Up, Down, and All Around

I am working on three different projects right now, in three different studios. Come on, I’ll take you on a quick tour.

This is a look at my second floor studio located at the Willamette Heritage Center and part of The Art Studios at Mission Mill. I have converted my studio from an all purpose space to an area devoted to working on my What’s Your Story mixed media/collage project.

Here’s a sample of my project.

At my central Salem home, I use the basement of my 1926 house as my assemblage studio. Currently, I’m putting the finishing touches on a piece for the Salem Reads: One Book, One Community Project. Salem is hosting their first ever community reads event and several artists were invited to create a piece of art in response to the book Spare Parts.

My piece, Everything Accounted For, will be hung in the Salem Library Spare Parts art exhibit at the end of this month. I’ll share my completed piece once I have put the finishing touches on it.

Finally, my painting studio is in a big airy space upstairs at my house. Right now, I’m immersed in oil and cold wax in preparation for two upcoming shows in 2017.

Here’s a piece I’ve been working on this week for my Waterlines show at Guardino Gallery in May.

I’ll be sharing more about all of these projects in the future.

10th Annual Day of the Dead Show at Guardino Gallery

For ten years, Guardino Gallery in NE Portland has hosted a dia de los muertos group art show. I’ve participated in many of the shows over the past ten years. This year the show moved to the Main Gallery and features over 50 artists. The show, curated by Donna Guardino and Stephanie Brockway, runs through October 23, so if you’re in Portland, I hope you’ll swing by and see an amazing show.

MY ART

THE SHOW

THE PARTY (I mean, opening reception)

BONUS: Preparing

Make up done by our daughter, Amy Kayon.

Funky Junkyard Birds: Light As Air

About once a year, I create a batch of my Funky Junkyard Birds. They take a couple of months from start to finish, so I make two to three dozen when I made them and they usually last through a year of selling them.

I’ve just completed 33, the most I’ve ever done at one time.

The Back-Story

In October, 2010, I took a class from Leighanna Light called Birds Gone Wild. In the class we cut up metal tins and attached aged, metal parts. I loved my bird and wanted to make more. I wrote Leighanna and asked if she was okay if I made metal birds and sold them; Leighanna gave me her blessing and I started making batches of birds, calling them Funky Junkyard Birds. (Leighanna still teaches her Birds Gone Wild class if you’re interested in learning how to make them yourself.)

Over time, my birds morphed and got more complicated from my initial ones; they got fancier and I attached more flamboyant wings; I started dangling more metal pieces from beaks and legs. I also devised a way to cover the cold connections on the back of the birds (i.e., the brads), using pieces of decorative paper Washi tape.

The Creation Process

First, I spend several hours cutting out bird parts: wings, heads, pants, shirts. This involves flattening vintage metal tins, cutting, and sanding the razor sharp edges.

Then the auditions begin. I pull out various found objects that might serve as a body, then try out different heads. A persona begins to take shape, pants or legs might be adding, then an array of wings are considered, balancing shape, color, and design. A personality begins to emerge.

Once the birds are completely designed, it is time for attachments to begin. Holes are punched or drilled into all of the pieces, glued with E6000, and clamped over night. The next day the clamps are removed and all of the cold connections are made using brads, wire, or eyelets.

Part of the auditioning of each bird is determining what the bird will hang from: a ruler, a saw blade, a piece of interesting wood. The whole process is repeated for the hanging piece: holes drilled, glued, clamped, attached. Wire is then added to the hanger, forming a nice arch for eventual hanging on the wall.

Once all the cold connections have been made, I apply Washi tape to the back of the birds, covering the brads. A bit of matte medium is applied to hold the tape in place. At this point, the birds are almost finished. I talk to each bird individually (not literally!): What do you need? What will make you special? Keys are sometimes dangled as legs. Often a wheel is attached to give the bird a sense of motion. I go through my random, one-of-a-kind pieces of metal, looking for something unique to attach to a leg or the belly; these pieces are wired on and scream: LOOK AT ME!

The final step in assembly is adding a piece of torn, ragged silk or sari ribbon to soften all of the hard metal edges.

Finished? Not yet. Each bird gets a name. I Google unusual baby names to see what is trending and pick out a few dozen names. I especially like androgynous names to keep the birds gender neutral, however, sometimes I just know it is a boy or a girl, and their name reflects this.

Assembled, named, photographed. The gang is ready to meet the world.

And a few are ready for their close ups.

The Debut

A couple dozen of my new birds will be going to Compass Gallery for our February show, Light As Air. The show hangs on Thursday and I’m excited about hanging the birds from wires strung across the wall. About six of the birds will be headed to Guardino Gallery in Portland for sale in their Gift Shop gallery. Whew. Maybe by January of 2017 I’ll be ready to create a new batch.

