Studio Production- Dad's carepackage

Lots has been happening in the studio these past months.  I've had some time off to immerse myself again and I'd like to share some progress that I'm proud of.

Dad's birthday care package was a great deal of fun.  I had long decided that it would be civil war themed and after seeing some obvious jealousy over brother Brian's red linen shirt I knew what had to be done.

I had to make him one.  

So, confederate grey linen was chosen and I hand stitched everything.  My first ever hand stitched piece of clothing and I think only a few people can really appreciate the effort in detail.  I can confidently label myself a "stitch-counter", a term used for re-enactors that have a high standard of authenticity some may call excessive. :-)

The package contained:

1 hand stitched, civil-war period shirt

1 pair hand knitted socks

1 hand written, civil-war period letter 

several boxes of matches

1 slate board and graphite 

Wrapped with tea and coffee stained paper, bound with hemp twine

SHIRT- Handmade custom pattern, Mid-thigh length, Long sleeve, Wooden buttons.

LETTER- Authentic "letter from home" hand written, cursive-style script.  I used bottled ink and pen,  closed with sealing wax and personal seal emblem.

Cheers, K

Studio life- Bread day

Carolina, who works at a bakery brings home all the good that are marked for disposal and we go down to the pier and feed the birds by the flock-load. Very fat birds out there.

The view of the harbour cafe out by the studio and gorging seagulls.

Subi loves bread and puts on her gull impersonation.

Studio production- Blue 1930-40 armchair

This chair is an old soul and I'm quite attached to the whole experience.

Now I wish I had taken before photos to show the extent of the repair but I think you can see that the result is rather good anyhow.

I found this chair discarded and had to adopt it. The original covering was leather fixed with brass upholstery tacks. The leather, so old, it had ripped like cardboard paper on all sides and the tacks were green with oxidation. I thought it a hearty solid chair and it still had some life left as well as the original springs and under structure in place so I grabbed it.

I have a favorite fabric store that is stocked with warehouse leftovers and has the most reasonable prices. I got the fabric and trim for this chair for around 200 kr. which is roughly 36.00 U.S. dollars.

I made plenty of mistakes and wasted too much fabric but it's my first ever upholstery project and I'm proud of it. By the way, give me some input on how old you think it is :-)

When I had taken off the old covering there were 2 old black and white passport photos stuck between the layers. I also used these to help date the chair.

Trans Atlantic Travels

Were I to have taken a steamer over the pond I would have arrived only recently.. if at all. I can then, by retrospective excuse pardon my procrastination. *insert guileless smile*

My favorite cools things I did on holiday visit:

It snowed a bunch

And I couldn't help myself. I was dragged off several times as other things were planned but I HAD to make a snow sculpture. The only figure that made sense to me at the time when considering all the snow activities possible was a Snow Bunny. Of course.

I had to get the bulk of the snow gathered while it was still sticky snow. I didn't have enough time before dark and I knew the temperatures would be too cold and unfortunately freezing the mass solid overnight. So the result is from carving the frozen packed snow. I used a water bottle with a spray nozzle as my glue. Temperatures were brutal, averaging around -12 Fahrenheit. The ice carving doesn't lend too well to detail but I was proud and satisfied. In the end I used coal for the eyes and broom bristles for the whiskers and colored water for pink cheeks and paws and a green star burst grass-like ground (though the colors faded as they froze)

It surprised and flattered me how many people stopped to look at it- neighbors dog walkers, the garbage collectors and mail man, passers by... I was delighted every time I saw it. One morning I woke to find it decapitated by the degenerates that live across the street. That's really when I found out how Mr. S. Bunny had affected people.

The presents I made were a hit

I made 5 fabric kræmmerhus with goodies inside for mom. Kræmmerhus is a danish Christmas decoration which is very similar to our American stockings hung by the fire... only they hang them on the tree and stash goodies in them. Very old world feeling shape to them.

I made Brian 2 shirts for his Civil War re-enactment wardrobe. Both with hand stitched button holes and wooden buttons based on a pattern from the 1800's. One long night shirt made from muslin and one regular shirt, made from red linen flax and also featured a lined front pocket. I have never seen my dad look so envious. A real treat to see it fit! And he liked it.

I sculpted a troll figurine out of fimo clay and hand stitched clothes for the fella. He turned out so well I was inspired to make a tree for him to live in. The doll was so popular it lost a finger in the first 24hours and was shipped to dads shop for repair. Jason loved it.

