Sticks, Stones, and Paper Stew Blog

Taking Flight

It’s official! Hive can start moving forward with an exhibition date of February 2016!

You’re probably wondering “what is Hive and what does this really mean for Gale’s art? ” Background: For the last several years I’ve been wanting to do something substantial related to bees. Yes, those little flying pollinators who make most of our food possible here on earth. In Oregon, we’ve had several “mishaps” with mass bee poisoning/death due to improper use of chemicals. Hundreds (and thousands) of native species and honey bees have been killed. Why these chemicals are still available on the market really makes me wonder. That’s something I won’t dive into right now. During my most recent installation Camas, I went out and purchased wax from a local source, Queen Bee Apiaries. While at the main facility, I received a tour from Karen, a couple of lobes of natural wax to take home (the above photo), and purchased a 22# behemoth block! Part of the wax was melted and combined with a resin to make encaustic wax. I used it to coat the sculptures for strength. Plus it smells so good!! Little did I know how enticing the smell was to bees in our area. I was visited daily, when wax was in use, by the little flying friends. They would come and move around me, looking for the source. Ideas started flowing through my brain and I decided a piece needed to be created, pending a location. The location has now been granted so the project can take flight!

In order to secure the location, I placed my portfolio into the hands of a blind jury. That particular jury knows my work all too well, having granted approval for all 3 of my previous installations. So, it wasn’t super blind since they all recognized my work right away. Yes, I really do need to move outside the small pond of Corvallis and start splashing in a bigger lake! Anyway, my plan is to activate both spaces of the Corrine Woodman Gallery at The Arts Center of Corvallis. The front gallery will receive the “hive” treatment. Think bees and honey comb that people walk under. The back gallery will be for sculptures of native plants and garden flowers attached to the walls with bees. There will also be some of those little pollinators “moving” between the two spaces, helping viewers to visit both spaces and the main gallery between them. How large the individual bee sculptures will dictate the size of everything else. A normal worker bee length is 9-18mm (.4-.6 inches). My bee sculptures will measure between 38-50 cm (15-20 inches), depending on upcoming experiments. The project will continue the current use of wire, paper, wax and color.

Now, if I can just get the fingers on my right hand to shape up, stop swelling, and get better!

😀

At the computer

I’ve spent most of my day creating a newsletter via MailChimp. It’s been one of those experiences I’ve delayed, but see the need to create. So it’s in the works. The biggest job has been compiling a current email list. I started one years ago only to discover it’s gone missing. How could I misplace it? Which computer was I using 4 years ago? Or was it longer? I swear computer files keep morphing when I’m not paying attention to them. Oh well. Things are getting straightened out and it should go out to promote Philomath Open Studio Tour and Art in Rural Storefronts.

I’m also taking care of the smoker. Finally we’re smoking salmon from the deep freezer! It’s been there for over a year and possibly 40% is still usable (maybe less). This is also the initial trial of the smoker purchased last spring. Anyone looking for bad salmon to compost? We’ll continue to keep it frozen until garbage day, unless a friend wants it for fertilizer. 😀

22 days left

A blast from the not so distant past! I ran across a memory stick that had snuck it’s way into my husbands stash. On it were a few photos from 2011. Above are the 6- 4″x 4″ hand colored block prints created for a piece titled “Loop 36 Trail”. It became a sculptural work and is viewable on the sculpture page of this blog or on my website. These were simple glimpses of a trail hike I did back on Feb 1, 2011 at OSU’s Peavy Arboretum. It was fun to run across all the images together. It normally lives boxed up, like most of my work.

Today I have to run down to Eugene for estate stuff. There are still several items left to tackle on the list, even after selling 2 properties and passing another off to a family member. Yesterday I did manage to complete a new panel to replace the busted one. I’ll get it secured into place on Saturday. One more thing off my list!

23 days and counting!

I’m finally starting to gear up for Philomath Open Studio Tour. Yesterday I went and reclaimed two items that had been on display for the big event. Unfortunately, one of the lamp panels was damaged from a bad repacking job.

Yes, a big gouge right through the background paper. No, it’s not fixable and I can’t even make a replacement panel because I no longer have that green paper available. I certainly now know what not to do, trust others with repacking my product successfully. I also have decided not to sell these lamps through galleries because of the same damage potential. I guess this one will go into a “seconds/damaged” category since my fingers are unable to handle cutting a new lamp at this point. A major bummer because this happens to be the only red maple leaf in stock. 😦

So, what’s on the to-do list? Printing, packaging and getting things organized to take to Judi’s in a few weeks. I also have one work heading to the Benton County Museum on Oct 13. That show will be up from Oct 17 to Nov 15 and features all the participating artists for the 2014 POST season. Should be a great show!

Introducing The Talented Collage Artist – Judith Sander

One of my favorite artists! Judi’s work is so intricate and filled with stories. Open Studio Tour is coming soon!

Coastal Break

We took an extended break in Yachats last weekend to try and recuperate from everything. We both had been stricken with some horrible nasty cold thing from the previous weekend (out with people and small children at the Evergreen Air and Space Museum). Fortunately, the coast was warm and super sunny Fri through Sun. Monday things shifted and rain set in. Why not hack, cough and snuffle somewhere with a view, no internet, and hardly any cell coverage.

