2 sequined horses

2 sequined horses
$ounds:
here

album art by ~ Marissa Arterberry
check her out

BK

thanks to Statia Grossman for airbrushing these 3 photos.

a portion ~

~ of a watercolor by Arhia Kohlmoos ~

lady-roars, 10

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 10 ~ !!!
i initiated freeform conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

Heather Harney was one of my first friends. born just weeks before me in late June, we have pictures to prove our babyhood through womanhood times together. i had the pleasure of seeing Heather just about a year ago on my favorite farm in Iowa. she loves to travel, works hard for the money, and is truly very beautiful. i would like to thank her for responding to my Iowa-themed email about growing up amongst corn, pigs, and gravel. below is what Heather has to say ...

What makes me an Iowan girl ~ ~ ~

Child activities/lessons:

Rolling down green grass hills, thinking everyone in the world also had an enormous yard and cows in their backyard, screaming at the top of my lungs just to see if anyone else could hear me, learning it is okay to just be by yourself, sometimes the quiet is all you need, everything lives and at one point will die, going through an enormous amount of pets (having them live for over a year was a rarity, not the norm), being content with what you have, there are few friends in the countryside but the ones you do have are your salvation and escape and you love them all the more for it, waving at people ... they will always wave back in Iowa, you have no control over mother nature ~ accept her, hay bales are amazing to lean on and jump off of ...

Adult observations/lessons:

Life is filled with unexpecteds ... roll with the punches and embrace it, being open-minded makes life much easier to enjoy, be considerate and empathetic, small rural towns are a treasure, your family is actually a source of strength, the scenic route takes longer but it is a more fulfilling journey, love the smell of the country air, life does not always have to be hectic ... slow down ... solitude does not equal loneliness, be confident in yourself, other places in the world are wonderful, but Iowa is actually an amazing place!

lady-roars, 9

Ms. Andrea is the moon-girl on the right

baby Andrea and Dad

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 9 !!!
i initiated freeform conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

Ms. Andrea (Lauterwasser) Prymek is a lovely gal from Iowa. i had the pleasure of meeting her in middle school, and totally enjoyed singing with her during our high school career. immensely sweet, very very darling, and a wonderful storyteller, this Iowa-gal unfolds below her feelings about being cornfed.

* * *

I grew up in Blairstown, Iowa, which is a small farming community in Benton County. I remember as a child being able to run a lemonade stand on Main Street, selling to neighbors and the postman for a quarter. I remember Sauerkraut Days where as a kid you could run the town and ride bikes with your friends to different activities, such as the cakewalk— pretty much every kid walked home with two homemade cakes. I also remember walking by the park and watching our most popular game, cow chip bingo— for those who don’t know, there is a grid with numbers painted on the street, and a cow in a pen … and basically, whatever number the cow poops on is the winning number.

My father worked in farm stocks and had his office right off of Main Street, and my mother owned a second hand (& craft) store in the next building over called, Country Charms. My parents walked to work and walked home. Like most Iowa parents, mine were extremely active in our lives— school functions, fairs, science projects, dances, birthdays: everything was a big deal and everything was celebrated.

Morel mushroom hunting: I remember walking through the woods out near Amana with my dad. He would find me a brush stick (a longer stick used to push away leaves and debris to make it easier to spot a morel) and we would spend hours looking and usually come home with a potato net full. Morels are a celebration to we Iowans, as they only come once a year.

I lived in Carolina for a year after graduating high school; it was a very different place. I understand southern hospitality, but I have still never met friendlier people than those from Iowa. … I remember my boss in Carolina, a new Yorker named, Kris Constantine, who used to own a strip club in Brooklyn … and now for some reason is a manager at a steak house. I remember him always telling me how remarkable I was. He said to me, “Iowa, you are exactly what I would picture a cornfed girl to look like.” I understood that comment because as an Iowa girl our bodies look a little different than those on the east or west coast. Most of us are a little thicker, with larger arms and a firm stance. Most of us are blonded by the summer sun and tan. … Carolina was fine, just not for me. Every day I missed Iowa more and more. It is my home, my roots, my heaven.

lady-roars, 8

Kirk & Abby

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 8 ~ !!!

i initiated freeform conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

kelly shaw willman here with another lady-roars installation that features an Iowa-girl! below is an introduction to Mrs. Abby, who is hella sweet.

