Years ago, I began wanting to develop my work enough to show in gallery events. This partially led to the development of ART7 and the rest of the ART series on Playdate – in that case, I figured I could just make my own gallery. But still, a lot of the work I’m interested in making is fully in the realm of the physical.
I spend time with friends every week at a local Art Night hosted at the Highland Collective here in Austin. It has been an amazing place to focus and/or not focus. To talk to other artists, to be inspired and to find friends and community. They also host a lot of Open Call shows! Finally, I have had a venue to experiment and create things for a wider audience.
This is where I can really put pieces together with an eye to what I want to make and to what others will find interesting enough to purchase. My focus has been on the former, but the latter sure is affirming.
With my years working with balloons and latex, I have wanted to see some of our stock used in new and interesting ways. This led to using 350-twisting style balloons as thread to weave a textile planes. I have featured papershoot photography printed on large canvas. I have wool-sculpted puppy dogs that I’ve met. Recently, I sold a couple pieces of vintage Polaroids processed to transparencies and sliced orderly apart.
Next up for W.E.S.T., I’m heading a large balloon install in the full gallery space focusing on Visual Textures. I will have fun, photographic lenticulars available for sale. It’s an exciting time to be playful and experimental, and it’s extremely gratifying to see my art enjoyed and purchased!
Some of these pieces may even make it to my Ledbetter ART store and my Commissions are OPEN.
