New Creatures come to New York City Javits show Oct. 19-21.

Last blog you saw the beginnings....here are some of the finished
creatures and items going with me to the NYC show at the Javits
this weekend, October 19-21.  Complete info on this three-in-one
show at: www.americanartmarketingnyc.com

I'm still trying to figure out the total story behind the new species.
Ideas anyone? This figure is 26" tall, wingspread is 32". The beading
ended up taking quite  a few more hours than I expected.
Below is a youngster of the species, 14" tall.

During Roxbury Open Studios, a visitor observed that they
probably live in mountainous areas and love to hop boulder to
boulder...their wings help them glide between. I'd love to bring along
a pair of wings for my next trip to the Rockies or Andes.

I went around in circles  deciding how to finish the figure below.
Finally he told me he really wanted masks...so he ended up with these
three.

This "eye" tree leather book cover seemed to want a little color:

And finally....yes, I'll be going to NYC with a good supply of
other "eye" leather items....covers for I-pads and e-readers,
I-phones and card holders as well as my journal covers.

Above is a  preview of two I-pad covers.

The Javits show is advertising itself as 3 shows in one.
Should be a fascinating mix.  I'll share some of my
discoveries or favorites next post.  Anyone near New York
City - please come on over...I'll be in Booth #233. It would
be great to see you.

Adventure on!   Wendy

New sculptures and books emerging in the studio

October - Open Studios and Fall shows. 

I've been having fun working on new creatures and new book designs,

including the one above who facebook friends have so far identified as

a unicorn, a fire breathing deer, and dragon. We'll see what folks think

during Roxbury Open Studios this weekend. Studios are open 11-6 both

Saturday, Oct. 6 and Sunday, Oct 7.  Map and complete info for 

Roxbury Open Studios at: Discovery Roxbury.org

Besides lots of finished work, people who visit my studio

will see new creatures in various stages of

completion. Including this dragon rearing on its hind legs.  

And these figures....which started as dancing wire armatures...
Next the wire was wrapped with polyester and that covered
with muslin..and beaks added. Leather, beads and wings
will follow.

One last "before" photo for you. This shows what
is beneath the leather of the cover at the top of this
post. Pieces of bark and wood are glued down as I
begin to visualize the final design. But until the leather
is on, I never know exactly what the final  piece will look
like.  I enjoy being surprise.  Who would ever guess it
might be a fire breathing deer!

Hopefully many of the new creatures will be finished for my next show
American Craft Show NYC Oct. 19-21.  Next post I'll share the
final appearance of at least some. Definitely a couple new
species in the works, so I'm hoping they'll tell me their stories.

Happy Fall  - Please drop by my studio or the NYC show if you're
in the area!

Adventure on! Wendy

Movement, Motion and Meaning in Boston Area Exhibits

 

 So if I need a wheelchair someday, I'll have David Lang design one like
this for me. Title: Deadelus on the other Hand.  It's part of his and
 Virginia Fitzgerald's exhibit  "Upon Further consideration: What tells a
Story" at the Carney gallery of Regis College  now until October 27. I've
been aware of both of their work for some time, but this was the first
time I had the fun of seeing so much gathered together and playing of
each other...which they do beautifully.....

As the show title indicates, this is a show filled with story and meaning.

Here's David with his piece: "If shoes could talk":

And talk they do thanks to speakers in the piece.   Most of David's other
pieces tell their stories through motion..activated as you approach the
pieces.Such as this piece, titled: "When the Castinetti Sisters First
Learned to Fly" :

 The materials Virginia makes her pieces from tell a good part of their
 stories, enhanced by form.  Below: "Dress of Etiquette" - made from a
shredded copy of Emily Post which Virginia said she received as a
wedding present and thoroughly enjoying tearing up.

