Burning Down the House and 'Out of the Box'

Well, yesterday Martha delivered her design proposal to Tina Flohr, for the City of Wenatchee Utility Box Art Program “Out of the Box”. The project is through the City of Wenatchee Arts Commission. The project is to promote the transformation of utility boxes in various areas within the City limits, from functional structures into colorful and inspired artworks.

 The idea of the project is to promote public art and increase cultural awareness. There are 50 utility boxes throughout the City, many of which may be utilized for projects in future years.  Once the designs are implemented, the intent is that these utility boxes will contribute to the vitality and attractiveness of the urban streetscape. The murals are to help tell the story of our community, allow public art to reach into specific neighborhoods at high visibility locations and will allow for participation by area artists, arts educators, schools and other community groups.

Martha’s designs are fully in keeping with the theme and show kids at play, cultural dancers and the local scenery of the area which should make a great contribution to the community where her mural will go.

If all goes according to plan she should be signing the contract today and we can begin making plans for implementation… he ha.

Meanwhile, I have been working, deconstructing and perhaps even destroying  the kiln that was given to us all in an effort to make it functional. I was able to determine that the upper element is usable but my efforts to rework the control box though going well at first, ran afoul when I shorted something out on a test and trip not one but four breakers at my workshop and rental apartment building in Wenatchee. At least I didn’t burn down the house. I did get a name and number of a guy in Tacoma to perhaps take it to for repair… I’m going to get the schematics online and give it another go first. Hopefully my next blog won’t be about burning down the house.

On a lighter note, over the weekend we moved the artwork of Scott Allen from our house to the Cashmere Arts and Activities Center in Cashmere in the morning. Martha taught the second of three installments of a clay modeling class. The students were doing really well with there heads. Later we installed Scotts work after taking down the art work of the Vale Elementary School kids. We kept the work of the award winners in another display so people could still come to see them for another month.

Yesterday, I also got a bit of a lesson from Terry Johnson on working with glass… very fascinating indeed. Ideas abound on things to do with glass. While there I offered to come with him when next he goes out to Quincy to do this gigantic mural for a fruit co. out there. I thought it would be great to get some photos and video of that process. It could make for a fun Youtube video.

Well, I think it’s time to get to that kiln project… wish me luck.

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The Beat Goes On, Straw Bale Art House and Electric Elements

Well, the week started off well with an invitation to lunch with our artist friends in the neighborhood, who had Ruth Allan, a well known local potter of some renown, over and some artist friends from Oregon visiting as well. The folks from Oregon showed us the online video of their bed and breakfast and artist retreat in Oregon. Alas the b&B / artist retreat is for sale.  Apparently after fifteen years or so of providing ceramics workshops to participants from all over the country, they have tired of it as they found themselves doing more administrative work than art…hmmm… sounds familiar.

The place was pretty interesting and must have been quiet a joy and challenge at the beginning as they built a straw bale house and a cultured natural landscape with an eye toward sustainability of the environment. Their concern for the environment seemed to play into their decision to DC the workshops too as the participants were coming from so far away rather than the more local participation they had envisioned early on - all that hydrocarbon footprint stuff related to air travel and such.

Everybody enjoyed hearing about the giant puppet project we had been involved in all year and they checked out some of the videos at 56DAUT on Youtube. After the lunch and a couple of drinks, they all came to our house to look at Martha’s studio and take a gander at my 2.5 D recycled materials art project. And, of course we all went out to visit the ‘Great Wall of China’ project from a couple of years ago and the vineyard I recently planted on the lower level of our property.  All in all it was a fun visit with some very interesting artsy folks.

As the week has progressed, I have – between managing functional issues with our rentals and other mundane sorts of stuff – been working on getting the kiln that was gifted to me up and running. To that end I had a good friend and fellow diver, who is an electrician, come take a look at it and the wiring situation at my house.  As it has turned out two of three elements are fried and the control panel parts were ‘maybe’ functional. So far, the thing is not working as I gave it test run last night after completing the wiring stuff arrrrg!!! Frustration. Now, it is to determine if the new breaker and subsequent wiring of an outlet is the problem, or is it that even that one ‘good’ element is also not good after all. Oh well, on it goes.

Meanwhile, Martha has completed her design for the Big Electrical Box Mural Project and presented it to the folks in charge of accepting the design yesterday.  At least one of us is getting somewhere with art projects. I am envious as I have gotten so far with the recycled art project and getting my prints matted and framed and then progress stopped as I have been doing so many other things too many to list here.