XOXO-Kyr

Drawing, painting, sculpting... surely one will do the trick?

He started out as a sketch a few years ago and while going through art pads for inspiration and some stone to leap from, I found him lodged between scribbles, barely formed yet entirely sure of himself. Wanting to break in my new easel given to me by Husband as a wedding gift, I decided this noble fellow would be my first excuse to wear the shine off and get started. I had not painted in quite a long time and though it is like riding a bike, the nervousness of hitting obstacles and other immovable objects, like practice, gave me a passing flicker of dismiss able thought. Doesn't matter if I can't paint, I'll learn again or at the very least. the tragedy of enjoying myself trying.

I picked a medium canvas and decided acrylic would be to my speed. Easily forgivable and not much waiting time between attempts.

The first underpainting took an hour to block out and not much

trouble. The next hour was building up basic highlights and shadows and roughing in the volume. So far NO problem. I was quite pleased. A few breaks and cups of coffee in between drying layers, play with the dog and chat with some of the guys in the building. In fact I was feeling so confident, I started a fimo clay figure head, though the painting kept luring me back. A wonderful way to spend a cold winter day.

Day two: Working well. And then I hit the wall.

I just got stuck with shadows and details, started messing up the clothing.. BAH. Time for a different approach.

So I found that you can get really cheap clay here around the holidays. Apparently it's used for sticking plants and things into for table decorations. 2 kilo for 1 dollar 20. Man! Genius! I got myself a whole new media. I haven't really worked with clay so much and wanted to make a study of this froggy fellow to help me with the detail work of the painting based on the sketch.

Nothing finished but still enjoying the tragedy of it all :-)

Love from Cph

The Making of an Art Studio and Happy Domesticates

Husband is a gem of a man and quite the anthropologist when it comes to his wife. I am often in awe of his insight and consideration as to the methods of enriching my life and thrivelyhood. I am an unfortunately simple organism that has few requirements though to describe them would give entirely the opposite impression. Husband can however give you the rules of how to take care of a Kyrie should you find one in the wild and wish to domesticate it with any degree of success and happiness to the both of you.

A recent concern has been that quite often they can become lethargic and depressed when confined to a static or unchanging environment or one which is too small for it's needs...

(Cue: sound of heavy footed tripping followed by tense cursing)

A build up over time of this can lead to a very frustrated and unhappy state commonly expressed by terse and repetitive remarks (often complaints guised as accusations), fits of anger, acquiescence, and other outward expressions of melancholy. A very cranky situation all round.

The answer? Make an Art Studio.

(Cue: raucous applause, laughter and shouts of joy)

I am the proud renter of an atelier- 18 square meters of pure creative space. Out in the abandoned and newly re-purposed B&W shipyard area of refshaleøen. The top floor of the old riggers building is where I rent my space from. It's the orange brick building to the left. The bottom level is leased to an auto repair shop and the entrance of the building neighbors a huge antique warehouse where often

I find discarded furniture to re purpose. All of my storage shelves and chairs have been contributed in this fashion and I am quite proud to support the recycling mentality though were I to be a perfectly upstanding citizen I would have to allow these items to be picked up by the city disposal (I am a tax payer to technically I am paying for it already) and drag it off to a dump where it would be burned or mulched (I mostly save hard wood items- they can have the metal).

It was Husband's idea, he got me started by sending me adverts from the local paper and I took it from there, and found my new joy-ground.

This is the BEFORE, looking in.

The building has several rooms for rent and has around 8 creative residents and 4 studio renters: musicians, painters, photographers, an installation artist and circus performers. The part I rent is a section of a large room which was divided by makeshift partitions, cutting the room into 3 ateliers, each a little under 18 square meters. One large window each and the small circle on the back wall is the ventilation.

Of course there is no heat in the building, no electric heat anyway. Each atelier comes with a gas

space heater- I buy the gas tanks, they loan the heaters. Not too pricy, if you dont have to heat the whole room that is. Windows are 2 layers of plexiglass, no insulation on any surface and this is scandinavia.. a bit of a challenge for someone who loathes the cold.

This is the BEFORE, my back to the window

Where Subi is sitting is the hallway to access the other sections. The comfy chair was donated by my wonderful Svigermor, Dorthe (Mom-in-law). With the heat being an issue for me I promptly went about pitching the idea of building a proper insulated wall and was met with agreals all round. HuRAH! Husband and I spent 2 weeks building it and laying insulation on the floor along with a few carpets and thin plates of particle board, painting the walls and moving in all my tools and supplies.

