This is when I was super sure that my whole future of making art was right before me and I'd be super famous. Like all the big boys in the books - I thought i'd be like all the famous artists, like how Damien Hirst lives, but with out the bad behavior and the effortless art work. I'd be making all my own work, working as hard as I do know, but able to care for the ones I love, and send them to the most beautiful places in the world. I'd pay back anyone who'd ever believed in me with interest and gifts - all because I love to work, but without the stress of bills. I look older in this picture than i do now, and still.... Put me back in this happy face. who doesn't feel like this right now???


Let's face it, no one's buying anything, let alone art - but really, nothing... everything feels out of reach right now. Still, there is something really just grit your teeth "oh my god, is this happening", after being at a generally really great show and seeing so few people it is were a line for people who want root-canals and think that health insurance is not only affordable - let alone, helpful for 'the people'. I think all of us are at home paying for our post-highschool education after the 80's.


It's going to be hard for all of us artists, teachers, workers, mechanics, everyone who maintains anything, parents, makers, creators, inventors, doers, dreamers, hope-driven future lovers..... basically any of us who aren't in charge of the sinking ship - seeing that they are the only ones provided with life boats these days.

I don't know if it's true or not....

all i know is like my dad says

DRIVE - PASSION - & PERSISTENCE. Not only is that they key to living the life you envision - but will be the thing that keeps us going.

Regardless.... this little girl in the picture... who's doing at this age what she wants to do for the rest of her life... wearing a boy's shirt in pink.... who wants to tell her what's going to happen? Like onions, I guess it is about pulling back the layers without crying if you can.


still......... argggg.....
who feels really terrified right now????

I better get ready for work tomorrow
and the next day, and the next.
just like the rest of us.
sleeping and sundays are for the rich - even though it should be equal access, right?

lights

this is the other weird thing I like to do.
Lights.

falling Bird Installation

“ FALLING BIRDS “

This installation is about the absence of songbirds. It addresses the occasions when birds in the thousands have fallen from the sky due to environmental pollutants, mass toxic spills, war (during bombings, many birds drop from the sky in flames); and other tales of apprehension. This event has been reported around the world, repeatedly, and increasing frequency over the past 50 years. The reoccurring use of tissue is a reference to our skin and the thin membranes that all living things have. They define our form from the outside world, but are otherwise totally permeable. The work also addresses this veiled force of accumulation, and how pesticides conceal their malice behind the color white

Small Frog sculptures of mine

These are my shameless hit that I just can't shake. I really hate being called 'the frog lady'. The best I've ever heard was being called 'the orchid lady' - that was nice. But the deformed frog lady? seriously.
Anyway - despite not liking the name, I LOVE these guys. I don't know what direction these are going yet because there's so much I could do with them, yet because they are so personal and sweet to me, I'm not sure I really want to put them out there. I guess if the opportunity arises - we'll see what happens.

Drawings

Here's a collection of my recent drawings & prints

Website emergency! - www.abigailallan.com is being held hostage

Hello everyone.

so it turns out my web-site is being held hostage by a web-vulture. I don't know if i'll be able to get abigailallan.com back again because the people asking for the ransom for it won't get back to me. How depressing.

In the mean time, as I was updating other images, I figured I should add images. etc.
so up coming will be more images soon.
take care
-Abbi

Teaching, doing, being...

Seti's ready for the cold - are you? I'm not.


Sigh - I've been out of the loop, behind on work and posts this month. I went through 3 art fairs 3 weekends in a row in dark weather and the scariest of economic times, but the people still came. that was good.

Come see a new batch of my work over at Your Arts Desire in Minnetonka, MN. they are about to launch a new web site so keep your browsers out for that.

Whew - so what a first month of school.
At the Minneapolis College of Art and Design - 3 classes
teaching 2 - 3D foundation courses (wood, welding, furniture, sculpture etc...), and another about "Futures, Society and you" - which is really cool.
Orientation to Art and Design over at the College of Visual Arts
All the classes are cool and the kids even better. Although i feel myself aging before their eyes and never been so tired in my life.
Then I've got a family-day that I'm team teaching with my father in October at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and of course, more awesome Science museum classes ahead.

