Glyphosate #7 (working title) kinetic sculpture - adding some details

In order to help the large abstract shapes read as botanical or floral shapes I have added some smaller botanical shapes and vines. I think they help. 

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hopefully this flower is abstracted enough but not too much. 

 

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Here is another  

Glyphosate #6 (working title) kinetic sculpture - hydro stone

Regarding the title today I am loving “impact” as a title, I will discuss more on that in another post.

 

On this day I made abstract botanical inspired  shapes out of a variety of materials. Then I whipped up some hydro stone and put a coat on the largest shape. The next day I started arranging the pieces into a kinetic composition. 

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botanical inspired small pieces. 

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the large piece covered in hydro stone 

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Above I am starting to connect the pieces.  

Glyphosate #5 (working title) kinetic sculpture - flower and 2 bees

I have not added the legs and wings to the 2nd bee. All the bees do not need legs and wings???????? 

When I add the hydro stone it will be easier to discriminate between the bees and the flowers.  

Below are two different compositions using the flower and the two bees. 

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Glyphosate (working title) mobile #1 - new body of work.

This summer I will be focused on building a body of work that addresses the impact that pesticides have on the bumble bees and honey bees.

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“Why conserve

rusty patched bumble bees?

As pollinators, rusty patched bumble bees contribute to our food security and the healthy functioning of our ecosystems. Bumble bees are keystone species in most ecosystems, necessary not only for native wildflower reproduction, but also for creating seeds and fruits that feed wildlife as diverse as songbirds and grizzly bears.

Bumble bees are among the most important pollinators of crops such as blueberries, cranberries, and clover and almost the only insect pollinators of tomatoes. Bumble bees are more effective pollinators than honey bees for some crops because of their ability to “buzz pollinate.” The economic value of pollination services provided by native insects (mostly bees) is estimated at $3 billion per year in the United States.”

 

 https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/rpbb/factsheetrpbb.html 

 

 Below is a still image  of a 4D/mobile piece I started last week.

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A dead bee without legs and very big broken wings. 

 

Here is a photo of the shadow.  The sculpture is photobombing on the right. 

 

  

Glyphosate lenticular- trying to get it right

 I printed a lenticular from my three mono-prints of a dead bee. I decided to loop the images. That was a mistake when it comes to creating imagery that speaks to extinction. There is no loop and no second chance. With that in mind, I am trying for proof #2 with out a loop of image number 2.

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I think this will work 🐝 

Glyphosate mobile - New work -

I might call this collapse and disorder.

I started a new shadow/mobile to be part of my Glyphosate series. Last week I started the wings.   

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Above I am started the wings with some leftover pieces from “Bringing Home The Bacon”  held together with new wire. 

 

a wing and its shadow 

a wing and its shadow 

Before I left for the day I threw together a body to slap on the wings and see what the shadows look like.  

I am considering the title “collapse and disorder” for this piece.

 

 

I will probably add some hexagon shapes to the sculpture. Which made me wonder why are honeycombs hexagon in shape. Guess what I found?  

Roots #5 after the pour- patina

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breaking out the handle 

I coved the piece in liver of sulfur and now it is time to add the green moss.  

I coved the piece in liver of sulfur and now it is time to add the green moss.  

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adding the moss green patina 

one of the three new pieces added to strengthen the support and spread the load weight. 

one of the three new pieces added to strengthen the support and spread the load weight. 


I thought I was ready to plan the faux bois handle, but while thinking through the process, it became evident that the root pieces supporting the structure are too small. I am concerned that under the weight of the concrete, they will bend. My solution is to add new pieces that are thicker to spread out the load.

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I thought that it would be simple to add the patina to the new support pieces - wrong! It looks like I charred the new pieces. When things go wrong, it can be so frustrating.  

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Sandblasted and ready for Patina application #2.  

The patina recipe I am using.  

The patina recipe I am using.  

A tip from David Delgado at Legacy fine art Foundry -  After the  birch wood Casey have some ferric ready and add a wash of ferric before the cupric nitrate mixture. This will help keep it green and not cupric blue. 

 

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birchwood Casey ✅

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cupric nitrate 

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Just in time for earth day

Glyphosate - bumblebees on the endangered sources list


With Earth Day in mind I would like to remind gardeners to not use Roundup. The chemical Glyphosate impacts the bee’s intestinal flora causing it’s immune system to be weakened. With bees on the decline we can not compromise their immune systems. 


https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/rpbb/

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Glyphosate 44” X 30” watercolor monotype