until January 3. And if you come to the MAG next Saturday, you can join us for a fun Creative Workshop Open House, even.

take care,
Rachael