Viva La France

I haven't blogged much over the past 2 months as I have been virtually on the road since Thanksgiving when I spent the week in Death Valley. (See art of the desert previous blog.)
Then was home for a day to repack and leave for France with my sister and nephew to visit my daughter who was spending the semester studying abroad. From there it was onto Texas and then Oregon. Just got back this week and had to do some art. I created these two collage frames of our trip to France for my sister and nephew.
While we were in France the worst snowstorm since the 80's hit. Our 2 hour drive turned into 12. We missed a day of shopping and sightseeing in Paris...
but since we arrived at 2 am admist the snowstorm, the roads were virtually empty so we got to zip around the arc de triomphe and...

the Eiffel Tower.

Moving my camera phone while taking this picture created an interesting feel.

Even the food presentation was an art.

We stopped to see what was in the cave, after all the sign did say "Ouvert"
It turned out to be a winery. Up the icy stairs to the right was the vineyard, and somehow they had constructed it so the grapes could go through the ceiling of the cave for processing.

Upon entering, the smell of mold was all encompassing.
As seen above everything is covered in mold.

Chateau de Pray in the Loire Valley that we were able to spend a night at
and enjoy a 7 course dinner!
What a great trip.

Art in the Desert...

A motel that any self respecting artist would stay at...

A ginourmous prospector and penguin??

A mosaic couch....

A giant naked lego woman...

A house made entirely of bottles...

The first person to leave a comment correctly guessing were any of these photos were taken will receive an artist trading card handmade by me!

Idaho Triennial Artists

Geoff Kruegger

As some of you know I am a docent at the Boise Art Museum. One of the perks of being a docent is a "behind the scenes" look at the work and the artists showing at the museum.

On November 1st John Killmaster came and shared with us his 63 year perspective on being an Idaho artist. His work, Owyhee Canyon Lands is part of the Triennial Tour. Killmaster has donated 600 pieces of his artwork to the College of Southern Idaho, where it will be preserved.

On Nov. 8 Christine Raymond regaled us with her mysterious ventures with gold leaf. Her work is part of the permanent collection of the Boise Art Museum and is also featured at the Idaho State Captitol.

Today we were privy to enter the studio of Geoff Krueger. He not only answered questions from the 30 docents but also demonstrated how he starts a painting, sketching with a brush using a very loose oil based medium. His studio will be open this coming First Thursday in December from 6-9. Stop by and see for your self his great talent.

Feed The Imagination

Color My World
$25
Mixed Media Assemblage with Quote:
" How one crayon fed my imagination, and made seeing it come to life all the more thrilling."

What have you done this week to feed your imagination?

High Horse and Giveaway

High Horse Found Object Assemblage $50

The base is a block of wood from a construction site I was helping get ready to build a yurt on. Some of the pieces collaged on the sides I bought at a garage sale for 25 cents, they are leftover from some "stained glass" contact paper our neighbor put on the window of their front door. I also used transparency's that I bought at a thrift store that were already printed on by a teacher. I love reusing things that would normally be thrown away. Then collaged over that with tissue paper from old sewing patterns.
Next up is the round shape which is a collaged tuna fish can. With an altoids tin and a wooden block. They are attached with e6000 glue. Around the edges of the can I used DAP adhesive caulk and made the "fence" using little wooden things leftover from building some shelves. I painted the caulk to look like grass and dirt.
I then put a thin line of Elmer's around the caulk and glued seed beads, when the glue was dry I rubbed brown metallic dry pigment on them to blend them in.


One of the blogs that I follow is celebrating their 2000 post! Go visit Peggy and leave a comment and you might win one of her great prizes: Peggy's Mixed Up Art

I don't even know how many posts I have done, guess I'll add em up and maybe I'll give something away too.

Contemplation

Contemplation
Assemblage $25

Assemblage Techniques Workshop

Yesterday my friend Nancy and I attended Sue Latta's Assemblage Techniques Workshop. We got a LOT of information on just about everything you can find at a hardware store and possible applications for your art. I now know the difference between a screw and a bolt and even know about tap and die. We went through all the different kinds of glues available and the application processes. Who knew there was such a thing as liquid tape?

Using the "third hand"

Sue explaining difference between a rivet and a grommet
.

Now, it's time for me to apply all I learned to my art!

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!