ArtPrize 2012 (Part 2)
We have had a very busy two weeks. We just moved into a new apartment and have at least doubled our space! It is so wonderful to have more space. With that being said, this helps explain why I have been MIA. I have been working in the studio and plan to share what I have been working on in there, but for now I want to finish up with sharing about ArtPrize. I was not a winner, but I was voted in the top 100 at least twice. That was a real surprise and a great accomplishment to me since there were over 1500 artists competing! It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. I definitely want to be in ArtPrize again next year. If you would like to see who the awards went you, you can check them out on the web here.
After my Jeremiah Tree was installed, we got to check out the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan and see a ton of work done by some very talented artists. Here is a little “walk” through the city and ArtPrize.
This next piece was the winner of ArtPrize. This was a drawing all done in pencil and was absolutely incredible! This post only scratches the surface of what we saw and the talent that was there. I hope you enjoyed checking this out.
So Many Leaves
I had high hopes for blogging this post before I left for Michigan, but alas, that did not happen. I still wanted to share this post with you, however, because it gives you a glimpse at how I was able to construct the leaf portion of the Jeremiah Tree. I had help with the frame-work from a friend from church. Thank you so much Dave Kjendal for all of your help! Such a blessing to me! I will also add that he made this frame for me out of Brazilian Mahogany! Once I had this frame, I started to stretch chicken wire over it and mold and shape it into place. It was secured by using the staple gun. After the chicken wire was in place, I had the tedious task of wiring on each leaf. It look a long time and after many scrapes and a few bleeding fingers, the tree was done!
Noah sat with me for a while as I worked. I actually didn’t get a whole lot done when he was with me, but I sure loved having him in my lap. He was just staring at the leaves as they were set into place. I didn’t finish this piece before we hit the road but I got a good chunk of it done before loading it into the van. Then I worked on wiring a few more leaves onto the frame in Buffalo. (We broke up the drive into two days, so we got to have an overnight with my in-laws.) Finally, the tree was finished in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Needless to say, it took a long time.
I have a lot more to post on our time in Michigan and of course, the final images of the Jeremiah Tree. It has been such a neat experience to be a part of so far.
The Jeremiah Tree: Nearing Completion
Here is the latest update on the Jeremiah Tree that will be on display for ArtPrize. Before Andrew, Noah and I all left for Saranac for the month, I wanted to lay out my whole installation piece and see how it was looking. It was a good way for me to be able to see if I have enough leaves and river plates. Plus, it is time for an update! All of the pieces are fully glazed, so I think it is looking pretty good. I am really excited with the way it is turning out. In a lot of ways, I think it is looking better than I had anticipated: the trunk in particular. It really looks like bark to me. I hope it generates a lot of interest while in Grand Rapids, MI.
Setting up the river plates, I have decided that I would like to make just a few more. I would like the “river” portion of my installation to extend a bit further. At first I was a bit discouraged by the way the river plates fired. I was hoping that they would be covered in big bold crystals, rather than just the rims of the plates. Now after looking at them for a while, I really like them. The smooth, glassy surface of the cobalt glaze really does make me think of water the way it mimics and reflects the images around it.
Spreading out the leaves around the tree was really fun. It made the tree come alive. I think I will want to make another 150 to 200 leaves to fill in the top of the tree and make it look really full. All the leaves were glazed in the same glaze, copper crystalline, and yet there are different tones to the glaze. Some leaves are an emerald green and others are a lighter seafoam green. When they are all grouped together, though, they have the effect that the sun is shining through the leaves. It is hard to believe that in one month the Jeremiah Tree will be installed as a part of ArtPrize!
I’m In!
I wanted to, officially, share some exciting news: I am in the ArtPrize International Art Competition! If you have been following the progress of the Jeremiah Tree, then you have had a sneak peek of my piece for ArtPrize. I am so excited to be apart of this competition and experience. ArtPrize takes place in Grand Rapids, Michigan from September 19 through October 7. It sounds like it is going to be a pretty sweet event. There are about 1500 artists (give or take a few) that are competing and showing their work all over the city of Grand Rapids. Different venues are hosting artist’s work that will be exhibited for those two weeks. I believe there are about 195 different venues. The venues range from libraries, stores, galleries and banks, to restaurants, bars and parks.
