A week in the life... or the frantic behind the scenes mayhem!

I am thrilled to be teaching at Bead Fest this Spring. In fact - as you read this I am there! I tend to think of myself as the "mixed media girl" as that's when I am happiest - putting materials together! Sure I love clay... but polymer allows me to tap into my painter/collage artist alter egos simultaneously...

Polymer. resin. color. image. text.

I'm teaching a mixed media class - mold making, polymer focal, paint finished, and collage with resin inside. If they look familiar, its because these "Word mojo" pieces debuted here as the COM in January 2014. I hope my students are as happy with them as the team made me...  Getting ready to teach a class is a bit different from prepping for a show. The show prep I do so often, I can go on autopilot. But to be prepared for any and all questions, to anticipate additional materials we might need... samples, hand outs... Last week it was all calm and civilized: email the students, make a few Xerox copies of images, and start the class samples.

Now its crunch time. This is the week OF class. I leave on Wednesday evening. If you are reading this, on Friday, we can assume all is well!

Monday:

• Drink the coffee. 
• Work on your taxes. &^!#%&^!@%#^&@!%
• Shop for miscellaneous materials. Baby Wipes, paper towels, toothbrushes... I forgot the wax paper! 
• Panic because you think you have to prep and teach a bookbinding class tomorrow. (Then you realize after you call the library, that you are teaching that class NEXT week. When you should. be. sane. again.) 
• Finish first stage of class samples. 
• Start to gather the class supplies. 
• Mistaken think its Tuesday already and freak out. 
• Drink more coffee. 

Class samples: cured and waiting.

The start of the supplies. I think we need a bigger boat... I mean chair.

An hour or so of messy creative therapy.

Class samples stage one complete.

Tuesday:

• Drink the coffee
• Finish the samples. 
• Make more piles of supplies. 
• Assemble the student kits for class. 
• Start writing the class handout. 
• Laundry. Because what am I wearing to teach?!
• Drink more coffee
• Get distracted by Facebook
• Run last minute errands to post office and hardware store. 
• Drink more coffee
• Check to see if resin is cured. Get sticky fingers; resist the urge to touch again. 

More piles of stuff.

Make the student kits. note ever present coffee.

Always have a mold - or 5 ready for excess resin.

Wednesday: 

• Drink the coffee
• Take dogs to daycare.
• Fondle cured resin. 
• Pack tools and last minute additional things you decide you should take. 
• Proof and print the handout. 
• Proof and publish this post! 
• Drink the coffee. 
• Drive to Bead Fest. Check in. Set up classroom. 
• Hotel. Collapse. (Hmm - maybe a side trip to Wegmans for dinner...

Thursday: 

• Up early. Mix of nervous and excited. 
• Drink the coffee. Hit the Starbucks. 
• TEACH CLASS
• HAVE FUN
• GET MESSY

Friday: 

• Drink the coffee. 
• Shop for the beads. 
• Shop for gems. 
• Chat with friends. 
• Drink the coffee. 
• Relax. 
• Buy more beads. And gems. 
• Drink more coffee. 
• Go home. Flying is optional but possible due to coffee consumption. 

If you are coming to Bead Fest Spring - I hope you have a marvelous time - I know I will. Its amazing how so many weeks, or action packed days of preparation go into preparing for an event... but the event flies by in a blink. Until later... 

Freeform Friday: Art Camping

Art Camping

Art Camping - thats what I like to call it. There is a tent, you hike your stuff in to your site, set up and hang out in the woods all weekend.

Some people call it Artsfest at Annmarie Gardens. (Seen here is my set up last year - early stages)

This week I was hit by a doozy of a head cold. And I have a show this weekend. I took Monday off and then started tackling the to-do list. Granted most of it got done Thursday - but I thought would share my experience with you...

This post and the whole week brought to you by copious amounts of coffee and "cool" Kleenex...








Since I am a highly skilled procrastinator - I spent what little energy I had early in the week making more stuff. I have new "Mythic Nature" ceramic pendants that hadn't been seen at this show last year, and I wanted to represent them in jewelry. And making jewelry - simple wire wraps is something I can design and create when I am low energy, and drink coffee simultaneously.

The work table on Wednesday. Yes, I am watching "The Chew" on my iPad. Don't judge. 

The guest room looks like a bead store exploded. Well, in some ways that's not far off... I had to switch out the trays of beads, pendants, etc with the trays/inserts of finished jewelry. I don't have enough, you see, so its musical trays.

Then there are the earrings I made in a frenzy a week or so ago. (I love to make earrings - not that you'd know since I never get them posted to the AJE earring challenge...) They have to be carded, labeled and priced.

This is my living room. I know it doesnt look like a huge pile but let me give you a tour: 

• 1 tote ceramic sculptural shrines
• 2 totes ceramic decorative tiles
• 1 tote fabric and packaging material
• the "office" box
• small tote OOAK tiles
• tent walls
• wooden crate of frames and jewelry display items
• 2 IKEA bags: large lucite risers/levels, table risers, pennant flags, cigar boxes/display, banner, bungees, blocks of wood.... 
• Not pictured: tables, tent, chairs, hanging wire/mesh frames

Phew! I am tired just typing all that. I always stage upstairs the day before a show as all that lives in my basement and I have to haul it upstairs! (Clay is heavy.)

Necklaces need chains... 

Necklaces  labels and tags... 

 Needless to say I wont get it all done today (Thursday). As you read this I am traveling to my campsite - I mean the show, three hours away. (The good news is I stay with a friend - keeps costs down, fun and wine will be had by all. ) I will set up the booth Friday afternoon, and finish set up of my work Saturday morning. The site is secure, and it seems so civilized: stroll in with a coffee, naturally! on Saturday morning in your nice show attire, and have the heavy lifting done already. Just remove the Daddy long legs and replace with earrings!

Now - dont get me wrong - I am not complaining. I choose to do this. My previous career as a HS ceramics teacher? Chose that too. I love doing shows and talking with people, and the woods is a stunning setting, especially this time of year. But it is quite a bit of work...

To-go tupperware

I am sure I will be pricing things at my friend's house tomorrow night. I am sure I will be pricing things Saturday during the show. That's fine by me. I like having things to do - in fact I have this little Matroska ready to go... I think working on something/demonstrating is a great conversation starter!

So it Thursday night and I have more to do... let me just show you pix from last year... so you can picture me art camping this weekend! 

 Have a great weekend everyone! 

Jenny 

www.jdaviesreazor.com