* * *

Abby Rush was born in Wisconsin, but felt called to travel with her love to his hometown in Iowa City, Iowa ~ After a winter of creative hibernation, it was here that she found herself again ... In the beauty of the calm Iowa fields, she learned to appreciate her softness, her spirit, and to truly value her own voice. This poem encompasses that journey:

* * *

wisdom from the stalks ~ ~
self discovery as an Iowa girl

my field-grown sisters
taught me to hear freedom
in the wind

taught me to see possibility
in the water

and taught me to hear my own
voice - - quiet and true

know your heart, they said ~
trust your gut
and above all know your own
truth

only then shall you know peace

battleless belle

ascendance, transportation

this is a story-poem i wrote many years ago-- i believe in 2007; it is based on a super-vivid dream i experienced.

^ ^ ^ ascendance, transportation : : :

~ ~ ~

all breaths, i could hear none, but we were never tired, we always pushed, always ran, we ran across a pool deck (indoor) and you were (then) ahead, rigging a boat, turning objects (mostly cloth materials) inside out, and i wore black rain boots and waited (now, then) against the concrete wall, lightly.

the swimmers with their swim-capped heads stopped swimming their laps, and the coach stood next to me, nonchalant, gossipy, talked about your body, how lean it was, how you worked to be in good shape so that you could search and dive — she and no one ever spoke suspiciously of what you were doing, though you were eccentric, evidently quite different, adventuresome in an other-worldly fashion.

. . . admittedly, no one quite understood why you did what you did, but no one disbelieved your knowledge, your systems of non-convention, your magic, and i had never met you before, so i watched you create this boat, and to myself i thought, “this boat is made of cloth, of tarp. i will surely get wet, and whatever will we find beneath chlorine waves, and why you, who?”

. . . as though invested in my inner monologue, the swim coach said,

“loch ness. he searches and dives. loch ness.”

i didn’t care if i got wet.

~ ~ ~

by a rope, you led the boat to depths, and i did not get wet — i rested, i waited, fully. when anchored, you climbed into the boat, you were not wet, we rested side by side, our bodies liquid like the surface on which we were buoyed, and you spoke of your death, you knew you were nearly over, and i watched your face become a face i had not seen before, a flat face, a melted face, your eyes flat, the bones beneath your eyes

like disks, like bones, like shells, like bones, like hollow bones.

your face (now, then) also was tattooed; you were of a tribe, a tribe and time and place that was not of here, of now. you were dying, but you were alive, and i trusted you, and somehow i believed that we were together so that i could memorize you, preserve you.

i had never met you before, and we were bodiless, made of liquid, and we gazed at the sky through binoculars, and when you stood to pull the boat to shore, your face was no longer melted, your body not of liquid, you were alive, i trusted you, and somehow i believed that we were together so that i could memorize you, preserve you.

~ ~ ~

. . . no one quite understood why we always pushed, always ran, but no one cautioned us either. we were credible, runners, bodiless searchers and divers, and i had never met you before, but i recognized you, your paleness, your fire.

“loch ness. he searches and dives. loch ness.”

i didn’t care if i got wet.

you were not wet.

~ ~ ~

Marissa's poem 4 me

keeper of the flame
wounded warrior
sparkling priestess
you shift between worlds
spread truth across realms
as everything you touch
changes
blooms
is healed
bestowing dreams
messages
blessings
upon the universe
you
a bright blessing
wrapped in ink
a powerful message
old and wise
as a tree
deeply rooted
in the sacred
a rainbow being
as you walk forward
the earth is different.