The faculty show at MCAD just came down. A new start / direction for my biological work - talking about depleted Uranium and it's affects on not only birds (indicator species) -but also children born with deformities who live in these war torn areas and also to Vets of these wars being fought. Yes - there are PEOPLE in my art. most exciting.

Well - almost as exciting as meeting Mr. President.

Upcoming Art Events

Hello - lots coming up

I start teaching 3 classes at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design Monday - Aug 25
teaching 2 sections of 3D foundations and Futures: society and you.
I just got elected to Senate as well. Awesome. I'm a Senator.

I start teaching Orientation to Art and Design at the College of Visual Arts as well. Really nice people over there and it will be all new to me, so I'm stoked with a little bit of scared attached.

hello to any students that just google-ed me. Now get your homework done. :)







Coming up - out door art fairs -see my ceramics and even better - please bring some home of course.

Edina Art Fair: Sep. 13-14
Marine on the St. Croix: Sept. 20 - 21
Afton Art Fair: Sept. 27-28






the R.N.C is coming to town, and I'm avoiding it.
- not about politics - just hoop-la. too much trouble for me. But everyone and the artist in them is doing something - so i feel a little left out. Yet - not forgotten is politics on everyone's mind
here's something someone gurrila arted up in our neighborhood. impressive they got this done in one night! my students have no excuse now for not getting their homework done.
But I will be showing at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design's faculty show
http://www.mcad.edu/showPage.php?pageID=1119&eventID=331
Position and Imposition: MCAD Faculty Responds to Politics

When: Aug. 22-Sept. 24, 2008
Where: MCAD Gallery: Main Gallery
Reception: Friday, Sept. 5, 6-8 p.m.


& at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN
http://www.cva.edu/gallery/gallery_shows.htm
I'm in this faculty show as well
Annual CVA Faculty Exhibition
August 28 - September 13, 2008


Faculty Presentations
Tuesday, September 9, 6 - 9 p.m.
Reception
Thursday, September 11, 6 - 8 p.m.


as long as the MCAD MFA print portfolio show at MCAD as well


special love going out to:

my friend Deb - keep fighting. it's not fair - cancer is less discriminate than death - at least death has its reasons. Cancer just picks un-fair fights - until it found you. Kick it's ass my dear! Please, we need you - us girls, women, ladies, double x chromosomes - we need you here fighting for us.

to my friends in Cordero - (Eric) - love the new record!
what?? you haven't heard it?
http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/artists/cordero/
http://corderomusic.com/

to Mike and his family - little Adler... just a few more standing ups away from walking, talking, and taking over the world. go get 'em.

and to my boy - you do everything and that makes you awesome.
check out his art show opening Down Town Minneapolis, for the next 2 weeks- part of this larger big art thing that co-ensides with the RNC:
http://www.gallery13.com/

it's down town 811 Lasalle Ave, Minneapolis, MN
he's got a really great piece there - related to sports / pole vaulting / being in the flow /the olympics
coolstuff
xoxo
-abbi

Joe's potential commision

Horray!!! Joe Likes it!!
This is no-longer available in my studio. Joe is a long time supporter and friend from way back when I had a video made of myself and my work on HGTV. Every so often it is aired again, and I get a few inquieries - but none like Joe. He's the best. All the way out on the East Coast and far away from any galleries I currently have, I am happy to work with Joe. I rarely do commisions these days and prefer to work through galleries I have, but Joe's a special case. Anything for this guy.

Sorry for all the spelling errors - I'm on my way off to one teaching meeting after another. booo.... boring day. meetings meetings meetings... they make the world go round.



Dear Joe.
Let me know if you think this will work
for what you were thinking.

