My Logo for HeART Couture Prerogative!!!

On another note...

I keep thinking how my approach at the fashion sketching and fashion might be all wrong. I feel like I am just doing what is normally done, not doing it in a way that challenges the idea of fashion. I need to push this further but I feel stuck without a direction of how to push it....Need to think about this in my own way...God please give some inspiration to push this fashion making idea to better greater territory!!!! AMEN!

36 Hours in Santa Fe, NM

by Fred A. Bernstein

The Plaza, the heart of old Santa Fe, hasn’t changed much since the Spanish settled here 400 years ago. But surrounding the Plaza is an increasingly cosmopolitan city. Sure, it’s possible to focus entirely just on the historic center, where Native American handicrafts are for sale on every corner.

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Santa Fe, N.M.

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A Weekend in Santa Fe

But the rest of Santa Fe now offers groovy contemporary art spaces, hot Asian restaurants and a park by a pair of trailblazing architects. Accept that Santa Fe isn’t just tacos and turquoise anymore, and you’ll find yourself loving the New Mexico capital not for what it was, but what it is.

Friday

5 p.m.
1) PUBLIC SPACE

For a beautifully curated introduction to Santa Fe, visit the New Mexico History Museum (113 Lincoln Avenue; 505-476-5200; nmhistorymuseum.org), which opened in 2009 and includes a gripping display about Los Alamos, where the Manhattan Project was conducted in secret during World War II. A large courtyard with ancient walls and shady trees separates the museum from the Palace of the Governors (palaceofthegovernors.org), the Spanish seat of government in the early 1600s and now a small museum of Colonial and Native American history. The two-museum complex is free on Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m.

7 p.m.
2) WHITE WALLS AND WINE

You’d have to be crazy to pay for a glass of white wine on Fridays. Canyon Road, which angles up from the center of town, has more than 100 galleries, and there are openings every Friday night. According to canyonroadarts.com, the largest category is contemporary representational (think brightly colored paintings of the desert). Check out Eight Modern (231 Delgado Street; 505-995-0231; eightmodern.net), where you’ll find the geometric scrap-metal constructions of the Santa Fe artist Ted Larsen. The backyard sculpture garden is a great place to marvel at New Mexico’s amazingly clear sky and savor its piñon-infused air before heading to dinner.

9 p.m.
3) AHI MOMENT

Martín Rios is a hometown boy made good: Born in Mexico and raised in Santa Fe, he apprenticed at the Eldorado Hotel and the Inn of the Anasazi — two local stalwarts — and made a brief appearance on “Iron Chef” before opening his own place, Restaurant Martín (526 Galisteo Street; 505-820-0919; restaurantmartinsantafe.com), in 2009. The main draw is the food — dishes like ahi tuna tartare ($14) and duck breast with smoked bacon polenta and Marcona almonds ($25) offer hints of the Southwest, with a dash of global aspiration. But the homey décor makes you want to stick around even after finishing the bittersweet chocolate truffle cake ($8).

Saturday

10 a.m.
4) SPICE MARKET

The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market (1607 Paseo de Peralta; 505-983-4098; santafefarmersmarket.com) dates back a half-century, but it stepped up a notch when it moved to a permanent building in 2008. Everything sold here, including dried chilies, yogurt and grass-fed meats, is produced in northern New Mexico. The market is part of a bustling district that includes the new Railyard Park by the architect Frederic Schwartz and the landscape architect Ken Smith, both Manhattanites whose taste is anything but quaint. As you wander around, be on the lookout for the Rail Runner, a gleaming new passenger train scheduled to pull in from Albuquerque at 11:08 a.m.

Noon
5) SUSTAINABLE SALADS

Santa Fe residents — as you learned roaming the Farmers’ Market — care where their food comes from. No wonder Vinaigrette (709 Don Cubero Alley; 505-820-9205; vinaigretteonline .com) was an immediate hit when it opened in 2008. The brightly colored cafe has a menu based on organic greens grown in the nearby town of Nambé. Choose a base — Caesar, Cobb and Greek are possibilities (around $10) — then add diver scallops or hibiscus-cured duck confit ($7) for a satisfying meal. Wines by the glass start at a very friendly $6.

