Erica Marie Popp

New Blog

2011-03-29T15:45:00.001-07:00

I am no longer maintaining my blogger blog. Please find my new blog at:

http://ericapopp.wordpress.com/

I find the formatting to be friendlier and more magazine-like.

Lights Along the Cherokee

2011-02-26T12:12:00.000-08:00

A work-in-progress shot of one of my panels for my hand-stenciled lantern that will be at the Lights Along the Cherokee the evening of March 18. I think I'm going to make some more stencils because this was a fun project.

Classes at the St. Louis Artists' Guild

2011-02-26T11:56:00.000-08:00

I have two classes on the schedule. There's still time to sign up. There are a lot of cool classes. Registration ends March 4.

http://www.stlouisartistsguild.org/new/classes-workshops/classes

New Year, New Art

2011-02-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

I've been making some art, but not posting any of it. Silly, me! I blame not having the internet at home. Here's a recent linoleum block print:

Art Practice

2010-12-01T15:03:00.000-08:00

The St. Louis Young Women's Caucus for Art recently did a traveling journal project. Each participant had the journal for 7 days. They each committed to making art in the journal on each of those days and sending it on to the next artist. (Read about it here: http://travellingjournalroxanne.blogspot.com/)

From my idea book notes today.

My friend Roxie suggested that the WCA do some kind of sketchbook/journal commitment as a chapter. I like the idea. I am afraid that my sketchbook practice has been lacking lately. I certainly write plenty, but since I've never considered myself to be great at drawing, I tend not to do it much. (Of course, that means that I also don't improve much.)

I've been thinking about art practice. My sister is a classical musician - a viola player to be specific - and she practices for hours every day. Why don't I practice art for hours every day? If I did, would I be as awesome at art as my sister is at music? So here comes the grand experiment:

I'm done teaching until January 3, so instead of making art "when I have a little free time," I'm going to do it every day like it's my job (isn't it?). I'm going to be posting my practice, whatever it may be. When I took drawing classes, I loved having hours set aside where I just sat and drew pictures, so I want to drawing at least one thing every day, and hopefully also do something with clay. So here are the first photos. They'll get better, I hope. These are from yesterday and today.

Mugs! My sister-in-law-to-be is also a potter and is giving all of her wedding guests a hand-made coffee mug. Ambitious much? I'm trying to help her out a little bit while I'm visiting. I made these yesterday.

A page from my "Art Ideas" notebook: yesterday's printmaking notes and sketches of my beverages.

Art and Writing - Opposites?

2010-10-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

I am teaching writing classes for college students. There are many things that perplex me about teaching, but I have to say that one of the most interesting has been the questions people ask me about my degree.

I'm not teaching higher-level courses. I only have my bachelor's degree at this point. I graduated from the school where I teach, so most of my colleagues and acquaintances know my level of education. I should explain that this is my first year, so I get a lot of the "what are you up to now?" questions. I teach writing. The most popular follow-up question is, "Oh, were you an English major?" And actually, it's often a statement, as in, "Oh, so you were an English major." My reply of, "I was actually a studio art major," rarely fails to confuse the person speaking with me. It's usually given away by a slight turn of the head along with a slightly gaping mouth, as if they want to say something, but are stuck. (My statement was just too shocking!) And then there is the crinkling of the forehead as the eyebrows get closer together.

One of my students seemed especially perplexed. On the first day we all went around the table doing introductions - the kind where the first person introduces him or herself, then the second person introduces him or herself plus the first person, building on this until the last person introduces his or herself and everyone else in the room. I had them introduce themselves with their name, their major, and one of their favorite books. I played too and told them that when I was in college I was a studio art major. We then went on to talk about the syllabus, etc. - just normal first day of class things. At the end when I asked if anyone had questions about anything, this particular student asked me how I could go from being a studio art major to being a writing teacher. I am not sure if he was questioning my credibility or wondering how he, a graphic design major, might also be able to become a good writer.

