Hi all,

So obviously it has been an excessively long time since I have posted. Life has been exceptionally busy and I have been working on the trajectory for my creative and wandering adventures. This blog will shortly be getting a major overhaul as I take my creativity in a more organized direction. 2012 has been a beautiful year filled with adventures. Now to recap some of the highlights before we move on into the new year. 2012 was filled with art shows; The Oregon Water Ways Exhibit at the Giustina Gallery as well as the 7th Annual Community Show at the same venue, A Juried Art Show at North Santiam Hall where I took home the Best in Show (My first yet!), Extremes (A ceramic showcase) at The Arts Center, and Leap Year at the Majestic Theater. I also participated in my first quilt show, The Sisters Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon and my first craft show at the OSU Memorial Union in December. In addition to art shows, I completely designed and costumed my first full theater musical this year, RENT at the Majestic Theater, where I had the most wonderful assistants a girl could ask for. It was a crazy ride but the show turned out great and the newspaper and the public relayed how much they loved what we did with the show.

I continued teaching like crazy (The Arts Center, Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility, A Drawing Program, and private lessons), working in the studio (for more hours than most sane people would do), acting for the Pharmacy program at OSU, doing random creative odd jobs, and picking dance back up. With all this crazy, random, creative goodness, I have still managed to take a few mini adventures (though not as many as this coming year will see, but I will get to that later). I did some couch hopping in Portland and Eugene, and took my first ever Disney related trip. Like I said, mini adventures, but they were wonderful and it was great to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones along the way.

The new year will see more art shows (I hope), much more teaching, more creative projects than I will probably be able to keep everyone informed of, and my next solo travel adventure! This time it will be a 2(ish) month jaunt around Northern (probably) Europe (probably), unless I get distracted and find myself swept off to Greece again or somewhere equally interesting. It will be one of those fly by the seat of my pants adventures, and yes, for those of you who support, but are none the less concerned by, my wanders, solo again. I can't express how excited I am for the possibilities of the new year, both travel and art related.

Thanks so much, as always, to all of you wonderfully amazing people who support me and cheer me on every step of the unpaved way. You are so dear to me. Until next time, happy journeys!

Jess

Hey all,

Sorry I haven't been posting much recently. There has been a little down time, now that so many applications have been sent out and the classes that I was teaching have ended for the term. It's weird to not be super crazy busy all the time. I have been feeling, recently, that Corvallis is to small to give me all of the possible opportunities that I hope to have and so I will be looking at possibly relocating should the opportunity present itself. I have some great things going here in Corvallis, and I will continue to do them if at all possible but if things don't start speeding up in the opportunities (especially paid ones) area, I think it would be best to finally move on and get out of this limbo that I so often feel like I am in. I've compared it to purgatory before and that is how it feels now. Like I am waiting for my life to really start so that I can accomplish all the crazy goals I have for myself in the long run. I've been waiting to get that push from the world or powers that be that says where to go or what to set my sights on for the present and it hasn't done that in a "kick in the butt" kind of way that I had first expected. I have however, been getting some subtle signs. A shift in the amount of work I am getting, in addition to the fact that my friend base has essentially all moved out and on from Corvallis, as well as the fact that I have been a runner up or in the top contending pool for several career positions but have not been chosen, suggest to me, not to quit, but that maybe it is time for me to move on and keep trucking somewhere else. We shall see what presents itself in the next few months though.
If I do leave I will miss the kids I teach and the dusty smells of costumes down at the Majestic Theater, it just doesn't make sense to stay if there is no chance of moving anywhere with my career this way. 

Thank you to those special few people who have been so supportive of all the aspects of my life. The people who keep in touch even though you are scattered states and states away are so special to me and remain often times my closest friends. And thanks also to my boyfriend Connor, who is undaunted by any ridiculous task I may have for him, from lifting huge boxes and heavy bags, to wiping tables, to trying on high heels to see if they will fit the fellow that I am supposed to costume in drag. For being supportive of my dreams, encouraging of my goals, keeping me focused in, and being so certain when I am not. Thanks :)

Jess

Finally, as promised, a few pictures of what I have been up to recently have been posted on my flickr, please check it out! http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessgraff/ As you can see, I have finished my first quilt ever! And have made more ceramics pieces. I hope you enjoy!

