Story for the Magpie

Story for the Magpie
87" x 17" x 15"

 

 

It is said that Magpies can be taught to speak the language of humans. I'm sure they already have a language of their own. If we could converse with the Magpies I think they would have marvelous stories to tell. This piece carved from aspen branches collected in the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico tells a story of the Magpie's adventures. The figure holds a book made with five tiny windows. One  contains a miniature painting of the starry night sky done on Mexican amate bark paper. The others include found objects and collage suspended between sheets of natural mica and then framed with antique tin. The sculpture's headdress is made with layers of old copper nailed to a wood form. It's painted with acrylic and metal leaf then coated with a light layer of wax.

Story for the Magpie
87" x 17" x 15"

From the Dragon's Garden

From the Dragon's Garden

You have probably heard that when a lizard loses it's tail another will grow back in it's place but did you know that if a dragon loses it's claw it can also grow another? In order to do this the old claw must be buried in the dragon's garden in a perfect place at just the right time of year. There are other secrets to the growing and not all claws make the grade. If for example the dragon had an exceptional amount of dirt under his nails to begin with it will throw the entire chemical balance of the soil off and a new claw just will not sprout. But, if all is done according to the magic dragon code not only will the dragon grow a brand new claw but also a magical flowering dragon's claw plant!

This dragon claw is made with a found cast iron piano stool foot. It holds a little glass globe in its talons. The foot was purchased from the fabulous Etsy shop of ProfessorTiny. I carved the plant section of the piece from found aspen wood. It's painted with acrylic and metal leaf and finished with a light wax.

In the works...

Here's what's on the table after an inspiring trip collecting aspen in New Mexico.

Church doors in Chimayo, New Mexico

Mica, Music of the Spheres and a Really Big Book

So... I've been working on a little project... and I finally shipped it off last week.  It's a tall carved figure  holding a really big book. The theme of the book began with the Music of the Spheres. The wonderful person who commissioned this work had absolutely inspiring ideas. It was a pleasure and an interesting challenge to make it.

The pages of the very big book are about 30" high when enclosed in the book frame. They're made with two 9 x 12 translucent sheets of mica laminated together to make one side of each page. Those large mica sheets were doubled to form the front and back side of each page. Found objects, collage and transfers of renaissance illustrations by Robert Fludd are suspended in between them.


















The book frame is made with strips of antique tin riveted together... and riveted and then riveted some more. As you probably gathered I  like rivets but in this case they are really useful and also create an interesting visual effect. There are three little carvings inside the book. They are pop up parts that suspend from the books spine. To make them do their lovely "pop up" thing I needed a solution that was both light and strong. Light so that visually it would appear that the pop ups were almost floating out of the pages but strong enough to hold the weight of the carvings and withstand shipping. I ended up soldering brass wire to very thin gage brass tabs then riveting the tabs into the metal spine of the book.

And that is the story of how I made The Magic Book. Now I'm  holding my breath-just a little- until I hear whether it made it to it's new home safely. (and also hoping my oh so thorough packing job did not completely frustrate the kind person  who had to do the unpacking!)

The Magic Book  81"x 15"x 16"

Food City

One of my favorite grocery stores here in Tucson, Arizona is called Food City. There are a few small versions of the store scattered around town but the the big super store is by far the best. It carries all the basic items found in any market  but what makes it so special  is the vast assortment of  products from Mexico along with exotic produce and hard to find ingredients necessary for Mexican cooking. There are bins with dried cinnamon sticks, and  cones of cane sugar. Mounds of chilis from anaheim to the extra hot habaneros. Edible cactus pads called nopales (Yum!) money drawing room spray, colorful cleaning products, statues of catholic saints, an entire row dedicated to dried herbs and spices.

Today I was in search of the delicious queso fresco to use in a summer salad.

Here's my recipe for Sonoran Style Pasta Salad:
1lb. Whole wheat penne pasta cooked
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup sweet corn- fresh or frozen
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped mango
3 scallions chopped
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
1 cup mesquite grilled chipotle chicken sausage or chicken breast (optional)
Dressing:
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill salad at least two hours before serving. Sprinkle top of sald with a little crumble queso fresco and serve.

Fabuloso!

Art Friend Wednesday- Christine Kaiser

"Still" 9.5" x 9 " x 2 "

I met my art friend Christine Kaiser a few years ago when we were both exhibiting at the Philadelphia Museum Craft Show. I've been a fan of hers ever since! Her fantastic pieces are made of carved wood that's sanded to a porcelain like finish then painted. She uses graphite to do detailed drawings directly on the surface. To see more of her beautiful works visit her website: http://www.christinekaiser.com/

"New Dress" 6" x 3.5" x 2"

Pinky Little Dog-available on Etsy

Born With a Tail

Here's one last photo of a piece  made from the pile of goodies I posted in March. This one was inspired by some little brass claw feet that arrived as an extra gift in a box of vintage casters I'd purchased.  First I had to show a brass claw to my cat for his approval.

Born with a Tail