Why is there this assumption about art majors? Why do so many people think that art majors can't excel at academics? I have now met many art majors who think that they are incapable of writing well. But writing IS art. Is it just that they have been given boring assignments? Have they tried and failed and then given up? Is it something in their education? How did I turn out with a love of words while so many of my peers apparently decided that they were incapable?

I took an art class during my senior year in which we had to do a fair amount of writing. Our instructor had us read some excerpts from the book A Short Guide to Writing About Art, which at the time I thought was ridiculous. We read sections that defined "thesis statement" in very simple terms. I thought, "really? Every senior in college should know this already." At the time I thought my instructor must think that either we were all idiots or she must really be out of touch with college-level work. Surely we were all capable of writing a thesis statement and there was no need to insult us with these reading assignments.

I am sorry to report that now I get it and I am in fact using the very same little book to teach a group of art majors (all seniors) how to write a research paper. The gods are funny like that.

I feel that there are a few possible reasons for my students feeling the way they do about writing, especially research writing.
1. They have adapted a narrow, stereotypical identity of artists that includes being poor at writing. (Were they taught this?)
2. They are actually just really lazy and/or are not interested in exploring ideas (good luck in the art world, kids).
3. They have been told that they are bad writers and have accepted this as truth.
4. They believe the myth that writing comes to people naturally, but do believe that people can learn to draw.

All of these things are terrible. As educators, I'm pretty sure that we can do something about 1, 3, and 4, and maybe even 2, but how?

Art and writing go together. How on earth could they be incompatible? Good art explores ideas, and good writing explores ideas. What needs to change in art education to encourage students to explore ideas through writing? I actually wonder if there is sometimes a problem of too little emphasis on ideas and conceptual concerns in fine art programs. Although I felt that there was, at times, an over-emphasis on concept at KCAI, I found myself missing that after I transferred.

Is there a way to make the visual arts more academically rigorous so that they gain the respect they deserve (art is hard!)? Is that even the right way to go? How do we debunk the myths and stereotypes about art and writing and give students a more accurate, honest view of what it means to be an artist? I guess the biggest question is: How do we get our students to think?

Erica's Tiny House

2010-08-18T23:12:00.000-07:00

Watch my new tiny live/work space come together. I'm going to use 300 square feet for cooking, baking, relaxing, sleeping, entertaining, work, and art. Check out some photos of the house and read about my money and space-saving discoveries. http://ericapopp.wordpress.com/

You May Have Noticed...

2010-08-14T13:57:00.001-07:00

That I played with the new blogger design template thing and screwed up the layout of my blog. Hopefully I can get it back in shape soon.

Adjusting to yet another new studio space

2010-08-10T00:17:00.001-07:00

I just watched the second episode of Project Runway. (I watch them later online because I don’t have cable.) and then I wanted more so I watched some of the designers’ casting calls and home visits (Peach has terrible taste in those as well). Some of the designers have really nice big spaces that are just for working, some have very little space for their designs, and others, like Ivy, prioritize their homes to accommodate their work.

For the last few years I’ve been struggling with space and lack of permanency. In my last two years of college I moved every 10 weeks because that’s just how they do things at Principia. As an intern last year I didn’t feel any sense of ownership over my dorm space even though I was able to stay in it throughout the whole school year.

Now I have a full-time job and am excited to be moving into a space that I know I can stay in for more than nine months. But boy is it small! It’s also oddly laid out. Despite the space issue (300 square feet!), I am hoping to get a lot of work done in my new home. So let me tell you what I’m thinking.

While it’s not ideal to have a clay studio/bedroom, there isn’t anywhere else for the pottery wheel to go. It just has to go there. Any painting will probably need to happen there too. There just isn’t any space for an easel in the kitchen/living room/dining room/framing room/office. Well, maybe the little tabletop easel could make guest appearances.

There’s a great table in my house. It’s actually a part of the house. Yes, it’s built right into the wall. It’s going to serve the purposes of desk, kitchen island, and work table. I might sit there for meals too. I think that the way this happens will be a fun thing to figure out.

