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All posts in about Laura

Posted:
May 17, 2012
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when things get too busy

When things get too busy…this blog gets no attention. I am overwhelmed and often tired these days!

I’m  taking my second online course through SFU on technical writing. At the end of May I’ll have to decide whether I want to commit to the Certificate program–it’s not an easy decision. I’d rather build on my credentials to teach art but don’t feel very secure at all about future prospects.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t make a go of being a craft artist so I’ve decided to focus on personal work and exhibitions (one coming up in August). This forces me to consider my revenue generating options. Since I’ve done some freelance writing before and since the technical communication field seems to be one of the few fields experiencing growth, I might just do the certificate. I am someone that likes details and clarity and drafting clear sentences (not necessarily on my blog where I want to be more casual) so I feel this might work.

So there’s the online course, prepraring for an exhibition, living with and training a puppy (now four months old), and thinking about the future or rather trying to formulate a plan on how to make the right decisions. This is where art journaling came in. I practiced art journaling from January through March and then derailed my routine with the introduction of a puppy! I had no idea how much work this little creature would take. Although she makes me very tired, she has also provided positive distraction from thinking about the self too much. Oh, and I was also taking an online painting course with Lisa Congdon and Mati Macdonough. I’m glad I took that course even though I wasn’t able to participate in the last 2 painting assignments. It pushed me to work with paint only and me realize that to grow as an artist, it is important to keep on taking creative workshops.

Acrylic painting on wood panel

Acrylic on wood panel -- assignment from Get your Paint On online course. Copyright Laura Bucci

I’m also looking for a part-time job–a very challenging task. Primarily, right now I need cash to cover my basic creative practice expenses.

I’ve started working on my exhibition pieces for August and will post a preview soon. If you’re in Vancouver, I hope you’ll come to the opening. Yikes! An opening. I’ll be showing with another artist but how embarrassing would it be if hardly any people came to the opening! It’s so different from doing a craft show that I don’t want to even think about it!

Now, I really need to write my artist statement for the exhibition…

Posted:
April 16, 2012
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march art journal pages

I continue to work in my art journal but not everyday as was the case in the past few months. You can see March’s pages in my Portfolio page. I don’t usually start with a plan, but sometimes I’ll put ideas/images/text aside to use for the next day.

News of You

Some recent changes to my life have made it a bit more difficult to put aside time for art journaling. One of them is the addition of a puppy to my home. Please meet Carrie — named after Carrie Bradshaw of the television show Sex in the City. Carrie was 8 weeks when we got her. She is now 12 weeks. She certainly keeps me busy. Who knew that a puppy would be so much work, but I say this very happily. There’s nothing like a dog to bring joy to your life, to lighten the mood. Carrie is my first dog! I had a cat for 20 years, Suzie, but sadly she died just before Christmas. I was unsure about having a dog but not anymore. I am overjoyed now!

Chocolate labrador cross border collie

Carrie at 8 weeks old

Carrie is a chocolate labrador cross with border collie. We got her from a family in Chilliwack who lives on a farm. The mother is the chocolate labrador and the neighbour’s dog — the border collie — snuck in over the fence. And there was Carrie plus 10 other pups.

 

Posted:
February 21, 2012
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following a plan…or not

Last year, in August, I submitted a proposal for an exhibition at my local art gallery/ library. At Britannia library, there is a small community art gallery. It’s a very small and unassuming gallery that gives emerging and established community artists the opportunity to show and share their work with the community. The space is very much part of the library as patrons read their newspapers or lounge reading books in the couches of the gallery. I like the community setting and easy access to art.

I was happy that my proposal was accepted (this will be my first exhibition of personal work in over 12 years) and that I was paired with another artist so that we’ll be sharing the space — less wall to fill, less stress. But as often happens to me, a proposal that sounded good to me last year no longer feels as relevant today.

I had started with the plan to make pocket mirrors with one-of-a-kind collages on the other side that were going to be all about internal reflection. But around last October, I allowed a dormant interest to flourish — curiosity about the history of Vancouver.

A new year, a new plan

Having finished craft production & craft shows, and having moved out of a big studio at the end of December, I had made the decision to take a break from all of that, and to embark into a new phase of my creativity starting January. That I did.art journal page by Laura BucciI have been exploring my creativity within my art journal a lot, and I have found a new focus for my exhibition to take place in August. It’s a bit strange, as come June I’ll have to have a few images for publicity, so I’m hoping that by them my focus will be clear and that half of the work will be done. I’m not sure that pocket mirrors are the right medium anymore!!

