Gallery 101 Frames Exhibit ~ Sat. Dec. 6th, 2008

This Saturday night is my first Gallery 101 Frames event. I've known of this show for many years but never got it together to participate. So at the urging of several friends I managed to make two drypoint etchings for the silent auction this year.

Can't Stop Must Go drypoint etching 4" x 6" Sold at auction for $90

Here's the print in the frame provided by Gallery 101 and how it'll look at the show

From the Gallery 101 Website
GALLERY 101 FRAMES - SILENT ART AUCTION AND PARTY - THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Saturday, December 6, 2008, 8pm

Preview: December 4th and 5th from 12pm – 9 pm Art Auction/Party: Saturday, December 6, 2008. Doors open at 8pm. Tickets: $10 at Gallery 101 or at the door

LUST

Gallery 101 will host the first of seven years of 101 FRAMES: THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS. Each year artists will interpret a different deadly sin. To kick things off with a bang, Gallery 101 is starting with the naughtiest sin first: LUST.

Every December 101 FRAMES, Gallery 101’s annual fundraising event, presents over 101 framed artworks by talented artists. This year, we asked artists to let their imaginations run wild in creating work about LUST for this year’s silent art auction and party.

But that’s not the only way we are spicing it up. Other sinfully delightful features of this year’s event will be a performance art “peepshow,” decadent door prizes (including some very sexy big ticket items), and wicked appetizers, all set to some saucy tunes by hot djs in a LUST-inspired setting. So come on out and show us you have a mad passion (for the arts) in Ottawa, indulge in a night of arts and culture, and support your local non-profit artist-run centre.

Proceeds from the auction help Gallery 101 maintain its services to artists and the community. This event is supported and made possible by our local artists, businesses, volunteers and friends.

Lustful Need drypoint etching approx 2" x 6" Sold at auction for $50

How it'll look at Gallery 101's silent auction Saturday night...

Up for Air

I am still up to my ears in school assignments and due dates and deadlines not to mention getting work ready for Carp Farmers' Market Christmas Show this Friday and Saturday, but I wanted to celebrate the fact that I sent off my Friendly Plastic Challenge work today, on the very last day it could be sent.

I was going to post images from what I made but I'm waiting until the 15th when the contest officially closes.

Stay tuned.

October 31st - All Hallows Eve

Happy Halloween!

Here's a little squirrel enjoying a popcorn treat for Halloween.

This is the pumpkin I carved this year.

Hello! I'm Johnny Cash.

And this was the ghastly surprise we had this week.
A sticky slathering of 3 inches of snow, some of which is still on the ground.
Now that's truly scary.

But nevermind that.



I can haz candy?
YES.

Illustration Friday: Late

I Pity the Fool

variable edition 1/1 22" x 24"
Detail of a bleed print from a masonite carving on Somerset paper.

original woodblock carving on masonite: 24" x 24"

masonite plate inked and ready to print

1st print from plate

print size 22" x 24"

paper size 22" x 30"

Stop-Motion Animation - Part 1

Graeme Patterson is a Canadian artist who is the featured visiting artist at the Ottawa School of Art this year. His specialty is stop-motion animation and installations using the films he creates set into the very elaborate sets he makes. His show opened last night at the school. I was so excited to see his films. They are very charming and I was extra excited because he is teaching a workshop on how to do what he does.... so very happy to learn this... feeling very lucky...!

Today we started a two day workshop on how to make your own puppet and stop-action animation. I have wanted to do this forever, so I signed up as soon as the list went up.

Step 1 : wire form with duct tape at hip joint and shoulder joints, one hand attached with extra long fingers

Our figures were made of wire, foam, fabric (pantyhose and your choice of cloth for clothing, feathers used for hair or fur if making an animal), glue from a glue gun.

It's messy and you burn your fingers often. I am used to this method of working because of the friendly plastic I have used for years, so it didn't bother me at all, but was annoying at times because it takes longer to cool down than FP does. I also used cardboard for the soles of the sandals.


Step 2: adding foam to bulk up the frame using a glue gun to attache pieces as well as forming the hands with the glue

The whole character was put together with only a glue gun and some foam over the basic wire frame.

Skin is created by stretching pantyhose over the foam and attaching it with the glue gun. Seams are really visible but it doesn't seem to matter. If added delineation is needed for the face or the muscles you put glue gun glue into the area and wet a finger and press the shape you need into the glue. It pushes its way through the nylon and then holds the shape. Everyone had a few times where there fingers got burnt and a few of us even had blisters. We suffered for our art.

Step 3: Here I am attaching the nylon to the foam. I gave my man a manly chest.

Here is my completed character: front, two sides and back. Mesh shirt, swim trunks, sandals. All the joints move and you can position every part of the body. It's very sturdy.


