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My close friend from El Paso sent me a text yesterday suggesting a name for my cranescape lenticular.
Craneology-
the study of cranes. Why didn't I think of that?
Here is the text she sent me. It was a few weeks after I posted the piece on Instagram so she caught me a little off guard.
Gina is so clever.
gracias Gina.
9/26/2016 - 10/2/2016
I started a new sculpture. This will be an additional piece to my series based on shaking dogs. My fingers are crossed.
Pedestal ✅ photos of similar pose ✅ wire✅ wire cutters✅ music ✅
The beginning
Paw
Double
Starting the body. This will be the back side of the piece. The front of the piece you will see just the dogs head popping out and paws gripping the side of a deck.
Right side view
I Moved the piece from my garage to my studio at Glassell. It got a little banged up in the move. There is a lot of negative space involved in these pieces so it is important to have a clean white background behind whichever side I am working on. I have created a movable partition that I move around it as I work.
I taped two 3 paneled science fair poster boards together to make my clean white back drop.
Left side started
Adding more support
More wire
Front view- at this time he is headless. The most important part of this piece will be the dogs expression.
Left view- the tail is wagging extreme left. I spent an entire day getting this tail perfect. Next week I will take a backside view.
The next step is to start the head and face.
I will start a new post for the head of this piece.
I am still struggling with a name. Curtis suggested "did I win?"
I was thinking "paws up"
Naming the piece is an important task to me. I struggle with the name of each and every piece. And I am struggling with the name of this piece.
If you have a suggestion for a "title of work" please do not hesitate to send me an idea.
9/26/2016
I started a new sculpture. I hope it works with my shake shake shake work.
Pedestal ✅ photos of similar pose ✅ wire✅ wire cutters✅ music ✅
Starting dogs left paw .
Paws pulling up on edge of pool.
Right paw gripping edge.
Starting the body
Adding back right leg for support.
A good place to stop for the day.
I Moved the piece from my garage to my studio at Glassell. It got a little banged up in the move. There is a lot of negative space involved in these pieces so it is important to have a clean white background behind whichever side I am working on. I have created a movable partition that I move around it as I work.
.
Yikes! So many problems to fix at this point. (Left view)
His tail is wagging far to his left. (right view)
I worked a full day on legs and torso and I am feeling a lot better about how it is shaping up.
I will address the head in a deprecate post.
The Dean and artist Patrick Palmer and the 9 BLOCK XVI Fellows.
Screen shot from Patrick's Facebook.
We have a spacious common area between our studios. Thursday we each installed a piece of art in the common area. We drew for spaces except for me. I offered to take the space over the sink/counter space which is promenintly in front of the entrance. The downside is it is over the sink. I offered to take the space and install a wire pieces. They can not be damaged by the water. It isn't the most beautiful space in the room but I just couldn't bare to walk in and have a big ugly blank wall in front of the entrance.
I cropped the sink out
On the left "tell -tale"
right "dog star - sirius"
Left - Doug Welsh http://www.douglaswelsh.com/artist-statement/
right- Nell Gottlieb
Left -sarah fisher
http://www.sarahfisherart.com/
center - vanessa Nasta
Right - Karen Eisele http://kareneisele.com/
Left- penny Warga
center -Shangyi Hua
right- Boo Kennedy
Detail of "fetch IV"
In July I started a new cranescape. As I started two thoughts were colliding in my head. The first thought was to start a new companion piece for my first four crane pieces which all have yellow cranes. The second thought was to create a cranescape with white cranes. There are 3 white cranes working everyday a few blocks from my home.
White construction cranes on Kirby drive.
Below are the notes I made as the piece progressed.
This piece will be 50" X 72". I like my Stonehenge to be really alive so I collage building shapes of Stonehenge to it. I tear all the shapes to help build the energy of the piece and bring life to the paper.
Collaging the paper with more paper before I start drawing. I am using two different colors of white.
Close up of collage
The basic structure of this piece is the same as my first four. A large mass of buildings on the left, three structures in the distance top right, with a few structures below.
Starting with chunk charcoal
Water and ink
Starting to add color
Adding some atmosphere
The paper is dripping wet so I will let it dry out for awhile. I have little patience for waiting. 😕
I am very messy. I really need a table and a lot of plastic.
It needs depth-
I am not happy with the direction this has gone. I want to take it back to just black ink and charcoal.
Adding more charcoal chunk and then more gesso, more black ink, more charcoal powder and more gesso.
I misplaced a photo between the last photo and the next. Sorry for the jump.
Then I saw it right there on my Stonehenge paper - the construction site as in my first drawings but the cranes were white and barely visible as when day breaks.
Cranes at first light
50" X 72"
ink, gesso, charcoal and collage.
This will make a great lenticular with one of the other pieces.
Clean uncluttered space
perfect space for creativity.
