Ready, Set...

"Just a Box of Art"

I've been taking a bit of a break during the cold weather although I've been giving a lot of thought to upcoming projects.

- I have a few bundles of willow and birch sticks that I have ideas for.

- I'm musing about labyrinths and have a few potential ideas.

- I've been playing with 3D modeling.

- I've been messing around with QR codes (again).

- I'm researching how to sculpt with foam and fiberglass so I'll be ready to work in those mediums when the weather gets warm.

- I'm gearing up for a KickStarter campaign to scale Anniversary to 4' x 8'.

Anniversary 2014

Art 2015 is like a box I'm almost ready to open.

Saturnalian Excavations: Scenes From the Closet of Extinct Curiosities

Hallucigenia coleoptrata, often found scuttling about in the dark corners of the Irvhaus Archives, is nearly ready to be shipped off to an exciting new home in the suburbs! (Just testing out the suspension... those dangling hind legs will need to be restrained.)

Giant Flea, alas, you have not been adopted (nor ever completed), and we may need that space in the top of the closet. Your spot in the landfill will likely be surrounded in festive holiday refuse.

Giant flea, we never did finish making you, but you will always hang in the Extinct Curiosities exhibition in my mind.

A photo posted by Dorothy Hickson (@dorothyjhickson) on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:06am PST

(Blogging of festive holiday refuse, check out this article on the snowflake-mills of China...)

Taking Flight

This Friday, Artomatic Takes Flight is doing a "holiday party" at the airport, in case you like your art served with wine or beer (yes, I am envious) -- here is the EventKloud link.

The show itself is there through January 8th, 2015.

As I reported previously, for numerous reasons I've been pulled away from art for the last few months.  I did manage to get PVC Whatever painted for a show of local artists at Artistree in Pomfret, Vermont.  That's PVC Whatever above.  Click on the graphic below for show details.

Below is a view north from the shoulder of Burke Mountain (Vermont), taken in July.

parenthetical e

A visit to [e]merge has led me to the following draft formulations.

All TVs to be placed under bathroom sinks. All hotel room art to be replaced with SO MUCH ART THE ROOM CAN BARELY CONTAIN IT. All parking garages, everywhere, to contain photographic scrolls and color-shifting abstractions and cyberbeehives and neon and feather snow and highly intentional heaps of broken stone.

Thank you for your attention to these matters.

PFF 2014

Several EFAC members and friends had a fine Philly Folkfest -- drop us a comment if you found one of our cards. We were camped under the big top at Smegma/Neon with the pictured bxiie artwork and an orange neon Smiling Banjo by Evening Neon. I am sure I have more to say about the weekend, and all the fabulous creativity on parade (sometimes literally) by our fellow festerlings, but I am too tired. Check back later!

Bxiie - Out of Circulation

I've been pretty busy doing other things the past few weeks.  Here's what I was doing before I got distracted.

This is PVC 6; the largest piece I have done so far.  This has been in process this entire season and was the impetus for the evolution of my heating/melting technique.  It's not actually done yet; I managed to char two of the tendrils and mar part of the flat part through too-effective heating.  I need to do some sanding and repair.

This is PVC something-or-other.  I've mislaid my art log and so have no idea what number this is without lining everything up and counting them off.

This is the current state of my 'furnace'.  The cinder blocks contain and direct the heat much more efficiently than the last iteration.  Filth suggests that I'd get even better results if I used fire brick but this is working pretty well for now.

This is an experiment with HDPE (high density polyethylene).  It looks really cool while it's melted but when it stiffens back up, it turns back into the color of the milk jug it started out as.  Between last year and this, I've experimented a few times with HDPE without any good results.  I still think there's something good to be found, though.

 This is a different PCV something-or-other.

I'm busy for a few more weeks but I'm hoping to get back to work in late August or early September.