PHOTOS OF SHOW:
http://www.civilianbasics.com/outofhand2.html
We had a great party and a great turnout. I would really like to thank everyone who made this night a great success. Here are some more photos of the show.. all of the artists work is here until December 19th!
The artists… sans Barry… he was downstairs.
Add comment December 9th, 2009
It was extremely sweet. Little Johnny, came to my studio with his mom, Suzie. They spent the first portion of the class drawing each other in the blind contour mode. I hope they found the beauty in just observing each other. Johnny did wonderfully, Suzie surely showed off her talent as artist - smooth, insightful and very skilled line quality. Very nice Suzie!
After the drawing session of the class, they chose a few favorite drawings. We then proceeded to make a few lovely screenprints out of the drawings. These are those wonderful blind contours! Enjoy them- I certainly did.
Add comment August 7th, 2009
Emily was a superb intern. She was the intern you really wanna have when you think about what an intern can really be for you.
Emily attends Bennington College where they have a traditional internship program. The student gets a real world job and hopefully a situation where the person they are working for teaches as well as expects work in return. Here is what she wrote about working for me this past January.
Emily Krug FWT 2009
Learning about Myself through T-shirts
Try to imagine this situation: You are a young intern who has only been working for your employer for a few weeks. Your boss has extended an invitation for you to accompany the business to the New York International Gift Fair in New York City. Excitedly, you accept and eagerly await your time to be spent at this huge industry show. Now, it is three days before the start of the show, and you agree to help your boss bring in the supplies for the booth. After hours of waiting the queue, it is finally your turn to bring the car up to the loading dock. A worker tells your boss that someone has to stay with the vehicle at all-times, and that once everything is out from the car, it has to move.
Your boss asks you to drive the car out of the loading area to park it (she assures you the worker will tell you where to go), while she gets some things straightened up in the actual booth. You bravely take the keys in your hand, start the car and head in the direction in which the worker pointed. After approximately 20 seconds, you realize that this direction only leads you out of the loading area and back into New York City traffic. Realizing that there is nothing you can do, you decide to just circle the Javits Center and wait for your boss to call. All of a sudden, you make a wrong turn, are driving through the Lincoln Tunnel and end up in Hoboken, NJ! You now have to call your boss, explain your mistake (how you drove her personal car out of the city, and can’t find your way back), the whole time choking back tears and praying with all your might that you don’t get fired on the spot.
I don’t need to imagine that situation; it happened to me during this FWT. However, I was lucky, my boss found this unplanned adventure very funny, and continued to tease me about it during the rest of my FWT. So, I got NYC driving experience, and I’m not soon to forget it. Aside realizing my large affection for public transportation, I learned many other things about myself over this FWT.
Working for a small, intimate silkscreening and design company, Short Sleeve Stories by Civilian, I furthered my belief that one day I want to start my own small clothing company, and participate in whatever community I may be living. Daily, my boss, Val, regaled me with tales of her various forms of community involvement throughout her career. She has done everything from printing t-shirts for schools, to hosting benefits in memory of other town residents. Hearing these stories re-enforced my already existing need for a strong community. Val was just one person reaching out to her entire riverside town. Walking around Frenchtown, NJ with her, there were innumerable people who warmly greeted Val, and the variety of people was also huge. Everyone from store owners to the Postal Workers knew Val. Seeing this breadth of relationships within the populace, I realized how important these support systems are.
I was working with Val in her new studio space right next door to her house. She really extended herself to me to make me feel comfortable and welcome everyday. We ate lunch in her kitchen and listened to NPR in the studio. It was easy to discuss our lives and aspirations. Val placed a high level of trust and responsibility in me very early in FWT. She allowed me to work side by side with her in production, and in other parts of the business. She trusted me to create an inventory spreadsheet for her. I felt very honored to be asked to complete important tasks. I learned to understand about myself that I can really pick up on things quickly and I am not uncomfortable to ask questions if I am not getting something.
In addition, I rediscovered the excitement of learning new things. I learned about networking, as well as gaining experience with spreadsheets, photoshop and, most importantly, with silkscreening. By asking questions and having them answered, Val shared a lot of valuable knowledge with me. Everyday had something new for me to learn. This FWT made me realize my love for technical, hands on learning. Sometimes just hearing about theories is not enough for me to grasp a concept, as a student I learn best by doing, actually getting my hands dirty and trying new things.
