Carla O'Connor Visit

Zach and I pulled our bikes into work this morning and had the pleasant surprise of finding Washington plates on an unfamiliar car. Carla O'Connor and her husband, Mike, were visiting. We love when artists film with us and even while we have a lot of fun we still have to concentrate. Filming leaves the artists tired and the week burns people out. When artists just arrive at our door and can hang out, it's a whole new ball game. It was great to just sit and talk with both Carla and Mike. We swapped pet stories and painting stories and had a really nice time. This job has a lot of perks (like there is a cat sleeping next to me in my office at this very moment) but meeting the people we get to meet is really one of the best.

(Artwork by Carla O'Connor.) See more at Carla's gallery.

Monday Update

I love being TV shows on DVDs. I also love sleep. Those two things are not mutually compatible.

Today I'm back at Carla O'Connor's lovely workshop. I learn something every time I make a pass on the material (I'm on pass 4). What I'm learning though isn't simply technique, it's how to think about the work as a whole. How to weave together the parts to create something tighter overall.

On a work note: I think I'm getting better as an editor and that excites me. You know how sometimes you plateau and then you'll feel a little improvement bump? I got a bump with Carla. I'm learning to approach the material in a different way and it will make the workshops better as a whole. (Also, it will help make life easier for Z as he does all the editing work after me.)

(Image from Carla O'Connor's Workshop from Creative Catalyst Productions)

***Update*** Check out Carla's DVD workshop!

Donna Zagotta Day 1

Donna Zagotta began filming today and I might have to kick Mom (Lynn) off of camera B so that I can be in there and watch. Studio set up started last week and we were all wowed by what we found in the boxes Donna had sent. Donna's work is amazing. She does the type of figure work that I really love.

At lunch Donna talked a little about her work. She said at one point she began to be known for her interior paintings and in order to not be pigeon holed she made a conscious effort to add figures and street scenes to her repertoire. That's an interesting move. Artists- especially instructors- seem to walk a delicate line between being able to pursue art where art takes them (through styles and subject matter) but also having a consistent style that people can come to know.

If you love Donna's work, check out Polly Hammet, Carla O'Connor and George James.