This has been my favorite piece made
in quite some time
It's the work that everyone stops at and oooohhhs and Ahhs.
about 13" in diameter.
Light greens, dark greens, golds, ambers... and a sunrise form. meaning one side is a little higher than the other - the face is tipped upward for maximum drama from different angles.
9" tall on it's highest petal.

Let me know if this is what you had in mind. If not - I can go right back to the drawing board.
take care
-Abbi

Vases that are available August

Ben and I are home from our big trip. It feels great to be home.
In the mean time - I'm busy packing up work for the next sale. (Edina coming Sept 13-14th in Minnesota)
I've got lots of work to make until then.... but if you need something - just e-mail
abigailallan@gmail.com

Here are some vases I have available.

Work going to galleries as we speak....

I still really miss my pet family. Doing alright today. Lots of new galleries. I'll be posting the work once it goes out of which pieces are at which galleries. That way you know where to buy the work.


For example:

This piece:
This is going to be at Beyond Dimensions Fine Art Gallery in Dover, DE.

http://www.beyonddimensionstoo.com/

This is an amazing little piece -and there will never be one as perfect because that pink color that's in the center of the work - edged by green - I don't know what's happened to that glaze - but it does not flow like that anymore. chunky and arggg!!! it just won't blend like it did this one time... I don't know, I had magical moment or something. this is a one of a kind, signed... Really extraordinary! This gallery has been a long time supporter of my work - so I'm very pleased this amazing work with just a perfect little base on it is going there.

god, I love this piece. Who ever owns this beauty owns a big slice of my best efforts in that work. sigh.... Who ever snags it is one lucky ducky.

Anyway - I'm about to pack up... Looking forward to the drive home... Seeing Ben's parents, my brother.... and I'm more than sure my parents are looking forward to returning my Seti to me.
more posted soon
-abbi

Tulips I have available for requests

These are my Tulips and Lotuses available. Someone asked me why these works cost more than the conchs - good question. These works are each signed and dated, and cataloged with a number you see below the image.
These works take me far longer to make and are designed to sit on your counter top evenly and . They do not scratch the surface with the rough exterior but accentuate the center of the table or counter you set it on. They are the gallery level works and take much time and labor to finish. You know when you have one of these works from me that you have something my heart has been thrown into

I miss my trouble makers

I really miss my trouble making duo. Sebastian and Seti. (New Kitten and Doberman). Here's Sebastian on the kiln and amongst the conchs and Irises about to be glazed. He's into everything... Always.




Seti finds her own trouble. She just finds ways of being really cute about it. They wrestle right in the middle of my work and studio... They are so funny... I really miss my babies. Luna too... (the other cat who HATES taking pictures. I stopped bothering her with that a while ago. The other 2 - just like the hams they are, love it.

sigh.... I miss my babies.

Rosen...12:56pm

These frogs have all been sold but have been very popular. I guess I'm going to have to make a lot more. China Treasures in Wayzata, MN. will have these guys along with a few more.

These Irises are going really well as well. the 2 white ones in the middle I'm giving to my mom, and the top right hand one just sold as well.
- I have 6 left.

This is such a cool piece I've had for a while that Ben found when we were merging studios this summer. Beautiful enamel job on this one and the yellows are amazing. This one reminds me of the first crocuses of the spring that you see.



No picture does this work justice I'm afraid. It's a strange color. Soft whites, greens and grays inside and a deep green exterior with feathered base. Great lily form with a wide open Iris mouth to it.



This frog has been long sold... I just like him. Figured I'd put another picture up of him.

More images from the Philadelphia Buyers Market

This is the last Dragonfly I have left.

These wall hanging dragonflies are becoming one of my favorite objects. They are so hard to get into the kiln before they are fired for the first time. You can just feel the weight of those wings pulling and I sweat as I scurry across the studio floor to get these in the kiln before the wings fall off - but it's so worth if once it's fired. The glazing and the final results... I just love them. They bring a wall to life.
This one Dragonfly is now sold. 12:20pm 8/3/08. So are the other 3 that I brought.