I’m going to have to set some tidiness ground rules. You know that saying, “A place for everything and everything in its place”? Well, I can be really great at the “everything in its place” part, but I have to first get everything a home. That is the trick. I’ll keep you updated and will post photos. Just an eye out. I'll update the Erica's Tiny House blog as often as I can with ideas for utilizing small spaces without remodeling.

My tiny space pre-move-in. The chairs and curtains came with the apartment.

More Blogs

2010-08-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

So, I've noticed that my blog is big hodge-podge of information. It's starting to feel as cluttered and unfocused as the rest of my life.

So, in order to pull out some important things, I've created two blogs on wordpress that will be much more focused. Keep reading here and in addition to the weirdness that I already post, I'll let you know when I update the new blogs. Or, this might help you read about just the things you want to read about.

WCA Mentors wcamentors.wordpress.com
This blog is all about, you guessed it, my mentor program! This is brand new so there's not a lot of info there yet, but soon you will be able to read all about the program, the inspiration for it, how Dail and I are thinking about it, and what steps we're taking to turn our plans into actions.

Erica's Tiny House ericapopp.wordpress.com
I am moving in to a tiny little house and am going to be photo-narrating about turning 295 square feet of awkwardness into a beautiful and functional life/work space with pretty much no money.

Pottery for Sale on Etsy!

2010-08-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

I told you about my Etsy store. I want to make sure that you know it's not all vintage jewelry; I am including original pottery pieces too! They are going up slowly. After I can afford to fire some of my new creations I will post those for sale as well.

Here's a link to my online pottery shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintagePopp?section_id=6932203

Erica Popp - Pink Earthenware Jar - 2006

New Projects!

2010-08-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't posted for a while. I've been busy with work, my Etsy store, and playing facebook Scrabble with my future sister-in-law. Oh, and looking for a new apartment. YAY! I'm looking forward to moving soon and setting up some studio space that I'll spend more time in. Not having an hour-long commute everyday should give me more time to make art!

I'm looking forward to starting some print-making projects. For Christmas I received a really awesome print-making book and I want to finally start some of the projects.

I especially want to decorate some furniture for my apartment with the very clever contact-paper reverse stencil method. I think it's going to be fun.

Etsy!!

2010-07-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

I have an etsy store. Check it out. http://www.etsy.com/shop/VintagePopp

Paper-Making

2010-07-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

WCA Mentor Program

2010-07-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Professional women artists and young artists are encouraged to apply for our:

WCA Mentors

In this program, WCA members will have the opportunity to mentor aspiring artists between the ages of 13-19. Activities will include trips to museums and galleries, arts based workshops and portfolio building.

We will:

-Learn about local arts culture.
-Expand our art history knowledge
-Work on arts based collaborations
-Build Relationships
-Exhibit (proceeds will go towards sustainability of program)

Are you interested in participating or contributing your insight? Please attend our first planning meeting!

Saturday July 10th 12pm-1:30

To be held at:

Gya Community Arts & Fine Crafts
2700 Locust Ave
St. Louis Mo 63103
(One block from Jefferson, in Locust Business District)

Paper-Making & Mentor Update

2010-07-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made paper, or at least I attempted to. I have very limited paper-making experience. I'm a little bummed that it came out so grey, but I think overall it looks pretty cool. Some of it is still a little damp, which is why I think maybe I missed a step or something. It feels really fragile, so I might do some more reading about paper-making and try again. I'll post some photos soon.

I also want to make sure that you know that the WCA Mentors Program will be meeting at Gya this Saturday for our first planning meeting. Come learn about the program, ask questions, and offer suggestions. I'm going to post all the info shortly.

Mentor Program Update

2010-06-10T21:08:00.001-07:00

Dail and I met today to hash out some detail of the mentor program. We're feeling really excited and hope that you will join us for the planning meeting at Gya on Saturday, July 10th at noon.

We're going to start small, with only about 5 mentors and mentees for our first year.

