Inside an Artist's Mind

2.7.12 • Yarn Bombing Images

2012-02-07T10:49:00.001-08:00

Hey there! Last time I wrote, I told of the yarn bombing in progress. I have images now! The installation, piece and donation were a success. We ended up having over 600 hand made pieces to donate to Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital! I loved being able to be apart of not only a yarn bombing, but being able to create a work of art that gave back to the community in so many ways.

The Apache Relay, Lost Kid

12.11.11 • Upcoming Yarn Bombing Event Donating to Rainbow Babies

2011-12-11T11:09:00.000-08:00

Playhouse Square and Soft N’ Sassy Yarn Shop

Present the Yarn Bombing Event of the Year!

Yarn Bombing pieces will than be donated to Rainbow Babies!

If you have never heard of Yarn Bombing before, here is a quick definition:

Yarn bombing, yarnbombing, yarnstorming, guerrilla knitting, or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted cloth rather than paint or chalk.

*(I do understand that yarn bombings are usually kept on the DL, but this is for a great cause and why not make it community wide and get this yarn bombing as big as we can! Let's do a Yarn Bombing our way! And that way is Go BIG or Go Home!)

Playhouse Square and Soft N’ Sassy have teamed up to do a yarn bombing of the Playhouse Theater. It will be installed for the two weeks that “Hair” the musical will be running and we need your help!

The installation will consist of knitted or crocheted children’s hats, scarves & mittens/gloves in one of the following colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet (Colors of the Rainbow to represent “Rainbow Babies”). These garment pieces will then hang in Playhouse Square arranged in color spectrum order. The hanging of the garments is still to be determined but will be either along the walls or hanging from the ceiling. After the two weeks the garments will than be given to Rainbow Babies to be given to the children there.

Thus, we need your help to knit or crochet hats, scarves & mittens/gloves! The more items we have, the better the installation will be and the more we will have for the children at Rainbow Babies!

This yarn bombing will not only be an amazing installation, but a great way to bring our community together by combining art work and a good cause. The children of Rainbow Babies will be able to have a little piece of art as well as stay warm for our Cleveland winter!

If you would like to participate, please drop off your knitted or crocheted children’s hats, scarves & mittens/gloves to Soft N’ Sassy Yarns by January 11th, 2012. Free patterns for children's scarves, hats and mittens/gloves are available to pick up at Soft N' Sassy at any time!

We will also be having a Yarn Bomb Marathon at Soft N’ Sassy January 6th & 7th where we can all gather to knit and crochet garments while enjoying food and each others company. It will be an all day event both days, so feel free to bring a food dish to share, your yarn and be prepared for fun!

This is going to be an amazing event for our community and we hope you can join us in making it happen!

Contact me if you are interested and have any questions!

Jessicaadanich@yahoo.com

And I can't forget the blog song!

Coheed & Cambria, The End Complete II: Radio Bye Bye

11.7.11 • When all else fails..sew!

2011-11-07T17:25:00.000-08:00

So finally, after months of saying that I was close to finishing my orca / great white quilt...I finally finished it! It has been a crazy few months with work and freelance, which has left little time for sewing. But alas, it is done and I'm very excited about it. Not only because I think it came out well but because I feel it is the beginning of a new line of work. It was like finishing it opened creative doors in my mind. I have three plans in my sketchbook for new works. Two being shark related and one related to sea turtles. I hope you enjoy the photos. They are not the best, but they at least give you an idea of the quilt. I hope to start drawings for the next quilt this weekend.

As for other areas, freelance is booming, the office is going swimmingly and I started a new project in knitting. I'm sure some of you saw pictures of the beginning of it on my facebook. I had a wool yarn that I had intended using for a purse. It has flowers on it, so when you felt it, the flowers felt up and look like buds. I actually stress knitted the purse so tightly, I couldn't knit it anymore. I took it as a sign and ripped it out. I than decided to use the black flower yarn for the black in a zebra pattern. The zebra will than have little flowers all over him! Doesn't quite make sense, but than again, I don't make much sense either! I will continue to post pictures of the progress.

Rihanna, We Found Love

10.26.11 • Yarn Bowl

2011-10-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

Hola! Once again I will begin with apologizing it has been so long since my last post. It's amazing how life just gets away with you. But alas, I am back! And with a photo! As some of you may have seen on my facebook, a few weeks ago Soft n' Sassy Yarn Shop had an event at the Richfield Art Studio. It was an amazing, awesome time! (I know, a lot of adjectives.) Cheryl, who is the owner of Soft n' Sassy and a friend of mine, planned a yarn tasting /create a yarn bowl night at Richfield Art Studio. We were able to try four different types of yarn, each were very different from each other and fun to knit! My favorite was the "Plume" by Bergere de France. It's similar to eyelash yarn but WAY better. In my opinion it's more elegant, just as soft, if not softer and has a wicked knitted look. The others we were able to try were "Teddy", "Eclair" and "Magic" (also by Bergere de France all of which can be purchased in a variety of colors at Soft n' Sassy). The "Teddy" yarn at first glance and touch was extremely soft, however, after knitting with it, it proved to be more difficult. Not much give in the yarn to knit with. Although, with patience, a knitted piece with it would be great.
Now to the photo I'm pumped to show and tell about. The owner of Richfield Art Studio, Sarah Costic, who is not only exceptionally talented but also a genuinely nice person, hosted the even herself. She created clay vessels for us to decorate and create our own yarn bowl. A yarn bowl is a bowl that you can put your yarn ball in and have a hole or slit in the side that feeds your yarn to you as you knit. The image below is the magnificent vessel she created that I was lucky enough to get to decorate. And of course, since my life revolves around the ocean, my yarn bowl reflects the sea with a starfish on the side and glazed in a blue color. I also imprinted fish that you can faintly see in the photo. I'm super pumped about this piece and glad I can have it as a piece I can use and show in my living room.
I highly recommend checking out the Richfield Art Studio, as they have numerous classes you can take. Sarah is probably one of the best instructors I have met when it comes to pottery. She's very patient and clear in her instructions. That being said, with winter coming, I would also recommend swinging by Soft n' Sassy to check out their classes. What a better time to start knitting or to take it back up again than winter! They have classes that start at the beginning stages for those who have never knit before, all the way up to complex classes tackling challenging patterns.
Well, enough of my blabbering! I'm off to start an enormous drawing for my next quilt. I have decided to draw the pattern for this one by hand instead of on the computer. I'm sure I'll end up using the computer down the road for it, but this one is going to be very complex and I feel that I need to be closer to the process, thus I'm going to draw it.
I now leave you with one of my favorite songs at the moment.

Coldplay, Hurts Like Heaven

9.6.11 • I smell fall coming..

2011-09-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

Hola! Happy September! I can't believe how fast the summer went by. Every morning I drive to work I feel fall getting closer and closer. I have been pretty busy lately. Work at the office is going really great! I have been creating some awesome work, pushing myself harder than ever and learning a lot in the process. Most days, it occurs to me at least once, "Wow, I'm really a graphic designer!" I think that life goes too fast at times that we forget about the journey we've traveled to get to where we are now. I suppose lately I have been thinking about it more than normal because I feel right now in life I'm growing a lot in terms of my job and studio work. I'm pushing myself when it comes to designing and breaking out of boundaries in my artwork…or at least trying. Baby steps, ya know?

I watched a documentary last night called "Between the Folds". It was on...wait for...go ahead, guess! Origami! I know most people think origami is lame, stupid and only for the dorks of our society, however that is false. The documentary started off talking about the art side of it and than went into it's relation to math and geometry. It's amazing how the act of folding paper can translate into fields such as: the automotive world, the space shuttle and even the medical field. One of the many interesting parts was the interviews with the artists. They all said that as they get older, they refine their technique and have started to focus more on the sculpture aspect of it. It occurred to me that perhaps that is the same process I am going through with my sewing. I began making things very close to their natural form. (Of course I'm not as old as they are, nor do I have as many years of the technique behind me as they but..) As I progress in the technique and material I'm trying to step outside of that..it is difficult. I'm sure that is the design part of my brain..and the fact I want everything to be perfect. But I'm working on that. I feel some very good work coming out of my brain soon. At least good in the sense that it will be me trying something new. As Van Gogh said, "If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint," then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." I just need to do it and that inner voice of self doubt with shut up!!! So moral of the story, sometimes, and if you are me, most times, over thinking is a crippling quality in the studio. And part of being an artist is growing in time.

Coheed and Cambria, Here We Are Juggernaut

8.17.11 • Shark Week, Jenkinson's Aquarium!

2011-08-17T16:23:00.001-07:00

YAY for Shark Week at Jenkinson's Aquarium in New Jersey! This was the second year in a row for them to order my shirts to wear for their Shark Week. I hear the even went great! They even had a petition for people to sign. I'm so glad that I was able to be apart of their event. We hope to do something even bigger and better for next year! It truly gives me chills when I look at the photos..to see people wearing my shirts makes me so happy! People wearing my shirts means not only that those people support anti-finning, but that others are seeing that logo and becoming aware of it. I really believe this is only the beginning. I hope to one day have art installations in aquariums as another means of showing/teaching ideas of conservation. I'm greatly appreciative of the Jenkinson's Aquarium and my contacts there that have made this all possible. To next year, that it may be even better!

Coheed and Cambria, Feathers

8.1.11 • SHARK WEEK!