Personally working with Val gave me insight into the type of person I want to be professionally. Working side by side with her allowed me to learn about the type of people I would and would not want to do business with. I hope to become a person like Val, very generous, but willing to stand her ground when she feels she is wronged or taken advantage of. I learned how to be assertive and tell people my thoughts. Others cannot just know what I am thinking if I don’t let them in on things.
For a long time, I have pictured myself ending up doing something similar to what Val does; owning my own shop in a tight knit community and reaching out to others through her work, service, artwork, and caring. Working at Short Sleeve Stories only confirmed my thoughts, and inspired me to continue to pursue this dream.
Thanks Emily!
Add comment June 26th, 2009
Out to play more music, since music is the amazing mojo vehicle from the gut. And so off to one of the many wonderful open mike/social havens of our delaware valley community. My chicken farmer/flute playing cohort was there, with a coors light… and her flute. And who, but the MIGHT MOJO himself - with his hair that is longer than it has EVER been in his whole life - was present for the quest. Bill played his ukulele while singing some traditional gems with a sweet passion and resolve that is so refreshing. Brenda, of Jack & Brenda, sang with the strongest of deliveries EVER!!! loved it. Claudia was beautiful and heavenly to watch. And My MIGHTY MOJO sang “GOD BLESS THE CHILD” (accompanied by Tom and John) with gusto and good solid pitch. A wonderful open mike! A satisfying chapter in the MOJO QUEST. But, still, what IS Alex doing in the Ladies room?
Add comment May 21st, 2009
I always considered that driftwood chair as my throne. Being a Leo, there never seemed to be any reason why I should not have one. So, I put this chair, or rather throne, out on my loading dock -my precious loading dock that adorns my studio/shop. It seems that this throne has been the subject of far more “are you selling that” inquiries than any of my clothing has been. Not surprising, it is beautiful. It was made by a friend of my friend, Parran. I cannot remember his name, only that he made it out of driftwood and I traded it for handprinted clothing at a craft fair in Maryland.
ANYWAY…. Barry, my man, is sharing this studio with me, my studio with the loading dock. And he is displaying natural edged wood (http://www.homegrownhardwoods.com) in long planks. We are going to make chairs out of driftwood - similar of course, but could not be the same. I guess we are carrying on the tradition. We started collecting some wood this past weekend. Made me remember the joy I felt when I first moved out here. Someone nearby my home had been doing some of the same. I came upon a bunch of collected pieces of wood, balls, fish bones that were sitting on the river bank. The best thing was a skeletonized deer fetus. It sound really gross, but it was so groovy. I left it there. Yet, I don’t think anyone else really can do anything at all with it. But I am thinking they probably do not make prints from old carcasses like I do. So, by leaving the deer carcass there, I hope they realize what a great sacrifice I made. I think I am going back to get it. It a relief and a comfort to know that someone else has the “wow look at this really cool thing I found on the riverbank” disease just like I do.
Yeah.. I am going back to get it.
Add comment May 13th, 2009
It was quite a trip. I feel absolutely initiated in to worldwide marketplace. The atmosphere at the show was one of trying to keep the spirits high… and making costs.. and figuring out how to stay in business. I think I will be ok. I think I can stay in business. The fair was a good thing. A bit too expensive for the times, but a necessary thing for my business. I got a bunch of new customers, and a lot of new contacts, and a lot of very valuable information to move forward with, for sure. Here’s a few shots of the booth. I postponed the TeePee display - but not permanently. It will be in the next booth, and I will return this summer. I like the atmosphere.
Add comment February 8th, 2009
GO BACK TO THE HOME PAGE.. SHORT SLEEVE STORIES
Add comment January 22nd, 2009
we put 2 ‘L’s in travelling because we really LLLLOVE this story…
Add comment January 22nd, 2009
Ok.. so here we go again.. We are thinking about a teepee display for the Javitz center - something eye catching y’know… and once again - like the phoenix (in this blog) - a sign just happens. There is Barry eating lunch, the same day I asked him to help me build a teepee structure for my display. The wood just falls over,for no apparent reason! from a flat position on the horses and into this teepee structure… here they are . Look at them compared to the teepee structures that I found for referenece… WOW! Guess we gotta make them now!
Add comment November 21st, 2008
The Frog in the Lawn..... Maybe froggie reincarnated?
My Son was mowing the lawn - good son, yes.. and I was weed wacking.. ok it was a homeowner’s kinda day…and he found this BEAUTIFUL Frog in the lawn… I gotta say, he/she looked just like my frog shirt.. I fell in love.. but Jack, being a good nature boy, brought the frog back to the river….
Add comment September 9th, 2008