I'm working on an informational packet for mentors and parents. If you would like a copy, please contact Dail or me.

Art Mentor Program in St. Louis

2010-06-01T09:24:00.001-07:00

I'm really excited to be working with fellow Women's Caucus for Art (WCA) Board Member Dail Chambers work to start a new community program. We are in the midst of planning a mentor program for girls in St. Louis ages 13-19 who are interested in the arts. The program will be offered through the St. Louis Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art and we are hoping to partner with other local arts organizations.

We will use the Gya women's arts cooperative as out meet-up place. We will be working to develop programming to include workshops, portfolio development, and field trips to the St. Louis Art Museum (SLAM) and local art galleries. We also want to give the girls an opportunity to exhibit their art.

If you are not a member of the WCA but are interested in becoming a mentor, we are still interested in having you.

If you are interested in becoming part of the planning team, we would love to talk with you.

If you know young ladies who would enjoy being part of this program, please talk to us and we will be in touch when we get the program off the ground.

I could blog more

2010-05-13T16:13:00.001-07:00

But I don't want to. I want to spend more time making stuff so that I can post some pictures later.

'We All Relate' Opens Tomorrow! Also, it's the last day for the Contemporary show.

2010-03-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow!! I'm exhibiting one of my photographs alongside the work of my friend Alanna for her first off-campus exhibition experience. I'm very excited for her. Come share in the joy!

Also, don't forget that the WCA exhibition, "Contemporary Women Artists XV," comes down on Saturday. Friday is your last chance to see it. So head to St. Charles to check it out, have a nice dinner, and then join in the fun at the "We All Relate" show in Florissant. The details of that exhibit are below.

EXHIBITION OPENING:
We All Relate: Celebrating Local and Global Connections
Friday March 26 6:30-8:30 pm
NAC Gallery, 27 S. Florissant

sponsored by
The Northern Arts Council
St. Louis Chapter of the Women’s Caucus for Art (WCA)
St. Louis Community College Florissant Valley Art Dept.
Plowsharing Crafts

Celebrate Women’s History Month and contribute to Haitian Relief efforts!

Exhibition features work created by an established artist shown along side an emerging artist- daughter, mother, other relative; student, teacher, or friend!

Exhibition dates March 28-April 21.

NAC gallery hours:Hours: Saturday 9am-noon, Tuesday 11am-2pm, or by appointment.

Fashion Photography

2010-03-24T21:27:00.001-07:00

More to come. There are also more on facebook. Friend me or fan me to see more art!

Ceramics

2010-03-18T18:16:00.001-07:00

I've been puttering around on my potter's wheel lately - what fun it is to play with mud.
I also photographed some ceramic work from 2005-2007. Well, they might all be 2006-2007. I think most of the earlier stuff wasn't worth keeping or photographing. Friend me on facebook to see the whole album of images.

Award!

2010-03-06T01:17:00.001-08:00

Tonight was the opening of the exhibition "Contemporary Women Artists XV: Art As Activism" at the Foundry Art Center in St. Charles. All the work was well worth it. The show looked great, we had a big turn-out, and Yolanda Lopez's gallery talk was wonderful! She selected 3 works for the juror's choice awards and 5 honorable mentions. I am happy and honored that one of the juror's choice awards was selected for my installation piece, "Temporal, Cyclical."

It is so wonderful to have that sort of recognition for work that I love but that I sometimes worry isn't saying what I hope it says. I have to say that Yolanda is amazing and for her to choose my work for the show in the first place was quite wonderful. That was enough so receiving an award on top of that was like chocolate in my latte!

2010-02-08T17:14:00.000-08:00

This morning I installed "Temporal, Cyclical," at the Foundry. Phew! Now I just need to finish the publicity for the show.

Sleepless

2010-02-02T01:16:00.000-08:00

Tonight I got home a little before 9:30pm, with strong intentions of doing something productive. I had some papers to read, a class to prepare for, laundry to be done, and dishes to be washed. I also had a press release to write (including figuring out what the heck needs to be in a press release) and that installation project to work on.

