Love Letters

Chicago adventure...

Hello!  My daughter Corey and I traveled to Chicago over the first weekend in May, to see the Sketchbook Project at the Hyde Park Art Center, and it was a terrific trip! BTW, I misspoke in my previous post about the Sketchbook Tour, it wasn't at the Newberry... the Chicago Calligraphy Collective's exhibit was at the Newberry... more about that in a minute!

 

Exterior of Hyde Park Art Center... VERY nicely done!

"Sculpture" done out of old encyclopedias... cool idea, even more interesting in person... 

We were encouraged to sit down and draw and write on a postcard that would be given to the attendees at the next Sketchbook stop, in Portland. 

It was cool seeing my book there... I'd forgotten about some of the images I put in it, and the very best part?  My daughter didn't want to leave it there... she wanted to sneak my book out of there and take it home with us!  And on her postcard, she wrote "Go see Kathy McCreedy's book, she's my mom and I'm SO proud of her!"  That really meant a lot to me, as Corey's a bit on the quiet side and has never really said much about my artwork... (I kept her postcard... it meant too much to me to give it away!).

This is Corey on the steps of the gorgeous Newberry Library in Chicago, where we saw the Chicago Calligraphy Collective's outstanding exhibit... I was SO glad we got to see both the exhibit and the library!

This is a window at the downtown Chicago Macy's store on State Street... LOVE the message on the window and love the bikes painted red, hanging in mid air... I want one of those bikes for my garden out in front of our house!  Waaaayyy too cool!

We also visited the Merchandise Mart, which was not on our original itinerary, and the shops were closed because it was a Sunday... but it was AMAZING!!! The building itself is just spectacular... 

Flowers on the railing at the Merch Mart overlooking the Chicago River...

How amazing is this art deco styled brass mailbox?!?  There were two of them on the first floor of the building.  I wish I'd had paper and a pencil to do a rubbing of that gorgeous trim work!!!

Another terrific sentiment on a display window!

From what we could tell, the Merchandise Mart is where the folks in Chicago with lots and lots of money go to pick out their tile, fixtures, cabinets, etc. when they redo their kitchens and bathrooms... or perhaps their decorator goes there to pick up samples.  Either way the displays were stunning.

This is wallpaper in a display case that evidently has gold leaf running through it... that is an entire bowl filled with gold leaf, and in person it was beyond stunning. I'm sorry the camera couldn't pick up the true effect of what could actually be seen. (I'm thinking this is what photographers refer to when they talk about how a digital camera makes things look "flat").  

This is a tiny sample of the brass trim around the elevators at the Merch Mart... this same sort of trim is around every display window, and along the top of the walls where they meet the ceiling... and if you look closely you can see that in the elevator well there is similar brass trim up on the ceiling, underneath the trim on the outside wall.  I cannot even begin to imagine what that brass trim would cost in today's dollars. 

This little gem of unusual architecture is near State Street and Madison, across from a clothing store I think was named Zara, that Corey HAD to go to... imagine my delight to see this building that is totally surrounded by a huge skyscraper!  The windows in the three archways were made up of ripply glass that must have been original, and the mullions in the windows were curved, something I've never seen before!  I believe the building is being used as a restaurant now.  You can see where the roof at the top meets the new construction above it.  How terrific that the house wasn't torn down, as it is a real treasure and a real treat to glance up and see such a delightful little find!

So, that's a recap of our three-day mini vacation to Chicago... the weather was really unpredictable and the blisters on my feet have almost healed... and it was totally worth it to have such a nice weekend with my girl!

 

NOW GO MAKE SOMETHING!!! 

(I'm off to go continue working on my son's wedding invitations... wish me lots of luck!!!)

Spring greeting...

Spring greetings! 

Just a quick reminder, the Brooklyn Art House' Sketchbook Project 2012 is on its way to Chicago, May 3rd, 4th & 5th!  The exhibit will be at the Newberry Library, and if you are in that neck of the woods, I hope you'll go see the exhibit... it's FREE and it should be VERY interesting!  

 

Here's a link to a VERY cook sketchbook from the 2011 project: http://www.arthousecoop.com/library/77#page-slide_1

I hope if you take a look at it you'll let me know your thoughts.  I love the addition of what I think must be screenprinting in the sketchbook... I wish I knew a printer who has scraps like the graphics printed in this sketchbook.  I would happily pay for the imperfectly printed images to use in my journals or collages.  Any ideas? (I apologize that I cannot show any images from the book, but it's not mine to access).

I hope you are enjoying spring and find yourself making SOMETHING everyday!

More Sketchbook Project 2012 images...

 

Time is drawing nigh (boy, how often do you get to say "nigh"?!?) for me to put the Sketchbook 2012 project in the mail, in time for it to travel with all the other sketchbooks to various locales around the country.  I thought it might be fun to share some of the layouts with you... I hope you like them. (Keep in mind I may end up adding to some of the pages, tweaking them just a bit.) It has been a departure from my traditional "signature" style of collage, and it's really been fun.  

(BTW, clicking on the images will open them up in a larger window).  

A lot of the cut out images came from paper samples from an xpedx paper show, and were very carefully cut out (note Rocky Racoon's whiskers above left).  

Same with this page spread... the flowers on the left were cut out and applied over a very busy page that I made even busier by writing all over it, and on the page on the right.  How cute are the little bumble bee men on the top of the right hand page?

