Cassie Marie

Happy Monday.

2012-01-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Slightly evil looking Bobo says, 'good morning!'

I started another painting this weekend. I love the expression on this pup's face! I'm not sure what breed of dog this is, so if anyone knows, please clue me in by leaving a comment.

Ideally, I like to have two paintings going on at once in my studio. Sometimes this isn't possible as my studio is a 10x10' room that is packed to the brim with paintings, books, and supplies.

I think I'll try to tackle a studio renovation in the Fall. I need a better flowing space, and I'd really like to have one empty wall that I can use just for my easels. I've just started a studio inspiration board on Pinterset here: Studio Inspiration

By the way, have you guys signed up for Pinterest? If not, do so now! As a creative person it really helps me to keep my thoughts & inspiration images organized. If you join, feel free to add me as a friend!

Anyhow, back to this painting. Those of you who know me personally know that I am pretty adamant about the importance of drawing when it comes to painting representationally. When doing a painting, I'll do a couple studies to get the composition just right.

Most of the time this works great for me. Sometimes, like with this drawing, I just can't seem to get it just right on the first, second, third, or even the fourth time. Luckily for me, the fifth time was the charm.

My husband, who is a musician/recording engineer/professor, and I have had an ongoing conversation about work ethic lately, which I thought I'd share here. We've been talking about the extent to which we'll go to have something look or sound right. Many times we'll work on a project until it is 90% finished, and take a little break from it.

We've come to the conclusion that finishing the last 10% of the project (be it a painting or a recording) is the most important part of the process. In most of my work that last 10% of the project ends up taking just as long as the first 90% to get it just right.

So with that thought, and with this guy to cheer you up, I'll bid you adieu.

Finished!

2012-01-27T11:17:00.000-08:00

Recently finished:

Lamb - 24x24" - Oil on Canvas

All in a Row - 8x8" - Oil on Canvas

Recently

2012-01-23T21:45:00.000-08:00

Just started this little painting:

I'm glad to have my studio buddy to keep me company! Rascal always has to be in the room with me when I'm working in the studio. To keep her from jumping on my papers, I put her bed on a chair and it worked like a charm!

I've also been attempting to keep better records of my paintings! I bought this little notebook to keep track of colors/dates/dimensions of my paintings so that I don't need to constantly re-measure or remember what colors I mixed to get a certain color.

Lastly, I hope wherever you are living, it is warmer and not as crazy on the roads as it is here! I don't think I'll leave town for a while...

Sneak Peeks and Other Important Things

2012-01-16T10:22:00.000-08:00

First off,
Sorry for the lack of words on this blog recently - the holidays are kind of stressful for me between traveling to see our family in Wisconsin and trying to make time to visit everyone without hurting anyone's feelings (this can be a challenge!). We got back to South Dakota right before the new year, and rang it in with our good friends here. We spent a few days recovering from holiday travel, and then spent the rest of the week preparing for this semester. I'm teaching Art History (Renaissance - Contemporary) again this semester - which should be much easier the second time around.

Nate and I also got the chance to get the first shots of the film we're shooting this spring/summer so I thought I'd share them here:

Dakota Sunset from Nathan Edwards on Vimeo.

We're working collaboratively on the filming, and he is doing the soundtrack. We have plans to travel across South Dakota this summer to get shots for the film. If you have any suggestions for 'off the beaten path' areas to film, I'd be more than happy to hear them!

I hope you are all having a great start to the New Year!

Progress

2012-01-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
Just a quick studio update.

I've made a lot of progress on this painting in the last few days. I've still got to go back into this one once it is dry to tighten it up and fix some things that are bugging me.

This one is also going well - waiting for it to dry to add some more detail to the little wood animals.

I've been keeping myself very occupied between teaching and painting! Sorry for the lack of non-art updates lately!

Underpaintings

2012-01-05T23:45:00.000-08:00

Working late on a Thursday night! Good thing it is something I enjoy. :)

Finished the underpainting on this adorable lamb earlier today and started on another painting after I got back from yoga.

All in a row!

As you may have noticed, this blog has become a bit of a painting blog lately.

In the Studio

2012-01-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

I've finished a few paintings recently.

I started this one a long while back - I kept making mistakes and then having to wait for paint to dry to go back into it and fix things. It was on the easel for quite a while, but I'm so glad to have it finally finished!

Bunnies - 10x20" - Oil on Canvas

This painting came together much more quickly. It was on the easel for about a week and a half and it seemed much easier to complete.

Kitten - 16x23" - Oil on Canvas

And last but not least, King Kong is 99% finished! I just have to paint in the teeth. I am waiting for the paint layers to get good and dry before I do so.

King Kong - 20x30" - Oil on Canvas

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and productive new year!

Workin'

2011-12-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

With the semester winding down for me, I'm finding a lot more time to work on paintings.

This one is almost done, I'm waiting for it to dry a bit before I add the eyes, highlights, and fix the shadows a bit.

I'm mostly done with the kitten painting as well:

Midway through-

And mostly finished-

16x23.5" Oil on Canvas

All that's left to do is put another layer of paint on the ground and background.

I've been having a lot of fun with these. :)

On the Road

2011-12-07T00:10:00.000-08:00

Recent photos taken through my car window going here, there, and everywhere these last few months. :)

Painting

2011-12-05T00:26:00.000-08:00

I am waiting for paint to dry.
My studio is a bit cramped and I find it hard to work on more than a few paintings at once - especially when I am working in oil. I am almost finished with a couple of paintings I've been working on for a while so I started a new one today.

Here is my wonderful model:

She's really excited.

I usually start my still life paintings with a charcoal or watercolor sketch. It helps me to figure out my composition and familiarize myself with the subject. You can see my sketch on the wall, and my quick layout on the canvas.

After I started this quick layout, I decided the kitten was too high in the picture frame, so I moved everything down an inch or so.

In the process of doing so, I discovered a four-eyed cat.

I pressed on and finished the quick underpainting:

Now if only this paint would dry a bit faster.

Also, I've got some great news to share with you about some upcoming shows - but more on that later!

Inspiration

2011-11-19T11:40:00.000-08:00

Nate and I bought a new DSLR with video capabilities. I've really been wanting to play around with doing some video work.

Here's some videos that have been uber inspiring to me lately:

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

{Stop motion film by Simon Christen - you should really look at these on Vimeo so you can see them in HD}

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

{Michael Konig - Fly Over of Earth - Found this video via Ramis Kim}

Mound by Allison Schulnik from garaco taco on Vimeo.

{Mound by Allison Schulnik - Totally creepy and totally amazing}

And last but not least - my first humble attempt with my new camera - obviously I chose to capture my cat Rascal:

Ongoing Projects

2011-11-18T10:42:00.000-08:00

"Infinite"

5x7" - Colored Pencil on Bristol
Part of my ongoing project with Joe Briggs

In the Studio

2011-11-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

Still working on the King Kong painting - it is going along at a good clip, but it feels so slow compared to the smaller paintings I've been doing.

I also finally made myself a Mahl Stick. For those of you unfamiliar with painting, it is basically a stick with a ball at one end that you rest against your painting so that you can stabilize your painting hand. I just wrapped cotton yarn around the end and spread some glue on it every now and then as I made it into a ball. It works like a charm and makes detail work MUCH easer.

This is Kong so far. I've got to wait for the paint to dry a bit before I go back in and really start the crazy detail work.

I've also been attempting to organize my studio - it is a slow and grueling process!

In progress:

On the Hooks and Needles

2011-11-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

Cold weather is knitting weather!

I started these legwarmers Saturday night while knitting with some good friends. I'm thinking of writing a pattern for these. I love the little houndstooth design. :)

I also took the time to (finally) weave in all of the ends on this beast. I think it took me longer to weave the ends in than it did to crochet it!

It is a cowl made from an acrylic/cotton blend I picked up earlier this summer. It is so soft and cozy!

It is nice to be knitting and crocheting again. Especially with all of the looong car rides we have ahead of ourselves this holiday season!

2011-11-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

For those of you in the Sioux Falls area, please consider heading out tonight to join me at the opening of Artifact at Ipso Gallery. It is an exhibition where local businesses and local artists team up to create a piece! I can't tell you who I've made my piece for, or what it looks like (until after the opening) until our sponsors see the pieces. The proceeds are split between the artist and a charitable art cause in the city. This year the proceeds are going to the Sioux Falls SculptureWalk.

If you can't make it out, I'll be taking pictures, so don't fret! :)

I can't wait to see what the other artists came up with, and to meet my sponsors!

The opening starts at 6:00 and is located a 400 N. Main Avenue in Sioux Falls. Hope to see you there!

