Filed under: Drawing, Fleeting thoughts... | Tags: Jessica Liggero, mail art
Well, another balmy day in Boston. Right now it’s 74 degrees. Not bad, right? But it’s 91% HUMIDITY. Ech. I’m breaking out a sweat just from typing. I may have to buy one of those silly fan hats. At least some of them are solar powered…but that pretty much guarantees that you have to sit in the baking sun for the feeble fan to work. I’d be better off sitting in a bucket of ice…ANYHOO, I’ve recently starting sending “mail art” back and forth to a friend in Santa Barbara. Mail art is nothing more than just elevating a simple correspondence to more than just words on paper. I find it really fun, as it doesn’t matter how horrible it turns out…it’s always fun to get personal snail mail. Here is an envelope that I did for her:
So, folding that odd shape becomes a homemade envelope. SO FUN. She recently mailed me her own version of “performance art,” which entailed a handmade envelope…a decorated scrap of newspaper, and a pile of sand/dirt from her living room floor. BRILLIANT! Has anyone ever send you an envelope full of glitter or confetti? It’s kind of like that, but worse. Luckily, her California dirt just blended in with my Massachusetts dirt. I’m sure that her dirt was horrified by the humidity here as well.
Here is the latest brilliance by my son:
All of the dots are flocks of birds. We recently watched some of Planet Earth, narrated by David Attenborough. The whole thing is full of amazing footage…like birds by the billions migrating somewhere. This must have made an impression. I can’t remember what the other things in the drawing are. Yes, there is a person on the lower left…but I can’t remember who he is. He has that telltale Edward Scissorhands look. I will be sad if my son ever decides to draw a hand differently than this. What I also love his how confidently he draws all of these lines. I hope that he never stops drawing. Just as long as he goes to college and doesn’t end up camping out in my living room at 18…he can keep drawing…
My own work is plugging along. I do have a new drawing:
It helps to photograph your work on a bright, sunny day. I’ve started another one, and it feels as if it’s going to take forever to do. I have no idea how people do large, pencil drawings. They must be hermits who don’t have to go shopping at Stop & Shop, be at the beck and call of a four year old, and sleep. I noticed that my DECAF latte from Starbucks yesterday had a bad effect on my ability to draw a smooth line. Clearly, those pencil wielding hermits must only drink water. I’m not sure if I’m willing to give up Starbucks for art. I may have to settle for wobbly looking drawings.
My art advisor has organized a small, public art project on the bikepath here in Arlington. People have taken forgotten chairs on their way to a trash heap and refurbished them in creative ways. Here is the website. My son and I visited the chairs on Wednesday.
Luckily, they are for SALE…if you are a MetroBoston local…you can stop by and take a look! The proceeds benefit a larger public art project here in Arlington…the Spy Pond Mural project. This project will create a huge banner of artwork done by highschool students to adorn the side of the local Boys & Girls club. (or…if you have enough furniture in your house, you could just make a donation here, and specify “Spy Pond Mural project”)
I definitely have enough furniture in my house…it’s just decrepit. I don’t think that I can rejuvinate our hideous couch with a coat of paint, though. Or, maybe I can? Take a look at THIS and THIS. SERIOUSLY! Someone painted their couch! I think it helps that their couch was sort of “firm” and not “mushy”, like ours. I mean…our couch is sort of like a dirty beanbag with legs. How easy is it to paint a bean bag? Not easy. How ugly would it be afterwards? I get indigestion just thinking about it. Just don’t let this happen:
I don’t know who those kids are…but I’m hoping that their parents had a healthy dose of Zantac that morning…
Has anyone out there ever painted a COUCH? If so…let me know.
So, a local artist is going to be in a group show in NYC this month. Here is her website. Her name is Jessica Liggero, and her work is really great. She does large paintings/collage on paper of glamorous people gone ugly in a limited color palette. I think that her stuff is great. Anway…I always stop by to see what she’s up to when we have our Somerville Open Studios. But now…you too can see her work in NYC! Her show will be at Rush Arts Gallery from Aug 16 – Aug 31.
She seems like the type who would throw caution to the wind and paint a couch.
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slightly wonky 
You are a riot! Again, A great print-making class Susan Palladino is giving starting end of September at CCAE– Six sessions on Saturday mornings. Best. iris
Comment by Iris Chandler August 10, 2012 @ 10:52 amThank you, Iris! Thanks also for the heads up on the class at CCAE. I’ll look into it… I hope that you’re doing well and that we cross paths again soon! Keep me posted about your work as well.
Comment by slightlywonky August 10, 2012 @ 3:39 pm