Art for Burning Man 2013

Well, it has been a busy, busy Summer, but now the kids are back in school, my daughter recovered from her emergency surgery (don't even ask!) and my adventures in Europe (I am SO going to have to post some of those) are over. In theory, I am able to resume my posts. Of course, I can't think what to start with...

Let's go with the most recent adventure, Burning Man. My original group project choice never got the funding needed to get the art on the Playa. Late Summer after I had returned from Europe, I heard about a project that was still in need of a few artists and I signed up. The project is called The Life Cube and had an earlier version on the Playa in a previous burn.

Scott Cohen, better known in Burning circles as Skeeter, founded the project and with a team of other artists the cube began to take shape. I will add a second post with the project video when I have found it later :-)

The Life Cube was partial constructed before taking it to Black Rock in an art facility in Sparks, Nevada called The Generator. As described in the video, the cube had tapestry walls that had the work of many artists from around the world, with an inspirational message. Here is my panel being constructed:

Step One - The canvas is cut!

The canvas is stretched onto a wall and three coats of gesso applied.

I used the spirit of the "Hope" poster, as a play on inspirational propaganda

The layers of paint were built up until I got the look that I wanted.

Once finished, the panel was gathered with other cube supplies and panels, as the

hard construction started.

Comments

A Sort of Artist's Statement

This is a sort of artist's statement, but far more boring and long-winded. My current form of blogging is to limit the text to as little as possible. I am lazy when it comes to writing and the blog tends to trickle off when I feel the pressure of having to add words to the pictures. I hung my exhibition yesterday, so today I will ramble a little about the reasoning behind it (and to help me get over the guilt for hardly writing anything in the last couple of months). Please feel free to skip the words and look at the pictures! For a long time after moving to America, I found it difficult to process who I had become and the new meaning of home. I was English, yet found the American "English" language a challenge. This culture that in many ways was similar to my own, is in other ways completely opposite and confusing. I still often experience a shock by a sudden feeling of otherness and a perhaps a reminiscence for the past, yet I relish the possibility of ne...

Encaustic Monoprint Technique

Today I visited a printmaking friend's studio. Amy is experimenting with encaustic monoprints. I have never heard of this before so I was excited to have a demo. Here is the basic process: 1. Heat up the homemade heat box. 2. Rub the beeswax pigment sticks on the metal surface of the heat plate to melt them. Create a design on the plate with one or more colors. Step 3. Lay a piece of rice or rag paper face down on the painted design and cover with newsprint. Burnish. Step 4. Carefully pull the paper away from the heat plate. Steps 5-6. Clean the heat plate with paper towels. Add more color to the heat plate and repeat the process to add patterns or more color to the print. The smell of the wax is yummy and the pigments are really thick and rich to work with. I had a little play to get a feel for what the print is like (image below). Now I want to build a heat box and play!!

Blockprinting

One of my favorite forms of printmaking is relief carved blocks. I generally use soft blocks such as linoleum, for the simple reason that it is easier on my hands. The last time I carved wood I ended up with 3 herniated discs, so I might make wood a special occasion choice! Carving wood can be an almost spiritual awakening of sorts, as the consious mind is on full focus of the task of the hands and the subconsious is resting on the creative nature of the image being formed. Once the block or blocks are carved, inking and printing requires a rhythm of motion that brings a level of peace. Here is a Japanese master printer at work printing, just watching him at work in his studio has me taking deep mediative breaths!

Cricketts Inky Art Blot

Search This Blog