primordial

I wanted to let everyone know that I have been crunching away on a fresh presentation of my website, where my various artistic endeavors will be categorized and given separate attention, rather than having it all jumbled together in a nonsensical mess. I am very excited for this new presentation of my work! I wish I could show you now, but alas, you must wait.

I'll make a big post about it when the time comes.

For now -- here are the PRIMORDIAL paintings. Prices for the paintings that didn't sell are listed beneath the individual piece. These will be on the website, also.

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I Feel it All
Inkwash on 18 x 24 gessoed wood panel - SOLD




From Within we are Without
Ink and a touch of acrylic on 11 x 14 gessoed wood panel - not for sale




Unwalo
Ink on 11 x 14 gessoed wood panel - SOLD








Deerhead, Bearhead, Birdhead
Ink on 8 x 10 gessoed wood panels - Available at $275 each or altogether for $550








The Sower and the Sewn, Catharsis, Skinwalk
Sower and the Sewn is ink and acrylic on 8 x 8 gessoed wood panel.
Catharsis and Skinwalk are ink and acrylic on 4 x 4 clay boards.

All three pieces are SOLD




A Feral Spirit
Ink and a touch of Acrylic on 12 x 18 gessoed wood panel - SOLD




Asunder
Ink and a touch of Acrylic on 12 x 18 gessoed wood panel - Available at $300




Fever and Ritual
Acrylic and Ink on 12 x 24 gessoed wood panels - SOLD




Render me Speechless
Ink and a touch of Acrylic on 12 x 18 gessoed wood panel - Original is Available at $300




Shaman
Ink on 11 x 14 gessoed wood panel - Available at $250




Torn of This
Ink on 11 x 14 gessoed wood panel - Available at $250


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primordial gallery

October 2009 has come and gone, and with it rose the opening and closing of my first solo gallery show in Louisville at the Tim Faulkner gallery. PRIMORDIAL was a success on many levels. I want to thank everyone who attended the receptions and visited the gallery in between - some of you came a long way! I am flattered and thankful for the positive reception of my first show.

The following is a photo tour of the gallery and the paintings displayed therein. As I compile decent photos of the paintings, I will post the series in full so that you may enjoy them in their entirety. Although handful of the paintings have sold I will also list those that are still available for purchase.

Enjoy!

spotlight

About a month ago this little number was featured in a local magazine called the LEO ( Louisville Eccentric Observer ) and I had forgotten all about it until recently. Very flattering words!

You see that? To be truthful, my raw, inner free spirit is developing a rash. Needs medical attention. Probably lube.

I haven't touched the blog in some time so I would like to say that my gallery opening went well, and the closing reception will be at the end of this month. It has been a successful turnout, too. In addition to the gallery I have been busy tattooing, traveling, and falling in love. I'm flat broke but wouldn't change a thing.

Primordial took so much out of me that I took a long break from any substantial artworks and have really only been doodling and re-discovering the magic of my ancient prismacolor markers during the downtime at the tattoo shop. I feel my muse stirring again, though. I think I'm ready to plunge back into art here pretty soon.

and there you have it

Well, after many months of revisions and revisitations and revivals, the entirety of Primordial is officially completed.

What a process it has been; on both a rewarding and grueling spectrum. It is to date my best body of work and, truthfully, my only full body of work, as this is my first solo gallery show. The statement remains solid and true and my voice is hardly lost in any piece, though each one varies and stands, on its own, as an individual; proudly independent and true to the unique message.

I spent many bloody hours of my life with these paintings. Each one speaks and holds its own identity. And what they have to say is purely, undeniably, me -- in every cliche you could care to choose.

It is impossibly difficult to imagine the inevitable departure that will be made of them when the time comes in October. It is impossible to imagine slapping prices on them, as if thinking of them as my children, as if they are meant for the market -- as if whoever should buy them would be taking so profoundly personal a piece of me.

That is because they would be. I am selling myself through these artworks.

So, what is my reward? What am I doing, now that I have found the conclusion to a body of work so emotionally taxing that I am left feeling utterly spent?

