we had our meeting on the traffic boxes last week. it was great- we got to see what the current boxes look like, who was selected for this group, along with commentary on the art and why the boxes were selected for specific spots.

we were given a template of the scale of the box so we can plan our art accordingly.this immediately freaked me out as math is not me, and i am not good spatially. translating from the template down to a canvas the size i am comfortable working on and figuring out where what matters need to go will be a challenge for me. a good one, and i’m excited about it, but a challenge nonetheless.

we were also given timelines. i was luckily put into the second group, with my concept design (or finished submission) due on june 17. since i work intuitively and don’t really do mock ups, i will be submitting a finished pieces (or two) and hoping that one is acceptable. my plan is to do 2 12×24 canvasses ( the template works to approximately 12×20, but this was the closest standard canvas) and create a template to lay over the top so that i can place things where i want them in relation to the box itself.

it seems important to me to have each side be able to stand alone, but have the whole piece be one. the hotel in the background is the idanha, once the finest hotel in boise, with distinguished guests such as theodore roosevelt, benjamin harrison and william howard taft. roger miller supposedly wrote king of the road in the idanha. The music for king of the road will definitely be part of the finished piece. i may also incorporate some of the graffiti/signs currently on the box.

this will be fun, because i can do lots of layers and include all sorts of things for people to find while they’re waiting for the light to change.

once my canvasses arrive, and after i have my new art ready for may at the gallery i will be getting to work- stay tuned to follow my progress.

We did a Gypsy Gallery tonight. This is easily the most rewarding and fun art activity i am involved in. No fuss, no drama. I am the Gypsy Queen, so I get to have things my way. Not that I’m especially picky, but it makes things so much easier

Gypsy Gallery is a moveable art show. I got the idea from a lecture at an Idaho Arts Commission event. One of the artist/ gallery owners in town was talking about renting a space and throwing herself a show because there weren’t any gallery options for her at that time. A friend & I put together the first one when we were out drinking one Halloween. My friend asked about an empty space and next thing we knew we had it rented for a pittance.

We asked friends, put out a call to artists, found a musician to donate her time (which was awesome until she broke into a poetry jam). We were very successful- lots of people through the doors (possibly due to it being the warmest First Thursday in December ever). We put together a core group of artists & started doing shows quarterly.

When we have room, we invite other artists to join us, When we don’t it’s just the Gypsies. We’ve tried all sorts of locations through the years- restaurants, outdoor areas, a library. What seems to work best is finding an empty retail space downtown & renting it for the night.

Luckily, we have a member who is great at getting us spots. I send out calls to artists, collect money, pay the insurance and send out press releases. We have artists who show with us most times now. The last 2 shows filled up pretty quickly. Everyone is happy to be a part of the show, we get good traffic, sometimes we even sell stuff! (First Thursday- which is the downtown art walk- not being notoriously good for sales).

I don’t even care if I don’t sell, because I always see people that I am happy to see, get lots of hugs, get to see what other artists are working on. I don’t jury people who want to participate in the shows.  I think that it’s important to give people a chance to learn how to show. Every artist needs to bring their own set up and collect their own money. Spots cost between $25 and $30 depending on location, no commission taken. When we have enough artists participating we hire a musician.

The core group of Gypsies get first call on the best locations. They pitch in annually to pay for the insurance, so they pay a reduced amount for renting the space. They’re the ones who will be asked to help find a spot or make a poster, etc. The system works pretty well. I enjoy myself and am happy when other artists do too.

I just had such a great time tonight that I had to share! Next up- the Traffic Box process starts! Fun stuff!

i am getting ready to teach my first workshop at boise’s own wingtip press. i’ve taken some classes there and the proprietress, undeterred by my inability to make prints, asked if i’d put together a mixed media workshop. so here we are.

the class starts in a little over a week, and we’re nearly full. it will be small- we are capping the size at 6, so it’ll be a nice opportunity to have some fun and learn some things. going from the workshops i have enjoyed, the learning seems to flow both ways.

here’s the outline:

Monday, April 9-

Substrates, bases, creating textured, layered backgrounds

• Surfaces:
  • 4 6×6 canvasses;
  • 4 8×10 baltic birch panels
  • Surface Prep-
    • Gesso
    • Acrylic Paint
    • Acrylic Mediums
    • To create texture:
      • Tissue
      • Drywall Tape
      • To create interesting layered backgrounds:
        • Paper scraps- maps, sheet music, book pages
        • Stencils
        • Things that make marks- chopsticks, toothpicks, gears, bubble wrap
        • Paint techniques to add interest:
          • Alcohol drops
          • Saran Wrap
          • Sponging on/off
          • Color washes

Monday, April 16-

Building your art

• Basics- PLAY!  you can always paint over it, nothing is wrong- except maybe putting acrylic paint over oil paint
• Using your photos
  • Image transfer techniques-
    •  transparency/inkjet/soft gel medium
    • Laserjet/ copier/ gel medium
• Incorporating Laserjet photos
• Stamps
• Tying it together- washes, glazes, spattering, repeating shapes/ images
• The wonders of:
  • Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold
  • Iridescent Bronze
  • Clear gesso
  • The hardware store

Monday, April 23-

Finishing up

• Questions? Problems? Eureka moments?
• Finishing touches
  • Varnish?
  • Gel Medium?
  • Nada?
  • Crackers. Maybe, if you’re good.

if you’re in boise & you’d like to join us, please contact wingtip press, info on the poster. otherwise, stay tuned for posts about the experience-

i always enjoy looking back over the evolution of a piece. if you click on the images and scroll through you’ll see my process at the bottom.

since i tend to work intuitively rather than having things planned out (as a rule, tho sometimes i do have an end in sight when i start) it can get sort of, um, interesting, if i have a deadline and no clear vision. but the art tells me what it wants if i’m patient.

i hang works in progress in my office, so when i need a break from the day job i can look over & see if they have anything to tell me. sometimes just having things hanging as background informs the next step.

there’s often a spot in the middle where a piece of art is a gawky teenager and i’m not sure if i have an ugly duckling or a swan on my hands. luckily, this one grew out of that stage