The Italians in Vancouver

So these days I’m reading books on the Italians in Vancouver and in particular about a very influential Italian-Canadian lawyer and judge. This all started because I wanted to know why there was an abandoned monument/plaza in my neighbourhood — lots of questions about this. Who was it built for, who wanted it built, what was it used for, why was it abandoned? At first I was investigating three different buildings in Vancouver but now I have found the one that really interests me and coincidentally the story behind it is Italian-focused (I am Italian-Canadian).

In other words…

I’m not following my original exhibition plan but I believe you have to be open to change and that you have to be excited about your work. And this to me, right now, is exciting — the story of Italians in Vancouver. I hope the rest — the medium, the content — will slowly emerge and make itself obvious.

Posted:
February 8, 2012
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Yellow Portable Brother Typewriter

I started this art journal page today and I may work on it some more.

I’ve been wanting to do more pieces with typewriters, so today I tried hand-drawing my Brother typewriter from a photograph. I’m pretty happy with the results as I consider myself more of a photo-based artist. I even used watercolor to fill in the colour, which again is not something I have a lot of experience with.

The title and text for this piece was inspired by Julia Cameron’s book Finding Water: The Art of Perseverance. It always amazes me how relevant her writing is to whatever I’m going through artistically. And in the morning, reading a few paragraphs from the book always provides inspiration.

Are you making any Big Decisions this year? I am!

Posted:
February 2, 2012
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new website launched

I’m pretty excited to have taken the month of January to re-design my new website and blog. I felt this was much needed to reflect my new direction in my work and business. Truth be told there won’t be much business stuff happening this year as I have made a conscious effort to focus on process. January has been a month full of art journaling! I have been sharing my daily pages via Instagram with my iphone as talked about before.

My new website is totally powered by WordPress. I purchased a theme and customized the styling, mainly tinkering with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).

If you’re reading this from your blog/email reader, please check it out! You’ll get a better sense of how I see my work.

Posted:
January 31, 2012
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shifting into process

I have been quiet on the blog front but that’s because I’ve been busy (since I got an iphone) with Instagram — a free app that allows you to take a picture and easily share it with your Twitter and Facebook followers. It’s now so convenient to post updates.

So, almost since the beginning of January, I have been sharing a new activity with my Twitter and FB followers — my work in my art journal.

I call this new activity ‘shifting into process.’ Last year was very product intensive and exhausting, so this year I am turning it around completely by focusing on process. I am doing this by using my art journal to produce art work that is definitely not for sale. Art journaling is very relaxing, calming, and therapeutic.

This is a new ‘journey.’ I have never kept an art or creative journal before. You could even just call it a sketchbook. I have committed to doing a page a day and to sharing at least a detail of the page if not the whole page,  as this is after all a personal process.

If art journaling is new to you, then think of it as a creative time-out that allows you to process your thoughts or to explore new ideas. You make it what you want it to be and really, the way I approach it, the rules can change as needed.

So follow me on Twitter or Facebook to see my daily creation.

Here is a selected gallery of my pages. Not all pages look great, and that’s OK because it’s about process not end-product.

Posted:
November 11, 2011
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my thoughts are my own

My journal project: eco-friendly journals made in Canada with covers screenprinted by me in my Vancouver studio.screenprinted journal-my thoughts are my ownThe image of the woman is from a trip I took in Guatemala. The expression on the woman’s face was one of someone who thinks a lot and that has many things to worry about. Maybe life isn’t easy for her. Who are we to know anyway? When we travel we might often think that we understand or can relate to the people we see on the street. But can we really? We might want to have a conversation with this very pensive looking woman. But does she care about having one with us?

To me this image says, “don’t pretend to know what I think,” “don’t pretend to know what my world is like” and most importantly “don’t assume I want to share my world with you…a stranger.”

Journal Specs: 6″ x 9″ ECO perfect-bound notebook with 72 sheets.  13 pt soft cover and ivory lined sheets. Made in Canada from 100% recycled materials.

