Cranes- through the window

A year ago, I made two works on paper; “Cranes Through the Window I and II”. The inspiration came when I stopped at a red light. Peering through the fogged and rain drenched car window, drops trickled down into tiny rivers, carving new landscapes in the glass. Beyond the miniature rivulets, dark and dusky clouds loomed in the shadows while others stood out in rays of hope. Through the puffs of gray, rooftops were stacked, and construction cranes delicately cross stitched in saffron and goldenrod garnished their capstones.

cranes through the window I 30” X 22”  

cranes through the window I 

30” X 22”  

cranes through the window II30” X 22”

cranes through the window II

30” X 22”

When asked if I had any cranescapes that were not monumental in size, I realized I had not posted these two pieces.

Hurricane Harvey Project - confronted with humanity - the update and Red Cross Cot #7

 When completed, this project will be a two-part installation. I started with two monotype watercolor pieces of Red Cross beds

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I was also inspired by the heroes caught on camera by the twenty four hour news stations and social media site postings. I believe the best way to change people for the better is to catching them doing it right. The Harvey Heroes are an incredible o…

I was also inspired by the heroes caught on camera by the twenty four hour news stations and social media site postings. I believe the best way to change people for the better is to catching them doing it right. The Harvey Heroes are an incredible opportunity to highlight people helping people, people demonstrating the human chain. 

 

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the monotypes all together to date. Sadly I did not have a press over the summer. 

 

Now it is time to focus on the 3D cot. The cot is both a pedestal for a wire dog sleeping on the cot waiting for his owner and a historical reference to the bare bones of humanity realized at the GRB during Hurricane Harvey.

mulch bags weighing down the cot where the dog will lay. 

mulch bags weighing down the cot where the dog will lay. 

In order to make the indention of the dogs body where he dog will lay I have layed  bags of mulch in the shape of a dogs body and have piled bricks on top to weigh it down. Then I have sanding and painting to do, a concrete or plaster pillow to make and then I have to figure out the blanket. Lastly I have to make the wire dog. And more hero pieces. I like to have more than enough so I can edit it down to my favorites when I exhibit it. 

Faux bois Wedding gift ❤️❤️ #6 - great habits

Cutting the lath into strips, wrapping the rebar with the lath, and securing it with safety wire is a long process, and it is monotonous. Cut, wrap, secure, secure, secure, secure repeat... repeat, repeat. Concrete liquefies with motion, so if the lath wiggles as I press the concrete onto it, the concrete will liquefy and fall off the armature. The best way for me to make the armature and lath securely attached together is to do a little every day. I will make it a habit.  
The lesson from the lovebirds at this stage of building the bench is to build good marriage habits into your daily routine. For example, in 30 years from now, if you hope to greet each other after a long day with a warm embrace and a kiss, then make a conscious decision to make that a habit today and every day. Discuss how you dream your marriage to be in 30 years, and consciously start those habits now, no matter how busy you might be.

Good Happy habits = happy marriage.

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Cutting strips of lath to cover the rebar branches in.  

working on the legs and feet.

working on the legs and feet.

Measuring a piece for the seat.

Measuring a piece for the seat.

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the lath work is complete.  

Roots- Thank you Soul Cycle


These two dead plants were in pots outside of Soul Cycle. The roots were exposed and beautiful. This summer every week I would ask the staff if I could have them for my art. Every week I received the same response, that they would have to get approval from the locations manager to remove the dead plants. They are mine now. 😊 thank you, everyone at Soul Cycle for not getting irritated with my constant persuit of these roots. 

My interest in roots has to do with my interest in regenerative agricultural. I will explain in the next roots blog post

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The art of conversation -football, father’s and daughters.

When I moved away from El Paso in 1998 and I called my Dad, we did not have a lot to talk about. Although, I had lots to say about Curtis, the kids, the dogs and my various women's tennis sports thrillers, but he didn’t have a lot to share with me. I felt like our conversations were one sided since we didn’t converse. My dad l o v ed football, so, like a good daughter, I took up watching college and pro football. I cheer for the Aggies (unless they were playing the TT Raiders. If they played the Raiders, I was pistols up) and the Texans. My Dad rooted for UT and the Cowboys. He watched every game. We had some great conversations after the games, reliving the great plays, tragic fumbles, amazing long artful passes, the player’s impressive athletic abilities, and crazy interceptions together. The Texans play tonight, and I am pretty sure my Dad is pumped. I am having a strange urge to smoke a brisket or maybe some ribs. Tonight we watch together, however, he has a better view than I do. 