2 p.m.
6) RIDING THE SPUR

Thanks to Santa Fe’s sometimes depressing sprawl, it’s getting harder and harder to find wide-open spaces. But drive (or bike) to the corner of Galisteo Street and West Rodeo Road, where there’s a small parking lot — then begin pedaling due south, in the direction of Lamy (about 12 miles away). What starts as an asphalt path morphs into a dirt bike trail that swerves around a 19th-century rail spur. There are some pretty steep hills, but they’re short, and the momentum from a downhill is usually enough to handle the next uphill. (If only life were like that!) The scenery is always gorgeous, especially in late afternoon, when the sun is low in the sky. Mellow Velo (638 Old Santa Fe Trail; 505-995-8356; mellowvelo.com) rents mountain bikes starting at $35 a day.

7 p.m.
7) TAPAS WITH STRANGERS

La Boca (72 West Marcy Street; 505-982-3433; labocasf.com) is one of downtown Santa Fe’s most popular new restaurants — thanks to its contemporary tapas, plus larger dishes like cannelloni filled with crab, scallop and Manchego ($11). You’ll find yourself sharing tips on what to order — and even forkfuls of delicious eats — with strangers.

10 p.m.
8) REGGAE FOR ALL AGES

Santa Fe isn’t a night-life town, but Milagro 139 (139 West San Francisco Street; 505-995-0139; milagro139.com) is helping to change that. A building that had housed a coffee shop was recently converted to a restaurant that becomes a club on Friday and Saturday nights. There’s no cover, and the drinks, including a house margarita called Beginner’s Luck ($5), are delicious. A recent visit coincided with performances by Rubixzu, a local band that performed a blend of reggae and Latin hip-hop to a diverse crowd, aged 9 to 90. For a trendier vibe, head to Meow Wolf (1800 Second Street; 505-204-4651; meowwolf.com), an alternative art space, or check its Web site for other parties hosted by Meow Wolf artists.

Sunday

10 a.m.
9) FREE-RANGE PEACOCKS

For a big breakfast and an early start, drive south on Cerrillos Road about 10 miles past the Interstate, until you see a handwritten cardboard sign that reads, “Pine wood stove pellets sold here.” You’ve arrived at the San Marcos Café (3877 State Road 14; 505-471-9298). Dozens of peacocks, turkeys and hens roam the property (which also houses a feed store), providing an Old McDonald-like backdrop for crowd-pleasers like eggs San Marcos, a cheese omelet in a bath of guacamole, beans and salsa ($12).

Noon
10) KITSCH TO CONTEMPORARY

If you ever thought that item you found at a roadside stand was one of a kind, Jackalope (2820 Cerrillos Road; 505-471-8539; jackalope.com), a sprawling, indoor-outdoor flea market, will disabuse you of that notion. There are hundreds of everything, including punched-copper switch plates and tote bags that depict Michelle Obama smiling on a swing. If you need to shake off the kitsch, head to SITE Santa Fe (1606 Paseo De Peralta; 505-989-1199; sitesantafe.org), a contemporary art space where the 2010 biennale, focused on moving image technologies in contemporary art, will run from June 20 to Jan. 2, 2011.

1 p.m.
11) YOUR OWN ADOBE

It’s difficult to spend time in Santa Fe without thinking about buying a home (or second home) here. So check out Zocalo (Avenida Rincon; 505-986-0667; zocalosantafe.com), a striking development by the Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta. He is known for crisp geometry and super-bright colors — a welcome sight in this city of browns and terra cottas. Consider it real estate voyeurism, combined with a crash course in contemporary architecture.