I tidied up a bit while chatting on the phone for a short time. Well, really I just hung up part of the big pile of clothes on my bed. After that I sat down and diligently wrote my press release for Contemporary Women Artists XV, which you can read more about earlier in the blog. Before I knew it it was done, and it was quite late. I then decided to work on disassembling the installation in such a way that I can put the whole thing together at the right scale. I need to pack the whole thing up so that I can easily put it all back in its proper place at the Foundry when I install the piece on Monday.

I'm feeling better about this piece. I'm even excited for the exhibition. I am looking forward to installing it. I'm also looking forward to Yolanda Lopez's lecture at the Regional Arts Commission on Thursday, March 4, and then the opening on Friday, March 5. I think that Yolanda's gallery walk lecture will be really interesting. Oh, I'm also excited to spend some one-on-one time with Yolanda when I pick her up from the airport. She's kind of a big deal, so I feel a bit privileged.

Anyway, all of this has added up to it being 3:30am, which is just 4 short hours away from the setting on my alarm clock. I guess I'll bump it up a bit and go in to work a little later. Yes, perhaps. Although there will be plenty to do when I get to the office.

Until next time, enjoy yourself.

Sigh of Relief

2010-01-28T22:15:00.000-08:00

I did it! I recreated my "Temporal, Cyclical" piece from last year and even made it bigger, per juror's request. For my next trick I will take it apart and rebuild it at the Foundry Art Center. I hope you can come to the opening. I'm putting some serious effort into my piece, and I believe I'm going to help install other work as well.

I'm less scared now, and more excited. I get to have brunch with Yolanda Lopez. How cool is that?

Photos of the work in progress will arrive shortly.

Art - The Good and the Bad

2010-01-18T21:44:00.001-08:00

Uh oh. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I recently had a piece of art juried into an upcoming exhibition. The bad news is, I’m having a difficult time reconstructing it.

Yes. I have to reconstruct it. The piece that was chosen by the juror is an installation piece that I created in the fall of 2008. It’s made of yellow ginko leaves and torn paper from a poetry book. After sending in my CD of digital images this fall, I gathered as many ginko leaves as I could. After all, my installation stood up well into January on its original go-round, so it should be fine being reinstalled in the winter.

Well, here’s the problem. It was a wet fall. I foolishly put my leaf collection in a bag and some jars without first letting them dry out completely. When I dumped them out onto the studio floor it was quickly apparent that they were molded. I was able to salvage a few, but in general, my art materials are decomposing and my studio (also my living space) smells like mushrooms. On top of that, I have only a few short weeks to find yellow leaves if there are any around anywhere. I need to find a solution that will be beautiful and not too far off from the original photos that I sent to the juror. Oh, and did I mention that she asked me to make the piece larger for this exhibition? She would like it “to have more of a presence.” Oh dear. Wish me luck.

If you have any suggestions, or have a collection of ginko leaves that I could have/purchase/trade for, I would be very grateful.

Contemporary Women Artists XV

2010-01-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

I will be exhibiting in 'Contemporary Women Artists XV' exhibition at the Foundry Art Center from Feb 12- Mar. 26, 2010. The show is being hosted by the St. Louis Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art, and was juried by artist Yolanda Lopez.

The reception will be kind of in the middle of the exhibition rather than when it first opens, so that the juror's presentation can be the same evening. Come to both!

Friday, March 5, 2010
6:00p Juror's Presentation at the Foundry
7:00p - 10:00p Reception for Contemporary Women Artists XV Exhibit at the Foundry

The Foundry Art Center is located at 520 N Main Ctr in St Charles, Missouri.

Also, on Thursday, March 4, Lopez will be giving a lecture from 7pm-8:30pm, location TBD.

Painted Shoes

2010-01-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos of some shoes I painted at the TOMS event. The black pair has glow-in-the-dark stars!

