Pigeonroof Studios

I’m embarrassed to say how long this pair of socks took me. Long enough that I don’t dye this base yarn anymore and I honestly have no clue what a few of the colorways are! It’s definitely been over five years, maybe 7? 8? I don’t even remember why I had these scraps to begin with. Up until I excavated these, I was sure I had abandoned them because there were so many ends to weave in. But, it was…

Processed with VSCO with n3 preset

One of the things that I decided to do this year was to start a practice of a daily collage. I must admit that I’ve used the word “daily” to really mean “daily-ish”. I don’t always have time, especially on days like Wednesdays, where I leave my house at 9:30 in the morning and don’t get home from work until 8:30 in the evening. I’m pretty fried by the time I get home.

I’ve been doing them in a sketchbook– one of the first times I’ve really used a sketchbook for art in a long time–and they’re starting to quite satisfactorily make the sketchbook bulge a little. The sketchbook I have actually has perforated pages, which is handy as I’m learning I need to remove a page or two in between collaged pages so that the book doesn’t get too unwieldy.

It’s good practice in attempting to work a little more loosely. I’m not a haphazard free-wheeling artist; I put down elements with precise decision. It’s funny; I’m not organized or obsessively detail-oriented and OCD about things in every other area of my life except in two areas: teaching Pilates and collage. Then I am all about it.

Trying to work a little more loosely is difficult, though, so it’s a good exercise. It also is fun to use the tiny scraps that build up around the tiny work area on my table that develops. (the rest of the table ends up being piled high with papers.) Some of them surprise me, too, where either I’m working with a color palette I don’t normally, or comes together lightning fast.

I’m not the first, by any means, to attempt a daily art practice– the inspiring originator is, of course, Randel Plowman of the blog…A Collage A Day. Lotta Helleberg, Sarah Milne Creative, and Melinda Tidwell are all doing something in a similar vein.

Do you do anything similar? I’d love to hear about it!

On another note, I’ve set up a Facebook page for my art: Krista McCurdy. Yarn and fiber is still at Pigeonroof Studios.

Other links:

Instagram: @pigeons_on_the_roof and @pigeonroofstudios

Did you know I’m on Pinterest? Krista McCurdy and Pigeonroof Studios.

I’ve also opened an Etsy shop for my art: Pigeons On the Roof and of course, yarn and fiber is still at www.pigeonroofstudios.com.

Happy Friday! I’m off to go teach.

I had the vague idea of mitts when I bought it, and while looking through my patterns I came across the Maine Mitts by Carrie Bostick Hoge, part of the collection Swoon Maine.  It was the perfect pattern. Easy to knit, I cast them on during one of the (apparently) rare snowstorms we’ve been having. Only change was accidental, and that was on the ribbing; I did knit, purl two every round instead of the garter rib specified. I like the result, though.

They’re incredibly warm, although they’re starting to get a bit stretched out (I may have to dampen them and toss them in the dryer for a minute), and have been perfect for the literally freezing weather we’ve had.

About the yarn– I love it, but it got so twisty while knitting it; I kept having to stop to try to untwist it. It’s 2 plies going the same way, so acts as a single.

Ravelry Project Page

We all see them, on Instagram, on Pinterest…beautiful artists’ studios, looking so tidy and elegantly productive. I’ve got multiple ones pinned onto my board to live/work/surround, myself. The reality? Maybe there are some artists who actually keep their studio looking like that…and have beautiful houses and such that house their studio. You know, with white painted floors and loads of wall space and endless light. But for the rest? Yeah, no.

Granted, I’m not really making any money off my artwork right now, so dedicating as much space to it as I do Pigeonroof Studios isn’t practical…or possible. Also, I’m not a painter, or at least I’m not currently painting.

The main medium I work with is collage. Which requires a LOT of small pieces of paper, and I save almost every scrap of the remainder if I only use part of something. Although I use some ephemera in my work, the majority of what I work with are images and text I make, or, rather, print.

I don’t have a fancy studio. I have an IKEA wooden table that I use as a desk and a small surface in my garage that I print at. I tend to work fairly small, so it works. I’ve become fascinated, though, by how my worktable looks on different days, depending on what I’ve been making, and I’ve been documenting that on Instagram. (This week probably not though, since my phone fell in the toilet last night and I’m waiting on a new one to come. Always buy insurance for your phones, folks!) I will put them here on the blog, too. It’s reality.