Sudie Rakusin's Blog
October 27, 2015
New Exhibition of Outliers Findings
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Earlier this year, the world was introduced to the Outliers civilization, recently discovered by visual artist and part-time archaeologist, Sudie Rakusin. Guided by a mysterious book carrying coded messages and having researched basic archaeological field methods, Rakusin began her excavations, and remained secretive about her explorations until pictures of her dig site were leaked online. New questions emerged about the world of Outliers, leading to a public exhibition of found artifacts in April of 2015.
Rakusin connects the discovery of this world — whose culture seems to have been centered around art, beauty, and mystery — with a longing she has felt since her earliest memories. As an adult, Rakusin discovered the German word sensucht (ze: n zuxt), which references an inconsolable longing for a place and things that seem familiar but have never existed on the Earthly plane in our own experience; a desire for what is sometimes called our own “far-off country” or “home.” “For years, I’d known that my artistic work was an echo, a vibration, a glimmer of this place,” Rakusin said in an interview at her secluded home by the woods. “I just hadn’t realized this world had ever actually existed.”
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The newest round of findings from the Outliers dig, which Rakusin plans to exhibit at a November show at FRANK Gallery in Chapel Hill, features a stunning set of poppy sculptures found at the dig site. The poppy sculptures are each a foot or more across, and range in height from five to ten feet tall. Also found nearby was a small cache of perfectly preserved seeds. The geometric orientation of the sculptures to the seed store suggests a possible ritual function for the sculptures, which might have been an offering to an ancient fertility goddess of the Outliers culture. The sculptures are believed to be life-sized replicas of actual plants, according to preliminary research. “Most poppies known to our modern world only grow to a height of two to three feet,” indicated archaeobotanist Dr. C. H. Croft. “To envision a world in which people may have walked among poppies that towered over them… It’s simply amazing!”
For Rakusin’s part, she remains intrigued but not surprised, saying , “the more I learn about the Outliers civilization the more I realize I’ve experienced it before, in dreams, in whispers.” When asked to elaborate, she added: “It is a culture held together by threads of unspeakable beauty; I can only hope my findings will weave those threads into a body of work that will one day help our culture learn from theirs.”
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You can see Rakusin’s exhibition of latest findings from the Outliers Dig at the 3 Artists: 3 Worlds show at FRANK in Chapel Hill in November.
Show runs from November 10-December 6, with an opening reception on November 13 from 6-9 pm.
Article reprinted with permission from Better Digs and Findings magazine.
October 14, 2015
Holiday Cards – Now Shipping!
We are so pleased to offer our two new designs of holiday cards this year! Each comes in a box with 12 cards and 12 envelopes. For wholesale information, click here. To see the cards and
August 28, 2015
Travel Journals are back!
Last winter, I participated as a teacher in a series of Travel Journal workshops offered through FRANK Gallery in Chapel Hill. The Travel Journal concept is that each workshop, led by an artist, offers a way of seeing and drawing that you use in the session and then apply to subsequent drawings until the next workshop. They are called “travel journal” workshops because we want you to take the journal with you to galleries, gardens, anywhere you go — to get used to using it that way, drawing the world around you.
Pre-Registration is required
and the fee for each workshop is $20,
which includes materials.
Following is the description of the classes out of the series I will be teaching.
Each class will begin with making a shade chart using a Prismacolor colored pencil as middle tone. Graphite 2-4b as dark. We would place a square of primary in the middle, black on one end, and white on the other end. We would then shade between the colors to show the difference between light, dark, and primary, and how many gradations can be achieved between them. Each class a different color will be chosen by each participant.
October 3, 10:00 am-12:00 pm – Light and shade, turning a form in still life; held at FRANK. In this session, each person would bring an object and I will provide a strong light source. We will set up a still life with a direct light source and draw from it. We will work with reflected light and how to turn a form.
November 21, 10:00 am-12:00 pm – Drapery; held at FRANK. In this session, I will set up a drape and we will do shading techniques on folds, from lights to mid-tones to dark.
January 16, 10:00 am-12:00 pm – Drawing from a painting; to be held at the Ackland Art Museum. A painting will be chosen from the museum and the class will draw from it, using the shading techniques we practiced in the first part of this session.
February 12, 6:00 pm-9:00 pm – Reception. After all 6 classes for Travel Journal, participants can display their filled sketchbooks and participate in a lively conversation recounting memorable moments experienced in the various classes.
I look forward to seeing you there, and please feel free to email me with any questions about the workshops I’m teaching. Be sure to check out Travel Journal offerings from other wonderful local artists, Caroll Lassiter and Nerys Levy.
April 10, 2015
September 9, 2014
Unwind Time Books is on its way to iTunes!
Every time I create a new means of sharing my art with the world, there is a steep learning curve. I have to figure out everything – like where and how to affordably print a hardcover book; how to create a box that will hold a deck of cards and a book side-by-side; or how to design and market an app – and it always takes longer than anyone expects.
So, it is with great relief and even greater excitement, that I can say that the app I have been designing for the iPad is really, truly on its way to Apple for approval and listing in the iTunes Store – so that all of you who love my work and love your iPad can now combine the two! And, if you don’t yet have an iPad, here’s your reason to go buy one.
