Gee How Quaint

Blitz Ballroom, Gee How Quaint and 'Cultural Outings'

This Sunday I am rockin up to the Ghillie Dhu for Ms Fitz-Poste's Modern Mixer.  Oh what is there going to be to see and do at this delightful event?!  Well, there will be a little section of vintage inspired items for purchase as well as big entertainment in the form of dance, dance, DANCE!  It's what they refer to as a 'Tea Dance' over here and I am still not quite sure what it means.  I hope to be educated on this sort of event by the end of the evening.

If you are looking for something to fill your Sunday evening, then I think this event will be quite the thing to fill up that empty time space.  Tickets are only £12.50.  The event runs from 4pm to 8pm, May 2nd.

For more information visit the organiser's website at Modern Mixers.

In other news:

Yours truly and a girl I like to call Sarah (because that is her name) have recently decided to have weekly or every-other-weekly 'Cultural Outings' for purposes of staying sane as we spend most of our time locked in our separate workspaces with either a dog or a hampster to talk to.  It has come to my attention that going long spells, day after day, without someone to talk to can make a person a bit socially weird, inept, unable to form complete.  Er.  Train of thought went where? No, not to Where.  Sorry, that was such an inside joke between my husband and.  Food.  Must go buy some.

See what I mean.  Anyway, last week's 'Cultural Outing' involved finding The Blue Purple Tilt exhibition at the Talbot Rice Gallery.  Next week it's Sarah's choice.  Hm.  What will she plan for us?  And yes, I do consider a coffee in Princes Street Gardens every bit a 'Cultural Outing.'

Lighten up, Cassandra

Dear Cassandra

Will you please ligthen up.  You are driving yourself mad and possibly into an early grave if you do not give yourself a break.

If I were Other Than Me, this is the note I would write myself.

I have been getting a little annoyed with myself as of late and the more I think about it, the more unjustified it is.  My frustration is based on the question: Why aren't I getting more stuff done?!  This is in reference to my funding applications for the art tour (still?!), the fact that I haven't gotten in to any shops in Edinburgh, my lack of ideas and sketches for the art tour and well, why isn't the guest room sorted out?!  But the fact is that I have got a lot on my plate. 

This is the dish:

Two upcoming art exhibitions in London which I still need to create work for (this July and May 2011)

Researching, contacting other exhibition opportunities

Learning new techniques for my creative output, namely, how to rig it with LEDs

6 artworks need to be complete for new gallery in Leicestershire

Art tour - funding applications, preliminary sketches of works, final working drawings, and after all that eventually printing and adding the details

Plus the daily running of Gee How Quaint, daily trips to post office, printing and preparing orders, restocking, etc, etc, etc.  Today I at least printed my tea cup aprons.

I think it's the way in which I am tackling it all that doesn't feel very effective.  I sort of spend my day dealing with everything.  A bite here.  A nibble there.  Perhaps I need to schedule a full day dedicated to one activity.  It's just that I feel really scatty at the moment and usually I am quite good and keeping to my schedules.

But I also need to be forgiving in the fact that I am still quite new to Edinburgh and I need to allow myself time to settle.

Interview from the organizers of 100sqft exhibition

Artist Feature: Cassandra Harrison

100sqft caught up with Cassandra Harrison to find out why she works in textiles and what led her to exhibit at 100sqft.

What is your background in the arts? I was born and raised in a small farming town in the state of Nebraska.  As I wasn't into sports or cheerleading or band, participating in various artistic outlets was how I kept sane.  My 'training' began in high school, where I was subjected to week after week of drawing still lifes.  I obviously didn't seem to mind as I would set up still lifes in my room at home for extra drawing practice.  Eventually, I went on to study Art Education and Fine Art at a small university in Nebraska, graduating cum laude.  It is amazing that I even graduated at all as I spent several months in hospital during that time and had to attend university for an extra year to make up for lost time.  I feel that I must consider my former illness and time in hospital in the past as it drives most of my current decision making. 

  Have you always worked with textiles?