Any artist could apply/submit their work into ArtPrize. I had heard about it almost a year ago and knew I wanted to definitely try to go for it this year. I had to create an artist profile on the ArtPrize website, complete with images of the work I planned to submit, send in my entry free, and then try to connect with a venue. As I said, anyone can enter and pay the fee, but not everyone will actually get to participate in the actual ArtPrize event. If a venue is not interested in your work and no connection is made, then you will not be in the exhibit and competition. So, you really are at the mercy of the venue’s interests. I submitted my Jeremiah Tree to about eleven different venues that appealed to me and had to anxiously await their responses. I was turned down by several, was given a “possibly” by one, and then and offer to host from another! It has been an exciting process so far.
I am happy to share that the Monroe Community Church will be hosting my Jeremiah Tree for the ArtPrize exhibit and competition this year! I am nearing completion on my installation piece and I think it is coming together nicely. I must have it completed and ready to install on the 15th of September. So, it looks like we will be doing some traveling this fall.
The awards are “people’s choice”, so voting actually takes place during those two weeks, to place the top ten artists. There is also a juried selection for “best in show” as well as best 2D, 3D, mixed media…etc. I am psyched to be apart of it this year. I will be posting more images as my tree nears completion and as the time draws nearer. I hope I win something. That would be so amazing!
Bisque Firing
About two weeks ago, I fired the kiln for the first time since Noah was born. My parents were in town and I was feeling overwhelmed with the amount of work that I needed to get done in the little time that I have. My mom then encouraged me to just go over to the studio and get the kiln loaded and fired while she stayed home with Noah. So, off I went along with my dad and my husband. They helped me carry my work to the kiln while I loaded. Into the bisque went six owl banks, the rest of the tree trunk pieces, leaves, and a dozen plates. Everything fired quite nicely, so I was able to start prepping for a glaze firing.
Ok, so why am I so overwhelmed? Well, I am officially going to be apart of ArtPrize this year. It is an international art competition that takes place in Grand Rapids, MI this September and October. I need to complete my Jeremiah Tree in time for the installation date: September 15th. (I will fill you in more on this exciting endeavor later.) I am also hoping to have my second fall show in Maryland this year and I may potentially be coaching field hockey again this fall. Normally I would not feel so stressed about all that is going on but, I am going to be gone for two weeks in July and then I will be out of town again for the whole month of August! So, that is a lot of valuable time in the studio that will be lost. On top of all of that, I now have a new first priority: taking care of Noah. It is a lot to juggle. I just need to take it one day at a time and make the most of any studio time that I am able to get!
Saturday, I was able to fire the kiln for a glaze. What was in that firing? 60 more leaves for the Jeremiah Tree project, and all of the pieces for the tree trunk and roots. The kiln is finally cool enough to open up today. I may not, however, get to that today. I am anxious to see how it all turned out – especially the tree trunk. I stained the trunk and roots in red iron oxide to really bring out all the detail in the bark and give it a more dramatic look. It should look more brown after it has been fired. Can’t wait to check it out. Here are some shots of the process.
Jeremiah Tree – Update
It has been a little while since my last update on the “Jeremiah Tree” project. My progress is coming along nicely and it is feeling good to see it all piece together. I have officially registered as an artist with ArtPrize. My profile page is set up and my work has been submitted. The next step in this process is to try to find a venue that wants to host your work in their location for the ArtPrize competition. I spent the weekend looking though the list of venues and making a list of ones to try to connect with. This morning I spent some time sending out inquiries/proposals to different venues that I think would be great places to host my work. I am really hopeful that I will get some good feedback and make a good connection to help secure me into the competition and exhibit. I am really excited about this process and a bit overwhelmed at the same time. There are so many amazing artists out there. It is definitely going to be a tough competition, but one worth while. It has been pretty cool to look through the different artists and their work. Some really beautiful and stunning work to be seen!
Here is a little look at how the tree is coming along. The trunk and roots are complete. I next need to fire them with the red iron oxide stain. I need to keep making more leaves and get them glazed. I am also working on the various sized plates for the “river”. I am staying busy in the studio and working on two final commissions before I take a good break when our baby comes!
Don’t you just love how those crystals seem to explode when the sun hits them? This last image was my original planning sketch if you had not seen it from my earlier posts. I also did a quick sketch of the tree in color, for a better idea of the final image. Excited to get this all pieced together and finished!
Hand-Crafted Pottery by Arryn 