Remembering Josh

Recycled materials have stories to tell . . . 

Where they came from, what they may have meant to someone, why they were saved,
how they were found.

What may seem mundane to most might very well be meaningful to someone else. 

We may never know, or even care to question the secret lives of most ordinary objects.

 Things cannot tell us their own stories. Our stories, our memories,
our love is what gives them value.

When I started making 'Beer Art', I put out a call for bottle caps. My sweet art-loving, beer-swilling friends have been eager to support my cause by generously supplying me. One friend traveling in China on business brought back a whole box of Chinese bottle caps for me! Another family went on a treasure hunt through the streets of Cambodia for exotic caps and cans for me to make art out of. And one devoted friend drank a beer she didn't even like
just so I could have the cool can! - Now that's Love!

It's not uncommon for me to find paper bags or small boxes of garbage on my front porch, 

left in the spirit of kindness and art. Offerings of trash to be transformed.

I'm a lucky gal.

This summer I got a package in the mail from a dear old friend.

There was a small bag of bottle caps and a short letter explaining how she found them
in an old beer stein when she was cleaning out her brother's apartment
and couldn't bear to throw them out. 

I knew that she had just lost her brother Josh in a tragic car accident a few months before 

and I was deeply moved by her gesture to pass the caps on to me.

I didn't use all the caps, I used exactly 37 of them. 

There was also a small feather that had made its way into the bag. Was it from his pillow? 

Or his down jacket? It was another little piece of him and it felt important to include it.

I don't know if these caps once meant something to him, but I hope that I have helped 

to make something meaningful for my dear friend Angela.

Rest in peace Josh, we are thinking of you.

A ribbon around a bomb

Frida as The Rogue

Acrylic on red leather stretched over wood panel, with upholstery tacks, bottle caps, feathers, silk flowers, gold bulls, vintage neck tie and wrecking yard bling.

I looked up the definition of a Rogue and found this:
"Operating outside normal or desirable controls" 

Yep that pretty much sums her up.

I think the reason that I have never painted Frida (besides the intimidation factor) is because her image is so iconic, and already done to perfection by her. I wasn't inspired to paint the classic image that can already be seen everywhere. I wanted to go a different route and paint the reason I admire her, and try to capture the bad-ass rebel she was in spite of all her pain and suffering. This was my first time painting a portrait on leather and I really like the way the texture lends a sense of grit and strength. This is not a tender or vulnerable depiction, this is the bitch who did it HER way!

“I was born a bitch. I was born a painter.” ― Frida Kahlo

My portrait of Frida is less about her eyebrows and more about her spirit and determination to live out her passions and pave her own road.

Maybe it was a bit too subtle, but I spent the whole evening (after the art opening) 

in a unibrow and mustache and NO ONE even batted an eye!

 

 

 Please support Gallery Mini!

Peek-a-boo!

Carnal-val

You never know where art will take you.

Just getting back from an amazing 2 weeks touring the Midwest - that's right I called it "amazing" and NO we don't have family there, we went because we wanted to. It doesn't really matter WHERE you go as long as you GO! Just get the Hell out of dodge every now and then and see someplace new. Gain a different perspective on things, it's good for the senses, even if it is Indiana. I always feel richer after a road trip (despite the credit card bill!). I'm fortunate that my husband and son are good sports about all the museums I want to visit and we visit A LOT! This trip took us to:

The Art Institute of Chicago,  

The Field Museum, 

Intuit: Center for Outsider Art,  

The National Museum for Mexican Art,  

The Indianapolis Speedway Hall of Fame (The art of speed),  

The City Museum (The art of FUN) 

and

The Saint Louis Art Museum.   

We saw Cave paintings, Outsider assemblages, American Folk Art, Mexican Art, a Goldsworthy installation, Impressionism, Expressionism and Contemporary Masterpieces! I was utterly knocked out by the Street Art I saw on Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago! It seems IMPOSSIBLE to pinpoint what  inspired me the most. I'm still absorbing it all. I can feel it percolating through my veins, trickling into my subconscious recesses. Not sure how this will all play out (in my own art) but I hope I can make something of it.

It's never cut and dry. Art rarely follows a well organized path.

As soon as I got home I was eager to get back to work again. Just had a few days to make the deadline for The Carnival Show at People's Gallery. Couldn't miss this one! I set out to make a fun, twisted, risque folky piece. I wanted to be a little bolder with this one, take it some place new.

I cut out some long sexy legs for a cool relief effect.

Then I smoothed out some contours with a new knife I bought. 

Carving out new ground.

I like my new tool!

The initail idea was to create a Tunnel of Love.

But then she took me to Rio instead!

 

So I chose to aim for the Brazilian themed 'Carnaval' Show 

at the Mark Woolley Galley next door instead.

