Final Project (Completion Notes) 5/10/10

I chose to complete a photo album of the forest fire at Morrow Mountain and to construct a weaving of plants grown in my yard.
























In my photos from Morrow Mountain you can see life beginning to grow out of the ashes. I visited Morrow Mountain twice recently after the fire and found tiny yellow and pink flowers growing where absolutely all undergrowth was devastated. I was amazed that the natural mulch was missing, and even the dirt appeared to be gone, leaving only rock which was so loose that I had difficulty standing. Some of the trees had holes burned in their trunks all the way to the core, but were blooming and had green leaves in the top. One tree appeared melted.













I really enjoyed making my weaving. I have never woven before, so I turned to the internet for instruction. I used grape vines, with grapes attached, kiwi vines, tree limbs, with leaves, Ivy, buttercup and iris leaves and a discarded rotten tree limb. All this was woven into jute.

5/03/10 Daily Notes (The McColl Center)

Fried by Franco Mondini Ruiz caused a lot of discussion among several of us. I agree with one of the students, that it is sad that someone can make $149.00 selling a hamburger stuck to a canvas, while most of us talented individuals struggle and will probably never have the opportunity to show or art work publicly. I find his work whimsical, but it doesn't hold my interest.

I collect art (my opinion of art) in many forms. I have antique syrup piggy banks. Most people threw these away fifty years ago, after they drained the syrup. But some people, saw their beauty and kept them. I collect glass antique animal candy containers, again, most people threw them away after removing the candy. Fortunately, some people saw their beauty and saved them. I have a wheel-o, a toy Thunderbird, pottery, wicker baskets and all sorts of advertising art. Most people throw these things away as they lose their utilitarian purpose. Some things that I like now, I did not like when they were first introduced to the public.

I hope that one day, I will come to terms with Ruiz' art. And I will pick it up in antique stores and the flea market.

04/28/10 Daily Notes (The Harvey B. Gantt Center)

Wow! David C. Driskell and Michael B. Platt are wonderful artists. I am not sure which I like better, because their work is totally different, and both are intriguing.

Platt's work does have a spiritual appeal, the way he layered print over print. While I was looking at a picture of a woman dressed in white, standing in the forest, a person stood between the picture and me. For a moment I could see a bald eagle instead of the woman. Perhaps that was her spirit.
The first piece I saw, as we walked into the gallery, had a layer of Christmas lights. This picture drew me to it. I can see using his work as inspiration for my own work.

Driskell's work reminds me of when I was a child and would draw with crayons, then cover the drawing with black and scratch out a picture. I appreciate that he shows multiple copies of the same print, so you can see progression from one print to the next, as he make changes to the background or foreground.

04/26/10 Daily Notes (Becthler Museum)

I was pleasantly surprised by the Bechtler Museum. Some of the artists that are on display, Edgar Degas, Andy Warhol, Joan Miró, Henri Moore and Max Ernst, have influenced art for half a century, and I am honored to walk among their creations.

Max Ernst's Projet Pour un Monument a W.C. Fields, 1957 is creepy and fascinating. I'm not sure why I like it, perhaps. I am drawn to the eyes of the person in the center. I like the person's arched looking back, blowing skirt and the umbrella that looks turned inside out. It looks as though it is windy. This person, with a pale face, seems Asian to me. I also like the colors of this composition.





I am very impressed that the Bechtler has a Pablo Picasso, Femme au Chapeau, 1962. I'm not a huge fan of Picasso, but I feel everyone should experience his work. Although I fail to see beauty if this piece, I do see talent and I enjoy looking at it.

Final Project 4/22/10

I plan on my final project taking place at Morrow Mtn. State Park. Recently 50 acres in the park burned. I love black and white art, I plan to take pictures of the burned areas. I plan on taking the pictures in color. I think it will be neat to have burned out areas with a blue sky and pictures with life coming back, such as weeds.

