I have finished a number of projects in the last month and thought I'd leave some record of my fleeting satisfaction, before that familiar feeling of not doing enough with my time creeps in.
Project, the first. Esplanade Neutral Ground as a Medieval Garden
Most of New Orleans' big and broad avenues, and even several of its smaller streets, possess neutral grounds - these are strips of ground that separate the directions of traffic flow. A neutral ground is something more than a median, for while it can be a scant few feet wide, it can also stretch as wide as several lanes of traffic. Indeed, many of the neutral grounds of New Orleans' main boulevards and avenues are more like park space with growing things, joggers, loungers, the works. I am fortunate enough to live on an avenue with a particularly gorgeous neutral ground. In the spring and summer (and into the fall - thanks, subtropics), it blooms with an array of flowers, huge elephant-eared greenery uncoils its broad leaves, squirrels, butterflies and cicadas make their homes in its live oaks. It delights me endlessly. Add to this delight, inspiration from a religious icon I found at a second hand store. I adore and am fascinated by medieval art and I had already been knocking around the idea of trying my hand at some sort of cityscape in a medieval style. It occurred to me that gardens also served as a medieval artist's trope. I finally moved the project from my head to the outside world. I think I did okay.
First I made the framework and doors out of oven bake clay, then painted and sealed them. Then I began sketching and masking portions of the picture that I didn't want to receive color with my first wash of paint. I removed the masking and finished the painting, glued the paper to the frame and, finally attached the doors and added a little wallhanger. At left is the only process picture I have, alas.
And voilá.
Project, the second. Reliquary of St. Apollonia
The Baton Rouge Gallery issued a call for artists to stock their 2nd Annual Surreal Salon. This information meandered my way a week before the application deadline and I cranked out this reliquary. It didn't make the cut, but I still like it. I got the idea for a reliquary, agian, because I heart medieval art and had been wanting to make one for some time. I had two of my own extracted wisdom teeth laying around from a few years previous. I tend to save this kind of thing. One never knows when one will want human teeth. And so I searched for an appropriate saint, one who's reliquary would likely contain teeth. I found St. Apollonia, the saint to invoke in case of toothache. Apollonia of Alexandria was martyred by having her teeth knocked or pulled out of her face. She is usually depicted, as are most saints, carrying the instrument of her martyrdom, in Apollonia's case, plyers.
Due to my lack of desire to make tiny pliers, I instead made a set of tiny rosary beads...
and a tiny votive candle.
I also made a desembodied head - my personal favorite component of this piece.
I made the bits interchangeable because that's just cooler than having them stuck in one position forever.
P.S. In good medieval fashion, I practically hid the actual "relics"...the teeth are suspended by gold thread in the base of the reliquary.
Project, the third. Mortimer the Pocket Dinosaur
There's not much to say about Mortimer. He's small and needlefelted and he cutes me out.
For these and more items, visit my Etsy minishop, The Celery Museum.
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