I moved to Miami Beach!

Well my hubby and I are in Miami Beach!  Living here.  It was a pretty easy move since all of our stuff went to storage.  We're in a furnished place while we explore the area and find a spot to call our own. In the mean time, thanks to a new awesome Miami Beach friend, I've discovered a project called Sketchy Miami.  How cute is that?  The idea is to draw a portrait of everyone in Miami.  If you live in Miami upload a picture and a local artist will sketch you. If you're a local artist, pick a picture to sketch and upload it.  They have sketchy parties as well.  So much fun!  We are encouraged to sketch people we don't already know to promote mingling. I plan on sketching a few portraits. Here's my first one, her name is Kayla...

SPACE gallery sketchbook tour

The Sketchbook tour continues in Portland Maine at the SPACE Gallery.   I reunited with my sketchbook and explored many other books once more.
 This book by Jade Chang in Taiwan has been traveling right next to mine while on tour.   It's beautiful!
 So. much. talent.  It almost takes my breath away how much goodness is oozing from these pages.
 Some more of my favorites were from Mette Hornung Rankin of Portland, OR and Mary Anne Lloyd  of Portland, ME.
 Yes, I was having a floppy, humidity overload, mopey hair day.
 While we were at SPACE Gallery I got a text that someone had checkout my book! (we found out later by the staff, that was a first).  Seeing other people looking at my book was exciting and a little scary for a second.  Haley and her mom both made their own book too.
 We stopped for lunch at my favorite veg restaurant Green Elephant.  We even had the same waiter and table as the last time we were there six months ago.
 Panang Curry vegetable with tempeh and Chinese Broccoli with soy fillet was our wonderful lunch. yum, yum and yum!  And a special rare treat of chocolate orange pie for dessert.
 
 Back to the gallery to see Haley and Mary Jo's sketchbooks our newest sketchbook friends.  Oh so cute!
 My favorite pages from Haley's book.  She is such a doll.
 And from Mary Jo's book...I can feel the magic from this pic.
Gotta love a mama that supports creativity!
 
 The man behind the genius software of the library and such...Shane.
Other geniuses behind the scenes that make this possible.
  
                                            So much fun.
Next up for the sketchbooks is Atlanta, GA

new sketches

I've already started to fill up one of my new sketchbooks I bought in Brooklyn.  Here's the evidence...

I get excited once a new book has been broken in.  Sometimes it can be a lot of pressure to mark that first page of a new book.  I usually skip the first few pages, but this time I started right on the front cover!  surprised myself.  Think about a time you've surprised yourself and remember that next time you're facing a 'blank page'.

Opening night in Brooklyn

Our trip to the Brooklyn Art Library for the Sketchbook Opening was fabulous!  Luckily we got there early to check it out.  The space is beautiful, very organized and there were great goodies for sale, like blank sketchbooks, which of course I found two more I HAD to buy.
All the books were catalogued and behind a rope.   With a library card you can check out two sketchbooks at a time.   Tommy and I looked at around 20 books.  The smell in the air was sweet from the chocolatier next door, it lured us over to all that chocolate goodness.  It was like Willy Wonka's factory next door.  After our chocolate break we went back in for more sketchbooks.  There was such a variety of books and talent it's almost overwhelming.  I wish I could look at every single one of them.
 
It got so packed opening night, there was standing room only.  People came from all over.  I was surprised how many people there hadn't made a sketchbook but were there to look at them or had come to look at a friends book.  We went back the next day to enjoy some more books.   What fun!
 

Click here to see if if the tour is coming near you.  If you'd like to see my book just give them my name 'Jen Meyer' and the category 'If you lived here'.  Or check out some pictures of it from this post.

Take a look at a future sketchbook here.

 

Sketchbook Project Complete!

After 4 months of drawings and coloring, I have finished my sketchbook project!   I'm excited to mail it off to Brooklyn for it's tour, display and new permanent home in the Brooklyn Art Library.  A part of me is a bit sad to let it go after spending so much time with it.  But I guess if I kept everything I made I'd be buried up to my neck!    I hope everyone can make it to one of the tour locations.  There will be tons of sketchbooks to browse and lots of inspiration to gather.   I'm so excited to see what everyone else has made, and to go to New York of course!  Here's a few pictures to hold ya over...