(copyright Marissa Arterberry: 2011-forever)

belle-baby

Lil Belle ~ by Ann

sweet spring mama ~ by Arhia

self-portrait ~ city bun

this article is in honor of my darling friend, Belle-Bun ~
((i've seen her playing and nibbling in my dreams since she passed away)) ~
Belle has lived in Wisconsin, Iowa,
New York, and Maine ~
she ate like a queen,
loved like a sweetheart,
caused trouble like a bison,
and will be missed by many.
xoooooooooooo to you, sweet baby.
thank you for teaching me kindness and butterfly kisses.

thanks to Ann Causey for the
Lil Belle creation!!

lady-roars, 7

^ Arhia Kohlmoos ~ ~ ~

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 7 !!! 
i initiated freeform conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

~ ~ ~

I believe personal transformation can result from the interaction between an individual and an art object. Within each of my paintings, I strive to create an arena for the occurrence of such a metamorphosis. ◉ Symbolism and narrative are important devices in my pictures; through their use, I try to build a personal mythology with which the viewer can connect. ◉ My art arises from the conviction that visual beauty is a positive force in our world. Rich color, intricate pattern, high-quality materials, and time-consuming details are the tools I employ to communicate this belief.

~ ~ ~

I am absolutely certain that I want to continue painting throughout my life. I know this because of how I feel when I don't paint; when I don't paint, I begin to lose substance... as if I were turning into a ghost, becoming indistinct, dissolving, melting away like snow. When I do not paint, I begin to wonder what makes my presence in this world matter. I feel that my place could be filled just as sufficiently by anyone at all, and that I contribute nothing of unique worth to the lives of my fellow beings. These intuitions terrify me ... and the terror returns me to my paints.

~ ~ ~

For reasons that I do not yet fully understand, I have always shied away from calling myself as an "artist." Possibly this has to do with a general perception in modern Western culture of "the artist" as both insane and magical; as someone who is defined by otherness. I have never felt alright about this perception, because: a) in my experience everyone is the same amount of crazy ... and, b) there is nothing less magical about crunching numbers or serving food for a living than there is about making paintings. I find myself drawn to the Medieval view of the painter as just another craftsman--- just another necessary yet perfectly normal part of society. So in the end ... I suppose I do identify as a creator/artist, but I shun the ream of connotations that come with claiming that identity.

~ ~ ~

Concerning "where I am now" and "where I am headed," honestly, I have no clue! I do know that graduate school has been a good thing for me. When I can observe progress (aka deeper concepts more skillfully communicated) from one painting to the next, I feel I am on the right path. I am fond of daydreaming about a life in which I earn $ for just painting ... but I am aware of the rarity of such a life. In the end, I simply wish to always be painting; therefore I must find a way of bringing in cash (I guess one could say, a "job!") that leaves me lots of free time.

~ ~ ~

The people in my life have almost always, across the board, been supportive of my chosen "career" (I use that word with lots of hope!!!). The way I grew up, with an entire family of makers and no school to distract me from drawing, basically guaranteed an existence enveloped in support. I know that is not always the case for those who wish to "do art"; I've been extremely fortunate. I think the environment I grew up in has something to do with my previously expressed hesitations to identify as "an artist." In the place I come from, everyone made things. There was nothing insane or magical about it.

