slightly wonky

So, this past week has seen the opening of two, group shows that I am participating in.  The first show is “Community of Artists” at the Danforth Museum, in Framingham.  The other show is the “11th National Prize Show” at the Cambridge Art Association, in Cambridge.  I have one drawing in each show.  Here is my drawing in Cambridge:

Can you see my wee drawing?  Here it is again:

I’m happy with how this turned out.  It would look better with ALL of the other drawings in the series, but then it wouldn’t really be a group show, now would it?  You should also take note that I took this photo with my messed up camera.  Luckily, the people at the camera shop were able to remove the maple syrup and saliva that my 4 year old graciously smeared all over the lens.  I somehow felt that if I told them exactly what I thought was on the lens, this might help in their cleanup operation.  I believe that this makes me a “helicopter customer” as well as being a “helicopter parent.”   Two words:  micro.  manage.

I want to show some of the other works that I saw.  I only have photos from the Cambridge show, as my camera was still out of order when I visited the Danforth.  Here’s an interesting sculpture:

Eleanor Sabin

I can’t seem to get into her website, but I like the little house.  I think that it spoke to my inner architect.  I’d like to see a room of these dilapidated houses.  I used to always dream about having a little cabin (with no doorbell, on the other side of our front lawn, mind you), where I could escape.  This little house made me think of that.  I’m going to also say that the Cambridge Art Association should reconsider it’s choice in flooring material.  It hurts my eyes.  Just sayin’.

Malcom Davis

I think that this is speaking to my inner architect again.  I like it.  I don’t know why.  Something about it feels kind of dated, but I like the space that’s created…especially in the right hand side.  I keep wanting to crop it into a square…with the lighter side becoming just a slim rectangle next to the darker side.  Maybe that’s just me.  If we were in architecture school, and a critic felt the same way…(s)he would likely get a hacksaw and start cutting the canvas to show you how much better it would look.  Actually, because this series of paintings is based upon airports, this symmetry and landscape orientation makes more sense to me conceptually.  (not that it didn’t make sense before…)

Yes, I finally have some amazing artwork by my son to show you.  Ok…this is the point where anyone seriously interested in art can basically sign off.  Now, begins my “Refrigerator Front Gallery”.  Here is his latest creation, co-created with Grandma:

Don’t you LOVE it???? Or, is this the kind of scribble that only a mama could love?  Should I mention that the house is on fire?  Should I be worried?  As long as my son does not know how to use a match, I’ll try not to worry.  Maybe we should get rid of our “strike anywhere” matches?  Hmm.  And another:

I imagine this as sort of a Cy Twombly hopped up on froot loops.

So, I keep experimenting with different drawing substrates.  (is that what it’s called, or am I slipping back into architecture?).  This week, I experimented with Ampersand’s Claybord.  Here is my experiment:

Now, all was going well until I tried to make DARK marks.  Then, it was like trying to draw with a candle on Teflon.  The soft pencil just slid across the surface, and didn’t really work.  Here’s a closeup of the shadow:

See how scratchy it is?  I almost feel that the only way to work on this board is to keep the pencil very light, and think of it almost as a silverpoint drawing.  I know that the two people out there (yes, you’re one of them) who read this blog never respond, BUT:

Have you ever used Claybord with pencil?  Did you like it????? (Bueller?)

If it wasn’t 9am and trash day, I would probably hear crickets about now…