Boise Weekly Cover Art

Artist Statement: Thank goodness for simple pleasures.

One of my found object pieces was chosen for the week of July 4th cover. Originally it was submitted for a bike scavenger hunt the paper was sponsoring but the event was cancelled as mostly everything has been this spring/summer. The title is "Ride On" and is comprised of a wood panel painted red, a piece of corrugated tin with a wooden shape of the US that I decorated with tape and paint, brads and a paper cut out of of Idaho. Surrounding the shape is a bike chain ring with silver beads. I've had 2 people contact me since the cover to offer to donate odds and ends to me. Thank you.

The Glass Bottle - a True Story

A couple weeks ago there was a garage sale at a neighbors. John had just had his 99th birthday and I was worried that he had passed away. I wandered over there and found a picture frame and an old glass bottle for my art projects. The lady at the check out said he had gone to a nursing home and that he agreed to the church members holding the sale for him and all proceeds were to go to a lady at the church who had 6 kids and no car. What a nice gesture on his part!

Several weeks went by and I was trying to decide what to do with the items. The glass bottle had an inscription on it:  W H NYE Druggist Boise City, Idaho. I googled his name and found out he was buried in the Pioneer Cemetery B.1833-D.1894 Served with the Army of the Potomac. Honorably discharged shortly after Antietam. Druggist before the War in the East and afterwards in Boise, Idaho.

I knew the bottle was probably old but not over 125 years old!

 I looked up the battle of Antietam and didn't find his name in the register so I contacted the webmaster that I had a name for him. He was thrilled to add Captain Nye. 

I can't believe I helped add to a page on the Civil War. Here is the link: http://antietam.aotw.org/officers.php?officer_id=18134 

Be

Details from "Be" 

 In between filling out applications for various shows, working on the cello project and The Sketchbook project, I've been working on this fun little project for "Thrifty Show." A Swell collective show using something from a thrift store.

The birds water dish says, " Friendship is a blessing"

The project started with a birdcage from the Youth Ranch Thrift Store and the glass beads from the Salvation Army.

Aladdin's' shoe filled with magical birdseed. 

The clasp to open the cage is a ladybug brooch from the ReUse Market.

Lots of beads, baubles and dots of paint. 

"Be", to be content with where you are in life and to make the most of it. 

Where did the Summer go?

Interesting that my last blog post was on my cover for the Boise Weekly and this week is the auction for said cover and all 52 covers since last year's auction.

So where did the summer go? Well we bought and sold a home over the summer which involved packing and storing everything in my studio and then setting it up again at the new place. We had to cancel our big plans to travel over the summer...we were supposed to be going to Montreal with the sister in law. Bummer as I've never been and really wanted to go.  But I did have a great summer anyway and was able to participate in many local art showings.

E is for Elephant Assemblage

Art in The Yard at Jaki's
The band is setting up next to my display.

Sola Salon Showing For First Thursday in September
and First Thursday in November.

Small watercolor painting of the solar eclipse which I will be entering in an online show.

Sketching is easier to do when you don't have your whole studio available to use. 

Halloween Show at Evermore.

Friday the 13th Show at Swell.

Part of my Set up at October Boise Open Studio Event. I was  invited to show at a friend's house. 

Process of a Collage

Much Ado About Nothing 18" x 24"

Step 1 get rid of the white of the canvas by brushing a couple different of colors around, it doesn't matter if you cover the canvas completely. 

Next I went through my stash of ephemera and started cutting, tearing and gluing, tissue paper, flowers from a birthday card, a canvas bracelet that was a gift, parts of a calendar and a business card from an art studio in Hawaii. 

Step 3: More layering of papers with addition of white paint circles and oil pastels overlapping some of the papers to give a more unified feel. The wooden bicycle was later removed... 

...when I found an old page from the Shakespeare play "Much Ado About Nothing" I was making this piece for a show titled  Love and Heartbreak. One of the quotes I used was from Beatrice, "A dear happiness to women, they would have else been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humor for that: I would rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me."

