Rachael Padilla

Trying on T Shirts

It's a great day when I get something cool in the mail!

Here, a few of the recent t-shirts I've acquired. 

A Collection of Little Projects

Check out this week's YouTube video! 

Things I work on can often seem like there's no rhyme or reason from one project to the next. I'm often surprised how as I work, I can see the common thread between them. 

24 7

I could absolutely relate to this reading from The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin. 

My creative life has no disconnection from the rest of my life. I have often said that, "Art is a way of life". And I mean it!

Wednesday Walk

It's a great day for a walk. The sky is clear, and  the sun is shining. The fresh air invigorates me and makes it a breeze to get through my afternoon tasks of editing and making music for videos like this one! 

Tuesday Update

Happy Taco Tuesday!

This is a part of how I strive to make art that is solely created by me. With all of the video editing I do, and video art I make, it's an additional step to create the music too. 

The Korg Kaossilator is one of the musical instruments I've used for creating. 

Behind the Scenes: Editing

A condensed look behind the scenes while editing. 

There are aspects of this task that can be tedious. It's a process of wading through an excess of footage to find the good takes and compelling moments. It can be time consuming to trim the fat for the really good cuts.  

Selfie in Three Parts

My selfie in three parts consist of a self portrait in charcoal, an instant photo, and a haiku. It’s an attempt to document my progress in drawing and writing of haiku. Additionally, it documents changes in my appearance over time in photographs. The drawing reflects how I see myself, the photo is a representation of how others see me, and the haiku presents that which cannot easily be seen: my thoughts.

Today’s haiku:

Of abstractions and

The deep thoughts that well within,

I will make my art.

Little Things

A small collection of little things to contrast other things. 

Wednesday Walk

A beautiful day for a walk in the sunshine under clear skies!

It isn't spring quite yet, but I see the hints of little buds on trees, and bright green blades of grass. 

Tuesday Update

I hope your week is off to a great start!

The recent rainy and gray weather has left me a little congested. Which I can hear in my voice as I speak in this movie. But the sun has thankfully come out today! It isn't pleasant walking weather, but the sun through the windows is lovely.

I have so much to report about the process of hand building clay chawans, or Japanese style tea bowls. I have some lovely pieces, in various phases, to share with you. 

The News Stand

A little about the book that is about the pop up art installation that was The Newsstand. 

What an awesome project, and as a result an awesome book. 

It's Always There

A reading from "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Rubin.

This felt very reassuring to me, as sunshine often feels necessary to my happiness. It's nice to remember that the sun, and inspiration are always there. 

Clean Ceremony

The seemingly mundane and routine ritual that's actually a ceremony.

This edit gives me an opportunity to get creative with editing, effects, and accompanying music...

Show and Tell

I had the opportunity to go into Atlanta yesterday to one of my favorite neighborhoods: Little Five Points. It's a vibrant neighborhood full of businesses, it's a little funky and very artsy. Atlanta is very welcoming to street art, and this neighborhood showcases a lot of it.  It also houses an Atlanta Institution: Criminal Records, where I was able to pick up a record and a Zine by a local artist. I also visited a couple of vintage clothing stores and found an excellent jacket. After stretching my legs with a nice walk around the neighborhood and a bit of shopping, I enjoyed lunch at The Vortex, for my favorite meal: a cheeseburger and fries. 

Plus I received a great package in the mail. it's always so good to get mail and it's even better when it's something I can wear. I'll try it on in this movie!

Wednesday Walk

Finally, a sunny day!

With the sun shining bright in the sky, I headed out for a Wednesday Walk. 

It finally seems as if Winter is coming to a close, and just like that, my mind moves to the hope and promise of things to come. Not just warmer days, but days in which equality is a little closer.  The parks and sidewalks will soon be filled with my male counterparts who will be free to shed their shirts while jogging or playing. It's a non-issue for them, a often taken for granted way of life. As it should be. Everybody's got nipples, but only half of the population has to worry about if they're seen. 

Tuesday Update

Here's what I'm getting up to this week. 

 I'm tired of the mood swings of the recent weather. Hopefully it will stabilize and allow for more time outside. You can hear in my voice how it's been for my sinuses. 

I hope that you are off to a productive, creative February!

A Day of "Zine-ing"

A look at what I've been up to today. 

One of the greatest, most time consuming aspects of being an artist is telling the story behind the art I make. I'm so happy that there are so many ways (or media) in which to tell these stories. 

My latest adaptation for sharing and communicating comes in the form of the zine. 

Weekend Chores

Have you ever heard of  disappearing stairs?

Well, some years ago, there existed a company that made secret, foldable staircases to attics. There are no replacement parts for said staircases currently available on the market, so I have to make do.

My weekend chores included making new pieces  for old parts. 

At least now I won't brake my ankle, or knee, or what-not, climbing an ingenuous  yet questionable contraption. 

I'll consider this piece REPAIRED!

Multi-tasking: Can I draw and talk?

The answer is: not as well as I'd like to! 

For today's drawing, I took a slightly different approach. Keeping in my mind that my new collection of work will be focused largely on communication, I thought I would try to talk my way through as I drew. it is easier said than done, however. I'm not sure I conveyed much meaning with my attention divided.

