Posts in "fashion"
The Art of Style


Elle/ Marc Jacobs

If you weren't able to make it to my opening at Bliss Home in Market Square last Friday, I hope you'll stop in this month to see it. And when you do, remember that everything's for sale.

I wrote an artist statement for this work, but I've been thinking about it lately and want to share more about the background, things from my life that have led to making these pieces.

I'm a very thrifty person, a scavenger of the unwanted. Most things in my home were free or bought at thrift stores. It's amazing what I've acquired for little to no money. Sometimes I wish I kept a running log, putting a monetary value on these things to see how much I've saved. I'll probably never do this, but it's interesting to think about.

Carolina Herrera

While I (absolutely) love walking the aisles of thrift stores, scouring the shelves of unwanted items, I've started to run into several dilemmas.

My instinct is to think to myself, "I must buy this ceramic cat. If I don't, who will? And all this potential will be lost!"

Possibly 50% of the time, I give into buying this object that's main purpose becomes to collect dust somewhere in my all ready cluttered apartment.

Sidenote One: I buy the ceramic cat because it speaks to me. I think, "This object is special; it draws me in and I should make it mine." I didn't realize until recently that you can be thrifty and materialistic simultaneously.

Sidenote Two: I promise I'm not like those people in hoarding reality TV shows. I have a lot of stuff, but it's not a medical condition. At least not yet. 

But an internal conflict for me has arisen recently, a tension I feel about a) wanting to hunt and gather lots of "stuff" and b) a deep, untapped desire to lead a minimalistic, well-designed, and streamlined life.

Pink Feathers

I moved recently and have been confronted with that amount of things I own, items that I have carted around from one place to the next. I give things to Goodwill almost monthly, and still, it's incredible how much stuff I have.

I have this dream of being able to pack all of my belongings in one car, in case I wanted to up and move somewhere exotic. There is a subconscious weight to the things we surround ourselves with.

I have another internal conflict: c) fighting the urge to buy lot of cheap things that will last a short time in order to buy fewer high quality things that will last, possibly, a lifetime.

Arizona Muse

Growing up, I had everything I needed to survive and more. My dad worked hard and my family was never in want. Maybe you could say my sisters and I were spoiled, but it was mostly in the quality of what we had or the experiences my parents gave us, but not in the quantity. We never had a room full of cheap plastic toys, but we had a wonderful two story playhouse that my grandfather and dad built us. And one Christmas we all got neon Nike jogging suits and a trampoline. We went on some great family vacations, too.

In regard to the things I surrounded myself with as a child supported financially by my parents, I can't say the style I had growing up was my own. I wore and placed around me things my parents gave me. It wasn't until I started driving that I began choosing my own clothes, but it really took years to develop and accept my innate sense of style. While my parents' and my tastes differ greatly, we do have at least one thing in common: an appreciation for good quality, a common ground that is very enjoyable as I grow older.

But now that I'm an adult and finally know that I have exquisite taste (read: expensive), the universe has played a cruel joke on my by giving me a very tight budget.

Celine

While I covet items in magazines, it can be tempting to think if I had more money, I could buy great style, but I know this isn't true. It just takes a little more effort when money is tight.

Being the artistic person I am (this is the reason I give for all my shortcomings), I tend to leave spaces disorderly and am not great at, that funny term, nesting.

It's something I think a lot about as a creative person. Knowing in your head what you want, how you want it to look, but missing the mark because of laziness or a lack of focus or discipline. I know I can make something look how it is in my head with the proper amount of time and effort. More often than I'd like to admit, I've slapped a lot of things together at the last minute, which makes no one happy. With a little time and patience, things will come out the way you imagined them to.

Joie

So this work that I've made for this show is inspired by the most cutting edge trends in fashion and design. I looked through the pages of magazines, found particular images for inspiration, and made these pieces using things around me, from thrift stores, mostly, or things that were free.

I used product packaging- mesh produce bags and plastic newspaper bags-, fabric that was given to me from retired seamstresses, and frames and transparency paper I found at thrift stores.

