East Austin Studio Tour, day 1
There's still another day of the East Austin Studio Tour to go so I thought I'd give a quick preliminary report.
The high point for me so far was Pandora Studios (68), Ryah Christensen and Sun McColgin's art house hidden in the maze of deepest East Austin. It's a privilege to meet the artists in their home, covered inside and out with Sun's sculpture and Ryah's fascinating pieces that combine painting and mosaics. Ask to see the bathroom and be sure to open the fridge.
Other noteworthy stops: Katy O'Connor's paintings and drawings that take chance photos and turn them into heightened reality (38); Bonnie Gammill's painted carscapes (74); and as always Michael Schliefke (44) and Chris Chappell (look for Chris's portrait of Michael). If you're interested in printmaking, Flatbed Press is a must but be prepared to spend a while as they explain the process in detail (72).
I was a bit disappointed by SODALITAS' showing this year (44) -- I'm a big fan but they didn't have much work up that was really representative of what they do. Maybe they're so successful now that their best stuff is all out in the galleries? To get the real picture you've got to nose around in their workspace and get them to talk about their collaborative process.