Art Shoes

2009-12-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

So here's the scoop on the TOMS event:

Come by Nordstrom in St. Louis between 10am and 5pm to purchase a very special pair of custom-painted TOMS shoes. The shoes are canvas, so why not make them into art? I will be there painting from 2pm-5pm, but there will be other fabulous artists there as well. Hope to see you then!

In the photo you see me with one of my practice shoes. And yes, I'm sporting a side ponytail. They're back. They're hot. You'll see.

Painting Shoes

2009-11-28T23:33:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be painting shows for a Tom's Shoes event at Nordstrom in December. I'll let you know more details when I find out what the event is all about. All I know right now is that I have a white pair of Tom's Shoes in my possession and that I am to paint them with acrylic paint. I'll find out more this week. I think that it will have to be fun, since I like painting, shoes, Nordstrom, and companies like Tom's that help people (they donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair of shoes they sell).

Odious v. Odorous

2009-11-22T22:21:00.000-08:00

Note: I usually talk about my own art but I'm also intersted in literature and whatnot. This is kind of an English nerd rant, but I hope that you find it humorous.

Recently I began reading an article on Spirituality.com about comparisons. I believe that the gist of the article was that one shouldn't compare oneself to others in various capacities. It was written by a high school student, so the concerns were looks, sports, speaking up in class, etc. These are valid, and as someone who tends to compare myself to others but would like to break that tendency, I was interested in what this person had to say, but I stopped reading early on.

The author of the article mentioned Shakespeare, and quoted a line from Much Ado About Nothing. I like Shakespeare, but I hate Shakespearean quotes out of context. In this case, the writer pondered why Shakespeare would state so clearly that "comparisons are odorous." She then goes on to discuss why comparisons are smelly. As a lover of literature and language, this bothers me on several levels.

I do not mean to insult the author. I think that our society's practice of quoting things out of context is quite common, and quite unfortunate. I also heard a college professor misquote the same line. She asked our painting class to not compare our paintings. "You all know what Shakespeare said about comparisons, right? Comparisons are odious. They stink." Well, at least the high school author got the quote right.

I think that it is important to note that Much Ado About Nothing is a play. Shakespeare put words into a lot of characters' mouths. I don't know that he would have like to have been quoted as if he had said all these things as truths. A play isn't exactly a collection of philosophical ponderings or a self-help book (although I suppose it could be).

I think that the context for this quote is quite important. The character in the play who says the famous words, "Comparisons are odorous," is Dogberry, Master Constable on Messina. He is a middle-class character among lords and ladies and he would very much like to be on their level. He says things that he thinks will be impressive, but stumbles over the words. In this case, he was trying to say, "comparisons are odious," which was phrase that would have been well known through its use by a few writers of Shakespeare's time, including Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote.

This sort of humorous mis-speaking is called a malapropism, but is also known as a Dogberryism, due to the character making so many mistakes like that.

I wish that people wouldn’t make grand statements when they don't know what they're talking about. The English language is complex and wonderful and should be used with care. Literary references shouldn't be misquoted left and right. Did you even read or see that play?

Thanks for reading. I just had to get that annoyance out of my system. It's been there since last Spring when that professor quoted Shakespeare in all seriousness, and was further irriatated by that article. Also, thanks to my mom and sister who helped me find the quote in the play so that I could feel confident that I was quoting it correctly in my complaint.

Paint and Pastels!

2009-11-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about the awkward times that come with new relationships, especially when they move along more quickly than both parties are ready for. I have made these little paintings that ask the question, "Will you stay for breakfast?" This could be a cheesy line requesting a sleep-over, or could be a sincere question asked in the morning when one might be in a hurry to get back to their own home. Enjoy.

2009-11-06T18:28:00.000-08:00

Lately I haven't been too great at updating my website, writing my blog, or posting images of new work (I haven't gotten into any new work that I'm especially excited about). I wanted to let you know about the other things I'm doing so you know that I'm not just lazy, and so that you can read them if you like.