2011-08-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

Wow! Forgive me for the epic delay in blogging since the last blog! Bad me! Things have just been so CRAZY! I moved into a new apartment, switched jobs, got more freelance clients and have been working like crazy on things for Shark WEEK! As you all know, or at least you should know, and if you know me, you know this week, is shark week. Even though every week for me is a Shark Week, this week is extra special as all over the globe people celebrate the greatness of sharks. Thanks to the Discovery Channel for starting this trend, many aquariums and ocean organizations have now adopted the same theme for the week. Having special exhibits, programs and educational learning all based around sharks. It is indeed a great time. This year the Jenkinson's Aquarium bought more 'Stop Finning' shirts to wear during the week. The Aquarium of the Bay bought stickers to help spread the word. It's all very exciting and I can see every year how shark week continues to grow and the awareness widens.

With all these new things happening I have been taking a break from studio work. Since I moved I have now a new studio area, which is almost all set up and ready to go. I'm pumped about the new space and think it will help fuel some new great work!

V V Brown, Shark In The Water

6.16.11 • Go BIG or go home..

2011-06-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I finally got around to finalizing my order from the screen printing supply company and placed an order. I initially was going to order a 23 x 31 inch screen but while being on the phone with them, I changed to a 25 x 36..which is pretty consistent with the way I do things! Go BIG or go home! My mother still tells me at least once a month I should of taken up bead making or jewelry as the art work and things to make it would take up less space!

The supplies should get here next week sometime, so hopefully I can work on the graphic for it and get it printed on transparencies so it will be ready to burn into the screen in the next two weeks or so. I have some new ideas for work and am really pumped to start pushing myself. I need to stop thinking so much and just follow my gut! I keep telling a friend of my in the ocean community that I'm going to do some work on sawtooth sharks. They are amazing creatures and deserve some attention. I really wanted to do something involving screen printing but felt the small screens I have now just wouldn't do them justice. Thus ordering a giant screen printing frame! Sawtooth shark, woohoo!

Speaking of ocean community, lately there has been much chatter on sharks and finning. Just yesterday I received an email from the same friend mentioned above, on a new book that is out based on sharks and the importance of their existence. It is called Demon Fish by Juliet Eilperin. You should definitely chec

k out the site for it, as there is a video of her discussing the book. I will for sure be picking it up this weekend! Also, another dear friend of mine texted me last night about Blake Lively on the Jay Leno Tonight Show, who for about a minute brought up shark finning and how it is becoming the downfall of sharks. I thought it was great that in her story of her experience with cage diving with Great Whites, she mentioned their threats as well. So little by little I feel more people are becoming aware and are starting to have a conversation about it. Which in my mind, conversations tend to lead to action.

Moby, In My Heart

5.23.11 • Photos from Banyan Tree Evening!

2011-05-23T10:27:00.000-07:00

As I promised, here are some photos from the Artwalk in Tremont at Banyan Tree. It was a great night! They gave us a great, large table to set up and if I do say so myself, it looked awesome! We met a lot of cool people and made some new friends. It was also great to see all of our friends that stopped by! (We really appreciate it! Thank you again!) Another thank you to Banyan Tree for having us as featured artist! We loved being there!

Go Radio, Lucky Street

5.17.11 • Shedd & Jess

2011-05-17T06:17:00.000-07:00

It just occurred to me that between the Banyan Tree opening, finishing my flash class and my 9 to 5 job, I completely forgot to post ANYTHING about my amazing, awesome, wicked trip to the Shedd Aquarium. It was one of the best experiences for me. I took over 300 pictures, most of which are blurry since I wasn't using a flash to protect the fish, but some came out really good. We were there for about four to five hours. It was amazing to be able to see so many species that I've read and seen in books, up close in person. The weekend we were there, they also had just opened their jellyfish exhibit. The jellyfish themselves and the exhibit was absolutely stunning! So before I get repetitive in saying how great it was, here are some photos! Enjoy!

Taking Back Sunday, Faith

4.22.11 • HAPPY EARTH DAY!

2011-04-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day I'd like to share a new site I found on the National Film Board of Canada's (NFC) website under Interactive. The NFC has numerous amazing sites that range in content and style. The site, Waterlife, in particular peeked my interested because it's an interactive site about the Great Lakes and how their existence is so important to us. It's based of the film "Waterlife", a co-production between the National Film Board of Canada and Primitive Entertainment Inc. Visually, it is stunning, inspirational and emotional. The main page introduces the site with the headline, "The story of the last great supply of fresh drinking water on earth." As someone who lives near one of the Great Lakes, I was extremely excited to stumble across a site that is stating what so many of us should be talking more about; how we need to pay more attention to the health of the Great Lakes.

Navigating through the site is an adventure, allowing you to explore different topics ranging from the power the Great Lakes have to the issues resulting from our actions. Each topic contains facts, testimonials and audio or visual clips. The site combines text, imagery and motion very well together, moving through screens like you are moving with the current of the Great Lakes. With the endless amount of knowledge with every click of the mouse, you could easily spend hours on this site. I highly recommend anyone, near or far from the Great Lakes, to take a glimpse. It will not only open your eyes to the importance of the them but also turn you into an activist for their health.

Don't forget to send someone a Happy Earth Ecard (ocean related of course!) You can send a happy ocean card from the Ocean Conservancy website! Check it out!

Foster The People, Pumped Up Kicks

4.10.11 • The emulsion has been squeegeed.

2011-04-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hola and happy warm weather to you! There is nothing like sunshine to really get me jump started! Once those golden rays hit my retinas, it's like a caffeine kick. This weekend I have been crossing things off my list and it feels great. (Side Note: Do you ever do something that's not on your to-do list, but you put it on there and than cross if off just so you can feel like

you have accomplished something? Cause I do.) I love weekends that I get stuff done. Mondays feel so much better! Yesterday, with the help of my father, we

stretched the silk onto two new silk screens and put emulsion on them (including a third store bought screen). I have the silk screen designs done and on transparencies ready to go. One will of course be the "stop finning" logo, while the two others will be the pin-up with sharks and the pin-up with the manta ray. I translated the full color designs to black and white. I think the designs look killer and am super pumped to see how the screen prints come out!

Also this week my good friend Charlie, the lead singer for the band Bears, sent me a few songs to listen to for my upcoming flash piece. I had emailed him a month or two ago about collaborating on my flash piece. Charlie, as awesome as he is, was totally down! I'm extremely grateful and excited to be working with Bears and that the collaboration is a go! (so THANK YOU BEARS!)

Also, a reminder, myself and my father are going to be featured artists at Banyan Tree in Tremont, Ohio for the art walk of May. We will be there the evening of Friday, May 13th (I know! Friday the 13th!). It will be WICKED FUN! So put it on your calendars and come out for some awesome art work, food and drinks!

The blog song for this post:

Check out Bears website for all of their great music!

3.25.11 • March Mad-Craziness Update

2011-03-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

March is coming to a close and it has definitely be a busy month. As I'm sure you can tell, I haven't blogged in a while. Between full time work and two evening classes, my time is just about used up! My first gallery opening of the year is this Sunday at Lakeland College. My Pin-Up Quilts will be on display. Some that are on my website and some new ones! Also this month, my father's work was accepted into Local Girl Gallery in Lakewood, Ohio. The gallery features northeast ohio artists who's work ranges from paintings, jewelry, ceramics, fiber and more. We're very excited as his official business cards came from the printer in the mail yesterday! We are both working very hard for our opening at Banyan Tree in Tremont in May. It will be a weekend event during the May art walk. It's a great feeling to be able to work with my father on projects and have events together. I had always hoped we would get to this point and it's amazing to see things coming together. I can see great things down this path for us. I think Banyan Tree is just the beginning of it!

On another note, a shark note, I will be traveling to Chicago in a few weeks and while I am there, be seeing the AQUARIUM! I'm so PUMPED! Believe it or not, I have never be! I know you are thinking, "This is just insane! Impossible!" It is insane but totally true. I will be that crazy person with nine cameras with my face pressed against the largest fish tank with tears of joy coming from my eyes! Which will probably make my friends look the other way, but hey, they should see this coming!

Any woot! That is my tiny update and as you can see, there is much, much more coming! As spring and summer rolls out, so will the crazy art madness!!!

A Day to Remember, "Over My Head (Cable Car)"

3.3.11 • a little story..actually 2 little stories..

2011-03-03T11:46:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of news of shark finning lately. Which is good that it is becoming more and more a part of the conversation. Today, a friend of mine sent me an article from the International Fishing Fleet out of Costa Rica about shark finning:

• International fishing fleet caught landing shark fins at Puntarenas public dock

(San José, Costa Rica - March 3, 2011)

Yesterday, Incopesca fisheries inspectors discovered the international longline fishing vessel Hung Chi Fu XII landing shark fins at a public dock in Puntarenas-a blatant violation of Article 40 of the Fisheries Law that states that fins must be attached to a shark's body when landed.

Since December 1, 2010, international fishing boats have been required to land their cargo at public docks to better control shark finning (AJDIP/371/2010) in accordance with Articles 211 and 212 of the Customs Law and Supreme Court resolution 1109-2006. International fleet representatives appealed the mandate; however, last Friday the Administrative Appeals Court ruled that public docks must be used for the landing such cargo.

"The system is working", said Randall Arauz, president of the environmental organization Pretoma. "Clearly, the international fleet needs the privacy of its private docks to hide its shark finning activities, but now it must respect our laws", added Arauz with satisfaction.