South by Southwest

In a comical way, I like to think of myself as that kid from American Beauty, having a fit over the  beauty of a plastic grocery bag floating in the air.

I'm not lying. I think there is a vast amount of beauty in an orange plastic newspaper bag.

I'm working more and more to make my surroundings (my home and my studio, even the inside of my car) beautiful in the way I believe they should be. I want to do this without overspending or accumulating too much. Really, having less might do the trick.

With my artwork, I'm taking the things that are accessible to me and giving a nod to the most current ideas in the fashion world today, something I admire greatly from my modest life afar.


New Work at Bliss Home during the month of July


Next Friday, July 5th from 6-9pm, there will be an art opening at Bliss Home in Market Square featuring work I've made this year. If you can't make it that night, my work will be up all month so please stop in another time.

For this show, I'm mixing some work I made at the beginning of this year with work I'm in the midst of making right now. The inspiration is women's fashion and current trends in design.

Here is my artist statement for the show:

My work lately has been inspired by a subscription to Vogue my sister gave me a few summers ago. Most pieces began by tearing out pages from these magazines- photographs of scenes, models, and clothing.

I enjoy looking at fashion photography for aesthetic reasons- colors and patterns, for example- but also like being aware of new trends. I admire designers' innovation and craft, and on a business level, like to see how they market their specific look.

From a consumer's standpoint, I am intrigued by how much people are willing to invest in good design. I also wonder how important an item's timelessness is to them.

My work is about good design and the market that is out there for it. It explores trends and asks what it takes for something to be considered a classic.


Bliss Home
29 Market Square
Knoxville, TN 37902
Opening July 5, 6-9pm
Show runs all month
What does With Bear Hands mean to you?

I'm not really asking you this (I'd feel silly doing that), but it is a question I've been asking myself over the past several months, and I'll tell you why.

I'll kill you with my bear hands
acrylic on canvas
To give a little background to those of you who do not know, the name With Bear Hands spawned from a painting I made a few years ago called I'll kill you with my bear hands (above). It's one of my favorite paintings, a good blend of dark humor.

Booth Sign for Dealer at Nostalgia on McCalla
In trying to think of a title for this blog long ago, there was this natural progression of abbreviating that painting's title. So much of what I enjoy doing involves using my hands, my bare hands, to be precise. I decided to use bear instead of bare to add a bizarre element, maybe confusing, hopefully kind of funny. There's really no other explanation than that.

(Well, I also like bears. They're pretty dang cute, and they can also kill you. Sidenote: I saw a black bear for the first time in the Smoky Mountains last year (in the woods and not from my car). We locked eyes, and within a second, he ran the opposite direction. I was in love, mesmerized, happy, scared, exuberant, so glad he ran the other way, bewildered by the fact that he could tear me to pieces, but I scared him more. Amazing...)

Small mason jar paintings on salvaged wood
As time has passed and I gradually refine my business skills, I have wondered whether or not to keep using With Bear Hands as the official name of my business. Is this a good title for all the work I make? Should it only encapsulate part of what I do? All business is, I've come to find out, is a journey of answering a lot of questions.

Commissioned portrait on salvaged window sash

Detail of portrait
I do see a split within my work, specifically drawing a line that separates the work I make that is more accessible to people (i.e. mason jar paintings) and more conceptual fine art (collaborations with Juicy, fabric work, even my narrative paintings).

Available on my etsy shop
But as I keep wandering down this unknown path, there is even more.

Limited Edition prints of original paintings. This is Meet Cute.

In this post, I'm sharing photos of things I have made recently. Several people have asked me to make work for them, which has been really fun as well as educational. It is so rewarding when a person comes to me and says, "I like your work. Will you make me (insert shared idea)?"

I love this aspect of involving people in my studio practice, and so even more, this is what I have realized, not fully, but in part- that With Bear Hands is not only about the mason jars or the fine art I make, it's about all the people involved. Something more: I also want it to be about supporting and promoting other artists' work that I admire, because that seems like an important thing for me to do right now.

