New work and Envisioning O'Keeffe

(Above:  Judy Hubbard and at the opening of her solo exhibition Envisioning O'Keeffe.  Click on any image in this blog post to enlarge.)

I attend lots of art openings and cultural events.  I generally don't blog about them. Juggling a "day job" with making art as well as pursuing/keeping track of art opportunities leaves only enough time to blog about my own work.  Yet, last night's opening reception for Judy Hubbard's incredible exhibition Envisioning O'Keeffe at Columbia College, an all girls school here in Columbia, South Carolina, is an exception.  First, it was a great show!  Second, the local college is celebrating the centennial of Georgia O'Keeffe's year in our city.  (Okay, Georgia O'Keeffe hated it here ... really HATED it ... but under duress an artist often is compelled to create awesome work.  While here, Georgia O'Keeffe completed a series of highly innovative charcoal abstractions that caught the eye of Alfred Stieglitz, and the rest is history!)  So ... Columbia celebrates.


(Above:  Envisioning O'Keeffe.)

The third reason to blog about this exhibit is because I contributed to the installation!  Earlier in the summer Judy Hubbard sent invitations to several female artists asking each one to alter a pair of shoes.  The shoes were cast offs, found in thrift stores.  At the time, I was at the Wormfarm Art Residency in Wisconsin, so my husband Steve mailed the pair to me. 

(Above:  The pair of shoes I altered ... photographed in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin at Georgia O'Keefe's birthplace.)

Lo and behold, Wisconsin is where Georgia O'Keeffe was born!  I had fun taking location photos of the altered boots.  I blogged about it HERE.

Judy collected LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of old shoes!  My favorite piece was made by Judy Hubbard, not one of the other participants.  It is this beautiful spiral of gold toned footwear arranged with antlers.

It was fun to see the different ways other artists altered their provided shoes ...



... but none were as strong as this one!

So ... where did the pair I altered end up ... on this tasteful arrangement of pedestals ... near work by some of my favorite, local artists ... and very near the lovely, golden spiral!  Nice!

(Above:  Torso.  Epoxy, ink, and interference paint on unprimed masonite.  Unframed 36" x 24"; framed 38" x 26".)

So ... what have I been up?  New work, of course!  Hilariously, the piece above called Torso was the result of epoxy overflowing and dripping onto a piece of masonite placed on the ground.  The shiny brown stain looked like a torso.  Later I added Golden's fluid acrylic Interference Oxide Green # 2480.  Interference paints are strange but very interesting.  From Golden's website: 

Interference Colors offer a range of reflective properties and interplay with light. When viewed from different angles Interference colors flip between a bright opalescent color and its complement.
Interference acrylics are relatively transparent, allowing artists the ability to glaze with unique effects.

(Above:  Steve in the "back closing room" with Torso.)

I didn't actually purchase this container.  It was a sample from City Art, my local art supply store.  Perhaps it was a shade being considered but never put into production.  Perhaps it was being discontinued ... but it doesn't appear on Golden's website with other interference paints.  (That page is HERE.)  That's okay!  I had enough of it!  In some light, the paint appears as an oxidized green.  In other light, it is a rusty orange-red.  On the masonite itself, it seems to stay rusty red.  I particularly like the play of light with the glossy surface of the epoxy.  As a final touch, I used an old toothbrush to flight spots of black ink.  I even hand toned the rough wooden frame to match.  For an "accident", I'm pleased with this new piece!

(Above:  In Box CXCIII. Framed 19 1/4" x 15 1/4". $225.)

I've also been busy intentionally making art! LOL!  Here are the two most recently finished In Box series pieces.  I'll be making more as I just signed a contract with the Cultural Arts Council of Douglas County in Douglasville, GA for a solo show!  It will be called Buildings in Stitches and feature works from both my In Box and Stained Glass Series.  The show runs from November 5 - 20!

(Above:  In Box CXCIV.  Framed 19 1/4" x 15 1/4". $225.)

I am linking this post to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays", a site for sharing fiber arts.

More Curiosities

(Above:  Another EPOXY DAY!  Click on any image in this blog post for an enlargement.)