For some three dimensionality, I took a completed small piece right off my studio wall named "button candy' and glued it at the bottom slightly to the right of center.  This piece was made with buttons and resin. Other 3D items include a miniature circus horse from my collection, a vial of glitter, a resin heart and a glass blown fish drink stirrer. 

Love and Heartbreak

"R" Mixed Media 16' x 20"

"If You Have a Blank, Expose It" Mixed Media 81/2" x 11"

"Much Ado About Nothing" Mixed Media 18" x 24" 

"Polish Dance" Mixed Media 11" x 14" 

"White Roses" Mixed Media 10' x 10" 

These are my five entries into the Art Project Boise "Love and Heartbreak exhibit" to be held at the Owyhee Hotel Lobby The month of February.  We will see which get chosen. Opening on First Thursday, February 2nd.

Bob's Art Farm and Surel's Place and other events...

The last two months...in art...

I Currently I have pieces up in a Gypsy Gallery show at the CW Moore Plaza,
which runs through October. 

 and a Piece in the Boise Open Studio Show at the SUB Gallery At Boise State. 

First Thursday in August I was in a pop up show at West Elm, Boise.

The last two weekends I was busy packing and unpacking for two different pop - up shows. One in conjunction with the Bike Art Tour in Garden City...I was set up at Split Rail Winery. 

The other show was the Great Junk Hunt, a National Vintage tour that set up at Idaho Expo.

 I shared a booth with two friends. 

I'm still working in my little watercolor journal...

And enjoy my Sunday afternoons at Studio Em sharing art and good times with my friends. 

Coming Up:

1. This Friday Sept. 30 5:30 - 8:30 Bob's Art Farm Opening at Surel's Place, everyone is invited... check out the details here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/entertainment/arts-culture/arts-blog/article102249892.html
2. Next Friday October 7th I have had 2 pieces of art accepted for the Treasure Valley Artist Alliance Show "Private Idaho" at the Public Radio Offices on Park Center Blvd. 
3. First Thursday in November I will be in a group show with my Studio mates at the Salon's at the Owyhee Plaza. 

Cuisine Art

A is for Apples
Encaustic/Found Object 

The Treasure Valley Artist Alliance recently put out their call to artists for their next show, 

"Cuisine Art." Artists can enter up to 3 pieces and usually one is chosen, 

this time I had all 3 accepted! 

C is for Cherry Chocolate Cake
Collage/Mixed Media/Found Object

 Opening Reception

This Friday November 6 from 5-8 pm 

Boise State Public Radio 220 E. Parkcenter Blvd.

C is for Carrot
Found Object/collage/mixed media

If you can't make it Friday, you will have plenty of opportunities 

as the show will remain up until January 15th. 

Stop in during business hours Monday-Friday 9-5.

Assemblage-en-Juin or Put-itTogether-June

Panel members introducing themselves to each other. Lots of assemblage art on display.
For a full description click on this link:

 http://treasurevalleyartistsalliance.org/assemblage-en-juin-or-put-it-together-june/

We had a full house!

The Panel discussion was on Monday night...

...then on Thursday night I was showing at First Thursday at Idaho Blueprint

On Saturday I met about 10 ladies and 1 gentleman at the Idaho Youth Ranch Outlet. For many of them it was their first experience and for others they came back for more fun. 

Items are not sorted, the fun is digging through the bins to see what you can find. 

"Hmm, I wonder how I could use this?"

"What do you think?"

Rows and Rows of stuff

This is what I bought for around $3

Then it was back to my studio to see what we could create with the items we found.

Most of the projects didn't get finished as they needed to be propped up to dry etc.
But they got a good start. 

Some worked inside where it was a little cooler. 

Who knew taking arms off Barbies was so hard...

We had to pull out the dremel.
I can't wait to see all the finished projects. The Next TVAA show  is in August called "Hunting and Gathering" I hope to see all of these pieces there. 

This was a cool surprise I got in the mail the other day from one of my high school friends, Lisa. Thank You!