#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!