Buy Local, Bid on my work!

I'm an advocate of the "buy local" movement.

Way back when I worked at St. Mary's Food Bank, I made sure the organization joined Local First, Arizona and when I started my own business, I joined, too.

The Fall Festival is coming up in two weeks, and to lend my support I have donated

an original piece of art for the silent auction. 

"Thinly Veiled Attempt" is 16x20"

It is a junk mail mosaic, embellished with gold netting and jewels. 

It's not a good photo of the piece, but here it is:

 

If you're in Metro Phoenix on November 13th, I hope you'll attend the Fall Festival and bid on my work - it goes to a good cause.

Shift your spending!

Free to a good home...

And the winner is...

 

Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery!

What a great honor and delight to present Sisters Linda and Lydia with my artwork!

Our Lady of Guadalupe

A donation of a devotional nature, no kidding, no strings attached.

This portrait belongs in a church, and that's where you come in.

I created this portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe a couple of years ago.

It is a paper mosaic, created from junk mail & Christmas cards. I tried really hard to get the details right.

This photo is not very good, It is very shiny, has a lot of metallic paper, jewels, etc. The canvas is 24x48", it is in a very heavy,gilded and carved wood frame. It is wired, ready to hang. See more photos below...

This piece of art has been on display at three museums:

Arizona Museum for Youth

Springs Preserve Museum

El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe
and

the Coconino Center for the Arts.

I have no intention of selling it.

Based on the work I sell in galleries, a piece of my work this size would sell for over $4000.00 - but remember, I don't want to sell it.

I am donating it - giving it away...to a Catholic Church in Maricopa County...[no offense, Tucson, Flag...etc.] that really, really wants it.
I'll deliver it, or someone from the church can pick it up.  

Free. 

No kidding.

So here's how this will work... 

If you want your church to own it, 

• Comment on the blog - see below, at the very end of this blog, and all the comments you'll see the words post a comment in blue. Click on it!
• You can post anonymously - I don't need your name. 
• Name the church you want me donate this to... 
• The church with the most comments gets it! [Make sure you let your church's admins/clergy know about this... I don't want any trouble!!!] 
• Please make sure you not only give me the correct name and spelling of the church, but the address, contact name at the church or parish, phone # [at least the first comment, so I make sure there are no duplicates].
• This is not a competition between parishes, I just want the church that wants it - to have it.

Comments start now. I will tally the comments up and the church of choice will be announced on Monday, October 25th.

I promise, this is a totally free, no strings attached offer. I will not solicit ANY kind of business or anything from your comments, your emails, etc... I'm not kidding. This is not for publicity, I just want to give this piece of art to the right place. Why am I doing this? I'm nice!

Mind over Matter

My artwork is not about the material used, instead it is about the mind, the thoughts behind the composition. What I use as an art supply - is something I happened on as a solution to a problem.

1. When approaching a new canvas, I don't think about the material, I think about the composition. I have long conversations with myself about what I am doing. Every line, every movement is thoughtful.
2. My purpose in creating my work is totally about the feeling I wish to evoke through the portrait, through the image.
3. I use paint to create a face. The colors I wish to use, the decisions about where on the canvas the subject goes... shadows, eye color - everything is in my mind and not influenced by material.
4. I respond to my resource image [real or imagined] and the improvisation starts there.
5. The process that begins once I finish the painting is all about manipulating the materials at hand.
6. Sometimes, the material used relates to the subject or the emotion, but it is not ruled by the material.

I want you to look at the work and respond to the image first. Then, you can look closer to view the materials, then you can think about the process I created to place each piece exactly where it needed to go to create the image.

Blame it on a movie! If I wasn't an artist, I'd be...

If I wasn't an artist, I'd still be an artist of a different sort.

Throughout my adult life, I've done a lot of different things to earn a "living," and some that were very fulfilling, but the "living" wasn't always so great.

And, I can blame it ALL on a movie!

Cousin, Cousine (1975, French). Directed by Jean Charles Tacchella.

Just so you know, it is incredibly charming and romantic, but that's not the point.

In the film, Ludovic, a main character, talks about his life, his career path [or lack of]...he purposely changed jobs every two years. I don't think this was wise from a financial standpoint, but he was never bored.

He worked on a cruise ship, he was a musician, a dance teacher, etc. This little piece of the plot is a TINY side note... not a main theme of the plot at all. None of the reviews even mention it.

But, this bit really spoke to me, stuck with me, and has affected me since seeing the film...probably in the late 70's. [no, I'm not ADD]

After college, I ended up in retail.

What else do you do with a B.A. in Psychology?

In my spare time, I did needlepoint - and became a needlepoint designer. Art...of a sort. Not for a company, just on my own... but I sold to stores from NY - CA and had a following. It's just incredibly tedious. I stopped doing it because I couldn't keep up with my orders... and I hated to repeat myself!

