Watercolor and other art by Rachel Ferrier
We're continuing to move toward something like normal here in Illinois; we've been officially given the green light to open most businesses to the public again by May 29 (though some, like the library, are taking it slower and going in phases). I'm nearly back to my pre-pandemic number of hours at work since we… Continue reading Studio Check-In #5 — Finding Time for Art in My Messy New Schedule
Life is picking back up here in central Illinois, slowly but surely. The library I work at started staffing hours for curbside pick-up, and people are taking full advantage. The dance studio I take classes at (virtually, for now) finished its spring semester and went right into a special "Summer 1" semester, since they couldn't… Continue reading Poetic Art 2020 — A Virtual Art Show
We're in week six or seven of this pandemic now, and I don't know about you all, but I feel like I'm starting to normalize this new reality (although that brings some anxiety about getting back to the "real" normal in a few more weeks, but that's a problem for later). As with most other… Continue reading Feeling creatively uninspired? Here’s some ideas for getting around it.
"Planning" probably isn't the right word here. In case you missed it when I slipped it into my last post, my partner of nearly 10 years and I are now engaged, as of Easter weekend. There was absolutely no fanfare -- in fact, it was almost more of an afterthought -- but it's also been… Continue reading Wedding Planning During a Pandemic
It may be prematurely optimistic, especially when things still feel pretty uncertain overall, but I've started trying to mentally prepare for a time when I have to return to my regularly-scheduled life. Our shelter-in-place order is currently set to expire on April 30, which is less than two weeks from now, and while I recognize… Continue reading Studio Check-In #4 — Taking My Own Advice (Sort of)
On the surface, it seemed like all this time off to make art would be amazing. But, it's not quite that simple, is it? Some abstract stripes, inspired by agate slices. First off, I apologize that this post is a couple days late. I had some exciting events in my personal life (I got engaged!… Continue reading Making Art During a Pandemic
Of the many different arts and crafts I've tried, fiber arts and sewing have never been my forte. I was given a new (at the time) Euro Pro sewing machine about... 15 years ago? and after a short-lived period of time where I thought I wanted to be a fashion designer (and at least one… Continue reading A New “Handmade” Item: Masks for Healthcare Workers
As you might have guessed from my last Resources post, one of the reasons I work in a library is because I LOVE books. Like, enough that I have a dedicated "library" in my house, a room full of nothing but books and writing/reading space. Enough that I keep buying books even though I have… Continue reading Finding Resources to Help Your Art Business: Books!
This check-in post was supposed to be about getting ready for the Boneyard Arts Festival, and the projects I was trying to finish for that, but of course so much has changed since the last check-in (or even since my last post, on Monday). The Festival, initially scheduled for April 2-5, has been postponed indefinitely,… Continue reading Studio Check-in #3 — Staying at Home to Wait Out COVID-19
Libraries are recognizing their shifting role as not only an information repository, but a community resource and work space. Some, like mine, are even choosing to specialize in business and career services. Let me just start off by saying that I am 100% biased in favor of libraries, at least in part because that's where… Continue reading Finding Resources to Help Your Art Business: The Public Library
Fairy Tree Studios 