Cate Anevski

Geek vs. Nerd

I very seldom take on commission work. The process tends to lead to a lot of stress, and I just don't enjoy myself. And when it comes to making money, I'd much rather be doing tax returns.

However, I do have one friend, Marissa, that I do a bit of illustration work for every now and then. She's a very talented designer I went to college with, and she tends to kick fun projects my way.

I'm spending the weekend working on one of those projects, "Geek vs. Nerd," or accountant versus information technology professional. This sketch is a superhero take on the idea that Marissa's client didn't go for, so I thought I'd share it here. The IT guy is based on a Tron character, and the accountant is my coworker with a spit curl and a cape.

Solo Show at Tilde

This August, I have a solo show at Tilde here in Portland. It's been a little while since my last show, and I'm looking forward to putting everything together for it. This will be a collection of new embroideries, and I've been stitching away on some new designs.

I'll be sure to share my progress as I move along.

Going into Blytheness?

I've been hard at work this week packaging a ton of Blythe dress kits for an event this Sunday that I'm really looking forward to. A lovely dolly friend invited me to a Going out of Blytheness sale here in Portland, and I'm hoping to snag a few dolly goodies and perhaps sell or trade some of my kits as well.

If you're interested, come on down and check it out with me! I know I'm going to enjoy all the lovely Blythes, and it was a great push to get myself to actually package all those dresses (one of the many tasks I've been putting off throughout tax season).

Cool, indeed

As it turns out, one of the best features of living in Portland proper is the ease with which one can visit Portland spots. This afternoon, I took a quick jaunt of an adventure to Cool Cottons, a most winsome fabric store, to pick up a supply for an embroidery I have in mind. If you're in the area and you haven't been, you really must visit. I assure you, the inspiration is well worth the trip.

Despite all the fun pretties, I was really there to find a simple gray fabric to start my submission to Home is Where the Needle Marks. I found myself very drawn to the theme of the show and am excited to continue work on my piece. I spent the better part of today stitching while watching Once Upon a Time (I'm hopelessly hooked!), which is my idea of a perfect Sunday.

Of course, I couldn't escape a fabric store without a little something fun. I'll be sure to take some photos of my find once I have a little sunshine in my neck of the woods.

How I like to work:

In case you didn't know, I'm fueled almost entirely by standup comedy (Eddie Izzard, in this case).

I tend to feel a camaraderie with standup comedians. In my mind, they perform a service very similar to that of the fine artist (and, by the way, I like to fancy myself a fine artist) in that the work they do serves no purpose beyond entertainment. (Yes, I know that isn't true, and that there is quite a bit of commentary and communication that occurs in both fine art and standup comedy, but just bear with me a moment.)

Basically, with standup comedy, there is no fallback mission of the comedian. The person stands on stage, tells you what they have to say, and hopes that you enjoy those ideas in their raw form. There is no story that you become invested in, no actors to help the communication, and very little visual stimulus. If the comedian isn't funny or interesting in some way, you have no reason to continue watching.

I feel the same way about art for art's sake. As a graphic designer, I created plenty of items that didn't have to be perfect or beautiful or even interesting. (Trust me, I worked for some horribly boring clients...) There was a reason for the design to exist beyond the art to the point that the art was actually secondary or even tertiary to the other agendas. However, when I create work that is simply intended to stand alone as Art, I have to hold it up to a higher level of scrutiny and care. If it does not serve its raw purpose, you, as the viewer, have no other reason to care about it.

I also feel that laughter is an extremely important element of the human experience, as is beauty, in whatever form you find it. I love the fact that there are people who make their job to make me enjoy my life that much more.

At any rate, that's why I love standup comedy, and I tend to listen to it a lot while working. Some of my favorites: Mitch Hedberg, Louis Black, Demitri Martin, Henry Rollins, and Louis CK, along with quite a few others.

Any other artsy folks out there who love standup? I'm always open to suggestions for new humor to enjoy.

A Mental Exercise

I decided last night that I absolutely needed to try to create a maze. It took some time to get the hang of it, but it was really a fun project. It will take a little time for me to clean it up and make it presentable enough to show exactly why I decided to create a maze, but I like the way the sketch turned out.

I was a very happy lady when I got to the end and it actually functioned like a maze.

The Task at Hand

I've been brainstorming lately just what to create as a costume this year for Halloween. It's always one of my favorite projects to ponder, and some of the ideas I come up with simply tickle me pink.