One of those projects deserves to be mentioned, that being that I did get a full length movie done of the giant Puppet Project.  I need to get that over to Bill Rietvelt at the Wenatchee Museum and Cultural Center…hope you like it Bill. And, I have been getting the word out there about the live performance of Selena Rose at the upcoming Scott Allen art show opening in Cashmere. I am really looking forward to a full and lively event as it will be live streamed on the Art News Network channel on Livestream.com.

 I am hoping to get a chance soon to practice using the matt cutter over at the Cashmere Arts and Activities Center that Vicky Hilberg has taken over there. Martha has suggested practicing on some cheap material instead of actual matt board as there is a learning curve with these things and some waste is expected early on in that curve. She’s probably right and so, I need to get some of that cheap material over there and practice. I really am chomping at the bit though to get a matt cut for a particular art photo of mine that is just screaming to be matted and framed. Add to that, that I will need to have some new material ready to put up at Two Rivers Gallery in Wenatchee at the end of the month… ahhh… pressure. Will it get done on time or won’t it. That is the question.

And, so for today it is back to the drawing board on that kiln and maybe another consult with my electrician friend.  As the song says, “The Beat Goes On”.

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Ttraining Adults with Art and The Earth Is Me

As I am writing this blog martha is on her way to quincy to do a training with prpspective child care providers, where she will be using art in at least part of the program. This for both helping them learn to relax and destress themselves and to give them more skills with which to bprovide a better experience for the children they will be  caring for. This following on the heals of what has already been a very full and art education week for Martha as she provided special art opportunities to kids at the Columbia Elementary School in Wenatchee. As written in our other blog:

The Giant Puppet Project done and the Puppets put to rest Martha Flores was at it again with another great community art project. This week she has been working with the third grades classes of Mrs. Zobel and Mrs. Saltsman at Columbia Elementary on  the “The Earth Is Me” project.  Martha described this as a study in abstract self-portraiture. The project is part of the Resident Artist Program provided by the Wenatchee Art Education Consortium. And as I am writing this Martha is finishing up with the third grade class of Miss. Heffron also at Columbia Elementary. What a great project. Out of this project will come the seed designs of what will be the mural to be painted on the large PUD electrical box at Triangle Park.

I think it’s great that the kids in the school get to help design the mural that will contribute to the beautification of the community. How great is that? I can just see them now and for some years to come as they may pass by and say to themselves or anyone around them, “hey, that looks like the part I drew with Ms. Flores at School.” This can’t help by add a real sense of pride in and belonging to their community.

As I took pictures of the art work of the kids in these classes and met briefly with their teachers, I could see how proud the teachers were of their students and could see that Martha Flores was so happy to be able to share her artistic knowledge and experience with these budding young artists. I can’t wait to see what the murals that come from these children’s watercolors look like out in town.

Meanwhile, on another note, Artie Bowman is preparing for next month’s show exhibiting the work of Scott Allen who recently exhibited at the Robert Graves Gallery at Wenatchee Valley College. Quite a coupe for Artie and folks at the Cashmere Arts and Activities Center. On top of that, she is very pleased that CAAC will have the young singer songwriter Selena Rose Martinez (who recently performed at May’s First Friday opening at the PAC here in Wenatchee), at their upcoming Second Saturday Opening on June 11^th . Hooray, for Cashmere. That should be quite a treat. This young lady has one of the sweetest voices I have heard in years.

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Selena, Saving the Earth and Cutting Heavy Metal

Well, today Martha and I are making headway with our art projects. Martha is as I write working with the third graders at Columbia Elementary School in Wenatchee on a two day art project called “I Am the Earth.”  Tomorrow I will go there and get photos of the kids and their work.

 Later today Martha will meet with the fifth graders at Columbia School to get volunteers for her upcoming project through the city of Wenatchee and the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center which will be to paint a mural on one of those big ugly electrical boxes in town. The one they will do is at Triangle Park, the same park where the staging area of the Apple blossom Grand Parade is held each year http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvNCccsDAcw .

That should be a great project for the fifth graders and a real opportunity for them to contribute to the beautification of their community. I’m sure that project will offer some good photo opportunities as well and I will continue to blog both here and in the World Online about these great kid oriented art projects.