9th Annual Day of the Dead Show at Guardino Gallery

One of my favorite shows every year is Guardino Gallery’s Day of the Dead Celebraton, curated by Donna Guardino and my friend Stephanie Brockway. The show opened last night with a vibrant party and reception. There was live music, glowing altars, and face painting. A peek in the window. . . .

And a little look inside.

I submitted seven pieces of art, and by the time I left last night, three had little red dots!

The show runs through October 25th and the walls and window are filled with creative, off beat, imaginative art. Guardino Gallery is located at 2939 NE Alberta in Portland.

Day of the Dead – 8th Annual Group Show

Outside Guardino Gallery looking into the Feature Area.

Last Thursday night was Guardino Gallery’s 8th Annual Day of the Dead opening reception. Attending Last Thursday on Alberta is always fun, but Guardino’s openings are even better, especially when the guests dress up in celebration of Dia De Los Muertos.

I created several assemblage pieces for the show.

"A Steady Quiet Routine" — “A Steady Quiet Routine”

"Casual Indifference" — “Casual Indifference”

"Writing Down Numbers" — “Writing Down Numbers”

"It Belonged To a Stranger" — “It Belonged To a Stranger”

"Waiting For An Excuse" — “Waiting For An Excuse”

The show runs through October 26. Guardino Gallery is located at 2939 NE Alberta in Portland, OR.

Blog Hop

My artist friend Ruth Armitage invited me to participate in a blog hop. I’ve never done one before so I decided it would be fun to accept. I met Ruth many years ago and our paths just keep crossing. Ruth has an amazing, active, colorful blog, a beautiful website, and writes an energetic newsletter. She is a master of keeping connected using technology. Ruth is truly the epitome of a working artist; she is always creating new work and is not afraid to experiment and push the envelope with color and new materials.

So, as I understand how this works, Ruth has written a post answering three questions and she has tagged three artists who, in turn, will write a post answering the same three questions, and then they tag three artists, and on it goes with the idea that we all get to meet new artists and create a new networks of artists. Here goes.

HOW DOES MY CREATING PROCESS WORK

I always have several projects in process and because I work in different mediums, it depends on which medium I’m working. I don’t jump back and forth too much; if I’m in a painting phase, I concentrate on painting. If I’m working on found object assemblages, I immerse myself in the process of laying out and auditioning vintage materials. So maybe a quick peek at the two areas would be fun.

PAINTING

When I’m painting, I first prep multiple boards. It is amazing how meditative the prep work can be. And there is something invigorating about the repetitive motions of not having to think “too” much during this initial phase: paint/plaster/sand/stain

After I have a nice stack of prepared boards, I’m ready to paint. I usually work in a series and on multiple boards at once. Last year I did a series about the loss of memory, so my focus was on building up surfaces, then tearing them away revealing portions of previous layers. Since I work in oil and cold wax, I have to allow for drying time, which is another reason I work on multiple pieces at once.

When I’m in my painting studio, I always have music playing. My friends tease me because I’m usually listening to the Flo Rida station on Pandora.

ASSEMBLAGE

I create assemblages using found objects, the fancy word for junk. I’m always on the lookout for cast off rusty or interesting bits, worn out wood, or old tins. Going to estate sales, antique stores, or vintage markets is an on-going, part-time job for me. My raw materials are all organized (more or less) and arranged in my basement studio. When I’m feeling the urge to create my Curious Elements or my Funky Junkyard Birds, or if I’ve been invited to participate in a show, I clear off the work tables and begin laying out possible compositions.

It is a trial and error process, a series of auditions – this bit here, that bit there. Once I determine I have a winner, then I begin the attachment process – glue to hold the pieces in place, then always some sort of cold connection for a more finished look.

HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS OF ITS GENRE

Regarding my paintings, people consistently comment on two things when they see my work: my use of color and my depth and intricacy of layers.

My assemblage pieces differ because of the variety and uniqueness of the materials I use. Some components may be similar to something other artists are using, but the way I’ve designed my pieces makes them totally original. My Curious Elements differ in that it is about a 16-step process that is unique to me.

WHAT AM I WORKING ON

I have so many projects right now (and so many deadlines) that I have a big calendar in my studio to help keep me on track. Here’s a listing, but I’ll spare you the details.

Contribution for Serena Barton’s book on oil and cold wax
Prayer Flag Project
Day of the Dead show at Guardino
Day of the Dead show at Stone Buddha
Prototypes for pitching a possible 2015 show
November show with the Salem Art Group
Studio Tour pieces for sale
December Show and Sale
Ricochet Show with Cynthia Herron

And finally . . . . .

Proposals for teaching (yes, I hope to teach in 2015!)

Hey, this list makes me hyperventilate. I better wrap this up and get to work.

Before I do that, I have the privilege of introducing you to the three artists I’ve invited to participate in this blog hop.