I've been hard at work creating six, large art quilts (most are approximately 58" x 40" before framing) that include a final layer or two or three of epoxy.  Conceptually, this clear veneer suggests an untouchable surface, a sense of distance, a sheen of reflection, and an unearthly aura.  I will be sharing these new art quilts once I've had a chance to photograph them ... which is a rather tricky process considering the glass-like epoxy finish. 

(Above: Curiosity VII and VIII.  Two wooden "tea cups", shells collected near Culzean Castle in Scotland, a Cornish game wishbone, and some interesting electrical insulators given to me by Ellen Kochansky at the Rensing Center.)

Due to the size of the art quilts being treated with epoxy, I am only able to "pour" two at a time.  Why? Well, after pouring the epoxy, the works must sit totally flat and level inside the garage ... overnight.  The work table only has room for two.  One particular art quilt needed two additional "over pours".  Thus, we've had several EPOXY DAYS.  This week was very good for the process.  We couldn't use our parking lot anyway. The city recently destroyed our drive way entrance while repairing the century-old sewer pipes.

(Above:  The City of Columbia pouring a new driveway entrance and sidewalk.)

Last Friday the cement truck came and poured a new driveway entrance and the affected sidewalk.  Until today, we couldn't drive on it.  (Yes ... we got to write our names.  Even Max the Cat got to put his paw prints down!)

 













(Above:  Curiosity IX and X.  Two "Made in Japan" porcelain dishes with clock gears and parts.)

Epoxy is messy and very, very sticky.  That's why I wear a tyvek suit, protective goggles, disposable gloves and two plastic shopping bags on my feet.  Steve and I spend quite a bit of time setting up too.  A pair of sawhorses is erected and pieces of thin press board are placed all around to catch the overflow of epoxy.  (We do have a few permanent "puddles" on the parking lot where epoxy fell directly onto the pavement.  It really looks like water ... but it isn't and it will never evaporate!)  Steve and I also "practice" how we will carry each piece into the garage and where ... exactly ... it will be placed to dry.  This choreography is necessary because we have less than twenty minutes until the epoxy is no longer fluid enough to manipulate.  Steve is also my "timer".  Equal parts of the two liquids must to stirred together for one minute and then dumped into another container for continued agitation for two, additional minutes.  These are the recommended instructions ... which we follow precisely.

Once inside the garage, I light the propane torch and gently flame the surface.  This causes any air bubble to rise and pop.  Most of the air bubbles are so miniscule that they can hardly be seen.  Yet, the carbon dioxide from the torch does make them rise ... and the result really is a much slicker, shinier, glossy surface.

(Above:  Curiosity XI and XII. Two, hand-painted soft boiled egg cups from Austria ... from my Grandma Baker ... filled with jacks, a metal hair clip, a flat-head screw driver, and blue jay feathers.)

Working quickly is also a plus because Steve and I can pour any leftover epoxy (and often scoop up some of the over-poured epoxy from the press board) and fill small, found object assemblages that I'm now calling "curiosities".  Many of this trinkets are "family pieces".  Some of the items come from Bill Mishoe's auction.  Many of the nick-knacks have simply been collected over time or because a friend thought I might like their cast-off ephemera.
  

(Above:  Curiosity XIII.  Antique, silver-plated hand mirror with clock gears and parts.)

While assembling these things, I've been thinking about my own TEDxColumbia talk and wondering who will cherish some of these things.  I mean, seriously, do I expect my kids to care or want two egg cups?  These little things have next to no possibility of becoming treasured family heirlooms.  In my talk, I encouraged others to "make a plan" for their precious possessions.  Shouldn't I do the same?  Well ... YES ... of course!  So, I made a plan ... I'm using them for ART!

(Above:  Curiosity XIV.  Crocheted figure, marbles, jacks, clock gears and parts, and beads in a ceramic dish.)

Perhaps it is just wishful thinking ... perhaps artistic vanity ... perhaps it doesn't matter ... but at least in my mind, these little souvenirs, trinkets, tokens, keepsakes, and assorted "stuff" have a far better chance of making it into the next generation now than they did last week!  Plus, I'm having a blast making them. 

