Dia De Los Muertos 2010

My little home display that I have set up. With my art, my daughter's art (the mirror in the center) and a piece I bought from Michael DeMeng at Art & Soul in Portland last year.

I bought this piece last year when taking Micheal's class at Art and Soul in Portland and then when I was at my friend Marianne's last night I saw this magazine with the cover article on how he makes these pieces.
Here is my version but instead of plastic I used a porcelain sculpture and a metal lamp fixture. I antiqued it, covered it with a varnish and added some Apoxie clay since last posting of it.

McBird House

McBird House
Found Object Assemblage

I am typing this blog while sitting on the new handmade bench we won at a raffle last weekend. The weather is absolutely beautiful, tons of birds chattering in the multicolored trees...red, maroon, yellow, yellow- green, green. It's the perfect temperature in the 70's- sunny and no wind. I hear the cold and rain is on it's way, so I will enjoy it while I can.

The assemblage above has been "percolating" for a while as I gather items. Last night was studio night at Marianne's so it was the perfect opportunity to put the piece together. Nancy, Marianne and I, three dogs and Margie all got to visit and have fun while creating art and drinking wine together.

The base was purchased in an old barn near my cousin's in New York State. I highlighted the base with interference red paint.

The next piece up is a spool that someone gave me. I gessoed it, and then collaged over that and added paint and glass beads. Next is the bird house itself that I found at a thrift store in TX. I antiqued it with paint and added a tree branch, bird and some greenery. I attached these pieces with 2 part apoxy clay and then painted the clay.

I took this piece to an Antique store today that also sells some found object art, thinking that this would be something she would be interested in. Her response upon seeing it, "Oh, it's crafts, no thank you." No it's not -but I was polite and with a smile said, "you have a very nice store, thank you" and left. :)

Boise Open Studios and some new work...

This weekend was the open studios event in Boise were artists open their studios and a map is published and people can just go around and see artists making art in their natural habitat. Marianne (click on her name to see her take on the weekend) showed her work at my house since her studio isn't finished and we invited Nancy to come make art with us while we hung out for 6 hours yesterday and today. The piece above was one I finished by making a collage for the frame, prior to that I had a couple cut out of a J. Crew Catalog in the frame, this looks much better.

Another piece I completed..."Dia De Los Muertos Cake Topper" made out of a piece of german porcelain with a headless woman (featured in a former blog post) that I gave a gold skeleton head with a hat on top of an old light fixture bought at an antique store in NY state. Various stories circulated as to why the woman was a skeleton, but not the man...such as that the woman knew what she was in for by getting married.

Picture of my studio. The print box on the floor by the printer was brought to me by a woman that came by and saw what I did and then came back by and dropped it off for me to have!

Marianne's mixed media art

Marianne adding more gel medium.

Another piece I finished based on a month I spent in Greece back in 1984 with another Marianne.

A piece I made for Halloween titled "Contemplation"

Every Day is an Adventure

Every Day is an Adventure: Photography

Every Day is an Adventure: Surfing

Every Day is an Adventure: Love

Every Day is an Adventure: Skiing

Every Day is an Adventure: Road Trip

Last spring a local shop was moving across town. They were having a sale so I went to check it out. They had these cardboard signs on chains that was some kind of sales thingy for the clothing company "Horny Toad" each card says "Every Day is an Adventure" at the bottom. I thought they were pretty cool and maybe I could do something with them. I asked how much and she said I could have them. So they sat around for a while, then I gessoed all the boards but left the quote at the bottom. In the process of going through all the objects I collected on my travels the idea for what to do with them gelled. And now I have a series called "Every Day is an Adventure" They are $20 a piece.

The Governer's Awards in the Arts

The Western Dream
by Bill McKnight

Tonight was another first since moving to Idaho. My wife Pam and I attended the Governor's Awards in the Arts at the Egyptian Theater. While this was very different from our usual social milieu, it shared something at its core with many of our Idaho experiences.

Our first introduction to this unique Idaho spirit was with the outdoor community where we were welcomed with open arms despite being flatlanders. Next came the creative community into which Pam was readily accepted. It seems that the keys to the Idaho clubhouse are not your address or your credentials. It's not even about being a prodigy in your chosen field. It is about enthusiasm and the willingness to jump in with both feet.

Even the awards given tonight reflect this inclusiveness and respect for passion. They included recognition of knife, hat and saddle makers alongside a Hispanic muralist. They include silver haired academics and young jazz musicians. They included people from tiny towns as well as the capitol city of Boise. It truly honored all the facets of this diverse state.

Idaho still in my mind encompasses the best of the Western dream. If you come with your proverbial wagon loaded with enthusiasm, passion and a willingness to work, you can still live your dream. We are thankful to have been given that opportunity.