The app, Unwind Time Books, is a bookstore with both a women’s section and a children’s section. In the children’s section, you will find all the books in my hardcover Dear Calla Roo…Love, Savannah Blue series formatted as ebooks, as well as Savannah Blue’s Activity Book that, just like the physical version, will allow the kids you love to color, draw, and write letters in its pages – and then, save, share and print their work!
In the women’s section, you will be able to download coloring books filled with my pen-and-ink drawings to color right on the iPad, using your finger or a stylus and the coloring tools built into the app. You’ll have an unbelievable range of colors as well as the ability to change the opacity of the color and layer multiple shades on top of each other. And, you’ll be able to save up to 3 versions of any drawing at a time, share them via email or Facebook, and print them–then erase and start all over again for unlimited fun.
Intrigued? I hope so.
I will let you know as soon as the app lands in iTunes!
May 16, 2013
The Evolution of a Bird — Painting
If you’ve been following along in this photo essay of the creation of one of my papier-maché birds, you’ve seen the sketching phase and the sculpting phase, which brings us up to the painting phase! (If you missed the sketching & sculpting phases, those posts immediately precede this one.)
My imagination goes wild during the sketching phase, but it is in this final phase that I get to fully bring my vision into the world. This is when I add color, then intricate designs, and finally beads to make the bird unique. With all of the ornamentation, if one of my birds were attempting to attract a mate in the wild, I am fairly certain he would be successful.
It was difficult to narrow down my photos for this installment in the photo essay, but here are a few that I think capture the final evolution of the bird from paper sketch to physical being.
I hope you have enjoyed these photos and I’d love to hear any of your comments or questions! Please leave me a note below.
April 26, 2013
The Evolution of a Bird – Sculpting
This is the second post in my photo essay on the evolution of one of my papier-mache birds. If you missed the first installment, which showed the sketching I did as I was planning this piece, you can see it here.
The images in this post show the process of building the bird’s form and covering the body with the initial coat of paint.
As always, I welcome questions! Please leave me a comment below.
I’ll be back next week with photos of the painting process. See you then!
April 19, 2013
The Evolution of a Bird – Sketches
Late in 2012, I was preparing for my solo show at Horace Williams House in Chapel Hill and I began creating papier-mache birds to hang from the ceiling. You can see some examples of my finished work in my Gallery. The birds have become quite popular, and I am enjoying them so much that I thought it might be fun to show you the process I go through in creating one.
Because there are many phases in the creation process, I will do a separate post about each phase. This will enable me to share several photos for each stage and for you to really see how things evolve and continue to change over time.
These photos won’t show you everything (like how many different shades I experiment with before finding the right body colors or how I embed the wires I use to hang each piece), but they will give you a good sampling of the progression each creation goes through before its public debut.
Today’s post is of the sketching phase. As you will see, I do many drawings in my sketchbook to first determine the overall shape of the creature and then to get an idea of what each of the detailed patterns and the color schemes that will adorn her body should look like. This is only a sampling of the drawings I did for this particular bird.
Next week, I’ll do another post to demonstrate sculpting the body and beginning to add overall color.
If you have questions, I’d love for you to leave them in the Comments section.
Enjoy!
February 22, 2012
Visiting Artist – Virginia Gibbons
Virginia Gibbons
I have worked with clay for more than 25 years now. I love it in spite of the frustrations and limitations that it involves. These are more pronounced when building larger sculptural pieces. Often I envy artists who work in other media their ability to see immediate results and to change what does not satisfy them. Clay is amenable to change but only within a limited time frame. Clay also involves a long series of steps, including forming, trimming, drying, firing, glazing, and firing again.
Dry Creek. Porcelain on Stoneware Tile Wallpiece. 22 x 9 x 2 inches.
Where is your favorite place to work?
My studio when it is flooded with sunlight, and I can look out into my garden.
The Shaman's Eye. Stoneware clay, suitable for outdoor use. 35 x 11.5 x 2.25 inches
When did you know you were (or would be) an artist?
Making art has always felt central to my identity though I have taken many other paths both from necessity and curiosity. I have come to believe, however, that the whole of life is a part of one's creative process. The past 12 years or so I have had the luxury of working on my art almost full time. For that I am grateful, although it involves financial sacrifice, because the non-monetary rewards are great.
Vessel 1. Stoneware clay and river wood. 18 x 12 x 12 inches
Keeping It Together. Stoneware clay and bronze. 19 x 9 x 3 inches.
What is your biggest joy when it comes to being an artist?
The actual forming stage of making the work is the part I enjoy the most. That is when the clay is soft, and most alive. I love the look of the work when it is still wet and the textures are fresh. The glazing/finishing process is exciting but also difficult because I never really know how the piece will look until I take it from the kiln after final firing. I use multiple glaze layers and often multiple firings to achieve the surfaces that I am after.
Currents. Porecelain, Paper, Wood Wallpiece. 49 x 25 x 2 inches.
Vessel 11. Stoneware clay & river wood. 11.5 x 11 x 11 inches.
How do you recharge your batteries?
Nature is my go-to source for recharging my creative batteries, and that includes my dear animal companions. Music, silence, and solitude are also important sources of renewal.
See More of Virginia's Work at Her Website,
http://www.virginiagibbons.com,
or at Eno Gallery,
100 S. Churton St.,
Hillsborough, NC 27278.
The artist may be reached by email at:
vagibbons [at] gmail [dot] com
February 9, 2012
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