Coming Soon: Electrical Box Painting

In October 2015, the Public Art Committee in Natick, MA chose two artists to paint three electrical boxes on Natick Common. I will be painting colorful abstract designs, based on the geometric patterns in orange construction fences, on the two electrical boxes at the corner of Routes 135 and 27, starting next week, weather permitting. My sketches are above.

A second artist, Jason Cheeseman-Meyer, will be painting a box nearby mine.

The Christ Lutheran Church awarded the "Amazing Natick" grant, which funded this first installment of exhibitions. Thank you to them!

Stay tuned for updates!

Temporary Site Specific Art on Exhibit

My apologies for neglecting my blog for a number of weeks.

Fence/Curtain 1.1 has been on exhibit at the Jackson Homestead in Newton, MA, in a show of temporary site specific art, since March. 

Fence/Curtain 1.1

mixed media on stiffened fabric

24' long x 48" high (plus the draped fabric) attached to an old bent 6' metal fence.

Fence/Curtain 1.1 is a repurposed decorative barrier. It was originally created in 2011 as a 35' long installation that gave the illusion of the curtain, valance, different layers of fabric, and the drape of the curtain on the construction site of the future performance hall for the ConstellationCenter which will be located in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA.

It is made of monoprinted textures of different patterns of construction fencing, and handstamped and hand painted geometric shapes, on cotton fabric that is stiffened and water resistant.

 Fence Holes Bandage 2.0

mixed media on stiffened fabric, 22" high x 54"+/- around the tree

Fence Holes Bandage 2.0 is installed on a nearby tree. It's made of hand painted, scalloped rows and "holes" of monoprinted textures of construction fencing, on cotton fabric that is stiffened and water resistant. It is also repurposed after being on exhibit at Art in the Park, in Elm Park in Worcester, MA last summer.

If you happen to be in or near Newton, MA before July 18th, try to go visit the show. If not, you can read about it in Art New England.

Backyard Installation Today Through Last Summer

After shoveling out from our second 8" snowfall in a week, I thought it would be nice to share photos of my backyard installation as it looked this morning after shoveling out, through last summer when my clematis started to grow over and through it. More pictures are on my website.

Stay warm and dry out there!

Sculpture Idea

After I got home from taking Fence Holes Bandage 2.0 off the tree it lived on while on exhibit at Art in the Park, at Elm Park in Worcester, MA, I placed it on the floor of my porch.

I enjoyed conversations about creating some sculptures around this theme of layers of lace-like fence holes, after walking by it many times with friends and family, over the weekend.

Thinking about the sculpture idea for a number of days now, and I think I’d like to make time to make a number of versions, short and wide, short and skinny, tall and wide, tall and skinny. And perhaps they can be exhibited on the florr, on stands and on the wall.

Because it’s a little dirty after being outside for three months, I’ll most likely hang this piece on a new tree, probably in my yard, and rename it Fence Holes Bandage 2.1, instead of repurposing it into a sculpture.

To be continued…

Fence Holes Bandage 2.0

Fence Holes Bandage 2.0, which was on exhibit in Art in the Park, at Elm Park in Worcester, MA is now home.

I was hoping to get some good pictures of it after being on exhibit for three months, but all of the leaves had already fallen off the tree, and the park is under construction, so there weren’t any good angles to take more than a few close-ups of the art.

The tree was surrounded by a wooden frame, so it would be protected by all of the heavy equipment in the area. And, someone drastically trimmed the tree back, which was quite different than when I installed my work. In July it was barely visible under the many branches and leaves.

Installing art in public can be a difficult thing because the artist can’t control the site or nature. It’s important to let all feelings about what may happen go, so one doesn’t feel anything negative about a positive opportunity. That said, I'm glad I participated.

I’d like to thank everyone involved, Gloria at Art in the Park, the Parks and Rec workers, the judges who accepted my application, the convicts who helped me install, the construction worker who helped me take it down, and Brian Gloslow from Artscope Magazine for keeping me company while the work came down.

One interesting thing after taking my work off the tree was seeing all of the cocoons hidden underneath. My apology to the spiders.

Fence Holes Bandage 2.0 is mixed media on stiffened fabric, and it measured 
22" high x 54"+ around the tree in Worcester. I’m planning on hanging it on a tree in my yard shortly, and will post pictures after I do.

