whirlwind of events

This final year of grad school has started off fast. Aside from getting ready for teaching and settling in to my new studio, I was recently in New Orleans for the Southeastern College Art Conference, where I chaired a panel on art and memory. It was a great conference and I got lots of good ideas for teaching and thinking about my work. New Orleans, although still recovering from hurricanes, is quite lovely and I think I finally have an understanding of why people are so dedicated to staying there. It was one of the most unique cities to which I've been. My work within there lies seven was also featured in the SECAC Members' Exhibition at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art.

Also, taking away from my blogging activity has been working on my website which you can now visit at www.jessievanderlaan.com
Check it out. There are still some things that are on the way or may change but it's a start.
Enjoy.

to the big farm

Goodbye sweet Saba.
You were loved and you will be missed.

a hole in my nest

Monday brought rain, and wind, and nature a little closer to our home than even I usually care for it. This event left me a bit shaken, but also very thankful. While I was forced to abandon the dinner I was making and the vacation that was on the horizon, all members of our home are safe and were even able to sleep in our own beds that night (sleep and nerves being aided by a glass of whiskey). My heart goes out to all the people that have been displaced by the natural disasters plaguing our country and planet in recent history and whose troubles were not so easily remedied. Now, the tree is cleared, the wholes tarped, and my next exercise will be in patience, as I'm sure that the repair will not be as swift as the damage. Hopefully we'll emerge with a stronger nest than we began, and a new appreciation for our little home as well.

steps towards balance

It seems for the last year or two my work and my thoughts keep coming back to the idea of balance. Lately, I've been particularly focused on figuring out how to balance my needs to be more economical, more healthy and more eco-friendly. Is it possible to spend less, eat better and buy local, organic food all at the same time? Some days are better than others. Today, I went to the local farmers market, which luckily seems to be both popular and growing. I bought kale, carrots, zucchini and cucumbers, all lovely and affordable. I skipped the organic chicken, much to my embarrassment because after asking for one, I realized the chicken was $20, which exceeded my budget of $10 for the whole trip. I was forced to apologize profusely and go home chickenless. I bet that would've been one tasty bird though.
My other quest lately is to revert back to my hippie ways of buying used, and in general being less wasteful. Ken and I recently traded in many unread or overly read books from our full bookshelves and were able to pick up some new reads and movies with credit left over. I am stunned that I haven't taken advantage of buying used books more in the past, what a waste! My other recent step against waste is beginning to compost, which so far is going well, I think. It's too early to tell if I'm producing excellent soil, but I have my fingers crossed and it's wonderful not to through coffee grinds and veggie scraps in the trash. My next step: not wasting my time. This I think will be my biggest uphill battle, my prowess for procrastination is legendary.
Lastly, the step towards balance most revered by Van der Laan women, I decided to make bread today. There is just something so satisfying about kneading and kneading until you have a lovely ball of dough to let sit and do its magic.

new resolutions

Here are some images from my most recent show, Sewn Together.

This was a fabulous show that I held along with my friend Jamie Alonzo, at The Birdhouse in Knoxville.

Jamie and I each had our own space, so these images are just of my work.

Transitioning from the show in October, I have begun thinking of the balance between inside and outside as well as up and down. I am continuing to explore the "in between" moments and portion of a story they tell. These fragments of journeys are moments of hope, filled with desire and fear, mingled in a quiet moment.

I was also in this show able to return to working with sewing and fabric, in a more integrated way, long overdue to return to my work. Also, I have begun a new love story with casting, which seems to be a logical extension of printmaking. Funny enough, just as I do with prints I have been casting one of a kind objects, somewhat subverting the process.

As you can guess by my title, I have made yet another resolution to be more faithful to my blog.

It's been hard, with show, school and new family member, Josie, a sweet lab mix.

She had a hard beginning to life, she spent the first two weeks we had her at the vet fending off parvo but now she's healthy and happy, as are we. Pictures of her are on the way. Please keep coming back to this portion the web I've staked out, I promise to make it here more myself.