Studiology

Last Art of 2018

Today I finished what will be the last piece of art before we begin 2019. It seemed a little fitting to be another wand, this one is called "Thunderbird" after the tradition of the thunderbird of Native Americans. Oversized wings can flap and create storms. It was the overseer of weather. It urged us to pay attention to nature. 

The holder has a landscape painted in it and the wand is held with magnets.

Twenty-nine inches tall, it's perfect for that skinny place in your home. I love skinny art!

I also love the meaning of this wand. And if there might be a moral or a lesson, at the very least we must recycle. This morning I watched two young girls throw a coke can out of their parked car. So close, so close I came to confronting them. I walked up to the car and decided it might not be a good idea (visions of a fight in the parking lot). Instead I waited for them to leave, walked over and picked up the can and recycled it at home. We must teach our children, we must impress on them how important this is! Let 2019 be the year we all take this a little more serious. One can at a time, one plastic bag at a time (or more).

Lastly there is a new Alice. She was created in the Disney version with blonde hair. An altered Pez dispenser, she is looking up, like "this is when I'm small". 

May you all grow in 2019, grow tall, grow wise, grow the garden. 

 

A Saint, Some Race Cars, and a Wand.

With only one more day out in the field, finishing the gardens, I have spent time in the studio. A commission had me revisit the Saint of dentistry, which is now completed and will soon be delivered. She is headed for a dental museum.

The parts and process were nearly identical to the first one I built, but no two are exactly alike. A different set of pliers, a variation on the Saint, these all factored together to change the outcome a bit. Here is a link to the first build of Saint Apollonia.

Then I signed up for Michael DeMeng's Hot Wheels class. A small racetrack and some altered Hot Wheels will be in the gallery. Three completed so far and many more planned, it's been a bit of a challenge finding small enough parts to decorate a Hot Wheels car. I mean really, they are only two to three inches long.

Next come more wands and this one is the "Wand of Pegasus". If there is magic here, the symbolism of the winged horse is wisdom, fame , and an attraction to poetry. Once again I used a magnet to hold the wand in place.

November is about change, at least for me. This last freeze laid the gardens down and another year is behind me. There will be many hours working in the Christmas shop at Merrifield Gardens but also more hours for studio time, and I have some lovely things planned to occupy my time. Also a few things in the works that will be announced later. Life is good!

October 27

Despite the deary day, I am excited. There are 2 new pieces of art to deliver and I have a fabulous costume. There will be photographs of the "Meet the Artists" reception, but maybe I will see some of you at Art A La Carte, before the day is done. The address is 310 Mill Street, Occoquan, VA (reception is from 2 to 5).

In the late hours of last night, I finished this fabulous piece. Her name is "Fearless Miss Emma', complete with daggers made from fork tines.

She is 24 x 17.5" large, and the wheel turns.  To say that this was a complicated piece of art to build is an understatement. Magnets hold her in the upright position. 

I also finished another wand, this one is the "Wand of Spirituality'. Created with a Hindu deity and rosary beads, as well as a glass eye, it's for spiritual health, prosperity, and balance. 

A magnet also hold the wand in place, she can be lifted off and replaced as needed.

These join the show for October, the "Admit One Show" which is circus themed. My dear friend Kathleen Kendall has also created circus art, which includes oil paintings and clay figures that have moving parts. Together we have put together a large body of art that we are truly proud of. No small task! We have already decided to move forward with another joint show for next year with a theme of sea or ocean. Title will be announced in time, it's only a year away.

October Art News

The Admit One Show opens today at Art A La Carte in Occoquan, Virginia. A reception will be held on Saturday, October 27th, from 2 t0 5 with wine tastings and treats.  There are 23 new pieces of art in this show, which includes a handful of altered Pez dispensers. 

The big pieces have become a body of work that I am really proud of, they include a palm reader, a trapeze artist and a juggler. I used so much red paint building this show that I actually ran out. 

So if your in the quaint little town of Occoquan, please stop by 310 Mill Street to check it out. The town holds a "Haunt the Town" on the same day as my reception, so there will adults and children in costume. 

And for a really big announcement, the Art A La Carte Gallery has a new website and you can buy my art directly from the website. I will ship anywhere! So here is that link: https://artalacarte.artstorefronts.com/karen-rexrode

New items will be placed on the website on a regular basis, in fact a few will up shortly. So visit again.

Lectures, Events, and Workshops for Fall

I have some interesting events coming up this fall. Here is the roundup of dates and topics. Many are free, a few have a materials fee or a registration fee. Links are provided.

Saturday, September 29th at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA

I will be joining Kathy Jentz in a "Shade Garden Intensive" lecture, mine will be on plant combinations for the shade garden, Kathy will talk about plants for dry shade. There is a $39. registration fee, the program runs from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Kathy Jentz is the editor of the Washington Gardener magazine, so I think this will be a fun day! You can register here.