After slogging around retail in different management areas, I decided to be a display artist. Art...of a sort. I loved it. I love dressing mannequins, designing window and interior displays...

I left that job to become a handbag designer. I did that for a year.

Then I went back to display, changing department stores and moving up the ranks. And started a T-shirt design company. Art of a sort...My designs were hilarious, but I was always under-capitalized and had to back off that, too.

I finally made it to Visual Merchandising management and so naturally,

I left and started my own display company. An art form, a legitimate art form...

My partner and I had a great idea, but we did a lot of satellite projects that were SO MUCH FUN but very confusing to sell as a business niche. We did ALMOST a million dollars in sales the first year.

We did retail visual merchandising, window designs, built props, worked with independent retailers and shopping centers.

We built fixtures and props for big companies.

We designed centerpieces and sets for events... it was all great.

And then the economy tanked.

I got a job. I ran a big department at a hotel chain - including the staging and design dept., retail and floral...not so arty...but I did get to design some BIG events, BIG props and even some floral designs.

So, naturally, I left after a year to work in nonprofit.

At least I kept it creative at the 3 organizations I worked at. Until one day...

I quit [I did give notice] to become an artist...full time... absolutely 100% devoted to being an artist. This is not exactly "out of nowhere," however, I thought people would say "How DARE YOU!!!" - actually, some probably are.

Obviously, I was a kid artist. A teen artist, A college student who forgot to take sculpture and ended up with that B.A. in Psych [I did get the BFA later]. I always, always painted. I did murals, I did custom portraits, I've always had a studio somewhere. Sure, I went to school "for art", but, I didn't go to "art school" or pay attention to HOW to be an artist, and to this day I can say:

"What I know about art is that I don't know anything - except how to make it."

I feel like an outsider [art industry wise], but that is probably my fault. I'm not a joiner.

But I have a vision, talent, and can keep from getting bored by creating something new every day. I'm not changing careers anymore, but I can always change colors!

Rent the movie if you can. You'll see love, death, family...There is sex, there are pastries, it's funny and romantic.

a note to galleries

If you've been to my web site, you'll see quite a hodge-podge of information that might be confusing.

Allow me to clarify who I am and what I am doing.

Yeah, I am somewhat self-taught, I do not have degrees, residencies, etc. to back up my work. I'm not much of a joiner, so I don't belong to guilds, collectives, or attend meetings [but I am going to one in a couple of weeks]. I don't really read the publications I should. I might just be an outsider. I just don't know everything I should know about the art world in general. And, I don't want to - I would rather be in my studio making art.

I have done some art festivals - mostly to get my work out in the public. After a few years of doing this off and on, and at some awful ones and some prestigious shows. I know it's not for me... aside from the absolute grind and physicality of this exercise, well...let's be honest,  I'm honestly good at it, and don't enjoy standing in an 100 square foot space to try to sell my work... it gives me hives. I would rather be in my studio making art.

I've made the mistake of listening to outside voices - my natural style gave impresario's the impression that pop stars and celebrities would be a great way to bring attention to my work. A gallery owner who showed my work insisted I create giclee's, and against my better judgement [and conscience] I did. I am no longer going to do this, and wish I could just sell them and be done with them. So, there are images on my site of this sort, please know it's not my "thing," but they're there to show what I've done, I'm pretty happy with a lot of the work.

So yes, there are some giclees around, some prints and cards - perhaps a mistake or experiment gone awry. I will not create any more.

Do I have a "storefront" on my site? I don't list prices for original work, I direct inquiries to the gallery where the work is located. If it is not located in a gallery, I will communicate with the potential buyer. My sincere wish is that every piece I have is in a gallery. I would rather be in my studio making art.

So far, I've been the pr/marketing person for my work. I used whatever methods seemed appropriate [outsider, remember?] and I suppose this has been good and bad, for different reasons - but I have had my work featured in the media. And, I have had solo shows in galleries, I've had solo shows in museums. I really would rather not do PR anymore, I would rather be in my studio making art.

I am not a ballet dancer, I do not blow up bridges, I do not work in a factory, a store, an office... I am a full time artist. I am completely dedicated to making art.

I like painting women, I like faces. I like creating mosaics from paper to embellish my paintings. It is incredibly tedious - but think I have a unique vision and a unique technique. 

Is it green? You bet. Is that important? You decide.

My plan for the summer was to create a body of work relating images of women to an emotion influenced by a song. I started this journey, but the "body" of work is a small one. My summer ended up to be a horrible one - my mother died. A lot of time was spent as dutiful daughter... no regrets... My brother moved in with my father...more dutiful sister/daughter time logged, and then a tragic car accident took my brother's life - just 10 weeks after my mother... I am just getting my head above water.