"We have presented the case to the corresponding legal entities and Pretoma is hopeful that the guilty parties will be duly sanctioned", said Jorge Ballestero, also of Pretoma. "It seems like this is the beginning of the end for the international shark finning fleet here in Costa Rica." •

There are numerous good things about this writing. #1 the line of "Article 40 of the Fisheries Law that states that fins must be attached to a shark's body when landed." I read that and thought..HELLS YES! The wording to me was perfect and I can definitely see an art piece coming from that line. And obviously, "It seems like this is the beginning of the end for the international shark finning fleet here in Costa Rica." Awesome, awesome stuff! It's things like this that get me super excited about my artwork and why I do what I do.

With all this news of finning, progression with the bans on it around the world, along with my Flash work has got me really thinking a lot about sharks lately (which is pretty usual). Thus I think a lot about the past and signs that I was so passionate about the ocean. Today, one moment stuck out in particular that I felt the need to share.

Some of you may remember the days of Pogs. Circle cardboard disks with printed images on them, that you would stack and than slam with a plastic or metal "slammer". Yes, I know this was a crazy fad that I know MANY of you were a part of. Maybe you would not admit it, but you definitely were. Well, I admit to it and I had tons! I remember in elementary school I had a Lisa Frank (another fad) dolphin backpack (sign #1) that I loved. I remember also having a shark pog that I was for some reason obsessed with and felt the need to carry with me for good luck. One day I was riding my bike to school, fell off and scrapped my leg. Cause I was little and was superstitious, I thought it was the pog that brought me the bad luck to fall off my bike! I know crazy, but than again not to far off from me today! Any who, the point of the story is that it's funny how looking back on our childhood we can see signs of things to come. I don't think anyone would of guessed I'd grow to be obsessed with the oceans or sharks, but I can look back and see that it was there.

I kinda wish I still had that shark pog..

Brand New, "Jaw Theme Swimming"

2.18.11 • U•p•d•a•t•e

2011-02-18T05:48:00.000-08:00

Hello! Happy false spring! I know this weather is not meant to last but man, does it warm the soul. I blame my hyper good mood to the sun, that it's Friday and my delicious latte. Speaking of it being Friday, I have big plans to get a lot done this weekend. To catch you all up on what I've been doing: it has consisted of work, work and more work. Which essentially, most of it isn't really "work" per say. I mean technically it is, but I enjoy what I do, so that makes it all the better. But back to catching you up: In knitting world, I'm taking a class on a scarf, that each week we do a different pattern. This week was lace knitting. I had never done it before, but am definitely diggin' the results. It's a tricky pattern that you have to focus on, which means no wine drinking while knitting.

Flash class is going well. I'm in the process of trying to animate a shark silhouette swimming. I'm having a hard time getting it to function as I see it in my head, aka perfect. However, I am just re-learning the program after years of not using it, so I suppose I shouldn't be so hard on myself! All-in-all, it was a good call on taking the class and I'm really enjoying it.

Last weekend was filled with research and buying supplies. I must of bought 20 yards of fleece fabric to start making baby sea creatures for the Banyan Tree in Tremont. It's amazing how much room fleece takes up. I mean, it is fluffy but damn, it didn't really hit me in the store how much space it was going to take up, hah! I also last weekend bought silk screening supplies. Well, I really just bought the emulsion chemicals and an extra screen. I have been thinking about silk screening and considering starting it in my home for the past year or so. With the Banyan Tree opening coming up in May, I thought it was be a great way of making my own fabric to create products with. I'm super pumped about it!

That is a quick update. In fact, super quick! I will update more and post some photos of progress soon. Happy Friday and soak of this false spring weather asap!

Radical Face, Wrapped in Piano Strings

2.9.11 • Evolving as a person..& a designer

2011-02-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

I feel like I had a good title for a blog..and blog idea, however that escapes me now. Than again, it could be the exact thing that I'm about to write about but just can't make the mental connection.

Over the weekend I redesigned my website. It hit me last week that it was well deserving of an overhaul. Not that the design was bad, but as my fellow graphic designer at the office that put it, '"as you change and evolve as a designer and a person, you're website should reflect that." I loved that thought and since she is an amazing designer, it meant even more. I did a lot of research. And I mean a lot! So much that at times I got depressed and overwhelmed thinking about how many excellent designers there are out there. I think we as individuals get so wrapped up in our daily lives, we forget how many people really walk this earth on a daily basis. It's overwhelming to think about. But I digress. Back to the website.

In my mind, it's not a major change, but visually it really is. Designing and putting together the coded files wasn't much different. It's amazing how changing a few colors and simple graphics can really transform the whole look and experience. (Grant it, there are some tweaks to be made, soon to be done!)

AdanichDesign.com

I've always been a fan of the white space idea; having more negative space in the design, more breathing space. (Fun fact of the day: your eye actually reads the space around a letter form and not the letter itself. Thus white/negative space is good stuff.) The old design was a good start. It's a great feeling when you can look back to see your progress and how far you've come. It's equally great, if not greater, to be able to imagine where you can go.

Oh, The places you'll go!...

Any who, it was a good transition at a good time. I hope you all enjoy it.

Minus The Bear, Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse

2.1.11 • will not give up..

2011-02-01T06:33:00.000-08:00

Happy February 1st! I can't believe it's February already and Mother Earth definitely brought in a lot of snow for it. The beginning of February only means it's getting closer to spring! Which is freakin' great. So back to the craziness that has consumed my life..work, class and art. The flash class so far has been going extremely well. I can see all the possibilities and only know there can be more. I think I'm going to spend some of the weekend working on some short animations or at least researching other animations for inspirations for styling. I feel this avenue is going to be a perfect addition to my work. Especially with my hopes for shark week this year. And speaking of which, a friend of mine sent me an article from the Scotsman discussing shark conservation efforts. It's a quite depressing article (I've copied it below). When I wrote back saying how sad it was, my friend responded with, "We have to double our efforts. Your art has increasingly important message every day." This was extremely inspiring and hopeful to me. That as awful as the world can be, there are people out there willing to keep fighting. It really reminded me of why I do what I do. It's why I started doing the work I do. I wanted to use my creative talent to speak out about something I'm passionate about. This year, my friends in the ocean conservation world and I will work even harder to help the efforts. I think my artwork gives people another way of approaching and viewing conservation.

As I talked about in my last blog, I'm discussing options with one aquarium on how to make their shark week even better than last year. I really feel this is just the beginning. I have a list of other contacts to get in touch with at other aquariums across the country. On another positive note, I have been added to a ocean conservation website, Speak Up For the Blue, that is produced out of Canada, as an 'Ocean Leader'. I will also be doing a skype interview with them. Which is wicked sweet!

Here is the article:

Global plan to save the shark 'is not working'

An International conservation plan agreed a decade ago to protect threatened shark populations has failed to halt their decline, according to a new report.

Members of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) approved a concerted action plan ten years ago to save fragile shark stocks, with 30 per cent of all shark species threatened or near threatened with extinction.

The action plan included the need to identify and protect key habitats, ensuring catches were sustainable, and to minimise discards.

But a report published by Traffic, the wildlife trade monitoring network, and the Pew Environment Group says there is "little evidence" the plan has contributed significantly to improved conservation and management of sharks in the world's oceans.

Only 13 of the world's top 20 shark-catching nations, including Britain, have developed national plans of action to protect sharks - one of the primary recommendations of the UNFAO agreement.

Those with no action plan include Indonesia, which tops the league of shark-catching nations, with an average annual reported catch of 109,248 tonnes between 2000 and 2008 - 13.25 per cent of the total catch. The UK is ranked 19th, with an average catch of 13,356 tones, 1.62 per cent.

According to the report, the top 20 shark-catching nations account for more than 640,000 tonnes of sharks landed each year. The top four - Indonesia, India, Spain and Taiwan - account for more than 35 per cent.

Up to 73 million sharks are killed annually, primarily for their fins to be used in shark fin soup, a popular dish in many East Asian countries.

The report was published by the two organisations ahead of a meeting of the UNFAO's fisheries committee, which opens in Rome on Monday.

Source: Scotsman

Adele, Rolling in the Deep

1.19.11 • things to do! places to go!

2011-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been not-stop going whlie deciding to cut back on coffee. Well, today is going to be one of those days that numerous cups are consumed. I start a flash course tonight. I'm excited (and nervous (cause I am, in general, nervous for life as you know)). I think it will be a great asset to not only my job-job, but to my studio work. In a word built on technology, especially when working directly with it, it's always good to keep up with things. I learned flash a few years ago, but haven't used and seeing that programs are updated every day (it seems), I'm going to drive full force into it. So we shall see how this goes.

I also have a few shows coming up, which I am extremely pumped about. I'll share the details as they are given to me, as of right now, dates and times are still to be determined. I am also starting to get in shark week mode. I know, you're thinking, "Jess, you crazy, shark week is months away!" This I do know, but I am determined to be involved in it. I'm already discussing possibilities with one aquarium on how to make their shark week even better than last year! As well as going to attempt to stalk someone down at the Discovery Channel to make something happen on a bigger level. However, as I say all the time, it's baby steps...or baby swim strokes. Every little thing helps and is a move forward.

