Wednesday, December 16, 2009

More New Art




This is a photo of my last sculpture project. The assignment was to use an object from nature, and alter it in some abstract way. The process involved hand building a replication of the object with clay. Then pour plaster over it making a mold, once that was hardened, the clay is removed. Cement is finally poured into the plaster mold. Once this is hardened, it is then slowly removed using chisel and wooden mallet. Great for the biceps...but only the arm you are using, unless you can use both arms! After this process the cement sculpture is revealed!

I used my grandmother's beautiful conk shell, that was in our family ever since I can remember. I patterned it using other shells I had, and a hand tool I made from wood. I also added a Third Eye/Eye of God on the pointed end of the shell. I then applied wax to give it a little shine after buffing. I'll be putting it outside in my garden come Spring. I can hardly wait for Spring!

Next project in January will be a sculpture using chisel and wooden mallet out of a poured block of plaster I made.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

New Art


I was hoping to get to finish of my last school project today. Started off up the road...slippery freezing drizzle! I hesitated coming back home but decided to not take the chance of going off the road after having a flat Sunday morning. I may try again shortly.

Meantime I am posting some of my last projects in this week,

I am very excited about my next term in the New Year. I received the Crake Internship through Mount Allison to do a project. My intention is to do a historical visual documentation of the Canadian Horse through drawing, painting and photography. Many people including Canadians are unaware that we have our own National Breed. It is my hope that I can do my part to help change this fact, as it contributed greatly to the establishment of Canada long before Canada was a country.

The following painting I just had fun with and it was my last project in my painting class. The assignment was to do a portrait or a historical document. I combined both portrait and historical document. The portrait is of Murray Calder the Senator responsible for helping to get Bill S-22 passed in 2002, making the Canadian Breed our National Horse. I used a copy of Bill S-22 as a collage for Murray's trousers, and no, the eyes of the Canadian Horse are not bottle caps of Canadian beer! I just wanted to use the Maple Leaf Logo that was on the copy of the print out of the bill.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Don't Forget Your Underwear!


I received an email from a childhood friend the other day. We write back and forth, shared stories we've written, usually about our past experiences. She sent me a short story about leaving her car keys in her rented car that she'd locked while it was running. She had been preoccupied and caught up in the excitement of having a car to drive after being without wheels for several months.

I replied with a note, sharing my own thoughts, and just made a comment about not to forget your underwear. I thought I was being witty and wise in my comments to her.

I will tell you I hate bras and it's the first thing I do when I come home, is take that thing off and fling it somewhere. That same day I'd received my friends email, I left for school.When I arrived in the photo department I suddenly realized I'd forgotten to put my bra on! Then I did it the next day too! It all wasn't so funny at the moment but it's pretty funny to me now. I think this happens a lot to those of us who are right brained. I've been this way all my life, so instead of letting it frustrate and upset me I have learned to embrace my, what I call "brain farts".

So if you forget your underwear, it's ok. You don't need to worry about it getting in a knot! It's just your right brain trying to tell you something.