FOR MY 1st FULL LENGTH ARTIST'S INTERVIEW WITH PAINTER, ARHIA KOHLMOOS, 
CLICK HERE

ARHIA'S SITE

lady-roars, 6

^ Beth Breese ~ ~ ~

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 6 ~ !!!
i initiated freeform conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

I am from Wisconsin, though I currently live in Columbus, Ohio. I have a chapbook just out from Kent State University Press called "The Lonely-wilds." I'm always surprised at how difficult it is to describe my own art (poetry) and my life as an artist. Yet, if it were easy, maybe it would mean I was missing some really interesting nuggets or some essential nuance? Then again, just because it is tremendously difficult (don’t you find?), I don’t ever feel if I’m representing my work and my life with total accuracy. I try though:

I won't go all chronological on you, but I don't know if I'd be calling myself a poet if I hadn’t registered on a whim for a literature class at Lawrence. English 250 was Major American Writers and the syllabus did include major writers—Emerson, Thoreau, Dickenson—but who’s a/what’s a Lorine Niedecker? Not only did I feel moved by her spare and lyrical poems (read, read, read), but the fact that she was a Wisconsin girl, too (I think we would have been friends), really touched me. Before Lorine, I didn’t know the Wisconsin landscape was worth writing about, even though it was my landscape. So, that’s Lorine. And that’s Professor Faith Barrett who taught the class and who eventually taught my first poetry workshop at Lawrence. And who encouraged me to consider an MFA program. And that’s Professor Kathy Fagan, poet-lady-extraordinaire, my mentor through the MFA program at The Ohio State University. She’s a life-changer. I really do feel I owe my poet-life to these three women.

I wrote before college, but I wasn't calling myself a writer until just a couple years ago, and now I can’t imagine doing anything else; I shudder to think what would have happened if I hadn’t registered for that class (Yiker’s Island!). It’s not likely that I’ll be able to support myself as a poet, so I envision balancing teaching and writing. At the moment I am adjuncting at a couple local colleges, but I find this arrangement exhausting (I just began work on two poems for the first time in months!). So, my ultimate goal is to teach writing and creative writing at a less harried pace and with more reliable income. For me that means getting a full-length book out and getting on the job market. This is a multi-year plan and, at the moment, I’m okay with that.

check out my full-length artist's interview with Beth ~ HERE ~

Postmodernism

Marissa Arterberry asks:

What are your thoughts on Postmodernism?

Do you consider your work in any way Postmodernist?

kelly: discussions about Postmodernism, in my experience, very quickly become too heady, and i am not attracted to this kind of interaction often. i am additionally not attracted to the exercise of labeling myself too much. i acknowledge the dichotomous nature of my proclamations however, which lends to the vibe of what Postmodernism is: a concept that in and of itself is hard to define, a concept that proves the difficulty of intellectualizing art. ... about dichotomy: so, we’ve got things (feelings, personality traits, elements of nature, etc.) that in their oppositeness rub up against each other like curious confused kittens. we cannot deny the existence of dichotomy everywhere in our world. there is a place of holy worship just feet from a war zone. perhaps you’ve been "in love" b4, but delusional about what ~healthy love~ really is. the ocean is calm and fascinating, but sometimes violent and hella polluted. the feelings created by opposite things merging are the very foundation of Postmodernism. as aforementioned, i prefer few labels on my work or on my sleeve, but i gather that my preference for ambiguity and bucking what’s come before are Postmodern ideas. let me tell you what i think we’re really up to tho, because it’s beyond Postmodernism. the community of artists that i gravitate toward is operating from spaces that are more energy-based, more mystical. sounds are words. color and iconography (in placement and mere presence) equate efforts to communicate a deeper meaning: something of the spirit, of a life past, of a shape shifted, of a message received, of a dream. while such concepts are not absent from art movements of before, i think a newfound fixation on this creative magic is much more intensified within my inner-circle of art-fam. i think my friends (we yung emerging artists) are quite conscious of our purpose to create a new movement, one that is even more difficult to touch with text and analogy. everything is becoming much more experiential, sometimes so wordless that it remains a shadow for a long stretch of time ... until we accordingly morph to greet it //depart // over n over.