SugiPOP! at Portsmouth Museum of Art

*** showcasing cutting-edge Japanese anime, manga, comics and contemporary art -- runs through January 2011***

This show is a collaborative effort, featuring the work of nearly 30 established artists, and includes some awesome examples of original manga and comic art, plus original cels from somr of the coolest anime films made to date, like Cowboy Bebop and Princess Mononoke.

This show also features some original Edo woodblock prints from the likes of Hokusai and Kuniyoshi -- work that helped lay down the early foundations of today's modern Japanese style.

"Sugi", the Japanese word for "too much" or "excess", represents the extreme characteristics of Japanese manga and anime, which has then merged with the American phenomenon of Pop Art, to become SugiPOP!, a blend of Japanese and American contemporary art shaped and defined by over-the-top pop.

Cutting edge pieces have even been specifically created for the show, by such well-known personas as Mike Shinoda - lead singer from Linkin Park.

(more pictures after the jump.)


awesome epoxy work on this one.

"nice to meetcha."

pastry party.

you have to see this one in person to really appreciate the depth of it.

is the room too small, or is the bunny too big?

Astroboy anime cels.


teardrops/raindrops

About the PMA:

The Portsmouth Museum of Art is a community-centered museum presenting the work of emerging and established artists - local, national and international. We offer exhibitions and programs that educate the public about art, as well as to use art as a tool to generate conversation about current events, other cultures, social issues and a wide range of other topics with a diversity of viewpoints. Our goal is to enrich the local cultural landscape by developing partnerships, creating collaborative opportunities among artist and art organizations an by presenting a complete art experience that includes literature and poetry, performance art, film and other technologies and to initiate an on-going public dialogue around art.

Museum Hours:
Wednesday - Sunday 11:00-5:00
Open late Fridays until 8:00
Closed Monday and Tuesday

Location and General Information:
One Harbour Place
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-436-0332

Visit the PMA's website for more information about the show or to become a member! At only $25, it's a steal. :)

Sneek preview of sketchbook

So I've been working on my sketchbook for this art project.  And I thought I'd give you a sneek preview of my progress so far.  Here are a few pictures and it's still a work in progress.         

 If this kind of stuff excites and inspires you then by all means, come to one of the gallery shows in 2011!  There will be lots of other creative sketchbooks to browse!   You can also make your own sketchbook! You have till Oct 31st to sign up...get to it!

Sketchbook Project

Got my sketchbook!  Last time I sign up for this, I petered out and didn't turn anything in.  This time I plan to fill it up.  My category is 'If You Lived Here'.   I'll post some pictures through out the process.  Next year it will go on tour with all the other books to Brooklyn New York, Austin TX,  San Francisco CA, Portland ME, Atlanta GA, Chicago, IL   
Interested in making your own? click here for more info
came with a scan card
scanner for sketchbook library
blank and ready to be filled up!

                                                                               

Twitter Contest #1

Hi everyone! As some of you may know, I've recently joined twitter under the name @jenmeyerart, and will be tweeting and posting about all things art-related, things that inspire me, projects I'm working on or just interesting websites from other artists I come across.  If you're into twitter, hit me up and say hi!

Also, to celebrate my new twitter account, I'm giving away 3 free 'TweetBook' Notebooks, handmade by me, to write or draw anything you want while you're on the go...you might even want to make notes about what you want to tweet about when you get back to your computer! ;) (normally sold for $14 each on Etsy.  See more here.)

There are two ways to enter the contest (don't worry, they're both really easy):

1) Subscribe to my blog. See the subscribe button to the right? Just click it!
(if you're already subscribed, just leave me a comment)

and/or

2) Follow me on twitter and retweet this post:

RT @jenmeyerart is giving away 3 free TweetBook Notebooks! Click here to enter: http://bit.ly/ahJGGc #contests

That's it! remember, I'm giving away three TweetBooks and you get to choose your favorite color (pink, green/yellow, blue/pink, orange, green, green/pink, or blue/pink), so good luck and happy tweeting!