On another note, I have been emailing back and forth with Selena Rose the local 16yr old musical phenom about performing for the Scott Allen Second Saturday Art show Opening at the Cashmere Arts and Activities Center on June 11^th. I hope we can get her. She has to ask her [parents….how cute is that.

At my end, I pound that Terry Johnson has exactly the kind of metal cutting equipment that I need to cut one of those chrome metal frames that I want to make a star/sun out of for my recycled material 2.5d mural, and so I will be heading over to terry’s this morning as soon as I finish posting this blog. Also, when I visited Terry yesterday I saw how his Picasso Pot is coming… it’s looks great so far. Hope it comes out well. But, as Terry explained, he sometimes gets anxious to progress on a project and then doesn’t wait long enough between steps and can thereby ruin a piece. So; he has to keep himself busy with multiple pieces going at the same time so he doesn’t get in too much of a hurry with any one project and end up rushing it to ruination.

Isn’t it like that though with so many things for all of us. A good lesson to be learned there.  And, so there it is for today for Rod and Martha and our art projects for today. And, so now it is off to work on art and then to docent at the Two Rivers Gallery.

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Chrome and Mother Earth Blame It On La Rain

Well, I think we can say we got a few things done artistically over the weekend. Friday I put together my large 2.5d art piece on the theme of saving the earth made completely with on hand recycled materials. I used an old plywood panel that used to be a homemade door to storage space in our storage room downstairs. Martha and the foster kids used to paint on it. Each time we would get a new foster kid they would add to the accumulating mural on this and the other door panels down there.

I had taken them down some time back as they had become more of a hindrance than a help anymore. To this one panel which had some tropical forest images and a Martha-esc mother earth face in the forest, I attached seven chrome frames that had been for recessed lighting in our downstairs TV room and pool table area. I put two of them in diamond configuration around the face and the rest as forming a body over the mural of the earth forest scene. Recycling man made materials and to show that the materials eventually go back to the earth I painted the little springs that used to allow the chrome frames to drop down from the ceiling in order to replace light bulbs, to match the mural behind the frames. Even the screws I used were old screws I had lying around. No new materials were purchased for this piece and no toxic materials such as glues or adhesives of any kind were used. That done I put it under the overhang of the garage roof just before the weekend of rain began.

I also got two of my art photos framed up and had to create a matt for one of them. It has a musical theme so I ended up creating this grunge sort of matt for it. It might not be for everyone, but the buyer of this kind of piece could like that. I may change it though.

Saturday after selling used stoves from my apartments to the second hand appliance guy in town, I took the framed up musical themed art photo to the newly remodeled music store in Wenatchee. I chatted it up with the guys there until the owner who turned out to be Steve Clemm the prosecuting attorney of Douglas County… I never knew he was a musician and music store owner till then.

Steve looked at the piece with some apparent interest, but alas didn’t buy it…saying that it was the slow time yada yada and implying that having just spent BIG bucks on the new building that $150 for an art piece was a bit stiff.  Seems a bit shaky there Steve.

After this I went across the street to Terry Johnson’s studio, where he was working on some really great new ceramics. One is what is shaping up to be a very elegant and tall pot which he has painter Picasso on. He has done well before with a Picasso themed painting that sold at the gallery in Cashmere not too long ago. While there he showed me a new kiln he just acquired. I think that brings it up to about 13 kilns that he has. He asked me to change out the plug on the chord for him so it would be compatible with his outlets…

Later it was home to get ready for Saturday night’s opening of the art show at the Cashmere Arts and Activities Center. I took the new art photo down there and my lap top so I could live stream the opening. I actually was successful in livestreaming the entire show including quite a bit of the live musical performance of Mary Mendenhall as well as walking around the show and speaking with the patrons and interested parties while broadcasting around the world. I really like Mary’s rendition of “The Rose” from the movie of the same name made famous by Bette Midler in the late ‘70s. Her playing of the mandolin for this piece was perfect for the song.