Links:
Ipso Gallery
Graphic Content
Article in the Argus Leader
Fresh Produce

Here's a tiny snippet of my piece as it was in progress:

Matt & Amber's Wedding

2011-10-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were in Wisconsin to stand in my brother-in-law Matt's wedding to his beautiful new wife Amber. They had a perfect ceremony and perfect weather, not to mention they are completely right for one another. I also did some of the photographs for them (along with Nate's cousin Ali) with the help of my sister who took shots during the ceremony. Here are some of my favorites so far:

It doesn't hurt that they are both extremely photogenic! :)

Lovebirds.

Congrats you two! :)

In the Studio

2011-10-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got a full studio day (with a quick break to catch the Brewers play - Go BREW CREW!!). This is the result:

I finished the under-painting for my still life of King Kong. Big thanks to my friend Andre Jordan who lent me his King Kong figurine from his Etsy shop: Iamanastronaut. Check it out, he has great stuff!

As you may remember, I built a bunch of canvas frames recently, and last week I finished stretching them, and priming the canvases.

Look at those sexy corners:

Here's the process of this painting thus far:

{charcoal sketch - I put archival spray fixative over this so the charcoal doesn't bleed into the final painting)

{mixing mixing mixing}

{ Rawr!!}

And last but not least, my studio buddy:

Whenever I am in my studio, Rascal HAS to be in there. If I close the door on her, she claws relentlessly at the bottom of the door like a psychopath. I've figured out that if I make a little blanket nest on the floor, she will readily curl up in there and watch me without trying to climb up my easel. :)

Take the Day 2011 at the Washington Pavilion

2011-10-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we made the short trek to Sioux Falls to be a part of this year's Take the Day at the Washington Pavilion. I was honored to be one of 44 regional artists invited to participate this year. The event calls for artists to create an artwork from start to finish during the day while visitors can walk through the galleries and interact with the artists.

{Me - working on my still life painting}

I worked on a painting of a ceramic bear - it was the most fun to talk to all of the kids who came out with their parents. I had one girl ask if she could paint one little brushstroke (and I let her), and another who I gave my layout sketch to at the end of the day. They were so adorable!

My husband, Nate Edwards, also participated:

He worked on composing a sound piece.

It was such a great experience for us, and I hope it was just as fun for those who came out to say hi!

{Giles Timms - working on an animation}

{Andres Torres}

{Steve Bormes - working on a lamp}

{Alan Montgomery}

It was a great day!

{My finished painting - Grizzly - 18x18" - Oil on Canvas}

If you didn't get a chance to stop by yesterday, the Visual Art Center at the Washington Pavilion is exhibiting the finished works from October 7th - December 11th.

Building Away.

2011-09-20T21:29:00.000-07:00

I've been caught up in the world of canvas assembly lately. Here are my 2x2"s with quarter round molding glued & tack nailed to the surface.

These canvases are 22x22" and larger. I love making my own stretcher bars - it saves money and I've found that they don't warp nearly as bad as commercially made canvas bars. Once I cut them down to size I glue them together using a ratchet strap to hold it snugly together.

After they dry for at least a day, I'll drill holes and secure the corners with 2 1/2 inch wood screws. Tomorrow, I'll start stretching and priming!

In other non-power-tool-related news, I've been watching this spider outside of my porch window for days:

It is a female Garden Spider, and she is massive! Her abdomen measures close to an inch long and with her arms she could almost span my palm.

Before photographing the spider I had to check to make sure it didn't have miraculous jumping powers so I poked it with a stick. It didn't jump but it grabbed on to the stick and pulled back! Creepy!

Anthologies in Flux at the Washington Pavilion

2011-09-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Nate and I went in to Sioux Falls for the evening to attend the opening for Anthologies in Flux, a show featuring the work of Diana Behl, Ceca Cooper, and Liz Heeren. It was a great show!

Each of the artists had abstract work that borrowed beautifully from the world around us.

{Concurrent - by Liz Heeren}

Liz Heeren's pieces were both quiet and grandiose; abstractions of a silent underwater world in which nature and man-made structures collide. They are both beautiful and uneasy.

{Liz Heeren}

{Ceca Cooper}

Ceca Cooper's work is deeply connected to the natural world here in eastern South Dakota. There is a flatness in her paintings that presses the subjects in her painting right up to the viewer, giving them the ability to see the world through her eyes.

{Diana Behl - March}

Diana Behl's work is also deeply influenced by her surroundings, these paintings are from a series of works named after the months. They evoke a sense of familiarity - they seem like snippets of memories. Their abstract quality makes them easy to become immersed in.

{Diana Behl - May}

If you live nearby, you really ought to make it out to this show. It is located in the Washington Pavilion and runs through November 13th.

Hot Off the Presses

2011-09-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

Finished this little painting last night for a show I was invited to participate in in Illinois. It is 8x8" and oil on canvas.

I love how it turned out. I prefer to paint using a 'wet in wet' technique where all mixing and painting is done in one session - instead of putting down a layer, waiting for it to dry, and glazing paint over the top of it. Usually I do a thin underpainting, and then paint the final layer over the top of it in one to three sessions.

I was using this painting as a dry run for a painting I will be doing (live) at an event I'll be participating in on October 1st called "Take the Day" held at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. I wanted to try using a thin acrylic underpainting on the piece to speed along my process a bit and still have nice thick paint layers. The event calls for artists to create a piece in the main gallery while the public is open to watch and talk with the artists. Here's the lovely feature that was written by TJ - the organizer of the event: Artist Spotlight And another recent snippet from the Graphic Content blog: New Contributer: Cassie Marie Edwards

I am really pumped to be able to meet so many amazing artists from our area!

Recent Furniture Refinishing Projects

2011-09-11T17:07:00.000-07:00

Between starting to teach my class and Bobo getting sick, I made some time to finish up some projects I'd been working on.

The first is a $10 mid-century bedside table that I spruced up using some restor-a-finish. It was pretty scratched, and worn, but the restor-a-finish totally brought it back to life.

Then there is this table that (shamefully) I've had in the works for over a year! Here is the before image:

It was really scratched and the finish was badly damaged, so I decided to strip the base, and repaint the top.

Here it is partway through:

And Finished:

The color in the photo is a little darker than it is in person - here is a better pic of the color:

Another piece we picked up recently was this great desk! I used restor-a-finish on this piece as well, and it looks good as new. The handles aren't back on yet, but you get the idea. :)

The cats love it as much as we do.

We also painted our kitchen this last weekend - we got rid of the ugly country yellow (finally!) and we opted for a light grey/white. There is a lot of wall space in the kitchen, so I'm hoping to make some big paintings for the walls.

With school starting, housework, and the cat being sick, we had a bit of a long week. Good thing we've got a comfy couch.

My Buddy

2011-09-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had to take our cat Bobo in to the vet at 2am because he was suffering from a blocked bladder caused by a UTI. The vets in town wanted us to wait until the morning to take him in, but he started showing signs of extreme pain (terrible yowling and trying to hide - hissing when we would try to pet him), so we decided to take him to Sioux Falls (an hour away) at 2am. We found out there that he could have died if we waited until the morning - blocked bladders can quickly become deadly in male cats. We are very thankful to have listened to our instincts. He had to stay at the Animal Hospital for three days with a catheter, IV, and antibiotics to make sure he wouldn't block again. We've had him home since Monday, and he's been such a good sport taking his medicine and eating his new food.
Even Rascal missed him!

We are so thankful that he's alright - it was such a stressful week knowing that he was sick, at the hospital, and then hoping he would be fine once we got him home.

The New Wheels

2011-08-29T15:37:00.000-07:00

My new ride!

It is a 1959 (I think) AMF Roadmaster made by the Clevland Welding Company. She was a little rusty and dirty, but after finding that you can clean chrome with tin foil dipped in water, I've got her looking much better.

You can see what it looked like before here:

I bought it for $15 at a garage sale this weekend - along with a $5 NES for my husband.

Of course we had to set it up right away when we got home and try it out.

Night Lights

2011-08-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

Captured these shots as a wicked lightning storm blew through town last week. I love late summer thunderstorms.

Monster Garden!

2011-08-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

This year's garden has been great (despite the zukes biting the dust, and the basil failing to grow).

We've been using almost everything and giving away anything we can't use. The cherry tomatoes have been my favorite (the heirloom eggplants above are from the farmer's market).
The tomato plants have gone gangbusters. These things are insanely huge!!

There is nothing like growing your own food. I have big plans for next summer as well. :)

GIANT swiss chard!