I am driving out to Nevada City, California (and therefore, I emphasize, out of touch) for the Stella Natura show. What better way to celebrate such a monumental occurrence than to travel far and wide to witness the performance of one of my favorite musicians, Ruhr Hunter, who was so powerful an influence on the nature of Primordial itself? The day after my opening, even, I am venturing to Chicago to see Fever Ray, another musician who was the main driving force for the show's theme and purpose. I could not think of a better way to treat myself after so brutally busy a summer, other than to embark on these journeys with a dear friend, who will be accompanying me on both ventures.

I deserve this little vacation. I am ready to take flight for a little while; disappear, regroup, regather, and upon my return, I will have my gallery opening, and perhaps I will be able to send off these pieces of me with a smile on my face that is sure and pure and without regret, without the pang of loss but instead a glimpse of ease and pride.

And there you have it. I hope to see you in October!

chrysalis

For those who are curious, I have a hefty picture post via my livejournal on the recent venture to Atlanta for Dragon*Con if you are feeling so inclined to catch a glimpse of all the various loads awesome; from my own costume to the hundreds of others who dressed up and the explosive shenanigans henceforth, respectively. Etc. Etc.

Otherwise, the madness only continues, and I've hit the ground running ever since I got home.

October 2nd is my solo gallery opening of PRIMORDIAL at the Tim Faulkner gallery in Louisville and over the next five days I will be in full balls-to-the-wall painting mode to finish up the last of the series. I say this because next week I am making an epic roadtrip out to Nevada City, California to attend Stella Natura. I originally thought that I would have to miss this event due to the close call with my gallery opening but then I knew deep down that there is no chance in hell that I would miss such an event. So! Call me crazy, but it must be done.

My tattooing path is still going strong. Once my show is officially up and running, I will be able to push my full focus into this career. So far, I've taken strongly to learning the ways of the needle and after doing over a handful of tattoos, I have become increasingly comfortable and excited about the endeavor.

Just a killer sticker logo idea for the shop that I work at.



Roughly my fifth tattoo. This design is based off an original drawing of mine called Allegory of Hearts; the client wanted this image specifically. Very flattering. I also tattoo'd it on 09-09-09, which is my birthday, no less. Will touch up after a few weeks of healing.

Custom piece for a spontaneous walk-in. Those leaves were fun.

I still have plans to tweak my website in favor of all these new explorations of art; add a tattoo page, clean up the gallery, streamline the pictures, etc. But.. that's far in the future! I've got a lot on my plate right now.

See you in a few weeks!

+ Sarah

bear hides and buffalo

Where do I begin?

+ Dragon*Con is this labor day weekend [ September 4th - 7th ] in Atlanta, Georgia. I will be in the art show with more goodies for sale and more sharpie tattoos. The evenings I'll be wandering about - most likely in costume. Look for a feral steampunk chick with a maw mask of teeth. Oh, yes, there will be pictures.

+ If you are a local (as in you live in Louisville, Kentucky), be on the lookout for the artist articles in the upcoming LEO (Louisville Eccentric Observer) issue; there will be a little blip on me somewhere in there. I'll scan it once I see it.

+ My friend Justin Kamerer, also known as Angryblue, contacted me recently after spotting my letterpress prints of The Angler with the offer of screen printing some pieces for me at crackhead press along with artist extraordinaire Jeral Tidwell. He even went out of his way to compile this beautiful teaser to show what he had in mind. Look at it! I am so excited! A HUGE thank you to Justin for putting this together! I will update their availability as the project unravels.

+ I have started tattooing (meagerly still) at Ink Well and have therefore put in my week's notice at the irish pub that I've been working at for the past three months now. There were other events that occurred that really encouraged my decision to leave the waitressing job, but the primary focus remains on my career, and I am greatly looking forward to this break in my schedule. I might be broker than hell in the coming months, but I might regain a bit of sanity and balance now that I'll only be focusing on the tattoos and other small endeavors to supplement my income.

The following picture is my fourth (and completed) tattoo. The tattoo is fresh and it was done on my mother. She was my first; where I only did the outline, and just last Friday I officially finished it up. My mentor helped with the color choices and I could not have made a better decision; it just pops beautifully off the skin.

As I am still apprenticing, I am accepting clients under the apprentice discounts for a limited time.

I'll have more pictures up.. soon. Soon!

Have an awesome weekend, folks.

+ Sarah

hello my name is belated gen con update

It was Gen Con and the year was 2009 and by far it was the best of Gen Cons I ever did have.