This piece is so big I could not unwrap it at home. I picked it up from the framer weeks ago and have been waiting to unwrap it.
40" X 54 1/4" without the frame.
It is the first thing I took to my new studio.
In 1991 I was remodeling a home as the contractor and met Jose Luis Contreras. I was in a little over my head (I also had a toddler and a new born) and I knew it but I also knew I would figure it out step by step. I hired Luis to cut a few panels out of my new front door. He did a beautiful job. Then he relocated some cabinets, then enclosed a patio, tore a wall out of my kitchen (support wall).........the list went on and on. I think we worked together on the first house 6 months 6-7 days a week. Since that first job Luis and I remodeled two homes in El Paso, one home in New Orleans (and built a 1500 square foot addition to it) , and two homes in Houston Texas. Luis speaks Spanish and I only speak English (sadly) but that didn't matter we just connected and communicated beautifully. I use my hands a lot and Luis is really good at interpreting my sign language. Everything I dreamed up Luis new how to accomplish it. I learned so much about construction from him. He could build an entire home by himself if you would let him. I couldn't let him due to city codes, however he would have done a better job than most licensed plumbers and electricians.
It has been over ten years since I have remodeled a home so I have not seen Luis since 2004. He lives in El Paso. December of 2015 he started helping my sister in El Paso remodel a townhouse so Luis I were able to reconnect.
Janet travis fortune, Jose Luis Contreras, and me
A few months later I received the beautiful 1800's dome trunk. See below.
1800's Domed trunk under Mexican colonial drafting table .
Below are pictures of two small but unique projects Luis and I pulled off. I think of him and smile every time I look at my sink and my chandelier.
Powder room sink collaboration
I relocated a powder room to under my stairs. I could not find a sink small enough to fit the space. I did find a small copper pot big enough to wash two hands in - barely fit two hands in. I also had 3 ball and claw feet to set it on and a scrap of marble. Luis put the whole thing together and mounted the small marble ledge. He made it look so easy.
In the early 90's I decided to make an antler chandler. I bought a newel post and already had my antlers. I knew how I wanted to build it but I did not have any skills. Luis saved the day. He drilled all the holes perfectly straight. I am still not sure how he did that.
Chandelier collaboration from 1991
I sent a photo of the domed trunk refinished to Luis through his daughter on Facebook. She sent me the fallowing message.
Text from Luis's daughter Melina.
A family treasure from one of my favorite and most talented friends.
Here's to you (salute) Jose Luis Contreras.
Muchas gracias mi amigo.
S. Erickson was one of the thousands who died at the Oregon state mental hospital whose ashes were abandoned inside one of 3500 copper urns. I saw his picture in the newspaper and could not forget him. He has a quiet presence about him that stayed with me. I tore out his picture and put on my bulletin board. S. Erickson's file stated he was a laborer and suffered from senility, he came to New York in 1883 from Norway. Mr. Erickson was one of the forgotten souls but I could not forget him.
Picture from the newspaper
Fyi- "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" was filmed at Oregon state mental hospital.
forgotten soul - S. Erickson
Armature and wax
I made the armature so that with a pull of the cord I could remove it from the wax. This way I can cast my sculpture without making a mold. You could never mold the beard I sculpted.
Building up the facial features.
Hay makes an awesome matted beard and hair.
Sprue system for building a mold.
The next step is to dip the piece creating a ceramic shell. The wax and hay will then be burnt out in a furnace. Then the bronze will be poured into the cavity of the shell.
After the bronze cools I begin breaking off the shell. The beard is very difficult.
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It is a very slow process to remove the shell from a heavily textured surface. This is why almost a bronze is smooth-ish. But I love texture so I have to do the work to get it.
The shell is removed.
The next step is to patina the surface.
forgotten soul - S. Erickson
11"X 12" X 9" 2014
I took these with my cell phone before I bought the new bulbs. The pictures I took in the studio are still on my camera.
The entire "fetch" series on the 50" X 60" Stonehenge collage and ink.
Part of my "shake shake shake " work
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
My first event is getting some good photos of some recent works. I have new 120 V 500 W bulbs. They put off a ton of heat. Now if I can just get the light on the work.
Shake shake shake - fetch I
People always ask me where I get my inspiration so here is a post about something that inspires me that may inspire a future project.
I listen to a lot of podcast (as I try to get my 10,000 fit bit steps in) and was moved by a poem in the one I heard this morning. I tracked down the words and have cut and pasted them below.
"Where I live"
"I live in a world where most people are too afraid to go. Surrounded by tall, concrete walls, steel bars, where razor wire have a way of cutting away at the hopes for a brighter tomorrow.
I live in a world that kill people who kill people in order to teach people that killing people is wrong. Imagine that. Better yet, imagine a world where healed people helped hurt people heal and become strong. Maybe then we would all be singin' "Redemption Song."