The International Museum of Women's Blog

friends,

~ ~ ~ i am super stoked about this article, created by my dear friend, Marissa Arterberry.

check out my interview for The International Museum of Women's blog:
here

lady-roars, 5

^ beauty ~ ~ ~

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 5 ~ !!!
i initiated free*form conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

~ ~ ~

Marissa Arterberry is a visual artist working in the realms of painting, illustration, and installation. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Marissa graduated with a B.A. in Painting from San Francisco State University. She writes for her own arts blog, Black Butterfly, as well as for Her Blueprint, the International Museum of Women‘s blog. She has exhibited work throughout the Bay Area as well as in Chicago and Brooklyn. Marissa currently lives and works in Oakland, California.

~ ~ ~

I think that being an artist is one of the most wonderful professions a person can choose, as well as one of the toughest and most misunderstood. It is getting up every day and creating something special to share with the world, and it is having no guarantees that work you do (and it is work ~ there are some folks who don’t view it that way) will keep a roof over your head or put food on your table. Because of that, the people drawn to this profession are deeply passionate and committed to what they do. Sometimes that is all you have.

What I’ve learned is that part of working as an artist, especially an emerging artist, is having to be your own cheerleader a lot of the time. Everything will be picked apart and questioned by others: the nature of your work (shouldn’t you be doing something more commercially viable?), what it is that you’re trying to “get” at the end of the day, a run-down of how you haven’t made any money at this supposed career of yours. I’ve heard it all, and it never stings any less. But what hurts more is to give in to those pressures and to try to be someone else. I try to just face the music and learn to deal with it by finding something else that feeds my soul, to counteract all the criticism. I can't hide from it.

I know that I’m going to be creating all of my life, because it is like breathing for me. Art is the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the morning, and there is nothing more satisfying than making something by hand, purely out of my imagination. It’s so much fun!

Right now I’m in a phase where my work wanders off the canvas more, which came from this time where I was too broke to afford paint and canvas. At first I was very frustrated, and felt like I couldn’t do anything. What I did have was a bunch of old sheets of watercolor paper, and watercolor paints (which last forever since a little bit can always be reused). I began to paint characters on the paper and cut them out. I found colorful yarn and ribbons cheap at craft stores, and made hangings out of my cutouts, with big trails of yarn and ribbon. I’ve been creating altar installations with the cutouts, and not a scrap of paper or ribbon goes to waste. I found out I can always make something somehow.

check out my full-length artist's interview with Marissa by clicking HERE.

lady-roars, 4

~ she's a sunshine daydream ~

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 4 ~ !!!
i initiated freeform conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

Maro Bizarro is a purple-monster-butterfly-fish somewhere out to sea. She fled from her home (Wisconsin) in early 2008. She resides now (with her puppy) between Athens, Greece and her teeny tiny village on the Corinthian Gulf. Bizarro enjoys making masks and stages, painting, writing, teaching, making movies, taking photos, and cooking.

* * *

I can only tell you that I aspire to use creativity throughout my life, because I don't really like the alternative. I aspire to do everything with love, tastefulness, fun, intuition, and the results so far have been rewarding.

* * *

I do not consider myself an emerging artist, necessarily. I think that I have always just wanted things to be attractive. I have affected some people in my travels who have asked me to work for them in movies, television (special FX), and theatres (makeup FX, set design, and teaching as well). I am emerging each time I impress myself with an awesome idea, or when I find someone else like-minded. I have never thought about a lifelong commitment in doing one thing; I like surprises and change, although I dream that I will always be friends with alginate and paint, film, and other creative people forever.

* * *

what is it like to identify as an artist/creator?

There once was a purple monster butterfly fish. She could do anything. First of all, she was the Earth, but she could flutter through the storms and escape through the roughest seas. Her friends wore stingers and wings, were dressed in scales and shells, and had really come to the most serene rainbows on their journeys. Sometimes however, she transformed her wings into bones, her fins into flesh, with an enormous amount of hair and heat. In this form, she experienced such complex creatures that she preferred to befriend only pleasures. With these components, she was able to relax and smile, make jokes and tell stories, but she was blind. One day, after a long flight, a mosquito ate her wings and she was forced to return to the sea. She gazed at the clouds, at the stars, and at the other fairies and butterflies and reminisced of her times in the heavens. She became so comfortable with only her fish-nature that she slowly forgot the wonders of the sky. She could no longer feel the cool air perpetuate momentum and inertia in her body. Slowly, she even forgot how to breath. She decided to return to the earth for awhile, perhaps for a short visit.

