Are We There Yet? Downtown Markham Perfect City artwork installed

It's all done and the artwork, mine + the other 19, have all been installed. In their environment the giant boards look small. 

This was my first sighting of our work. The corner of Enterprise and Birchmount in Markham is a real live construction zone.

Looking for somewhere to park the car we drove by this on the opposite side of the street

And here we were headed toward the first panels which extend onto Birchmount

First four were here ...

then going this way....

we came to mine around the corner on Enterprise-- here it is in the center

my map legend

a few mascots

a few thoughts on what could make a perfect city

the artist and her work entitled  Are We There Yet?

Voting begins September 24th, 2013 to November 1st, 2013.

More on that to come.

Day #4 - one day left - feels like not enough

 I got to the site and prepared to make great progress on my piece today.

 As usual, I got comfortable, always preferring to work bare feet if at all possible. 

I had a full coffee on hand

 a vague idea

a favorite 6B pencil to refine those ideas as I sat on my stool in front of my work in progress.

Today I moved back to my original spot by the fence at the back. They have some kind of lawn irrigation system at the front where I was yesterday. Since it was hot, it was ok to have damp feet all  day, but today was cooler, and overcast, so it was tolerable back there. Plus I discovered I could prop my boards up off the grass using rocks from the rock pile, so I was feeling pretty smug about today's set-up.

I finished one medallion: Diverse

worked on Safe (not ready for publication--needs work) and began Efficient

when the skies opened up. I dragged my boards into the big tent and spent the rest of the day learning how to paint when your dibond aluminum boards are propped up on bricks so they don't get flooded from the rain and the wind, all the while 

ducking as the tent's loose sides fly in over your head. The sides need to be open cause otherwise it is too dark.

After I went for coffee, I completed Efficient

Then added this guy

beside the Affordable medallion, which was also completed.

Tomorrow is the last day. I need to finish all of the outer border, add details to the interior map, do touch-ups and the remaining 4 medallions, including this one, which was a personal challenge for me today.

Downtown Markham project - progress at the end of day #1

I have until Friday at 5pm to create my idea of The Perfect City.
Here's what transpired on Day#1:

The day began with coffee and treats and then we were given our substrate material: 2 sheets of dibond.

10' x 4' each piece

 Dibond is aluminum with a plastic coated surface. Our two sheets will be installed one above the other, so the seam goes horizontally through the center of the work.

The Remington Group have provided us with a tent to work under if the weather is bad, but we have to work flat on the ground.

Being only 5'5" that's not a lot of perspective on my work so I chose to prop it up at the back of the lot against these construction boards. The weather held, so it was a good choice for me.

Tomorrow's weather calls for 33C, with humidity, feeling 42C or something. Yikes. Wednesday is 30C with thunder showers. We just have to roll with it. Art-making is not for everyone.

By the way, I will be working on site, at 162 Enterprise Blvd in Markham (off Warden) from around 10am to 4pm everyday this week. If you want, you can stop in and say hello. It's ok. I asked.

removing protective sheet

priming with a high adhesion primer

2 boards primed

dibond in the Canadian landscape

the start of my composition

the stage is set

Downtown Markham Project Day 1 or 9 to 5 with an 8 x 10 foot panel and 19 other artists for 5 days. And so, my week begins.

 This morning I begin a week long, 9am -5pm, project on a development site.

development site, stage right

 The Remington Group, who are the developers of the Downtown Markham project, called for 20 artists to create their idea of "The Perfect City" on the construction boards which will ring the building site.

  I applied and a jury chose me and today we begin our work.

We're in a giant tent in case it rains.

They've promised us high end potties, and a meet and greet with continental breakfast this morning.

I'm working on a sheet of dibond - an aluminum with a coated surface, 8' x 10' wide, which, if my sample piece is really like what I will be given, will prove to be a challenge. 

I believe my first day will be all about surface preparation.  I'll be back tonight and will let you know.

MORE INFO HERE:

http://downtownmarkham.ca/media/20130729/developer-seeks-artists-touch

http://downtownmarkham.ca/media/20130725/downtown-markham-launches-public-call-to-artists