Re-Wired

2011-08-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

Scary old wiring:

Brand new wiring (courtesy of a $2 extension cord and some extra wire nuts from a previous project):

Revamped clock - good as new!

Nate picked out this awesome clock for us while we were hanging out in Milwaukee about a month ago. I'm slowly bringing him to the dark side. I love taking broken/discarded things and making them new again - re-wiring things isn't hard at all once you learn the basics.

Wisconsin

2011-08-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

Snapshots taken while driving through Wisconsin:

I always felt lucky to have lived in southwest Wisconsin. :)

Door County

2011-08-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the recent hiatus from the blog, we've been traveling across Wisconsin for the last week or so visiting family and taking in the last bits of summer. Here are some snapshots from our vacation with Nate's family in Door County:

Last week was also my four year wedding anniversary with this man:

Thanks for putting up with me for so long love! I still think you are the bees knees!

Happy Anniversary!

Working on the House

2011-08-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

I've got about five projects in the mix right now! I'm painting this formerly super ugly console tv surround to go on the sides of our refrigerator and increase our kitchen storage space. Currently we have no pantry in our kitchen, so this will really open things up. I'm planning on putting chalkboard painted panels in the doors so it will all be enclosed.

I'm also priming this buffet that my sister made for us in her shop class! We are going to paint the bottom grey, and stain the top dark cherry to match our kitchen table I'm waiting until it is a little less humid out to do the staining though!

Do you see the beautiful dishwasher to the left of me? We finally got around to buying one after a year of (mostly my husband) doing dishes by hand. We didn't want to tear out our whole kitchen for a dishwasher so we tried our best to integrate it into the original cupboards. We had some good help from some handy friends from the university (Thanks Kurt and Steve!) who did the bulk of the carpentry/pluming/electrical work. I've been slowly hacking away at the sanding/priming/painting of the cupboards the last few days.

I refinished 4 doors and 1 drawer, and then patched any areas in the existing cupboards that had been chipped. Sometimes the smallest jobs seem to take the longest!

I'm also in the midst of a bunch of refinishing projects, and I've finally got my garage 'shop' up and running.

I just painted this mirror frame as well - it used to be a shiny brass plastic (yuck!) but I painted it gray to tone it down. The yellow paint behind the mirror is on the way out as well - I bought white paint for the kitchen yesterday, so say goodbye to the ugly country yellow!

In other news, the cats say hi:

I hope all of your summer projects are coming along swimmingly as well. I always feel like I get a lot done around the house in the late summer/fall because it is my way of avoiding thinking about school/working!

Thrifted Recently:

2011-08-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

I've been having excellent thrifting luck recently, here are some of the goods:

{ Deer Skull - this bad boy sits above our TV, and I love it. I'd been looking for the perfect one for a while, and I just happened upon it at a junk shop downtown. It was $15, and I rode home with the antlers sticking out of my backpack! }

{ I love lamp! Mid-century Lamp Base - $1 !! - This also came home from a garage sale in my backpack. }

{some great dishes that will be hung on the wall in the kitchen - $1 each}

{ $5 Retro Ottoman/Stool. I've got big plans for this! }

{ A giant straw bag with leather handles - $5 - I've been looking for one of these for a while! }

{Beautiful typewriter in pristine condition - I LOVE it! }

{ Conte crayons }

{Belts! 25 cents a pop! - I wanted more high waist belts as I've recently bought a bunch of dresses that need to be belted. }

{ Lovely owl necklace!! $2 }

There was more too, but I'll save that for a later post. :)

Sister Week!

2011-08-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

This last week my sister Molly was up to visit before she goes off to college and finally makes my parents empty nesters! She is 9 years younger than me, and I moved out of my family's house when she was only 8 years old. I remember when she was born my mom made me take a red cross babysitting class so I could be certified to babysit her when I was 12 years old. My mom was a nurse, and my dad worked a lot, so often times I would babysit Molly and Amy (my sister who is two years younger than me) on the days my mom got called into work - making them frozen pizzas and microwave hot dogs for dinner, and secretly letting them stay up watching movies.

This week we got to do a lot of thrifting, cooking, shopping, and hanging out. I believe we visited 7 different thrift shops between Sioux Falls, Madison, and Brookings and found some great stuff - I'm glad she enjoys thrifting as much as I do!
Here we are at Sioux Falls:

And we may have gotten some sushi........

She got to see some real South Dakota big skies:

And we made a lot of good food - like bacon wrapped sirloin with salad from our garden:

It was a great week!

Dog Days of Summer

2011-07-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Maybe the best $30 I've ever spent:

I have a feeling I'll be spending a large majority of the remaining summer sitting right there.

Sketchbook and some music - a great way to spend the afternoon!

The garden has also been coming along nicely. We've harvested about 5 good sized zucchini, a bunch of herbs, swiss chard, and baby romaine.

The black-eyed susans are almost in bloom!

I still can't believe how huge the lettuce is!

And we've been making good use of it too. We have a 10 foot row of swiss chard, and a 10 foot row (that was half destroyed by rabbits) of baby romaine, and we've had more than enough salad for the two of us. Last night we used lettuce and rosemary from our garden to make these turkey burgers:

A quick tip when growing your own lettuce - often times it can get pretty bitter if eaten right from the garden. If you have a lettuce that is bitter - try washing it off and putting it in the fridge for a day or so - cooling it takes away most of the bitter flavor.

I'm looking forward to tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, jalapenos, and peppers. I'm also thinking that I'll be expanding the garden a bit next summer. :) What are you growing this summer? Anything new and exciting?

In the Skies

2011-07-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

There has been a heat wave running through the Midwest. Highs in the upper 90's paired with 90% humidity makes for a heat index in the 120's.

The week before all of this heat came through, we had some pretty unstable weather. I'd been loving the mix of sun and storms.

When you live in such a flat area, you become acutely aware of the sky.

Words of Wisdom

2011-07-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

I came across this quote today, and thought it was a fitting quote for those of us trying to eke out a living in a creative field. Especially those of us just starting out:

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me.

All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you.

A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn't have this special thing that we want it to have.

We all go through this.

And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile.

You’ve just gotta fight your way through."

- Ira Glass

So, back to the studio I go.

Bunnies and Bunnies

2011-07-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

Right after I started this painting of a couple ceramic bunnies:

I saw this tiny baby bunny outside:

This little guy could easily fit in the palm of my hand. So tiny!!

If this is the reason the swiss chard is being eaten in my garden, I think I'm okay with that. The tiny thing couldn't even hop properly - it is still trying to figure out how to get everything in sync. :)

In the Studio

2011-07-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Working in the studio today:

Using frisket to block out areas that I want to keep white - frisket is a liquid that repels water.

And the finished painting:

Spirit Lake - 11 x 14.5 - Watercolor

Sunset

2011-07-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

The weather here has been a bit unstable lately, but it has resulted in some amazing sunsets! Last night's was no exception!

Watercolor Study

2011-07-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

Just finished a watercolor study for an oil painting I'll be starting soon. Here it is in progress:

And here's the finished study:

6"x12" - Watercolor

Weekend at Spirit Lake

2011-07-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

We were down in Spirit Lake/ Okoboji Iowa this weekend for a gig that Nate played. We decided to camp at Marble Beach on Spirit Lake instead of drive home after the gig - and it proved to be a wise decision. Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!
:)

Wedding Season

2011-07-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

This last week we made the long haul back to Milwaukee to attend Nate's cousin's wedding. It was a beautiful (albeit hot!) outdoor ceremony, and we were so glad to be able to get back to Wisconsin for it.

Uncle Ed or "Eddie Boy", Grandma Edwards, and Brian or "Moose" - Nicknames are a big thing on this side of the family. :)

Jenny and Moose - so cute!

Myself and Nate - we clean up alright!

And there was no better way to end a beautiful night than with fireworks!

Congrats Brian and Jenny!

Things I've Devoured Recently.

2011-07-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Grilled shrimp, red potatoes, and corn on the cob with chive butter. It is really easy to make.
You need: 2 lb small red potatoes, 4-6 ears of corn on the cob, 1 lb pre-cooked shrimp, olive oil spray, salt, lime wedges (optional)
Step 1: Boil water in a large stock pot - while waiting for the water to boil shuck the corn and break each ear in half.
Step 2: Add potatoes to boiling water and cook them for 20 minutes - while they are cooking put your shrimp on the skewers, spray them with a light coat of olive oil spray, and season them with your choice of seasoning. I like to use spicy chipotle lime seasoning.
Step 3: Once the potatoes have been cooked for 20 minutes, add the corn to the water with the potatoes for 8-10 more minutes. While the corn is cooking - cook your shrimp on the grill or on a grill pan. Because they are already cooked, you are just going to cook them long enough to heat them up and singe the edges a bit.
Step 4: Drain the veggies & serve with butter and salt.
(If you want to make the chive butter simply microwave about 3 tablespoons of butter until it is melted, and add a teaspoon or two of fresh cut-up chives - muddle slightly with a spoon to release the flavor & serve!)