* * *

Well, I am here in Greece now, trying to freelance the f*** out of everything I do, while remaining interested in everything and taking any artistic opportunity I can. I have no idea where I am going? For the moment, I like where I am. This spring, I will take part in a 7-artist collaborative exhibition in Athens. I hope to do more independent exhibitions in the future, as well as participate in the Athens Film Festival.

* * *

I have had support, in some kind of way, from everybody I have probably ever met. I’ve had a lot of apathy as well, which usually left me unaffected, or, oddly inspired. I like support and I like not having support sometimes, too. Both can affect an artist's work quite positively.

lady-roars, 3

Candid Lee, forever diva

!!! welcome to lady-roars ~ #3 ~ !!!
i initiated free*form conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

"Candid Lee is an hyperbole. She is a brilliant blonde baritone and also sometimes known as an iconoclastic clusterfuck. What you see is only the beginning of what you get!

Candid Lee fancies herself an unofficially recognized genius. But she's cool with that shit because she doesn't have any room in her house for any more awards of recognition. And yes, she has been recognized for almost everything, from the 'loudest bitch' to the 'butchest femme.' It is a good thing Candid Lee is all about seeing other persons as equals, or else she'd be a pretty pretentious asshole!

Candid Lee is a Libra, lactarded, and fond of alliteration. She is a proud Ethical Slut and recommends reading the book of the same title which she did not write, but would have loved to have written. She offers unsolicited advice on her blog and practices acting like hot shit because that is one award she actually gave to a friend who totally was hot shit this one time, right, but now she's got this empty frame and a heart full of TEARS!!! cuz a hot shit award is not easy to come by!

But that other bitch who totally was hot shit for real-real is totally doing the honor justice. Maybe Candid has an award for you, too!"

Art musing from Candid: "I'm an iconoclastic clusterfuck who would very much like to entertain the world into thinking about things they might otherwise view as taboo. And bitch, I AM art. Where am I now? In front of my computer typing this shit. Where am I going? Published author territory and one-person show territory, which are just pit stops."

lady-roars, 2

Erin Sullivan, rockstar

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 2 ~ !!!
i initiated free*form conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

Erin Sullivan is a bassoonist from Denver, Colorado. She is currently finishing her dissertation for a doctorate degree in music performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Since college, Erin has had a passion for performing modern music written for the bassoon. Her dissertation, which expands on this interest, is on Luciano Berio's Sequenza XII, a monstrous piece for solo bassoon, which demands the performer to master all of the most difficult techniques developed for the instrument. She will perform the piece in August.

* * *

"Life is an opportunity, happiness is a choice." This is a phrase I read from an article in Rolling Stone used by Jimmy Fallon's wife in describing her husband's optimism; and it really describes why I feel being a musician is an opportunity that has lead to positive and happy choices. I learned in college that making my love of music into a career would not be an easy road, but every time I would have doubts about how far I could take this career, I would always ask myself, "what else could you do that would make you this happy?" Since I could never find an answer to this question I kept going. Now that I am almost done with my doctorate degree and the pressure of being a musician as a full-time job is ever present, the statement of "life is an opportunity, happiness is a choice" is even more poignant. I choose to be a bassoonist, a not so common occupation, but I do so because I am continually happy with this choice. Being a musician is about being an opportunist: no one is going to come along and say, "here is this high paying great position for you." Instead you have to be willing to take that day job while you network with everyone in the field and be willing to do jobs outside of your comfort zone like in my case, teaching middle school students. I think that the cliché of a suffering artist is crap. Of course this lifestyle has its difficulties, but in the end it is a choice. With happiness comes trust, which is the foundation every artist needs to succeed: trust in one's talent, in one's ability to overcome problems, and trust in one's choices.

lady-roars, 1

blue fawn, Jenn Kay

!!! welcome to lady-roars, 1 ~ !!!
i initiated freeform conversation with fellow women creators about art, identity, and whatever else.