I think that some people may imagine that artists spend most of their time lounging around, not doing much. I have not met this type of artist, and am certainly not one myself. To give you an idea of what my typical week looks like, and perhaps explain why I don't blog as often as I possibly should, I'll let you in on what this past week (a pretty typical week) in an artist's life (Mine) looked like.

Friday- Ceramic's Lab, Acting gig with OSU Pharmacy, 2 meetings
Saturday- Quilting, Artist paper work, Estate sales, and Family Time
Sunday- Meet Boyfriend's Mom, Photograph newer art work, photograph Mother's newer quilts
Monday- Iris Garden's, More Photographing, More quilting, Costuming research
Tuesday- Teaching art, Ceramics Lab, Costuming Work
Wednesday- More Art photographing, Applications for two art opportunities, Teach Art
Thursday- Teach Art, 3 Meetings, Costuming Work, Resale for Costuming Work, Applications for 2 Art    opportunities
Friday- Photo Quilts, Application for 1 art Opportunity, Costuming work, and all before noon.

So that is some of what I do in a standard week. I love it!

Oh my gosh! I won Best in Show at the LBCC Juried Student Art Exhibit! It is such an honor; I was also told that I am the only sculptor to win that award as far as anyone can remember. I won with my piece, Womb, Distortion, which is a ceramic salt fired torso. I will post pictures as soon as I can.

In other arts news, I have been so busy that I have been having a difficult time keeping up with photographing all of my recent work. That said, with some of the money that I won for my Best in Show prize, I have purchased some lights in the hope that this will assist me in getting better quality photos of my recent work. I am set to do a photo shoot next weekend as there are some exciting opportunities and exhibit deadlines coming up.

I will also be in a show in the fall where some of my smaller monster pieces will be displayed at the Majestic Theater. That's not for a while yet, but is still another exciting opportunity on the horizon. Speaking of opportunities on the horizon, RENT has been cast! Which means that soon I will begin designing the costumes for the show. I have a meeting next week with the director to discuss his vision for the play. I look forward to meeting the actors and getting measurements taken so that I can get to locating some of those especially difficult to find items. RENT will be performed at the Majestic Theater in November but there are a lot of things to accomplish before then.

I have very much been enjoying my time working with the Majestic thus far as the Costume Intern. And have made great progress on the downstairs space. I have found a number of truly amazing items down there. For more information on this please visit my other blog which charts this process. You can find it by clicking on my picture on the side bar and going to my blog MajesticMavenCostumeCraziness.

Another art related endeavor that has been occupying my time is teaching, an activity that I love. My students are wonderful, bright, creative, and eager to learn new things. They are a joy. This past week was the last week of my spring preschool class. A little girl brought me a bunch of pink carnations and a picture of a wolf she had colored. I must say it melted my heart.

And finally, as usual, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you soooooo much to everyone I know who has been so supportive of my career and artistic adventures. Sometimes this life that I have chosen is really difficult, I receive some critical responses from time to time from people who feel that I am not doing what a respectable, college educated person should do. While I recognize that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I also believe that these people are wrong. I am seeking to bring beauty, peace, and learning to my own life and the lives of others. If this isn't a critical part of life then what is? So once again, to the people who support me, Thank You. I am so lucky to have you in my life. 

It's been a busy and exciting week, as usual. I was getting some Raku pieces fired on Tuesday when Jay Widmer (a fabulous and well respected local potter) came in to the studio. He knew my work and said that he really enjoyed my tall pieces, and asked if I would like to submit a couple of my ceramic sculptures to the Juried Art Student Show at North Santiam Hall at LBCC. I, of course said yes, and has two sculptures accepted into the show. They will be up from April 9th to June 8th, so check it out. Jay was also generous enough to offer me a scholarship for two of my ceramic pieces to go in his woodfire workshop this summer. I am so grateful and excited!

In other news, teaching at both Young Rembrants and the Art Center are going very well and I am enjoying it immensely. I have also been getting a lot of work done with the Majestic's Costume Studio. I have a blog following that process as well if you are interested. And finally, I spent this weekend hopping to 12 different quilt shop locations around Oregon for the annual Quilters Safari. It was a ton of fun and now I have lots of great fabric to work with. Great things are to come. Thanks for reading! 

