Understanding Blue

*performing "Understanding Blue" during my show reception, January 24, 2013

ugh! If I were to try and put into words the many feelings I have right now it'd come out a complete mess.  But I must say thank you for your sweet words of encouragement, the positive energy you sent (I felt it!), and the support from those who came and those who cheered from a distance.  I suppose that in my life, this could just be looked at as a thing I did once.  But right now it feels like so much more than that.  My life informs my work and my work informs my life.  It's taken everything from me to the point where it sometimes hurts, but it's given me everything too.

As I sat in my pew at church today, there was a moment where the clouds and smog and grey that has been so persistent this winter parted and the room filled with a big bright warm light.

That's how I feel.

an invitation

the thing about art shows is that they are awkward when they are your own.  I love going to other's, but something about this being my art and me being there with it like "ta-da!" just feels weird.  But really, I'm pretty proud of myself and of this show.  I hope it reads sincere, because it feels more honest than just about anything I've ever done.

I'm having a show reception tomorrow (this just means that I'll be there, and food will be there too) and I'd love it if you came.

January 24th
6-9pm
the main floor of the Harris Fine Arts Center at BYU, Provo Utah.
(you can park in the Museum of Art parking lot)

two thoughts

one:

life is very fragile.  our words. the looks we give with our eyes.  they way those looks change in an instant.  our attempt to love and understand and empathize. the things we can control vs. the things we can't. the choices we make so delicately in our mind and carry out with such brave face.  our understandings and misunderstandings.  they are all just little subtleties.  but they aren't, ya know?

and another:

I believe in a personal God. I think I always have, but not in those same words. a dear friends shared that phrasing with me today, "personal God" and it just felt right.  not the subtle kind of right, but the kind that had my head and heart nodding "yes, I believe in a personal God" and filled my soul with an energy I'd forgotten.

this & that

Ok....so maybe I'm cheating a little bit...this post probably falls under February's goal: be a better wife, (since making a house a home is a very wifey thing to do...right?).  But I'm excited to see our home come together!  And now that my show is up, I'll have more time to devote to really getting our pad in tip-top shape.  The problem is never finding things I like, it's finding things we like that are under our budget.

So far we've collected (and agreed on):
-the couch (our first non-hand-me-down furniture purchase!)
-the clock (brandon gifted this to me and I'm in love!)
-the coffee table with hair-pin legs (I dreamed it, he built it)
-the art (most of it is thrifted, inherited, or made by yours truly.  The only photos we have up are of ancestors we've never met and we intend to keep it that way.  Oh, and I'm still trying to convince Brandon that the embroideries I've collected over the years are way cool, he calls it "granny art" since most are of flowers).

What I wouldn't mind adding:
-a big ol' rug (our current one is white and a shedder....any tips on where to find great rugs under $100?)
-a chair (our current one is a DI find and a total clasher with the couch.  it's gotta go!)
-a plant!  I've been reading up on houseplants lately, and I think I've found the perfect one: a fiddle leaf fig (try saying that ten times fast!)

We pride ourselves in being thrifty and cheap but still managing to pull off the look we want.  I've found it's a balance between wants and needs.  Every once in a full moon we let our wants go hog wild and do something crazy like purchase a couch that no other bums have ever sat on (we felt so adult!) but more often than not it's making what we have work (granny art), being nifty (coffee table), and using excuses like birthdays to bid on that prized piece that will be treasured forever (clock).

How do you navigate the wants vs. the needs?  And do you have any places you suggest looking for affordable home goods? I'm not much of a web-browser so I'd love any tips!

p.s. I'll share photos once more progress is made :)

Progress

A quick little update on my final show:

it's happening.


I'm distancing myself from it as much as is possible by not talking about it or showing my stuff to people.  Maybe I'm protecting myself or something.  whatever the case, it just feels easier that way.  But despite my distancing, it is happening.  I set up on thursday but have decided to have a show closing instead of an opening (is that weird?) my main reason for doing a closing instead of an opening is that I want to shower and make myself somewhat presentable and I figured if I give myself a week after setting up, I'm bound to have showered at least once (hopefully).  The closing will be Thursday January 24th from 6-9pm, in case you want to mark your calendars or something. :)

In a day or two I wont have any choice but to accept the fact that this precious little thing that I've spent so much time and energy on will be out of my hands.  (yes, since i have no dog, and no littles, my art is my baby).  "Did I prepare it enough?"  "Will the other art be nice to it?" yes. i'm kind of freaking out.  Would you mind sending some positive energy my way?  Thanks :)

-claire

*photo: instagrammed study wall from my studio.

MONTHLY GOALS 2013

I've seen this idea floating around the blog world and frankly (first seem last year here), I think it's genius.  I'm totally the type to overwhelm myself and set a bazillion goals.  Breaking these goals down month to month makes them feel that much more attainable.  And of course, these are all subject to change.  My original goal for december was "no internet" and last minute I changed it to "blog every day" ha, so there you go.   I'll do progress reports and recaps for each month as I go along.  :)  If you'd like to join along, feel free to link up!

It's officially my last semester of classes as an undergrad!!  And despite my OCD organizational ways, my schedule is totally out of whack, two separate class conflicts, waiting lists on 3 classes I need....ya know....a true nightmare. I'm doing little to mend the problem right now since my main focus is preparing for my final BFA show (which is next week!! eek!) I go back and forth from feeling so extremely excited and ready to completely horrified.  This morning I'm excited :)  I spent last night with my su-artist (aka: my mom) dying 7 1/2 yards of silk.  It's my largest and most costly work yet and I LOVE IT.

Good luck with your first day back at school!

-claire

photos by Kristina Curtis, a few Autumns back

A Summer Wedding

On cold winter days like this, I like to look at photos full of sunshine. These are from a particularly good summer night, celebrating the union of two great people. I'm just going to say it: SUMMER WEDDINGS TAKE THE CAKE. Great light. Great outfits. Great food (though really, pie is good anytime of the year).

Pop Up Shop Recap!

We had such a fun time at the Renegade Brigade Homemade Christmas Pop Up Shop!

Thanks for all the support, and we hope you found some treasures to gift to family and

friends (and yourself of course)!

And a huge thanks to the lovely ladies who helped us spread the word!
 

We are already scheming on the next event, and if you

are a crafter or maker of things and are interested in being featured, or if you'd like to

sponsor or have venue suggestions for the next Pop-Up Shop, email us at:

therenegadebrigade (at) gmail (dot) com

P.S. Thanks for all the birthday wishes!  I blew out the candle and made the best

wish I've ever made, but I can't say what it was of course, or it won't come true :)

first things first

As I was kicking myself for still not having our Christmas cards out on the 28th (yes I'm a photographer and it's impossible to take my own family's photos) and still finishing all the boy's gifts (late) and panicking about a million other things that "needed" to get done, Brandon held me by the shoulders and the look in his eyes seemed to say it all.

The truth is, like anyone else, we weren't perfect this last year.  I think dissatisfaction in life comes when we forget what our priorities are.  My motto for this new year is first things first.  The above is a recap of our last year, the top 12 shining moments.  They made the top twelve for a reason, we were surrounding ourselves with good people and good ideas (and good laughs in-between).  Life is never "perfect", but we have the choice in every moment to decide what's important.  I don't expect 2013 to be any easier, in fact, if I could look ahead I'd say we're in for some of the biggest changes in our life thus far.  But my hope is to be stronger this year, to take each experience and properly place it, and to always remember what is most important..

God. Love. People. Growth.

hey, 2013, bring it!