My name is Jenn and art has always been significant to me. Growing up I was more into drawing things, usually graphite sketches. Lately, I've been embracing the digital camera revolution and enjoy modeling and taking silly pics of my own. ((Jenn lives in Brooklyn with her man, his pup, and her bunnies.))

Art to me, is like a breath of fresh air. It makes me feel alive and more aware of the world and people around me. Likewise, it can provide an escape from the world. While I have been unable to dedicate as much time as I'd like to my art, I try to incorporate it in my own aesthetic, no matter how subtle it may be. Of course I'll do a photo shoot any chance I get, or do a quick sketch if I have the urge to create.

Since this is how my relationship with art has been over the past couple years, I have a feeling that it will always be with me; I will always be creating, whether it's sporadic or constant. With how hectic things are for me as of late, sporadic creations just seem to be what's working for me right now. Photo shoots also just seem to flow more easily for me as opposed to drawing things. So yes, I believe modeling can be an art if that's the intention behind it. I've also been taking plenty of snap shots lately of the world around me, and while I know that's not really a serious art, I enjoy it because of that aspect.

One of the things that seems to hinder my creative process is a lack of structure. Back when I was in high school, I had a lot of support from teachers and fellow students, and they were a constant factor. That helped a lot in regards to finding the energy to make things happen. Not that I'm saying I don't get any support for any of the art I make now, but it's not a constant thing anymore. My support is now coming from friends who happen to *stumble upon* my creations. Another thing about that that I know holds me back is the networking I personally would need to do to just advertise me. I almost feel like I can't get serious enough to do that, which can be a good and bad thing. I don't mind though, since I view my creations as a visual expression of what I may be feeling, but also part of my escape from this world … and just something fun and silly, even carefree.

Yea, I like how that sounds. Carefree art.

artist's interview: CLAUDIA BAETHGEN!

a note from kelly: so, i'm totally chilling in my purple panties and blue sweater. my sweet bunny is behind me and she just sneezed like a llama. we've gotten about 16 solid hours of snow here in Maine, which cushions my apple cider party. anyway, i tell you ~ ~ ~ i've been thinking a lot about my friend, Msss. Claudia, who is one of the most unique fawns i've had the pleasure of swimming with. Claudia would no doubt fare well in this quiet snow. may you enjoy the insights posted below from this up-and-coming fashion-queen. xo.

kelly ~ where were you born and raised? at what point did you move to the U.S. and for what reasons? does NYC suit you at this present point in your life? do you think you'll stay awhile?

Claudia ~ I was born in Florence, Alabama, but raised in Uruguay. I moved to the U.S. when I was about 15 years old with my mother and sister and dogs. There was an economic crisis at the time ~ my mother lost her job and the home wasn't happy. We were in Virginia first, then New Jersey. Now I'm in Brooklyn living like a teenager, and in Manhattan working like an adult. I really like living here because I have fun even when I'm bored and because I'm super ambitious. I think I will stay here for a really long time ~ I decided that I won't leave until I truly have the desire to live somewhere else. I don't want to allow myself to run away.

kelly ~ so, it is my opinion that you are one of the most innately sweet, caring, beautiful, gentle, and child-like creatures of our time. would you please provide 11 words that lend insight into your identity?

Claudia ~ I am: ghost, dance, smoke, a stray, a person, loyal, resilient, silent, improving, excited, learning ~ ~ ~

kelly ~ do you have some favorite animals? do you have a favorite place to retreat to? do you enjoy the ocean? what is your favorite food?