 

The piece below called "Treacherous"  is made of wooden skewers,
wire, masking tape and broken mirrors. -Made from  "the feeling you
are overwhelmed with  responsibilities and are just keeping things
together - a dangerous game":

I recommend trying to get out to experience the exhibit as well as
checking out David and Virginia's website and their  blogs to learn
about them and their journeys.   You can see the movement of David's
pieces on his website, but in person is always better..  Both artisst keep
very busy with exhibits around the area.  There is a collaborative
installation called Birds of Poetry by Virginia flying in the atrium of
the Attleboro public library.

   Finally, I want to lift up one other exhibit - the Os Gemeos exhibit at
Boston's  Institute of Contemporary Art.  I went a few weeks past and
the images from the work are definitely still present for me...awake and
in my dreams.   The exhibit is there until Nov. 25th.  I could go on and
on about the work of the Brazilian urban artists, Otavio and Gustavo
Pandolfo, but will leave you just with this one image and story it
brings forth. Title of this piece is: " No Fundo de Mar E Respirar Mas
Facil" (In the Depth of the Ocean, it's Easier to Breathe")

and encourage you to see the exhibit if you possibly can.

Now back to my studio to work on sculptures for Roxbury 
Open Studios Oct. 6-7 and for the Oct. 19-21 American Craft
Show NYC. 


Adventure on!   Wendy

Sculptor gathering in New Hampshire

Last Sunday sculptors, other artists, and art enthusiasts gathered at the
Millbrook Gallery in Concord, NH.  Donna Dodson  Andy Moerlein,
and Pam Tarbell  invited us to  gather, network and enjoy Pam's
beautiful gallery and sculpture garden. I hadn't expected prehistoric
creature decoys to await us including the Entelodont  by Bob
Shannahan pictured above.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised.  After all, as I pulled
into the drive, I passed by this sculpture by Andy Moerlein
made of steel conduit, saplings and hand made stones. Andy
calls it"Suspense".  To me, it looks like a nest about to hatch
some fantastic creatures.

This wooly mammoth "decoy" by Bob stands at the entrance to the
gallery enticing any prehistoric creatures still lukring around to come
on by



Around back, Bob's giant ancient camel prances near the
Entelodont.

I enjoyed talking with Bob and hearing  how he constructs these
marvelous creatures. 

Bob explained that it takes about a year for each, figuring out scale,
making mock ups,creating the wire armature, collecting fresh birch
sapling branches and other natural materials and finally finishing
construction. Stones make the awesome jagged teeth and claws.  He
points out that the  toes of the mammoth are made from boulders
created when mammoths were wandering the nearby forest.  (Yes
 there is evidence they were around even in New England. )

The Entelodont  tries to be fearsome, but I'm not fooled.  I think he is
actually pretty friendly.

It was a beautiful afternoon in a gorgeous setting filled with good
conversation.The grounds are an ideal setting for outdoor sculpture.

Lin Lisberger's "Tall" is appropriately situated by the stream that
runs through.

 and Liz Fletcher's "Prayer of Rana" adds a meditative touch:


Anyone  going near Concord this summer, fall or anytime
of year, I highly recommend stopping by Millbrook Gallery and
sculpture garden. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks Donna, Andy, and Pam for organizing the gathering.
I returned with inspiration swirling. 


Adventure on! Wendy

Star Wanderer posters

In my last post, I wrote about my current exhibit
" What's in a Story?"at the Haley House Bakery Cafe
 www.haleyhouse.org  and promised to show some of
the posters I used in locations where I couldn't  install
sculptures. Here they are. The one above was created
specifically for the exhibit.  Nunoona and Furb, the Star
Wandering companions in the poster are still looking for
their permanent home. Story objects hang from the
embellished saddle blanket and fill the leather trunk.
The duo measures 24" x 24" x 18".
 
The creatures in the posters below have all found new
homes, where I trust they are stirring up stories.
Hopefully their images can inspire even more.  In the
exhibit, I placed some favorite quotes about stories
underneath the posters.  