(Above:  Curiosity XV.  Made in Japan porcelain dish with a strawberry pin cushion, military star, heart charm, buttons, subway token, beads, jack, pen nib, and a blue plastic army man.)

Because I'm using the "leftover" and "over-poured" epoxy, noticeable air bubbles often occur. Careful use of the propane torch is necessary ... and has worked very well ... without accidentally catching anything on fire!

(Above:  Curiosity XVI, XVII, XVIII, and XIX.  Glass container filled with dominoes, a chess pawn and rook, buttons, a spring, clock gears, etc.  Hand-painted Austrian shot glass with four keys, a wooden drawer pull, and several copper nails. A glass salt cellar with an old sewing machine bobbin, an odd metal circle topped with a cross, and a hat pin from Roma.  Brass dish filled with beads, a luggage key, and a piece of crystal from Arkansas ... which, by the way, was the very first "antique" I ever bought with my own money ... sometime around 1972 or '73 while on a family trip to England.)

Seriously ... who would really care about a little brass dish bought in England in the early '70s.  It's not valuable.  It's sentimental.  The sentiment is only mine.  Personal sentiment is not a feeling that will last without some help!  While the transformation isn't really "significant", it is at least part of a larger series.  I sort of imagine all these curiosities displayed together, as if oddities in a natural history museum.  By the way, as a child, I absolutely adored the Naturhistroishes Museum in Vienna and many other natural history museums too.  I loved the cabinets of taxidermy, the drawers of butterflies, the displays of geodes, the organization of it all, the tiny labels ... everything!  In a sense, I'm revisiting ideas from 2006 when I made my The Archeology Project.    

(Above:  Curiosity XX and XXI.  Made in Japan dish filled with all the sea glass I collected on Barcelona's beach and the pebbles I collected on the coast of Plymouth, UK along with eight rusty, square cut nails. Sea shell from Pritchard's Island filled with clock and watch parts and gears.)

My mind is already thinking about a "cabinet".  How should it look?  What should I make it out of?  How can I cobble together mismatched pieces of cabinetry to resemble the style of furniture that would appropriately house so many strange creations?  Time will tell!


(Above and below:  Curiosity XXII.  Hand painted cup and saucer from my Grandma Baker ... but I think it might have been one of her aunt's.  Ceramic bird, rosary, beads, artificial cemetery flowers, and a thimble.)

This cup and saucer is also a family piece.  I can't remember, however, who exactly owned it or why it was passed down.  I'm sure there's a story but ... does it matter?  Frankly, I like this transformed cup and saucer sitting in my gallery space now ... instead of  "as it was" collecting dust at the back of a shelf in the dining room!

(Above:  Curiosity XXIII.  Strange silver-plated dish from my mother-in-law filled with her watch, the watch Steve bought in Varna, Bulgaria, my father-in-laws old tie tacks and studs, a steel penny from 1943, a Russian ruble, a Hungarian fortin, a UK penny, coral from South Carolina, shells from Culzean Castle's beach in Scotland, a jet button, an old Scion master key, a luggage key, a few small rocks from Plymouth in England, a few pieces of sea glass from Barcelona, an old button Steve dug up in the backyard, an artificial flower from a cemetery dumpster, a blue jay feather, and one of my Ziabicki nails.)

(Above:  Looking straight into Curiosity XXIII.)

Steve helped collect the things for this piece.  The odd, silver-plated container has always been sentimental for Steve ... though he has no idea exactly what it is or why his mother had it or where it came from.  As it was, no one would ever treasure it again.  I used it when creating Under the Canopy, an installation that I did two years ago.  It simply sat on a little table and then went back onto a shelf in the dining room.  Maybe now, someone might find it unique.  Steve and I will probably keep it ... hoping that it might continue to be treasured in the future.  I plan on creating a unique "label" for it ... as if a museum identification tag ... listing the contents and the people associated with it.  Should be fun!

(Above:  Curiosity XXIV.  Old pot pie tin with a wooden peg and two pieces of found metal from the Palmetto Compression and Warehouse.)

