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I’ve been a busy crocheter this winter. Since Christmas I’ve managed to pump out some pretty cute pieces. This is the Valentines collection. If you’re interested in purchasing, please just DM me on facebook or comment here. You can also reach me at created@justydennis.com. I accept email money transfer and cash.
I am coming out of the funk that goes by the name of “Pandemic. You would think with all the extra time I had to myself that I would have painted more, crocheted more, created more, but I barely did any of that. Sure I crocheted 500 lollipops in 2020 but because of the pandemic I couldn’t pull off a yarnbomb safely for me and others. 2020 proved to be a very grief filled year for me in that I lost my Mom in May and my dog on Christmas Eve. Looking back, I can now say that I need to cut myself some slack and not worry about how productive I was. I came through it all and now….
Now that restrictions are lifted, my fingers are ferociously hooking up a storm. I’ve created an Easter parade of larger amigurumi and I’ve also raised over $500 for Ukrainian Humanitarian Emergency by crocheting blue and yellow hearts.
I always get pulled back to crochet and people seem to really love it. They’ve loved the Easter Parade so much that I can barely keep up but I will do my very best.
I am working on a Spring yarnbomb because those lollipops have to go somewhere! If I get the go ahead from the location I want, you can look for Lollipalooza sometime in May. In the meantime, enjoy the parade. And yes I do take requests but remember, I only have 4 fingers and two thumbs and I hold down a day job soooooo, it won’t be a fast amigurumi fix for anyone. I’ve said this for years but it holds so true since 2020, “patience is no longer a virtue, it is a necessity.”
You can view additions to my Easter Parade and other collections in my Facebook Album
As we all plummet into a new lockdown let us all remind ourselves what creative, enduring and wonderful creatures we all are. In honour of that fact, I’m taking a course with Patti Normand to delve into the world of sculpture. I’m learning how to make figures at the moment. I’m totally turned on and excited for each new instruction. I’ll do my best to add updates. Here is the first step….you saw it here first!
I’ve actually stayed away from the studio for 2 entire weeks. In those two weeks I basically ate, slept and crocheted. Oh, had to work my day job as well. Yes, I still have the day job. I’m pretty grateful for it ….most days.
So I forced myself to hit the studio last Saturday. I had every intention of getting an early start in the morning but I stalled all the way to noon. I’m very good at stalling. But I kicked my butt into gear, packed a picnic, strapped my saddle bags to the bike and made it to the studio with only two stops along the way. One was at this wonderful new little place on Gladstone right beside Detroit Soul Food. It’s called From Seed to Sausage and if I was a little more flush with cash I would have purchased something. It was a tad pricey but it’s all hand made products. You can get anything from jam to sausage to cheese and crackers and homemade extra hot horseradish. Very cool set up, like a small deli and the smells were great too. I will be stopping in again when I have moe monay. The second stop was at Cardamom and Cloves. I promised myself after I purchased all those wonderful herbs and spices for my father on Father’s Day that I would treat myself next time I went to the studio. And I did. I bought Baharat spice blend (good for grilled veggies and lamb), Long Pepper (looks like tiny black pinecones that you crush in your pestle and mortar), Thai Spice Blend (freeking amazing on shrimp and veggies in a wok, then simmer with some coconut milk..nummmm), and finally I bought some Garlic Granules (much better than powder or salt). My saddle bags smelled heavenly for days!
At the studio I struggled with where to begin. I have this huge easel to work on but no big canvases yet. I haven’t quite figured out how to get them to the studio after I purchase them. Oh yeah, I also have to budget myself to purchase them. It’s all a bit daunting at the moment but I will get there. I found these four tiny little 6″x6″ canvases that I had already primed in black. I was going to paint something else on them but I haven’t quite figured out how to do that yet so I went with another idea I had two days ago. I started to put the canvas on my giant easel and giggled how stupid it looked. It didn’t even stay it place because it was so small. No, these paintings were going to be done sitting at my table because anything else would be ludicrous!
So here is what I came up with. It’s just the beginning but it will be built upon to create a 3-D effect. Some glow in the dark paint and yarn will be added and then I’ll share more with you! Weeeee heee….Felt good to spend the day in the studio again. I went home when it was dark out. I almost did not want to leave.
Oh and as a post script…..I purchased my domain on WordPress today so now you can find me just by hitting the ole justydennis.com! Wooooooooohoooooooo
I haven’t managed to get into my studio for almost three weeks now and I’m jonesing for it I swear! I am going three or four times this week if it kills me ! I’ve just completed weekend installations for Chintatown Remixed and the end is in sight. One more project with the O-Town Bombers is in the works but after that I’m taking a much needed break from textiles. I’m missing my studio, my paints, my sexy mannequin and the ambiance of fellow artists surrounding me.
I’m going get back into art walks again. I’ve missed going from gallery to gallery and there are so many new ones lately. It’s blatantly obvious that summer is here now!
I have a bucket list of things I need to do this summer:
1. Visit the new Gallery 101
2. Visit Central Art Garage
3. Attend as many Vernisage as possible
4. Go back to House of Targ for more pinball and badass perogies
5. Have my art weekend with little Miss Shyanne in July
6. Have my own art retreat outdoors ( I used to do this every year, its been about 4 years that I haven’t) .
7. Visit my sisters in Toronto for a weekend.
Because I don’t blog much when I’m not in the studio either!
That is a piece I started 2 weeks ago. Then I took in a cat. A cat that needs to know he has a forever person and a forever home. A cat that is slowly destroying my home but is slowly winning my heart as well. He’s a brat but he’s a lost little boy and I have to forgive him for now.
I’m finally living alone again and the freedom is indescribable. I’m not as stressed and I can eat, drink, read and dance in any room in the house, dressed or nekid, and I play music all weekend. I got rid of cable tv and home phone and I feel deliciously detached. I did keep my internet…a girl has to have some vices.
Back to the painting. I had a big plastic storage box full of crafters acrylics. I’d been collecting them for years from various dollar stores. About 10% of them had dried up. A lot of them were in a gummy stage so I scraped out what I could and rolled the paint into shapes and used them in another painting. I’m not sure I like the effect yet but I can work that out.
I then cleaned out my canvasses. I had one that was left behind by the previous studio owner but it had a rip in it. Instead of throwing it out I cut out two holes in different shapes, kitty corner to each other. Then I squeezed all of that old paint from the top of the canvas and let it drip down the surface. It made some wonderful puddles on the floor. Now I have to figure out how to lift it all in one piece because I want to place them behind the holes in the canvas.
I think if I spray the lot with water it may make this puddle softer so that I can lift it. If not then I will have to begin the dripping process all over again. I’ll put a piece of canvas below my easel to catch the puddles this time. We shall see. Maybe I should do puddles of just black and white. We shall see. I have to get my butt to the studio at least once this week.
The installation for Chinatown Remixed is taking over my life again. Funny thing is, I sign up for it every year. I’m kinda kooky that way. It’s going to be wonderful and generous and outrageous this year. So, if you’re in Ottawa from May 17th to June 17th, 2014, hop on over to Chinatown for some very groovy art.
I’m getting closer and closer to balancing my worlds. I have several of them so its been quite a juggling act. My worlds are like projects all of which I am the lead:
Notice where “I” come in on that scale? I also noticed there are two things missing. The charity projects and The Romance project
hmmmm…where ever shall I fit those in?
Justy Dennis 