Claudia ~ My favorite animals are the ones with hair ~ right now I'm especially preferring canines. My favorite place to retreat to is my bedroom, though it's rare for me to retreat. The ocean is beautiful, but I prefer meadows and mountains. My favorite food is cookies ~ especially ones with chocolate. 

kelly ~ i know that you've studied clothing design, but recently, you opted not to return to school. i think this is an incredible choice. talk to me about the reasons why.

Claudia ~ My first year of college was very intense. I was in Italy and all the professors were really great. I developed lots of new skills and I made beautiful friends. When I came back to New York it was different. I felt like I wasn't really learning any new skills, but just practicing ... and things were repeating over and over. I thought I'd rather practice through the real thing, and once I started interning, I realized that it worked much better for me. The first week of my sixth semester I was sitting in class listening to all the professors go through the syllabus ... and I just knew it was time, so I dropped most of my classes ... and then once the semester was over I didn't go back. That is the short story. 

kelly ~ you've got a rad gig right now in the fashion world. tell the peeps what you're doing, learning, and working towards.

Claudia ~ I'm working for a designer called Gary Graham. It's really fun and challenging at the same time, and my coworkers are so nice, creative, patient and smart. I'm learning so much! ... but one of my favorite things is trying to figure out the best way to work successfully with brains and personalities that are so different from mine ... My plans are secret, or at least I only share them with close ones.

kelly ~ why fashion?

Claudia ~ As a kid I had a very long period of unhappiness, maybe about six years. One day, I decided I couldn't be like that anymore, and I started working 

kelly ~ you are given the gift of $11,111. what do you do?

Claudia ~ I would pay my student loans ~ it's a boring answer, I know.

kelly ~ Claudia, i'd love to know what your ultimate happiness looks like. what are you doing or not doing? who is there? where you at?

Claudia ~ When I imagine ultimate happiness, I see myself as an old woman sitting on my porch ... finally getting some rest, being really satisfied with the things I have accomplished and the person I have become ... I am surrounded by flowers, there's also an old man, an old dog, an old cat, and old friends. I think that achieving happiness will take a lot of time and wisdom.

kelly ~ you are given a golden key. it is small, fits into your palm snugly. you are then lead to a big wooden boat that will sail across an ocean made of lavender and turquoise waves. what happens? tell me more!

Claudia ~ I try the key in every key hole in the boat, but it doesn't open anything! So I move to the front of the boat and I wish really hard that it will go faster, but then I think ... that the boat is probably going at just the right speed, so I begin wandering around. There are lots of people dressed in every color. I think I'm invisible, so I stare at one of them for a really long time because he has the biggest hair in the world. He is very confused, so he tries to do some small talk, but I don't like that ... so I just turn around. He is angry and throws me off the boat. ... I begin to swim ... until my feet touch the ground ~ then I begin to walk. I can see a door! It has a keyhole! I run super-fast and I trip and fall right in front of the door. I jump up and stick the key in the key hole. To my surprise it fits! To my even bigger surprise, the door was already unlocked. On the other side is a giant mirror. I laugh and then I fall asleep. 

kelly ~ as someone who has come and gone and will come again to NYC, i admire your willingness to stay-on for years to find your way. what do you love, like, and dislike about NYC?

Claudia ~ I like the abundance of everything there is! I feel like a kid in Disney world. What I dislike is how hard it is to feel "peace" here ~ It's a mental challenge, but then I think about it, and those two things are probably the same thing ... and I like the challenge. So, I guess in a way I even like the things I dislike about this place. I love that I can feel this city leading me to great things ... I can feel that something I want is here.

kelly ~ what are some of your hopes + goals for this new year? what transformations are you embarking upon? 

Claudia ~ The answer to this question is only for you ~ I feel nervous about strangers seeing it, not that it would matter to them.