Saturday, May 20, 2017

One Planet. One Home.

Hello Folks,

I recently submitted my work to Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven for their juried exhibition One Planet.  One HomeMy piece, "Lost at Sea," was accepted for inclusion.

The work was made with upcycled plastic grocery bags and New York Times bags.


My work is meant to be a commentary about rising sea levels as an inevitable consequence of global warming, and about the 269,000 tons of plastic debris currently floating on the surface of the ocean.  

This important and timely exhibit is on view through May 28, 2017.  

Here is a link to an article about the exhibit, including a mention of my specific piece.

http://www.ctnow.com/arts-theater/museums/hc-climate-change-exhibit-0510-20170510-story.html

And here is what it looks like in the gallery:



As I've said before, this blog is not meant to be in any way a political platform.  But I cannot help commenting on what is happening in our country and to our planet.  Now more than ever, we need environmental protections to preserve our planet and to protect our natural resources.  Mother Earth needs our help.

Peace,

Marsha

Friday, May 19, 2017

Wild, Wonderful, Wearable Art Show

Hello Fashionistas!

It was so much fun to be a part of a Wearable Art Fashion Show last weekend.  The show was part of Westville Village's Artwalk 2017 in New Haven.  I decided to make an outfit entirely out of upcycled plastic bags for the show.  My original design was a sheath dress, but I ended up modifying it to become a two piece outfit.

This was a lengthy process!  First, I had to make the plastic yarn by cutting up plastic grocery bags.  I had a few Maid of the Mist ponchos left over from a recent vacation, so I decided to use those, too.



I added the waistband and then the buttons.  Because I knew the outfit would ultimately be worn by a model, I had to make sure it would fit any number of body shapes. 



I decided on a wrap style skirt, which could be fastened securely at any point along the skirt, creating either a larger or a smaller size.  For the top, I decided to go with a bustier style that could again be fitted to a larger or a smaller size.


I was so pleased with the result, even more so after seeing it on a model!  Gorgeous!


And that, as they say, is a wrap! 

See you again soon,

Marsha

Friday, May 5, 2017

The only difference between a flower and a weed is judgment

Hello!
  
We are having another bright, sunny Friday afternoon here in southern New England.  NOT!  It has been raining since 8 a.m.  But who is paying attention?  Not me.

Instead, I am focusing on flowers.  The spring blooms have been so beautiful this year, haven't they? 

Recently, I was fortunate enough to participate in a benefit at a local museum, The Eli Whitney Museum.  The theme of the benefit was Leonardo in Bloom.  Here was The Challenge:


            The bloom is the fullest expression of a flower's creativity.
             
             Let a flower seed your creativity.

             As if to forestall the brutal mechanics of Darwin's science, the early Victorians
             codified the language of flowers in elaborate dictionaries:  a fixed meaning and
             code for each bloom.  We've all but forgotten those.

            We still need to stop and surrender to the beauty and mystery of flowers.  Pick a
            flower from your memory, your imagination, or from a random walk.  Evolve a
            flower in paper, steel, glass, or any improbable medium.  Arrange a flower in an
            unexpected bouquet or myth.  Plant a flower in a fresh and unfamiliar garden.  

            Let your flower beckon - Notice Me!



Using these thoughts as a framework, I spent time thinking about how I could create flowers that were fun, whimsical, creative, and unusual.  The result?  Giant Pom Pom flowers (also known as Alliums) in my signature material - upcycled plastic bags. 





For the stems of the flowers, I used twigs that I picked up from the backyard.  I made the vase for the flowers using chicken wire.



On the night of the benefit, it was so much fun watching people look at my flowers and discover their true nature (e.g. "What the heck are these flowers made of?!").



It was also fabulous to see what other artists envisioned the flower to be.  In total, there were over 100 different renderings - paintings, photographs, sculptures, jewelry, clothing - you name it, it was there.

To flowering imaginations everywhere,

Marsha