#9 Inspired by Nature

So nature certainly had it's way with me on this one. When I finally found the time to go out in nature and gather my materials... it rained for 4 days. So I found some nature in my house, in a box of Christmas potpourri. It had some sticks in it and little twiggy pine thingies. So naturally I covered the sticks with paper, and realized the little pine twiggy thingies were actually made of of plastic. Sigh. There are real sticks in there though.

So what the heck is this thing? Trust me it's so much prettier in person, it lights up, it sparkles! It's a faerie lantern octopus thing! Inspired by nature, built by me.

Kate Shea

So this took me forever, and it came out horribly... but finally here is my hat/nature project. I was inspired by some of the plants around my neighborhood that are have all different colored leaves. Then I thought of the wicken who worship nature so I made a witch's hat. The leaves in the front of the pictures of mint leaves from the jungle of mint that grows outside my front door. I'm just glad to be done with this one!

Beth Marshea

#Nine (9) Inspired by Nature

Go forth into the world of nature and bring back inspiration to create art. Take some physical piece of the nature world and incorporate it into your piece.

Best of Luck!

# 8 Opposing Words (Team Project)

I'll bet you are thinking this is a team project why do I see only one work. Well because life gets in the way and one of us is working, and it's not me, so stop judging.

So how did we come up with this crazy idea?

Well I always have wanted to

make a fantastic beast strictly to mount on my wall. I guess I like the kitsch factor of taxidermy, and the whimsy of making up animals.

My cousin Matt, hunts and has some truly magnificent stags mounted at his house. I imagine he had to kill them because they were nibbling on his tulips or something. Or maybe they had insulted his mother and he was defending her honor. You know how those stag parties get.

But this guy is my vegetarian. He's a mix between a few veggie eating animals, a cow, a gazelle, a hippo, who can say. I'll proabbly wear out his nose kissing him goodnight every night.

Don't worry the carnivore is coming!

Here's my carnivore! Finally! Sorry he's not actually on a wall but I'm still waiting for the glue to dry! Oops, guess I should have started this one a little bit earlier. Anyway, he's a flesh eating demon and he's so scary that my husband said I'm not allowed to hang him in our bedroom... that John... who knew he was afraid of the dark. Anyway, he looks a little crazy because he had a severe problem with blood lust and went a hunter fought him to the death... well, let's just say it got a little intense. I still love him though, hope you do too!

#Eight (8) Opposing Words (Team Project)

Since we're the only ones participating or reading this blog, Kate and Beth will be on a team. We haven't picked our opposing words yet, but the show had things like order and chaos, male and female, heaven and hell... so we won't use any of those (don't want to be influenced by what we saw them do), we'll just pick something in the same vein.

Good luck to us. Continue making art!

8/12/10

Words have been decided:

Kate Shea- Vegetarian

Beth Marshea- Carnivore

#7 Children's Art

I couldn't have been more excited about this week's challenge. The second they said children's art I thought crayons. I love crayons. I love everything about crayons, the smell, the price, the textures, the softness.

When I was in college freshman drawing class, we had an assignment to work in crayons, and more people than not stuck to their

color pencils. But I thought my crayon drawing far surpassed my color pencil work. Part of it could be that crayons take away any intimidation. No one is afraid of a box of crayons.

A friend of mine told me she didn't like crayons as much as colored pencils because you lack the ability to do deatail work. Crayons force you to draw larger, they soften detail, and

they are shockingly effective in terms of fine art.

So what's the piece about? I guess it's about dreams, and schemes, and plans. It's about planning, t

he way you do as a kid, and about not letting the world, or reality or what should be get in your way.

Kate Shea

I was also very excited for this week's challenge despite the fact that I didn't actually manage to get it in on time. I remembered that when I was in elementary school my art teacher asked me to do paper mache at an art festival and I was supposed to make "a person in action". I made a skier... since skiing is such a big part of my life now I thought I would recreate that experience for myself. Skiing for me is like becoming a super hero, when I fail at everything in my normal life I can go on the slopes and fly! It's one of the few things I feel naturally comfortable with.

So, here's my skier, she's a flying rockstar! (And yeah, I do think the one I made in elementary school probably was better but... what can you do?)

-- Beth Marshea

(yep, just got the new license yesterday)

#Seven (7) Children's Art

We keep rolling along. For this week, create art using only children's art supplies... tempura paint, anything made by crayola, construction paper, pipe cleaners, whatever! This is a fun one... so let's have a good time! Go forth and create!

#6 Non Permanent Art

Everything is temporary!

When thi

nking about this challenge, I tried to think of temporary things, balloons, relationships, life. But what really struck me was piñatas.

Here's something that is is made to be destroyed.

Like sidewalk chalk art, Tibetan sand paintings, cakes... damn I could have done something really cool!

Instead, I made a fancy bird piñata.

It's only temporary.

Kate Shea

I came up with my piece after having a mental breakdown regarding becoming a housewife (as I currently am not providing any income for my household). I don't usually do conceptual art, but my mind was so ill at ease with the affair I thought the "temporary art" format might help me realize that this state is indeed temporary.

So represented you will see little parts of domestic unrest: peanut butter and jelly sandwich, dirty socks, a child's drawing, a snack bag of pretzels, tissues, a loaf of bread, bandaids, and a makeup kit, all centered around my broom.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to document the few people who wandered over during the thirty minutes it took to set up, take pics, and tak

e down. They didn't have much to say, but their looks were worth a thousand words (I set up in a park near a golf course close to my home). One man, said... "ah... time based art", and said, "huh?" and there were quite a lot of long glances from across the road. My husband said, "I'm glad we're not leaving it up to long, I think people might be offended." I consider that success, I think.-- Beth

#Six (6) Non Permanent Art

So there are a couple of thing about this challenge that are different from the Bravo challenge. Much like last, where as they had a corporate sponsor, we just had our cities, where we actually pay to live. Talk about an unjust world! We also don't have a space or supplies to do a permanent art piece. So instead we'll do a non permanent art piece. Let your imaginations go wild on this one folks because... well... even though Beth and I make the rules in this contest, sometimes even we don't understand them. Shhh..... don't tell anyone!

#5 Inspiration in Your City

When told to go forth into my city and find inspiration, I did think about the city of Boston, and then I realized my own neighborhood, the very hamlet I live in is part of Boston Proper. So a quick trip to the Pond inspired this one.

When people ask me about living in JP (Jamaica Plain) I inevitably start talking about the Lantern Fest.

Now this can be confusing because in JP we love lanterns so much we actually have two lantern fests. Seriously we love the lanterns. But the autumn lantern fest was started by a woman who convinced her friends to make lanterns and walk around the pond with her. About 25 people did this and they made it a mission to one day encircle the pond with lanterns. It only took a few

years and now hundreds of people participate.

It just goes to show you one person can make a difference.

The best part? People make their own lanterns. Hundreds of home made lanterns encircle the pond every year.

Kate Shea

Hey Guys! Sorry I'm a little late on this week's design... I have no excuse other than I didn't prioritize it. Anyway, my inspiration came when I was walking through downtown Portland and I saw a window washer repelling down the side of a building. It struck me how seamlessly Portland combines wilderness and wilderness pursuits with an Urban environment. So I decided to take two Portland icons, Mount Hood and Powell books linking them with an adventurer repelling from mountain to store.

I tried to keep the whole design simple with a basic design and color scheme. I'm not sure how well it works as art, but I liked the final result. - Beth Shea

Vanessa is not a visual artist but decided to participate in this event via a poem...

Low Tide in Late July

Cold-as-tin air circulates;

The poles and safety grips are greasy from use --

The ladies, mostly older

Cackle about the weekly grocery circulars

Chime in about the upcoming elections & their favorite postal carrier;

As they rub weary hamstrings and grip tight to homemade lunches.

Hibiscus and Bougainvillea petals are scatters in the road --

Chickens and Housecats roam free;

Bicycles, scooters, skateboards,

Tourists and homeless citizens alike lug wheeled suitcases on the steaming concrete &

Look to the noontime sky, pleading for a windward island breeze.

With baited breath everyone eyes the chalky, chapped-lipped shoreline

Low tide in late July spells trouble, disaster is always one storm away.

Hundreds of matching silver-foxes with beards mill about

Ladies in pearls and cantaloupe-colored sundresses sip Rum-runners

Gnarly, aspiring surfers disembark from day cruises.

The headline in today’s paper reads: scandal, scandal

Local bank is robbed by relative of Fat-Cat Commissioner

At the time of his arrest,

Deputies found the smoking gun: the note,

“Give me all your $money in unmarked bills’

…was still in the suspect’s pocket along with bank deposit bags.

The suspect was in the Bank’s parking lot, struggling with his bike lock.

Fat-Cat Commissioner insists, “Lil’ Bubba and I have been estranged for years.”

-- Vanessa Cohen

#Five (5) Inspiration in Your City

Go forth into your city and find inspiration... then come on back to us and show and tell what was moving and how you were moved. Don't spend more than a half hour finding your inspiration.

Now go make art!

#4 (Four) Shock Art

My piece is entitled "Oppression Rocks!", it's about the oppression women in the financial sector and how this is not only accepted but embraced by both men and women.

My original thought was to print the image on a Tshirt and have a seemingly nice guy wear it (yeah, I was going to use my husband) to show that all people not just the obvious accept this trend. But, I'm too poor and couldn't afford to buy a new Tshirt. Boo! Anyway, next time.

I also tried to make it look something like the inside cover of an album... a little play on the whole "rocks" thing... ya know?

-Beth Shea

Okay, this is late because my computer had a bit of a mental breakdown, mixed with a physical breakdown.

So what the eff is this about and why did I do it?

It's about childhood cruelties and growing up and killing off your old dreams. As kids we are encouraged to be imaginative, and believe and things... and one by one we are asked to not only turn our backs on these ideas but really destroy them. And children can be cruel.

Kate Shea

#Four (4) Shock Art

Create something visually shocking and politically shocking that means something to you. That's what the show said... so get creative!

#3 (Three) Book Covers!!

I just saw an interview with John Waters where he was talking about his new book "Role Models" and he said that publishers hate white book covers because they get dirty so quickly. Naturally, he gave his book a white cover with a simple black line drawing.

I was inspired and therefore came up with this little rendition of a black and white Jekyll and Hyde.

Have fun making art! - Beth Shea

Okay so... since I got stuck with... I mean I selected The Time Machine, I thought I'd go with a more Victorian image, an old timey line drawing. The time machine was published in 1895.

I had thought to go a little more steam punk with it... but ended up with this.

Enjoy! And good luck on the next project.

Kate

#Three (3) Book Covers

This one is pretty simple... your name has been randomly matched with a book title (list used from Bravo's show)... your mission, should you choose to accept it: CREATE A BOOK COVER.

Assignments as follows:

Kate Shea- The Time Machine
Beth Shea- Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Hadley Langosy- Frankenstein
Liz Mackie- Pride and Prejudice
Meli Mossey- Alice in Wonderland

Avery Mangahas - Dracula

Good luck participants. Remember you can either post your images yourself, or email them to me (bethyshea@gmail.com) and I'll put them up for you.

#Two (2) Found Objects!!

"Futile Fishing" by Beth Shea

Created from four precut pieces of 2x4 that came off the packing of a recently purchased canoe. The "rod" in the picture is a skewer used for roasting marshmellows on her many camping trips. The "bobber and bait" are some type of shell picked up on a hike and a piece of driftwood from a beach near the Redwood Forest in North California.

These images only give an idea of the sculpture, they do not accurately represent what it conveys in person.

Kate Shea here, this is called "Gilding the Inner Peanut"

And I totally failed to take a picture of the found object first. It was a ceramic squash dish, and really it didn't change much. But by the time I thought to take a picture I had glittered the inside of the dish.

Of course, I had mistaken it for a peanut dish.

Other people apparently can recognize the difference between a peanut and a gourd.

I, being terribly slow, have trouble with this.

So naturally I wanted this peanut as my found object so I could.... stick a sparkly Mr. Peanut inside!

Yep that's what I did. Dapper and sparkly!

#TWO (2) Found Objects

Must use found objects from the street or your home. Art supplies cannot be used as the central concept, but can be used in the creation of the piece. You must take a picture of the found object(s) prior to creating your small sculpture (or... if you can't follow your own instructions like Kate and I... then just tell us what the found objects were). There is no official size limit... but try not go too crazy!

Friend Portraits

Portrait of Hadley Langosy by Kate Shea

Portrait of Liz Mackie by Kate Shea

Portrait of Meli Mossey by Beth Shea

SELF PORTRAIT SUBMISSIONS...

Self Portrait by Kate Shea

and next we have...


Self Portrait by Beth Shea

HERE WE GO!!!

This week's contest was to create a self portrait and a portrait of someone else you know, any media will do, but the original work must by 2.5" x 3.5"

Please feel free to jump in and participate at any time. Each week will be a new challenge based on Bravo's new show Work of Art. (Of course, we'll tweak it a little and we running well behind the show... but watch it and see what's coming up for our contest).

Best of Luck!