I didn't start working with textiles until 5 years ago when I started my online business, Gee How Quaint (www.geehowquaint.com).  I wanted to design bespoke fabrics for handmade travel accessories such as knicker bags, swim bags and shoe bags.  All of my fabrics were printed at home using the usual screen, squeegee and ink method as well as Gocco printing, a very compact and exciting system for printmaking.  The business has been ticking over nicely in the background whilst I pursue a career as an artist.  Two years ago I finally decided to commit my work to art that you didn't need to stuff your knickers or shoes into.  At the time I thought this was a risky move for myself as I didn't have much confidence as an artist.  I am still a bit shocked at the level of success I am experiencing and have racked up a nice list of galleries and exhibitions in my CV within the past year. Three years ago I illustrated a children's book called 'Plains, Trains and the London Eye' which can be purchased at the London Eye gift shop.

Why did you choose to enter the 100sqft exhibition.

I decided to enter my work into 100sqft because I thought the concept was very unusual, interesting and that the overall display of work would be very exciting.  As an emerging artist, I think it is important to identify a good opportunity and just go for it.  I consider 100sqft great exposure for both established and emerging artists, as well as bringing in a new audience that may not necessary frequent galleries.  Unfortunately, I live in Scotland so have not been able to attend the exhibition.  What a downer, as the opening show seems to be quite a good party.

Does the format of this exhibition suit your work or did you find it a challenge to conform to the size.

Originally, I did find the format beyond my usual tiny measurements.  Up to that time, my work was very small, measuring no more than 8 inches.  I liked reducing large buildings (brutalist architecture being a favourite) down to small, tactile pieces, giving the viewer a different experience of the structure.  Obviously, I have expanded the work, keeping the buildings small but adding extra space.  The structures remain small, maintaining their fragility and unravelling at the edge.  They remain approachable and as someone once commented: Comforting. Examples of current portfolio can be found at www.cassandraharrison.co.uk

Tell us about 'Heritage and Generations'

Heritage and Generations is a one woman art tour that I am taking to tour both the UK and Nebraska.  The project is based on the 200 year history of a family, picking up the tale during their time in Exeter, where the man of the house worked at a paper mill that is still standing today.  They eventually moved to Dudley, took a boat to the states, farmed the land, churned out an FBI agent, a drummer in a band and then yours truly.  By moving back to the UK, I have brought the family back home.  The broader issues that the exhibition will address are defining ourselves through our ancestry (not only nationality, but personality traits and character) as well as continuing the legacy or ending it due to not being able to or choosing not to have kids to carry on the family line.  I have been working on this project since June 2009 and it will eventually go on tour in April 2011, starting with a preview show in Newcastle upon Tyne.

To keep up to date on the progress, process as well as the struggles encountered during the life of this project, please go to www.teatowelsandsheets.wordpress.com

What are your goals for the coming year?

My goals for this year are to expand my printmaking skills through taking various courses at the Edinburgh Printmakers Studio. I will also do a refresher course on Photo emulsion printmaking as this will be my chosen method for creating the large works for the art tour.  Any spare time will be spent researching ancestry, history of both England and America in the 1800s (specifically population mobility in England during the mid 1800s and emigration).  My main goal is to have all artworks for this tour finished by December. 

'Feed me!' for a fiver

A little birdie tells me that he's ready to move on.  For a very limited time, until supplies last really, the 'Feed me!' 100% cotton t shirt is only a fiver.  Tweet!  Tweet!  Choose from either sky blue or baby pink. 

Find it in the Wear Me section at Gee How Quaint.

Look at my giant meringues!

Best eaten with a generous helping of raspberries, blueberries and whipped cream. 

Print Pattern book by Bowie Style

Whilst chowing down on my lunch, I was flipping through a magazine and saw that Bowie Style has created a very luscious little book.  I may not put up a very good fight to keep from purchasing it.

Anyway, the name triggered a distant little memory that once upon a time, quite a number of months ago, she blogged about Gee How Quaint.  Bowie Style Blog features some incredibly bad photos (taken by me) of my Sally Travel Set and Tracie Travel Set.  Oh, if only she had found me after I bought the magic box and lamp for taking good product photos.  Ah well.  I am still excited about the fact that someone who blogged about my products has now brought out a book.  Go get yours at this tiny hut.

Bake-crastinating

Today I bake-crastinated with blueberry muffins.  Oh boy, did they smell nice baking their little melty blueberry goodness in my oven.  I have a most serious problem of using baking to keep me from working.