Ocean4.org

30 Seconds to Mars, Closer to the Edge

1.9.11 • J to the A Officially Published

2011-01-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

I know it has been a month since I last wrote. Bad, I know! But alas, I am back again! I feel like this coming year is going to be a good one. January has definitely kicked my year off with a bang. As many of you already know, I have been recently published in an ocean magazine online that is produced by the Ocean Society. It is called Beyond Blue. The magazine has great articles from amazing professionals working in the field and is also well designed! I'm so extremely ecstatic for numerous reasons. It was a great opportunity to work with the magazine and have them be so excepting of showing conceptual art in their publication. Back when I began this journey of making ocean conservation artwork, I dreamt of working along with professionals in the marine sciences and oceanography to help spread the message. I think the combination of art and science can go a long way and I see this as just the beginning. With every little step, such as this, it gives me more drive to continue in this fight to make a difference. No one said it was going to be easy..and hell, if they did, I probably wouldn't be doing it.

The article can be found in the January issue of Beyond Blue, "Predators". It begins on page 86.

Coldplay, Life in Technicolor

12.10.10 • a Pin-Up that Shoots Skeet?

2010-12-10T06:36:00.000-08:00

Uh, duh yes! But seriously, here is the vector drawing for the quilt I just finished. I know a few blogs ago I spoke about it, that it was finished and that I was going to post photos of it. Well, Jess has gotten a little carried away by life lately and hasn't been able to shoot it yet (no pun intended! hahaha). Thus, I thought I would share with you the drawing for the quilt. The actual quilt looks pretty killer, I must say! It is particularly great because I can see improvement in my technique and skill. Which is extremely exciting and only makes me want to continue! I think that is one of the best things in life, is being able to see improvement. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am very impatient for it and want everything to be perfect now! However, being able to actually see and experience it while the work is in progress is an amazing feeling. That stupid saying your mother always said, "practice makes perfect", was indeed correct. But than again, I suppose a saying wouldn't stick around if it wasn't right...

So here she is! I do hope you enjoy her and prints will be coming soon to Etsy and AdanichDesign. I am thinking about 11x17 size and larger sizes can be custom ordered. Well, happy Friday and happy designing!

Bloc Party, Silent Alarm

12.9.10 • I am an Activist Artist Gardner..

2010-12-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

As many of you know I have this large obsession with music and the oceans. Great music fuels me to do great design and art work. I'm always listening to music whether in the car, at work or in my home studio. I am that person driving and singing at the top of their lugns. I am that person that sings in the shower or prances about while putting dishes away. (Of course I am alone (most of the time) while doing these things.) Today as I was driving to work, right as a was approaching my office building, a brilliant song came on the radio. I had never heard it before and knew I needed to find who sung it so I listen to it over and over again. Cause that's what I do with a new song, as I know many of you to as well!

So I savagely searched through my bag, trying to find a pen so I could right the main chorus down to google. The song is called "Hey Hey Hey" by Michael Franti. Great song! LOVE IT! Thus the title of this blog, "I am an activist artist gardner". I found a you tube video of him speaking about the song to a group of youth/adults down in New Orleans on an Alternative Spring Break. What he said was very true and reminded me of my Alternative Spring Break trip to New Orleans. That no matter how bad things get, every little thing we do, no matter how little we think it is, it is a seed planted. Thus I thought about my work as an artist. That every time someone new sees my work, that is one more seed I have planted. A seed of information, of hope that they will pay it forward and tell someone else about ocean conservation. That they may somehow in their life think a little more about how they interact with the oceans. Thus I am an activist artist gardner.

"Don't let nobody ever tell you that it couldn't be done

Don't let nobody ever tell you that we couldn't be one

Don't let nobody ever tell you that it shouldn't be sung

Don't let nobody ever tell you you're the only one"

Even if you're mission in life isn't to save the oceans or create world peace, you can still make a difference in someone's life, even if it's just with a smile.

Today's challenge: Pay it forward.

Michael Frantic, Hey Hey Hey

12.1.10 • Up Pins! ..I mean Pin-Ups!

2010-12-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

Happy December! I can’t believe how fast this year has gone but I am happy that the earth did wait until Decemeber 1^st to snow. If I haven’t said it before, just to let you know, I hate snow! I love the sunshine and warm weather! It is so much better to frolic in! But I digress. This week has been packed with a number of work related things. When I haven’t been working, I have been knitting, which we all know I love to do. Which is weird cause I never thought I’d love knitting as much as I do. At this moment I have THREE different knitting projects going! I have become the typical “knitter”. And it ROCKS! If you don’t knit, you really should.

Going back to the work, this week I revisited my pin-up graphics. I think it is great for every designer and artist to revisit work after some time. It really helps with pieces that you are not sure about. Pieces that seem unfinished or just not right yet. As you know (or may not), the pin-up girl series stemmed from an illustration I created on the computer of a pin-up with sharks. Every pin-up is drawn in Illustrator and printed out to use as the pattern for the quilts. However the illustration as is, is a great piece. I was prepping a few of the images to send in for a contest to CMYK Magazine and thought I would share them. I have been saying for some time (as well as have had it on my to-do list) to make prints of the illustrations: as prints would be less expensive than the actual quilts due to production process for those who would like one. Thus the prints will be coming soon but for the time being, here are a few for you to enjoy!

Panic! At the Disco, When the Day Met the Night

11.26.10 • Gobble, Gobble, Design, Gobble..

2010-11-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I do hope everyone is enjoying their holiday and having good times with family and friends. Yesterday was a nice, relaxing holiday. Spent time with my parents and grandma, ate a lot..of pie, did a lot of knitting and relaxed! It was great! And today, being Black Friday, I am chilling at home! I’m not one to go out into the massive crowds, fight my way through angry minivan mommies just so to maybe save some money. My sanity is not worth it! I think the only fun that can be had is if I went with some of my best friends and we could fight the shopping war together! However, today has been productive. I cleaned the house, have laundry in, created a business card for my father’s artwork, writing this blog now and than going to finish up another pin-up girl quilt! Quite a busy day!

I must say that I am very thankful this thanksgiving for so many things in my life. This year is definitely wrapping up with a few positive things as well as setting me up for a few great things in the coming year. For example I am in the process of prepping some pieces for a show I’ll be in in spring. I am also taking a flash animation course starting in January! I’m super excited about that. I learned flash while I was in school but it is one of those things that if you don’t use it for a while, it’s tricky to pick up again. Not to mention I just learned the basics and would love to really dive into it to expand my design skill set.

Well enough of my yammering! I am off to quilt! Hope you all have a great turkey weekend and I’ll be posting soon!

The Temper Trap, Fader

11.17.10 • break yo' comfort zone

2010-11-17T08:34:00.000-08:00

Every year winter comes. And every year I seem to forget how cold it really gets. How early dark falls upon us. I get into my seasonal comfort zone and winter just knocks me right off my rocker. I know it is only November but I already miss the sun. If you are not aware, I live in Cleveland, Ohio and winter time here is the suns vacation time. I get so comfortable in my routine that I forget how winter goes. year after year I refuse to purchase good cloves in the idea that if I do I have to officially and mentally recognize the season change. Which makes me think about comfort zones and us as human beings falling into too many patterns. Which than makes me think about my design/art life. Falling into the habit of using the same color, same fonts, same graphic elements. And yes, standards are important when it comes to branding and a consistent identity. However, there are those times that life offers up to us to make different choices. Why not mixing in a new color that you haven't used before or accenting something with a different font. And by all means, I am not saying go crazy with the giddy up font or use hot pink everywhere (cause 1. I do not think the giddy-up font should be used anywhere and 2. hot pink is only okay on special occasions used sparingly)! But I am saying that if one wants to get anywhere in life, you have to take chances with fonts, push those bold colors and see what happens. Don't fear the new and unknown. It could be grand!

With all that being said, I challenge you today to change up your routine! Do something out of pattern! If you're not a designer, try ordering a different beverage at your local coffee shop, a different dressing on your salad, listen to a new music station.

Explosions in the Sky, Snow and Lights

11.11.10 • Raise you class if you are wrong..in all the right ways..

2010-11-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

I feel being an artist requires you to be under constant scrutiny and always second-guessing yourself. I have had numerous conversations with many of my artist friends of how hard it is to be an artist, to be different. We see things differently, think differently and process differently. And honestly, I wouldn’t want it to be any different. My creator made me this way and by golly, I’m gonna roll with it. However, that doesn’t stop those days of extreme frustration and thoughts of “why the hell am I doing this!” from coming.

This past Saturday I went to a conference at the Cleveland Institute of Art, my alma mater, on the state of sculpture. I was only able to stay half the day but was lucky enough to see the keynote address by artist Jeanne Silverthorne. Her talk was very interesting and inspiring. Her main medium of choice is rubber, in all forms and types. Her body of work that was particularly interesting to me was (in a nut shell) based on expressing anxiety, pressure and other explosive feelings through the work itself. Some of the work was a self-portrait of her own feelings as an artist and pressures she feels. As I sat in the dark, listening, forgetting my own anxieties of being in a room of 100 people I don’t know, felt very inspired and empowered. I suddenly was having all amazing thoughts and solutions to pieces of work that I had been struggling with for some time. In my tiny writing I took notes that my brain was feeding me about my work, small enough so others around me didn’t notice I wasn’t taking notes on the speaker. Words like “dolphin”, “oil”, “hanging” would of seemed out of place and awkward when sitting in the dark listening to a recognized artist speak about her rubber artwork…

Anyhow, the lecture ended and the lights came on to show over 100 people in the tiny space. (Of which I should really mention this was a conference mostly geared toward professors of art in how to teach sculpture, which means the room was 100+ professionals in the teaching world and art community) And I’m sure you are asking, “Jess, why go?” My response would be that I feel it is very important to when able; take advantage of any and all things around you in the mind set that you will learn at least one thing about something else or yourself.)) But back to what I was saying; it was at this point in time I realized once again, two things. 1. To be an artist, it takes time (plus hard work) to make your way up the ladder and into the world of recognized galleries. And 2. My battle is a bit harder, trying to be an artist who wants to save the oceans in Cleveland, Ohio. And now you are saying, “Jess, just move somewhere else?” Which I respond with, right now, with the grand economy the way it is, that is not really an option for me. Thus I have chosen to work with what I got. Just because the situation gets difficult, does that mean we should bail, give up or quit?! HELL NO! We try, try, try. Even in failure is growth. Every step, no matter how small it is, it is a step forward. Most historical figures that we view as being brilliant were thought to be crazy in their time, just sayin’.