At this point, I am bound to create a series based on pre-conceived notions... ageism, racism, etc. What we believe about others before they have a chance to speak... I am including my own bug-a-boo's in this series. It will be under wraps until I have a group to show you. As a citizen of Arizona, the first piece completed touches on SB1070 - the illegal immigration bill. 

In the meantime, my goal is to get my work into galleries that understand my history, my passion and vision. And, I am seeking a champion that will undertake my career - pick up the ball and run with it - take my work to the market - to galleries, collectors, shows... so I can stay in the studio and create art. In the meantime, I'll keep trying to get my work out there. But, I'll gladly listen to your advice.

If you have questions, or would like to speak to me directly, please email me.

Elect this All American Blonde! via #constantcontact

Elect this All American Blonde! via #constantcontact

Robert Schimmel - brother; funny, ill, pain in the ass

My brother, Robert Schimmel was in a terrible car accident. He is badly injured, but his need for a liver transplant actually exacerbates his situation...and ability to heal. The past several days have been a living horror show for Robert's family. In addition, his daughter Aliyah was also badly hurt. Neither of them were responsible for the accident, but those details are not as important as hoping for their recovery.

We all love Bob [we've known him longer] and are hoping he'll snap out of it, make a recovery and stay with us... but man, he was on our last nerve.

Things you might not know about Robert: Obviously, he's funny, he always has been. He was a musician & composer way before comedy. He is incredibly generous; to a fault...he has a penchant for gadgets [electronics & cameras] and pens [who needs so many sharpies?]...and is the condiment king [try this mustard] and foodie [thank him for the success of Bristol Farms, Whole Foods and A.J.'s]. He is gracious to almost everyone and a good friend to only a few. 

He loves his children. Parenting is not one of his skills, but unconditional love is.

Blame it on his liver, if you like - but Bob is so unorganized...bordering on hoarder behavior. This was making us crazy. He moved in with my Dad a few months ago - bringing a huge mess to an orderly house. We lost our Mother just days before, but Bob is going through a divorce and waiting for a transplant...seemed like a good idea to have him close.

He was at my house just before we went on vacation, he saw my Dick Blick catalog. He said "this must be like porn for you."

My husband & I were in North Carolina - and visited Biltmore House, where "Being There" was filmed. Peter Sellers was one of Bob's idols, and he liked this movie. The day of the accident, I tried calling him, so I sent photos of the house to him [and my brother Jeff], letting them know where we were. Here's a still from the movie... I was thinking of Bob. At the end of the movie, the main character "Chance" walks on water. My interpretation has always been Chance is so innocent, so child-like - he doesn't know he is supposed to sink. Bob is kind of like that.

the end of the movie... "Being There."

Right now, Bob is currently walking on water - or floating on love - a description a doctor made when Bob's son was at home in hospice care...almost 18 years ago.

I have no idea what Bob's chances are, or what we can expect for him. But if he makes it, I started a list of things he needs to do, and my brother Jeff added to it. Maybe you can think of more.

Things Robert Schimmel still needs to do [not necessarily in this order]: 

1. Go to Smeeks [a candy store in Phoenix]

2. Take a cruise to and/or visit Alaska

3. Go on stage and hear the laughter and applause again

4. Watch his children and grandchild[ren] grow up

5. Heal

6. Clean his room

7. Get a liver... new or used

8. Have... a little Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar in his morning juice

9. Drive his sports car [now that it's repaired]

10. Use his keyboard

11. Perform a come-back special

12. Enjoy his life

13. Finally go to Hungary with our Dad

14. Thank everyone for their prayers
 

Please help me with more... I hope he can read it someday soon.

 Jeff Schimmel More things Robert Schimmel still needs to do:

(a) read the instruction manuals for all of his electronic gadgets.
(b) sell most of the same unused electronic gadgets on eBay.
(c) track down all of the teachers he terrorized over the years and... apologize to them.
(d) do a video blog for more than three days without quitting.
(e) go on Howard Stern's show without divulging embarrassing family secrets.
(f) write another book, but this time about being the recipient of a successful liver transplant.
(g) stop chewing ice.
(h) stop falling asleep while eating Creamsicles in bed.
(i) stop hitting dolls in the head with hammers.
(j) stop driving Dad crazy.
(k) get a sunburn, if that's possible.
(l) hit a Royal Flush with me on a poker machine.
(m) watch the news just once.
(n) record a new CD.
(o) finish that screenplay.
(p) start that screenplay.
(q) mop up the chocolate syrup you drip on the kitchen floor while under the influence of Ambien.
(r) make me laugh.
(s) do the fucking Letterman show.
(t) instantly make up filthy lyrics to songs on the radio.
(u) start writing in cursive.
(v) date a woman who is within a decade of your own age.
(w) sneak into another movie theater with me.
(x) imitate Granny.
(y) not let me have to be the only one who gets dragged to Mickey and Lili's house.
(z) wake up.

We love you and we're waiting for you, Bob.