Peace pigeon project #17 - Pareidolia

In the fall of 2016 I decided to experiment with sculpture materials. I challenged myself to sculpt a new sculpture a week, each week in a different material. As my subject, I chose the German beak crested trumpeter with leg muffs pigeon because he allows me to express a lot of movement and energy. I have many drawings and a bronze sculpture of the German beak trumpeter. From a sculpturing point of view, his feathery feet keep him balanced without a pedestal allowing for lots of the expression of energy and emotion.

It turns out that the bird known in the US as a German beak trumpeter pigeon is the same bird that Picasso drew as the peace dove. Everyone knows His famous "peace doves". This particular pigeon was given to him by Henri Matisse. It is described as a Milanese pigeon. Possibly it was from Milan, but you can tell by the fancy feathers on his feet that it is a German beak-crested trumpeter with leg muffs. In German and French, the term pigeon and dove are interchangeable.

I am no longer committed to sculpt a peace pigeon a week but I don’t hesitate if a material or found object jumps out at me to turn it into a sculpture.

The very last beak break.  

Vivian Maier

The movie about Vivian Maier greatly influenced me to keep as much of my work as possible. I am glad to see that her work is still relevant and getting shown.  

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-vivian-maiers-never-before-seen-color-photography

An opportunity to help

I was so happy when I was contacted by Jeff Schultz of Houston Responds. He needed images to illustrate his booklet for recruiting people to help the people in Houston who are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey.  

Unfortunately I was not able to include the Bible study booklet. Below are a few of our emails.  Helping others is the best - 

Harvey Heroes- LIVEstock - “high horse

“High horse”

 44” X 30”

watercolor monotype  

 “High horse” ghost print 

44” X 30”

watercolor monotype

Harvey Heroes- LIVEstock - “bringing home the bacon”

​I stared a new section in my Hurricane Harvey series of Harvey Heroes. These will all be LIVEstock rescues.

I made the first one today,

 “Bring home the bacon.”

44” X 30” watercolor monotype  

This is my first large monotype.
I have always wanted to go larger, but the temporary location of the Glassell School of Art did not have a big press. The pieces in this part of the series will all be 44” X 30” The Glassell printmaking studio has fabulous light, is super clean, and I love working in it. Alexander Squier, the head of the department and instructor makes sure everyone keeps it spick and span. This is the fourth time I have taken the class, print making is addicting and you need a press to feed your addiction. Plus Alexander is great.

Here is the ghost print. Something happened to the ghost. I am not sure what caused the mark that runs through the middle. When it dries I will try to fix it.  

Before fixing-

The ghost - “bringing home the bacon”  

Fixed  

My work space in the Glassell printmaking studio  

Me fake working for a photo op.  

March 3, 2013 - Woman Suffrage Procession -Inez Milholland- title of work update

Now that I have three pieces in my women’s movement body of work I have decide to alter the title and artist statement of this piece. 

March 3, 2013 - Woman Suffrage Procession -Inez Milholland

Riding aside historically represents oppression of women's rights. Suffragette Inez Milholland rode astride in the 1913 ride/march on Washington. Inez was not only protesting for the right to vote, own property, to sue, but also to ride astride.

This is my first piece of work that addresses the women’s movement. It first resonated with me purely from an aesthetic point of view, as I knew the aged leather would reproduce beautifully in bronze. What I did not realize, however, was that this sculpture would represent more than a stereotypical Texas western symbol. In my women’s movement body of art it represents the strength of Victorian women and the beginning of the women’s movement, the March 3, 1913 suffrage parade in Washington.

 For more information in the 1913 women’s movement see the links below. 

 https://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimgs.6sqft.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F03%2F15104106%2FInez-Milholland-1913.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.6sqft.com%2Fbrownstones-and-ballot-boxes-the-fight-for-womens-suffrage-in-brooklyn%2F&docid=2ZnWV_e9x0g-OM&tbnid=YNNH9k49Fdl9wM%3A&vet=1&w=1024&h=726&hl=en-us&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim

 http://time.com/4391874/the-society-girl-who-became-a-martyr-for-womens-suffrage/

 https://goo.gl/images/bJeGyT

 http://www.lrgaf.org/articles/sidesaddles_and_suffragettes.htm

Sapling #4- baby bird

Sapling #7 - lath, 1st coat and second coat.

My daughter special requested this piece. She asked if I could make her a sapling. My response was I could try, but the pencil size steel limits how thin I can make the tree limbs. Long story short, the sapling grew old fast. After the first coat the sapling limbs we're no longer sapling thin.

Covered in lath

Keeping an eye on my mix

The first coat - the bronze leaves are covered in green plastic to protect them.

First, I paint on the bonding liquid.

The piece is now ready for coat number 2.

Coat number 2 ✅

Here is the image edited super light in order to show the texture.

More details

Detail of upper branches

A little more concrete need under the bird.

Detail of trunk

The lower trunk and base.

The abundance of knots is evidence that this tree is the host of many insects and good bacteria. Bees and other insects use trees for nesting and receive antiviral properties from the fungus and bacteria that grow on the tree.

Faux bois Wedding gift ❤️❤️#8

Today I put the first coat of concrete on the feet. I use rockite a concrete mixture used for making repairs in concrete. 

Work space  

Right front and back pre rockite 

Right front and back feet with rockite. 

1 lb. rockite 3 oz. of water.  