While thinking of my own family and people who might treasure strange, trivial pieces of "stuff", I remembered a bag of old metal that came from the Palmetto Compression and Warehouse.  This four-story, historic cotton ball compress facility was built in 1917 and is on the National Registry of Historic Places.  Recently, it was under threat of demolition but fortunately saved.  It is being developed by local, interested groups with plenty of preservation projects under their belts.  This summer I was lucky to acquire some of the debris.  I'm planning on giving this piece to the lady in charge.  Over the years, she's done magical things to make Columbia's downtown Vista area the arts and cultural district that it is today ... and she's the one who made the arrangements for me to get the found metal I now have!

(Above:  My small cauldron with poke berry liquid and several antique garments.)

While working outside with the epoxy, I noticed the concoction of poke berries and water that I put into a plastic bucket several weeks ago.  (I blogged about Steve's "pet weeds", the poke berries ... HERE!)  It seemed time to separate the plants, pouring the bright fuchsia liquid into my small, iron cauldron ... and adding several pieces of antique/vintage garments.  Who knows what will happen.  The last time I tried poke berry, none of the color survived the necessary rinsing.  Maybe I should just forget about this until spring? LOL!

Go West!

(Above:  One of the amazing days in Yellowstone National Park.  Click on any image in this blog post to enlarge.)

My husband Steve is a travel plan genius.  He had a two-for-one airline coupon and then found a flight to Boise, Idaho for under $300!  This took us WEST for almost five days.  We had a FABULOUS time.  Although "nature" isn't the focus of my artwork, experiencing nature is one of the best ways to refresh, reflect, and reinvigorate my creativity.  I'll be using the energy from this trip for months to come!
 

(Above:  Steve atop one of the giant, volcanic cinder cones at Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.)

Our first stop was Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho.  We hiked up the giant cinder cone ...



... through the blooming high desert terrain ...



...past lava flow formations that truly resemble fibers!  Think ROPES ... coils and coils of rope!



We drove over acres of land that resembled cracked pavement but were really other interesting ways in which the lava cooled on earth.



There were grass lined trails that led to ...



... steep staircases ...




... that entered lava tubes that are called "caves".  Steve and I adore caves.  We've been in many.  Fortunately most recent cave visits have been west of the Mississippi.  That allowed us to obtain the "bat permit".  Why?  Well, bats in the east are dying due to "white nose syndrome".  5.7 million bats have died in Eastern North America since the winter of 2006-07.  The fungus might be transported on human's clothing and caving gear. 



We never actually saw a bat but they are notoriously difficult to spot when attached to the roof of a cave.  Besides, we were really looking at the sky through many of the "skylights" in the lava tubes.



These "skylights" form when the "roof" of the lava tube crumbles away.



From above, this is one of the giant holes that is called a "skylight" from inside the lava tube/cave.



Steve and I crawled through several of the tubes.



The lava is remarkable.  It is heavy porous ...



... and very light-weight when compared to any other stone of the same size!



For two nights we stayed in a cute log cabin at Colter Bay Village.  Originally built in the 1930s, the 166 authentic Jackson Hole cabins were refurbished and moved to this Grand Teton National Park location in the 1950.

166 authentic Jackson Hole homestead cabins

The view of the Grand Tetons at sunset was amazing.  One night we saw two fox cruising the campsite.  All the garbage cans sported "Be Bear Aware" signs.  This was truly a place where man and nature were living together.
 


The Grand Tetons are amazing.  The expanse between the Jackson Lake Lodge and the mountains was full of willow ... a favorite staple for moose.  We didn't see one.  We never saw a moose or an elk ... but one afternoon we came upon several cars parked all over the country road.  I got out of our rental vehicle to ask what was happening.  A lady whispered, "It's a bear!"  Sure enough, a black bear was less than twenty feet from the side of the road, under a tree, pulling low branches to its mouth!  Now, that's as close to a bear as I ever want to come!