Sometime around 3am the night before the deadline, I decided the legs needed to be able to OPEN and that it would be much more fun if the piece could be interactive! But HOW to do that? Hmmmmmm. I called the best resource I could think of and Stephanie Brockway showed me the way. I backed the legs with black felt for smooth, gliding action and Viola, she came to life!

YES it's supposed to be stylized and symbolic.

YES I hope it's like nothing you've ever seen before.

and

YES it's supposed to make you a little uncomfortable

in a good way!

Bold IS Beautiful.

 

I can't help but giggle when I make art like this. 

I have the most fun when I can push the boundaries, 

I don't see the point in making it unless I do.

I get excited when my art takes me some place new 

and part of it is not knowing what to expect or how people will react.

It is a powerful feeling to exercise my right to make whatever the Hell I want!

This piece took me someplace I needed to go.

I don't really care if it wouldn't look good above your sofa.

I also made a headdress to wear to the opening

Here is a little Samba for you!

We KNOW it is now Post Lent, but as a companion show to PEOPLES' ART OF PORTLAND Summer "CARNIVAL" show celebrating American "carny" culture, right next door, the MARK WOOLLEY GALLERY decided to tweak the concept and present "CARNAVAL", a celebration of the scores of Latin-inspired events (think RIO). So please join us, dress brightly, and join in the fun on
SATURDAY, JULY 20 from 5-9 and forward this to art and fun loving friends!

Art Guitar

Art Guitar

'24' because there were 24 students in Room 24

The back was signed by every student!

Woody Guthrie

Photo credit to Jen Downer of  She Saw Things

He liked it!

Holiday in Cambodia

My first commission!

Cambodian Jackpot

 

 

 

 

Scandalous!

Promo

Cock-a-doodle-do!

My winning piece!

May The Fourth Be With You!

flyer

Drawing

Oregonology

 

Blue Mountain Sunrise


Jeans from Shwop

 

More Panties

Dick's

More goodies for the Goodfoot

Puttin' my Goodfoot forward

Hamm's Gams

Acrylic, beer cans, bottle caps and nails on denim covered board

Twirly Girl

"Twirly Girl" 

to celebrate the Rose City's First Topless Bar 

for the Love of Portland Show

My first painting on black velvet!

+

it's INTERACTIVE!

A Portland Original!

Drunk Love

A new series of Mexican Folk-art inspired Valentines for your wall.
Made with Vintage beer cans.

These will be FOR SALE at The Buckman Art Show & Sell 2013!
Feb. 1st and 2nd

Each heart is unique! Hand cut with a jigsaw from 3/4" plywood, sanded and painted. Each tin flame is drawn freehand and carefully cut with snips and sanded. Each can is hand cut, sanded and nailed to the front. Ready to hang.
It's a labor of LOVE.

View the whole collection at Bonewerx on Facebook

       Friday, Feb 1st          5pm – 9pm   $5 admission
(kids 4 and under free)    

Saturday, Feb 2nd    10am – 5pm  $2 donation

All tickets sales go to support teachers.

Buckman Elementary

320 SE 16th Avenue 

(SE Pine and SE Stark)

Thirty percent of art sales proceeds benefits the Buckman PTA
and helps to support our innovative, award-winning arts-integrated academic programs at Buckman.

(Tip: Get there early on Friday to get your pick of the very best pieces!)

www.buckmanelementary.org/artsale

For up to the minute regular updates Go to:

Bonewerx on Facebook. 

Feel free to become a 'Fan' 

by 'Liking' my page if you like what you see.

It's that easy.

Thanx!

Here's a little collection of my 'Best' of 2012

Dream catcher

Well I don't have any new art to post for the new year so I'm sharing an old photo of me from a land far, far away Tassajara, I think. My Gramma Lulu practiced art and Buddhism there and I have fond memories of taking road trips in the VW bus into the mountains to visit her. I just had another birthday (46!) which always leaves me very sentimental. It seems the older I get the more I long for the simplicity of youth, when my only responsibilities consisted of dreaming, playing, listening and loving. This year (and forever after) I resolve to honor those same responsibilities with a renewed passion! It's easy to forget to dream and play when there are so many other people and things I am responsible for now, but I will try to lighten up and not be so darn serious all the time! I'm sure I've said that before.

I have a vision in my head of the kind of art I want to make. I can only see what it feels like. It feels brave and spontaneous. Experimental and fluid and maybe even frenzied. This art lives inside me like a trapped dream, pounding on my chest to get out. But the control freak that I have become won't let it, too afraid it won't be cool enough, terrified that it will suck, people won't like it, no one will want it. So I work slow and carefully and over-think everything. I need to take more chances! I need to pick up the pace! I have 2 upcoming shows to prepare for, a whole new body of work must be created! Sheesh that's daunting.