Monday, October 1st at Art A La Carte

The show opens! Two artists, one show, this year I am joined by Kathleen Kendall and we have worked together for the whole year on a circus themed art show. She is an oil painter and figurative ceramics artist, I will be displaying my assemblage art, which will include a lineup of circus themed Pez dispensers. If you follow me on Instagram, you can look up #admitoneshow and see photographs of the artwork and eventually the show.

  Sunday, October 7th at the Fair Oaks branch of Merrifield Garden Center.

This is a workshop, I will be working with Wilson Vertin, the floral arranger at the Fair Oaks store, to help participants create a fall wreath. There is a $40. materials fee and limited registration. Held from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, we will be working with a grape vine base and decorating it with artificial (yet organic style) items. You can register here.

Saturday, October 13th at the Gainesville branch of Merrifield Garden Center

This is Merrifield's Fall Harvest Festival. There will be food and wine tastings and a great lineup of speakers. The event is free, the time is 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM. My lecture is on "Pollinators", more specifically the ways that plants function to get what they want. Of course this can't go without talking about the players that make it happen. Other speakers include Ruth Clausen, a well known author and lecturer, Bonnie McDaniel, also an author, and Kim Scott who will speak on "Native Plants for Fall". Ruth Clausen will be speaking on "The Impact of Public Gardens", specifically the Delaware Botanic Gardens, which are all the buzz in the horticultural world but haven't even opened yet. This is a very exciting event, don't miss it! You can get more information here.

Saturday, October 27th at Art A La Carte Gallery

Meet the artists at the gallery, myself and Kathleen, as we talk about the techniques behind our art. The reception is from 2:00 PM to 5 PM with wine tastings and finger food. Come in costume, we will. The address is: 310 Mill Street, Occoquan, VA. #admitoneshow

 

Sunday, October 28th at the Fair Oaks branch of Merrifield Garden Center

I'm flying solo on this one, a lecture on "Perennial Companions". I will be talking about my favorite perennial combinations from spring to fall, plants that grow well together and look good while they do. The time is 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM and it's free with no registration required. You can read more about it here.

Saturday, November 17th at the Fair Oaks branch of Merrifield Garden Center

Working with Wilson Vertin, the floral designer at the Fair Oaks store, this will be a Thanksgiving Holiday table arrangement workshop. Everyone will be taking home their own creation, built after a demonstration and some hands on assistance. There is a $60. materials fee and registration is required because there is limited space. I have worked on two prior floral workshops with Wilson and they are really fun. Plus you get to take home your own creation, just in time for Thanksgiving. You can register here.

 

#Admitoneshow

Every year, for the past four years, I have been the featured artist at the "Art A La Carte Gallery" during the month of October. Every year I come up with a theme and work on it until it's time to put up the show. This year the show is a two person show, Kathleen Kendall will join me and we have themed and schemed together. The title is "Admit One", a circus show, or shall I say a circus art show. There will be clowns, a trapeze lady, jugglers, fortune tellers and palm readers. I am creating assemblage pieces while Kathleen is an oil painter and figurative clay builder. The show will open on October 1st at the gallery in Occoquan, Virginia and the "meet the artists" will be on Saturday, October 27th, from 2 to 5. I am using the hashtag #admitoneshow, so if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you will see more photographs of the artwork and eventually the show. You can also google #admitoneshow. 

My work for this show began in February, and I am super excited about what has been accomplished. Here is a teaser preview, the last photograph is one of Kathleen's oil paintings. 

Recent Assemblage Work

Not too long ago I completed a commissioned piece. The request came over a year ago and I found myself challenged as an artist. Not that any of that stopped me from saying yes, yes I can do that. The project was to create a video gaming character named D. Va. She's from "Overwatch", which means nothing to me, or so it used to be. There was research, Youtube videos, and lots of questions for my young, video gaming friends. Then began the process, which required multiple trips to various thrift stores to find components that might work. Even as I built her, I added and subtracted. The shape, profile and scale were important. 

D. Va. moves around in her mech (pronounced mek) armor, or maybe better understood;  she rides around in her machine, which fires twin fusion cannons. My parts had to join together seamlessly, even though they came from many sources. D. Va. wears a complicated suit (difficult to paint) and had to fit inside and be sealed inside her mech. I found the perfect glass front, which came from a clock, and used a smart phone holder as the top dome.  In the end everyone was happy and my greatest challenge (to date) was completed.

Then I launched into "Stilt Man Sam". This piece was inspired by a "one of a kind" frame. And he is going to a new home where his happy face will start someones day with a laugh.

So despite an insane schedule, I am finding time to create in my studio. The fact that it's at home has made a big difference, the old studio was a 30 minute drive away. The hardest part? The gardens are just outside the window and it's spring!

March is for Blacklight

The gallery in Occoquan will be putting up a new display on March 1st, a blacklight display. Not an entirely new concept for me, I spent a lot of time with blacklight photography. Painting is different though, and this last month I worked with fluorescent paints. The idea is to have the art piece look good in regular light, but also good in blacklight. The first piece of mine is titled "Discovery", which has tiny eyes in the background that light up with the special lights and the butterfly and clothes are also fluorescent.

