meredith cutler :: arts marketing :: artist

With all of the getting married, international travelling, guest-hosting, and (of course) writing about other artists I've been busy with over the last few seasons, it's easy to overlook my own studio projects. For those who are concerned, I've become quite skilled at adapting my working process to a bi-state program, shuttling my MSPCA tote bag between Hyde Park and Providence, full of the appropriate supplies to support my works in progress.

Still, it's slow going, but I'm taking advantage of the seasons' shift to ramp up my production a bit. Not surprisingly, I'm moving on...and around back to my mixed-media/alternative fibers roots. I hope to have a good start on this new body of work to share with you very soon, thanks for keeping up with me!

Yesterday did not turn out as planned; which, in my newfound "on my way to becoming an Italian passport holder" relaxed attitude should have rolled right off of my back. Unfortunately, it was only after I was forced from my studio by an ungodly decibal level of compressor/power tool noise taking place in the workshop next door that my beloved, sneaker-shaped Subaru decided to explode (in solidarity for my state of mind, I suppose).

Okay, I'm exaggerating, but there was a good deal of black, acrid smoke pouring out of the right wheel well. I had the fire extinguisher in hand. Luckily, my husband and bro'-in-law were kind enough to shuttle me to the Design*Sponge "Boston Biz-Ladies" night at West Elm. The girl power networking event was a good remedy to my general state of frazz, (although the table of sugary treats blew my head off!) I recommend checking out Grace's page of Biz-Ladies notes on the Design*Sponge website to anyone (girl or guy) starting up their own indie business.

Meanwhile, as I await the fate of my Subaru and muse on the extremes I'm willing to endure to retain my Hyde Park studio, I leave you with this lovely "Subway Stories - St. Mary's" collage by Leah Piken Kolidas, a fellow Boston-based artist who also muses while riding the MBTA. Her work can be found on Etsy and her own site, Blue Tree Art Gallery.

It's interesting what I can get into when the internet is down at my studio. Here is a little drawing I made today when all www distractions were effectively removed from my periphery:

It's based on a cell-phone photo I snapped in Asissi of an anonymous street-art installation, that also made it into my lost and found series due to its content. This one is particularly pithy. I really enjoyed the liberties of drawing this; it was a timely reminder to do this type of thing more often.

Before the internet abandoned me to my loftier pursuits, I added a blast from the past to my portfolio section, from my highly experimental days in the 9yds. art collaborative. I think the fact that Providence is such an incubator for funky artist collaboratives inspired me to dig through the archives. Ahhh, those were the days...it's nice to look back and remember when I did not need sleep to survive!

Speaking of which, ProvFlux decends upon us, August 7-11th. Keep an eyeball peeled for psychogeographers, and join in the festi-formance-games.

Often, the best creative materials can be found off-the-beaten-path, rather than at your local art supply store or out of that glossy wholesale catalog. As a supply junkie, some of my most triumphant finds have been courtesy of tag sales, personal or business move giveaways, and downright dumpster diving!

Over the years, I have utilized my collection of unique materials to create many pieces of original artwork and, more recently, collectible designs and accessories.

Today, however, I hit the supply jackpot. My lovely studiomate, who enjoys a very interesting career as a trend forecaster, let me have at a gigantic pile of sample books that have outlived their rather short life at the top of the trend pile. Because she forecasts color and material trends four years ahead, the sample selection (albiet yesterday's news for her) is super space-age in my book!

I'm already drawing up a list of project ideas so that I can breathe new life into these squares of fabric, leather and beyond!

Readers: if you have creative ideas for reuse of sample fabric and material swatches, post them to comments below. I will be putting together a "Wicked Cool" crostini*VS grab-bag prize from these designer footwear sample materials that will go to a winner, chosen at random from your project idea comments. The winner will be chosen next Friday, May 30th! Good luck!

I have always had a love for paper that goes beyond the expected excitement of a blank, white sheet ready for the artist’s first mark. As a small child, I spent hours poring over the decorator’s hefty wallpaper sample books, left over from our 1977 home renovations: the mirrored backgrounds…the bold florals or geometric patterns rendered in one exciting colorway after another. In my early days, these enormous, psychedelic volumes rivaled even Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle for my affections.

Many years later, I helped fund my way through art school by working in the cataloging department of my college library. My love for found papers, combined with my passion for words inspired me to stash away hundreds of colorful book jackets, typically discarded during the cataloging process. Fast-forward another decade or so, and here I am in my studio, surrounded by several Tupperware storage bins full of vintage paper ephemera that desperately needs purging!

Unlike my vintage giftwrap and wallpaper collections, these heavyweight, coated book jackets don’t offer enough regular patterning or figuration to make them appropriate for the mixed-media art collages that I often create. They are text heavy, and extremely varied in coloration. With some creative experimentation, and using some tools I had available, I created this unique DIY project for my sturdy and colorful paper source. Click here for my full, illustrated tutorial: