double duty

Besides having a mosaic sculpture, "Geode" at the NC Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill (25th Annual Sculpture Show), I have been working with some fabulous children designing and assembling a mosaic mural for the Wonder Garden.  The theme is NC pollinators, and the kids did most of the designing themselves, and cooperated (with a bit of guidance) to bring their wonderful ideas together in one art work.  The participants were ages 7-10, and full of great ideas and energy!  The first 3 hr session they learned about mosaics, pollination, went down to the garden to see plants and pollinators in action, sketched some very creative design ideas, and then enlarged their ideas and made individual pollinator components with tumbled stained glass pieces.  Their works were captured with tile tape.

This past Saturday, we met again for another 3 hr session to arrange the pollinator components based on a compilation design plan, and fill in the background (which included a flowering tree, ancient stone helmet gate with bee hive, waterfall with stream, and Carolina blue sky).  Working on the floor was easiest, and everyone was able to work on an area they were interested in.  The background was assembled in no time, so they were able to go out and enjoy a bit of the sculpture show and do some paper mosaics to take home.

Installation of the mural will take place later in October, weather pending, and will be a whimsical permanent addition to the NCBG.  Thanks to Orange County Arts Commission for grant support of this project, and NCBG, particularly Elisha and Nancy, for coordinating and believing in the power of art and science in learning!

NCBG Fall Sculpture in the Garden 2013

 "Geode" is officially installed at the North Carolina Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill for the 2013 Fall Sculpture in the Gardens Show.  Opening preview reception Sept 20th, 2013, tickets available via the NCBG website. 50+ outdoor works in a beautiful setting this Fall, free and open to the public starting Saturday Sept 21, 2013.

cute or annoying?

 

This little guy likes to sit on my mosaic and look in the living room window.  He has his 'umbrella' tail up to shield him from the light sprinkling rain .  His friends like to sit on my other sculptures and crack open their nuts.  I try not to take it personally.

Grandma's Pie Crust

My Grandma is great at EVERYTHING.  She's a very young 89 years old, with sparkly blue eyes, energy to spare, and the warmest smiles and hugs in the world.  Our family looks to her for comfort, wisdom, and love, and tries to surround her with the same.  I have been trying to master her pie crust recipe (or method- she never measures and seldom writes down instructions) for years to no avail.  Her pies are always delicious and flaky, often with fruit from her own garden, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries.  She knows who likes what pie best, and usually has one waiting if they are visiting.

Last weekend I was able to visit and stay with her for a couple of nights, and mentioned that I had never been able to get her crust right... she had written it down for me once.  With her usual loving, sharing heart, she jumped up and said," let's make it together"!  Her blueberry bushes were asking to be picked, so in a flash, I had a plastic bucket tied around my waist and in no time filled with berries.  With all the rain they've had in WNC this year, they were quite tart, but plentiful.

She patiently showed me EXACTLY her secret tricks; fluffing the flour directly in the bag, how to mix the cold water and corn oil so that it blends and doesn't separate, using wax paper to roll out the dough and peel off into the glass plate. ... all the things that she does, step by step.  Our pie turned out wonderfully, of course.

Before I left, I was able to pick enough berries to take them home for making one solo with her simple, but specific knowledge.  As I fluttered around my own kitchen, fluffing the flour in the bag, combining the water and oil to her specifications, and rolling between wax paper sheets (using the rolling pin that my Grandfather made), I knew this would be my best pie ever. 

texture color shape flow

sneak peek of my "Geode" sculpture for the NCBG Fall Sculpture Show.... harmonizing texture, color, shape, and flow....

Pet Portrait

I haven't done very many small projects recently.  I do like a variety, so I was happy to take this small pet portrait commission recently.  The client's photos were not very good, and the pet had passed away several years ago.  I found a reuse clock frame at the Scrap Exchange, and had a couple great pieces of orangey-brown stained glass already in my mosaic stash.  The pupils do have an iridescence to them, although doesn't show on this photo for a great glossy touch.  The glue is still drying, and I will be grouting it, so not 100% completed, but it shows a great expressiveness, and I wanted to share.  The piece is smallish, about 7x7" without the frame.  Not sure why it loaded sideways...but I kinda like it.

The School for Creative Studies

This week I've been working with some fantastic folks at The School for Creative Studies, a new DPS 6-12 year round choice school.  The Principal Renee Price,  Asst Principal Andrea Hundredmark, and Instructional Facilitator Rita Rathbone,  are all women I have known (previously) at my own childrens' schools, and are leading the dynamic administrative team at SCS.  They asked me about creating a mosaic for the front desk, and I jumped on board, organizing and planning for a volunteer making day, as well as the installation.  We had administrators, teachers, and families all working together to create the logo in mosaic.

Today was grout day, with a final cleaning tomorrow.  What a great impact this will have for the front office visitors, and a fantastic project to begin the new school year...!!