Roz Wound Up

I Never Have Any Wrapping Paper

Left: The final birthday wrapping for Diane's gift—I went a little nuts on the doodling as I was on hold on the phone and the package was in front of me. (Approx. 7 x 9 inches.) Click on the image to view an enlargement and read below for info on this package.

Well I don't know about you but I never have wrapping paper around when I need to wrap a gift. I have tried to save paper from received gifts, and also saved gift bags, but then I just end up with a mound of shiny papers and bags that never get used, finally get recycled (if applicable), and tossed (if not recyclable). About 6 years ago I gave up on the whole wrapping paper thing. Now I use whatever is at hand. This can be paper scraps, sections of the Wall Street Journal, fabric scraps, grocery bags, whatever—even bond paper from the photocopier recycling pile!

My Prized Possessions: Episode 1

Above: a quick video of my prized Original Series Star Trek Phaser Key Chain! If the embedded video doesn't work, view it on YouTube.

I don't collect TV memorabilia, but I do have a lot of pieces of memorabilia related to TV. I guess I just collect a bunch of stuff; it's the crow in me. I use it, enjoy it, and none of it is "mint."

My friends indulge me in the pursuit of odd little things. I have Jennie and Sandy to thank for this little gem which they gave me about 6 or 7 years ago—it is still firing! (I have it near the phone to zap telemarketers!)

That's right—"Episode 1" in the title means there will be more. Oh joy!

Eye Candy—Utilitarian Objects, etc.

Above: Old seed sacks decorating the walls of the Crop Art "gallery" in the Ag-Hort Building (Agriculture-Horticulture) at the Minnesota State Fair. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Everywhere we look our culture offers up bits of visual distraction and interest. We might even see such things as billboards as urban blight. But on those billboards, and in the advertisements we see in print and on television, and in the signage stores display, and even in the clothing people wear, little bits of our history are being captured and displayed. Someday someone might even say he is nostalgic for one of those advertisements even though he didn't live in the time that produced that item.

I wasn't around when these seed bags were in use, but I can't help loving the typography and printing that made them possible. Nostalgia for things not lived. Nostalgia for a visual organization of elements that touches something emotional in me. How does it inform what I do as a visual artist either as a tribute, continuation, or rejection?

If you're trying to understand what appeals to you and what is merely an eye irritant, spend sometime looking at the packaging and items you surround yourself with. What do these things say about you?

If you want to understand a bit more about the visual organization of information take a look at the work of Edward Tufte.

Also, look at the work of graphic designers like Chip Kidd who throughout his career has put a face on many of the books you probably have sitting on your shelves and bedside tables. See Chip Kidd Work:1986 to 2006, Book One for "the heartwarming story of a little boy from the tiny community of Lincoln Park, Pennsylvania, who grew up to become that most anomalous of things: a famous book jacked designer." Here's a little interview with Kidd. And another interview with him here.

Start noting the visual media surrrounding you, filling your visual life. Explore what you think about these influences, how you respond to them, and what they tell you about your culture.

The 24-hour Comic Day in Minneapolis

Above: David Steinlicht and Zander Cannon work on their comics in the gallery space at MCBA. (David is doing a 24-page in 24 hours; Zander is doing a 12-page in 12 hours.) Click on the image to view an enlargement. It's only 7 p.m. on Saturday. Look closely at the Pictionary box. I have more to say about that!

On Saturday night a friend and I stopped in to see David Steinlicht at the 24 hour Comic Day being held at MCBA. (Be sure to check out the other links on David's site—to his own comics All Small and In This Corner, as well as other related sites of interest.)

To read more about this event and follow the updates see the 24-hour comic blog and scroll back to Oct. 2's first post to read events in order, see portraits of the comic artists at various hour milestones, etc. (You can also go to this post and then click on newer posts to read in chronological order. To read about the national event go here.

A Pop-up ATC from Terry Garrett

My friend Terry Garrett sent me one of his recent ATCs (Artist Trading Cards), and it's a pop-up with a cool surprise inside. I wanted you all to see it but my friend Ricë, who is also friends with Terry, saved me the trouble of photographing this little gem. See it on her blog Notes from the Voodoo Cafe. She has taken photos of it from every angle so you will be able to see it in detail. Go check out this marvelous card.

And a thank you to both Terry and Ricë. I don't get a lot of mail art any more, but you two are making feel more than a bit lazy!

To iPhone or Not To iPhone

Above: Tom holds his iPhone and shows how he marked the location of his favorite Cinnamon Bun stand at the Minnesota State Fair using one of the map apps available for this phone. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Something happened to the world that I knew in August. Almost everyone I knew went iPhone crazy—or so it seemed. A group of 4 other women with whom I correspond regularly as a group, started breaking out in iPhones like a rash. I admit it is awfully fun to get short videos of them out and about on their travels, but I wondered about all the chatter about apps. There seems to be an ap (or is that ap? I'd know if I had an iPhone) for everything. Frankly it amused me (and continues to amuse me no end) but it also seems dangerous. A lot of time seemed to be going into the selection and learning and application of these apps. These are all sensible, hard-working, highly productive women so I wasn't worried about them, but I did worry about what black hole I might get sucked into if I were to buy an iPhone.

