Resume :: 1995 to the Present

Christine Mason Miller :: Santa Monica, CA
{Part 1 of 2 :: 1995 to the Present}

2007 - Present :: Writer
(This still feels weird - have I really earned the right to call myself a Writer with a capital W?)

Wrote and published Ordinary Sparkling Moments, a combination of mixed media artwork, photography and essays about finding wisdom in everyday life.  Personal essays published in Skirt! magazine, Somerset Life, Wish Studio Blog and This Ordinary Day Blog.  Other essays and pieces scheduled for 2010 publication in Uppercase, Artful Blogging, Art Journaling and Somerset Studio.

OK, maybe I can say I am a Writer.

1995 - Present :: Artist
I've really been an artist for most of my life, but consider 1995 as the turning point when I became a full-time, Professional Artist.  Smaller ventures and projects before 1995 include:

1980-81:  Resident Illustrator, Mark Twain Middle School
Paid meager wages (about fifty cents) to illustrate designs in magic marker on pillow cases in the seventh grade (specialties:  bubble fonts, smiling fuzzy creatures).  Unfortunately, normal incidents of drooling in one's sleep often times smeared designs, not to mention creating ink marks on cheeks and lips.  These were the days before waterproof markers were readily available.

1982-1986:  Resident Illustrator, Thomas Edison High School
Projects were mainly type-based; illustrated band names, band logos and a series of "X Loves X" and "X Loves X 4ever".  All work pro bono.

1987-1988:  Member, Virginia Tech Union (VTU) Art Committee
Responsible for assisting in the design and production of flyers, painted banners, table tent cards and display ads for VTU events, such as Debbie Gibson (we got a lot of flack for that one), The Bangles and Leonard Nimoy (a few of us were able to "meet" him backstage after his lecture, but it looked more like a small circle of college geeks standing around looking at him and awkwardly trying to engage in witty, erudite conversation.)

1988-1989:  Chairman, VTU Art Committee
Can this officially be called my first foray into "Art Directing"?

1989-1990:  President, VTU
Not really an artistic venture, but it sounds impressive, doesn't it?  Oversaw nine different committees and served as member of a group known as "Student Leaders".  One annual tradition for all of these "Student Leaders" was to get up at 5:00am and start drinking in order to be inebriated by 6:00am.  I did not know about this tradition until two of these "Student Leaders" came knocking on my door at sunrise and upon entering said, "Let's go drink!" and who was I to break tradition?  That's right Virginia Tech - these were your student representatives, the ones you sent to national "Student Leader" conferences and other events where you needed to send your very best.

I just now realized that it sounds like our tradition was to start drinking at 5:00am everyday.  That wasn't the case.  I swear.  It was only once.  Really.  (Stop laughing Melissa.  Your comments aren't welcome here.)

1991-1992:  Graphic Designer, The Silver Parrot Jewelry Store
Hired as a salesperson, but was soon put in charge of all graphic design and illustration work.  Designed display ads, flyers and the store's Return Policy sign (no monetary refunds - store credit only!)

1992-1995:  Part-Time Graphic Designer, University of Georgia (UGA) Department of Housing
Responsible for content, design and layout of monthly newsletter to students in the quad of dorms where I lived and worked as a Graduate Resident (what was the name of that quad?  I can't remember - but they filmed a few scenes of "Dude, Where's My Car?" on the campus, right in front of my dorm.  SWEET.)

And, now we're back.  I'm going to take this one chapter at a time

1995 - Present :: Swirly Girl
Created, built, managed, nurtured, cried over, designed, coddled, loved, hated, and brought to life the Swirly and Swirly Girl brand of licensed gift and stationery products.  Swirly began in a 10' x 10' spare bedroom of my apartment with a line of 36 handmade greeting cards and within five years included cards, magnets, bookmarks, coasters, clocks, plaques, journals, picture frames, locked diaries, pens, shelves, pillows, rubber stamps, iron-on transfers, watches, bulletin boards, photo albums, light switch covers, rings, an illustrated gift book, and those long strings of plastic thing-ys a teenager hangs in her doorway to walk through with flair and penach.  Oh, and purses, backpacks, and snowglobes (yes, snowglobes!)

I stopped pursuing new license contracts for Swirly a few years ago, but there are still Swirly sightings here and there.  And while I've never asked anyone to call me Swirly, it is what most people call me, and I like it.

