autumn, 2013

yarn, bone and autumn color

 

 

 

summer pool, 2013

 summer pool, 22x30, pastel and acrylic on paper

 

summer 2013, paper cut outs

paper cut out with bleached tree root in river

 

paper cut out with bleached tree root in river

 

chrome coated paper cut out in lupine

clouds and rivers- watercolors en plein air

plein air watercolor studies

 

clouds- watercolor en plein air

plein air cloud studies in watercolor

 

summer, plein air drawing

this summer, I took some time to just enjoy the outdoors and create some pastel drawings en plein air. there was something very calming and intriguing about this observational drawing. 

 

 

cloud drawings in studio, may 2013

An exploration of cloud forms on mulberry paper.  These drawings were made as mock ups for an upcoming installation.  I use a projector to trace the cloud forms onto the paper using

charcoal pencil.  The folds in the paper were created to add a sense of sequencing, pages and even maps.  For the installation I envision using much larger strips and filling the walls. A fun experiment.

cloud project, spring 2013

cloud drawing-charcoal pencil on vellum in juniper stump

 

cloud drawing- charcoal pencil on vellum with sandstone, lichen

Spring 2013- Canyonlands National Park

yarn in Mormon tea shrub

yarn circle in Mormon tea shrub





18 march 2013

 

For about a year, I've had this large charcoal drawing of clouds on one of my studio walls-and I mean that- it is drawn directly on the wall.

it's taking up a lot of space, but I can't seem to let the conversation go just yet- there is more to learn and something that is definitely keeping my attention. I'm also just enjoying the elegance of the thin, fragile lines overlapping one another. Recently, I've added a few smaller, cloud drawings on mylar next to the larger drawing- to start a conversation between the two.  I'm enjoying this experiment. more to develop here..... 

As a side note, I've been reading a lot about water policy and issues in the West and A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket.  The two, environmental writings and a children's series,` would not seem to be related, however in the eleventh book Snicket keeps repeating definitions of the water cycle for precipitation, evaporation/condensation and collection/storage.  He does so in a humorous, though monotonous, way. The water cycle has definitely settled into mind as I explore clouds and water issues and the ephemeral nature of all.

25 february 2013

paper cut-out with hoar frost, willow and sky

paper cut-out with hoar frost and aspen branches

paper cut-out blends into snow and shadows

Cloud Project: 25 february 2013

Cloud Project:  This morning it was -15F and there was a beautiful, early morning fog.  Everything was covered in frost.  Here are few of the cloud project drawings interacting with frosted aspen and a chain link fence.

28-29 September, 2012: ever/present/flow

ever/present/flow- September 29th and 30th, 2012
A collaboration with Coal Creek WatershedCoalition (CCWC).

Last autumn, I collaborated with a local non-profit, CCWC, to create temporary artworks in the landscape along a route that highlighted their recent reclamation and restoration works in the Upper Slate River Watershed.  The artworks were an homage to water that gently noted how water is a great connector of all life.  

A bike tour,  including water and mining reclamation experts, would stop at key positions to talk about progress on cleaning up old mine sites and the state of water in that particular valley.

I had two pieces on site.  The first consisted of 100 blue flags meandering down a hillside in an area where water obviously travels to the Slate River below during the spring run-off.  The second was a group of  three paper cut-outs placed close to the Slate River.  These cut-outs alluded to patterns of water.

This collaboration was significant for me as it was the first time I had a present audience and the artworks were 'happening' for a set time where many people, hiking and biking, could come across my work in the landscape.  Up until this piece, the work occurred in a very private manner and was shared only through photographs.

I approached the CCWC to collaborate because I believe art can add so much to the conversation environmentally-engaged nonprofits are having with their communities.

Soon, we will be meeting again to talk about the possibilities of another artistic collaboration.  I'll keep you posted.

Thanks to Great Big Color of Denver for donating a wonderful chrome coated paper for the cut-outs.

16 Feb 2013

Last autumn, I conceived a new drawing project.  I am inserting small drawings of cloud patterns on vellum or rice paper into the landscape and photo documenting the moment.  I envision doing many of these little interventions in a variety of landscapes or settings. The working title for this series is "The Cloud Project". I will continue to post more of these images here and share the trajectory of the project.

 

 cloud drawing on vellum, charcoal pencil, 

in snowplow track with ice/snow, 2013.

 cloud drawing on vellum, charcoal pencil, with ice/snow, 2013.

cloud drawing on vellum, charcoal pencil, roadside gravel, 2012.

11 February 2013

here are few photos of a new cut-out in the studio.  a faint blue piece of rice paper.  i am excited to see what happens when i put it in the land.  today i was inspired by an interpretation of one of rainer maria rilke's lines:

the knowledge of impermanence
that haunts our days
is their very fragrance.

 the scrap pieces are just as interesting as larger cut-out and will be put into the land, too.

here i've hung the cut-out in progress on the wall with a darker paper behind it to best share the effect.  the pattern is taken from a photo i took of small, spring flowers.   i like how the shapes might be clouds or some other organic, changing form.  

in other news........i am in the process of revamping my blog and the below posts record artworks and inspirations from 2012.  more entries to come.......

Summertime 2012

Even though these nature pics are serene....they both reveal some of the underlying issue of the summer- drought.   The water levels were at historic lows and wildfires were giving the sky a beautiful though peculiar glow, especially at dawn and dusk.  Over the summer, I started to work with the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition, a nonprofit that works to ensure the health of the Coal Creek and Upper Slate Watersheds, to envision site specific artworks to include in a tour of their mining reclamation work in the Slate River Watershed.

Summertime 2012

the patterns and textures of plants.... more inspiration.

Summertime 2012

The clouds are a never ending source of inspiration!

20 may 2012

I created this cut-out in about 20 hours.  I was lucky enough to borrow a pair of small, fly-tying scissors from the local fishing guide shop to cut out the tiny details.  I enjoy sitting quietly to work with focus.  The pattern is taken from my photograph of looking up through new leaves and branches.  Initially, I project the image on the paper and trace with white chalk.  Then I used an xacto knife and the scissors.

approx. 22" x 30", mango paper

 

Next, I cut the whole paper in half and glued the two pieces together to create a longer banner-like length of paper.  I took photographs of the work by the Slate River.  It was a beautiful day.  The conversation with this cut out came to an end early- as I submerged it in the stream to photograph, the paper came apart almost instantly.   For some this might be frustrating, but I enjoyed the underscore of the temporal nature of everything.  It was a beautiful moment shared with the river.  I quickly fished the scraps out of the water as I do not want my artworks to become litter.