We did a drive south to Florence on Sunday to pick up items for house projects. On the way back we hiked the “Hobbit Trail” just north of Heceta Head Lighthouse (in the above photo).

We also spent time in our local zone. The walk along Ocean Drive is always nice in Yachats, well, when the sun is out! Ooodles of brown Pelicans were flying south in short and long strings. No whales sighted while we were out.

Above: Zeek looking towards town. He was feeling more chipper than the last trip. So good, he went over 1/2 mile down Patterson beach (Waldport) without us in order to find a dead western grebe and bring it back. I think he would have been an excellent gun dog because he has the softest mouth. Too bad he almost never returns when called! We need to work on that more.

The pack!

Zeek & Reggie

Ridges in the sand.

Overall, it was a lovely trip. Happy to have had to chance to escape for a bit and worry about other things. The birds and cats were most pleased to see us return!

All there in black and white

Black and white plus color! And on the front page! What an honor!

Interviews are always an interesting experience. You never know what information will be absorbed and posted by the reporter. Dave and I certainly had a chuckle from some of the information given. It’s too bad the reporter didn’t plug the Oregon Arts Commission not the National Endowment for the Arts. OAC were the real financial supporters for this project, plus the Arts Center who envisioned the program and wrote a darn good grant proposal to pull the whole thing together. I really appreciate the support from the local community to help spread the word about the project and for Clint and Sherri for cleaning the dirty windows. That was a task I wasn’t prepared to take on!

Today I might actually sit down and spend some time going through images for the Wednesday talk.

Milestones

Displaying our catch back in 1975: big sister and I holding up trout probably caught along the Donner or Blitzen river by the Steens Mountains in south-eastern Oregon. Our dad filleted and cooked them for dinner. It was a big milestone for me, my first successful fishing trip. The sport didn’t “catch” on. I did a few other worm drowning experiences and one fly fishing trip, but that’s about it. Fly fishing, according to my dad, was the only real fishing one could do. I loved to watch him loft out line and drop it right on target.

Thursday I reached a different milestone: I graduated from physical therapy sessions. Three months of foot work is over. They even offered me a tshirt, but I declined. Yes, I’m actually able to walk without pain. The feet and ankles still require some major muscle building and constant attention, but the tools to accomplish the task are now in my hands (or feet!). Two years of pain are finally behind me! I’ll miss seeing the therapist and staff, but hope to stay away for a long while depending on future exercise routines. The next thing to work through are the fingers. I’ll be in splints for the next few weeks to keep from using the damaged digits. If that doesn’t help, then I might be back to see Paula again. I’ve also set myself up for creating one more Camas plant for an upcoming show at the Benton County Historical Museum. It’s a month away. I should be able to do it, I think!

There is another milestone coming that scares the crud out of me. Next Wednesday I give an artist talk regarding the Camas project in Halsey. I get a tad freaked out with public speaking, but hope to make the experience easier with a slide show and props. This should help focus the talk and keep people interested. There might be more than 10 people there. I can handle a small group, but I think there will be quite a gathering. Probably best not to know the numbers in advance.

Last Sunday was another marker of time. We had a memorial gathering for my brother-in-law who passed away 2 months back. It would have been his 62nd birthday. A wonderful outpouring of love from his siblings, their children, and our side of the family. He would have liked it.

Night Camas in Halsey Oregon

Last night we visited the site after attending the opening event in Brownsville for one of the other Art in Rural Storefronts artists. My goal was to inspect lighting and the general nighttime appeal.

Our conclusion: Night viewing is the best! I’ll get back there soon for better images. The windows are tough to shoot through and you certainly don’t see the entire display in one go. The smartphone was all I had for these images.

All 3 exhibits look best at night!

This installation is located at: 773 W First street in Halsey Oregon.

It will be up until the end of November.

Artist talk: September 24, 5:30-7:30 at the Halsey Community Center.

materials used: wire, bees wax, tracing paper, books, newspaper, grass seed, dress patterns, soft pastels, ink, charcoal, glue, reinforcing bar, concrete piers, hollow core doors.

The big move: Camas installation in Halsey

The Camas are finally at their new home! So how does one move 7 panels and 8 camas 20.7 miles? Carefully and in 2 trips. Start by hinging panels.

panel 1

Then load in the back of the car.

Take to the newly painted and roofed library building in Halsey.

And start installing while having a conversation with the local newspaper reporter, city manager, and additional library supporters who came and cleaned the windows! What great support from this city!

Rather than creating end supports for the backdrop, I chose to place hinges on the front and curve the entire expanse. Self supporting!

stuffing bases

Packing rocks into the hole to secure the camas.

Signage! The QR code even works!

What’s next on the agenda? September 24th is the reception in Halsey for the project. October and November will be dedicated to Philomath Open Studio Tour. Oh, and then there is the next BIG project that I have to submit a proposal for. It would be even larger in scale than the Camas project, taking about a year to complete. We shall see if the Arts Center bites for this new installation idea!

Off to clean up the studio spaces and get life back in order! I feel free! 🙂