I also tried a new veggie this week - garlic scapes - which are the flowering stem of hardneck garlic varieties. The flower stalk is harvested from the plant to force it to put more energy into creating the garlic itself. The scapes taste extremely garlicky when they are uncooked - and can be made into pesto or grilled up to mellow out their flavor. I simply tossed them in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, lightly salted them, grilled them in a grill pan on medium high heat until tender, and then topped them with some grated parmesan cheese.

They were really good - they tasted like a slightly garlicky version of asparagus. I love summertime because there is so much fresh food that you can buy locally - It really inspires me to cook a lot!

Collaboration

2011-07-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

Finished another drawing today for the collaborative project I've been working on with Joseph Briggs. I started this one before we went to Wisconsin (where we've been for the past few days for a wedding/visit) and finally finished it today.

Here it is in sketch phase:

Halfway through:

And finished:

Rendering flat walls in colored pencil is extremely hard. It is silly how time consuming this tiny drawing was!

Favorites: Andrew Wyeth

2011-06-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

I've been missing the library at NIU lately. There was a HUGE art book selection, and a lot of days if I was feeling a bit stuck in my studio work or if I just had some time to kill between classes I would go in, grab a huge pile of books, and get lost for a few hours. There was also always a huge pile of books in my studio. NIU was pretty lax with overdue fees, so I could pick my favorites and keep them for the entire semester.

Luckily, I found one of them at a used book store over the weekend while hanging out in Sioux Falls with my Inlaws.

Refinishing Project

2011-06-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

I'd been searching online for easier ways to refinish furniture after purchasing a desk that had a damaged finish. As you know I'm big into mid-century furniture, and most of the pieces I've bought have had minor damage - watermarks, chips, scratches, etc..
The same was true for this piece:

It is a beautiful solid wood magazine rack that I picked up for $1 - but unfortunately the finish was not so great.
See:

But, I'd been hearing good things about Howard's Restor-a-Finish, so I thought I'd give it a try, and it worked amazingly!
See:
So much better!

I also used Feed-n-Wax to give it that extra glow once I was finished. Honestly, I think I would marry this stuff if I could. I'm going to get a few of the other colors to try on some of my other furniture. This little project would have been a major pain in the butt to refinish - with the Restor-a-Finish it literally took about 15 minutes to apply with 000 grade steel wool, and another 5 minutes for the wax finish.

I thought I'd share my findings with all of you other mid-century or antique fiends out there. :) If you have any questions about it - let me know!

Updating My Website

2011-06-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

I've been working hard on updating my art website lately, and I'm about 90% finished - I've just got to work out some small kinks, and it'll be as good as gold. I'd love it if you could stop by and let me know how you like it!

www.cassiemarie.com

I'm also almost finished with the painting I started a few days ago:

At this point I just need to wait for the paint to dry to go back in and add highlights.

Veggie Garden

2011-06-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

The veggie garden is doing great - minus a few bunnies who keep eating the lettuces!

{Baby Romaine Lettuce - when I went outside today, this guy was munched down completely - I think I'll be investing in a chicken wire fence.}

{Sage - it is getting huge! We've been cutting off leaves almost every day too!}

{Chives}

{Our front yard Zucchini - One thing I love about our house and neighborhood is that everyone has a veggie garden, so planting zucchini in your front yard isn't frowned upon - not that that would stop me.}

{This is the finished backyard plot - It really helped to remove the sod - we've hardly had any weeds - unlike my garden in Illinois which I had to weed every other day!}

{The first tomato flowers on the cherry tomato plants - I'm really looking forward to having cherry tomatoes, I don't think many of them will survive being eaten straight off of the plant.}

{The first serrano pepper! It's a little lumpy, but it is growing!}

{And last but not least, the bright lights swiss chard - my favorite lettuce because you can harvest from it all summer and fall and it keeps coming back.}

Flower Garden

2011-06-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

{Asiatic Lily}

{Bumble Bee}

{The first of the roses}

{Flower Garden - There are two kinds of lilies, black eyed susans, and a few other flowers that haven't bloomed yet.}

{Western Columbine}

Even though I took out some of the flowers, and am going to downsize the flower garden a bit next year, I am enjoying the ones I kept around - especially after getting control of the giant thistles that were everywhere!

2011-06-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

Just finished another small painting from our trip to Colorado.
8x8" Oil on Canvas

Studio/Goodies

2011-06-09T11:41:00.001-07:00

I've been cranking out these small paintings in between waiting for larger paintings to dry.
While waiting for this under-painting to dry....

... I started an 8x8" landscape painting. I made a brick red/ white under-painting in acrylic because I could paint over it with oil right after it dried.

The painting in progress - I've got the sky and mountains done. When working on these small landscapes I tend to work from the background to the foreground.

And the finished product:

8x8" - Oil on Canvas
I think I'm going to start listing these paintings on Etsy pretty soon, so keep an eye out!

In other news, I got this lovely hand-painted print in the mail from my good friend/ amazing artist Michele Bosak:

I love this piece because it reminds me of my sister Amy who we affectionately call 'Mimi' - who was also a very picky eater. It is getting framed and put in the kitchen.
Michele is an amazing artist, and you should really go check out more of her work at her website:
Michele Bosak
And take a look at her Etsy site:
MimiDoodles

Peony Bouquet from the Garden

2011-06-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

I love peonies, they are one of my favorite flowers.

Lucky for us, the previous owners of our house had planted a large mound of them in our backyard. They are just starting to bloom, and I was excited to see that they are a pink/white variety! So I picked a bunch of them along with some lilac blooms and they smell amazing.

It is so nice having fresh flowers in the house.

I also finished this small painting this afternoon:

Simplicity

2011-06-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is good to have a simple and relaxing day. Yesterday was that day for me.
Painting:

Making a terrarium using a thrifted glass container and a tiny plant I found in my yard.

And a simple dinner of Salmon and Red Potatoes.

I'm waiting for corn to be in season so I can do a shrimp/potato/onion/corn boil! Even though it is hot as hell outside, I'm really loving this summer so far. :)

In the Studio

2011-06-06T15:54:00.000-07:00

I finally took the time clean out my studio a bit so I could paint without having to maneuver around boxes and random art supplies!

I love oil paint. Isn't that pink the perfect bubble gum pink? Yum. It has been so nice to spend a few solid days working on painting - I feel like I've got my painting mojo back now that the sun is back.

This is the underpainting - a quick study of light and dark. I like to use a tinted canvas - it helps me to quickly lay out the light and dark areas, and forces me to build up thicker layers of paint.

I also really like this little table easel that I bought on a whim - it works really well for smaller paintings.

I think this stage of the painting is a bit creepy looking!

90% Finished - just have to wait for the paint to dry to go back in and 'fidget' with a few areas.

Lastly, the cats say HI!

Can you tell they are siblings?

In the Garden

2011-06-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Everything is starting to come to life in our garden! We've got a ton of stuff sprouting and growing, and our work is starting to pay off!

{Baby Zucchini}

{Cherry Tomatoes}

{Swiss Chard}

{Genovese Basil}

{Baby Romaine}

{Armenian Cucumbers}

{Front yard raised bed garden - we took out some huge perrenial flowers and planted the zucchini and cucumbers here}

We've also got a huge mound of peonies almost in bloom! If you live near me, you'll probably be receiving some!

Small Paintings

2011-06-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of quick paintings I did while in Colorado - both are done on 5 x 7" paper using watercolor.

{Half-melted snow outside our window}

{Pine trees at sunset}

John Statz's Kickstarter Campaign!

2011-06-02T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
Just wanted to share my good friend John Statz's Kickstarter campaign with you guys! He's using Kickstarter to fund his next recording project/ record. If you donate more than $10 you will get a digital copy of the CD once it is finished - please consider supporting independent (not to mention awesome) singer songwriters!