Stephanie Brockway is a close, personal friend. We have traveled together, we have extensively junked together. She is one of my cheerleaders and a huge supporter of me as an artist; those kinds of friends are rare. Steph is an amazing artist. She is a painter (and it was in a painting class at Oregon College of Art and Craft where we met). Steph is also a prolific carver and she has had several feature shows. She just had a show at Guardino Gallery in Portland and has a new show opening at RiverSea Gallery in Astoria. Steph’s blogging is sporadic, but her intentions are there, especially with the pressure of accepting the invite for this blog hop!

Jennifer Campbell is a fellow scavenger of interesting metal and wood bits and we always run into each other at vintage junk fairs and markets, usually grabbing for the same thing. I met Jennifer when I joined the Portland Art Collective several years ago, and was introduced to her beautiful, fascinating found object jewelry and assemblages. I remember buying a metal flaming heart necklace as she passed it around during our monthly show and tell sessions. Jennifer’s jewelry has evolved and morphed over the years and she sells all over the Northwest.

Paula McNamee is a quiet woman who dabbles in many mediums and anything she does turns to gold. She is a painter, a jewelry maker, an art journaler, a textile artist, and a thing maker. She has a beautiful sense of color and is bold in her experimentation, which always makes for lovely and often unexpected results. One year she designed keys with stamped words, put them on a long chain, and added a bit of sari ribbon. I think I bought ten of them to give as gifts. I asked Paula to participate in this blog hop because I think more people need to be exposed to Paula’s art!

Trifecta of Classes. . . . and a bit of sightseeing, too

I recently returned from a ten-day road trip with my friend Tory Brokenshire. On the first leg of our trip, we were in Cleveland where Tory was teaching three classes at Small Studio. The classes were all found object assemblage classes with a big dose of sculpture. I’m good with the found object part, not so much with the sculpture, but I gave it my best effort.

Story Tellers

From a pile of junk and a flurry of arms and legs, I created Mr. Songbird.

Sail Away

Day two was titled Sail Away and involved sculpting an entire body AND making a little wire boat. Tory was a great and patient teacher and I managed to create a companion for Mr. Songbird, but her boat, well, it sunk.

Please meet Miss Pennington.

The good news is that Mr. Songbird and Miss Pennington hooked up at the end of the second day, although Mr. Songbird’s nose put out Miss Pennington’s right eye.

Santos

On our final day, we created a Santos. Fortunately, we only had to sculpt the head!

Then we got to dress our Santos, which was great fun.

The finished crew of Santos (mine is on the far right).

Post Script: After three days of classes, we spent a couple of days in Cleveland sightseeing, then we rented a car and drove to Chicago, where we spent a few more days.

During the ten days I was away, I spent an entire 30 minutes in my travel journal. A whole 30 minutes!

The Heart of the Matter

The Heart of the Matter: A group show about the heart is an annual Guardino Gallery show. I’ve participated the past several years and I was invited to submit art again this year. I created ten Curious Elements with a heart theme. My Curious Elements are found object pieces of art created in a multi-step process. In a nutshell, I cut up pieces of board, apply paint, plaster, sand, stain, and wax. To add depth and interest, I cut up yard sticks, apply vintage paper and a layer of stain. Then I rummage through my bins and boxes of bits, auditioning pieces of metal and sometimes scraps of fabric. When I’m satisfied with the layout and the underlying story, I begin the process of attaching. And that’s how a Curious Element is born – I once counted about 22 steps in the process from beginning to end!

Enough yammering. Here are the ten Curious Elements I created for the show.

"Small Bits of Perfection" — “Small Bits of Perfection”

"Unorthodox Methods" — “Unorthodox Methods”

"Personal Correspondence" — “Personal Correspondence”

"Familiarity With Chaos" — “Familiarity With Chaos”

"Interlude of Silence" — “Interlude of Silence”

"A Matter of Moments" — “A Matter of Moments”

The show opens at Guardino Gallery on January 30 and runs through February 23. The opening reception is Thursday, January 30, 6-9 pm.

A New Batch of Funky Junkyard Birds

I just completed 17 (seventeen!) Funky Junkyard Birds! I started the new flock on Monday by auditioning body parts, wings, and legs, then began the arduous task of attaching the different and varied elements. Lots of raw materials go into making the birds, here’s a peek at some of the bits.

It felt so satisfying to finish up the gang this afternoon. Here’s the proud mama of her new flock:

My Funky Junkyard Birds will be flying off to Guardino Gallery in Portland, Lunaria Gallery in Silverton, and I’ll have a few available for sale from my studio. Here’s a sampling of my new birds.

Day of the Dead Portland Style

Guardino Gallery is celebrating the 7th annual Day of the Dead group show October 31- November 24. Opening Festivities are on Halloween from 6-9 pm and will include spirits in costume, revelry, merriment, glowing alters, live music, and face painting. A ton of cool artists are participating and I was invited to be one of the artists. I created seven Curious Elements for the show.

A Lock of Mother's Hair — A Lock of Mother’s Hair

The whole line up:

Day of the Dead 2013 Curious Elements — Day of the Dead 2013
Curious Elements