 

That's "Faydor, the story hatcher" above holding a
story egg, with story emerging.   At the exhibit
it was posted with the quote: "Inside every seed
there is a story, Inside every story a seed of truth."
(my phrase - or at least I don't think I saw it
and copied it.) Every story trunk that accompanies
one of my storytellers contains a water hyacinth seed
chosen for  sculptural beauty and for my phrase.
I realize water hyacinths are an invasive species
but honor nature's intriguing sculpture. Of course
inside every egg, there is definitely a story.

 Under Beadle, the Curious, I posted:
“Facts bring us to knowledge, but stories lead to wisdom”
                                                     Rachel Naomi Remen

And under the poster of Tadaah!, I put:
"Stories are the Language of Community" - Dean Ornish

I have some extra copies of the posters available...including
a few additional designs.

Now on to trying to do some more serious editing of
"Sophia's Quest" and continuing to contemplate what is
or can be, in a story.

Adventure on!    Wendy

"What's in a Story" exhibit at Haley House Bakery Cafe

Last week I installed my exhibit "What's in a Story" at Haley House

Bakery Cafe:  haleyhouse.org/bakery_cafe  It feels great to be 

showingat local venue for a change,  especially one which is so 

supportive of building community. Their website says it all, "We 

believe in Food with Purpose and the Power of Community."  

Have fun exploring their website and facebook page. Haley 

House's story is inspiring.It started as a soup kitchen and today

includes the soup kitchen, an in-community housing program, a 

farm, one-the-job training,classes, the cafe and more.  The cafe

has become a busy venue for all sorts of  events including music, 

art, poetry, readings with regular open mics.  The folks that 

gather and work there demonstrate the wonderful diversity and 

creative energy in our neighborhood.

Celia Grant organizes the gallery in the cafe.  When she asked

if I'd be interested in showing, I jumped at the chance. The

challenge was to present 3-D work in a space  where two 

dimensional work is usually displayed. But hey, I've  never

been one to avoid a  creative challenge...Windows were

adapted for flying books, storytellers and large journals.

and shadow boxes and posters were hung on the walls. 

There is a large screen which comes down in the middle of the 

back wall  so nothing could project out very far in the center.

We set up small shelves (made by my hubby for my recent

NYC show) to the right and left and put posters between.

The creatures and figures thought they looked good against

the brick walls.

 

An overhead support was perfect for Snarval,the large dragon.

 

The opening was last Friday eve announced via the flier

above, plus various social media networks, emails, and 

ad in the Bay State Banner. My thanks to to Bing Broderick

and Celia for PR and helping brainstorm setup, Sandie 

Fenton and my hubby for photos of the opening and to 

everyone who came. 40-50 people showed up, young, old 

and in  between from  many different connections.  Also

thanks to all the folks at Haley House Bakery Cafe who have

been talking about my work to customers since the opening.

Snarval was noticed: 

 There were lots of stories shared, questions and good 

Haley House sweet potato pizza.

 

 

I discussed techniques distributed a few stories, talked with
friends including kids I have worked with and met new folks.
A "Can you name a dragon that is not in Wendy's Great
Book of Dragon Names challenge" resulted in two more
names to ad to my book which had 451 dragon names.

 

Haley House cafe is a place where going beyond comfortable

boundaries is supported, so I stepped up and read from "Sophia's 

Quest" the mythic folk tale I have been working on for a long time. 

I'm hoping to get it into a finished form by the end of the summer. 

The story was  inspired by the cupola of a run down Victorian 

house in the  neighborhood. I kept looking up at the cupola 

wondering what  was up  there. A nest ? perhaps the nest of a 

phoenix? I didn't know if  my creatures would show up  in the 

tale, but of course they did as well as a library of flying books.

 People asked what next ? Good question. Next post I'll show
some of the posters I had in the show..and soon will  begin
to give a peek at some of Sophia's travels.

Meanwhile, if you're in the Boston area, drop over to Haley House
Bakery Cafe at 12 Dade Street, Roxbury for conversation, good
food and to contemplate "what's in a story".  

Adventure on!  Wendy