Boise Open Studios

I will be one of the 21 artists hosting an open house at their studio this coming October 9-10. Marianne Konvalinka will also be showing her art at my place as her studio is still under construction. I am excited as this is my first time to be part of the BOSCO tour. Do come by and say hello. My studio is in the back, so come on around between 12 noon and 6pm Sat. and Sun.

First Thursday Oct. 7th you can see a preview of all the artists work at the Masonic Temple, Downtown Boise. Between 6 and 9 pm.

Mola Art

8" X 8" square $30 each or 2 for $50.

These 2 pieces started when I found 2 miniature hand stitched mola's at a thrift store for five cents each! But I don't sew and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them. I also had two wooden frames that someone had started to decorate but then abandoned and they wound up at another thrift store. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, it was hard to find anything to fit in the square opening. Last weekend on my garage sale shopping I found the two handmade dolls, and started putting everything together. I have some small old tin cigar boxes and upon taking them apart at the hinges, they fit perfectly in the opening. I dyed them with some alcohol paints, glued them in the opening and put a mola in each one. I collaged and painted each frame and added other 3D elements I thought would go with the colors and theme.

Studio Night!

L to R: Marianne, Me and Nancy.

So it's been awhile since we have had studio night and we were all missing the shared camaraderie.We got together at Marianne's house tonight as hers had air conditioning and it got up to 100 today. (We officially have A/C but so far have opted not to use it)

Nancy is working on a series of beetles, this one is looking mighty fine.

I was working on vacation collages for my scrapbook.

Marianne was working on several mixed media pieces.

This is the mess we left at her house...thanks MK for a great night!

Talkin 'bout my Generation....part 2

An unexpected package came in the mail the other day. It was from my Aunt Joan in NY. It contained 5 of my childhood paintings all dated and signed by me. Years 1970 - 1974. These were oil paintings I had done between 9 and 14 years of age. She had found them in a box while looking for her high school diploma and thought it might be nice for me to have them to pass on to my daughters. Thank you Joan. That was very thoughtful.

Cabinet of Curiosities: An Ode to Charles Wilson Peale

Charles Wilson Peale, American 1741-1827

The Artist in His Museum (self-portrait, 1822)

Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia

I first heard of Peale, his museum and the term “Cabinet of Curiosities” while attending museum education classes at the University of North Texas in 2001. I was intrigued by this concept of a collection of art and natural objects of which the owner invites viewers to make what associations they may among seemingly unrelated items. This may have been when I acquired this post card that has been in my box of assorted papers for a while.

I didn’t think much more of it until this past spring while attending a lecture on James Audubon when the lecturer showed this exact same photo to us. And I thought, “that’s what my next piece will be…my own little “cabinet of curiosities.”

I started collecting objects specifically for this project. My only purchase was the beaver skull, which I bought in Ouray, Colorado. I had all the little protective cases that were given to me by my friend Miriam.

Other items include a dead bee I found in a stone cabin in northern Idaho. A dead scorpion I found at my fathers memorial service. A piece of Amber (fossilized tree resin) given to me by my sister) A “skeleton” of a leaf found on a hike in Eugene, Oregon, a stone from New Zealand given to me by my friends Kimberley and Bruce, and wood and pine needles and wasp nests found in my own back yard.

I was going to put everything in a small curio cabinet I have with a glass door but it looked too new. Then I tried this old handmade wooden box, I liked it and decided to mimic the drapery in the post card and add the tassel to the bottom making it into a hanging piece instead of one that sits on a table.

So if someone had to ask me how long did this take you to make I would have to say it took 10 years from inception to completion.

Golden Mirror

I have had this framed mirror for a while and I usually remember were almost everything I have came from but I do not remember where I got this mirror. The back of the mirror has a sticker that says: H. Hal Kramer Co. Chicago.

The flower and fruit charm hanging from the bottom came with it but it was very dark and the detail did not show up so I rubbed some gold rubn'buff on it and the details just popped.

I decided to stick with a golden theme and have used a brooch that was my grandma's and another one that my friend Nancy got at The Box in The Basement - a cool store on 8th St. in Boise. We went to their grand opening and they gave out boxes with recycled wonders in them to be re-used or given away. It was a very cool idea.

I have also used African Beads that I traded a woman for at Art & Soul. And Misc. buttons from my sister in law Doris. And a part from a broken necklace.

Locked Doors and Secret Passages part 2

So the second story concerns China town in NYC...my cousin was told by a friend that if she wanted to find designer purses for cheap to go to this one corner in china town and ask to see the "back room." We wandered around that corner of town but didn't see what she was talking about, then a Chinese woman whispered to us Chanel...Louis Vuiton...Coach?? and she motioned us to follow her. I wasn't looking for a purse, but I'm always game for an adventure. So we followed this lady around many blocks walking really fast, then she brought us to a small perfume store and said something in Chinese to the man running the store and he motioned to us to quickly follow him and he opened a false wall in the back of the store and just about pushed us in and then another little man snapped the door closed and locked it. Now I am a very claustrophobic person so I kind of freaked out just a little as we were in virtually a closet with designer purses lining the walls. Sizing up the man, I figured my cousin and I could take him if we had to! We were in there for just about 3 minutes with him yelling, hurry, police, no time, my cousin grabbed a big white Chanel purse for $60 handed him the 3 twenties and we were out the door in a flash.

