figgypudding holiday sale

It's that time of year! For crumpets and chestnuts and figgypudding! Get 15% off the JPOP shop this year with promo code figgypudding at checkout. Hope to send some art your way for the holidays! sale goes from today until December 17th after which I will be spending time with family and with the everglades :) Here is a link to my SHOP

Real life day vs pregnant day

I have huge news, the hugest news that almost anybody can I have. I am pregnant! Though currently, pregnancy is kicking my butt. I have never been this tired in my life. And, in college I had bronchitis, the flu, and pneumonia all at the same time. I am not much of a napper in real life, but, in pregnant life, I just can't get through the day without falling asleep for anywhere from 20 minutes to 3 hours. And, at almost no point since figuring out I was pregnant, have I felt anywhere near the amount of energy that I consider "normal." It is a huge adjustment, and one that I have had to succumb to because my body isn't giving me any other choice. I am just walking around in a stupor, and feel lucky when I have enough energy to make something healthy to eat and not get nauseated in the process of trying to figure out what to cook.

What I haven't been able to even come close to doing is finishing projects at my normal speed. A "real life day" looks like this: make a bunch ceramic things, keep up with emails and social media, carve for hours on end and maybe print, take the dog for an hour long walk, make a healthy vegetarian breakfast, lunch and dinner, visit with a friend for a few hours, paint on clay things for awhile, read before bed, I often keep myself busy for 10 hours a day with art related tasks. A "pregnant day" looks like this: try to make breakfast, husband comes down and finishes breakfast because I am too tired and have to sit on the couch. Eat breakfast, then get tired again have to sit on the couch. Read for awhile and not realize if I am awake or dozing. Have the desire to get up off my butt and do something to grab the dog leash to go for a walk. Get completely out of breath, walk for 1/2 mile because I just can't go any further, come home and sit on the couch. Eat something simple for lunch because I only have the energy to put peanut butter on a banana. Husband may make something healthy like juice (thank goodness.) Sit on the couch and read but really fall asleep this time for 2 hours. Wake up and it's 4. Look at the computer, see if anything is pressing, if somebody wants to buy something, muster up the energy to look for the thing the person wants to buy. Try to pack the thing (this may take a few days in pregnancy world.) Maybe carve for 20 minutes, but, get really sore in the process so go back to the couch and read. Watch a documentary. Go to bed.

I am super lucky to have a supportive husband in this process. He says all the time when I am being hard on myself for not getting enough done in a day, that I am working really hard making fingers and toes and all the other baby parts. Anything else that I get done just sweetens the deal. Thank goodness for supportive husbands.

How do pregnant women in high pressured office environments deal? We have very little flex time in this country when it comes to a traditional work week, very little sick time, and then when the baby comes, there is very little maternity leave. It's crazy! I am so lucky to be self employed and to have a model in place (art festivals) that allow me to sell my work directly to clients and make a profit. But, I do have to travel. I have no idea how it is going to feel being on the streets of Philly with a 4 month old trying to sell my work, but, I have to do it, and am glad to do it because it gives me so much control in the other 85% of my life. And, I have an amazing partner who is going to be right there with me 100%.

So, onto this journey, we shall see where it goes...

Jenny is now on Tumblr

I have moved to Tumblr...it just works better for image sharing. So, please find me there if you are interested in a more daily dose of printmaking...and ceramics...and poodles.
http://jpopstudios.tumblr.com/

Snowman needs a new nose

For a little holiday cheer, my lovely poodle Elliot entertained himself for a good 20 minutes chewing off this snowman's carrot of a schnoz. He has the sharpest incisors of all! Snowmen, beware.

All bamboos on sale til' the end of the year!

I am keeping my reproductions that are mounted on bamboo ON SALE til' the new year. I am actually around this holiday season, willing and able to stand on line at the post office for you :)

Carving Night Herons, Cormorants and more!

In progress! Gators, Night herons, Cormorants, Egrets, Woodstorks, Spoonbills, Cattails, all amazing Georgian wildlife popping through!

don't eat the holly sale

I have been reading the book Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart and to celebrate the holiday season I am offering 15% off my original woodcuts until the 15th of December (enter promo code "donteattheholly") when checking out. And please, don't let pets and kids eat holly berries. They are slightly toxic to adults and very toxic to little ones.

http://jpopstudios.bigcartel.com/

Studio Sale December 1st-2nd

Come over come over! 4 artists having a studio sale at my place December 1-2 noon-6pm. Feel free to send an email if you have any questions! Happy Holly.

