I love 3rd Ward.  It's a little slice of artist heaven in the middle of a semi-sketchy part of Brooklyn.  I started taking classes there right after quitting a horrible restaurant job and I was seeking a creative outlet.  And really, it offers such an amazing variety of classes on different artistic disciplines, skills, and more.  The classes I've taken there have truly enhanced my artistic skills and exposed me to new techniques and great people.  I am a big fan.  And apparently the feeling is mutual.  Check out my little exposé on the 3rd Ward blog!  It's well written and I'm so honored to have been interviewed for their blog.  I highly recommend this place for all your creative and intellectual needs.  Also, I'm super stoked that they like my Downton Abbey embroidery!  Woohoo!

Yup, I'm doing my first ever craft show! Bust Magazine's bi-annual Craftacular! Super excited and nervous about making enough things to sell.
But you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be selling my Downton Abbey embroidery, as well as embroidery about my other favorite TV show, Parks and Recreation.  Also embroidered: Kanye West lyrics.  And of course you can expect to see my paper cuts and greeting cards printed of these cuts. 

I'm so excited to be part of Craftacular.  I went last spring and I was astounded by the quality and variety of artists and vendors.  I hope I can hold my own!

It happens to me pretty often, I hate to admit.  That horrible feeling when you have a project but it just won't come out of you.  Sometimes you hit a wall at the beginning.  Often it happens in the middle of a project and you question whether all the work you put in has lead you to a dead end.  Do you forge ahead until you make it work?  Do you move on to something else?  How do you deal with a creative block? 

In this interview I discuss my creative process and what I do when I hit a creative wall.

Thanks very much to Matt Weckel of The Wall Breakers for the opportunity to be a part of their website! 

Yes I am obsessed with Downton Abbey, along with every other woman with a television and fondness for costume dramas.  I am so obsessed, in fact, that I want to live in the Downton Abbey world all day, every day.  One episode a week is simply not enough.  And now that season 2 is over, I have to find new ways to get my fix. 

Enter my embroidery hobby.  The two seem to be made for each other.  I remember a scene in which Lady Grantham is embroidering while talking to Lord Grantham, which makes me even more certain that this is a terrific idea. 

So here you go, Part I of my Downton Abbey embroidery series.  I hope it helps to fill that hole left in your life since the end of last season.

What do you think about adding a quote in there?  Would it mess it up?

More to come very very soon! 

Lots of love,

Kai

Hey! 

Check out these pictures of my work hanging up at the Visual Arts Center in Boise State University---RIGHT NEXT TO BEATRICE CORON'S WORK!  That's right. 

Check out this awesome review of the exhibition on Boise Weekly.  They say some pretty cool things about my work, if I do say so myself:
"Margarida-Ramirez de Arellano uses this ancient art form to address social issues and comment on contemporary relationships. The result is a maze of ornate, intricately framed pieces with feminist themes and laugh-out-loud captions like, "I've had bigger," underneath a purple peacock."

And listen to what the Visual Arts Center posted on Facebook when they received my work: "I'm unpacking the work by Kai Margarida-Ramirez de Arellano right now and it is making me cry (with laughter) - and they are cut so beautifully. "
--Im so glad my work can make people laugh and still be acknowledged for the skill it requires.

This is coming full circle for me.  I saw Ms. Coron's work for the first time on the subways of New York the summer I moved here.  The minute I saw it I knew it was paper cutting, and I was in awe.  Now my work is showing next to hers...I'm bursting :)

XO
Kai

I am proud to announce that I will be exhibiting my "Tough Love" series along side such amazing artists as Béatrice Coron and Nikki McClure in "Cutting Edge: Contemporary Paper" at Boise State University Visual Arts Center!  It is such an honor to be included in this comprehensive show of contemporary paper cutters from all over.  Many of the artists in this show are my heroes!  Wish I could be there for the opening.

Check out the link below:
http://artdept.boisestate.edu/VAC/
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Today I am happy to announce the launch of a wonderful new outlet for women artists, and new website for YOU to buy fabulous art:  www.museandthemoon.com!

*Great place to find original holiday gifts!*  hint hint.

Please check it out, there are lots of amazing artists featured here (including myself).  There will also be video interviews with the artists so you can see how the art is made and get to know your artists better. 

I'm really excited to see the evolution of this website and all the wonderful artists that are involved.  If you want to check out my artist profile on the site, click here. 

Big thanks and congrats to Erin Shockey, the creator of Muse and the Moon.

Check it out, people.

XO

Kai

My exploration of embroidery overlapped with my first introductory course in French.  Part of how I have been memorizing my verb conjugations is by embroidering them.  That way I practice both French and embroidery at the same time, making me a genius.

Also, one of the worst things to happen to me this year was to get food poisoning on day that I was supposed to see Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part I with my friends.  Absolute Tragedy.  And don't you dare start judging me for buying advanced tickets to the opening night showing of this film.  I am a hardcore feminist and I fully understand and agree that this "Saga" is a horrible example for girls and women and that it perpetuates everything that's wrong with our puritanical, patriarchal, hipocritical society.  That said, I love it for all the right reasons.  These movies are probably some of the best laughs you can get.  You just have to approach it the right way.  With an open, sarcastic heart.

Anyway, I was really upset that I couldn't go so I turned to practicing my French embroidery for consolation.  Obviously, vomit was on my mind since that was what I'd been doing all day.  So, French word of the day: Vomir.  To Vomit.

Do you have any other great french verbs that would look great in embroidery?  Let me know and I'll conjugate them via stitch!

Xo

Kai

It turns out I've been sufficiently obsessed with Ms. Nicks to make two more attempts to capture her vibe in my art.  I believe I'm done with her for now, though.  As much as I love her, there are too many great pop culture icons right now to dwell in the past.

A few months back, I took a collage class at 3rd Ward and learned an awesome new photo transfer technique using spray fixative!  Way less messy than using gels or other methods.  So here's a little mixed media piece with our dear Stevie (photo transfer), collage, and watercolor.

And do you remember my first Stevie Nicks embroidery piece (actually, my first embroidery, period)?  Here's the follow up.  I'm not as crazy about it as I was about the first one.  I couldn't capture her face.  But I still think it's hilarious.  They are both from the same photo shoot, with that same damn bird which just cracks me up.  Nothing like carrying a bird all the time to channel your inner "ethereal gypsy rock goddess".

Au revoir, Stevie.  Xoxo.