It's a bird...it's a plane...it's...sidewalk chalk? Really?

Sidewalk chalk art from the Art of Rock Festival - artist unknown

So over the summer there was a great outdoors music festival promoting a local youth music school - Academy of Rock - Along with it, came 50 artists who each spent the afternoon creating a masterpiece on the sidewalk with regular, washable, sidewalk chalk. Amongst many who were lost with the chalk in their hands (myself included), there were a few who quietly stole the show. This piece simply captured me. Not only is it film noir-esque, not only is it something straight out of Superman, not only is the costuming impeccable, but it is utterly remarkable! I was half expecting/hoping to have Phillip Marlowe walk up beside me, smoking a cigarette, and ask me if I needed any help...well Humphrey Bogart as Phillip Marlowe to be exact. I wanted to share this with everyone so you can all enjoy this work of art that lasted for exactly 48 hours, before the power washes came to destroy all evidence of this public art.

Something Worth Fighting For

Resources, 20x6, Hand-woven; dyed; felted bamboo & soy, 2010

This is another piece from my Sustain exhibition that depicts Nature's resources...not so subtly either. Conservation remains to be the theme behind my work for now. I have been so interested in taking something that is depicted as beautiful and fragile, then transforming it into something that appears captured and uncomfortable. This concept of us trapping and suffocating Nature as en entity, has relayed itself into most of my recent works. I like the use of different techniques here to achieve my message including knitting, felting and double weave. Now it is time for move on from this concept...maybe delve into something more subtle.

In need of a hero

Comic book illustration by Sam Hart from Graphic Novel:

Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood

I often wonder where fables and myths come from...and more importantly...why? Each story has an underlying meaning and implication. More often not it is explained away as the "moral of the story", but I think we create these mythical characters as a way of maintaining civilization, hope, and dreams. As a way to maintain some nerdiness....and have an excuse to read more graphic novels...I thought I should build a body of work representing these ideas. Robin Hood was always my favorite....so this is where I am beginning...

Bamboo + Soy

Roots, 18x15, Hand-Woven Bamboo & Knitted Soy, 2010

This piece touches on one of the resources that Nature Provides us - Roots. Food is grown from plants beginning as roots, the air we breathe comes from the roots of trees that grow, and our lives stem from our cultural or family roots.

Sustain: Solo Exhibition using all Sustainable Fibers

Sustain:
Nature Provides

August 6-31, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday August 6th, 5-8pm

Just wrapped up my year long Artist-In-Residence at LUX Center for the Arts this past month. Yesterday was the day we installed my solo exhibition!


This show is my note on conservation and how we need Nature to maintain our lives as human beings.

I focused on using sustainable materials; all bamboo and soy! It was a learning experience to say the least. I found many pros and cons of using both of these materials.

Bamboo: Very strong and holds great tension on loom. Very soft and finished pieces are durable while still having a wonderful drape to them. Bamboo DOES NOT dye well...at least with using natural dyes. I tried with cutch & black walnut hulls, then gave up! Maybe I will experiment some more with various mordants. I only like to use alum for safety reasons.

Soy: Beautiful fiber that dyes fairly well and maintains a lustrous, iridescent quality to it. Soy if the softest fiber I have ever worked with and look forward to playing with it more. It felts wonderfully as well, although its strength it not as high as other organic materials.