Postcard designed by the incredible Jason Edwards! Thanks Jase! He will be at the studio sale as well.

fall day at Westhaven Farm

I love fall days, and, running into unexpected events in a field during a morning walk which included billy goats in a van, garlic scape pesto and house plants from Africa. Thank you Ithaca!

Billy in a van! Actually there were 4 billy's and two humans!

Shady Poodle

Guest house?

Melon cask

Play farm

Plywood and peaches

Pie Party!

Coring Cortlands

juicy!

flinging

dressing up

final prodcut

and a gorgeous fall day for the ceremony

My sweetie and I made 8 pies for a friends wedding over the weekend. Here are some progress shots pies and one of the most beautiful fall weddings.

I found Instagram!

Oopsies new addictive social media alert...I am just loving instagram! Follow @jpopstudios if you want to see what I am up to with pics, so far there has been floor sanding and staining, many poodles and plants!

Insatiable Winged Lions---Kings of Coral

From the beginning...

This massive (34x48") lionfish woodcut was started in Venice, Italy and finished in Ithaca, NY. The title is, "Insatiable Winged Lions---Kings of Coral" The latin name for lionfish is Pterois volitans which means "winged fin" so it totally fits the Venetian reference. I had no idea when I went to Venice to make a lionfish woodcut that it would actually make sense.

These fish are wreaking havoc on reefs and small fish populations from the Caribbean to as far north as Massachusetts. A few amazing statistics about the fishes appetites, their stomachs can stretch 30x in size and one large lionfish was recorded eating 20 small fishes in a 30 minute period. Our best hope for population control now seems to be serving lionfish on dinner plates. The only thing with a more insatiable appetite is a human.

 

Til the end! Lionfish finally finished!

Lionfish almost done!

I started this piece in Venice, Italy and am almost done with it! Whoo hooo...2 giant woodcuts will be part of the JPOP repertoire very shortly...

Lions of Venice!

Lion woodcut in Venice almost finished!

A "real" lion in Venice.

Water Hyacinths in progress

Invasive plants will soon be part of my repertoire, starting with a pale purple beauty, the Water Hyacinth. They were originally introduced as a decorative plant and unfortunately are still being sold commercially. When I googled "water hyacinth pond plant" I found numerous stores who would sell me one, which is quite dangerous. Many nursery's sell invasive plants that are pretty leaving it up to the consumer to know what they are getting themselves into. Water Hyacinth's are one of the fastest growing plants known to man, they can double their population in 2 weeks! EEK! Stay far away from these beauties, because once you have them, good luck getting rid of em'

Carving a Venetian Lagoon

I had to bring a bit of Venice home with me. When I found out the the city was built upon a series of piers that were pounded into the mud and then a layer of marble was placed upon the piers and monuments were built, I couldn't resist making a woodcut showing a cross section of the place. San Marco is in the background and a swarm of native fish including sardines will begin to appear in the bottom section of the piece. This will be the 2nd long skinny vertical woodcut I have made. I am lovin' the size!

Art mounted on Bamboo!

Underworld Owls 8x10

Load of Monarchs! 5x5

Side View Underworld Owls 11 x 14

Set of 2 5x5 Monarchs

A Starling Guide to Night 8 x 10

Anemone Cat 8 x 10

I love love love my new bamboo mounted art! My sold out woodcut designs are now available as reproductions on sustainably harvested bamboo! They have a keyhole slot, so, can be attached right to the wall with one simple screw, not needing a frame or they stand by themselves and can be placed on a shelf. The prints are beautiful, being a printmaker, I was so leery about offering reproductions but could not be happier with this product.

Venetian Watery goodness

Oh Venice, how you inspire with your reflecting lagoons and cappuccinos...I cannot wait to return! I have been back in the US for a few months now and am feeling like such a lucky gal to have been able to spend so long on marble paths surrounded by watery tendrils. I think the turquoise has been infiltrating my artwork for the past few months, soon I will post some progress photos of new pieces. I am currently managing 6 woodcuts in different stages! 2 I have started printing and both are filled with many shades of yellow-blue. Maybe I need to go to the desert to get some orange infusions?

reflections abound

who ever turns 50 next, this will be your b-day card

me doing a little reflecting, who knows what
the UFO's are up to...

What do April snow showers do to the flowers?

Winter---April 23rd 2012

apple

cherry

dogwood

After shaking out the snow from our flowering trees. So far apple really down (laying on er' side), 2 large willow branches, and many pieces of maples, poplars, and cedars. It is like a tree massacre in the yard.

Printing an ancient reef

Roll em' up

steady....

Hovering takes much concentration

I think it is lined up

grrr...roll!

I get to work in my slippers :)

Lift off

And, the tan color is printed and in the right spot. Yahoo!