I'm currently serving as the Publicity Chair of the St. Louis Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art. I send out press releases with our big news, I post events and calls for art on sites like ArtZipper and on KDHX's Arts & Events Calendar. I also compile, edit, and design the St. Louis WCA newsletter. The newsletter, which is published every three months, is written by the board and the membership. You can download a copy for yourself at www.wca-stl.org.

I am also a contributor to the St. Louis WCA blog, which you can read here: wca-stl.blogspot.com.

All of this is of course in addition to my many part-time jobs: Writing Center Intern at Principia College, Barista at the Nordstrom Ebar, Bar Staff at the St. Louis Symphony, and on-call employee at the Principia College Bookstore.

So that's what I've been up to when I haven't been making art. I just wanted to let you know.

Painting Again

2009-10-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

I'm finally doing a little painting. I don't know why I have started each painting with a garish green wash. It might be a reaction to Opera Rose watercolor paint, but I couldn't say for sure. I'm also using a little pastel on these, and one has a leaf glued in the middle as well. I hope you enjoy. I look forward to playing more.

Art You Can Buy!

2009-05-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

Wow. I haven't posted a new entry all year. How terrible. I guess I haven't really been making anything worth posting. I'm taking a watercolor class right now that is inhibiting any creative endeavors (more on that at another time).

Well, I am graduating from college (finally!) with a BA in studio art on June 7. I need to move a lot of things out of the school art studio and out of my room. Too much stuff. As such, how about buying some art?

I have many pieces that are already professionally matted and framed by yours truly, and others that can be. Still other pieces require no such thing.

If you see anything on here or on my website that interests you, please make an offer.

There are some things that I would really like to hang on to, but should really part with for space sake. I'll be making new work soon and I ought to make room for it. So, here are some of my prized pieces:

Pictures of the new work

2008-11-22T23:16:00.000-08:00

As promised, here they are.

Thanks for coming! See you Saturday?

2008-11-21T00:10:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all you wonderful people who came out to Spirits tonight for my art show. It was great to see you and I'm glad you liked the work. I hope to see you again soon.

And thank you to those of you who came out to Fort Gondo last Friday to support the WCA and myself. If you missed the Raising Our Voices opening at Fort Gondo, I encourage you to come to the gallery this Saturday between 1pm and 4pm. Jennifer and I will be there holding down the fort. All the works are small and mailable so it's a great chance to buy some affordable pieces of one-of-a-kind art (think holiday gifts)! You'll want to get them before they travel to Chicago at the end of the month.

Also, I'll be moving into a new studio space very soon and I hope to invite some folks over to visit once I'm set up. Maybe we'll have a party. Sound good? Good.

Off The Wall

2008-11-15T21:28:00.001-08:00

I'm working off the wall these days, on the floor. The final installation is a little different and I will have images of the whole collection of work from the last 10 weeks up soon, but for now, here are some images of the installation, albeit in progress a bit.

Solo show! Plus Raising Our Voices Opening this weekend!

2008-11-09T19:06:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder that the Raising Our Voices show is THIS Friday. Also, the latest news is that my dual show in Alton is now a solo show. Yep, just me and my art and the WCA. Time and place remain the same. Hope to see you out at the galleries!

November Art Shows

2008-10-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

In addition to making new work, I'm also starting to get back into showing work in the St. Louis area. Next month I'll be in a group show and a 2-person show.

The group show is with the Women's Caucus for Art.

RAISING OUR VOICES is a traveling mail art members' exhibition to benefit the Differently Minded Art Studio at the Urban Art Retreat, sponsored by the St. Louis Chapter of the National Women's Caucus for Art. The exhibit will be shown at:

Fort Gondo
3151 Cherokee Street
St. Louis, MO 63118

November 14, 2008 - November 29, 2008

Opening Reception Friday, November 14 from 6-9pm at Fort Gondo.

The Gallery will also be open on Saturdays from 1-4pm.

Liz Long Gallery
Urban Art Retreat
Chicago, IL
December 13, 2008 - January 31, 2009

The Chicago Opening Reception will be held Saturday, December 13, 2008. The Liz Long Gallery will be open Saturdays 11am-4pm or by appointment.