To go directly to his fundraising page, click the following:
John Statz - Kickstarter Campaign

Snapshots of Colorado

2011-06-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

{Landing in Denver}

{@ Red Rocks}

{Scoops @ the Ethiopian Restaurant}

{Driving through the Mountains on the way to Frasier}

{Out for a walk with the Husband}

{Nice view!}

{Dead Pines and Sunshine}

{Day Hike near Rocky Mountain National Park}

{Moose! We saw two on our hike - this one and another one that we were about 30 feet away from!}

{Johnny and Nate trying to cross the mountain creek}

{One of the lookout points we hiked to - This is where we saw the first moose in the distance}

{Nate and I}

{John, Heidi, Nate, and I after our hike}

{Mountains and Clouds}

{On the drive back to Denver}

{Just east of Denver from the plane}

{Heading back to Wisconsin}

We had a wonderful time in Colorado - John and Heidi were amazing hosts, and we are already starting to talk about where we are all going to go next year. It is fun to hang out with another Musician/Artist couple! You should most definitely check them out: John Statz & Heidi Keys

2011-05-29T23:22:00.001-07:00

Sorry about the recent hiatus - we've been on vacation in Colorado!

I'll be back soon!

Two Hawks

2011-05-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

{Two Hawks - Verithin Black Pencil on Bristol - 9 x 13"}

The most recent drawing in my ongoing collaboration with Joe Briggs.

Gardening

2011-05-15T19:57:00.000-07:00

In honor of my dinner of frozen pizza and beer, I am posting some pictures of the progress in our garden.
First off, the reason I'm having pizza is this 10x10 foot garden bed I dug out today. After finishing the never-ending digging I was useless for the rest of the evening.

I am exhausted even looking at the picture! I'd still like to do one more bed along with this one, but I'll get this one planted before I move on to the next one.
My little seedlings are really starting grow - just in time!

{Tomato Sprouts}

And last but not least - we bought our cats a present:

A window mounted bird feeder for our cats. Our cat Bobo (aka - Bobopants, Pretty Boy, Bobo-fet, Buddy Boy, etc..) loves birds. He watches them for hours every day. All we have to do is mention the word 'Birdy' and he'll run over and start 'barking' at the birds. Yes, our cat barks.
Hopefully some birds will come visit the feeder soon!

Thrifted Recently:

2011-05-13T23:05:00.000-07:00

I love this casserole dish. I'm collecting robin's egg blue retro cookware for the kitchen, and this piece rocks.

Some lovely glass jars to be made into tabletop terrariums.

And the icing on the cake - these lovely leather heels. I lusted after the same pair for a year in the store hoping they'd go on sale, but they never did. Amazingly I found the same pair looking like they were only worn once, for two bucks at the thrift shop.

Lucky day!

In the Studio

2011-05-13T10:00:00.000-07:00

Now that I am finally done with grading and all of the other little details that teaching online includes, I am free for the summer! Time to get back on track with my studio work.

I am excited to keep working on a long-term project I've been working on with my good friend Joe Briggs. He is a poet, and we've been sending words and drawings back and forth for a few months now.

I've also got a lot of unfinished projects that I'd really like to get off of my back! Nothing like a long summer to tie up loose ends.

And of course there are always new projects to be started.

Rascal helps me with my work:

In the Garden

2011-05-09T13:27:00.000-07:00

Between finishing up class stuff and attempting to clean our house after finals I've made some time to get out to the garden. I've got most of the herbs in and re-potted some of my seedlings. Next week I hope to plant the majority of our veggies as we'll be going on a vacation to see our good friends in Colorado!
Here's what I did so far:

{Rosemary}

{Mint & the weird bunny}

{Genovese Basil}

{Chives with St. Francis who came with the house- hehe}

{Sage}

{The Virgin and some beastly weeds!}

{Raspberries! - Which most likely I'll have to wait until next year to harvest from. :( }

That is it for now kids, I'm off to spend some quality time in my studio!

Furniture :)

2011-05-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

While visiting my Grandma Betty this last week, she reminded me of an ottoman she had in her basement that I would always ask her if I could have when I was a kid, and she let me take it home!
Who knew I had such good taste as a kid!

Thanks Grandma Betty!
It matches all of my other mid-century furniture in my living room, and is the perfect size for our couch which sits pretty low to the ground.
I also picked up some table legs (Vika Lerberg) from Ikea while I was in Chicago. I've been looking for a simple large table for my studio for some time now, and haven't been able to thrift one, so this is the next best thing.

Each trestle cost $10, and I had the wood for the top already (birch plywood) - I really like how simple this table is! It also matches my other industrial table that I've got in my studio. The top just sits on the legs, so I can pull it apart and move it or store it really easily.

Chi-town

2011-05-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

This last week I've been on a marathon solo road trip. I went from South Dakota ----> Dodgeville, Wisconsin ----> DeKalb, Illinois ----> Chicago ----> Milwaukee, Wisconsin ----> LaCrosse, Wisconsin ----> South Dakota. I had amazing timing with the gas prices spiking, but it was worth it to be able to see family, friends, and a crazy amount of art.
The goal of my adventure was to go to Art Chicago/Next with my friends Ann Flowers and Darren Houser (both excellent friends and artists to boot!).
It is held in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago - and we woke up nice and early to get there when it opened. I think it is one of the first times in history that three artists went somewhere together and arrived on time. Maybe we are finally grown-ups (probably not).

It was so great to get out and to see so much art. I've really been missing a connection to the 'Art World' since moving to South Dakota, so this was a much needed 'fix'. Through blogging and online it is easier than ever to stay somewhat connected, but there is nothing like seeing things up close.

{Nina Rizzo}

{Claire Sherman}

{Peter Opheim}

Also, if you are interested in seeing more of the pieces/artists I enjoyed - check out my board on Pinterest:
Artists I Love

Revamped Dress

2011-04-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

I've been busy packing to go to Wisconsin/Chicago tomorrow, but in between my errands I had a chance to revamp a thrifted dress!
You like?

This dress cost me a whole dollar! I really liked the cowl neckline, but color and length were all wrong:

Completely unflattering. I am about 5'10", so this supposedly full-length dress was a full 6" off the ground. So, I cut off about 20" and then hemmed the bottom with a simple straight stretch stitch on my sewing machine.

But I still didn't love the color. I remembered I had some dye that I had picked up a while ago for cotton yarn, so I used it on the dress, and it worked great!

Those last two pictures of myself make it seem like I am somewhat photogenic. I assure you I am most certainly not! Proof:

Nate told me to do a foxy pose, and that was what he got. Fail!

Working on the Kitchen

2011-04-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

This last week I've been doing little projects around the house - mostly in the kitchen and guest room. We've been wanting to replace our kitchen cabinet handles for some time now, but the ones we liked were $7 a piece at Lowes, so it would have cost us about $175 to replace them. Fortunately, we found the same exact ones on Ebay for $40! I love Ebay!

They made a total difference. I put them on as soon as I got them in the mail.

They look SO much better! Our kitchen cabinets are original, and they make them look brand new. I really like the fact that the previous owners painted the kitchen cabinets instead of ripping them out and replacing them with cheap new ones.

We've also got this ugly half wall that the early 90's decided to barf all over. I figured there had to be at least some semblance of a wall behind this awful paneling, so I finally decided to tear it down.

Before:

The first two panels came down well, I'll only have to patch and paint this side - easy peasy.

Then came the real fun:

Apparently that one little wall of paneling needed a whole bottle of wood glue to stick itself to the wall - I feel like this was the previous owners' way of getting back at me for taking down all of the paneling.

Or maybe they were secret Abstract Expressionists?

{Le Wall - by previous poor taste decorators}

Do you see how the paint just tore away! EEeeek! So, this wall is going to be covered with 1/8 " masonite panel, and painted to match the rest of the wall, there is no way I could patch this wall!

But, even in its unpainted state it still looks significantly better.

DIY Fancy Dry Erase Board

2011-04-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

This project was super easy. It requires a frame with glass, spray paint, and paper to put in the frame. All you do is take the frame apart, spray it the color you'd like, cut the paper to size, and put it all back together. You can use dry-erase markers on the glass.

Here is the frame I used - we had gotten it as a gift and never really used it because it was a bit gaudy for our style:

And after:

I love spray paint. It makes everything better. :)

Pita Pizzas & Garden Progress

2011-04-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

Usually we make pita pizzas on the grill, but since the weather has been less-than-pleasant around here, I tried making them in the oven instead, and they turned out great!

These are super-easy to make. I use whole wheat pitas as the crust (sprayed with a thin layer of olive oil), and then just layer on the sauce & toppings. We usually make a quick homemade sauce which consists of crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, salt, sugar, oregano, crushed red pepper, and a little dash of malt vinegar - all mixed up and microwaved for a minute or so, just to get everything dissolved. It is probably the laziest pizza sauce ever, but it works!
Then we just top it with mozzarella, mushrooms, spinach, oregano, and whatever else your heart desires & cook it at 400 degrees until the pitas are crispy and the cheese is melted.
In other news, the seedlings have started to grow!