IF YOU GO

Santa Fe has a tiny airport, which offers nonstop service to and from Dallas and Los Angeles on American Eagle. Most visitors fly into the larger Albuquerque airport, about an hour south. A recent Web search found round-trip fares from Kennedy Airport on Delta, from about $260 for travel in June. Sadly, the Rail Runner doesn’t run to the Albuquerque airport.

The Hotel St. Francis (210 Don Gaspar Avenue; 505-983-5700; hotelstfrancis.com), billed as the oldest hotel in Santa Fe, completed a top-to-bottom renovation in 2009, and it looks spectacular. Doubles from $120.

The El Rey Inn (1862 Cerrillos Road, 505-982-1931; elreyinnsantafe.com) is a retro-chic 1930s-style motel, with nicely furnished rooms and beautifully landscaped grounds to go along with the kitschy Native American-themed architecture. Doubles from $99.

Hilton Santa Fe Golf Resort & Spa (30 Buffalo Thunder Trail; 505-455-5555; buffalothunderresort.com) is part of a new casino complex, about 15 minutes north of town. Doubles from $159. Hilton also built a less-expensive Homewood Suites nearby (10 Buffalo Thunder Trail; 505-455-9100), with doubles from $109.

Note from KeriContemporary:
This special article reminded me of a wonderful road trip I took with my husband from San Diego to Santa Fe. The art there is a must see for anyone interested in contemporary art. Not to mention it is the resting place of talented artist Georgia O'Keefe. Special thanks to my brother Aaron for forwarding me this article!

Musical Art...

Last night I went to the Onyx live on 5th Ave here in downtown San Diego. It was a really cool scene! I had a great time painting and listening to a local band cover some Social D. Next week I'm going to paint to Hip Hop in the same place...It was intensely different and fresh the vibrations I experienced from the music. It was like painting to live music gave my art more vibrancy...like the paint was vibrating off the canvas. The whole experience was altogether spiritual and sensual. Looking forward to doing more of this kind of work.

Tuesday....Mysterious art making...

I feel a little stuck today. I hate those days when you know you have a million things you should do but the motivation to do them is lagging.Luckily Casey made a HUGE pot of coffee before he left this morning and I think I might just finish it to see what i does for me....I guess it is doing something because here I am typing away! haha! So tomorrow I have a show thing at Onyx Lounge on 5th Ave. I'm not really sure what's up with it because my contact for the exhibit did not give me much info for the night. I know I need to have some sort of table and a means of displaying my art, but I think I'm just going to wing it this time just to see what its like. I have about 5 paintings I'm going to take with me. I think I might also work on one painting while I'm there just to draw some interest by other people into what I'm doing....People always love seeing an artist in action. I think most non-artists would agree that the artist's means of art making is quite a mystery. I always get a lot of questions from people who are curious about what I do all day. Their questions usually take the tone of, "So, what do you do all day?" or if they are not that blunt, " How do you come up with these ideas" maybe I might even get a few "Where does this stuff come from." Frankly, those are the same questions I am regularly asking myself. That is the point of keeping this blog. It act as a means to facilitate discussion with myself about my day to day activities as a working artist. Lately I have to say I feel like I have been wasting a bit of time, but often I o not give myself enough credit into what I do accomplish...So it must be somewhere in between.
Let me outline for you a normal day:

1) Wake up with Casey 6:50 (after he hits snooze 3-4x) make penut and butter sandwiches for him to take to work, eat some fruit, feed CoCo.
2) Kiss Casey bye, get dressed take CoCo on a walk.
3) Come back, eat some oatmeal, get in shower.
4) Put some comfy paint clothes on. Play with CoCo for about 10 min. Sit down to look at e-mails, Facebook, check on some work stuff, blog. This usually takes about an hour or maybe 2 hours if I really take my time in searching around.
****After all this its about 11:30...
5) Start working, either I work in my studio or lately I have been setting up in the living room and drawing more than painting because of my new project with fashion design.
6) Then about 3 pm I realize what time it is and keep working but start also thinking about what I will make for dinner....
7) About 4:30 Casey comes home, we make and eat dinner watch some TV. I will spend some time on the lap top researching some stuff while we do this (usually art related) then we wind down and go to bed...
Things I need to remember about my artistic process:
*I must do more researching! Need to go to the library or book store to look at art books...
* Do not by hyper-critical! I have been giving myself a little bit of a hard time and I know that is paralyzing my art making process...