I'd also like to mention that one of the first things I did as the bona fide Swirly Girl was apply to participate in the Yes Store - an annual holiday artist co-op in Santa Barbara that is open for six weeks only.  This was THE show to be in.  My application was denied, and when the store opened I went to see all the artists' displays, and walked out in tears.  "Everyone is so professional!  And organized!  And they all have so much work!  How will I ever get there?!"

P.S.  I was accepted the following year.  And the year after that.  And the year after that.  And at least two more years after that.

2002-2003 :: Taggart Designs
I'm not sure it even lasted an entire year, but it was a new handmade card line introduced at the National Stationery Show in 2003.  What?  You've never heard of it?  That's because it tanked.  Lesson learned:  Don't start a new venture unless your heart is really in it.

2003-2004 :: Posey Girls
What?  You've never heard of it?  That's because it never made it off the ground despite a license contract from a major craft company granted to my partner and I less than 24 hours after our presentation.  Lesson learned:  When you enter into a business partnership, make sure you are both ready to get married.  Yes, married.  We made up, but that was a tough one.

2005-Present :: Mixed Media Artist
Created dozens of works around different themes including Tokyo, Havana, my kooky one-big-eyed girl (she doesn't have a name), Wings, and a series of assemblage pieces on mannequin forms (when working on these, I have to make sure I store them in a corner of my studio after I'm done working, because if I walk by my studio at night and a mannequin silhouette is in plain sight, it freaks me out.)

Shows and exhibits:

October 2005:  Tokyo Series, Blue Plate, Santa Monica, CA (Sold my first mixed media pieces.  The couple initially called about one of the pieces, but ended up buying two.  Then about a year later, another person got in touch with me interested in my work.  He had seen my work at Blue Plate, and for whatever reason it took him that long to contact me, but when he did, he bought four pieces.  You never know where things will go.)

October 2005:  Wings, Virginia Tech Alumni Show, Blacksburg, VA

March 2006:  Tokyo Series and the first round of the Girl Series, Peach Tree Gallery, Mar Vista, CA (my first solo show - sold almost everything.)

September 2006:  Havana Series, Culver City Studio (This wasn't an actual gallery, but a studio space I rented for a weekend.)  (One couple bought six pieces - cha-ching!)

December 2006:  Peach Tree Gallery Holiday Show  (This was a group show I helped organize, and it has now a full-fledged tradition.  We just held the 4th Annual Holiday Show this past December.)

March 2007: The Girly Show, Los Angeles, CA (This was a group show I organized with five other artists, including Marisa Haedike and Penelope Dullaghan.  CCH Pounder came to the show - she plays Mo'at in Avatar!)

2007, I can't remember exactly when:  Fashionista, FootCandy, Brentwood, CA (This was my first show where nothing sold.  Nothing!)

December 2007: Peach Tree Gallery Holiday Show

September 2008:  Ordinary Sparkling Moments, exhibit, book event and installation, Peach Tree Gallery (I envisioned this as a space where visitors would feel like they were walking into my book, and Linda, the lovely owner of the gallery, let me take over and do whatever I wanted.  It was my favorite show.)

December 2008:  Peach Tree Gallery Holiday Show

September 2009:  Mannequin Series, Squam Art Show, Rochester, New Hampshire (This show was organized by Liz Kalloch, inspired by Squam Art Workshops, which was founded by Elizabeth MacCrellish.  These are two of my favorite people in the world.)

November 2009:  CORE, Los Angeles, CA (This was a show inspired by my first mannequin creations, organized by the amazing Anne Carmack and held at her downtown studio.  More than a dozen artists created their own mannequin form and it was an astounding exhibit.  The night before the show, I had all the contributing artists over to my house for dinner, one of whom brought a friend named Mark.  Mark turned out to be the star of the evening, captivating us with his story of creating a Jelly Bean Elvis that hung in Graceland for a year.  It's true!  He made a portrait of Elvis entirely out of jelly beans, people.)

December 2009:  Peach Tree Gallery Holiday Show

No shows planned for 2010 just yet.  

Part Two of my resume is coming soon, and that is when things get really interesting.  All those kooky jobs I had in my early twenties and as a teenager - that's good stuff.

[Photo Credits:  bottom left:  Pixie Campbell / bottom right:  Jonatha Brooke]

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