Fashion drawing
Paint pen on acetate layered on coffee package
8 x 10"
So I guess a new theme I've picked up is the Art of Sharing. Sharing is caring, y'all, and I hope to do more of it in the future.

While we're on the subject, a great way for me to share with you is to follow me on Facebook. This is my new favorite way to talk about what's going on with With Bear Hands.


Commission piece: Tin ceiling tile shadow box

Wall o' art
Here are some photos of my artwork at Nostalgia on McCalla.


As the months progress, I'm sure this wall will evolve, but the idea currently is to display artwork made from salvage- particularly mason jar paintings, older works that have been in past exhibitions, and fine art prints.



Some of the older items will have reduced prices, and I'll be able to run sales on other items from time to time, so check in often. I will also begin featuring limited editions of fine art prints there very soon.



FYI, Nostalgia offers layaway, which is very nice.

To end, here is one of my most favorite new mason jar paintings on slate, No. 66.


Google Search Rabbit Trail Adventures and More
Happy belated New Year! 

Many unforeseen events (aka life) happened at the end of 2012, and so writing here was put on the backburner more times than I liked. With the new year and some new opportunities on the horizon, I hope to stroll through the blogosphere more often. I know you're glad. I am.

I've made a few pieces so far this year, and I'm sharing some of them today.

Aubrey
paint pen and sharpie on window sash
$235
I'm continuing to work on the window drawings which has been really enjoyable.

Aubrey (detail)
For me, first finding each image is the most fun aspect of these pieces.

I find most of the images in magazines, but Google Search takes this process to a completely different level of wonder and delight. For example, for Aubrey I searched "Aubrey Plaza fashion ads" (because over Christmas "break" I watched what feels like 100 episodes of Parks and Rec) which led me to Miu Miu's short film It's Getting Late, which led me to Spotify to listen to Zola Jesus, which pointed me to Polica, which just so happens to be a sound I've been in search of for some time.

Oh, the magic World of the Wide Web.
 
***


Elle
paint pen and sharpie on window sash
$235
Last year, I watched The September Issue, a documentary about Vogue, where Anna Wintour discusses the phenomenal impact photographing celebrities instead of models has had on the fashion industry.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately because I had never intended to draw celebrities, such as Aubrey Plaza or Elle Fanning (above), but when you're looking at fashion as an inspiration, I suppose it's inevitable. While I'm more interested in the image than the fact that they're famous, I did choose photographs based on if I like the celebrity or not. Something about this feels... I don't know... too easy?
 
I struggle when things come too naturally, wondering if it's worth making if it's too enjoyable. Should work cause some amount of tension if it's challenging in the right way or is making art about finding the least resistance?
 
***
 

Elle (detail)

 
I'm ready to expound on and expand these drawings. Green Room (below) is the start of using the whole window and more "scenic" subject matter. The image is from an Anthropologie catalog. 

Green Room
paint pen, sharpie, and acrylic on window sash
 
I'm not satisfied with the outcome of this one, but I'll keep toying around with the idea to see if I can improve. I have high hopes.
 
***


Below are images from my show at the Tomato Head in West Knoxville. Some work from the end of last year, the drawings on windows above, and some new fabric pieces are there until Feb 3.

Please go take a look because (my) photographs don't do many of these pieces justice.



Fashion Show (at Lunch)

Below are photos of six drawings I have up at the Tomato Head right now. They are drawn with paint pens and sharpies on the front and back of window sashes. Each exposes the wire in the back for hanging, and the windows are each about 24" at their longest dimension.

Valentino (my favorite!)
Sold


As you can probably guess, my subject matter is models/ the clothes they wear.


CL
Sold



They're titled after the model, the designer, or a detail about their clothing. 

Naomi
Sold

I'm anxious to make more of these and try some other subject matter as well. (I've all ready begun drawing mason jars on glass.)