While in Grand Teton National Park, we hiked in several locations including the trails around Jenny Lake.  It was sort of eerie.  The trail heads all sported "Be Bear Aware" signs with detailed information as to how a human ought to respond if happening upon a bear along the path.  Instructions said to "Back away slowly" and continued with "Do not run!  Bears can sprint three times faster than you can run!"  The instructions continued.  They were very informative ... telling how to use BEAR SPRAY.  We didn't have any bear spray.  As beautiful as Jenny Lake is, we were a little apprehensive about our lacking bear spray.



And ... why wouldn't a bear want to be near this beautiful lake?  It is truly a magnificent place on earth.



I guess that's why early settlers decided to homestead, farm, and raise cattle in this area.  At Moose Junction we visited the remaining log structures that were used for meetings with the government ... meetings that navigated the complicated negotiations that turned this land into a national park.  We didn't get inside the Chapel of Transfiguration.  It was Sunday morning when we visited.  We didn't have time to attend, but it is wonderful that there are two services every week!



We did visit the buildings at Menor's Ferry, a location that crossed the Snake River.  The general store was quaint.  There was a reproduction cable ferry.  It wasn't working when we were there, but it still does cross the swift moving water.  There was also an outhouse and several other buildings ...



... including a newly made structure in which were stored an original coach and covered wagon.



Nearby stood Maud Noble's cabin.  She purchased the ferry operation in 1918 and kept it running until 1927.  More importantly, she hosted the July 26, 1923 landmark meeting that initiated the formation of Grand Teton National Park.  For me, it was so interesting to see common antique items in such a historically significant place.  There were ordinary porcelain cups and saucers, novels, typical furniture, and so many other items that I'd generally see on any Friday night at Bill Mishoe's auction ... and not going for "big money".  The history of "people" in this faraway place is really very, very recent.



Best of all, Steve and I went around the side of this whitewashed building ...



... and saw a gigantic wood pile.  It stretched on and on ... enough wood for the brutal winter when few roads are plowed and fewer people stay in the area.  None of the park rangers and staff people we met will be in the area past Columbus Day!  (PS to Dad ... Steve and I thought of you while looking at all these split timbers!)

As glorious as the Grand Teton National Park is, Yellowstone was easily more fascinating.  Sure, I was excited to see a geyser.  Sure, as a kid I collected stamps and loved the 1972 8-cent stamp honoring the park.  Sure, I had a rough idea as to what formed a geyser ... but absolutely nothing prepared me for the vast number of geysers, the range of liquid colors, the rare textural surfaces, the sounds of boiling water, the smell of sulfur in the air, and the exchange of hot vapors with cool evening air.  Yellowstone is a multi-sensory experience of mind-boggling beauty, surreal science, and rare natural phenomenon. 

It was hard to know where to turn my camera's lens ... to the crusty mix of minerals on the surface ...

... to the cool blue pools of boiling water ...

... to the vista of boardwalks filled with awe-struck tourists ...

... to the variegated colors of microscopic plant life that can dwell in the extreme temperatures ...



... to the equally amazing rainbows found in local plant life ...

... to the intensity of a natural background ...

... to the lone osprey guarding a rocky aerie nest ...

... to one of the many incredible water falls ...

... to the "yellow" river bank cliffs against the Snake River rapids ...

... to the angles of roughed trees against the distant cliffs ...

... to the angry bison who were only feet from our hiking trail!

Yes, Steve and I were walking up this trail when a herd of bison decided to move in our direction.  There was a very nervous moment when two males butted horned heads.  A park ranger was fortunately nearby and said, "Walk faster!"  We did ... coming within ten yards of the two angry, nearly one-ton each males.  I took this photo after we were quite a bit further up the trail.  The ranger didn't let anyone walk back down until the herd moved on.  At another point, our car was stuck in a "traffic jam" while another herd decided to WALK DOWN THE ROAD.  Had we rolled down our windows, we could have touched them ... on both sides of the car.  (We aren't quite that stupid!)  Safe inside our vehicle, this was AWESOME!

The geysers were amazing.  The springs were equally fantastic.  Just think about it!  The photo above shows a cool teal and green pool.  It looks inviting.  It is likely over 170 degrees!  Some of the geysers and springs are at or above boiling.  Yet, the coloring is in hues of coolness.  One ranger told us about a dog, probably a lab, who got off its leash and made a mad dash into one of the springs.  His anxious owner tried to rescue him.  The dog died instantly.  The owner languished for nine days in a burn unit before also dying.  Scary ... but oh so lovely is that liquid!