The Risk of Exhibiting Public Art

I was hoping to be able to get a last photo of my work at Bartlett Yards, the site of the former MBTA Bartlett Bus Yard in Roxbury, MA, because I was curious about how it weathered over the summer. But, I received this message last night:

"I have some sad news for you. As you know, we've had an ongoing vandalism problem and many of the works have been damaged. Unfortunately, none of your pieces survived. The curtains on the windows covered in plywood made it almost all the way to the end, but about a week ago someone ripped them down.

Sorry to have to tell you this, but the whole place is going to be torn down soon anyway so it was inevitable.”

Here was my reply:

"Well, that's not the first time my work has been stolen! Actually, it's the second time. I'm not surprised, seeing that you mentioned there was a lot of vandalism. Oh well. I hope whoever took it enjoys it. PLEASE don't think I'm angry about it. It's part of the process of doing public art, and I'm OK. It's just a shame that things like that happen."

Above are pictures of my work after they were installed at Bartlett Yards in May. There are additional images on my website. The two window coverings were attached to two boarded up windows. The surrounding work on the walls is by Juan Santos. The window coverings measured 48" square, not including the bottom, scalloped edge. They were made of monoprints of the grids of construction fences on fabric, which was coated so they were weather resistant. 

I actually made three coverings, but I only needed two in the end, so the third is hanging in my studio. I’m glad that I still have one at least.

I'd like to say thank you the organizers of Bartlett Yards for all that they did to make the project happen. It was really an incredible experience for the artists and the community. I hope to be able to participate in a project like that again.

UPDATE: I found out that the fabric on the windows was ripped off so they could tag the wood underneath it. So while it wasn't exactly stolen, it was vandalized to make a space for someone else's art. Not very nice, but that's still part of the risk of exhibiting public art. Sigh.

Art in the Park Worcester

I had fun at the Opening at Art in the Park in Worcester, MA yesterday. I met a lot of people, and enjoyed talking about my work. It was helpful to be wearing the monoprinted blouse I made, because I could better explain how I print the textures of construction fences on fabric.

There was a nice article about Art in the Park in the Worcester Telegraph & Gazette, that included pictures, including one of me and one of my helpers (above). You can read the article and see more pictures here.

Photo credit and thanks to Rick Cinclair for taking pictures for the paper on a very damp day.

On Exhibit: Fence Holes Bandage 2.0

Fence Holes Bandage 2.0 is on exhibit in Art in the Park, at Elm Park in Worcester, MA
 from July 27 - October 13, 2013.

It’s mixed media on stiffened fabric, and it measures 
22" high x 54"+ around the tree. More specifically, the piece is made of hand painted, scalloped rows and "holes" of monoprinted textures of construction fencing, on cotton fabric that is stiffened and water resistant.

I’d like to thank the AIPW staff and volunteers, the Worcester DPW (or was it the Parks Department?) and the three work release prisoners and their supervising sheriff, for their help. I’d also like to thank Mother Nature for waiting to start the torrential downpour until after my work was installed and photographed. Installing under wet conditions is more difficult than dry, but if it was raining, it would have been miserable.

Installation Bad News and Good News

Bad news today. Fence Curtain 3.0, the installation I thought I wasn't going to be able to install and then thought I could, can not be installed at Occupying the Present at HarborArts at the Boston Harbor Shipyard,
 in 
East Boston, MA. Some things were not meant to happen. I guess the good news is that I don't have to worry about falling in Boston Harbor anymore.

Seeing that this piece is almost finished and ready to be hung, I'm now looking for a new home for it. If you have any ideas, send me an email. 

Backyard Installation Update

After being in my yard for a month, and after 4.02” of rain on Friday, everything is very lush in my back yard, making for good photos for my back yard installation. My fall blooming clematis is starting to take over.

Back view

Diagonal view

Pictures of a month ago are on my website, and also here. I'll take new pictures in a week or so, to show how the clematis changes what we can see.

Fence Curtain 3.0 Approval

I've received good news. The installation I thought I wasn't going to be able to install has been OK'd. 

Before the end of June, I'll be installing Fence Curtain 3.0, that will look similar to this sketch, at Occupying the Present at HarborArts at the Boston Harbor Shipyard,
 in 
East Boston, MA.

There was a delay in the approval, and I’m really happy that in the end, the answer was yes. I'll start making it this week, so I can get it installed before the June 29th Opening. I basically have three weeks to make and install it, but I've worked under tighter deadlines before, and though I'll be busy with this project and a number of others, this is totally doable.