I decided to google "China Town designer purse scandal" after writing this just now to see what I could find and my first hit was a story very similar to mine but explains why all the secrecy.

Locked Doors and Secret Passages part 1

While on our travels earlier this summer I encountered two completey unrelated odd situations that had a common theme of locked doors and secret passages. Here is the first story, tune in tomorrow for the 2nd.

Today's guest writer is my husband:

While walking around a small town in Virginia, a man sitting in a folding chair on the sidewalk asked us if we were "antiquing" we said no but we might as well have said yes. As we were soon to find out he was a retired gentleman farmer and former teacher who owned a vaguely frightening antique store. This involved going down a junk filled alley and into several padlocked windowless rooms and passageways filled with even more junk. It also involved repeatedly referring to Pam as my daughter which she liked, and cryptic illusions to some sort of government resistance militia he was involved with. He had some weird little book for sale about this which we declined, but bought a couple things just so he wouldn't lock us in a vault and kill us.

A cute little German figurine but the woman has no head!

A long forgotten photo of a girl from the south.

Two carved wooden lotus flowers that used to be part of something else.

Look for these items later and see what I have done to alter them.

Dad

Warning: this might be creepy to some of you.

Dad never did get to visit Idaho before his passing. I know he would have loved it. I always wanted to take him to Idaho City, where an old west shootout still happens on Friday nights.

Well, a part of dad is now in Idaho as each of his children was given some ashes. I wanted to keep them in a way that would help me remember him, so I transformed this 3" vase into a little urn, and sealed it with a cork, glue and then wax. The cork has the word liberty as dad believed deeply in personal freedom from government intrusion. There are 2 pistols on top of the cork as he was a member of the NRA and felt strongly about his 2nd amendment rights. There is a cuff link from when he was a national champion race car driver. Finally there is Texas, his adopted home which he loved, and the cross to represent his faith. May he rest in peace here in Idaho.

The Next Generation

metal wallaby by
Katherine age 16

Part 4 of the blogs on family. I have previously shown work by my great grandfather, my grandmother, myself and today I am showing some of my two daughters art works who both also like to make art.

Paper mosaic collage
Katherine age 12

Assemblage
Katherine age 10

Ceramics
Katherine age 17

Assemblage
Victoria age 14

Pastel
Victoria age 15

Talkin 'bout my Generation....

Pam Spreen
18x24
Oriental Still Life
1972
Age 12

This post is part 3 of the previous two posts. Two days ago I posted about my great grandfather, yesterday about my grandmother and now I am posting the paintings I received back from my Aunts in NJ that I did as a child and young adult. It is like your life flashing before you eyes when you see something you did almost 40 years ago.

Pam Spreen
Age 8
9x12 oil
1968

Pam Spreen
16x20 oil
1970
age 10

Pam Mall
24x36
age 26

Grandma was an Artist too!

My Grandmother, Elsie Scotti Dorigo, born 1907 was also a painter. I have fond memories of taking oil painting lessons with her starting when I was just 8 years old.

Our teacher was Mary Luth, originally from Holland. We took group lessons from her in Glen Rock NJ. I will always remember her studio in the basement with her cocker spaniels running around with paint on their floppy ears.

My grandmother never did learn how to drive, so when my mom couldn't pick us up we would take a taxi cab ( Grandma lived with us) and I remember it would cost $3 for the ride home.

18x24 Oil Chrysanthemums Elsie Dorigo circa 1970

24x36 oil painting Swiss pastoral scene Elsie Dorigo circa 1970

8x10 Oil on 4 glass panels (very heavy)
1974 Elsie Dorigo

Jeri & Joan (from my previous blog entry) gave me some of the paintings that my grandmother and I had given them over the years. Pictured above are three of them. I packed the ones from Jeri, so it wasn't a surprise what I was bringing home but then Joan showed up with a large packed box, I had no idea what was in it, we packed it in the truck and drove it from NJ to Idaho. It was like a weird Christmas of times past when opening them up...

Great Grandpa was an Artist!

painted by
Abramo Scotti, my Great Grandfather
born 1873 Como, Italy
immigrated to the US in 1899
morto il giorno 21 Novembre 1934(7)?

On our 6 week road trip we visited lots of family. Some of the family we saw were my maternal grandmother's (Elsie) nieces. Aunt Jeri, her sister Joan and their husbands Bob and Stafford. Jeri gave us a tour of her home. LOTS of original art covered the walls! Of interest to me were the two painted by my great grandfather Abramo Scotti. The two primitive floral oils were painted in 1925 in Union City NJ.

Abramo Scotti
1925 Union City NJ