We've got them set up with a light at night as well because it has been to cold to even keep them out on our screen porch, and it has been cloudy for two weeks straight!

They are getting a little bit 'leggy' but I'm hoping keeping the light on at night will help them from getting too tall.

Keep your fingers crossed that it will get warmer here soon!

Cold Rainy Spring

2011-04-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

Photos taken from a cruddy camera while riding in the back seat in rural South Dakota:

DIY Chalkboard Paint Closet Doors

2011-04-20T10:19:00.000-07:00

My studio is not huge, and I'm really trying to use all of the surfaces/space that I can. I was surfing on Pinterest (you can follow me here: Cassie Marie), and I came across a recipe for DIY Chalkboard paint.

So, naturally I had to try it.

I lightly sanded my closet doors, and then made the paint using some flat wall paint that I already owned. You can find the recipe for the paint here: Chalkboard Paint.

It turned out really well! I'm going to make some more for a large chalkboard for our kitchen soon too! It is nice to be able to use the doors for sketches, to-do-lists, and just doodling. :)

This saves a ton of money, especially if you are doing a large area, or wanting to use up old paints.

Lastly, Rascal says hi!

Visiting

2011-04-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

In the last week my good friend Jane, and Nate's parents both came to visit us here in South Dakota.

Jane had a show at the BrickHouse arts center while she was here. Here are some shots from that:

It was a good time, a bunch of people showed up even though we had awful weather the whole time she was here.

See:

Yuck. To think I wanted to get my garden beds planted. I think I'll wait a little longer.

Even though the weather was crap, it was great to see Jane! Hopefully I'll get a chance to visit her down in Iowa sometime this summer.

After Jane left for Iowa, Nate's parents arrived from Wisconsin. It was great to see them, and nice to just relax for a few days. We went up to Brookings for lunch and some antique and book store shopping. That is where we found all of the little ceramic animals from the last post.

We also went to an AFK (away from the keyboard) Reading at Mochavinos, and Terry (my father-in-law) got a chance to do a couple of readings from his book.

It was a great week. :)

Thrifted Recently:

2011-04-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

I have been having great luck at the thrift shops recently, there is some furniture coming my way on Friday as well, but I'll keep that a surprise until then.
For now there are these lovelies:

These tiny houses are adorable, they are perfect for a project I am working on.

Another Deer

I found two of these wonderful mid-century antelope.

And the icing on the cake - these beauties. I'm pretty sure they were never used. They have glass handles. :)

Gardening Plans!

2011-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Baby tiger lilies!

Spring is here! (hopefully!) I think I will cry if we get any more snow - up until last week we still had snow on the ground here! I was out in our yard today taking stock of the numerous flower beds around our house. My plan is to rip about half of them out to make room for veggie gardens. So, if anyone nearby would like some random flowers, please let me know, and I'll dig them out carefully for you!.

I spent a good portion of my day planning my garden and planting seeds. I usually try to plant my whole garden from seeds because it seems like the plants grow better. I planted sweet basil, thai basil, rosemary, beefsteak tomatoes, early tomatoes, jalapeños, yellow pear tomatoes, red peppers, orange peppers, chives, and lemon balm to start indoors. I'm also going to start some cherry tomatoes and mint, but I haven't found seeds for those yet locally.

On the sides of the porch there are two long skinny flower beds, but the flowers in them weren't too impressive last summer, so I'm going to take most of them out and try to establish a perennial herb garden in their place. Flowers are nice, but herbs are nicer.

I got fancy and painted some schematics.

All in all it was a nice relaxing day of planning and planting. It was warm (55 degrees!) and sunny.
But, I'm not getting too comfortable, there's a lot of work to be done still:

{one side of where my herb garden will be}

{draaaaaab - not sure what I'll do here - suggestions?}

{I'll be tearing out this weird curvy pain-in-the-arse to mow area, streamlining the flowerbed, and building my raised bed gardens here}

Wish me luck!

Drawing

2011-03-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

9x13" - Colored Pencil on Bristol

These last weeks have been a bit chaotic - so I made sure to take some time in the studio yesterday.

It doesn't help that it looks like this outside:

I am very ready for winter to be over.

House : Home

2011-03-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

These last few months the house has been kind of on pause. It is still pretty cold here, so I don't want to do too much painting until I can open up the windows. I've got a lot of plans for the house this summer - hopefully I can get to them all!
Even though it is still a work-in-progress, the house is starting to feel a bit more like home.
Artwork:

All of the pieces here are mine except the two in wood frames. The top one is by Julianna Swaney and the bottom one is by Katy Horan.

This is my $5 thrifted vintage record cabinet with a $1 vase and a revamped free mirror. :) It makes me happy.

More artwork! Clockwise from the top: A painting by a good friend Tom Berenz, a paper-cutting from another good friend Darren Houser, a small gouache painting from my thesis show, and a drawing from way back in undergrad.

What's Cooking?

2011-03-19T09:51:00.000-07:00

This week has been a little bit less jam packed than the last few weeks, and I've been able to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
We've been eating a lot of veggies lately. One of my favorite veggie-based meals is Portabella Mushroom burgers. They are so quick & easy, and taste wonderful to boot.

I've been doing some preliminary garden planning as well. I'd like to get my seedlings started in the next week or so. I can't wait to have some fresh herbs and veggies! My plan for this year is lots of beans, lettuce, swiss chard, tomatoes, chives, basil & peppers. I'd also like to establish a perennial herb garden in our front yard. We've got a big raised bed and I'd really like to rip out some of the decorative shrubs that are there, and plant some edibles.
So far I'm thinking: Chives, Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Oregano, and Mint (in a container). If you guys have any other perennial herbs you'd recommend, please let me know!

For now, I'm perfecting my homemade yogurt, and working on writing up recipes for some of my favorite dishes.

Return of My Etsy Shop

2011-03-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

I've finally gotten back on track with my Etsy Shop!

I'm mostly listing vintage items, but soon I hope to post more artwork and knitting patterns.

Here's a preview of what's new!

Thrifted Recently:

2011-03-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

Nate and I were in Sioux Falls last weekend, and I got to do a good bit of thrifting! I found a ton of things, including some great jewelry. You cant beat necklaces for 75 cents.

I may take this one apart for the beads. I'm not sure yet though.

I love the simplicity of this one - it is really long and can be doubled up as well.

I also picked up this great little pan!

It is so cute I could marry it.

Self Portrait, Winter Needs to be Over.

2011-03-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I get stuck in the studio I do a self portrait to get myself back on track. This is the result:
14x14" Oil on Canvas.

I think this last leg of winter has really worn on me. I've been working from home (teaching online) and yearning to get out and about - ride my bike, start my garden, etc. It has been cold and windy as heck.

The 45 mph winds make even a 30 degree day seem frigid.

These shots are from the beginning of our drive home from Wisconsin to South Dakota - it is a drive that should take 71/2 hours, and ended up taking close to 10 because of black ice and crazy winds!
No more driving until winter is gone please!

Wisconsin Protests

2011-03-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

While in Wisconsin over our Spring Break we made it a point to get to the Capitol to protest against the budget repair being put forth by Governor Walker. The protests have been amazing to watch, and I'm so proud of my fellow Wisconsinites for standing up for what they believe in, and not letting corporate interests trump human interests.

{Inside the Capitol in Madison - one of my favorite places to be in Wisconsin}

Outside of the Capitol on a Sunday afternoon - there have been massive protests every Saturday since the bill was introduced. Even though Walker signed the bill into law this last week, people are still coming out. The lawn of the Capitol is torn up from all of the people who have been protesting the last few weeks. This last Saturday approximately 100,000 people showed up to protest.

{Nate and I}
We were so thankful to have made it out to protest.

Even though the bill has passed, I hope it serves a wake-up call for the middle class. The news keeps reporting that this issue has 'awaken a sleeping giant.' I think the most disturbing thing about this issue has been the disrespect shown towards Wisconsin's educators. There are people who are celebrating the fact that this bill went through. I think that is downright shameful. Would I celebrate if another person got an 8% salary cut, and lost their rights to collectively bargain? No. I've always held the belief that you should never look down upon another person unless you are helping them up.

That being said, I think that the biggest issue here is not just the cuts to education, but the influence that corporations are now having over our government. This is a video showing how the 'Citizens United' bill is affecting our political system. I think that whatever party you are a part of, you should be disturbed by this:

CD Release!

