Canoe Season: Spring 2010

With the warmer weather, we launched the floating studio. The water levels were just high enough to navigate up the Salt Creek but not so high we suffered from muscle burn going up river. The sunshine, the art, the natural beauty are all conspiring to free my spirit for more creative work.



Empty water vessels are a potent symbol for the direction I want to move with the Waterways Project. I'm making big plans for the summer and will let you know what's happening. But for now, this is an ancient vessel I drew at the Field Museum last week.






If you'd like to watch another short video clip and see more vessel drawings, you can vist my blog.

Waterways Project: It's Easier to Forget

Cup
paper and watercolor


If you are a regular reader, you know I've been struggling with what to do for the next step in Waterways. After much discussion with friends and rumination, I had an idea hit me like a thunderbolt yesterday.

At one time, it was possible to dip ones cup into the Des Plaines River and DRINK clean water. As modern people, we just assume that no body of water may be drunk from safely and it's much easier to forget that fact.This is a painful reminder that it was not too long ago that clean rivers, streams and waterways were taken totally for granted.

I am suddenly flooded with ideas for projects and this small, fragile paper cup is going to be part of 300 other cups placed on the floor somewhere (don't know where yet!) as part of an instillation illuminating the above fact. The cups will be arraigned like a meandering river across an expanse of space and remain vulnerable to crushing underfoot, the wind of an open door, etc.

Studying the work of William Kentridge. has inspired me to think larger and more fluidly about my art practice. I'm feeling almost giddy about the possibilities. Working on my police project has really given me the confidence to branch out and think about working with large government departments as art partners.

So do something to support clean water today!
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
Don't flush the toilet as often. (OK, I know it's not polite to talk about but it helps!)
Purchase a rain barrel and use it.
Write to your legislator and demand stricter clean water laws.
Write to companies that persistently pollute the water.
Savor your clean tap water.

Here is a page from my sketchbook with my initial thoughts and ideas about the instillation.

Waterways Project- Origami Canoe

Today, Dear, Watery Readers, I had a lovely knitting date with my good friend Kelly who also happens to be gifted in the "bright ideas" department. This conversation along with caring, intelligent suggestions from our band of Merry Bloggers here has helped me to shake up my art making practice. This little tutorial is an homage to all the enlightening ideas I have been feasting on and a tiny hint of things to come in the Waterways Project.Here's a very LARGE thank you for your support and good wishes!



Step 1


Step 2



Step 3


Step 4


Step 5


Step 6


Step 7

What's happening here is that you gently turn the whole form inside out (without ripping the folds!) to form the canoe.


Using a bone folder helps set the creases more firmly.
If you want the outside of your boat to have a pattern, fold with the pattern side of the paper down on step one.



Here's a You Tube video with a slightly different approach.

Now I need to figure out how to fold a paddle.

Waterways -Thinking About a New Direction

I've had a small series of paintings I'm ashamed to say I started.....last November.
The reason I've taken so long to finish them is because I've not only been busy with my other project, but I'm in transition with the Waterways Project. My very patient spouse drove all over the South Loop with me this last weekend looking for some grit to inspire me in my new direction. I'm enjoying inching my way along conceptually to a new direction.




You can see more images of the South Loophere on my blog.

Waterways Nostalgia

Calm Day
Oil on Canvas
7" x 12"

Well, this looks pretty strange amid all the elegant muted tones and startling snowy light of January. This has everything to do with Early November and the mad riot of color just before the light plunges into the dark. Winter is a lovely time to clear out the studio , organize all the paint pots and wind up unfinished business. So I'm sharing this little bit of nostalgia from the season past; I have several unfinished pieces to attend to. Brew up a fancy tea. Serve yourself a cup on fine china. Make friends with your unfinished business. Happy Winter.

Waterways Snow Globe

Happy Holidays everyone!

Waterways Project: November Catch Up

Gray Day
Ink and watercolor

This is my favorite time to sketch out doors. The bright light...the warm breezes...Just kidding. But I do like the linear quality of the trees and the filtered light. (No bugs helps too!) If you'd like to see a few more from the November sketchbook, I've posted them here on my blog.



Bright Day
ink and watercolor

Fair Isle's Beauty

Dave Wheeler
Yoal hauled up above the sea foam

I subscribe to Nature Conservancy's weekly pod casts and this story about an American family's move to Scotland's Fair Isle captured my imagination. This remote, storm buffeted island is remarkable for not only its beauty but the tenacity of it's inhabitants as you will hear about in the pod cast.

After visiting the Fair Isle Web Site, I found not only a couple of live web cams but the most extraordinary photographs by Dave Wheeler His photography takes my breath away and I had a very hard time deciding which sea scapes to choose to illustrate this post.Many thanks for his kind permission. You can see more of his work on Fair Island here.

I've already begun to casually mention in several dinner time conversations how much I'd like to take a work camp vacation on Fair Isle. I'd probably have to commit to nightly back rubs to sweeten the deal.

Last Canoe Trip of the Season :>(

Last month, Craig and I had a chance to, once again, canoe the lovely Kishwaukee River. This class "A" river was a bit low on this day. The water was warm which was very convenient as we had to float the boat over a few sand bars.



As you can see from the videos, the weather was clear and warm in the early afternoon, then later, we broke out the ponchos for my first rainy canoe trip. I'm embarrassed to say, that the first mate grumbled a bit when directed by El Capitain to go back and pack the ponchos even though the sun was shining. The ponchos were perfect and we both remained dry and cheerful.


This week, we have had freezing temps and I'm afraid that this was our last trip of the season. I will miss Dry Sherry, her silver hull shining only from metallic luster (not leaking water) as we bed her down for the winter.

Waterways Project: Swithland Reservoir, still day, overcast and about to drizzle

Swithland Reservoir, still, overcast day, about to drizzle, watercolour and coloured pencil, Vivien Blackburn

I visited Swithland Reservoir on a day that was sunny when I left home, but grey and overcast by the time I'd been there a couple of minutes, turning to a light misty rain, dulling colours and contrast.

It's interesting to catch different lights. The foliage in summer is heavy and solid - I don't find that as interesting as spring, summer and autumn, where the structure of the trees shows and colour is more varied. It made for an interesting abstract shape across the centre of the image though, with lots of lost edges and mystery.

It's certainly somewhere to revisit once the autumn colours are advanced.

Watercolours plus polychromos pencils, about 10x9 inches unless I crop it a little - or decide to show the messy edges (they are a bit messy, not just ragged).