Sunday, October 22, 2017

As Light as the Rain Seems, It Still Rains Down on You

As Light as the Rain Seems, It Still Rains Down on You

On a road trip through Iowa buying stuff, I came across an ironing board sitting along side the road of a stall that immediately made me think it would be a canvas.  It was standing in ready-to-iron position but from the beginning I knew I wanted to hang it on the wall.  Priced at $12, I bargained my way into this project for $10.

I was taught this collage technique by Andrea Matus deMeng, a wonderful teacher of color, layout and style.  I have fallen in love with collage on objects as it combines my interest with found objects and my inability to draw or paint figurative--collage allows me a door into that room.


Andrea teaches how important it is to audition the collage, rehearsing the final project before doing any gluing.  I think this will work!



The gluing begins.  The hardest thing is to commit.  The next hardest thing is to remember how to put it all back together after you take it all off the rehearsal stage.



Here is the parts all permanently attached.


I decided that I would do my favorite technique for framing the art:  a halo of nails.  On the top of the work I needed something and went for a sun-like piece of metal that reflects that idea.




Denice had taken a trip to New Zealand a few years ago and brought me back this necklace to use in a work.  I think it works well here.


From my stash, I found these leather goggles that I think make the face pop.



And so we have "As Light As the Rain Seems, It Still Rains Down On You," a line from the poem Citizen by Claudia Rankin.


I submitted this piece to the Anderson Art Museum (Kenosha, WI) Annual Winter Juried Exhibition with selections and awards curated by Lance Raichert.   The good news is I received this message:  "Congratulations, your work was JURIED IN and you are an award winner. "

The opening reception for the Winter Exhibition is on November 12th from 1:30 to 4 PM at the Anderson Arts Center, 6603 – 3rd Avenue, Kenosha, WI 53143.  The exhibition runs November 12, 2017 to January 7, 2018.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

2017 Walkabouts Milwaukee & the Illinois Railway Museum

Sometimes the best can be found in your own hometown.  Throughout the summer of 2017 I spent time wandering in my city and enjoying the sites.

In June, with my wife Denice and my brother-in-law Bob Crocker spent a day walking Wisconsin Avenue, the main drag in Milwaukee to view the public sculpture that had been installed as an event here.

Zach's Tower, John Henry, 2007


Wall art on display in a parking lot


Jessica Stockholder, Angled Tangle, 2014

Arrow Sculpture, Tony Tasset





Donald Beechler, Plant, 2003

We walked the Plankington Building portion of our downtown mall which features these cool stairs and statuary.  




Bob 




Dennis Oppenheim, Safety Cones, 2017






Joel Shapiro, Untitled, 1985-1986


Santiago Calatrava, S2, 2015

Denice


Michelle Grabner, Untitled


Chakaia Booker, Holla

Street art



Tony Tasset, Mood Sculpture, 2017



Tony Cragg, Mixed Feelings, 2010



Will Ryman, Rose #2, 2011



Jim Dine, The Heart Called After the Flood, 2011




Tom Otterness, Immigrant Family, 2017


Bob

Manolo Valdes, Reina Mariana, 2005


Paul Druecke, Shoreline Repast, 2012

On July 18, my brother-in-law Bob was back in town to attend the Wisconsin State Fair Photography drop off.  This day we went for a Milwaukee Walkabout.  Our first stop of the day was in West Allis where local artist Fred Kaems is painting a mural on the new Peanut Butter & Jelly Deli.  Before he went up in the lift, Bob and I had a chance to chat with him about the process and techniques of doing such large work.







Fred suggested we head over to the Riverwest neighborhood where he and an artist named John Kowalczyk had a wall work on the Beerline Trail.  So we did.








Here is a piece by Rozalia Singh.

Fred and John have another mural in the area





Bob and I then headed over to the East Side and Black Cat Alley. 



































 Our last stop for the day was the brand new mural projects in the Bay View neighborhood.













My wife Denice is on the Board of Directors of Reflow, a sustainable water systems support organization.  On July 22, Denice and Reflow introduced its water app to the community by hosting a day long launch.



















In August, Bob was back for the Wisconsin State Fair and we did some side trips to pass the time.  On the 5th of August, we head to the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, or "The Domes," in Milwaukee.  There are three domes on the complex:  a desert oasis, a tropical jungle and a special show garden dome.  

Here is the show dome photos:








These photos are from the desert dome:














The third and last dome was the tropical dome.































August 6th found us across the border in Illinois at the Illinois Railway Museum.