Art Inside Studio Tour

This weekend is a busy one in Oil City.  Lots to do and see and it's all free!

Indie Fest starts on Friday with a variety of bands.  Locations will be all over the place.  Some will be in establishments and some will be set up on the street, along with some other outdoor activities.

Grafitti Gallery has a new show opening on Friday night.  The opening runs from 5:00-7:00.  Come meet the artists and share in some good food.

Saturday and Sunday things continue with the addition of the  (first and I hope annual ) Art Inside Studio Tour.  It is a self-guided tour of 20 artist's studios.  See first hand the various artist's talents.

I'll be in my studio on Saturday only, but the tour runs on Sunday too.  If you are out and about this Saturday stop in and visit.  See what's new or if it's your first time..... Welcome!

  

Hidden Pictures

As a kid, I loved the "Highlights" magazine.  One of my favorite pages in the magazine was the Hidden Pictures page.  So..... here is my version of hidden pictures.

Can you spot the two charms that are different?

I bet you can figure out why they are different.

The copper and bronze charms are in the making (if I can get them done in time........ retirement is really busy!)

"Turn Around"

My second entry to the Junk Art Show is titled "Turn Around."  The theme of this piece is grandchildren.  Now, I'll just mention right from the start that I don't consider this piece finished.

My method of working seems to be.... get an idea, begin working, change my mind, work some more, decide that "it's" not working, set aside and live with it for awhile until the piece tells me what's missing.  Sometimes this "tell me what you need stage" lasts a few days or occasionally it's been a few years.  When I started this piece I had three days.  (There's that procrastinator in me again!)

I suspect the idea began forming on the day that I attended my Granddaughter's kindergarten program, followed by rushing home to attend my Grandson's preschool program.  During both of these programs there was a slide presentation showing all the little ones through the previous year.  Of course the slide shows were accompanied by music that reminded us to enjoy them now because they grow so fast.

For this piece, I went in search of junk to use.  (Unlike the previous piece which just jumped out at me.)  Since I did a major cleaning out earlier in the year, there wasn't much for me to choose from.  In looking around the grandchildren's game room I noticed all the puzzle pieces which they'd outgrown.  (Sniff, sniff.)  So, that was my starting point.

At first I was going to use the puzzle pieces as is, but decided instead to paint them.   (Although there are a couple that are the original color.)  Pink for the granddaughter and blue for the grandsons.  I put in quite a few hours, arranging and rearranging the pieces (stressing about it as I knew time was running out.)  There are painted-on puzzle shapes that bend around the canvas to the edges and actual pieces glued on to the edges.

Besides the puzzle pieces is a handless clock face (trying to stop the clock..... to no avail) and puzzle shapes cut out of sheet music.  Here is where only "oldies" like me might get the title "Turn around."
The song was written by Malvina Reynolds, Allen Greene and Harry Belfonte and was a hit for the Kingston Trio in 1964.  (I'm including the lyrics for anyone not familiar with it.)

"Turn Around"  Puzzle pieces, acrylic paint, sheet music, watch face

"6 x 6"

I liked the idea, but didn't really feel the piece was successful.  So..... after the show, I will live with it and see if I can figure out the direction it wants to go.

"Turn Around" as written by Malvina Reynolds.

Where are you going, my little one, little one, Where are you going, my baby, my own? Turn around and you're two, Turn around and you're four, Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door. Turn around, turn around, Turn around and you're a young girl going out of my door. Where are you going, my little one, little one, Little dirndls and petticoats, where have you gone?2 Turn around and you're tiny, Turn around and you're grown, Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own. Turn around, turn around, Turn around and you're a young wife with babes of your own.

"Silver Landscape"

Okay, I was asked to show the work that I entered into the junk art show.  So here's one and tomorrow's post will show my other entry.

My working method for the most part is to over think everything and not let loose.  Which is pretty much what I did with my approach to making something for this exhibit.

This particular piece did come together very quickly though.  I was sitting at a table in my studio, trying to resolve problems with my other piece when I saw the metal clay paper "scraps" from previous projects.  Often I take these pieces which are the negative shapes left by the use of paper punches and use them to make designs on jewelry or add them to my paste pot.  The woven piece would probably have been destined for the past pot for sure, as it would have created a jagged piece (which really isn't good for jewelry.)

In searching the closet for something to use with the pieces I came across some pieces of ebony from my long ago "body ornament" that I made in my college jewelry class.  (Oh God, that class was forty two years ago.)  Those pieces made a nice framing piece for the silver.

Ebony and silver may not seem like junk, but when they are not being used they are.

The silver looks white because that's the way it looks fresh out of the kiln.  It's not a coating, instead it's the silver particles standing on end.  Once they are brushed down the silver begins to show and burnishing it polishes it to a shine.  My original intention was to polish the pieces but I rather liked the white contrast with the black ebony.  I did polish up an extra piece to see what it looked like and didn't like it  (Plus the paper pieces were too fragile to polish without some kind of backing.)

"Silver Landscape"  Ebony and silver on canvas
6" x  9"

I thought maybe the title would help the viewer visualize what I was going for but I'm not so sure..... so I add here a description.  (Note there is a piece of silver directly added to the canvas, below the third ebony piece.

Since this is a blog about metalclay and grandchildren, this post is about my junk art entry dealing with silver.  My next post will be about my junk art entry that deals with grandchildren.  

Junk Art Show

Last Saturday was the opening of the "Junk Art Show" in the Graffiti Gallery.   I mentioned that I was making a couple of pieces to enter into the show. (I was out of my comfort zone but Swan is very forceful!)

This past Friday I did one of my stints at Gallery sitting.  We had a few people in but the second shift saw a bigger crowd because of the Indie Fest going on out in the street.  Since I didn't get a chance to take photos of the show during the opening, I used my down time to take a few yesterday.  (Along with sanding my silver charms for the conference..... and a little reading of a romance novel.  Luckily no one came in to see me blushing!)

So..... here are some pictures of the exhibit.  Pictures do not do justice to the works, so stop down on a Friday or Saturday between 11:00-7:00 to see the exhibit.  I believe it's on until July 7th?

"Wrench Bench" by Bill Kapp

"Pure Piano Keys" by Susette Jolley

"Wind Chime" by Bill Kapp

"Prohibiting Bridge" by Swantje-Elke

I'll share my pieces in the next post (which is almost as uncomfortable as sharing them in the exhibit.)

"One man's trash is another man's art"

On June 9th, the Graffiti Gallery is having it's opening for the "Junk Art Show" from 4:00-7:00.  I'm actually working on a couple of pieces to enter in the show.  (My first.)  Entering shows is not in my nature so this has been a struggle.

I've always said that artists are pack rats (at least I know I am) as everything is a potential art material.  It makes it really hard to throw things out.  

During "Art all Night", there were several artist's whose work would fit the exhibit's theme.  James Dworek was one of those artists.  His modem, "Gone but not Forgotten" is created from "outdated" technology.  Hopefully, he'll be able to share his work at the show.

Join us for Open Studios on the 9th and stay for the opening of the show!