2011-03-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the recent hiatus - the combination of midterm grading, traveling to Wisconsin, and getting ready for Nate's CD Release Party mixed with frequent Migraines has left me with very little 'fun' time recently! But I'm back on track now!
So, the next few posts will be a recap of the last few weeks:
First off, Nate had his CD Release Party here in South Dakota - and it went over really well! Here are some pics from the show:

He had a group of his friends here accompany him on many of the songs, and he did a combination of songs from the CD and covers of artists that inspired him.

{Chris Champion}

Nate even forced me to sing a few songs with him. I am terrified of singing in public! I don't know why, it is just extremely nerve wracking for me. Here's a video of a Josh Ritter song that we covered together:

I'm really glad I did it! Although I'm glad the color quality of the video isn't too great otherwise you'd be able to see that I turn bright red anytime I am nervous!
Anyways, if you are interested, here's a link to where you can purchase a CD, and preview all of the tracks:

On Wisconsin!

2011-02-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

I am usually not one to get political. Why? I think I am cursed as a Libra to always listen to both sides, and try to come to a compromise. I don't like to rush to conclusions or make sweeping statements about other people.

That being said, I think what is happening in my home state is both deeply disturbing and extremely inspiring.
If you want, you can read a bit about what is happening in this Journal Sentinel article, or from this op-ed piece in the New York Times.

I could not be more proud of my friends, family members, and former teachers & professors who were out at the Capitol this last week protesting. Close to 70,000 showed up on Saturday - in the cold - and peacefully protested.

Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill Protest from Matt Wisniewski on Vimeo.

Honestly, this video brought me to tears.

I am a teacher. I pay taxes like everyone else. I did not go in to teaching for the money, and I will stay in teaching because I care deeply about the future of our country, I want EVERY child (whether or not their parents have money) to have a chance to succeed, and I care deeply about the future of the arts. If I wanted to make money, I would have gone to school for something else. Whatever your political inclinations are, I hope you take the time to think about the implications of such drastic changes before it is too late.

Wisconsin "Budget Repair Bill" Protest Pt 2 from Matt Wisniewski on Vimeo.

Smoothie Time

2011-02-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
Amidst the craziness of the last few weeks, I've been enjoying making smoothies with my homemade yogurt.

They are really simple to make and are a great way to make your day a bit brighter and healthier.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Plain Yogurt
1 Banana
Handful of Frozen Blueberries
1/4 Cup of Milk (or you can sub in a few ice cubes)
Tbsp Honey

Put it in your blender and you are done! Makes 2 servings.

Puppies & Paintings

2011-02-15T13:43:00.000-08:00

Our friends Giles and Angie got a new puppy! His name is Bilbo:

I had a nice 'study' session with Angie - we made smoothies and were mostly distracted by the little fluff-ball.

I love this photo, his little nose looks like a heart!

Ehn!

In other not so cute news, I did a quick painting on Sunday. Sometimes I just like to do a quick study, especially after putting 30+ hours in on a looong painting.
This one is watercolor:

It is nice to do a low stress painting every once and a while!

That's it for now! Hope you all had a wonderful Valentines Day!

Homemade Yogurt!

2011-02-12T17:14:00.000-08:00

This week's cooking accomplishment has been homemade yogurt! I was prompted to finally try making my own after reading a post on my future sister-in-law Amber's blog here: Don't Be Afraid of Real Yogurt

I know it may sound a bit scary, but homemade yogurt is actually fairly easy to make - granted you follow the directions closely until you get the process down. It is really cheap to make as well - I made a pint of yogurt for about $0.75. Basically all you do is heat milk to 180 degrees, cool it to 110, add some plain yogurt from the grocery store with live cultures (this is the bacteria that causes yogurt to form), and keep the yogurt at about 110 degrees for 7-8 hours until it solidifies. Once I worked out the kinks of making it the first time, it only took about 10 minutes to make it all the second time.

I didn't use a fancy yogurt maker or have to buy anything besides a $10 heating pad. I used this video tutorial: How to Make Homemade Yogurt. There are three parts to the video, and I followed it pretty closely. I only changed a few things. I used the low setting on my heating pad and covered the pot with a blanket to insulate it. This kept it at a perfect 110 degrees. I think the next time I make it I will pour the milk in to mason jars before I put it on the heating pad - this way I can transfer them straight to the fridge, and not have to mix up the yogurt (which thins it) before I cool it. I just bought a set of Ball Storage Caps to use for the jars instead of the metal lids.

The yogurt that you get is plain yogurt - which is really nice because you can choose the amount/kind of sweetener that you add to it. Store bought yogurt literally makes my teeth hurt after I eat it because there is so much sugar in it! I like to eat my homemade yogurt with a little honey and granola, or a dollop of raspberry jam! We've also made some really great smoothies using yogurt, honey, strawberries, and bananas. Yum.

Lastly,
If you are looking for a few good blogs to follow I'd recommended checking out Amber's blog here:
Coffee Table Reads
And, my sister Molly's blog here:
Molly Jo Cooks

Finished Painting

2011-02-11T11:42:00.001-08:00

Watercolor - 11x15"

Dark Days and Comfort Foods

2011-02-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

I've been a little stressed lately - I'm spending a lot of time working, and little time in my studio. I think there's got to be a correlation there. The house is messy and I've got an unending to-do list!
Cooking has been my solace as of late. I think it has something to do with the weather, and my general mood.

I made this soup last week, and again yesterday. It is simply cooked (and well rinsed) soba noodles, veggie broth, 1/3 inch tofu cubes, cilantro, chopped green onions, and a tiny dash of garlic powder and ginger powder. Usually when I make soups like this, I make a lot, and eat it for lunch multiple days. I love cooking, but I also love homemade leftovers.

It has also been very snowy here - which is to be expected in South Dakota. I think the difference between here and Wisconsin/Illinois is that the snow doesn't ever really melt. Usually in Wisconsin we'd have a couple of freak days each winter where the snow would melt away leaving a gross muddy slush everywhere. I specifically remember one Christmas in Wisconsin where all of us cousins were outside at my aunts house playing basketball in t-shirts because it was 65 degrees outside. Those days where you could feel the sun and be reminded that summer will in fact eventually come back were so revitalizing.
At least now I am working from home, and get to see the sunshine every day. When I was living in Illinois for grad school, I remember the second winter I was there my schedule was so intense that I rarely got to see daylight! I taught an 8am class, and would be either on campus (in a windowless room) or at my studio (also windowless) and by the time I'd leave at around 7 or 8pm, it would be pitch black outside. That was a hard winter. I'm thinking I need a vacation someplace warm!
On the plus side, I got these sweet pyrex mixing bowls at the thrift shop last weekend!

Nate was a sweetheart and went thrifting with me. I'm pretty sure it may have had something to do with the fact that I let him bring a drum kit in to the house. :)

Late Night Painting

2011-01-26T23:51:00.000-08:00

Winter in South Dakota is dark. And cold.
It is a good thing I've got my studio, otherwise I think I'd go stir-crazy.

I've been working on some watercolors as of late. It is a continuation of a series I've been painting on and off for a few years now. Winter always drives me to paint what is immediately around me. The newest ones are interior views of my house. Some are just sketches at this point, and others are further along:

Watercolor is a tricky beast. It requires intense concentration, and is not very forgiving. The hardest things to paint are the flat areas that fade from one color to another, or from light to dark. For some reason I like to leave these until the end. It is like a game of Russian roulette at that point. One wrong move and the painting could be trash. Maybe it is the sadist in me that likes such an intense challenge.

I use these watercolors: Yarka St. Petersburg Watercolor Pans. I prefer watercolor pans over watercolor tubes because I can easily have access to a huge palette for precise color mixing. I love this set especially because it contains really high quality pigments. They also re-wet pretty well once they dry on your palette, unlike most watercolor tubes I've used. I've had this set for about 5 years now, and made over 40 paintings - so they last amazingly long.
But enough painting talk.
Here's a pic from outside my studio window. Despite it being cold, it is extremely beautiful outside.
Glitter Snow!

Knitting - Mittens and Cowl!

2011-01-26T23:17:00.000-08:00

This cowl is my first real finished project from my new (to me) knitting machine.

The main yarn I used was recycled from a cotton sweater - it is a marled black/grey/white mix. That is the part that was done on the knitting machine. For the white part, I picked up the stitches and knit with some spare yarn that I had left over from another project. I really like how it turned out.

Second up is a project I started while watching the NFC Playoffs. They are gold mittens - in honor of the Packers. :)

They've got a chain cable running down the center. I think I'll call them the "movin' the chains" mittens. I've got to work out the kinks a bit, but I think I may write up a pattern for these as well.

