Vessel

Happy Sunday!

Uhhh. Things got really hectic real fast!

First part of my week was pretty good, all things considered. There were some speedbumps here and there like weather or things breaking down but we made some hedway in the yard. When it rained I'd pick up cataloguing and bringing my Art of Where up to speed. Uploading has gotten a lot faster on there since I know what I want each product to have. I also accepted the fact that sometimes consistency isn't possible because a design won't look good on certain things so I count my losses and keep going.

Then I realized one of my deadlines was a day earlier than expected and bam!! Kicked me down the stairs into the studio after a long time. I started work on a new image, inspired by simply searching up the word “vessel”.

In glassmaker's lingo, “vessel” refers to any glass object that is made to contain something, so we typically call cups, jars and bottles vessels. I had initially meant for this project to make it for a Call of Submission made by the Glass Art Association of Canada, but that deadline ended up being today and I faced some obstacles in time management. If I really tried to rush it I might have made it, but I feel very strongly about taking my time with this one. So yeah, the impulse to use “vessel” as a prompt was due to my craft side.

The term also has a strong spiritual connotation with me, especially inspired by the media I consume. In this case the vessel is the body containing the soul or some other truly precious essence. A vessel preserves and protects the contents, possibly even imprisons it. I tend to lean toward the latter, because I always feel trapped within the physical, filling me with frustration. Attempts to express myself at a level of catharsis isn't always socially acceptable either, so the boundaries of a vessel can extend to normative expectations, a very ambiguous realm. So anyway, vessel is a very interesting term for me.
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So when I searched up the word I was immediately attracted to this structure in Manhattan, New York. Is it a hive? A ribcage? What a pleasantly geometric construction. I thus made a reproduction of it to explore urban ruin. I personally love this image, which is part of the reason why I don't want to rush it.​

I have two call of submissions left to apply for, so I have about a week or so. As I mentioned some time ago, deadlines aggressively jumble my priority list so you'll never see any consistent work progress from me. It's a thing! I can't do much about it right now but I hope to improve. I have two plates on the go that I will try to gluechip, (it's gonna be a bit difficult during this humid spell we're experiencing here). Then they'll be dremeled and good to go! I have all of this paper I cut to size, originally for the Lonely Hydra, so at least I don't have to spend too much time on that end. Keep a close eye on my social media and you may see it realized step by step.

Oh, and another reason why I'm kicked back into gear is because there will be a print market day I'm attending, tentatively. I say that because I'm unsure if it'll be pushed further back to abide by COVID19 restrictions. In my mind it was already cancelled, but there hasn't been an official call for cancellation or further delay. Now I feel a bit unprepared, even though I do have lots of stock. There is still much I wish to do, both work- and setup-wise. I will announce it closer to the date of whether it's still on or not, so keep your eyes peeled!
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One final piece of news, Art of Where have released face coverings as a product! Looks like I gotta backtrack yet again, but it shouldn't take long. Maybe I can get some in before the market.

Yeah I'm gonna have to sit down and make a whole new list of priorities again. RIP.

Stay connected,

Gosia