Tomorrow we will add small details to our puppets, painting the face and hands. After we finish our puppets we move on to learn what's involved in creating a 4 second animation.

I cannot wait.

He told us to think of a little body movement our character can do, like a little dance, and then we will animate that into a never ending loop.

My guy is full of possibility.

We will also attempt to build a simple set for our characters from foam core and another type of foam that looked like a type of building material... it was blue... Hopefully I'll have an animation to post tomorrow (!) but it may take a day or two.

Markets this weekend!

my carp market booth looked like this last weekend...

Wow. The weather forecast looks perfect! Sunny and 20C!? Awesome. I'm looking forward to the markets this weekend. I hope to have some new friendly plastic things and a few new paintings... but I am plastic-focused right now.

Next Week and beyond...

School obligations have me away next Saturday at Carp, and next Sunday at Ottawa/Lansdowne, my booth mate Tim won't be there and since he isn't I won't be either. So my next market after tomorrow will be the final market days for the season for me at both Carp and Lansdowne. If you have anything you'd like me to make you please let me know at either of these markets or drop me an email at 2plastic@rogers.com. If you are here reading this, then you know this is the place I come to to post notices and such and once I figure out which Christmas shows I will be at I'll post that information here for sure.

And then there were three

16"x20" acrylic on canvas (custom order)SOLD

This was a special order created for a couple who now have three cats... little Lily was found under a lily leaf in their backyard this summer. She's the bright-eyed eager one in the back. I was told that the other two cats have grudgingly accepted her and now let her sleep on the bed.

Night Out with The Girls 24" x 6" acrylic on canvas SOLD

Illustration Friday: Strings

I'm working on a project using painting with light techniques. It looks a lot like strings, except they are made of light. This is an image showing a 1926 photograph of my grandmother and my aunt, who had a turbulent relationship with each other. They were tied to each other but sometimes it was a bit messy... and not so great for those around them.

HOW TO: Painting with light is done by setting your subject up in a completely dark space and then taking a light source and moving it around your subject while the camera is taking the picture. I used a laser pointer here and had a small flashlight shining onto the top center of the scene. Your camera must be on a tripod and the shutter speed is set very slow, like a minute or more, ISO at about 100. Because the shutter is open for a long time the camera will pick up all the movements you make with the light, creating lines wherever you move the light.

Illustration Friday: Sugary

A variable edition of 5 dry point prints made by drawing into Lexan plastic with a compass needle and a Dremel tool, then inking it up and running it through a press.

Two prints have additional chine colle work.

This was a yummy project with sweet results.

Friendly Plastic Lovers... we have news....!

Shown here an assortment of very useful friendly plastic colours:(top to bottom) colour burst, confetti, swirl on blue, rainbow black, metallic mauve

Last night I received an email announcement of a NEW design challenge using Friendly Plastic! This morning there was a new comment on my blog from Michelle about the re-introduction of Friendly Plastic to the world!

Yay!

Here's the challenge information....:

ANNOUNCING THE AMACO(R) FRIENDLY PLASTIC(R) OPEN CHALLENGE FOR CHA 2009Deadline for Entries December 1st, 2008 See entry form for details Help us celebrate AMACO's 90th Birthday in 2009, make a Friendly Plastic(R) project, and come to a party! We'll celebrate at the Craft & Hobby Association on Monday, January 26th, 2009 at 11 AM in the Anaheim Convention Center. As soon as we are assigned a booth number, we'll e-blast and post information. We will also celebrate on-line with a projects gallery, anecdotes, photos, and blogged remembrances of shared AMACO history. All Challenge entries will be shown on amaco.com. Former winners of AMACO Bottles of Hope Designer Challenges are welcome to enter. Charitable Creative Work This year we will have a category to honor "Bottles of Hope" again with donations to founder Diane Gregoire's Hasbro Children's Hospital, as well as introduce a new charitable project brought to us by Event Coordinators Helen Bradley and Michelle Zimmerman. The Butterfly Project at the Holocaust Museum Houston is seeking 1,500,000 butterflies for an installation honoring the 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. The butterflies will eventually comprise a breath-taking exhibition, currently scheduled for Spring 2012, for all to remember. We will have other categories that focus on Friendly Plastic(R) Jewelry, which will be donated to a women's shelter in Northern California to be selected by our Event Coordinators. Leading Industry Editors Will Judge Awards for Prizes
All entries will be published in an on-line gallery at the NEW amaco.com websiteNew website coming November 1, 2008
All entrants will receive Friendly Plastic(R) Designer Sticks
Winners will be presented an etched crystal award at AMACO's 90th Birthday Party at CHA on Monday, January 26th, 2009 at 11 AM, Booth # TBD
Winners will receive $100 personal check from AMACO
Winners will receive a matching $100 check to be made payable to your favorite charity
Winners will have their entries published on-line in the AMACO(R) Craft Library
Winners will receive enough Friendly Plastic(R), tools and mixed media materials to host their own craft party for 8. Parties are not required and can be donated to charity with AMACO items appropriate for age group.
Party pictures will be featured in special edition e-blast to designers and editors to showcase new and original designs Entry Categories for Open Challenge Awards For this challenge, we are re-introducing you to the 80's retro modeling medium Friendly Plastic(R). You may remember it from CHA 2008 where Jana Ewy demonstrated her technique for creating a dichroic glass-like effect. Because the medium is inexpensive, colorful, easy-to-use, and addictive, we think this is the ideal year to have fun with a new/old friend like Friendly Plastic(R), made by AMACO(R). The categories are:
Best Bottle of Hope
Best Focal Bead Jewelry Set Made with AMACO Bead Rollers
Best Valentine's Jewelry Ensemble
Best Butterfly Entry for Holocaust Museum Houston
Best of Show Entry Requirements Feature Friendly Plastic(R)
The requirement for a jewelry set or ensemble is that entries must feature a minimum of two coordinated items (a pair of earrings equals 1 item).
"Focal" bead(s) must be made using an AMACO Bead Roller.
The bottle dimensions for a Bottle of Hope entry covered with Friendly Plastic(R) is any glass bottle 4" in height or smaller (with no requirement for diameter).
Bottles of Hope must have accompanying message of hope featuring Friendly Plastic as medium or embellishment.
Butterflies should be two dimensional and no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches. Please do not use glitter or anything perishable on the butterflies.
All Entries must be postmarked by December 1st, 2008 For great background history and tips on how to make a bottle of hope with polymer clay-remember only Friendly Plastic may be used for this challenge, visit this site. For more information about the Butterfly Project at the Houston Holocaust Museum, please visit http://www.hmh.org/minisite/butterfly/index.html. To learn more about AMACO Bead Rollers with technique videos, please visit this page, and to see projects, you can click here. Learn About Friendly Plastic(R) Now Available at Hobby Lobby October 1, 2008 Friendly Plastic(R) softens easily in hot water, with a heat gun or craft oven and can be molded, marbled, textured or twisted! The possibilities are endless. To help you get started, please visit our on-line Craft Library for tips and techniques. Where to buy Friendly Plastic?
Hobby Lobby will carry the Friendly Plastic(R) Designer Sticks as of October 1 with all 34 colors, in all stores!
Sunshine Crafts [visit site]
Munro Wholesale [visit site]
Rings N Things [visit site]
Amaco.com [visit site] When you enter, we will send you free Friendly Plastic(R) designer sticks to replenish your stash as our appreciation for your participation! To help with projects, AMACO also makes modeling tools such as, the Marbling Comb, Friller Tool, Needle Tool, Work Mat, Beadmaking Tool Set and PolyCutters, available in craft stores and on-line at Amaco.com. For more information, contact Helen Bradley and Michelle Zimmerman at helen@http-design.com

October Bones

October brings Canadian Thanksgiving! Turkey Day!

This took some doing to set the bird up just right.

As an artist who has had to draw the human skeleton more than once, I notice the disconnection of this arm bone from the elbow, yet it seems there is an armbone there holding the frying pan.. maybe the extra armbone belongs to the guest? Guess they've stepped out for a minute. Or maybe more fingerbones were needed to manage that frying pan. Whatever the reason, the image still works.

On a walk at noon

This afternoon I took my camera on a walk down Slater Street. I was looking for images for a few school assignments and found this broken light along a very prominent bridge that leads to Slater Street. The broken streetlight with the Canada logo behind it just said something to me, perhaps about the election coming up, perhaps about the economy and uncertainty and broken systems. Maybe we are ready to break out or break apart. Maybe we already have.

I was really focusing on signs and this official sign next to the unofficial tag caught my eye.


After leaving the urban jungle I found myself beneath a very awe-inspiring maple tree, red leaves highlighted against the bright blue sky. It's really Fall.

Old Ottawa South Art Festival - Saturday Sept 20...

This Saturday you can find me at the Old Ottawa South Art Festival. It's in Windsor Park.

This map will help,

& click here for the offical website that shows you the whole shebang.

Looks like a great place to walk to

And walk around in.

It's good to go somewhere new and to try new things.

This will be my first time at this show and my last Art in the Park of the year.

Where did the time go?

Let's enjoy this last outdoor show and may the sun smile upon us.

Back at the Ottawa Market

I'm back at the Ottawa Market, and it's back at Lansdowne Park since the Ex folded its tents and moved off for another year. We were set up beside these guys who somehow manage to grow Texas sized melons in our Ottawa climes... very impressive... and I was thrilled to see a Moon and Stars melon. Always wanted to grow one.