Recent Aquisitions

2011-01-21T11:10:00.000-08:00

I haven't done too much thrifting lately, but I do have a couple little things to share that I picked up at the thrift store in town here.
Firstly, there is this strapping bunny:

I have an affinity for white ceramic forest animals! :) I'm sure he'll be featured in a painting in the near future...
And then I found this beauty:
It's a sweater knitting machine. At first it wasn't working - it just chewed up the yarn, and the needles weren't moving at all. I cleaned it out really well, fixed a few of the prongs that had been bent or broken, and now it works just as it is supposed to. I paid $20 for over $200 worth of equipment!
I hope this will encourage me to get a few more sweaters done. It just does stockinette stitch, but it leaves raw stitches at the top and bottom of the work, so you can just pick them up and rib stitch, or finish off the edges.
I've already knit a cowl - there will be pictures soon, I promise!

Meaty Goodness: Pork Carnitas!

2011-01-20T15:03:00.000-08:00

I had bought a pork sirloin roast at the grocery store the other day because it was on sale with the intention of making pulled pork sandwiches. After bumbling around on the internet for a while searching for recipes, I came across a bunch of recipes for pork carnitas, and changed the game plan. This recipe was an amalgamation of about five different recipes - I didn't want to leave the house, so I used what I had on hand and it turned out fantastically. Also, it is done in a slow cooker - it is so easy!

Pork Carnitas:

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb pork sirloin roast
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 C orange juice
1/4 C lime juice
7-8 cloves garlic cut in half
1/2 c chicken broth
1 dash pepper

Instructions:

Mix the salt and cumin together in a small bowl. Place the pork in the slow cooker, and with your hands rub the spice mixture in to the surface of the meat.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker, cover, and set on low. Cook for 9-10 hours.
Remove meat from slow cooker and shred with a fork. Once the meat is shredded - return it to the juices in the slow cooker.

We had ours as tacos with corn tortillas, cut up onions, cilantro, and salsa. Tonight I think we'll have the leftovers with rice, beans, cheese, & tomatoes.

So good!

Allan and Eve Fisher with Musician Sandy Champion @ the BrickHouse

2011-01-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday we had the latest installment of our monthly art shows at the BrickHouse! This month we featured drawings from Allan Fisher, a poetry/prose reading from Eve Fisher, and music from the lovely Sandy Champion.

We had a great turnout - which is (i'm sure) due to Allan and Eve's huge contributions to the art scene here in Madison. They are both really wonderful people and wonderful artists! Here are some shots from their show:

I can't wait until next month's show!

DIY Brown Sugar Scrub

2011-01-19T12:37:00.000-08:00

Because I have such sensitive skin, I've always been wary of skin products and body washes that contain crazy chemicals. It creeps me out that all of those weird ingredients are being absorbed in to your skin.
I used up the last of some really great sugar based body scrub and have been on the search for an inexpensive way to make my own. It couldn't be any easier to make, and so I'm sharing it with you!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Brown Sugar (Organic or Regular)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Vanilla Essential Oil (Optional)

All you need to do is mix the oil (slowly) into the sugar. If it is too grainy for you, add some more oil, and if it is too oily, add a bit more sugar. It is not rocket science! You can use it as is (it has a light brown sugar smell) or add in a few drops of essential oils. You can even use plain sugar instead of brown sugar.

It is a great exfoliator - I wouldn't use it more than once or twice a week though! Better yet, it is under $1 to make a whole tub!

Enjoy!

Measure - A Collaboration

2011-01-13T12:37:00.000-08:00

Some recent progress on the collaborative project I'm working on with my good friend Joe:

And,

2010 In Review {better late than never!}

2011-01-13T11:48:00.000-08:00

{In Milwaukee over the holidays - headed to the Third Ward on the Riverwalk}

So, as you may have noticed, I've been a bit absent from this blog lately. Christmas tends to take a lot out of me between travelling, and getting ready for the semester ahead of me. I am finally taking the time to do a review of the things happened in 2010!

I graduated with my MFA in Painting/Drawing from NIU, and for the first time in 19 years, I am no longer a student.
Taught Drawing 2 and Life Drawing at NIU.
Had my Thesis Show entitled 'Shelter Me'.
Showed in our Graduate Group Show.
Worked on a collaboritive exhibition with Guerra De La Paz
Showed at ARC Gallery in Chicago.
Moved 600 miles to rural South Dakota with my husband to work at DSU - he in the Music department, and I in the Art department as an Adjunct.
We bought a house!
I had a show in Miami at Carol Jazzar, went to the opening, and met many wonderful and inspiring people!
Was the matron of honor in my little sister's wedding to her wonderful husband Zach
My Brother-in-law got Engaged!
Started a weekly Knitting Group.
Joined the MAAC, became Vice President, and helped set up a monthly exhibition series at the BrickHouse.

It has been a crazy year, and there is no way I would have predicted at the beginning of 2010 that we'd be homeowners in rural South Dakota, and have jobs in our fields for that matter! It has been such a crazy year, from the stress and excitement of my final semester of Graduate school, to leaving our very good friends in Illinois, to meeting new people and friends here in South Dakota.

My goals for this year are simple:

Make Art and Live Well.

Wishing you all a wonderful new year!

Much Love,

-Cassie

Cassie's Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe

2011-01-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

After almost two weeks on the road visiting family and friends in Wisconsin, we are back in South Dakota and needed some comfort food. Also, I had to give my new immersion blender a whirl! {thanks mom for getting it for me for x-mas!} If you don't have one, get one now!

After seaching online I couldn't find a recipe for creamy tomato soup that I liked, so I mashed all of the ones I found into one, and it was amazing - so I'm sharing with you guys. Here are the results:

Cassie's Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe
Ingredients:

-1 small onion

-2-3 cloves garlic

-2 tbsp butter

-1 large can crushed tomato (28oz)

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1 cup chicken broth

-2-3 slices of crusty bread (can be day old)

-4 oz (1/2 block) cream cheese

-Salt and pepper

*you’ll also need an immersion blender

Step 1:

In a deep stock pot, cook chopped onion, chopped garlic, and butter on medium heat until they are translucent. Stir constantly to avoid having the butter burn. You don’t have to chop the garlic and onion very finely because you will be blending the soup later.

Step 2:

Pour in the can of crushed tomato, the baking soda (which neutralizes some of the acid in the tomatoes), and the chicken broth into the pot. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3:

Cut the bread and cream cheese into chunks and add to the soup. Let simmer while stirring for a few minutes.

Step 4:

Blend with your immersion blender and then let cool for a few minutes. Garnish with oyster crackers, and cheese. Enjoy!

Wristlet

2010-12-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

After my favorite wristlet/clutch bit the dust, I was determined to replace it with something handmade. This is the solution to that conundrum:

I'm working on writing up a pattern for this little beauty. It is done with a combination of knitting and crochet, and has very little seaming. The most challenging part of it is the lining, but even that isn't so bad. I'm thinking of making a version with a button flap too for those people who cringe at the thought of sewing in a lining.

I was hesitant about the zipper at first, but now I love it.

Also, there is only ONE end to weave in with this. I think I may be the laziest knitter/crocheter ever!

Progress shot:

Pinning in the lining:

Done!

Fun with Bokeh

2010-12-15T09:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I came across a tutorial for how to create shapes out of bokeh (the blurry bits in the background of your pictures when you have a short focal depth) and I decided to try it out on our Christmas tree.

The tutorial is here. I love the way it turned out!

All I did was cut out the shape I wanted to make out of dark colored construction paper, and then I just held it up to the front/center of the lens of my D50 and manually blurred the focus with the camera at the widest (lowest) F-stop. Easy peasy.

These are my little cutouts:

And, for good measure, I also got a picture of Bobo with heart shaped bokeh. :)

Collaborations

2010-12-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

I've recently gotten in touch with my good friend Joseph Briggs about doing a project together. We both went to undergrad at UWO, and met while working quite possibly the grossest job ever together - cleaning dorm rooms after students moved out. Since then, we are both doing far more awesome things.

He's an excellent poet. I'd been keeping pace with what he was working on via Twitter and Tumblr.

So, the idea is to do drawings based on some of his poems that he's sending over. I'm hoping we can self-publish a short book with the drawings and poetry.

Here's the progression of how the first drawing came to be:

Getting Texture Samples:

My Favorite Supplies! Verithin Pencils, Tuff Stuff Eraser Sticks, Mini T-Square, Bristol Board, Maped Pencil Sharpener, and COFFEE!

And, the finished drawing:

I'm really excited to see where this goes.