But before I go forward, I need to look back over the year so I can wrap it up and be done with it. The best way to sum up 2012 is to say "IT ROCKED!"  It began with a commitment to scale back my volunteer involvement at school -which allowed me to focus ALL of my energy on my art. It was a big step to start saying "No" but then, something really cool started happening  . . . things started coming together to the point where I can now gleefully say I am living the dream of what I always wanted to be. Art is my job, (for now). I have what I asked for -except for the $ -we still need that part!

I have to say that the biggest bonus to choosing the life of an artist is all the amazing people I have met. I'm pretty sure I doubled my social circle in the last year alone. The art community in Portland is so supportive and awesome, it feels really good to be a part of it! Yay for new meaningful connections!!


2012 Exhibitions:


December 2012, 'Big 300'  People’s Art of Portland,  PDX - BIG Group Show

December 2012, 'New Brow',  Portland Center for Performing Arts,  PDX - Group Show

November 2012, 'Dia de los Muertos',  Guardino Gallery,  PDX - Group Show

November 2012, Siren Nation Craft Fair

November 2012, ' I think, therefore I am',  Goodfoot,  PDX - Group Show

November 2012, 'Send in the Clowns'  Good: a Gallery,  PDX - Group Show

October 2012, 'Skull Party',  Arleta Library Cafe,  PDX - Duo Show  w/Adam Charles Ross

October 2012, 'Freak Show', First Cup Coffee House,  PDX - Trio Show

October 2012, '88 Strong',  Goodfoot,  PDX - Group Show

September 2012, 'Food cArt Show',  Screaming Sky Gallery,  PDX - Small Group Show

August 2012, 'Sci-Fi Show',  People’s Art of Portland,  PDX - Group Show

July 2012, 'BEER Show',  Amnesia Brewing,  PDX - Duo Show  w/Chris Haberman

July 2012, 'Edge Show',  Launchpad Gallery,  PDX - Group Show

June 2012, 'Quadrality Show',  Bar Carlo,  PDX - Quad Show

May 2012, 'Out of the Box II',  People’s Art of Portland,   PDX - Group Show

May 2012, 'May Day Show',  Space Monkey,  PDX - Group Show

April 2012, 'Simply Red II',  Mark Woolley Gallery,  PDX - Group Show

April 2012, 'Year of The Dragon Show',  Lunar Boy Gallery,  Astoria, OR - Group Show

April 2012, 'Diva Show',  Limelight,  PDX - Solo Show

March 2012, '4-click Bic Show',  Bar Carlo,  PDX - Group Show

March 2012, 'Skateboard Show',  Space Monkey,  PDX - Group Show

February 2012, 'For The Love of PDX'  People’s Art of Portland,   PDX - Group Show

February 2012, 'Double A II',  Space Monkey,  PDX - Duo Show  w/Aaron Goodrich

January 2012, 'Surreal Salon',  Baton Rouge Center for Contemporary Art, Baton Rouge, LA - Group 

I'm not sure where I'm headed in 2013, but I hope to keep the momentum going!

Do or Die!

Peace, Health and Hoppiness

Cheers to Peace, 

Health 

and 

Hoppiness!

Ho Ho Ho.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

Inspired by  March Fourth Marching Band, 

created as an auction piece for 

Joy Now Arts Program

"Art makes a difference; Do what you love. Share it with others. Brighten the world.

Joy Now!"

http://youtu.be/uB-hYYVvyqw

The Beer Panty Series

Vintage beer-can panties nailed onto an acrylic painting on denim.

A few months ago, a friend tipped me off to the Estate Sale of an avid Breweriana collector. Still hung up on this whole beer art thing, I couldn't get there fast enough, and boy did I hit the Jackpot! This guy's basement was a treasure trove of vintage beer collectibles. The walls were lined from floor to ceiling with the most amazing can collection I've ever seen! They were being sold for a dollar a piece. I didn't know where to begin, I started to hyperventilate a little bit and actually had to excuse myself. The girl working the cash register saw my distress and whispered for me to come back at the end of the day when everything would be 75% off and they would make me a deal. I wanted to kiss her hand. I went back that afternoon with the biggest bag I could find and left with nearly 100 rusty vintage beer cans (for $15!). I was a happy camper!  Needless to say, it was a little difficult to explain to my husband how important this score was to me and why I NEEDED them so badly. Thankfully, he went along with it and now The Bone Cave has the very distinct odor of an Old Man Bar -but it's worth it!

I'm excited to have found a new medium and am having fun exploring new ways to make art with it. I'm not sure if anyone's ever made beer panties before, I hope you like them.

How about some Beer Panties for the Holidays. . .

Merry Crotchmas!

You can find my 8" x 8" beer-can-collages at The Big 300 Opening This Saturday 12/8.

Hope to see you there!