Winners will be picked at random when followers/subscribers reach 200+ and will be notified via DM or email. I will mail it to you for free!

Rearranged

I love my new work space!
Organized printing and shipping closet

Reorganizing feels so great!   I just finished swapping our bedroom and my studio room.   It took me a week and my husband was gracious with the mess (more like temporary disaster).  I set up a closet for a much needed shipping/printing zone.  And the other closet is nice and in order with art supplies.  I'm so organized now I can find anything!  No more squeezing and squishing around looking for that thing I put somewhere.  Aaaaaaaah. Now that it's finished I have a much bigger work space that flows wonderfully and everything has it's place!   Even a HUGE table to work on, YAY! OH so happy!  And our bedroom is much more cozy and faces the forest.  Now instead of waking up to the cleaning lady vacuuming the gym and the parking lot noise, we wake up to the trees and the birds chirping with the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind. This rearrangement of rooms lead to all the other rooms getting a face lift too, art works changed, furniture rearranged.  It feels like we are living in a brand new place!   The energy of everything has shifted, everything flows better and there's an excitement in the air.   I'm ready to get started creating lots of amazing art in this new space!

After I started this project I got an email from Daily Om that was exactly about energy and the space you live/work!  It's such a great article I'm posting it here for you to read...

Home Flow How Energy Moves at Home The place we call home should be a nurturing sanctuary to house our bodies and souls. Our living spaces can become nurturing homes for our bodies and souls when we make sure that our surroundings accurately reflect who we are as individuals and who we aspire to become. No matter how positive and creative you may be in your inner world, if your home or work surroundings are contradictory or present energetic barriers, you are likely to find it difficult to manifest all that you desire. By paying attention to the flow of energy around you, you can align your inner intentions with your outer realities to make your life a conscious act of creation.

We can look to the ancient Asian art of feng shui for guidance. Since the words “feng” and “shui” mean “wind” and “water,” you may want to walk through your home and imagine the way these elements would flow through your space. You can evaluate whether or not your home is a balanced ecosystem that would allow a plant to flourish. A straight path between doorways would make nourishing elements rush right through, while a pleasantly meandering stream would instead create a flow that nurtures life. Look for signs of debris that might obstruct the flow of such a river. Clutter acts like hurdles placed in your path, blocking you from creating what you want in your life. Once the obstacles are recognized, however, they can be removed to let energy flow freely throughout your home and your life so that you can thrive.

Your home can be thought of as a symbolic metaphor for your life. A neglected space may correspond to a lack of growth in your career or personal relationships. By shifting your perception, you shift the way you direct your energy and attention, which can enable you to make the changes you need to actively create the life of your dreams. If you need some assistance, you can always turn to a feng shui practitioner, but the most important thing is that you understand what resonates with your core being in order to feel alive and nurtured by your home.

Portland Pins

 

Portland Pins makes pins (aka buttons) out of your colored pages and sell them in candy machines around town!  How fun is that?? There's just something about it that excites me.  Here are my entries.  Next time you're in Portland, Maine bring lots of quarters for some fun, unique pins.  If you would like to participate check here to download a blank page to draw on.  yay fun!

Harvard Art Museum

 Last weekend Tommy and I spent most of the day at the Harvard Art Museum. What a delight!  We got to see the best of all three exhibits.  Of course it was all wonderful, but my favorite was the last room upstairs.  THE most famous art I've ever seen in one room in my entire life! 
 I was surprised we could take pictures of most of the pieces. 
   
Self portrait by Van Gogh. 
 
Lichtenstein! always a favorite  
The original "moleskine".

Monet's Pear Tree.
One of Tommy's favorites...don't remember who did this one.
 
The Buddha Room
The last room full of Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Picasso, Matisse and more, was so breathtaking.  All the pieces in that room were donated by ONE person.   Yes, all of that wonderful art was in one house.  It was donated to Harvard with one rule, that it all must remain in the same room at all times.
If you get a chance it's worth a visit. Definitely. And it's only $9!