An excerpt from my new book, 'Make Something Real'

My goal is to publish an art book every 3 years, and since my last book, The Unforeseeable Future, came out in 2022, this is the year for my new release! The new book is entitled Make Something Real. Like all of my books from Imperfect Things onward, the title comes from one of the artworks I made during the time that the book covers. 2022 to 2024 was definitely an interesting time! The blurb and an excerpt are below:

Is a life put on hold still a life worth living? Torn between wanting to participate in art shows and not wanting to get exposed to COVID, I was haunted by the feeling that life was passing me by. I felt like I was living my life in captivity, missing all its forgone pleasures.  This wasn’t the future I wanted. This wasn’t the world I wanted to live in.  I wasn’t the woman I wanted to be. Being an artist was a leap of faith and I was getting tired of jumping. 

In a world of artifice and denial, what still mattered? The pursuit of normal at any cost had led to a culture of complacency and resignation, warnings unheeded, lessons unlearned. The aftermath of an ongoing crisis that most of the world deliberately ignored was a time of missed opportunities and impossible choices. Just when I needed them the most for publicity, the internet platforms I had come to rely on made it harder for my work to be seen, as tech disruption left upheaval and destruction in its wake. Would my newfound social media sites and online communities help me connect with a new audience, or would my participation in them only further tech oligarchs’ nefarious goals? 

Though making art is my escape, this book is also about what I was trying to escape from. Finding solace in creating art in a world on the precipice of disaster, I have made this book an archive of three years of art, grief and grievances. 

Celebrating 15 years at the Fine Arts Building

It's amazing to think that it's been 15 years since I first got my studio in the Fine Arts Building. Over the years, it's been a place where I've been able to continue the bodies of work I originated in grad school while adding new processes.

It's been a place where I can write as well.

It's been a place where I could let my imagination run wild. A place that invites my inner child to come out and play.

It hasn't always been easy. In fact, having a studio has been a great sacrifice. It's why I don't travel. I can't afford to. But I keep going because there's nothing else I want to do but be an artist.

It's been an interior design laboratory where I've been able to try out new ideas.

Even when I'm away from the building, I'm happy to see reminders of it.

A model of the Fine Arts Building at the Lego store in Schaumburg

It's been a privilege to have a space that I could open for public events and offer refreshments for my guests, whether it was Halloween candy, Valentine's Day treats, or even a slice of my birthday cake.

And since the pandemic began, a place where I can give away free masks.

It's been a place where I've received some visitors who are dear to my heart, including friends and family members.

My late Aunt Joyce at my studio in 2012

So much has changed in the 15 years since I first moved into my studio at the Fine Arts Building. I'm grateful that in spite of it all, I've been able to hold on to the space that has become my second home.

Tonight I will be celebrating with a special open studio and you're welcome to join me.

Friday, August 8th

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

The Fine Arts Building

410 S. Michigan

Studio 632F

Chicago, IL 60605

And if you can't make it but still want to support the arts, you're welcome to do that here and here. I appreciate everyone who has supported me on the meandering path that has been my artistic journey.

A little exchange program

Since 2020, I've been making collages at home in addition to my studio. I have saved magazines, catalogs, and other ephemeral papers in both locations. During that time, I've made a few collages that are still works in progress because they're missing something and I don't know what. So I decided to put my long-time unfinished pieces in an exchange program, swapping the ones at home with the ones at the studio, and vice versa.

Collages started at home, brought to the studio

Collages started at the studio, brought home

My efforts led to the creation of 7 new mini collages that I sold at 2 pop-up shows in neighboring office buildings downtown.

Before I sold my pieces, I scanned them and made new print-on-demand products with them for my Zazzle store.

The items in the photo above are just a fraction of what's available. And as always, you can customize everything to suit your particular preferences. 

The Doll Project is now on Fine Art America

 As I mentioned last month, The Doll Project had to find a new home. Now you can order prints from this series on Fine Art America. 

Unfortunately, the other product selections are limited compared to some other print-on-demand services, but they do make tote bags.

(Also, I want to apologize in advance that some items in my shop don't work with the aspect ratio of the products they're displayed on. They were automatically generated and I don't want them, but I can't get rid of them. Please ignore them.)

I may also see if I can work with a few other print-on-demand sites, and when I do, I will make an announcement here.

The end of an era

This feels like the end of an era. I've been on Society6 since 2012. This week, they sent me two emails about both of my online stores there. I'm getting kicked out for not being trendy and popular enough.

 I'm so tired of everything being a popularity contest.

The thing about The Doll Project is that it was never about market trends. It has always been about bucking trends, particularly the harmful ones devised to make us hate the way we look so we'll waste all our money buying stuff we don't need. I was inspired by womanist and feminist artists. Do you think The Guerilla Girls care about trends?

None of my products were ever highlighted on the front page. If it didn't happen in The Year of Our Barbie, 2023, it was never going to happen. 

Now I need to find a POD service that isn't going to cower because of Mattel, like Zazzle did in 2015.

At least I still have a store for A Bitter Pill to Swallow on Zazzle. That won't change. 

Anyway, if you've been meaning to buy something, now's the time: 

The Doll Project

A Bitter Pill to Swallow

I'm not sure if I will be allowed to sell these prints on another print-on-demand site, and I don't want to fulfill these orders myself. Feel free to leave some suggestions in the comments if you know of some good sites I should try.

Making love in the studio

They fear love because it creates a world they can't control.

—George Orwell

We need more love in the world. Since art has always been an escape for me, I've spent the past several weeks preparing for my Valentine's Day open studio. Unlike the work in my Post-Consumerism series, these little paintings are made with virgin materials. 

Coordinating with the abundance of red and pink hues is Venus, the goddess of love, in her elegant gown.

Creating these mini paintings was fun. I felt like I was making candies and pastries.

They range from 2" x 2" to 3" x 4" and come with a mini easel for display. They're $25 each.

Love is in the air, but so are COVID and the flu, which is why I'll be providing masks for my visitors.

The details on tomorrow night's festivities are below. If you're looking for something fun to do that doesn't cost a lot of money, please feel free to stop by.

Friday, February 14th, 2025

5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

The Fine Arts Building

410 South Michigan Avenue

Studio 632F on the 6th floor (in the back)

Downtown Chicago