To date I have bake-crastinated with:

Banana Bread (family recipe.  Thanks Ma!)

Cupcakes of various chocolate toppings and icings

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Not all on the same day of course.  That would be madness.  I did actually print 2 metres of black Florie fabric but I tell you at the end of all that hard work, one just feels a bit peckish and a little chocolate biscuit just isn't enough to satisfy the hunger.

I dare say I better go now and eat the little blueberry darlings. I hang my head in shame (and stuff my face with food).

Adversity will change you

This weekend I received a request from a textile design student living in London, asking me if she could have a work placement.  As amazing and lovely as that sounds, the distance is a huge issue and to be honest, I think I would be learning more from her than she would from me.  Obviously, that ain't no bad thing for me, but a bit of a timewaste for her.

As I read through her CV and artist statement, I was floored by her experience, international travel to learn techniques and obvious excitement for life.  In the middle of it was a statement about her having had major (and I mean MAJOR!) surgery in her teens.  How much did that influence her later decisions?

I also stumbled upon a comic book artist that had created some pretty nifty work and had even done an entire comic on his own battle with Chrohn's Disease.  I think the title is something like 'What you never wanted to know about Crohn's Disease.'

Then there is the story about my friend Duane...always going on and on about going to art school.  Why don't I go?  I should go.  And he just...wouldn't.  And then something very sad happened.  His Dad died at such a young age.  Now Duane is going to art school and is doing amazingly well.

So it gets me to wonder, how much does adversity change your decisions in life, therefore changing your course?  Would I have been quite a different person if I had not had my own battles?

I have spent somewhere between 120 and 130 days in hospital over a span of 7 years.  Some of those days were grouped together in weeks and sometimes well over a month.  Think of all the things you do in a day.  All of those hours stretched out and the things you see and do and people you meet and the food you eat and the coffee you drink.  Imagine days of laying in a hospital bed.  Day after day.  And the only form of entertainment is spent thinking 'Thank God I'm not that person in the bed beside me, with the broken hip/liver disease/heart problem/whatever' (I was in for along time so roomates changed frequently).  Thirteen surgeries later and I wonder how has all of that changed the person I was going to be?  (I most certainly wouldn't have to carry my medical kit around with me all the time).

Is this why I feel complete frustration sitting infront of the t.v. in the evenings, itching to get out and do things instead of feeling like I am wasting my life?  Do I appreciate walking in the sunshine, eating amazing food, drinking coffee and people watching more than I would have done before?  I have made some pretty drastic decisions because, heck, you've only got one shot at life.  Would I have moved from the states to the UK, started Gee How Quaint (so risky, both of them), made the scary decision to stop pissing around with jobs I hated (admin) and finally, single mindedly, step out as a working artist for my career.  It definately isn't a 'safe' choice.

I don't see any stopping my need to pick up new skills, however random they are:  Indian Head Massage, Swing dancing, knitting, and the latest learning of how to put LEDs into stuff.

So what does this make my life philosophy?

If you're not passionate about what you're doing, then there is no point in doing it.

The best photo I have ever taken...

...not for its artistic merit (as I am not a professional photographer) but for the subject.

Today a group of us went to the glen, skipped stones, threw rocks to the other bank to hit a target and swung out on a rope and stick.  It made me feel like I was 10.  Not that I ever did these things as a child.

What a wonderful day.

And thank you, Rachel, for this snapshot of child-like happiness.

Low levels

Now that everything is in its place and in its place is everything, it is time to take stock.  Alarmingly, my Florie Swim Bags are a bit on the low level side so I think next week is swim bag sewing week.  With summer in the not so distant future, I need to ensure that these are ready to fly off the shelf as they are my best sellers. 

I also need to get my greedy little mits on some polka dot fabric as the Polka Dottie bag supply is looking a bit undernourished.  Oh dear.  So many things to do.  There is also the matter of approaching local shops in Edinburgh.  I have been doing recon missions for the past few weeks and have spotted a few targets.  Do not fret, dear readers (of which I believe there are now 3 of you), I will report back on success and obviously leave out the failure as no one wants to read about the bad news.  Unless you suffer from a severe case of schadenfreude, in which case you are not a very nice person and should possibly consider mending your wicked ways.

www.geehowquaint.com