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my Dad’s senior year book. 

Hurricane Harvey Project - confronted with humanity #3

 I wanted to finish this series before the anniversary of Harvey. Unfortunately I do not have a press available to use. The images are 30” X 22”, and they would be difficult to press by hand. I have decided to go ahead and post the pieces I was able to finish this spring.  I will post close ups of the other pieces over the summer. 

The guy in the Astros cap 

The guy in the Astros cap 

Ghost print.  

Ghost print.  

 

The plan is to combine a collection of the images with a sculpture of a Red Cross cot. 

 

 

 I am still fine tuning the artist statement. 

 

(working) artist statement- 

When you witness or experience a horrific event there are images that hold onto you, images that will forever be conjoined to the experience.

Weathering Houston’s hurricane Harvey I was glued to the TV and Houston’s social media postings.  My eyes soaked up videos of contaminated waters creeping in the homes of nearby neighborhoods. I witnessed daring rescues of families as they were evacuated. In amazement I watched mothers and children pile into garbage trucks, elderly folks in wheel chairs airlifted by helicopters. Through social media calls for help it became obvious our cities first responders could not get to every home in need. Proudly I saw brave Texans convert their flat bottom fishing boats, and jacked up pickup trucks into liferafts and search for those who called for help.  No man would be left behind.

When our street drained, turning off the news, and putting my social media in my pocket I packed up my dry survivors guilt and headed down to the George R. Brown convention center to volunteer and treat my pain and my conscience. The Red Cross  had turned 1/3 of the GRB into a families with pets section. Entering the building with dielated pupils I wove my way through the walk ways created by the clusters of family occupied cots and pet kennels spread throughout the space. It struck me that even in the midst of a disaster we humans create neighborhoods and small communities, we are pack animals.  I  headed towards the pop up pet supply store well stocked from donations made by citizens  and the volunteer veterinary clinic where I would be helping out. Careful not to disturb the sleeping citizens of the newly formed families with pets city,  I was confronted by a single cot. It was freshly dressed in a crisp white sheet accessorized with a fluffy white pillow and tucked in by a cozy, white flannel blanket decorated with tiny Red Cross logos all over. It was isolated from the others waiting for the next victim of Harvey to tuck themselves in and comfort them with safety.  With all the rescue images of people trudging through unsanitary water, homes floating in floodwater fresh in my memory bank that cot was shockingly - humanity. 30,000 GRB citizens would be relieved to make it their new homestead.  It was heart breaking - and beautiful all at the same time. I could imagine if I had been rescued that that cot would have been a along awaited relief. That I would not have asked the sheet thread count or if the cotton was grown pesticide free. My heart hurt for all those who were grateful to have such a cot. That cot, that crystal clear image of stripped down humanity is the Harvey image that holds onto me.

Within weeks I made two watercolor monotype pieces of the cot one as I saw it and one with a pet waiting for it’s owner. I was pleased with their crispness and the delicate watery shapes seen when closely inspected. It occurs to me that the cot was so symbolic to me because of the constant eyewitness news reporting and abundance of social media post. From my dry den  I too experienced Harvey. 

I have collected screen shots of these images and will use them as inspiration for additional works to go with the cot. It will be interesting to see it is interesting to anyone but me.

Harvey project #1

October 6, 2017

I am starting a new project inspired by the experiences I witnessed on social media during hurricane Harvey as well as broadcasted  by traditional media, and my experience at George R.Brown as a volunteer in the families with pets area. 

There were so many images of people rescuing perfect strangers, big guys with boated who just could not sit at home and watch people suffer on TV. When the rain finally stopped I found that I had a bad case of survivors guilt. The only thing you can do about survivors guilt is to volunteer. So  that I did; I went down to the George R. Brown Convention Center and as fate would have it I was assigned the families with pets section. I was the only non trained volunteer the put in the families with pets section. The other volunteers were trained by pets4life one of the local pet rescue associations. In the families with pets section the families are allowed to bring their pets. The have to be seen by the volunteer vet. They were given any vaccines or medication they needed. 

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water color monotype. 

30” X 22” 

Sapling #1

I have had a request to make a faux bois sapling tree complete with bronze abstract leaves. 

 

Arnature -  

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The Steel armature is complete. 

The question is what do I make the leaves out of to make the leaf molds. I do not have an answer - yet.