The final result. AFTER looking in

I have a clay and sculpting station at the window. The table top is glass and I can alternatively use it for lino-print and general hard surface requirements. To the immediate right I have my painting easel, frames and canvases stacked in the corner. 3 quarters of the wall is taken by shelving of supplies and tools, including my sewing machines and coffee making gear.

In the foreground to the left I have a desk which extends in length for sewing and other large projects needing a sturdy indestructible surface.

AFTER, with back to window

I have a split, dutch style door to help with ventilation and the occasional passing inquiry which allows me to open the top part while keeping some of the heat as well as the dog in. I have had several comments on how hot it is in my studio... LOVELY.

Husband is SO jealous :-D

I am overjoyed!

Hugs and Love from a real live artist

Sweets and Heat

Outside as the temperature falls along with the leaves just a bit more every day, the chill tarnishing greens into yellow golden-orange and browns. As always, it is beautiful out at Dorthe's lake in all the seasons. My favorite place to regress into childhood activities.

This visit, as with our last, two weeks ago, has been filled with many enjoyable projects. Barter, trade and recycle is the best way out here.

The blackberry bushes that grow along the lake path have clawed, scratched and stung their last battle this season, rewarding with fat berries to only the most determined of foragers. I am the proud Blackberry Queen, finding buckets where only few were guessed to remain. haHA! I made a wonderful blackberry syrup with the batch freshly picked, thick and sweet and smooth to accompany husbands delicious danish style pancakes for this mornings breakfast.

Last visit, Dorthe required better satellite reception so Chris, a friend from the area, came and cut down a pine and a fir tree. I got inspired and got my pick of material to practice and learn wood carving with. My first project is a yard gnome about 2 feet tall. Ambitious but delightfully challenging. First tests with wet wood have taught me that I need better tools. A few gauges of curved chisels, V- chisels and a small chain saw will be aquired and hopfully in the near future I will post progress on that one.

Helle and Mohammad have a beautiful yard and offered me the use of their lavender so I could make "lavendel pind" or lavender bottles for the girls. Simple, charming and gorgeous smelling decorations for linen cabinets or lingerie drawers.

Besides that, they have a new litter of kittens, two of which I have come to ferry to Copenhagen as a birthday present to a close friend of mine who is anxious and impatient to receive. I'm getting daily photos from LOLcats and name proposals (though last I saw of the kitties they were too young to tell their gender).

Fall is good, life is good and Subi-dog is having a blast out here.

Love from DK

Subi

The Forgotten Wilbur Smith

I have three books on loan from a South African commercial pilot living in Denmark.

Because I have the tendency to forget, I have learned to compensate with curiosity. I make do with whatever is at hand, inspect and pose it with some interest to what’s between my ears. It also gives me a window I would otherwise be too occupied to use.

With plenty of time to spare this morning, coffee and pastry in hand(my spoonful of sugar to swallow the train so to speak), I sadly stood at the track and watched the clock, black armed, pushing fat minutes into blocks of fives and tens- minutes I could have been in Africa. I could have been in Canada or wherever with my caffeine comfort observing Sean Courtney, had I remembered my book. I’m told by Chris, who was raised in South Africa, the level of detail and accuracy Smith writes with in all of his novels, winning respect and interest before I even turn a page. And after turning a few it gives me a feeling of solid ground. So solid I could kick up the dust with my own feet.

I see Chris reading these books with flashbacks, the smell of heat and nostalgia of his own childhood.

Subi 10 weeks

So we have 7 days under our belt and the routine is starting to take shape. I have to say I'm impressed with this little personality. She is a sturdy puppy and hardly seems effected by being corrected. Some pups act as though you've killed them, but no, not our Subi. She could care less really most of the time. Besides taking correction pretty well, she actually learns and listens. She's doing it all pretty fast.

Potty training is nearly there (note to self, repeat 90 times).

She sits on command, though to be fair she prefers sitting calmly and watching you so that one was easy.

Dæk (danish for lie down, kinda like "hit the deck")- she's done a few successful repetitions of this one without many clues. Repeat 30-90 times.

Come- she doesn't focus when there are other dogs around but she is pretty good at stopping whatever she is doing and coming back to get a good ol pat on the head.

Not bad for one week. Jeez she is growing fast too.