Hanging it up

Did I mention that I've been hooked on plastic bags and paper clips combination? I have been obsessed. This is a hanging sculptural piece using at least a hundred plastic bags and thousands of paper clips. 

It has taken a life of its own.  It almost looks like its doing the can can.

I had to stop working on it when my hand refused to response anymore. I may be done with it. 

Monkey Business

This is one of the few paintings I finished after the fire.

More Baskets

Here's another plastic bag and paper clip basket.

There's a fortune in this basket.

I love fortune cookies for the fortunes.  I made this basket to hold all my fortunes.  The colors were inspired by the boxes. 

More Plastic Bag Art

Another project I've been working on is weaving plastic bags on a cardboard loom.  This started because I was researching projects for my daughter's class.  She's in fourth grade which means there's been a focus on Native American this year.

We created baskets with pine needles and raffia and I thought that we should also weave with a rug on a loom, cardboard looms are the least expensive way to go.  I try to do the projects before I teach so that I could work out the process before I get in front of 24 kids.  

I wanted to inject some color to the project by adding what I have laying around.  Remember I picked up several boxes of paper clips.  I have to admit that I went back to the dollar store and cleaned them up on the paper clips.  I need restocking right now.

Low Cost Art

I have a confession.  I love going to the dollar store.  Occasionally I have this itch to spend some money but since the economy is in this state.  I don't have oodles of cash for shopping. Besides, I don't really need anything, I just want to spend a little.  

During my last visit at my local dollar store I spotted boxes of colorful paper clips.  Can you imagine 300 really cool paper clips for one buck.  I couldn't resist.  I picked up several boxes.  I have two kids and we're always looking for paper clips. Plus I was sure I wanted to do an art piece with them.   The colors were great.  

This is one way I used the paper clips.   I'm weaving it into my plastic bag baskets.  

I love the dollar store.  I'll be posting more pics of all the other uses I have for this very common item.

What to do with plastic bags

I had the flu recently and I'm not one to lay in bed or sit around doing absolutely nothing.  I have to keep busy.  So while I was nursing the flu in bed, I started thinking about a project that I wanted to do for the recycling show at the Escondido Municipal Gallery.  

I decided it was something I could try to do while I recuperated in bed.  I started weaving a basket using grocery plastic bags.  Okay, I'm guilty of occasionally forgetting my reusable bags.  I needed to redeem myself by using these plastic bags in art.   

The basket was a bit wavy looking but don't forget I was sick.  I'm still working on this.

APW Gallery Exhibition

I'm currently in a group exhibition in New York at the APW Gallery.  The show consist of over 200 artist each contributing up to five 12" x 12" paintings.  I was in a funk when I received the Call to Artist, and I thought a deadline would be good for me.  Unfortunately, the deadline was so far in advance that I almost forgot about it.  Which meant that when I got my email alert I had to scramble.  Somehow I managed and was able to send all five pieces on time by using 2nd day air, a very expensive way to go.  That's what I get for procrastinating.  Above is one of the paintings in the show.

 

Panache 2009 - Art Auction

The Escondido Arts Partnership will be hosting their annual fundraising event. I donated this painting for the art auction.   For more details go to www.escondidoarts.org

Exploring recycling inspired art

I'm a great believer in saving the environment. The job seems gigantic at times and we just have to plug along and do what what we can.  

My daughter attends a wonderful charter school, Explorer Elementary, where the community of parents, students and faculty have worked together to help with this endeavor.  Her class and I have been busy working on an art project for the annual fundraising auction with this objective in mind.

The description for our project: 

The earth is a treasure box of wonderful materials that should not be wasted.  This conceptual art piece focuses on being earth friendly.  The class construction a sculpture- a giant beaded jewel bracelet with its own storage box made from surplus wood, boxes, bottlecaps, recycled paper (that we hand painted), and even a hubcap a student found.

The event is on March 28 and I hope the auction goes well and we raise a lot of money.