This spread is a little goofy, but it's meant to be humorous... the bike and the wording "slow your roll" were recycled from a bicycle catalog.  I prefer the spread on the right... I love the ampersand and the pink flower to the left of it.  

In this spread I love the porcupine, and trust me, he took forever to cut out!!!  Those quills are sharp! :D  

I absolutely LOVE paper and the quality of the samples from companies like Finch, Appleton, French and Domtar are superb!  Both the paper quality and the image quality are absolutely first rate in my opinion!

I love this spread... the face on the left is just so cool, with the colorful image of the world superimposed...   The flower on the right side was another of those really labor intensive cutting jobs!  

This is a bit of a silly layout... have you picked up on the repeating stripes that appear on a lot of the pages?  The stripes came from a printed catalogue from UofM's School of Public Health that was really nicely done.

more images placed in no particular place... just for fun!

The cougar images that appear here and there are from Domtar's line of papers called, appropriately so, "Cougar".  It is a gorgeous paper that takes ink just beautifully.

I really like the spread on the right page... the colors work really well together. The spread on the left made me think of the movie Babe, which is one of my all time favorites!  Babe... "a little pig goes a long way".

This is one busy spread... the two little old ladies in the bottom left are my great-grandmother and her sister... they reportedly loved nature so I put them outside! :D

next to last pages...

The back cover is on the left and the front cover is on the right. I think the  front cover in particular needs some love! Perhaps I'll have to make some sort of title for the book that mentions how much I love letters!

I hope if the traveling Sketchbook Project 2012 comes to a city near you that you'll take the time to go see the books!  

Mail Art Across the World

I stumbled upon a terrific calligraphy exchange while visiting my friend Jane's blog, and thankfully it's not too late to participate!!! Just go to this website: Mail Art Across the World for the details, and get your envelope in the mail quickly, the deadline is April 1st! (No fooling!)  There's also a gallery of the incredible entries from past seasons, definitely eye candy to inspire even the most timid among us! 

This is a chance to participate in a free calligraphy event, one without judges or fees to enter, and entries will be posted on the web.  The evelopes will travel around France, Hungary, Germany, Russia, and the Ukraine.  This is a terrific opportunity to participate in the celebration of both mail art and calligraphy!

from Celeste

Card for Miss Yvonne

 

 

From the very talented Heather Victoria Held

 

Card for Joan

Hey, wait a minute!  How did that picture of Bubba and his Pig get in there?!?

 

From Rena

 
It is so much fun to receive something like this in the mail, especially when most of the other pieces of mail are bills or advertisements... so while you're at it, why don't you make more than one beautiful envelope and send it to someone you've been thinking about?!?  

Jaume Plensa, sculptural artist...

This is a sculpture similar to the Jaume Plensa sculptures at the Frederick Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan that I saw this past Saturday.  Plensa's work at the FMG is actually three human figures, each sitting atop a huge stone, with letters "falling" around the bottom of each figure in random formation.  The sun catches on individual letters depending on the sun's angle and the plane of the letter face and it is magnificent.  

If you have the chance to see the Meijer Gardens, do not miss it... it is a gem of a destination in our beautiful state!

"The focal point of Plensa’s work is the universality of humankind through the context of public sculpture and installation, which can be seen in dozens of permanent works around the world,” said Joseph Becherer, Director of Exhibitions and Curator of the Sculpture at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.“His work is significant for Meijer Gardens because it directly addresses the connection between art and life, and how each fit within the natural world.” 

Best known in America as the creator of Chicago’s iconic Crown Fountain in Millennium Park, Plensa is one of the most innovative and profound public artists on the contemporary art scene. This exclusive presentation centers on Plensa’s distinct interpretation of the human form and use of text, through eight sculpture installations and 18 drawings, many of which never before seen in the United States.

About Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
The 132-acre Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, which currently serves more than a half-million visitors annually, features Michigan's largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest children’s gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens; carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; the Midwest's most comprehensive sculpture experience featuring internationally-acclaimed works by Rodin, Oldenburg, Moore, Rickey, di Suvero and others; indoor galleries with changing sculpture exhibitions, as well as a 1750-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer, café and gift shop.  For additional information, please visit www.meijergardens.org

(from http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Jaume_Plensa.html)

Chihuly Beauty in Western Michigan

Finally!  I made it to see the Dale Chihuly glass exhibit at the Frederik Meijer Gardens ouside Grand Rapids, in western Michigan... it was awesome, amazing, breathtaking, and magical... I don't know enough adjectives to adequately describe the exhibit, the majority of which was installed outside. Tomorrow is the last day for the exhibit and I'm annoyed with myself that I waited until nearly the last minute to see it... it is such a beautiful exhibit I might have wanted to see it again, at a different time of day, and prepared better for taking photographs.  

 

             

(image thanks to http://www.artknowledgenews.com/)

 

 

 

By Emily Zoladz, AP

The Dale Chihuly exhibit at Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Mich., features chandeliers, glass towers and floating spheres.

 

Afterwards, my girlfriend Yvonne and I drove like crazy to reach Lake Michigan before the sun went down, and reached the lakeshore just as the gigantic hot pink ball of flame touched the very edge of the water on the horizon.  We had a terrific meal at the Bil-Mar restaurant in Grand Haven, and I just got home.  It was a really terrific road trip for a couple of gals who love art, the outdoors, and spontaneous acts of sheer fun!  

 

Oh, and Happy Halloween!!! (photo courtesy of MOCAD, Detroit)