Thus in conclusion, I will be pushing and trying even harder to make my crazy little voice be heard. I have thought of some great solutions to the oil spill series and am very excited to share them with you soon. Now I am off to enjoy being different and get some work done! Happy Thursday everyone!

My Chemical Romance, S.I.N.G.

11.2.10 • I'm just a big jelly head!

2010-11-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

HAPPY (late) HALLOWEEN! I hope you all had a grand holiday! I know I did! Last week I spent working on my costume. Early last week I lay in bed, wide-awake, wondering what I should be for Halloween. It had to be something different, because after all, that is how I roll. And it came to me..a giant jelly fish! The very next day I went out and bought supplies. It felt really good to be able to start a new project, a large project. To make the top dome part, I used my pilates ball as a mold for the fabric mache. I wrapped the ball with plastic and sprayed it with Murphy’s oil cut with water to use as a release for the mold. I than cut up striped of sheer fabric, dipped them in glue cut with water and began layering the top of the pilates ball. For the tentacles I sewed elastic inbetween two pieces of ribbon. I also sewed thinner ribbon strips into tubes and pushed pipe cleaner inside to give it form. Crazy, I know, but it gave me the effect I was looking for. Lastly I made a structure that would fit my head and attach inside the dome so I could wear the structure on my head. All the tentacles were sewn on by hand. Around the edge of the dome, were tiny lights that were powered by a battery pack glued up inside the dome. It was a blast to make! It also gave me great ideas for my artwork and felt good to be sculpting forms again. It was just the rejuvenation I needed to continue on with my current studio work!

Thirty Seconds to Mars, Kings & Queens

10.25.10 Emery Adanich’s Website Debut

2010-10-25T19:21:00.000-07:00

I have finally finished my father’s website. It went live last week but I thought it would be a great idea to debut it on my blog as well. This past week has been pretty busy with work/life and this evening I finally had some time a blog a bit. His site is www.AdanichDesign.com/emery. When you go to AdanichDesign.com, you can click to view my site or his. His site is really reflects him perfectly. Very classy, elegant but extremely contemporary. The site has the different categories of bowls that he turns as well as other objects like bottle stoppers and pens. He turns all types of woods and acrylics. Right now to purchase pieces or make orders you can email him directly through AdanichDesign@cox.net. He will soon be in some local galleries and shows. I will of course let you know when and where! If you want any more info please feel free to email us! Hope you enjoy the site and more is soon to come! I am going to next be working on my site, updating and freshin’ it up! However, as you all know Halloween is this coming weekend!!! And I LOVE Halloween!!! But I am shamed to same I do not have costume yet, so this week will be filled with making my costume. What a better holiday for an artist than Halloween? Ya know!

Pink, Raise Your Glass

10.16.10 • Hermit Crab Debut! Plus Gel Plate Printing!

2010-10-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday! As I promised last time, here are some photos of the hermit crab! Drum roll please….ta da! His shell is a deep violet along with a variegated yarn. As you can tell the body is white and pink, thus he is an albino hermit crab! Why conform? Why make him a normal color? HAH, That’s not me! I thought he would look great as a white little crab, as if he came from the deep abyss! However, I’m not gonna lie, while finishing him, I was not happy at all! In fact I was very displeased indeed! Of course after time passed, I grew to like him. He was a very tough pattern and I’m very glad I put the monster-sized hermit crab on hold. As many things in the art world go, doing a mock-up or test before the real deal, is always a good idea. I do not always like doing that. I actually really hate doing them but I am getting better at doing tests when needed. Any hoot, this is him and as you can see, he sits on our counter at home in a beautiful bowl my father turned. (I know, I know! His full site is not up yet! We are working on it!)

On another note, today I went to Pins & Needles in Mayfield Heights for Quilt Club. We had a blast! Today we did gel plate prints. It is one of the features in the August/September Quilting Arts Magazine and is very simple! Basically you use plain gelatin to create a plate that you can pour paint on to and than press your fabric on to the plate. It’s extremely fun, definitely takes you back to your childhood. I had paint all over my fingers! I feel this will be a great tool I can use in the future for in my artwork. Here are some photos of the small sample pieces I did today, just playing around with the ink and dyes. I’m thinking about making a gel plate in a cookie sheet for a larger print space. I think this is a great inexpensive way of creating unique fabric. As for tomorrow, I am off to the Textile Art Alliance Event! It should be a good time and I hope to meet some great local creative types! And don’t fret, I’ll tell you all about it!

P.s. Please listen to this blog song I have posted below, it’s GREAT! It really makes my heart sing when I hear it..

Peter Gabriel, Down to Earth

10.14.10 • Update

2010-10-14T18:12:00.000-07:00

Today is Thursday which makes this evening Thursday Eve. This week has gone by extremely fast but I feel like I say that every week. This week I went to a new knitting class, when sporting clay shooting, finished my small knitted baby hermit crab, added pages to my portfolio and did some awesome marketing pieces at work. It is true what they say, how the more you do the faster time goes. I will post pictures soon of the hermit crab. Not gonna lie, not so happy with him. The actual knitting of the shell could be better but it was a quite difficult pattern. The legs look good, which makes sense since I did six of them! The next project is an octopus. I’m having trouble picking out colors for it. I think I may do orange for the top color and a yellow or green for underside. I have been working on my project for my new knitting class. It is called entrelac, which is a knitting technique to create a diamond pattern. It’s actually seems quite simple, so we shall see how it goes! I am just in the beginning of the pattern, but I will also post pictures of that as well soon!

ALSO! This weekend I will be going to the Textile Arts Alliance event. There will be a runway show, a lunch-in and more! I’m super excited and it will be great to meet others in the fibers community! I will also be going to Quilt Club at Pins and Needles in Mayfield so it will indeed be a fiber filled weekend! Just the way I like it!

Third Eye Blind, Red Summer Sun

10.7.10 • Baby Coral and the Fight to Live, in more than one meaning..

2010-10-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

So as I began this blog I decided I needed to put on a good tune, something to inspire me so I could articulate properly the jumble in my brain and found two things. 1. I do no think that I care for the new layout of i-tunes 10, or at least it is going to take some getting used too. 2. I have way to many songs to choose from, in fact, hold on, not feeling this song, must change it…

Ah yes, Pink, she could inspire anyone. Now back to what I was going to write about today. I have been reading a book called “Oceans, The Threats to Our Seas and What You Can Do to Turn the Tide”. The book was put together toaccompany the film “Oceans” that recently came out in the past year or so. It is a collection of essays from a variety of different people that work with the oceans. Today as I was waiting for my oil to be changed I was reading a chapter that talked about baby coral fields. The idea of how so many miles of coral have been destroyed and the new baby coral are having issues growing due to being overwhelmed by seaweed that basically clogs its pores and kills it. Vicious thought I know, however in reading this book, it has done exactly what I thought it would do when I purchased it. Which thus takes me back to referencing my other recent post of doing what you enjoy. As I read the book it reminds me why I do what I do, it inspires me to keep pushing forward. There is something within me that ignites when it comes to the ocean. I can’t explain it. I can only come up with thoughts of why. I was told that when I was little one day I spent a large amount of time tooling away in my room. At the end of the day I emerged with a Tupperware container with paper fish. I said to my parents that I had made my own fish tank and to take a look at my new pets! Although it was extremely creative, it was also sad and pathetic at the same time. We went out and bought a fish tank that weekend.

So I suppose some things are just engrained in us from birth. I feel that most human beings deny their true feelings for what they are drawn too or what their passions really are. You are probably wondering why all the talk lately of the “doing what we love” and “inspirational crap”. It is because as we all know the economy is rough right now. The world is a hard place to be these days. People become complacent with their surroundings, job, government, etc. It’s extremely important to fight in what we believe, to fight to live our dreams no matter what blocks our path. To quote an email from a man named Neil:

“On one of John Lennon’s school reports at Quarry Bank School a teacher wrote, “Certainly on the road to failure.” In prep school, Bill Gates ran into trouble for skipping classes, not turning in homework and spending day and night − in the computer room. [No future in that, right?]

Henry Ford gave up his family’s farm to go tinker with machines. And he founded two car companies that utterly failed before he created the Ford Motor Company And let’s not forget Edison, who said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” And, “Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Not to mention, “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” Even Donald Trump, who has said, “The most important thing in life is to love what you’re doing, because that’s the only way you’ll ever be really good at it,” has had to stare down bankruptcy and be called a failure by pundits, politicians and everyday people by the millions.

