A Book About Death

Last year, after losing my dear cousin to lung cancer, I stepped into the studio filled with very strong emotions and absolutely no artistic plan. From that experience came Surf the Dirt, a mixed media piece using dirt from my yard, acrylic gel medium, and a polymer clay surfing skeleton.

That piece has now evolved into a postcard that will be displayed at the Emily Harvey Foundation Gallery in New York City as part of the A Book About Death exhibit. The exhibit opens Thursday, September 10 and will run through Tuesday, September 22. If you are anywhere near New York City during that time I encourage you to check it out and make your own book about death. You can click here to see my postcard on the exhibit blog or here to go to my gallery.

Coyote Road - the video!

The video is here! Check out the transformation process of the hubcap for the Landfillart project. Click below to watch or you can go directly to YouTube.

Coyote Road

The hubcap is done! Click on the image below to see a larger version.

As a mixed-media artist, I found the Landfillart program exciting on many levels. I spend a great deal of my time—in both my art and my life in general—exploring how to use or reuse “everyday” objects in ways different than they were originally intended. I am fascinated with the idea of changing our perspective about “trash”. In addition, my art is all about the exploration of our internal, personal worlds and their connection to our physical surroundings. My art is often deeply personal, working a great deal with animal teachers and the natural landscape. I love the idea of using an item like a hubcap to take these concepts to another level. I wanted to explore our relationship with our cars and, as with so many other material items in our lives, how we use them to insulate ourselves from the mess, chaos, and unpredictability of life. We have turned our cars into rolling illusions of control and safety. Coyote is the teacher in this piece—pointing out that there really is no control or safety. Life is messy. The road is messy.

This is a mixed media piece, with a rusty, “gritty” finish, using original artwork and digital images, acrylic skins, and pieces of a broken vintage mirror. The hubcap is turned around with the inside acting as a frame or nicho for the elements. The photo of the empty road in the middle of the Arizona desert is actually from a snapshot I took while on a road trip in 1982. The original drawing of Coyote was scanned and then printed onto watercolor paper using digital grounds. The title: Coyote Road.

Catching up

Whew - it's been a while, I know. Lots of stuff happening, both challenging and rewarding. Sadly, we lost our dear kitty, Rocky, July 22 from kidney failure and are still reeling from that. His sister, Frida is adjusting quite nicely to being the solo cat in the house and becoming quite the diva kitteh. We lost one or our ferals as well, Cinder Kitty, also in July. And in June we honored the one year anniversary of the passing of my cousin, Laurie. Lots of souls leaving us in the last couple of years... but with each departure space has opened up for new energy to enter. I am saddened and grateful and inspired with each passing.

On the art front - the hubcap is done! Look for images and video to be posted soon. I've been in the studio creating new pieces, feeling inspired, and wish I were there right now, instead of availing myself of the free wi-fi at the San Jose Airport...

My friend Melisa and I went on a neon sign photo hunt one evening last month. Here are a couple of my top picks. To see more, click here or on the Photography link on your right.