There's Cool Graffiti Everywhere

Left: The Staedtler Pigment Liner Display at Wet Paint in St. Paul. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Saturday a former student from Iowa was visiting another former student who lives in St. Paul. They gave me a call and I met them at Wet Paint. (The Iowan, Beth, was eager to see the store and stock up on some supplies.) I gave them a very detailed tour of the store; exhaustive and exhausting—we had to repair to Shish for a bit of late lunch.

During the tour, when I rounded the corner from the panel storage area to the inks, pens, and papers, I pointed and said, "And here of course are my favorite pens." (Which of course they know about because they are former students.) Then I actually looked where I was pointing and saw how customers had decorated the entire display stand with minute graffiti!

Art just pops out everywhere.

I know graffiti isn't art in everyone's eyes. I have mixed feelings about it myself. I don't like the gang tags, but I love the full-blown murals you find on the sides of buildings and under over-passes. I'm against it in residential areas. I can't help loving the layered patina it adds in industrial areas. I understand the issues of clean up and cost. Even the Romans had to deal with graffiti so I think it's going to be around for awhile.

Still, when I am out and about I take photos of the graffiti I find and put those photos in my journal. For me it's part of the urban landscape.

If you ever wondered what it would be like to paint graffiti but you don't want to break the law, check out the journals they have at Wet Paint with pre-painted pages for you to deface. One of the journals has photos of industrial buildings and rusted doors waiting for your additions. It would be the perfect book to do an altered book journal. (Though it is a paperback, and I think it might have been perfect bound, I didn't check—hey I have a cold, it's hard to remember to be thorough.)  The other is a sketchbook with pages sporting line art of buildings, walls, train sides, etc., a more minimalist approach. These books seem to be the latest in a growing trend of "coloring books" for adults!

If you're out shopping in the area and need a bit to eat everyone says Shish has the best coffee in the neighborhood (I'm not a coffee drinker so I can't verify this for you). Their Gyros sandwiches are pretty darn good too—that I can verify. It was a great lunch: good food, good conversation, catch up, and of course, peeking into each other's journals.

But Wait, There’s More…Some State Fair Oddities

Above: Sketches of a Turken from my third trip to the 2009 Minnesota State Fair. This is a chicken (ken) bred to look like a Turkey (Tur), hence the very odd naked neck. The more you look at them the more appealing they become, in an odd way. They have a lovely body structure and a startling flame orange eye. Here are two quick sketches made as this one moved about in his crate (comb accurate on the left). 9 x 7 inches, Fabriano Artistico 300 lb. hot press watercolor paper; Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer Watercolor pencils used dry. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

"You wanted cows; well here you are…"
An exhausted mother gesturing to the entirety of the cow barn as she entered with her 7-year-old son. (A note on the back of one of my cards as I was walking out of the cow barn.)

So the other day, I was catching up on my scanning and finally finished scanning the 12 cards I made on my final visit to the 2009 Minnesota State Fair. I woke up that morning with what I feared was the beginning of a cold. If I was right, there’d be no way I could make my Sunday trip. I decided to skip my workout, save my energy, and see what happened. I kept in mind that this was probably my last trip this year, so I was on a bit of a mission.

Overviews of the Minnesota State Fair

Above: While my friend Tom was taking panoramic views from the DNR Fire Tower, I snapped this view over to the Grandstand. Click on the image to view an enlargement.

Today marks 11 months of daily (and then some) posting. I don't have a contest for you. I have a terrible cold. My brain is having trouble coping with routine matters—organizing a contest is beyond its capabilities at this moment. But I do have a visual gift for all of you!

On Friday, September 4, I met up with my friend Tom at the Fair. He is a photographer and for the last several months has enjoyed making panoramic photos using his Gigapan. (You may remember that he made Gigapan views of my studio.)

He has posted three Gigapans from Friday (there may be more coming, but I was present for these). The first is from the DNR Fire Tower which is 65 feet tall (it just clears the treetops and is 35 feet shorter than regular fire towers). The next is from the west side of the Grandstand. The third is from the east side of the Grandstand. (Can you find the T-Rex in this last photo? No prize, just the satisfaction of knowing you have sharp eyes!)

Go and explore these amazing photographs. You can zoom in to see incredible details such as the faces of people on the SkyRide! But also, you'll get a feel for the Fair Grounds. You see, I think some of you don't understand that the Minnesota State Fairgrounds isn't just a bunch of tents and barns. It's a fabulous collection of buildings (with a rich history) and tree-lined streets. And every year for 12 days ending on Labor Day it is a magical place of fun.

So while you may not be able to have Salt Water Taffy, thanks to Tom you can savor some eye candy.

Getting Serious about Spin Art

Above: Ken Avidor made this short video of my yearly Spin Art Ritual. If the embedded video doesn't work view it on You Tube.

The last thing I did on Tuesday after the wrap up meeting for the first Minnesota State Fair Sketch Out, was make two pieces of Spin Art. I make Spin Art every year. I explain why in the video. Could I be any more serious about something? (Note the furrowed brow!)

But could anything be more fun? Well few things are. If you want to know how to make "drippy drops" (a technical term among us Spin Art afficionados) you'll need to watch the video. Working under seriously difficult and limiting conditions—no color selection (only a smidge of green, red, blue, and yellow and boatloads of black); crowds of pre-teens waiting to paint Frisbees—I have the time of my life creating two pieces of Spin Art for $5. Frankly, it is so much fun it shouldn't be legal.