To me, it felt as though the convention was suddenly here and it hardly felt like it happened at all. I was confined to my table for the entire weekend - hardly taking a break (I had no energy to fight the swarms), and preferring to stay at my table as often as I could. The days flew by and it felt over before it really began.

But, odd sentimentality aside, I had an absolute blast and there were many highlights!

+ Winning the 'Best Print' award in the Art Show for my letterpress prints of the Angler.
+ Receiving a very positive portfolio review with White Wolf (yes, finally, I did it.)
+ Being invited to the exclusive White Wolf party and experiencing what could be best described as 'stepping into an actual White Wolf game' - an experience that was both sensational and hilarious (but mostly just awesome and I was so giddy) at the same time. And then I danced, danced, and danced some more.
+ Sharing a row with some of my favorite people and best convention buddies; The Bielaczycs, Lydia Burris, Brent Woodside, A. L. Ashbaugh, and Sam Flegal.
+ Hanging out and running around the city monument with the art show Guest of Honor, Omar Rayyan, and his wife, Sheila Rayyan.
+ Being told that I actually look like a werewolf. Best. Compliment. Ever.
+ The many successful sharpie tattoos, the compliments, the praise, the fans, the support, THE MUFFIN (Matt <3),>thankful I am for any and all who made Gen Con such a success - For your support and your love, and for those who went and got me food when I was stranded at the table, and to every friend I've made through the convention -- seriously. You're the best. I fucking love you.

And now, there are pictures. Tasty, tasty pictures.

paradise

GEN CON, The Best Four Days in Gaming, is this weekend (August 13 - 16)! If you are in or near Indianapolis, come find me in the Art Show, where I will have plenty of prints and other goodies for sale.

I am taking a break from the insane balls-to-the-wall madness that is my convention-preparation day to show you photos from my recent gig at the Late Seating rooftop concert on top of the Actor's Theatre building in downtown, Louisville, where I performed live art and body painting.



Paradise was painted entirely in student grade Amsterdam acrylics on a piece of plywood. It was purely experimental and the process was enjoyable to the very end.

Overall, it was a great show, and I had a blast.

Back to work!

+ Sarah

rat-a-tat-tattoo

So. Tattooing.

I've done the outlines of two already, and although I won't be showing any pictures of said pieces until after I've gone back and finished them, the process of beginning this new endeavor has proven to be quite a challenge. I understood the challenge, but I did not truly know the challenge until it came time to actually sit down and do the deed.

In many ways, it is like starting over. It is an entirely new medium. And it's srs bsns.

Of course, as with anything, the more I do, the more I learn, and each session brings me a little closer to grasping different techniques. It really makes me appreciate tattoos more and more, especially when you look at those full sleeves or full back pieces that blow your miiiind.

But, I've also come to the conclusion that I must approach tattooing in a zen-like fashion. Be one with the needle.. do not fear the needle.. know thyself, know thy needle. Or something like that.

I feel fortunate to be in the position I am in. I've got an amazing mentor, the shop environment is comfortable and professional, and this is, in its profound entirety, a huge step in a huge direction.

Pretty mind-blowing.

Have a photo and a video!

primordial preview

So I didn't actually go anywhere at all during 'my big week off' like I had originally planned. I had romanticized ideas of galloping off into the woods with a backpack of inks and panels to work on, but when it all boiled down to it, I just could not justify lugging a bunch of crap out into the wilderness when my backyard is a big open beautiful field and then the idea of dismantling my studio was just so daunting..

so, as they say, I was a complete homebody.

But I kept my manic drive and have been working nonstop on the paintings for my gallery show in October. I have been feverishly engrossed since Monday, keeping outside contact to the very minimum. I was sure to surround myself with ample inspirational items.. animal skulls and bones, like antlers, and a wonderful selection of books on ancient body art and native photography that a friend (who is also my muse, I believe) let me borrow. All these things, and frequent breaks to go traipsing around outside, kept me fueled.




..And now you have a cheesy postcard graphic to remind and tease you!

It's been a rewarding week. I'm 7 1/2 pieces in and every single one is a map of growth in one way or another. The message and the theme is intuitively conveyed. My heart is painted in every stroke. The entire execution of this theme is proving to be a graceful challenge.

To be purely sentimental, the journey is far from over, and I still have many more pictures to conjure. But the voice only gets stronger as I go.

Mused,
+ Sarah