Availability: At the moment I have printed only a very limited edition — only 3 or 4 of each composition. I may print more depending on how they’re received. I will have these at the Culture Crawl (Nov 18, 19, 20) and the One Of A Kind Show in Vancouver (Dec 8 – 12).

Read about my other journals.

Posted:
November 7, 2011
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to banish a bad mood

My journal project: eco-friendly journals made in Canada with covers screenprinted by me in my Vancouver studio.
Screen printed Eco Friendly JournalPara desterrar el mal humor – This Spanish phrase written by artist Frida Kahlo in one of her sketchbooks inspired a composition for my journals and a pocket mirror. The translation is “to banish a bad mood.” It is no secret that Kahlo drank a lot and that the reasons for this were the incredible amount of physical pain she endured since her street car accident, and her stormy relationship with muralist & painter Diego Rivera. The image of the woman advertising ‘aguardiente’ (brandy/whisky) is from an ad painted on a wall in Guatemala — many ads are still beautifully painted on exterior walls in the country. For me the juxtaposition of the phrase and the happy lady promoting the drink presents one side to ‘booze.’  The truth though being that for some, engaging with aguardiente can have heavy consequences.

The pattern image is from another photograph of a tile wall I have taken in Guatemala. All the design elements come together to offer a visually rich composition but with undertones of something else inferred. There’s always something else below the surface.

Screen printed eco friendly journalAt the moment I have printed only a very limited edition — only 3 or 4 of each composition. I may print more depending on how they’re received. I will have these at the Culture Crawl (Nov 18, 19, 20) and the One Of A Kind Show in Vancouver (Dec 8 – 12).

Read about my other journals.

Posted:
November 5, 2011
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every journal has a story

My journal project:  eco-friendly journals made in Canada with covers screenprinted by me in my Vancouver studio.

Every journal compositions starts somewhere, either inspired by a phrase or by an image. If I start with an image, I then look through my collected phrases or sentences and look for a match. If I start with a phrase that I really want to use, then I start looking through my old film photos and newer digital photos…scroll, scroll, scroll — I look at a lot of images.Screen printed journal/notebookI hope you never read this. In this journal I really wanted to make use of that phrase and I also wanted to use this pattern. With my use of text I always want to make reference to the object, to connect the text with the object — the notebook/journal. This pattern has special significance for me. Can you guess where it came from?

One day driving in Cape Breton (Nova Scotia, Canada) with my partner, Lenny, we stopped for a bite to eat. I remember a very nondescript restaurant with its only redeeming feature being the cool Formica tables. There was definitely a picture in the tables, so I snapped a pic without really knowing how I’d ever use the image. But almost 10 years later, I have found a use.

This image also feels right because in my mind I recall two people sitting over a cup of tea at a table. The reference or implication of another person is an important element of the journal project. The first person is the owner of the journal, the second person is the one in the relationship.

screen printed journal/notebookAt the moment I have printed only a very limited edition — only 4. I may print more depending on how they’re received. I will have these at the Culture Crawl (Nov 18, 19 20) and the One of a Kind show in Vancouver (Dec 8 – 12.

Posted:
July 31, 2011
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new work: 3 inch pocket mirrors

pocket mirrors with collage and mixed media

I have now completed my new pocket mirror project. I’ve made 50 so far. This is by far the most fun I’ve had in a while making new work.  Focusing on making these one-of-a-kind has really been instrumental in enjoying the creative process. I feel like last year and earlier this year I was too focused on production and business and was starting to enjoy things less.  By having set some important parameters, this work has been liberating and really fun.

This one-of-a-kind 3-inch pocket mirror project features new work using collage and mixed media. In keeping with my interest in combining text/languages with images, each collage features (thus far) a phrase or a sentence in either English, Spanish or Italian (languages I use). The mirror as object of vanity, offers up interesting ideas and commentaries on how we use them. While not an exclusive exercise in the analysis of vanity, the mirror as metaphor also engages the viewer in silly & significant internal reflection (no pun intended).

Pocket Mirrors will be available at September Shop, the Culture Crawl, the One-of-a-Kind Show in 2011. See the events page for more info. Preview images at my Facebook Page.

I am also developing a workshop to teach my process & techniques in making these pocket mirrors. I am hoping to offer the first one sometime in October 2011. Subscribe to my newsletter (at right) to be notified of the next workshop.

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