Fashion sketching....

Fashion Sketch by Vivienne Westwood 1995

So I played with sketching/making the formal sketches of the clothing and models I am creating yesterday. It was really fun but I got the forms of the models down, just bare skin and all, and it seemed so wrong to me to put anything over them. Like they were just beautiful enough minus the clothing I would adorn them with....
What needs to happen is that I need to forget what traditional fashion sketching looks like and do it my way. I am not a fashion designer I am 1st and foremost an artist who loves fabric and playing with fabric. I also love sewing and dressing up. Remembering what it was like to play dress up as a little girl is essential to the success of this project because really it is all about playing in this way.

The HeART Couture Prerogative

My new project coming soon with web blog page and updates. The 1st of the projects tasks is to have 20 sketches done by the end of the month. Here are 2 of the 1st sketches...very rough sketches! Also, my mission statement and information below:

Mission Statement:

The Heart Couture Prerogative exists as an experiment between the worlds of art and fashion. The journey of creation strives to emphasize the idea that art is life. How everything we do, wear, and say reflects an inspired ideal of individuality. Through this assignment the challenge of pulling resources, pushing inspiration to new heights, rallying community, and endorsing the greater good through charity will culminate in the exhibition of an experience known as The Heart Couture Prerogative.

Vitals:

I Keri Crown have very little previous knowledge of couture sewing, fashion rendering, ect.. What I do know is the creativity that is required to develop an artistic idea. From start to finish, I will attempt to create a body of work that challenges the distinction between the methods in which fashions created and the processes by which art is created. The previous knowledge of some recreational sewing and a lifelong love of fashion are the few assets I bring to the possible success of this endeavor.

Sezio - David Adey : John Henry

Sezio.org

David Adey by John Henry

Though nomadic in medium, the work of David Adey is consistent in concept and in the evident time and process behind it. A college professor at Point Loma Nazarene University, he works full-time as an artist between graduation and freshman orientation and this year his summer goal was to suspend a row of books between two walls with minimal support. Tests were conducted in PLNU’s Keller Gallery towards a final installation process, which was executed in a matter of days for the piece’s debut last week at La Jolla’s Athenaeum Library.

“John Henry” implements the traditional principles used in bridge design, with trapezoidal blocks pushing the books into an upward arch and thin wooden shims reciprocating the pressure downward. Everything used to guide the structure is visible and in a way mark the “backyard experiment” element of the process, which absorbed most weekday hours of 2009’s summer months. When I visited his studio in June, he had already survived a handful of “book explosions” in his first tests and had no sure idea of what would happen when he pulled the supports from the particular test he was assembling. The pioneer-like excitement of his expressions as he explained his discoveries was strong enough that I found myself curious about his progress all summer.

The finished work represents the human sense of purpose derived from working towards understanding and accomplishment, whether out of necessity or curiousity. Rather than laboring over a large body of work, time was spent learning the physics of his specific materials and developing a sure process of exercising them. He is an expert in a unique field and possesses an intimacy with books, clamps, sawhorses, and ratchet straps only available with long hours of study. At the opening, Adey could be seen casually spinning the cockeyed sawhorses like a double-bassist in a rockabilly band, a subtle indication of his unmatched familiarity with the materials. The following are answers to questions based on conversations that were overheard at the exhibition last week:

When did you come up with the idea for the piece?
I had been thinking about the idea in some form for a while but never took it any further than just thinking. When The Athenaeum first approached me to talk about a show, they were initially interested in some of my other work. After looking at the space a couple of times it seemed like the right time to pursue the idea. It was a last minute decision to pitch it to them so when we had our first meeting to discuss ideas for the show I didn’t have a sketch or anything. I remember waving my arms around a lot. They loved the idea and that was great at first, but on my way home I started getting pretty nervous. I had no idea how to do it or if it was even possible. Stephanie Scanga and Erica Torri took a pretty big risk since I had never done anything like this before. I found out later that they called Luis de Jesus after our meeting to see if he thought I was crazy but whatever he said convinced them to go ahead with it. I’m grateful to all of them for the opportunity.

When did you initially start working on tests and how long did it take you to perfect the installation process?
I did a really small test in my office at PLNU with my own books but it didn’t really work. I couldn’t do anything else until I had enough books so I started collecting right away. The Athenaeum invited me to come to their monthly Saturday book sales to take whatever didn’t sell, so I started bringing truck loads of books back to my studio. That went on for over a year and I started the first real tests last May.

What were your biggest obstacles in developing the design?
Too many and too specific to list. It was really a back yard engineering experiment. Every time I tried to fix a problem it would cause another one, so I felt like I was chasing it down all summer. The first couple of disasters were pretty depressing, but I tried to embrace the process and after a while it was actually pretty fun.

How did you land on the title and were there other ideas in the works?
Futility, pressure, spectacle, feats of strength, absurdity, faith, poetry, death. I never considered another title.

Did you work on other art this summer or did John Henry take up the bulk of your time? Did you ever consider throwing in the towel on it?
I worked on a few other pieces but this took the bulk of my time and energy. I did the final test installation in Keller Gallery on the PLNU campus which I let stand for a month as a stress test. I was on vacation for a couple of weeks and my assistant Jenna Morrow was texting me updates almost daily to let me know if it was still standing. I never considered throwing in the towel.

Do you plan on working with the same materials and process on additional pieces or moving on to other ideas?
I don’t know for sure if I’ll use books again, but the ideas that lead to this piece are some of the same ideas I’ve been thinking about for almost 10 years. I know some people probably think this is a huge departure from my other work but it’s not that way for me at all. I’m working on a few new pieces right now that I’m really excited about that require some education and new skills. For me it’s always the ideas that carry from piece to piece, not always the material.

What's next?
When the Athenaeum show closes, I pack up the truck and take it up to Luis de Jesus Los Angeles in Bergamot Station, Santa Monica. Luis and Jay are putting so much into this new gallery and after seeing the space for the first time this week I’m blown away. The piece will be very different since the space is more of a blank slate. After that I’m looking forward to a summer in the studio and spending a lot of time at home with our new baby who’s due in May.

Betrayal Dream....