Midway Geyser Basin was undeniably the most incredible place we visited.  The vapors coming off these mammoth sized geyser springs are incredible.  I took several videos as "still photos" cannot capture even a moment of the experience traveling over these board walks.  In fact, I've uploaded all the photos and videos I kept from this trip into a Flickr! album.  That album is HERE.    (Tip to Mom and Dad:  There are three pages to this album.  Scroll down to the bottom of the first page.  You will see the three page numbers at the very bottom.  The videos are all on page three!)

The roar of the wind, the smell of the minerals, and the surreal colors made this place simply outstanding.  If you want to just view one video, HERE is a 360 degree view from near Prismatic Geyser ... although THIS ONE really captures how it felt to walk on the board walk.  It's me following Steve as he tried to keep his hat on this head!

There were people from all over the world gasping at the natural beauty.  All sorts of languages were heard along the looped trail.  (By the way, Steve and I are still playing the childhood game of counting different states' license plates.  This was the BEST trip ever!  We saw six Canadian provinces and all the USA places except Hawaii and the District of Columbia!)

Did we see geyser's erupting!  Sure!  Most were at least expelling white steam.  There are about 500 geysers inside Yellowstone ... but there are over 10,000 "thermal features" ... which includes gigantic to tiny springs and other "hot" attractions. 

There are different sorts of geysers too!

Of course we also saw Old Faithful ... just after sun down ... from nice lounge chairs on a second floor balcony at the nearby Old Faithful Inn.  It was magnificent ... but we were truly THRILLED to come across a small geyser eruption just a few feet from the road.  Pink Cone was great ... and that video is HERE.  There's no way to predict when most of these geysers will erupt.  So, coming across this one felt somewhat special, almost intimate!  We know that very few people actually saw it.  We were among the lucky ones!

When we left the national parks, we drove to Jackson Hole and took the aerial tram to the top of Rendezvous Mountain (10,927').  The day was beautiful!



The 360 degree view was incredible!



The alpine vegetation was so pretty ...



... and fragile.  Some of these delicate specimen require fifteen years of root growth before a blossom can appear!

From there we traveled back into Idaho and spent our final evening in a tiny cabin on the ground of the Bruneau Sand Dunes State park.  We arrived in the late afternoon ... too late to climb the giant sand dune ... or so we thought!  The few families there were all letting their kids tackle "the little" sand dune.  So, we decided to hike perhaps "halfway" up the big one.

I really, really wanted to "make it".  Continued coaxing got Steve further up than either of us thought possible.  Finally I said, "Let me crawl ... just far enough to see the jagged edge that divides one side from the other."  What could Steve do?  Take photos of my butt, of course.  Yet ... I made it!

The view was GREAT!  I teased Steve that he would "miss this" if he didn't crawl too!

AND HE DID!

Honestly, I just wanted this photo ... something like the classic Ansel Adams black-and-white image of a giant sand dune.  It was worth the effort.  We did have to really, really hurry back down the steep slope and through the woods in order to return to our car before it got dark.  The sun had dipped below the horizon just moments before we drove the two miles back to our cabin.  That last night was magical.  The full "super moon" rose in the east while we picnicked.  This was definitely a trip to paradise.  Go WEST, if you ever have the opportunity!

Although this post has absolutely none of my artwork in it, I am still linking it to Nina-Marie's "Off the Wall Fridays", a site for sharing fiber arts.  Why?  Well, it really was an inspirational experience. I love to travel; I've been going places all my life.  I find the experiences to be deeply contemplative ... you know ... about art, life, God, nature, and especially about the sense of TIME, my constant focus.  I also find that a few days away from stitching reminds me why I love my medium.  My hands get anxious to take up a threaded needle.  I see all sorts of textures that I want to attempt in stitch and my mind is filled with new ideas.  I know that the future will bring about at least one of two of the plans that rolled around in my brain. The other thing about such a trip is a renewed sense of relaxation.  Love it!