Studio fail.
Bone dry clay vs. Alma the studio cat.
Thinking about a small series of ceramic wall hangings. Making sketches this afternoon.
Sometimes my clay sculptures get fuzzy with mold and that’s ok. It burns off in the kiln 🔥 and all is well again!
I did it. On January 1, 2021 I deleted Instagram from me phone. It was the only way to stop the cycle of scrolling, comparing, searching for the next artist opportunity. So I did it.
And you know what? I missed it for a few days. Reflexively picking up the phone to scroll is a real thing. My email quickly became the next stop for my busy fingers. So I rearranged my home screens, deleted more apps and then hid my phone in the junk drawer most of the day.
Wow, what a hold these companies have on our psyche.
As an artist, Instagram is so important. It’s where the collectors are. It’s where the gallerists are hanging out. It’s where we are all image-obsessed. So I’m setting a schedule, setting an alarm each time I’m on, and also responding to DMs and comments through my desktop so that the scroll doesn’t happen.
So… I’m back! Three months away from Instagram and I feel SO much better. Sometimes you need a breather and y’all... I needed it.
It’s such a reflex, right? Filling the space with scrolling instead of thinking and being present. That was me. 11 years on Instagram and 2020 did me in.
So I’m cautiously back. I’ll be sharing my artwork, adventures on our incredibly rocky and beautiful land, and maybe some fun updates on C with her teenage consent of course.
Even though my mind is clearer and I don’t have the urge to grab my phone in each moment of downtime; I’ve missed all of the updates. The joys, the kiddos, the stunning art, losses, success, and failures.
If an Instagram post happens, but no one sees it… did it really happen?
Warming Up with Fort Worth Art Collective
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How To - My First Stop Motion Animation
I first tried my hand at stop motion animation just over a year ago. I was using my older Canon 6D DSLR and I didn’t have control of the lighting. In a word… it was BAD. The results were alright, but not enough to push on and try again.
During the Adobe Max 2020 Conference, I came across a couple of workshops on stop motion and thought to myself. Um, yes I love that. Let’s try again. So here I am. Working that dancing object magic one more time.
Equipment Needed For Stop Motion Animation
Camera or Cellphone in Manual Mode
Tripod
Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop
Adobe Premiere Pro
Fun and Creative Ideas
Let’s do this! You’ll need to use your camera in manual mode to avoid changes in exposure. This can happen when you bring objects in and out of the frame so manual mode is your friend here.
Keep the lighting consistent throughout the shoot. If you are by a window diffuse the light and if you are outside make sure there aren’t clouds in the sky. If your lighting changes even so slightly during the shoot you will get what stop motion artists call flicker. It’ll be a bad visual distraction.
So you have your camera and lighting ready. Now for the shoot. Ever so gently move your objects in and out of the frame, twist them around, crumple them, add a magical hand that makes objects change. Your creativity is endless here. Dream it up and make it happen!
This back and forth is a lot of work. Try your camera’s mobile app to make the shoot easier. With each slight movement, you will take a photograph. In the end, you will be left with hundreds of photographs.
Once your photo shoot is complete you will take your series of photographs back to Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop and edit one image exactly how you want it to look. Then you will sync your edits across the series. From there you will export as JPEG.
Once your images have been save as JPEGs you’ll open Adobe Premiere Pro. Start a new project and move your series of images into the timeline. From here you will want to speed up or slow down the frames as needed. Add some audio to your stop motion animation, export your fresh new video and boom you’re done!
Part of my time at The TX Studio Artist Residency has been spent using the gorgeous evening light to practice my stop motion animation. I’ll say it again… I think it is pretty magical. I can see issues in this one but I’m going to go with present over perfect. I’m already thinking of my next stop motion idea.
Oh and can we talk about delicious pears? 😋🍐 Yum 🤤
Let me know what you think and please share your animations with me!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. As always, thank your for your support.
My nightly dreams have been weird since COVID 19 started. So I decided to make a zine edition based on my unconscious mind. My dreams are vivid, detailed, and strangely wonderful. I hope this dream zine makes you smile. I go to sleep every night so there is definitely more to come.
FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM
Like all of my recent collage pieces, this is one of a kind. There will never be another. I love that about this work. The found book page comes from a local resident - Larry Cook. Delta, Amon Carter & Fort Worth. All highlights that those with North Texas roots would understand. The locality, little girl, playful color, the airlines, the projectile missile. It all felt right✌️
𝘔𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘺
Original collage, acrylic, and found paper on panel
9” x 12”
Available
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Working Series: A new body of work using found imagery of women averting their gaze.
Who’s gardening now? We’ve got okra, tomatoes, cilantro, and hot peppers going. We’re not going to solve our personal toilet paper shortage, but we’ll have some killer tacos in about 2 months.
𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 2020
9”x12”
𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢
Original collage and acrylic on paper
6” x 9”
Available
Working series - A new body of work using found imagery of women averting their gaze.
𝘙𝘶𝘵𝘩
Original collage and acrylic on found paper
6.5” x 9.5”
SOLD
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Working series - A new body of work using found imagery of women averting their gaze. #hollydgray
I’m making new work each day until this is all over. Daily collage seems to be my jam. I have just enough willpower to cut and paste. Finding yellowed, marked and aging book pages is a small part of the fun. I'm really enjoying sending these small works out into the world. I just love this one. Introducing 𝘈𝘥𝘢 Blalock and her gun as big as Texas.
I’ll be donating 10% of the sale of 𝘈𝘥𝘢 to Tarrant Area Food Bank ❤️ $25 provides 125 meals for families out of work and school.
𝘈𝘥𝘢
Original collage, glitter, and acrylic on found paper
6.5” x 9.5”
Available - DM or Email
Working Series: A new body of work using found imagery of women averting their gaze. #hollydgray
Today was originally supposed to be Spring Gallery Night in Fort Worth. As we all know, the majority of the globe has been shut down due to COVID-19. As a member of the Fort Worth Art Collective, we had an exhibition popup scheduled in conjunction with the gallery night. The two original collage pieces here: Mrs. Morris, Esther & Joyce were to be my contribution to this exhibition.
Today was to be a fun day of gallery hopping throughout the town and supporting fellow artists and local galleries. I even had a sitter ready to go for C. It really is one of my favorite art days of the year. So as a tiny celebration, in place of a day that I’m sure will be rescheduled, I’m linking to the local museums, nonprofits, and galleries that I now virtual share the day with. Say hello, check out what they’re showing, give a follow.
Mrs. Morris
Original collage on panel
12” x 12”
Available
Esther & Joyce
Original collage on panel
12” x 12”
Available
Working series - A new body of work using found imagery of women averting their gaze.
#lookingdown
Insta
When I started the working collage series #lookingdown in late January, I had no clue where we would be here at the end of March. I guess none of us really had an accurate idea. I’m thankful that I have this particular series. It’s bright, hands-on, and playful. I can get lost in my mind while I’m working on them. I need this right now. I need the escape from the chaos outside our home. I hope you have an escape that makes you feel the slightest bit happy amongst everything that is happening.
I really feel that we will look back at the history of this event the way other generations have looked at wars, tyrannical leaders, plagues, and revolutions. I’m thinking about the historical impact of our present. What will future generations know of this particular moment? This is where my mind feels safe. Looking in the rearview at this.
The women that I am choosing for this series all come from the US South during the 1950s and 60s. I like to think about their time period and let my mind create a personal narrative for each woman.
My city is under a shelter in place order, my husband is a firefighter/paramedic, my daughter is high-risk. There’s a lot to worry about and I know I’m not alone. I choose to create art every day even when it is hard, cuddle and go on long walks with my kiddo, continue to homeschool and adjunct like I always have and keep things as upbeat as I can. Every day has its ups and downs and not all have been sunny. We march on. Stay safe friends ❤️
𝘕𝘦𝘰𝘮𝘢 (on the left)
𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢 (on the right)
I imagine they’re sisters that responsibly keep their social distance. 𝘕𝘦𝘰𝘮𝘢 is concerned about testing and 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢 is good at listening to her sister’s concerns 💕
Original collage and acrylic on paper
6” x 9”
SOLD
Working series - A new body of work using found imagery of women averting their gaze.
#lookingdown
Sending 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦 off to her new home today. I’m so thankful to my collectors for supporting art during this bizarre time. I had a few group exhibitions this month and next that have been canceled or postponed... so I share on Instagram and here on the website. It’s a little thing, but I’m so grateful for this community.
𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦
Original collage on paper
𝟿 𝘹 𝟷𝟸
SOLD
Working series - A new body of work using found imagery of women averting their gaze. #lookingdown
𝘑𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦
Original collage on found paper
6.5” x 9.25”
Available
Working series - A new body of work using found imagery of women averting their gaze.
𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝑰𝒕 𝑪𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏
March 16, 2020
Washing our hands and keeping our daughter safe and healthy is our everyday life. Those with disabilities are on the front lines of fear every winter. Now we worry more. Now the anxiety is higher. Covid 19 is serious for us. So we’re staying home, staying off social as much as possible, homeschooling as usual, watching too much Disney+ and making art. We’re keeping it clean around here. I hope you are too ❤️💦✨ .
Found Image, paper and rhinestones
9x12
Available
Making art not anxiety today 💪✂️📷 I've been diving back into still life photography more and more lately. Researching the Dutch masters in the cracks between long appointments & procedures, homeschool, and now teaching online.
Deconstructing a series of found books spanning 20+ editions. 1950s & 60s. These pages are the source material for my new working series which includes female figures averting their eyes.