Next came an altered Pez dispenser that I actually had to paint under blacklight since I couldn't see the effects otherwise.

Todays studio piece is on another Tarot card representation, this one is the Tarot card 14, or Temperance (not for blacklight). The standard Rider Waite card looks like this:

and here is my interpretation:

details include the yellow water iris, a foot on land and one in water, as well as the pouring of water:

In the Tarot deck, Temperance indicates the ability to combine spontaneity with knowledge. The word Temperance is from the Latin 'temperare', which means 'to mix' or 'to combine properly'. Indicated by one foot in the water and one on the land. Temperance combines the elements of life. In reality it combines the elements of personality, so that the person and the outer world will flow together naturally. I see it as a 'be true to yourself' card, not too much ego, not too much drama, a logical middle ground. She joins the assemblage piece "Strength" at Art A La Carte. 

 

Mardi Gras

Back from the dead, or so I feel, for a full two weeks I suffered. The cough, the bronchitis, it's diminishing and I feel so happy to have it behind me. Awful, awful stuff!!! 

So on this day of festivities, the beginning of Lent and the Mardi Gras, I will share the last of my trip to New Orleans for the Michael deMeng workshop. Besides the art, there was a trip to a place called "Escape My Room". Groups of (up to) eight are formed and we are tasked with solving a murder mystery and escaping our room(s). It was great fun but we were the only group that didn't make it out within our one hour time slot. Hence our photograph with some sour faces (we were so close, so close.... really!).

Another stop is called "The Music Box" and it's another worthwhile place to visit. We were treated to a private concert, the instruments are the buildings themselves. Designed and built to play music, everything from percussion, horns, and spinning objects that make various sounds, it's just incredible. My favorite may have been the "Chateau Polet" which looks like a pergola with a peak roof, various fans are built into the sides and when pullies are turned, they each make a different sound, like wind blowing but in different pitches.  This is Lois playing "The Shake House" which sounds like clapping boards, even the floor plays.

Joanne on the horns and a few of us in the telephone booth, a very large, four sided siren was mounted on the top and your words would cause it to spin and morph the sound. Just fantastic!

A trip to the New Orleans Museum of Art was such a highlight. I have seen the sculpture garden but had never entered the museum. Three hours later, it was incredible and if time had allotted I would have stayed much longer. Since I have recently taken an online class with Michael deMeng on the surrealist artists and that time period, I was happy to see originals of many he talked about. Max Ernst, Joan Mira, even Pablo Picasso.

Our costume event was a second line parade with Tarot Cards as our theme. This is always an outstanding event and for the first time, we actually had quite a few people join us and parade with us right to the end. We are lead by a police escort and The Panorama Brass Band.

I was the card "Strength", which looks like this:

The significance of the card is control, a lack of fear, the woman is holding the lion's mouth open. It's about resilience, vitality, and balance. It's the card I chose because it felt right and it's also the art piece I had started in my studio at home. My costume was a lion mask and I am in the mouth of the lion. 

I finished my assemblage piece just tonight and am very happy with it. I believe I was able to convey the calm and keep many of the colors from the original card.

Otherwise, the shenanigans of New Orleans are required. Pat O'Briens for a Hurricane and some piano music:

Spent three nights at Preservation Hall with front row seats, that my friends is "The Bomb"!

Happy Mardi Gras to my friends near and far!

January

Before this month leaves I wanted to share a few photographs from my annual trip to New Orleans. This trip was one of the best with a full schedule and things falling into place. The workshop that I attend is planned around assemblage art with our hilarious teacher Michael deMeng. Katherine Engen is the organizer, thankfully it's a big city with lots to do because there have been 8 such trips (in 8 years) and the fun continues. Full of exploration, food, music, and drink, although many of us have become very familiar with where to go and we fill any extra time revisiting some favorite places.   

The art was so spectacular, our theme was Tarot cards, we were to pick a few to build from and also design our costumes with that in mind. For the first time I traveled with no idea what was going to happen when it came to creating, usually I have at least 2 projects, often put together (to some degree), to make sure I finish. The week goes fast!

I built my assemblage based on the cards "The Hierophant" and "The Lovers" no deep meaning here, I just worked with the cards and added some bits that make it significant. 

Some folks made more than 2 pieces, which was very impressive. Here is a small representation of the art that was made in our limited time. 

The big breaks in our schedule include 2 parades. One is our own Second Line Parade. It's a long walk with lot's of hand waving so I don't bring my big camera, but there will be photographs, I will post them in the next blog. The larger parade is the first of Mardi Gras called the Krewe du Vieux. Every year I make the trek, even though this year there was a threat of rain,  in fact the possibility for some downpours and a thunderstorm. Fortunately it was fine and the parade was a huge success. 

I have been to so many Krewe du Vieux parades that I am starting to recognize faces. This year was one of the best, the threat of rain kept big crowds away. 

This is classified as an X rated parade but I thought it was a little tamer than usual. I did blur this ladies sign, but otherwise there was the usually spanking, throwing of unusual charms, and crude floats. All in all, a good time was had by all!