And The Beatles (fer Godzake) were rejected by Decca Records being brushed off with, “Guitar groups are out of fashion.”

Thus a girl from Cleveland, Ohio, on the edge of Lake Erie, can certainly try to save the oceans one shark, turtle, bluefin tuna at a time.

Say Anything, Do Better

10.5.10 • Dunham Tavern Event

2010-10-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Happy October! October is here, which means fall is here, which means HALLOWEEN IS COMING! Sorry, I just had to get that out there. As you can tell, I really enjoy Halloween. Don’t ask me what I am going to be, because I do not know. I was thinking perhaps a piece of candy corn..but maybe that is because I have yellow and orange fabric out. Any who, also in this grand month of October, is a weeks worth of events at the Dunham Tavern Museum in Cleveland. The museum is located at 6709 Euclid. A friend of mine manages the Dunham Tavern Museum and asked if I would like to be apart of it. We used to work at the Natural History Museum and our paths recently crossed again at a press release for the new MidTown Tech Park building that is being built across the street. The MidTown Tech Park is a project that I have been very fortunate to be working on with Terry Coyne, his team and Geis companies. If you are interested in the details, you can catch them all on www.MidTownTechPark.com, which I designed the layout, logo and marketing materials. It’s an extremely exciting project and has been a long time in the making.

Going back to the Dunham Tavern, there are going to be a bunch of events, like a wine tasting, classes, lectures and demonstrations. Give a call to the museum for events and times. One of my Pin-Up Girl Art Quilts will be on exhibit! Come down and see it!

Pearl Jam, The Fixer

9.30.10 • Follow Your Instincts..

2010-09-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

This week has been extremely busy, but as I have said before that is how I like it! Last Friday, between my Etsy site and Ocean4.org, I sold FIVE shirts, all to people over seas! To the Netherlands, Germany, France and Czech Republic. I couldn’t believe my computer screen at the time, one sale after another coming in! It was amazing and a blessing at the same time. So many people ask me, “Jess, why do you care so much about the oceans and sharks when you live on Lake Erie?” I know it weird but I have this inclination inside of me to try to make a difference with my talent. Don’t get me know; this road is very rough and slow goings. However that is true for artists in general. Having your artwork accepted into the art world over night only happens for a few. Thus this selling of five shirts to four individuals over seas was a grand step in the right direction. MY SHIRTS will be worn by individuals in FOUR other COUNTRIES! It’s things like this that keep me doing what I do. This reminds me of a day in the business class we had in college. One day we talked about ethics and morals. They posed the question, what would you do if a company that you didn’t agree with their product offered you a job? Would you take it despite your ethics and moral code? It’s a tough question and definitely depends on the person and situation. I mean, if you were about to be roofless, had a family to feed or any other dire situation, perhaps yes. All of us would like to think that we would not like to give in to society’s evils, but we gotta do what we gotta do. I am very fortunate that my family supports me and has helped me to do what I love. I thank them for that. It was a tough decision a few years ago to follow my gut, but I am so happy I did. Anything great worth having is worth a crap ton of work to get too. So I suppose my rant today has a message and that is: do what you love. If you are good at what you do and you know you have the fight in you to work to get it, do it. Life was made for us with these opportunities in it we just have to work for them. Without those tough days, wouldn’t be able to celebrate the great ones. Cheers!

Kings of Leon, Radioactive

9.23.10 • wood turning & a brilliant man

2010-09-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Today has been an extremely busy day! I worked a good nine-hour day doing freelance at home. Surprisingly, it went by fast, but than again that happens when you have a crap-ton of work to do. However being Thursday, that means I get to finish the day with knitting class! The shell of the tiny hermit crap is almost finished. The shell is violets and blues. So I am thinking I am going to make the body white, like an albino hermit crab. He will be just grand!

Anyhow, this week I finally had time to take photos of my father’s new work that he has been creating. He is also a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art and is extremely talented. As he is talented in so many areas, he has now begun to turn green wood. Which for those of you who are unfamiliar with wood turning, it is the process of turning on a lathe wood that still has moisture in it. In a nutshell, he turns the form rough, than allows the bowl to dry out and shrink. He than turns the bowl the rest of the way, finishing it by sanding and polishing. The final products are amazing and beautiful. And of course, being an artist, these are not your normal bowls. They are in themselves pieces of art. Some bowls are delicately sprayed with color while others are striped with different pieces of wood within the bowl. I am now in the process of creating a site for his work. It will be part of “Adanich Design”, which is fitting of course, being my father. I mean, after all, it’s all because of him I have my talent!

So get excited, AdanichDesign.com/Emery is in the making!

Pink - God Is A DJ - one of the best songs ever, fyi.

9.14.10 • Good design is like raining skittles.

2010-09-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been trying to immerse myself in everything that I can that has to do with art, design and the ocean. Reading graphics magazines, ocean books, researching materials, sketching, thinking and dreaming. Some may say that it’s probably not the healthiest way of living but for me, it works. It makes me feel less stressed, believe it or not. I feel on top of things by constantly feeling involved with the world that I’m in. One of the items I have been reading is the most recent publication of HOW magazine. I have realized two things: #1, I thoroughly enjoy reading about new fonts and graphic layouts. #2, I am a dork. Both of these things I am completely okay with! It has also got me to thinking how my personal artwork, that is three-dimensional connects to being a graphic designer. I think part of the connection is the tangle aspect of graphics, printed media. I enjoy doing web-related design but I will admit, I love printed materials. Being able to hold and touch a piece of great design is like holding candy! Which than would relate back to my tangle artwork I create. I think the two are also connected through the emotion that comes from viewing good design. To me, viewing a great advertisement in a magazine or an exceptional logo, gives me a feel a joy similar to feeling the warm sun on your face in summer. The same can be said for intelligent artwork in a gallery. I think any designer or artist can agree with me when I say, there is no other feeling than when you finish a good piece and can sit back and view it. It really is like the commercial where skittles are raining down from the heavens.

Well, enough about my gooey feelings about design and raining skittles. I will soon begin my next animal for the oil spill series. As I said before the series needs to be pushed further to create the pull-push effect. However, I think I am going to create the individual pieces with the quotes on them and than go back to “push” them a step further as a group. But who know, I could wake up in the morning and have had my subconscious tell me otherwise!

I also have a quilt or two to finish. One is a skeet shooter pin-up and the other is an ocean art quilt. Wow, could I possibly find another thing to do!

DJ Earworm - United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It on the Pop)

9.8.10 • Shippin’ it out.

2010-09-08T06:35:00.001-07:00

The past few weeks have been super crazy busy! Of course, would you expect anything less!? About a week and a half ago I visited Manhattan with some of my best girlfriends which was a much-needed reprieve and came back rejuvenated. I feel full of ideas and there are just not enough hours in the day for them! There are a lot of exciting things going on in the world of Jess. Before I left for the big apple, I shipped a box out to San Diego to the Scuba Diver Girls. They teach scuba/snorkeling classes while organizing scuba trips and events all over the globe. I reached out to them via email about my work and they were so gracious enough to ask me to be apart of their “End of Summer” event in San Diego as a sponsor for the raffle. I of course said, “YES!” Thus I shipped out a few stop finning shirts and stickers and a fuzzy shark for them to raffle off. I’m so excited I can’t even tell you! This is going to be a great avenue for promoting awareness for the finning of sharks. They are a fabulous group of women and thank you again if you’re reading this!

I also shipped out a box to Seattle, Washington this past

week to the “Plush You” 2010 show. I’m ecstatic to be apart of this show as well. I sent them a baby fleece sea turtle, a bubble eye gold fish and of course, a fuzzy shark! I won’t be able to make the opening but I’m pumped to hear how it goes and if anything sells! Woot! Woot!For an update on my knitting adventure of conquering the “Amigurumi Knits” book, I have put the massive hermit crab on hold. Two reasons: #1 is I needed a smaller project for the car ride to Manhattan and #2 to do it’s size I somehow managed to flip it and knit the wrong side, so now there is a large bump indicating I screwed it up! All the women in knitting class say it’s okay, that hermit crabs all have different unique shells. However, for me, for the time being, that just won’t do. So I have decided to go back to my loving size 5 needles to make a small hermit crab. Which is going much better and I can visualize it better. Maybe I will just make an abundant amount of hermit crabs and attach them together to make a hermit crab transformer beast. We shall see..we shall see!

The Used, Sick Hearts

8.18.10 • Pelican Piece Moving Forward!

2010-08-18T10:19:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to post-in with an update of this crazy think I call my life! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having a studio visit with a curator from MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Cleveland. I was extremely nervous, like I am for most things, but it went exceedingly well. We had a great conversation about my work and the new body of work that I am now involved with and working through. I really felt that the pelican wasn't quite right yet. We discussed the element of "push and pull" with my work. It is fiber, stuffed and figurative while also being slightly off putting. Which thus creates the "push and pull" of being brought in by the soft appearance but also being put off by the disturbing twist it has. It really got me fueled up to push the work and move forward. It felt so good to have someone from the art community in my studio to discuss the path of my work. My brain wheels are turning and ready to move forward with the oil spill series. I will post the transformation this body of work makes, cause Lord knows where it will end up! Happy Wednesday!

Florence + The Machine, Dog Days Are Over

8.12.10 • Brown Pelican = completed!

2010-08-12T19:35:00.001-07:00

Do bear with me on this blog this evening. My mind is wondering and having difficulty focusing on words, phrases and all the correct things that make the following make sense. So here goes!