I'm also hard at work drafting a pattern for a Star Trek dress, but I just can't figure out how to create the insignia pin. I may wind up buying one for accuracy's sake.

Finding a use for handspun

I very seldom knit, but I spin like a fiend, which has resulted in quite an accumulation of handspun yarn. What's more, a lot of my yarns are made from wool purchased from meat vendors at farmers markets, meaning it's scratchy and full of odd bits of hay. So in order to clear some of the masses of yarns in my closets, I'm working on alternative uses for it all. And having fun in the process.

Frankenstein's Monster

Part of that whole concept of unfinished projects I mentioned in my previous post is a bit of guilt about not having provided any new free embroidery patterns in so long. My sketchbook (and Cate-from-the-past) came to my rescue, though, with this little sketch of Frankenstein's monster, who's really just looking for love.

In the mood for fall, I just couldn't wait to start stitching another Halloween-themed embroidery. Is anyone else so inspired by this cooler weather? All I want to do is cozy up in my studio and create.

A Sneak Peek

Here's a little preview of a project that's just about finished, if all goes well. It took me some time to figure out the best way to do this, and I can only hope I did indeed find the best way. So far, so good. Can anyone guess what it is?

If this works out, be on the lookout for many more of these mysterious items.

Ex Libris Ghostie

Is it just me, or are some authors able to reach well beyond the boundaries of space and time to speak to me? Magical!

I made this little painting a while ago (like, seriously, a long while ago) but completely forgot to share it. Just so I didn't feel like I was simply riding on former-space-time-continuum Cate (been watching too much Star Trek, perhaps), I'm only blogging it here now because I'm reworking it as an embroidery.

I'm so happy to have come to the craft of embroidery. It's such a perfect medium for me, and it's only getting better. I enjoy going through older works that didn't quite turn out the way I'd envisioned and then perfecting them in thread. I feel like I've come home every time I stitch.

If you're interested in stitching your own Ex Libris Ghostie, she's a part of my latest embroidery pattern set.

Proof that I'll stitch anywhere:

I find the connection between needlework and tattoos interesting. There are a lot of embroiderers out there inspired by traditional tattoo designs, and I couldn't help but think about that as I stitched to pass the time while watching a friend get tattooed. I think perhaps it's the common theme of the needle that leads to the connection.

I'd like to see more work in the other direction: tattoos inspired by embroidery.

Snake & Mouse Are Friends

Last post was a snake. This time it's a mouse. Perhaps a mongoose or honey badger next?

I'm spending my days working hard on an upcoming show of embroideries (in April at In Other Words here in Portland). In traditional Cate fashion, I've waited way too long to really get to work on this show, so my fingers ache from all the hurried stitching and stitching, but it has given me a great opportunity to catch up on some television and movies.

So far, I've enjoyed Curb Your Enthusiasm, Spartacus, The Office, and Mad Men. What you see in the background here is Wizard People, Dear Reader, the most amazing retelling of Harry Potter known to man.

Isn't Fall Wonderful?

During fall, I always say fall is my favorite season. The same is true of spring. I love the in-between times of change. I don't think I would much enjoy living in a place with little variation in the seasons. Seeing the earth go through its transitions is just too much fun.

Besides, fall just has so many wonderful activities associated with it. I already bought myself a new pair of boots, so the next item on my agenda was to get down to some baking.

Last weekend, one of my best friends, Marissa, was in town from Chicago. She visited around the same time last year, which is when I made my first ever pie-from-scratch. This year, we intended to do the same, but her visit was curtailed a bit due to some flight issues, so the pounds of apples from the farmer's market were sitting in my kitchen, begging to be made into pie.

I used Grandma Ople's pie recipe, which was just right. The filling was super-easy to make, and it encouraged me to finally try a lattice-work crust. Mine was far from perfect, but some little butterfly cutouts made a nice camouflage. I have found that a warmed-up piece with a little bit of mild goat cheddar sprinkled on top makes a perfect breakfast, er, I mean a perfect dessert after a nutritious and healthy breakfast.

Next on the fall-fun list is sitting in my big comfy armchair stitching and watching The Princess Bride. Isn't life grand?

Some Sprites

My friend Marissa & I are working on a super-secret project, and I spent a bit of time today culling my sketchbook for ideas to share with her. I thought I'd share them with you as well, just for fun.

 

 

 

And now I'm off to dance like a totoro to help my seeds sprout.