Lanvin
Sold

There is a sense of delicacy to these pieces, not only in the femininity of the subject matter but also the materials used. They are glossy, the metallics shiny. These qualities are off-set by the older, salvaged wood frame.

Flowerburst 

Note the captions to find out which ones are still for sale, and please let me know if you're interested in purchasing one by emailing beth@bethmeadows.com.

Dior




Artwork Inspired by Good Design
Spray paint on bedspread in window sash 30 x 27.75"
My work is finally completely hung at The Tomato Head on Market Square in Knoxville. Please plan to eat there this month so you will see it. It will also be at the Bearden location in January.

fabric on window sash 30.25 x 27.75"

I really enjoyed making the work for this show. You will get more of a grasp on why I made it if you read my artist statement below, but I wanted to mention that this work is very new and different for me. I had painted the pool paintings a while ago, but the most recent work in the show is drawings on window sashes and fabric collages.

I'm moving away from the narrative paintings I've been making for so long. I started some this year, but they have became difficult to finish. I'd like to work on them over time, adding to them every week or so, but now, I'm focusing in on using other materials (fabric, etc.) and drawing on glass.

Drawing is so much more immediate for me. A pen feels closer to my hand than a paintbrush does. I've loved painting, but there has always been an element of difficulty with it for me, an unease. Drawing is more like breathing.

fabric and flagging tape 38 x 30"

Below is my artist statement for the show. I typically labor over writing these things, but I wrote this one quickly because that is how I've been making my work lately- avoiding lulls, trusting instinct. It's a little cheesy, which is good because it means I'm writing about something I love.

A couple of summers ago, my sister bought me a subscription to Vogue. On most days, my mailbox is typically pretty boring, so when I open it up once a month to find that magazine in its plastic packaging, it’s like a mini Christmas.

My first run through the pages is quick, as I ooo and ahh over what I love and furrow my brow at what I don’t. The second time through, I dog ear pages- things I wish I owned, images that are alluring, figures I want to draw, color schemes I want to use. The third time through, if there is a third time, I read articles.

These pieces are influenced by what I am looking at in this and other magazines- gold and black combinations, envy-inducing models in perfectly tailored garments, fluorescent colors, patterns. They are also inspired by my growing network on Etsy, the online marketplace I sell my artwork. Etsy is a place where one can not only see trends in the creative, fashion, and design world but also learn what people are actually liking and buying.

I am intrigued by why people like what they do, why certain things become trendy, and what makes something classic. I’m in awe of impeccable and good design and what people are willing to pay for it. As I observe these things, I want to participate as well. Right now, I am making these pieces to be a tiny part of this large creative industry, to filter all that I am seeing through my brain and hands to make something new and inspired.
New work at The Tomato Head

Next week officially begins my art show at the Tomato Head in downtown Knoxville. I say officially because they asked me to hang two weeks early due to the opening of their new location out west, so some of my work is there right now along with work by Dean Yasko who graciously agreed to fill a wall since some of my paintings were still in Nashville. Next week, his work will leave, and more of my work will go up.

Dean is currently studying sculpture but dabbles in two-dimensional work as well. He is the type of artist that I admire but am not naturally, revolving his work around found-objects, allowing the process of making art to be visible, and finding that process to be as valuable as the final product.

If you have the chance, please go there over the next few days to see these pieces. Then, when he becomes famous, you can say you saw his early work in real-life.



The pieces I'm showing are from three different series that all fall under an intrigue with modern female fashion, not only the garments but the industry as well.

One of these series is the paintings of swimming pools I made a couple of months ago that you may read more about here.


The second series features pieces made using stretched fabric. I've painted on some and others I've cut patterns into and layered up. 





The third are drawings of magazine photographs on old windows. I used paint pens and sharpies to draw on both sides of the window, creating layers. These were a lot of fun to make. 



As I mentioned before, some of this work is there now, and more will be added within the next week. It will be at the downtown Tomato Head December 5 - January 5 and at the new location out west January 6 - February 3. Hope you can stop in.

 I will post some more photos of this work once they're available.