For the past few blogs I have slightly touched on the new series I have begun with no real details of what it really is. Many of you have probably wondered when I was going to tackle the oil spill crisis and make a piece about it. Well I have! It was one of those 3am ideas that sprung from my mind like releasing a spring between two fingers. I didn’t want to be another one of those artists pouring chocolate over things to “make a statement”. The brown pelican is the first of a few that will be created. In a nut shell: The pieces are just forms of the animals made only from white fabric, bamboo cotton to be specific. On the animal I have hand printed using stamps, a quote said during the oil spill crisis. The individual pieces are than titled the day it was said. Therefore, the first piece seen here is a brown pelican with, "I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to have been very, very modest", printed on the wing. Tony Hayward said it in an interview with Sky News television on May 18, 2010. Counting the initial day of the spill as day one, I have named the pelican “Day 29”. I wanted the piece to be simplistic with a strong message. Depicting the animal in a white form, as if it is pure and untainted and than branding it with a quote in black ink. Black ink sinking in, becoming one with the fabric, as the oil has to so many animals in the ecosystem. The quotes I have selected are ones that have been said with disrespect and so inhuman.

I was quite hesitant to start making art that clearly opens the door to political elements and conversation. However, it was also a step that I felt I needed to make since my artwork deals with ocean conservation. The oil spill crisis is something that I feel the majority of the population has the same opinion towards. No matter your point of view, I feel this new series poses the viewer with numerous questions dealing with the reality of human actions on ocean species.

I do hope I have explained this well. This is the beginning of the series as I have said and it is hard to express all my thoughts and feelings into a cohesive paragraph. As all artists know, writing an artist statement about their own work can be extremely difficult. Which one would think would be quite easy since you, the artist formed and created it, you should be able to explain it. Not that simple. It’s like trying to spell an image or smell a taste. Translating visual images and phrases into a correctly written English sentence, rough. So I depart from you now and do hope you enjoy the beginning of this new path I have made for myself within my artwork.

Oh! Check out the blog song below! It’s a summer-driving with the windows down-kinda song!

American Bang, Wild and Young

7.29.10 • Lessons of playing with ink & fabric..

2010-07-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Sweet cheese and crackers it’s been awhile since I have blogged. Please someone slap me on the hand! The past week or so has been packed with crazy work meetings and mistake after mistake in the studio. As I left you last time, I said I was about to begin a new body of work. Well, let just say that Jess has learned a few things in the beginning process of this work. The new piece contains sections of fabric with quotes on them. I really wanted the text to look as if it was one with the fabric, embedded in the piece, so having it be printed directly on the fabric was the way it was gonna have to go. Or at least this is what I have been attempting. Now don’t get me wrong, I got the process down, it’s the fact that my ability to spell things correctly is lacking. And this is where one would say, “Jess, write it out before you print it letter by letter”. Yes, I did in fact do that, wrong of course. This is where now I’m sure you are thinking, “letter by letter, you crazy Jess”. Well yes, we all know that, but I have my reasons. Screen-printing is expensive and I don’t quite have all the equipment for it nor do I really want to spend the money on it now, especially when I’m trying to save for a grand old automobile. Another option would be to create an image on the computer and use an iron on print out. However, as I have said before, I really liked the idea of ink right on the fabric. Which brings me back to printing letter stamp by letter stamp and my lack of being able to spell things correctly at the age of 24. I will certainly be the first to admit I suck at spelling and grammar for that matter but I feel that my creative talents should make up for it!

The stamping itself looks great and is exactly what I had envisioned in my head. The misspellings have left me with three screwed up pelican wings, which lead me to learn something else! This next thing I feel is far more valuable and something that I have been trying to learn for sometime now but fighting. It is the idea of creating a “mock-up” or test of something. I know, I know, this is something that most people learn early on and think; “How could you start a project with out doing a test!” I do. In fact, I do it all the time! However, on this project, since I had accidentally created for myself three pieces of “test” fabric, I did a mock-up of a wing. And let me tell you, it did indeed help! I now am completely ready to create the real wings! That is of course along with the use of spell check!

Madeleine Peyroux, Don't Wait Too Long

7.19.10 • Woodturning & Alpaca Weekend!

2010-07-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was filled for me, to the max. It encompassed woodturning, some beer with friends and alpacas. Quite an interesting mix I know, but that is the usual for me. It all started Thursday evening at knitting class when I was discussing with Cheryl how I’d really like to knit the next project in my book larger. The next project is a hermit crab and I envision it a bit larger of a hermit crab than the 5” shell one the book shows. Cheryl went through the shop showing me the possible options and how large the circular needles come. They just weren’t want I was looking for. It was than we both decided I should turn my own needles. And as most of you know, once I make up my mind, it’s a done deal and going down. First thing Saturday morning I went Woodcraft to buy one inch round stock of cherry wood. Went I got there I realized it would be even better to have one circular needle one wood and the second a different wood so while knitting I could keep track of which row I am on. The needles I use now are silver and gold colored, which help immensely when deciphering where I am on a row. So I picked up a cherry and maple round stock along with some aquarium air tubing for the connecting line. Between my father and I we turned four needles, all sanded and buffed. We glued them up and they are ready for class to begin the massive hermit crab! I will definitely share pictures of the progress. I’m not really sure how I am going to handle knitting with 1” thick needles, but hey it will probably be humorous to watch!

As for the Alpacas, on Sunday Soft n’ Sassy had a trip to a local Alpaca farm. Naturally because I’m awesome, I was there and ready with my camera. It was a great experience and I now know more than I ever thought I would about alpacas. They were adorable and amazing all at the same time. The owner was also nice enough to give us each a skein of alpaca yarn and loose fleece for spinning. Hope you enjoy the photos!

Tomorrow is Tuesday, of which is a studio work day/get shit done day. I’ll be starting my day with an oil change and than back home to start my next sewing piece. I’m very excited about this next body of work but also nervous. I always get a little nervous before beginning a new piece. I suppose it’s just the initial jitters of drawing that first line to the pattern or cutting the first piece of fabric. Not to mention this piece will include printing on some pieces of fabric! To say the least tomorrow will be filled with lots of coffee and rockin’ music. The two best necessities for art making.

I leave you with a song that I heard on the way to work this morning, of which I was truly rocking out to in my automobile.

Shinedown, Sound of Madness

7.14.10 • 4am Brainstorming

2010-07-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today is Wednesday. The middle of the week, hump day if you will. My day actually began around 4:17am when I awoke from my blissful slumber to go to the bathroom. I swear I have the bladder of an eighty-year old woman or it could be the constant intake of water throughout my day. Anyways, I awoke, used the restroom and went back to bed with every intent of falling back to sleep. I was utterly wrong. I lay awake tossing and turning basically until my alarm went off. During these hours it was like my brain was on speed, going over all my thoughts from perviously in the day about future projects. I couldn’t stop. I was mentally racing to fit the pieces together for ideas and concepts that just weren’t there yet. Somehow at 4am my brain was determined to make my concepts match and be consist with my intent. As annoying as it was not being able to fall back asleep, it was amazing. Idea after idea came to me. This is the exact reason I keep post-its and pens next to my bed, for middle of the night ideas. One of my favorite quotes that I live by was in an Adobe software advertisement. It said, “Wake up, write it down. Pray it still seems good in the morning.” From the moment I first read that statement, I completely understood what it meant. The brain is amazing how even during the hours of rest it is still working. Thus keeping items to record such thoughts next to ones bed, it a very good idea in itself.It’s quite ironic that at 4am I discovered four great new concepts for pieces of work. I’m pumped to get these thoughts into my sketchbook, buy supplies and get started! Once they start to take tangible form, I’ll post photos and thoughts. For the time being I will leave you with this piece that I have recently finished: a bycatch art quilt.

I first started making art quilts a year ago, actually about exactly a year ago. I had no idea what I was doing, that there was even a genre called “art quilts”, or how to even properly go about making one. I was fumbling through the process, making mistakes and learning from them. This was the beginning of my contemporary pin-up girl series. I draw and design the image myself, depicting contemporary females of the twenty-first century being strong, independent and beautiful. I am still designing and making new pin-ups but have taken my art quilts another avenue. I decided that I could use the art quilt as a vehicle for my ocean conservation messages, having the fabric become a canvas to which tells a story. The first of this series depicts by-catch. Bycatch is the term for fish caught unintentionally while trying to catch other fish. The bycatch usually end up dieing due to being entangled, unable to free them selves. The largest shark is slightly stuffed, which adds dimension to it, as well as really netting.

blog song • Neon Trees, Animal

7.12.10 • music, the gasoline to the engine of my soul

2010-07-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

It's a true story, music really does fuel me. I’m constantly listening to music. In the shower, the car, at work all day, when I’m working in my studio, it’s a must. It’s starts the gears in my head, turns on the creativity. I really think that in a past life I was a professional singer. When I'm super stressed, singing is the one thing that can really help, well sometimes. I wrote this on facebook a while back and think about how true it is daily. “I’m addicted to music..why is it that you can hear a song and there is something in the melody that resonates within your soul, making you feel like being alive is the best thing and that everything is going to be okay, thus making you listen to the song over and over again…or just simply wishing that every moment in life could feel as good as those few minutes..”

