A Tribute to Harpo!

 

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I only make masks of individuals I wouldn't mind inhabiting space on my walls. Harpo is one of those characters who remind me how important it is to be silly and laugh!

As a child, I delighted in watching Marx Brothers movies on tv. I still do!

Harpo was the most musically talented of all the brothers...and could make people laugh without uttering a word!

His hat is made of felt with green sparkles that match his eyes. His time is made of needle felted wool and the harp is a sticker I found.  His hair? Dolls hair from a local craft store....and yes, it's a real bike horn!

He'll be available for purchase at the ORA Artist A-Z sale at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education on April 7th.... Thanks 11a-7p ! Come see me...more importantly, come see him. I think he's kinda cute!

 

MASK TIME!!!! Caricatures in Fused Glass

 

I have such fun making fused glass caricature  "masks". I'm prepping for a 1-day art show @ the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education on April 7th (11a-4p). The museum is generously sponsoring ORA Northwest Jewish Artists in our ORA Artists A-Z show. 

I'm in the process of finishing my third mask that I'll be selling that day. Albert is the first mask I want to share with you all.

I am always optimistic that they will sell, but my rule of thumb is to only create masks of folks I am happy to live with on my own walls.

Albert was made awhile back ...but I wasn't ready to part with him. Although I am still quite attached, I am ready to say goodbye if someone wants him...and I am also happy to keep him.

CELEBRATION OF ART 2019 this weekend!

I have been very quiet on this blog. Sorry about that!
It has been a very busy fall and somehow the time just slipped away.

CELEBRATION OF ART 2019 is this Saturday 7-9pm and Sunday 10am-4pm November 2-3at the MJCC 6651 SW Capitol Hwy Portland Oregon.

I have a new mask that will be revealed Saturday night!

This guy was known to sport neck and bow ties....and things were always "ducky" with him.

Here's a picture of me finishing off his little tie!  Come see him fully "dressed" at the show. He's pretty cute! You just might want to take him home with you!

New Commissioned Mask Completed!

Meet Teddy....a miniature labradoodle!

His owner is a sweet 11 year old girl.

Her grandparents are surprising her with a glass mask in the likeness of her beloved pup. It comes equipped with mounting brackets for easy hanging on a wall.

Vinnie, the Wine Guy!

His motto is "Life is too short to drink bad wine!"
I think he's right!

Davita Continues To Evolve

Once the hair is in place, Davita will make her first appearance in the kiln. 

The white glass you see is the base glass for the piece. The purplish glass is actually a clear iridized glass with a tinge of pink-purple. It is a striker glass so the color should intensify a little when exposed the heat.

Once the base layers are set I'll begin working on her main features.

Just in case you haven't been following the blog...I am making a set of masks to be on display during the run of DAVITA'S HARP in the Page to Stage production by Jewish Theater Collaborative directed by Sacha Reich.  

Meet Amanda~Lily

Meet Amanda~Lily!
Unlike my other masks based on characters from Amy Herzog's play 4000 Miles, this one is all glass.

Lily is Leo's sister. Amanda is a young woman he picked up for a one-night stand. I won't spoil the play by sharing all their similarities, but it became clear to me that they couldn't be ignored.

The logical approach was to create a mask depicting both characters. Both characters are drawn in intimate ways , yet occupy very little space in the play.

I am a committed Amy Herzog fan. She is masterful in using dialogue to create her characters and bring out plot rather swiftly. There are no wasted words.

I saw Belleville (another of her plays)  a month ago....and was equally mesmerized.  I'll see any play she has written...You should too!

Meet Bec: a fused glass mask

Meet Bec....a third character in Amy Herzog's play 4000 Miles.
 Bec is Leo's girlfriend...or ex-girlfriend.....
There's no question that she loves Leo...but has had enough!
Bec has aspirations. She is an earnest college student. She has worked in peace corps-like  programs and now is thinking about going to Mumbai with her World Health professor.  I like her. She is honest, forthright, and is headed somewhere.

The Bec mask is predominantly fused glass but her eyebrows are made of computer keys. They say "shift", "reset", "pause (break), and "home".  She sports real earbuds....I wonder whose music she is listening to?

Vera: Fused Glass Mask

In the play 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog, one of the main characters is Vera, the grandma. She is a card carrying communist and progressive thinker (91 years old). She has challenges hearing...so I made hearing aid earrings for her. IN fact there is a story about those hearing aids that I will share later in this blog post. Vera may be developing dementia...she is always losing her words so I made glass blobs with her lost words as her curly hair....right there on the top of her head. The sickle and hammer eyebrows are glass and of course reflect her once staunch devotion to the Party. Scrap metal rings and a key make her glasses. Keys are a significant piece of the play (both actual and metaphorical!)

And now for the story about the hearing aids! A number of years ago I had the pleasure of knowing an elderly woman named Sylvia. She was from New York originally and had a thick Bronx accent. She was in a convalescent home where I volunteered. She had a magnificent sense of humor. She had a pair of old hearing aids converted into earrings. Whenever a new care giver or visitor saw her they would usually say in a very loud voice..."SYLVIA, YOU FORGOT TO PUT YOUR EARS IN TODAY!"  and she would loudly reply...."DARLING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHOUT! I GOT MY EARS IN....THESE ARE MY NEW EARRINGS!"

