I’m Back and I’ve Been Busy

Ellensburg Blues, 2014
36″ x 48″
m/m on canvas

Nocturne, 2013
m/m on canvas
48″ x 60″

The Composer’s Wife, 2014
m/m on canvas16″ x 8″

Song of Praise, 2014
m/m on wood panel with instruments
74″ x 19″

Scherzo for Goldfish and Violin, 2014
m/m on wood panel with violin
28″ x 12″

Ellensburg Nocturne, 2014
m/m on canvas with violin bow
36″ x 48″

I’ve been busy in the studio this year–mainly painting larger canvases and combining musical instruments

MUSIC BOX Installation

MUSIC BOX Installation in Woolworth Windows
Broadway & 11th Street downtown Tacoma
through April 17, 2014

Music Box

Music Box in Window #5

ACT II Scence 1

Now in Bali

Arrived in Denpasar, Bali on Friday afternoon, June 22. Bought a $25 Tourist Visa and scooted by most of the “porters” and the customs agent. Many money changers line the hall from customs to the exit and all had the same exchange rate–supposedly wihout a commission. We changed $100 cash and, for the first time that eiher of us can remember, we were handed 1million in bills! This time it’ in Rupiah.
Found the TAXI stand to pre-pay for a ride to Sanur=95,000 Rupiah=about $11 US.
Motorcycles are THE mode of transport here in Bali! Our taxi entered a sea of motorcycles that wove in and out as we made our way over to Sanur’s Mercure Resort.
Low tide in the evening. 6:30 p.m. Sunset. Bintang is the local beer and we like it quite well.

“The Show is Up!!” (post by Jane)

“ReConfigured” opened at Gallery 110 in Seattle March 1st.  I flew up to Tacoma a few days before to finish the last big pieces and then we installed the show.  It’s taken a while to update this blog because Becky and I were both exhausted from working so hard in our own studios and then day and night when I arrived in Tacoma.  It all paid off as we are both really happy with the show.  I hope many of you will be able to see it in Seattle by March 31st or when it travels to Tacoma.  It will be at Gallery 301 in Tacoma April 6 – 29.  We are also working on a venue to bring it to Arizona – will keep you posted as that develops. 

So this is “Trick Rider”.  I made the cowgirl in AZ and then tried three different ways to attach her to the horses when I got her to Tacoma.  Finally Becky suggested just letting the way she is assembled show instead of trying to hide it with interior pvc pipes and glue.  So she has metal hardware attaching her legs to her hips and metal bolts attching her legs to her shoes.  This is perfect as it is in keeping with our mixed media and “whatever works” approach to materials with this show.  The piece is 74″ high.  It was one of the most challenging pieces to complete working apart.  I didn’t really know if the cowgirl was going to work with the horses until she was complete and I saw her in place. 

January in Jane’s Studio

We’ve been working together in Jane’s studio this past week. Preparations for ReConfigured are “heating up” literally as we have heads, hands, shoes, etc. firing in the kiln. Jane likes to use under glazes on her pieces. Becky has been putting gesso on some of the clay fragments and then rubbing acrylic or oil paint into the surfaces.

Conversation No. 6 before underglaze firing 1/6/12

We are creating a series of 6  mixed media pieces that we call “Conversations”. Each one is a small box with two sections that contain a piece of clay shaped by Jane and painting/drawing created by Becky.

Becky has been carving a body for the “Courtesan” portrait that Jane sculpted last summer. Now she is applying layers of molding pastes to smooth out some areas and develop the drapery folds for her chenille bathrobe.

Ponies Almost Ready to Ride

Palomino's Mane in progressPonies in progress December 19th

The ponies have wooden manes and eyelids, and after a few more refinements, they’ll be ready for Jane’s cowgirl!

Bald Beauty

I had so much fun making this head for our Tang Dynasty Beauty!  I liked it so without hair that I almost decided to leave her bald with a wig on a wig stand sitting on the dresser behind her.  At one point, I turned her to look at me and it was almost as if she came alive and said “what are you looking at?!”

Turning the Tables

Our first collaborative piece is “realized” meaning finished unless we goof with it . I’ve asked Jane to make us two, much more splendid eggs for the “nest” on the cat’s tail. I should learn how to weave a basket too! so much to learn, so little time

Turning the Tables is about the crux of our collaboration; how do a ceramic sculptor and an assemblage artist and painter find ways to work together?  We are finding out….