My dual show is with an artist named Heidi Fox and will be at Spirits in Alton, IL. The WCA Night Out will be Thursday, November 20 beginning at 6:30pm. Come for dinner or drinks and enjoy some art.

Deconstructed Books

2008-10-12T17:15:00.001-07:00

I have been working on some new pieces in an entirely new medium for myself. I've been thinking about collective memory in relation to books and reading and playing with those ideas, as well as playing with paper and old books.

New Work

2008-10-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

I'm currently making work dealing with memory. It's not coming about in the way I'd planned, which was a mixed-media collage sort of thing, but I think it's getting there. I'm doing paintings of glimpses and thinking about collective memory and how we store ideas.

2008-07-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

I have tried to re-vamp my website. ericapopp.googlepages.com. I don't have much of a clue when it comes to web design or that sort of technology so I think it looks pretty good for my limited skills. Let me know what you think and perhaps you can give me some tips.

Tiny, Tidy Studio

2008-07-23T03:02:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been frustrated by not having proper studio space to work in. I feel this is a problem that emerges often. When my space is less than ideal I try to think of Henry Darger, who made amazing things in his one-room apartment. His space was tiny and served as his bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen, and, of course, art studio. If he could make that enormous book of brilliant paintings and collages at his tiny kitchen table, surely I can do the same, right? Can’t I live and work in the same space? I feel like having that skill is important.

What I really need to do is clean. I haven’t really settled into my living quarters this summer. I thought I would have more space and consequently brought more things with me from school than were really necessary. In the past year I have realized that I just feel like I can’t get anything done when my space is in disarray. It doesn’t matter what it is. If I want to make some art, I have to clean and organize my studio first. I’ll be sure that my pottery tools need a good cleaning, that my paint should be organized and that my brushes ought to be conditioned and then placed in an aesthetically-pleasing arrangement. If I need to write a paper I must first clear absolutely everything off my desk and then stack the books and other reference material I’ve gathered in such a way that it looks like I must be very intelligent and studious. Once my desk shows evidence that I’ve been working on the paper for hours I can actually start it.

Do other people have this problem? More importantly, do other artists have this problem? I have become much more of a neat-freak than any other artist I know, than any other person I know. Well, except for maybe my winter-quarter roommate. Jessica is pretty darn tidy. And she’s a poet. I blame her for making me think that super-tidiness is normal.

Image is of Darger's room and is from www.daylife.com/photo/00e9fES63aeQT

Upcoming Show in Alton

2008-07-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

This November I will be showing with the Women's Caucus for Art in their alternative space at Spirits Lounge in Alton, IL, located at 300 State Street. I will be showing with artist Heidi Fox. The show will be up from Wednesday, November 19 - Saturday, January 20. The WCA girls night out will be Thursday, November 20th at 6:30pm.

The work being shown will be some of my alternative process photography. I've been looking at it for a long time and sometimes I feel like everyone should have else should have seen it by now too, but why would you have? It's spent most of it's short life in Kansas City and Indianapolis. I haven't shown it in St. Louis yet, aside from the four prints that are hanging in the Town & Country Starbucks. You can stop by there for a sneak peek and get a delicious latte while you're at it. Otherwise, I'll hope to see you at Spirits in November.

Spirits Lounge
300 State Street
Alton, IL 62002

Starbucks
13448 Clayton Road
Town & Country, MO 63131

New paintings

2008-07-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

I have been playing with mixed-media as I create some fun little paintings. They are very small, only about 6x6". When I was making them I was thinking about women's roles in society and how we accept or reject them and how some of the many societal ideals we face can make us feel.

First blog

2008-07-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well, this is my very first blogspot blog. I often blog about my life and about silly things on MySpace but I thought it would be appropriate to create a blog that's more about my art than about my summer workout goals and the gross old men that hit on me at work. So, welcome. I hope you enjoy the text and images to come.