The use of  hearing aids as earrings on Vera is in fond memory of dear Sylvia.I love the character of Vera...her dignity, her humor, her absolute "real-ness." And I believe Vera and Sylvia would have been good friends!

The show continues at A.R.T through the end of May! See earlier posts for more details!

Meet Leo- the glass mask

Leo is one of two main characters in the play 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog. He has completed a 4000 mile bike ride from Seattle to NY and lands on his grandmother's door stoop at 3 am. I used bike parts for hair & eyes.Leo's beard is made of copper mesh sandwiched between the glass layers. He is also into rock climbing so I used a climbing carabiner for an earring and attached a key (keys have a role in the play) and a Seattle Mariner's  key chain.

French cleats are attached at the back to accommodate safe hanging on the wall.  He is on display and available for purchase at Artist Repertory Theater through the end of May.

Geezer Gallery manages the exhibit....and info is available on site about purchasing.

Leo is an interesting and mostly like-able character. He's a bit immature....still in the process of trying to find himself (not unlike most 21 year olds.) He is a loving grandson who seems caught off guard by the harsher realities of life, but he also has a keen sense of  environmental politics. He is confused about love...and sex.

You'll need to see the play to see what I mean....no spoilers here!

My Masks

The Play 4000 Miles by Amy Herzog was the inspiration for these playful and colorful masks. These are a departure from my more traditional work and represent not only an exploration of each of the characters but also a journey into mixed media . Only one mask is pure glass. The rest involve bike parts, computer keys, keys, hearing aids, metal, and more.

They are on display and available for purchase at Artist Repertory Theater  through the end of May.  

It's a colorful display curated by Patty Goodlund with Geezer Gallery. Separate from the main lobby exhibit, these masks and other character portraits are located on a wall between the theater and the bar.

Closeups will follow in a few days.

4,000 Miles: Glass Mask

                         This is a sneak peek!

Meet Amanda~Lily! She is one of my new glass masks that will be on display at Artist Rep. Theater in Portland through the end of May.

I made 4 character masks based on the play 4,000 Miles written by Amy Herzog. These masks are a new adventure for me and I had a delicious time imagining them! This is the 4th and final mask I made for this production. She is actually 2 characters...or is she?.... but you'll have to see the play to understand my thinking.

Artist Rep. Theater has a gorgeous lobby dedicated to art. Geezer Gallery's Patty Goodlund has curated the show that will celebrate First Thursday on May 7th  between 6:30-7:30pm. A major shout out to Amy Henderson, Geezer's director for everything she has done to make this show a reality. There will be a free reception !

1515 SW Morrison is the place! Come see a variety of art (including mine!)...schmooze with the artists....and discover the themes of this amazing play. I hope you'll decide to get tickets to the play... and I hope you'll find a piece of art that is meant to be yours!

More info can be found at:  http://www.northwestjewishartists.org/trifecta2015.html

Breath Holding!

A sneak peak at VERA

The artwork is going up on the A.R.T. lobby walls, but my masks are grounded...temporarily.

The silicon adhesive I used to attach the french cleats require 15-21 days to fully cure.  Patty, Geezer Gallery's wonderful curator tried to mount the masks in traditional plate stands but that didn't work. I was prepared to withdraw the masks, but she kindly offered to put them up when they are ready.

The curtains go up April 28. My masks will go up May 4 or 5, just in time for the VIP reception (First Thursday,May 7). 

The masks are playful interpretations of the characters playwright Amy Herzog created. I'll talk about each of them in future blog posts.

I hope you will join me and my fellow ORA artists May 7th at A.R.T. for a champagne and hors d'oeuvres between 6:30-7:30 pm....and/or come see the art and play on another evening!

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friend!!!!

I was born with two hands but needed 4 today as I attempted to attach my first sets of french cleats.  Thank you dear Diane (ORA member, critique group member, and wonderful friend!)

I'm excited to see how this all works out.

The directions indicate a 7-14 day cure time with a 21 day expectation for a full cure. I had no idea it would take that long...so not sure how to display my work at the Geezer Gallery/A.R.T exhibit hall this Monday. Sigh!  

My technique improved by the 3rd mounting project, but there are so many lessons to learn! 

Wish me luck!

A Big Shout Out to Brooklyn Hardware Manufacturing!

This is a photo of REAL CUSTOMER SERVICE!

I know....it looks like a hand holding some metal and some wood.

Here's the story:
I have made some wall masks for the TRIFECTA Art Show at Artist Repertory Theater and Geezer Gallery. My problem was how to hang them in the gallery. I knew I needed to use something called french cleats but have never worked with them. The problem is that French cleats aren't compatible with the hanging system at the theater.

The folks at Brooklyn Hardware Manufacturing were unfazed. They make a product called panel clips. They problem solved the dilemma of how to adapt the clips for use in the gallery while retaining the original pieces for mounting in someone's home.

Friendly, helpful, and willing to problem solve.....I am so impressed with the product...and especially the customer service.

Now all I have to do is pray the glue dries in time!

Thank you Brooklyn Hardware!   http://www.panelclip.com/