Last night I had a dream and I woke feeling betrayed. In the past 6 months I have broken ties with several of my close friends I thought would always be there. I have had to morn the loss of their friendship and move on because I realized what cancer they brought to my life.
The dream I had that I woke up realizing I felt betrayed went like this:
My long lost friend Laura from childhood invites me and some of my friends as well as friends we have had since we were in grade school to London. We all fly there together on the long flight and set up in a kind of chic resort like hostel. Its not long and were all yacking away reminiscing on old times ect.. The time goes by, we play around the pool, do some activities together, it almost like we were at a summer camp, but I guess it could have been an all inclusive resort because they often have activities and do similar things. The betrayal part is coming.... So we were all going to get dressed up for something from what I understood. So I because I love this kind of thing and I will freely share and dress people up for fun, pull out every item of clothing I own to help everyone look there best. I walk in with my bag, pull it open and dump all the stuff on the floor. We all go through it, having fun dressing up, then we go out. I don't remember what happens between that and what happens next but this is where I felt betrayed and angry. We were all tired after a night on the town I guess because it seems I slept in. Everyone else though seemed to have woken up a little earlier than I had. So it occured to me they ,ust be by the pool and that I would liek to find my bathing suit to meet them there. So in looking for every one (and the rest of my bathing suit and the clothes I had dumped on the floor to get ready) I went into the next room where all my clothes had been played dress up with. Much to my chagrin, there was nothing to be found. The whole room was clean everything put away.
SIDE NOTE: 2 things: 1) I knew my friend Danielle had cleaned up because thats just what she would do. She is a very neat and organized person.
2)This is how dreams work you just never know what will be given to you as imagery... There was a very large tree growing in the middle of the room on occasion. Also the room would seem to expand and contract simultaneouesly depending on the situation. When the room would contract the tree would disappear.
OK so...My friend Danielle was the one staying in this room with a few other friends. So I peeked around in some of the droors there just looking to see if things had been put away by accident or something. As I looked around I remember getting more and more upset as I kept looking and looking and I couldn't find any single article I had left there. I called for Danielle she came and so did some of the other girls. I guess I asked her where my stuff was and she just laughed but gave no answer...which only made me more upset.Also because I was looking to get to the pool to meet the girls there as soon as possible, I didn't want to miss the fun! Finally in the far corner of the room underneath some blankets and other stuff I found my clothes.
SIDE NOTE: I wasn't naked this whole time. I think actually I was looking for my bathing suit to go to the pool. The girls who were at the pool are my friends from a long time ago, from grade school. Laura being one of them so I'm assuming in my dream they were not a part of this scheme to get one over on me.
Continuing... I was relieved to find my clothes but still pissed that they (guess there were a few others in on it but mainly one ring leader and one pawn) had played this trick on me. In my inner dream thoughts I remember thinking how I knew Nicole was the one who was behind this. That Danielle was a front for her scheming. In a way it was like Danielle's frame of reference for how she thought things were was stolen by and replaced with Nicole's.
The dream continued and I went to find the other girls I knew I trusted more than the one's who had played this mean trick on me. It was sad though because I really was looking for Laura above everyone else and all anyone could tell me was that she would be back. Since I was there though I told everyone what they had done and how I felt about it. I guess I was looking for them at least to be on my side.
The words/phrases I woke up thinking and wanting to look up in a dream dictionary were "hidden or misplaced clothing/personal items", "old friends", "betrayal", "angry", "sharing", "traveling", and "tree".
I really do feel this way. The events of the past have made me distrust people I felt I would never have to question. Mostly the dream is noteworthy because of the fact that the feelings have manifested themselves in this way.Dreams are great even still because they act as a mode to help me work out these feelings. They also point out how I have not completely dealt with these feelings of anger and confusion.

The CoCo Experiments...

So I have this idea about using my little CoCo as a metaphor for something. I spent some time taking pictures of her in different places around downtown: parking garage, empty trashy lots, next to graffiti. I'm not sure what it means but some of the photos have a real energy about them. Something that is longing to say something.
When I went out I thought that her collar she normally wears is was just too cliche, so I made her a collar and leash out of some rope I had. That felt right...but I wondered how to get her to not have a collar and leash at all. Although the collar and leash turn out to be a very crucial part of some of the photos because of the way the leash always leads back to me behind the camera. What does her being in the photos in that way say about me behind the camera? What does it mean to have a pet and take care of it? Why do dogs and humans have such a bond? Why do we still seek their companionship after so many, many years?
Why did I choose her? When I could have chosen any other animal. For instance, a cat. But, I'm not a cat person....What does it mean to be a cat person or a dog person? What stereotypes are linked with humans who love cats over dogs or vice versa?
Looking at the images I wonder if I should just forget that she is a dog and look at what it means to be the person behind the pictures holding the dog. Forget that she's CoCo my puppy I love and just let her stand for something, be a prop of sorts. Also, in all the images the rope leads off of the frame of reference and we know to me but it makes me wonder could it be leading somewhere else?