All the same though, what I was trying to say was something more like this:

My art is often about personal expression, growth and exploration.  I think that in order to positively change the world outside of, there must be positive change within. In creating and sharing I am trying to communicate with the world.  It is so important for me to be able to speak intelligently about my art. So I'll just keep doing it. 

Selfie in Three Parts

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it takes to make change, and how to be better at a plethora of things I'd like to be better at. And I try to set goals and focus. 

For example: 

I still can't do a pull-up. But I hang on my bar so my hands will toughen up and my arms will get stronger. That part at least has gotten easier.  I do leg lifts while I'm hanging. 

Today's haiku:

I'm just hangin' out

Doing things I'm not good at. 

Until when I am. 

An Experiment

This is an experimental video. 

The light of the setting sun was shining through the window casting beautiful, bold shadows of the tree outside and my silhouette on the wall. It was really beautiful, and I wondered how it would work on film. So I set up the camera. 

Inspired by the book I was reading about stone cupules entitled, "Portals to Other Realms, Cup-Marked Stones & Prehistoric Rock Carvings", I felt inspired to read the introduction which begged the question: Why? Why were these things created? 

It lead me to ponder that question. After some meditation on that thought, I could only ask myself why I create. 

Wednesday Walk

Lost in the trees. Or, can't see the forest for the trees. 

The forests are particularly bare this time of year. All the same, they don't allow for much traverse off trail. I tried briefly to follow deer trails, but they're often blocked by masses of vines and thorns. I don't leap gracefully as deer do, but I wish I could. 

I thought of Hanzel and Gretel, and magical ever changing woods from my childhood fairytale books as I worked on the editing for this video.

In Progress

A collection of photos featuring the progress of two pottery pieces. 

The first three photos show a chawan in the drying phase. It's still a bit wet, but firmed up: the leather hard phase. I carved this from a single lump of clay, working on first the inside and then the outside. As I carved, I strove for the look and feel of knotted wood, with an elegant femininity. Hopefully slow air drying this piece over the course of three weeks will prevent cracks similar to those I've had in the last two chawans. 

The following photos feature a chawan just a little further along in the process. In these photos, the piece has been bisque fired.  The stage at which glaze is added. I did some detail work using an iron oxide, which will darken areas upon being fired.  I allowed the oxide to drip and run over the outer edges. Next I coated it with a few layers of clear glaze (it will fire to clear but looks rather opaque at this phase). You may notice a slight crack on the interior, probably from the pot drying too quickly. 

I'll be sure to post more about these when they've gotten through their firings in the kiln!

Tuesday Update

Happy Taco Tuesday!

See what I've been working on so far this week. From paintings to sculptures of found objects, it is turning out to be a productive time of year. I am so excited about the current collection of work themed by the notion of communication. Which is a core motivation of why I create. 

In Progress

Continuing work on the opossum/found object sculpture. I broke out my faithful soldering station to solder together some additional components. It’s coming together beautifully. I’m pleased with my soldering, it’s been awhile since I’ve done it.

Stopping for the day, though. The head gear is hard on the eyes!

Oh, Rachael! (What have you done?)

Working on my next project/collection of work. 

The first step being building a vessel in which to cast my own hand. It requires the use of foam core and hot glue. That's where this video finds me: figuring out how to make it, talking myself through the process, and awkward filming angles. I struggle with boxing myself in, and making messes. 

But ultimately, doing is succeeding.  And I'm making progress with lofty goals. 

*Note to self: stop making weird "concentrating" faces. 

Lecon 2

This is my second French lesson from the Berlitz Self Teacher book. I recorded it just to share with you! This lesson features clothing items. I love how the words are spelled out phonetically for the sake of pronunciation. As an example:

la chemis

luh shuh-meez

It helps immensely with trying to pronounce them. 

Taken to an Illogical Conclusion

This is a re-edit of previous and current footage. 

The challenge and question being: how to make footage something more, something extra? It is a common and daily practice to record the happenings of the day. Other than the process of creating traditional art and its processes, is there a way to make the actual footage of said process into an art of its own? 

That is to be determined...

All the same, it is a cathartic and rewarding artistic expression when footage of the job of being artist can be creatively and artistically transformed into art itself. 

On Beauty

Today, a word on beauty from Andy Warhol. An excerpt from " The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again)", by Andy Warhol. 

It's such an interesting book! Perhaps I find it so interesting since Andy Warhol was a successful artist within my own lifetime. By the time he died in 1987, I was undoubtedly aware of who he was. He managed to completely infiltrate pop culture and media. There are very few artists who in their own lifetimes became household names. That is fascinating. I can't help but wonder what amazing things he would have done with the internet. Furthermore, it begs the question: why am I not doing it?! What would Andy Warhol do?

In Progress

I enjoy the creative process immensely. 

That being said, the creative process doesn't always yield measurable or tangible progress. Which can be tough for me. I prefer to have little gold stars for my feats, or checkmarks next to my To-Do tasks, or a completed project, or at the very least a visual reference for what I got done (like the fresh mowed lawn after mowing). Alas, not every project allows for the artist to have instant gratification. 

Here, a little movie to highlight the process of my creating on a day where the reward is not tangible. I made a much needed folder out of some trash, then I organized my thoughts and snippets.