Here's another new thing I'm trying. Putting my flowers into sculptural paintings of sorts. With Tissue behind them in the background to accent the idea of living forms, tissue, tails, feathers, fluidity etc...

Oh! I just was told the best suggestion a few seconds ago by this wonderful family that has been long time collectors of my work. Just a fabulous artistic family! Anyway - they just suggested that I call these "Butterfly Collections" - which makes so much sense - seeing I walk past one at the museum I teach at everyday... That makes so much sense.
Oh! Now I have TONS of ideas for these.
o.k. - so that's what these are called now. 'Butterfly Collections".
I love it.

Rosen Show work 7/2/08

This is a wall hanging work that I made. A medium sized frame with small littel versions of my large work exploding outside the frame.







More Images of the work I am showing.



A Purple and Pink Lotus / tulip shape that is the larger size of small with a wine glass base. I love this image of this piece. It really gives the work the elegance it deserves.

Rosen Show work

This week I'm at the Rosen Show in Philadelphia, PA!
I will be posting work that I have at the show over the week for anyone who saw my work there to re-visit etc.

Cross your fingers for me.

rough day

What a week. My kiln died... not just one - but BOTH. and not just died... melted... the wiring. One right after the other and I've got to be at Highland Art Fest this Friday. So for those who will see me there, my product won't be up to what it should be - just because I'm sold out of everything, and it's in either the greenwear or bisque state.
At least I've got the baby of the house to help me.
(*Sebastian sleeping amongst the ceramic flowers.)

What worries me the most is that I have all the kids' ceramics from teaching that I have to have fired by the end of the week and I'm not sure how that's going to happen. I just don't want to let them down - no matter what.

I've decided that this student's depiction of the universe warping space/time is the brief - shortened - quicky - cliff note history of the universe. Take this Stephen Hawking!


So my work (art work) has hit a set back... a lead brick - but at least teaching, I'm doing something alright in teaching. But all the amazing stuff you do as a teacher never is on display, but tucked as little short burbs of 4 second "what we did todays" and maybe a memory or 2... i guess in the long run maybe that's longer... but not so good when you have a featured article coming out... but now work to show for it.

feeling low.
maybe it's just time to get some sleep.

Hello - I'm learning to blog

This is my new blog, where I will be showing my current work, upcoming shows, and keeping things updated as I get ready to go to Philly, PA. for the Rosen Show. We are working on the site, bringing it up to date thanks to the hard work of my brother, Jonathan, who is far smarter at this whole computer operation than I.

I'll be adding images, updates, studio images, etc. so you will know what I am up to artistically, along with my other activities, such as teaching and life as a radio DJ. I just graduated with my Masters of Fine Art from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in sculpture, with an MFA Thesis show at the Soap Factory in Minneapolis, MN. The exhibit was about the fragility of life demonstrated through indicator species such as frogs, fish, and birds, while looking at most transitional and vulnerable and influential stage of being, comparative embryonic development.

I am not an English major by any stretch.... so grammar and spelling... just expect it will be... ummmm... bad. :) i do the best I can. What I can't say in words I express in the visual combination of art and science.

Speaking of which, this month I will be teaching at the Science Museum of MN. It is a blast. Teaching science through art... the kids and I couldn't be happier. It's the perfect place for me. It eats TONS of time... so if I fall a little behind on this, it probably has to do with trying to figure out how to make a tectonic plate-puzzle, or how the universe expands do to this "dark matter / dark energy" stuff. I love it.

I just finished 2 shows; Grand Forks, ND (Grand Cities Art Fest), & the Eagan Art Festival, in Eagan, MN, along with a solo showing at Pizza Luce, Down Town. My next show will be at the Highland Art Fair, in St. Paul, MN. July 19, 20, and 21.

Here's some of the work you can see up above, along with an image of my postcard from my Thesis show. (I'm still working on how to arrange images, so things are in - no particular order.

That's all for now.
Yes, that IS all there is - so you should just keep dancing.
much love
-Abbi