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.......