I live in a world that has been called "hell on Earth" by those trapped inside. But I've come to the stark realization that prison --it really is what you make it. You see, in spite of the harshness of my reality, there is a silver lining. I knew that my freedom was gonna come, it was just a matter of time. And so I treated my first steps as if they were my last mile, and I realized that you don't have to be free in order to experience freedom.
And just because you're free, doesn't mean that you have freedom. Many of us, for years, have been battling our inner demons. We walk around smiling when inside we're really screamin':freedom!
Don't you get it? We're all serving time;we're just in different places. As for me, I choose to be free from the prisons I've created. The key:forgiveness. Action's my witness. If we want freedom, then we gotta think different. Because freedom ...it isn't a place. It's a mind setting"
- James Cavett
I share James' philosophy about happiness - It comes from within. It is too bad more people do not get this concept. He did a beautiful job of articulating his experience with the mind set. He is an artist of language and I am in awe.
I will put this poem in my folder of inspiration. The place I go to when I want to start a new drawing or new sculpture. I highly recommend listening to him recite the piece. His voice is very strong.
here is a link to the pod cast.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tedtalks-audio/id160904630?mt=2&i=372012863
The title of the Ted talk is "redemption | john legend".
You also get to hear john legends song.
We will see where this takes me on my journey.............
Considering I have been working in an un air conditioned space (in Houston) this is a HUGE welcomed step in my artistic journey. August 1st I picked up the key. Last May I was accepted along with 8 other artist into the BLOCK program at the MFAH Glassell Studio School. In the Block program I have an air conditioned studio (my own) on the property and I am able to use the facilities (every department) 24 hrs a day. It is like getting the key to Disneyland. The other tremendous benefit of being selected in this program are the studio visits. Every Thursday Patrick Palmer the Dean has hand selected people in the art community to visit in our studios and discuss our work. It is an amazing opportunity and I plan on soaking up everything I can for the next two years.
1/2 of the space
The longest wall. It has an awkward weird column right down the middle - but I can deal with it.
I can't wait - Disneyland everyday.
My water garden needs some pruning so I will get in and clean it up instead of working in my studio.
The before picture - the lilies are taking over.
It is really crowded.
Killer purple Lillie. This bloom is about 6" wide.
Close up of my albino bullfrog. he is a a baby about 4"long sitting down.
A teeny tiny toad. He is maybe 1/2"
A step back from the toad with night blooming Lillie in the background.
Done.
After seeing the show at Artspace 111 we were lucky to catch the Frank Stella Retrospective at the Fort Worth Modern Museum. It is one of my favorite museums. After seeing the exhibit we always have an amazing meal in the museum restaurant. It is located on a large contemporary body of water with beautiful floor to cieling windows in the round. It is farm to table, the chef is world class and it is the perfect place to discuss the show, and have some coffee before driving back to H town.
Curtis taking in some Frank Stella. His body language and orange shirt was interestingly similar to the piece to his right. It almost looked like an abstract of Curtis. He retired this month from thirty + years as a CPA with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Congrats to Curtis.
Now he can go with me to see art more often.
Below are a few pieces I liked in the show.
My favorite piece in the show. I would have loved watching the installation of this piece.
Cool materials
This gives you an idea of the size of his work.
The show closes this weekend so Curtis and I drove up to Fort Worth to check it out.
The modest entrance
My "shake shake shake I and II" lenticular in the show.
Artspace 111 was a real pleasure to visit. The Gallery located in an old, red brick warehouse backs up to the railroad tracks. Back in the day it was an old furniture factory. The historic architectural features have been preserved. I just love old buildings. This one has beautiful old brick walls and massive industrial rolling doors. There is a large garden for events with industrial concrete columns that have been turned into cocktail tables. It is a beautiful space.
Industrial rolling doors used in the exhibit to hang a painting of a warehouse.
Another door - the textures are so rich.
Features from the building that make it a special venue.
Amazing iron work on these sliding doors.
The sculpture garden.
This lenticular is made from two pieces "dance of the cranes" interlaced with "sunset cranes".
I am trying to decide on a title for this piece ???????????
Growing up in a small border town, seeing a skyline of construction cranes is invigorating and exciting. The cranes as a subject matter are a symbol of opportunity to me. I drew the four pieces in the series spring/summer of 2015 because of my personal connection with the Houston cranes.
This past year while traveling I noticed that Miami, Washington DC, Dallas, Ft. Worth, and New York City all have skylines littered with construction cranes. With a bit of research I learned that the US is experiencing a construction boom.
These Cranescapes record this moment in US economic history (469.5 billion in construction starts in 2015). My abstract interpretation of this moment could be any city experiencing a construction boom. This gives the work universal appeal for anyone interested in American contemporary art.