Sunday I tried to make a movie from the video that was recorded by Livestream… no go on that. And, in downloading it from Livestream I lost it apparently to the Livestream library…. Argh…. And, still all the video clips and movies I have placed into the Art News Network, are still not showing up as available to other to watch from the site. I need to follow up with Livestream help on that. Maybe for that function one has to buy the more advanced Livestream program vs. the free one I use…I dunno. I did get a Wenatchee World Blog done and added some photo material to the Wenatchee First Fridays site as an administrator. However, I was a bit frustrated in that none of the photos from Saturday night could be used for the Wenatchee World Blog. Every time I tried to upload one of those pics, the window came up saying page unavailable. When I tried to add pics from other locations no problem. I’m thinking that the pics from that particular memory stick got corrupted somehow. They look fine on my screne but couldn’t add to Arts in the Valley and Beyond Blog. We shall see if I able to add any of them to this blog. If not then, that memory stick is a gonner. If so, then maybe it was just a glitch with the other blog site… I dunno.

Martha and I were house bound all day as it turned out on Sunday due to the freaking rain. Geez… it seemed like we were having Seattle weather… all..day…long.  But, we stayed in and got some art stuff done. I updated the art book I have been working on… adding some more art pics and poetry.

Martha hadn’t even seen the last additions to this I had done as she was in Texas when last I worked on it and we have been so caught-up with building giant puppets and installing art shows and such every week that we hadn’t had this kind of time to sit around and do this stuff together… I guess we can blame it on ‘la rain’.  Having done that Martha pulled out some new paintings she had done lately that I hadn’t seen. I did some temp framing in glass frames, as they are on a kind of board that wants to warp if not pressed together, so I could take photos of them. We got that done and the pics look pretty OK.

Then it was on to yet another thing… again, blame it on ‘la rain’. We used our office software to mimic the exact format of the materials Martha is to use for a Hispanic parenting class she is to teach. Problem being the materials she is supposed to use, haven’t all been translated to Spanish. We wanted to keep the format so we did and Martha translated the material herself. She shared that the people who are sponsoring this class are looking at paying big bucks to someone to do the same thing….hmmm… maybe there could be some $ there. Now, there’s an idea. Always thinking creatively ya know.

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BLOG ON and Saving the Earth

Well, finally the Blogger.com site is back up and running. And not a minute too soon. I have been wanting to blog on the Rod and Martha’s Art Blog for two days now.  Some fun and some serious updates. Yesterday was a day of meetings, meetings, meetings. And, all or most about art.

First thing in the morning was a meeting about how to effectively use the internet for promoting our First Friday events. I learned some new stuff about using facebook effectively… thanks Dominick. Later it was meetings about setting up some new  web presence for a friend and working on that in the afternoon. Then, it was  consulting with the director of the Cashmere Arts and Activities Center Gallery about the upcoming show to open tomorrow night featuring some really good work by the Cashmere High senior art students and the 3^rd graders as well.  Then last night an interminably long board meeting for Two Rivers Gallery. It was productive and it was good to see some board members there that haven’t been there for awhile, but geez three plus hours c’mon, that’s really cutting into my Discovery Channel watching time and wine tasting. Just kidding.

Today it was great to find as I read yesterdays paper (didn’t have time to read it last night with that bored meeting) that there was a nearly half page picture of Martha laughing out loud inside her Giant Puppet as she danced her way down the street in the grand Parade last Saturday. If I’m not mistaken the photo is one that I took myself and forwarded on to the photo dept of the Wenatchee world.  Kudos for me again.

Then this morning finally with some time and inspiration, I got around to working on some of my own art projects. One is a piece I have had in the back of my mind for awhile, and then it finally came together as a developed concept for this summer’s Icicle Prize art contest. All the entries are to made from recycled materials. I got my design and materials together and just need to make the final attachments and it’s good to go.

I also cut some plexi - glass for a custom frame project I am working on for one of my abstract photos. Same too for a custom matt for a musical themed photo I am hoping to sell to the owner of one of the music stores here locally. Now it’s to the hardware store to get some materials to secure the metal portions of recycling art project to the wood portion of the project. I think it’s a great use of these old materials… square chrome frames that used to be pull down glass holders for recessed lights in our den arranged strategically on the features of an old mural that Martha and the foster kids had painted years ago on the cheap plywood doors I had made for the selves in the only unfinished store room in our house.

So, it is recycled all the way. I will even leave the old hinges on the door panel for effect. The great thing is that I was able to find one of these panels that had a face of the earth feature in it…great. So, using the chrome frames to frame that face and make a chrome body on the earth showing that to save the earth we have to make better use of our old things rather than just throwing them away. That’s the idea anyway. Let’s hope it comes out as good as I am envisioning and does well in the competition.

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Check out my new photo. http://ping.fm/Xy6ph


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