It's been fun to be behind-the-scenes as part of our feisty little organizing committee as we discuss and tackle all the components that comprise a weekend-long event. Our fearless leader, Gretchen Schermerhorn, is doing a great job at balancing a wide range of perspectives (and creative tension - a good thing), with getting things done.

I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for this event - it's where I first discovered that the book arts existed. I walked into the exhibitor fair on that fall day in 2006 and I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole into this fantasy world of mind-bending discoveries. An apt metaphor, since this discovery has shaken up quite a few things in my life.

Click here for event details and registration, and here for the latest news.

I had done a little online research beforehand, looking for some basic principles to guide me. I didn't find much, so yesterday, when I walked into the studio, I was feeling a mixture of curiosity and overwhelm - where to start and how, exactly, would this go? Nothing like jumping into the water with both feet!

With little other than instinct to guide me, I just started looking through bins and bins of art. It was interesting to step back and observe myself being drawn to certain pieces, and not to others. In my own work, I always need an inspiration - a starting point. It happened here, as well. I hadn't intended for this to be the case, but there was one print that caught my eye as a perfect companion for one of my artist books. Bam, I was off to the races and the ideas just flowed.

I also stuck with what I know at this point: color. I'm not an experienced printmaker or trained artist, so I didn't have a lot of "rules" or technique to show me the way. I do know color and "energy" and pacing, all of which seemed to flow, as I moved pieces around, experimented with surprising combinations and just got my hands on the art.

At the end of two days, I'm pretty happy with the results. I might look back on this some time from now with a more experienced eye and see things I'd do differently, but that's okay. Four of my fellow artists stopped in at various times today and were very encouraging, happy to frame unseen work that I'd dragged out of bins to hang.

What I'm most excited about is that I got to know more about each artist's work, taking time to really look at it. There are so many prints here, that it's easy to flip through them and miss a lot. I loved learning more about the ideas behind several pieces, as I interacted with the artists that were here today.

Last night's tests revealed vast differences in how a grayscale image responded on various types and colors of bookcloth. A few surprises, no real winner yet, but more direction for next week's testing. It looks like simpler is better, eliminating some variables (e.g., black and white threshold images, no grayscale). Apparently Warhol did that, sticking with solid blocks of ink and color. So far, Marty and I are using black ink only, letting the bookcloth be the color.

Poor Jim - he's been so patient while I learn and experiment. Thanks for your patience - I think it'll be worth it!

Feels like I'm back on track, doing the basics: morning pages, PT, client work ramping up. Most importantly, I'm getting my hands on my art, daily. This feels crucial to my sanity, frankly. I also pulled out books from my touchstones and guides: Julia Cameron, Natalie Goldberg, Anne Lamott. These women have lived the artist's life far longer than I and their advice feels like it's written specifically for me right now.

June's mailART exchange with my friend Elizabeth reflects a lot of this, although we didn't plan it. That seems to be the thing with collage and our wavelength across the miles these days.

Elizabeth to Kelly June 2010, frontElizabeth to Kelly June 2010, back

Kelly to Elizabeth June 2010, frontKelly to Elizabeth June 2010, back

My initial reaction was to take it lightly and move on - after all, I'm still riding high from a string of recent acceptances and big steps related to my art. But then it hit me - ouch. Tiny panicky doubts popped up...is this all just a fluke? beginner's luck? am I not as grounded in my art as it feels? with time, will I be revealed as not a "real" artist?

                                                                                                                                                                                        This morning I woke up and didn't believe any of those things. I did, however, realize that I need to get my hands on my work and create. To keep moving. To stop stalling on some pieces that feel a little intimidating to me right now (a feeling I've come to recognize as: you're on to something).

I also did a little exploring to see how more seasoned artists navigate the necessary evil of rejection. One of the most thoughtful and comprehensive pieces I've found is by Joanne Mattera, an encaustics artist who also writes a terrific blog about navigating life as an artist.

Steve's podcasts are turning out to be way more than a distraction. I look forward to my endless physical therapy sessions because they’re my next chance to listen to another intriguing interview with the likes of Hedi Kyle, Betsy Davids, Audrey Niffenegger, and Julie Chen.

Steve does a great job drawing thoughtful insights from his subjects, all the while painting a vivid scene of what's happening around them. I feel like I'm right there, listening in on a great conversation. One of my favorites so far is when he interviewed Andrea Peterson while she rowed him around Ox-bow lake at dawn.

One of my favorite discoveries that Karen turned us onto is mail art, where the postal system is medium, and the art is handmade collaged postcards to friends, family, or really anyone. Karen and her partner-in-crime, Suzi Banks Baum, call it FEmail, which I love. Karen and Suzi are the Queens of FEmail as far as I'm concerned - check out their current (extended!) exhibition at Berkshire Art Kitchen.

Elizabeth and I were so inspired by all of this that we vowed to send each other a piece of mail art every month. What better way to stay in touch with the yin and yang of our distant and often out-of-touch lives throughout the year, when what we really want is more time for connection and being present with one another? I wasn't sure if I could make my April deadline, though, with recent knee surgery packing me a wallop I'd not fully anticipated - my convalescence was more like a hibernation as I navigated drug allergies, infection and deep fatigue.

I felt more than a little protective letting go of E's postcard. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the postal attendant - would s/he give me a hard time for sending something that didn't comply with postal standards, or would they be game for a little art? I also knew my little masterpiece would be immediately changed the moment I handed it over for postage and hand-cancelling.

And that's exactly what happened. Not only did the attendant smile and take a moment to look at both sides of the piece, he patiently looked through all of his stamps to find just the right combination to arrange in the space I'd left. "See?" I said, "You're a collaborator on this piece of art!" He smiled. I felt so good leaving it in his hands, knowing that the first part of it's journey to Elizabeth was good.

When I returned home today, guess what was waiting for me in the mail? Elizabeth's April postcard to me. I got a little weepy has I caressed it and gazed, the message both powerful and tender to me.

Binnewater Arts Center, home to WSW studios

Then you must check out Gretchen Schermerhorn's class this June up at Women's Studio Workshop in Rosendale, NY. If you are unfamiliar with WSW, they are a 30 year old arts organization with an emphasis in printmaking, papermaking and book arts. Gretchen (Pyramid Atlantic's Director the Papermill, Artistic Collaboration and Outreach) did a residency there back in December and now wants everyone to share in the joy that is WSW.

This is your chance, if you've ever wanted to explore this medium. Gretchen's an internationally-known and sought-after artist, so you'll be learning from the best. Plus, she's very cool and lots of fun. Details below:

From Paper To Print with Gretchen Schermerhorn
Paper is to printmaking as banana skins are to bananas, the structure that contains and supports the delicious product. In this hybrid workshop we will focus on creating customized handmade papers for monoprint, relief and intaglio printmaking. We will begin with the basics of sheet formation, using cotton rag, flax, and abaca fibers, and the focus will be on variation of thick to thin and opaque to translucent sheets. Pigmentation and the use of additives will be covered. Then we will move on to stencil work, pulp printing and chine colle (collage)-all methods that will later register with printed matter. The second half of the class will be spent printing on our handmade papers. Polyester plate lithography, relief and screenprinting will be taught, with an emphasis on using the papers that were made in the first part of the class, to create richly layered prints.

July 19 - 23, 2010. To learn more, click here and scroll down to Gretchen's workshop