Life has been such a blessing recently. I have been having trouble getting my recent work photographed which is why my posts have become almost nonexistent, I have however been staying happily productive. There have been a couple of exciting developments since my last post. The art shows that I was in went wonderfully, my work was very well received at both.
I am now the Costume Intern at the Majestic Theater, so I am sorting through boxes, bags, and racks of old clothing, costumes, accessories, and props in the hopes that when I am done we will be able to see, use, and properly maintain the resources that we have.
I have also been accepted to be the costume designer for the Majestic Theater's Fall production of RENT, I am SO excited! So stay tuned, there are great things ahead. 

Life has been busy busy busy, but in a great way. As the school term wraps up I am hustling to get all the work at the ceramics studio completed, last salt firing is on this Thursday. After the term is up I will get some more photos up onto the internet! I've also been typing up scripts that my students have been writing and that they will be performing.

The prep for the shows went well. The Willamette Ceramics guild show has it's opening with Extremes on Thursday evening. I have a very tiny, glazed, porcelain, star clip in that show.

The Leap Year show at the Majestic Theater went really well. The Hare sculpture is still there if you would like to take a look. My performance piece with costuming was very well received and my models were just fantastic. You can take a look at the images from that on the Flickr.  http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessgraff/

Thanks!

A busy and exciting week of art has come to an end and a new one begins.

Exciting moments have included the reveal of the pieces that were in the salt kiln firing at the Benton Center. My sculptures both came out beautifully, with one of them landing the title of star of the firing. I'm so excited about it! After my next photo shoot (Late February or Early March?) it will be up on here and the Flickr.

I will also be participating in the premiere art show at the Majestic Theater in Corvallis, OR beginning on February 29th with a reception on the same evening from 6-10pm. The theme is Leap Year. I will be displaying one of my sculptures, as well as creating costumes of characters from Alice in Wonderland with live models. The costumed models will only be available for viewing on the night of the reception so come that night and check things out!

This week also saw me creating earrings and other jewelry out of glass scrap and recycled materials. These will be available for purchase later in the month or at the latest mid March. More details to come.

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive of my art career as I start out. I couldn't do everything I do without you!

Today was an interesting day in the world of me and art. I have my first negative critic. The individual who was expressing distaste for my work felt frustrated that my figures were not anatomically correct. I find this interesting as my work is not supposed to be exactly human, my torsos are humanoid, alien and distorted. They are forms with exaggerated lines, shadows, and movement that differ from the reality of the human body. I love to play with perception and ideas of correctness. There are all types of creativity and as long as I stay true to my own aesthetics and goals I feel I am moving in the right direction. I welcome criticism and accept it as a way to improve my craft, weighing what is said and drawing from it necessarily information. This information allows me to better myself and reaffirm why I am an artist. I must create and I love every minute of it. Thanks all! 

Hello again!

Today saw me disassembling the living room in order to try and take some photos of some more recent work that I've completed. Thanks to Quin we have some new images on the flicker, including ones of these orbs that I am doing.
This one is a reclaimed (or recycled clay) in a salt fire. I am hoping to enter it in a show soon, so fingers crossed! Check out the new photos on the Flickr- http://www.flickr.com/photos/jessgraff/

Still figuring some things out on the technicalities of blogging, but so far so good. I have found some images of my art that were on my old computer prior to it's crash and am uploading them to my flicker, please take a look! You can go there by using the link to my images on the left side of this page. More to follow this coming week. Enjoy. :)

Ok, first time trying this without someone helping me with the technology. It makes me sad that I need to be so versed in tech things in order to fully explore my artistic potential, but that's the direction we are moving, so here I go. I know no one is following this yet, except Connor, who was kind enough to help me figure all of this out, but I hope that once I get some more stuff up here that I can get some of the many people I know to spread the word that I am going to be even more fabulous in the future than I am now. Starting out on this adventure as "an emerging" artist is tough. The ceramics lab is helping, as I am getting a lot of positive feedback from the folks there on my various forms, and I am hopeful that the same will be true of the Quilt Guild once I finish some things and pluck up the courage to show them around. The ladies there are all really supportive and terrific. I've also got some other people in my life who are helping me stay focused, grounded, and positive. Overall not a bad way to be starting out. This next week will involve photographing some of my more recent work which will then go up on this blog and the connected flicker account! So stay tuned (Connor) and tune in everybody else! 

Up and running, let's see where this profile takes us!