What kind of art did I enjoy before taking this class? Before this class I enjoyed mostly 2-D art, black and white and realistic.

Has my definition of art expanded from this class? Yes, Sometimes I fail to see the art in advertising and film. I have a new appreciation for performance art, but still fail to see the art in some of it.

In class, was I successful making art that was personal or political? I feel that all of my projects were successful in portraying one or the other. My project from my childhood painted a picture of my life. The kimono that I made showed my personal view of excess. My last project, the grass hut, was built in my head for over a week prior to actually building the structure. I am continuing to improve upon it in my mind. The Tibet project definitely carried a political theme.

Did I enjoy making art that was displayed inside the classroom or outside of the classroom? I enjoy either, but building the structure was definitely a highlight to me.

What is my goal in studying art? Making art makes me happy.

What do I want to say with my art? I want to add beauty, convey a message and/or enlighten others with my art work.

Can my art make a difference to an audience member? Yes, The Tibet project definitely educated people.

Does that matter to me? I want people to like my art and appreciate it. If no one likes it, it must not be good, so yes, it matters to me.

Who am I making my art for? I am making art for me, for my satisfaction.

5/03/10 - Update, I hope to add a second part to my project. I would like to use materials from my yard to weave an art work. We'll see how it goes.

Environment (Grass Hut) completion notes 4/18/10

Emily Nielsen and I set out to create a gnome home in which a small child could play. When we happened upon the field of dead grass our gnome home evolved into a grass hut. We realized that we should add stability, so we cut down fresh limbs that we could mold into a dome shape. To give the hut a uniform shape, we drove a stake into the ground and used a string to create a circle. Then for additional stability we drove the stake into the ground every 12 to 18 inches, following the circle.


After removing the stake the limbs were placed in the holes and shoved into the earth as far as possible. The limbs we cut were 7 to 8 feet long, so we were able to construct a hut that was larger than we had first planned. We bent the limbs over and using small pieces of twine attached them to each other at their tips creating a dome affect.




We left the leaves on the limbs to help cover the shelter. After the structure of the shelter was complete, we used buttercup leaves to tie grass to the shelter for further protection from the elements and privacy.





We created a valance and a mat of buttercup leaves to add additional privacy and decorate the doorway.







When the structure was finished we took turns sitting inside of it. There was plenty of room. The structure was large enough for 2 - 3 children to play in comfortably. It is also adequate shelter in case of a light rain or light wind.





Some of our fellow students referred to our structure as "the birthing hut", in honor of Emily.







This grass hut was constructed using all environmentally friendly materials, that we left on site so, that park visitors can enjoy it. I went back to see the structure on Saturday and it was still completely intact.

Skip Schuckmann 4/09/10

1. Does he bring in additional materials or use only what he finds on site? He prefers to use local materials, but if he has to import anything, he prefers to use someones else's discards.
2. Why plastic bottles? For light
3. How long did it take to create the amphitheater?


Skip Schuckmann seems like a child that never grew up. Reading about why he creates his art takes me back a time when I would divert a stream or mud puddle, to a time when I would go out in the woods and move rocks or tree limbs to create a shelter. I respect his work and admire that he has found "clients" that want his work. I admire that he has found a way to do what he loves and make a living at it without having to go main stream, to a gallery or a museum.

Instead of working for a corporation, government agency or university, he helps individuals conduct resource planning on their land. He works by the day (not hour) and at the end of each day he and the client decide if he should continue. Schuckmann's work is never done, because it is part of the environment, it is forever evolving.

I envy that Skip Schuckmann is able to dig dirt, move rocks, burn tree limbs, and stack trees all day and enjoy doing it. This is a life I could live.
1. Why are there no photos of him on the internet?
2. Is he not widely known. He is only briefly acknowledged on the internet and usually along with someone else.
3. Does he collaborate with Linda Weintraub? Their names are mentioned together several times on the net.