I have no idea how I'm going to install it without falling in Boston Harbor, but I'll figure it out.

Speaking Of Installations...

I'm disappointed that my site proposals for creating an installation at a local shipyard have been nixed, so to cheer myself up, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share them on my blog, so at least they can be seen by more than just me and the review committee, and hopefully someone will appreciate them.

Not having proposals accepted is the life an an artist, or anyone for that matter, and I accept that. But since there may be someone somewhere who may possibly be interested in me participating in a similar project, here they are.

And if you have a moment, take a look at my not accepted proposals for two defunct penitentiaries in the Philadelphia area, and also a huge, huge atrium. All would have been fun to create and install.

If you have a site that would benefit from my work, please don't hesitate to email me. I'd love to discuss it.

One good thing about putting together these proposals, my Photoshop skills improve with every one.

Bartlett Yards!

I had a wonderful time yesterday, installing temporary public art at Bartlett Yard, the site of the former MBTA Bartlett Bus Yard in Roxbury, MA. I was one among dozens and dozens of artists there, making art, having a really good time, meeting people from all walks of life, and enjoying every moment there. There were also hundreds of visitors, also having a wonderful time.

The photos shown above and below are window coverings on two boarded up windows, and the surrounding work by Juan Santos.  The window coverings measure 48" square, not including the bottom, scalloped edge. They’re made of monoprints of the grids of construction fences on fabric, which is coated so they’re weather resistant. 

I also made a curtain and valances for a slightly larger than phone booth-sized outdoor cubby, which is also located near the windows on the same wall. Many thanks to my husband who did all of the installation in the cubby, after we both strategized placement of the valances. Many artists created the surrounding work on the brick wall on both sides of the cubby.

You can see the sketches of my planned installation here, and you can see bigger photos from yesterday on my website.

The site is filled with wonderful painting, graffiti, and sculpture, created by artists who volunteered their time, and materials.

Many, many thanks go to the organizers of this wonderful event at Bartlett Yard, who I think also volunteered their time.

The art will be on exhibit through I think November 2013, and then the site will be razed and construction will begin. You can read about the site's history and future here. 

There will be many events on site this summer. Check the calendar, and go visit if you can. They're open most weekends.

Backyard Installation Update

The fall blooming clematis has started to grow on my new backyard installation. There are probably a dozen more vine stems growing toward it from the right, ready to make contact. I’ll take pictures as it takes over the piece this summer. Check back again soon.

New Installation

This installation in my back yard is a combination of an actual construction fence, installed with a monoprinted texture of a construction fence on one large piece of fabric. The fabric was stiffened to help make it more stable, and holes were then cut into the work to more resemble actual construction fences, to help enable the viewer to experience nature around and through the work, to allow a clematis to grow through the work, and to allow the wind to blow through it so it are more adaptable in different kinds of weather.

In an effort to say materials and money, I'm reused the metal piping that held up the work that was there for 2+ years.

I’m going to be documenting this piece over time. The clematis growing at the right will start growing in the piece any day now, and I’ll be taking pictures of it regularly. Check back again for more images.

Above is a detail of the piece, and below is a diagonal view in my yard.

Bartlett Yard Installation?

As I was in my studio putting the finishing touches on new work for a new temporary public art installation for Bartlett Yard, the site of the former MBTA Bartlett Bus Yard in Roxbury, MA, I found out that there’s a kink in the permitting process with the City of Boston.

Read Boston Magazine’s article: A Mural Dedicated to Marathon Victims Is On Hold - The public artwork has been taken off track while permit issues are sorted out, organizers say.

The pieces shown above are window coverings for three boarded up windows at the site. They measure 48" square, not including the bottom scalloped edge. They’re made of monoprints of the grids of construction fences on fabric, which is coated so they’re weather resistant. 

Shown below is the back side of the fabric, which I also like, and may consider using instead of the front, when installing on site. It depends on how much or little contrast I'm going to want next to the brick wall.

Assuming the project gets the go ahead, I’m also creating a curtain and valance for a slightly larger than phone booth-sized outdoor cubby, which is also located near the windows on the outdoor “Exhibition Wall”.

You can see the sketches of my planned installation here.

I’m going to sit tight, and see if we’ll be able to install on May 11^th as planned. I really hope it happens, because this is a wonderful opportunity for the Boston community, as well as the artists, performers, and others, who will be participating this spring and summer.