Body is the Mark

The inspiration for my Body is the Mark Project was Valie Export an artist that posed her body  around objects like buildings and curbs.  I chose to copy the concept and posed my body as the mark  (in most cases an arrow) and in various traffic signs.

 

I drew and painted an arrow on cardboard.
 



I cut the arrow out of the cardboard and the sign was complete.

Posed at the railroad signal.

 



Posed at a cautionary sign.

 



Posed at the end of the road blockade.

 



Posed at the Dead End.

 



Blended with the one-way sign.

 



Posed as a pedestrian at a cross-walk.

 



 

 

 

 

The last pose is as a detour arrow.



Time Based Drawing 3

This is the rust from the ironing board.





This is a full-size view of the rusting on the ironing board.

 

I also rusted some tin cans and tools.

 

Doing the time based drawing of rusting items was difficult.  It really took a lot of time and it required soaking the items a little everyday. This is a photo of all the tools layered on the imprint of the ironing board rust.  When I'm finished there will be several shapes and designs.

 

The final product is the compilation of the rust from the ironing board with the rusting of the tin cans and the watering can which produced a rusty background. The background brought out the patterns of the rusty rings and created interest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drawing on Objects

I chose a rusted shovel as my object for the project.

I drew a picture of my Dad, copied it on brown paper and then charred the edges to add an ageing effect.

 

I laminated it to the shovel.



I took a box and made it into a plant flat and bought a plant and rusted and painted the words "Sunshine" and "Water" on the watering can.

 





My final composition is outside in my garden.

 

The inspiration for my project came to me after viewing the class blog and seeing the student work with the old tool.  The first thing I thought of was my Father, who was a gardener. He was seen every season with his flat of flowers, his shovel and trowel, his bucket with nutrients and his watering can.  I knew this was what I wanted to do for my project.  It was my job following after him to water the new plantings and also the weathered watering can became my tool.  It is a fond memory of times spent working in the yard with my Dad.

 

 

 



Time Based Drawing 2

I took water and Clorox and made ice cubes.

As they melted on the brown paper, I took photos as they made their impressions with the bleach and changed colors.

As the ice melted it changed into a variety of patterns and colors.

 





The process continues.

 





  I don't know where the inspiration came from to use the bleach and water cubes on the colored paper, but I have to say it was totally divinely inspired, pulled from out of the blue.  Once I had the idea the whole process was magical.  Watching the bleach do its job on the paper while it produced its range of colors was great fun!  When the water was removed, you have the final patterns and colors - yellows, beiges, greens and chocolate.  

 

 

 

 

 





Time Based Drawing 1

 

I took food coloring and made colored ice cubes.



As the cubes melted, I took pictures of the color effects.

Another photo of the melting cubes.

 





The colors continued to blend as the ice melted.

 



As the cubes continued to melt and blend, some of the colors became muddy.



I really wanted to do something with color and I rummaged through the house to see what I had to work with.  I found food coloring and the idea to make ice cubes formed.  I thought watching the process of the colors as they mixed and blended was beautiful! When all the cubes melted, we had an original water color.

Drawing in Space

This is one of the process pictures of the construction of the framework for drawing in space.

These are the finished panels that will be hung in descending tiers for the drawing in space project.

 

This is the framework covered with cloth that will house the Asian themed panels for the drawing in space installation.  

 

All the panels are in place and the candles and branch complete the Zen quality I was looking for.



 

A close-up of the branch and candles.

 

 

When I started this project I wanted to use the charred panels from my Quick Challenges.  What came to mind was a sense of Asian culture and a Zen quality.  The thought of a shrine or pagoda is what inspired me to use a frame and cloth to give the installation a sense of structure.  The use of the candles and mirrors was to give it that peaceful, sacred quality.  I am happy with the final project and feel it expresses the mood I was looking for. 

 

Quick Challenges - Tape Project

The Mummy

Too Little, too Late.

A Building with Windows.

A Path.

A Barn Side.

A Barbed-Wire Fence.

A Damaged Video Tape.

 

See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil.

 

 



Tools

My three tools are made from rubber bands, pine needles, and palm fronds.

Quick Challenges - Science Experiments

Energy equals the speed of light squared.

Slide with a cross section of a grape tomato.

 





Slide with a cross section of a grape.

The science of Home Economics - cooking.

Does a slice of bread in a sixteen oz. loaf of bread weigh the same in different loaves?  No.

Geology 101 - Mud, aggregate, and sand.

Pyramid Power.

Can you pierce a potato with a drinking straw?  Yes.