When I work on Griffin and Alex’s wedding gift I always find myself thinking about their future. Today I found myself thinking about their (Griffin and Alex’s) future children and how similar yet how different children can be and how perfect they each are. Just like the feet of a bench. 

Sapling #3 - the leaves

I am making the abstract leaves in wax. They will eventually be bronze.  

I have made more than enough. I made some of the stems out of red spruces.  The stems will self vent the gases. 

The lid of the our cup is now cut off.  

Hurricane Harvey Project - confronted with humanity- Harvey Heroes - Solving installation problems

Have I done enough? Which should I edit? Include the cot, don’t include the cot???? How should I compose them as a group? 

Performance art - getting out of my comfort zone is playing with fire.

The Glade Arts Foundation had a Halloween event, for which they booked a local graffiti artist to create a piece during the event. At the last moment, he had a conflict. I was asked if I knew anyone that could fill in, I couldn’t find any takers They needed an artist to create art during the event that would be fitting of Halloween. I am a sucker for anyone in need and offered to come up with something. I wrestled with a few ideas that I thought would be fun to watch - ink bubbles or lemon juice and fire. I went with fire. When my son was 8 years old, we threw him a magician birthday party. I wrote the invitations with invisible ink, (lemon juice) with instructions to apply fire to the invitation to make the words appear like magic. With that experience over twenty years ago in mind, I showed up at the Glade Arts Foundation with my torch, lighter, graphite stick, charcoal, and stick of white pastel and jumped.
Below are the results that landed:

The portrait was the finale and about 48”wide. The others were my experimental play. I always try new materials on images I am familiar with. 

These were the prizes for the best costumes. The winners requested that I sign the front.

It was really fun to interact with the guest and to be a link in the human chain of life.  

Roots #4 building the Shell.

The handle for the tool  

The cup is cut off and I have lots of holes drilled in the sprues to blow out the organic matter.  

Hurricane Harvey Project - confronted with humanity #11 - my struggles w the Red Cross cot

After considerable consideration I have decide to table the cot sculpture. I have too many ideas that are not a struggle.  

Hurricane Harvey Project - confronted with humanity #12- adding 1 light element

Art based on a natural disaster can weigh on one’s emotions. With that in mind, and the fact that I would like the viewer to have a positive inner feeling after looking at my work, I am playing with adding a shaking dog to the body of work. I want the dog to be generic so that everyone can see their dog in it and I would like the dog’s energy to leave the viewer with a smile.  

Below are my first attempts. I hope one works.  

Hurricane Harvey Project - confronted with humanity #10 - my struggles w the Red Cross cot

 This project started with two monotypes of the Red Cross cot.

Below is an exert from my artist statement that addresses the cot.

 .......... 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.”

Last week I began to experiment with the cot. The drawings of the Harvey Heroes can stand alone, however I think that there will be exhibitions that the cot as a pedestal for a sculpture would strengthen the work and can be used independently.

Here I have thrown some wire scraps on the cot that look similar to a wire dog.

I had planned on putting a wire dog sleeping on the cot. It is not working for me. 

I think I need to put on the cot a larger sculpture and maybe a warmer material instead of the baling wire  

Testing the wire mesh in front of the cot.  Clear plastic is on top of the blanket to keep it clean. 

this figure might be nice on the cot. It is a drawing I did a few years ago. 

I don’t know  

​the Red Cross blanket w the drawings and wire Still is not working for me.

maybe I should put a thin layer of paint on the images on the blanket- ​

I have a hard time letting go but nothing was really clicking. Today I let go, today I donated the cot, sheets, blanket and pillow to the homeless that sleep below my studio window. I have decided to spend my time on a better idea.

I do have an idea for a sculpture. I will post about it soon. 

Roots #3 rooting out the best concept

Roots are said to be  tools in regenerative agriculture. With that in mind I have decided to cast the root in bronze and then add a faux bois handle in concrete to it. l plan on casting a few roots all different but all tools to be displayed together. Below I am working on the first root tool of the series. This one will have a bronze handle attached to the faux bois 

Spruing up the roots. I have dipped cross stitch thread in wax and attached it to vent the gases from the small root pieces. 

Sprucing up the handle.  

Roots #2 rooting out the best concept

I have very strong views on the connection between agriculture and health. I prefer to only eat organic grass-fed beef. I prefer to not eat any gmo products and I feel best when only eating sprouted grains. I want to know where my food comes from and how it is produced. Agriculture has a huge impact on our personal health as well as on our environment. Roots play a large role in regenerative and sustainable agriculture. 

The first root - The root is fabulous all by it’s self. 

The trunk is not so fabulous. 

Off with the trunk- 

Failure #1- Experimenting with ideas- this idea emphasizes the important of roots in sustaining  life. - too obvious 

Failure #2- Another experiment- “burden”  I grabbed this marble sculpture I did a few years ago. I have always wanted to burden it with something on his back. 

I like the thought, I think it either needs more more more roots or a Sprout coming out of the root.  

The root would be bronze.  

Stay tuned to see how I will use the roots.  

Hurricane Harvey Project - confronted with humanity #9 - “They carried my wheel chair”

The heroes keep coming  

“that wheelchair was so heavy” 

Watercolor monotype  

“They Carrie my wheelchair”  

the ghost print 

Hurricane Harvey Project - confronted with humanity #8 “She would never leave him”

Una mas  

 “She would never leave him”

the ghost 

30” X 22”