Maybe this is why musicals are so appealing, because although one may not care for the music, it’s the idea of having that song that ignites your soul playing during those best moments in life: the sound tract to your life, so to say. Cheesy I know, but hey, I’m a dreamer. Most times it really is the beat/melody that grabs a hold of me, not necessarily the words. I am fully guilty of playing a song over and over again until it looses its luster. Just like wearing that favorite shirt until it’s slightly see-through in places and is no longer the original color it was when you purchased it. And your friends just yell, “No! Not again!” ahah, good times.My close friends are aware and I assume at this point accepting of my addiction. I have 10.7 days of continuous music on my computer alone, of which doesn’t even include any of the actual cd’s I own (we won’t even go there, way too many). I listen to everything from Frank Sinatra, to country, to hip hop, to screaming metal. I don’t discriminate and I’ll try any music at least once. (I’m sure that’s why I have such a collection, hah). I’m also a complete Gleek (Glee fan to the max). Of which Glee is a perfect example of how powerful and amazing music is. A show that was created with contemplation of if it would even make it a full season, and is now the top rated show in America.

Anywho, back to my point of music fueling creativity...it’s a necessity. I’m going to start ending each blog with a song. Some you may like, some you may not. Either way I hope at least one catches your ear and you like. And maybe alone the way you can give me some good music tips as well.

blog song • Phoenix, 1901

7.10.10 • Shark week is coming...

2010-07-10T09:29:00.001-07:00

Last night, as I was knitting, cause I’m so very cool; I saw the first advertisement for SHARK WEEK! Many of you know and others will come to find that I have a slight obsession for sharks. I could go on for hours about what an amazing species they are and my passion for making artwork that speaks to their conservation. I suppose this is where I should interject how and when I realized that I was so in love with the ocean.

It was in my fourth year in college at the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA). That year I had just switched from Industrial Design (where I had been learning automotive, product and toy design) to sculpture. My first two years at CIA were foundation classes in drawing, painting and design. It was there that I worked with plexiglas, wood, stone, foam and much more. Being an Industrial Design major was really cramping my spirit and creative energy. Thus I chose the switch to sculpture, where I had no idea what I was going to be doing or what type of artist I wanted to be. I just knew it was right and I had to do it. About a semester in I decided I wanted to sew a fish, since I couldn’t have a pet, I was going to make my own. Crazy thought I know, but hey, I’m an artist. This is how I roll. I went to JoAnn’s and purchased fabric purely for the way it looked, having no understanding of what type it was or how it was going to be to work with. It was with this fabric that I made my own pattern and created a bubble eye goldfish (and sewed it by hand). At the time I thought it as “calming” to sew by hand, but shit, did it take a long time. I finished the first one and decided to make a second with a sewing machine. It was from there that it all began.

I than made a sting ray, a sea turtle, a deep sea octopus and an eight foot long lobster. I knew I was hooked. I began researching oceans, buying books, watching documentaries and falling more and more in love with the ocean world. As my research progressed I also found all the dangers and threats as well. I think it was the first time in my life I really felt like I had a hot button, people screwing with the ocean. My work just grew from there. I’m proud to say that four years ago I made one of he biggest decisions of my life to switch majors, not know where I was going, to now be where I am. It’s a blessing and I’m so thankful for it.

Many ask me why I have this connection to the ocean. Some I tell that I was once told from an Angel Reader that I was apparently a high priestess from Atlantis in a past life. But mostly I just say there’s something about the ocean that calms, intrigues and excites me.

Going back to my over excitement for shark week this year: I am actually going to have one of my logos on a show during shark week. Two years ago I designed an awareness logo for shark finning. I felt it was the best way to get a conversation started about this horrible act so few knew about. I sent out a mass mailing to over fifty aquariums and scuba centers asking them to carry my logo in the form of a shirt or sticker in their store to help spread the word. The New Jersey Jenkinson’s Aquarium responded asking for a batch of shirts with the logo for their staff to wear during the filming of a show for shark week with the Discovery Channel. I FREAKED with excitement. I’m not sure of the time and day yet, but when I do, you will too! I’m so excited I can’t even explain it. I suppose it’s true when they say one person can make a difference, or at least that’s what I’m trying to do!

7.8.2010 • Scentless Garlic

2010-07-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

I feel as though today was slightly dysfunctional, but looking back it was a good day. It began with a trip to the library in search of books for inspiration to get my creative juices really in gear. Got some good stuff and even checked myself out at the self-scanner. Of which I’m not entirely happy about. I enjoy the interaction with a real human being, the small talk, the telling me that I have fees for late items, the asking if I need a bag, etc. Oh well, I suppose my twenty-first century, cell phone addicted, internet junkie, automobile drivin’ self will just have to accept it.

Today also being Thursday, Friday Eve, I had knitting class. Tonight’s class was quite amazing. It was like a yarn full moon, more chatter, laughter and the sporadic “shit” and “damn”. Which to my inner sailor was a joy to hear because as much as those of us would like to think that we are good, wholesome people that do not curse in frustration at times, we all do. And I will be the first to admit, I do and frankly, I love it. But on to more pressing matters; I have finished the next vegetable, the garlic! (Of which at the stuffing stage I had a bit of an airhead moment and did in fact curse numerous times until I realized I was stuffing it from the wrong end, that the other end had an opening.) Once I started it, ripped it out and started again, it wasn’t that hard. I find my biggest issue is knitting to tightly. I don’t know what my issue is..maybe I’m stress knitting, taking my frustration out on the yarn. Or perhaps it is the fear that I will have sloppy veggies whose knitting rows will be loose and all amuck. And no one likes sloppy veggies.

Another victory in my knitting journey was learning to add an addition color enabling you to knit back and forth between colors. Using this technique, which between the two circular needles and the two balls of yarn can be like trying to untangle a plate of spaghetti, is for the cucumber. I think I should be able to get this one done fairly quickly, but must remember not to knit to tightly, otherwise my cucumber will look like it’s on a way to being pickled due to the multiple strands inside over lapping for the color changes. Either way, I’m two veggies away from completing the first section! The last pattern is for pea pods and than it moves to the next section, “Get Your Barnacle On” that begins with a hermit crab! Really? Pea pods to hermit crab; we’ll see how this goes.

7.6.10 • The Jelly

2010-07-06T18:16:00.000-07:00

I know many of you have seen my sewn jellyfish piece, however, many of you have not. It is completely constructed out of fabric and thread. A simple plexiglas structure holds the piece. This is the first completed jelly that I am actually content with, hah. It is a still capture of the pacific jellyfish. It is presently being shown at the Wasmer Gallery at Ursuline College in Ohio.

7.6.10 • You Do Not Wear Eggplants

2010-07-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

A few years ago a dear friend of mine, Amy, taught me to crochet. From the very beginning I was hooked! (Get it!) HAH!)). Between her guidance and my own inquisitiveness I learned quickly. It’s a simple thing, just a hook and yarn. Knitting however was a different story. It was intimidating. That’s right I said it. Two needles and yarn scared me. (Much like a fresh, blank sheet of paper in my sketchbook intimidates me. Fun fact: I always skip the first sheet of paper in any new sketchbook.) About two months ago my parents purchased a book for me, Amigurumi Knits, by Hansi Singh. It’s a book containing twenty knit patterns for vegetables and creatures. Most importantly: sea creatures. They were unaware of my fear of knitting and thought it would be a great way of learning patterns so in the future I could create my own. It was actually perfect timing because a few months earlier I had begun work with a local yarn shop called, Soft n’ Sassy (located on Broadview Road in Broadview Heights, Ohio). Which on Thursday evenings offered open knitting classes. Yes, knitting class. I am twenty-four years old and I love going to knitting class. I’ve decided to complete the entire book, all twenty patterns.

The first pattern was an eggplant. I really thought this eggplant was going to be the end of me. It was like learning to read knitting patterns was like learning to read HTML. However, Cheryl the owner of Soft n’ Sassy, kept reminding me that at the end of the day, if my eggplant has mistakes, its okay. It’s not like I was knitting this to wear like a sweater. You do not wear eggplants. Thank the yarn gods! I was on my way!

I have now completed three vegetables: an eggplant, tomato and carrot. All of which I started one part or another more than once. Every time I have to take about half a vegetable because I realized I’d done something wrong and my type A personality won’t allow me to continue incorrectly..I just want to scream. However, in a book I borrowed from the library, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee states in her book, Things I learned from Knitting..whether I wanted to or not, “You don’t knit because you are patient. You are patient because you knit.” And “ It isn’t that knitting is only possible for those who are already patient. Patience is granted to those who knit by virtue of knitting’s basic nature.”

I will definitely be the first to tell you, I am not patient and every vegetable is like a self-inflicted lesson on patience. However, it’s like any other piece of artwork that I finish. Whether it be made of wood, fabric or stone, when the piece is finally done, all the crying, cursing and frustration was definitely worth it.

7.6.10 • Welcome

2010-07-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is Jessica Ann Adanich. I'm an artist, designer and sculptor. Over the past few years numerous people have said or asked that I create a blog due to my corky, lively personality and my passion for my life and artwork. Thus this blog! I've decided to create a blog to record and share my creative thoughts and inner ranting.

As a foundation to my blog, feel free to check out my websites for a better understanding of me, myself and my work (www.AdanichDesign.com and www.Ocean4.org). My work spans many materials and subject matter, however if you ask anyone who knows me, I have a ginormous passion for ocean conservation. So slap on a helmet, buckle the seatbelt and get ready for a mental ride. Happy reading!