map, map on the wall

During my big craft closet clean-out I discovered a stash of Grand Rapids maps. I very vaguely remember rescuing them from their trash destiny at an old job but the details escape me now. I had 12 of them and have been happily gifting them to people I know, especially those who live here in the city and feel fond about it.

At any rate, I actually went from vision to completion fairly quickly on this one. I bought a huge poster frame on my IKEA trek, paper punched a heart out of some translucent glue, marked our lovely home, and then leaned up against my black & white wall in the basement living room. Simple and fun! My older daughter likes to study where we live in relation to other places she knows. Her school in a neighboring city even shows up on the bottom of the map.

Other ideas might include marking multiple homes or meaningful spots or collaging related photographs onto the map. One woman I know who has lived in multiple homes in the city throughout her life wanted to attach photos of her at the age she lived in each home.

Any other map inspiration, friends?

B is for birds & butterflies: a wall collage

A recent visit to a friend's house inspired me to get going with my vision for hanging a grouping of items together on a dining room wall.

First step was to take the stack of dusty picture frames that had been sitting around since my discovery of spray paint back in the fall and decide what art to put in them. I framed a page from a paper brochure, a page from an old Picasso calendar, ordered an old photo off of Snapfish, and designed a piece with a few favorite Bible verses. Then I gathered together bits and pieces from other rooms of the house.

Next was the arranging. I laid everything out on the dining room table, parallel to the wall it would hang on so I could easily envision the space I had available and how things would look next to the butterfly print I already had hanging. After a week and four or five arrangements I was ready to go at it with a hammer and nails. Actually, to be honest, I have my husband do that part for me! I just art direct!

Once everything was up a few days passed and I had the inspiration to tuck in my favorite bird nest (sideways so you can see the different layers within) and a few feathers. It was just the textural and sculptural touch it needed. Voila!

Elements

My hubby and I played hometown tourists on a recent anniversary "trip." One of my local discoveries was the eccentric and unforgettable shop Elements.

It is full of decor items and art and baubles and other such trinket treasures. Some look old, some probably are old, the best are new but created from the old. This lady* knows what she is doing and her entire shop is an awesome reflection of her personal esthetic and I loved loved loved it. That is not to say that her style is my style or that I am going to redecorate my home to match Elements. But it is an incredible experience to step into a store that is so clearly a world of its own.

I splurged on a pair of earrings made with old gears (from a watch or clock maybe?) and a scientific looking poster of butterfly species – the price was great because it is actually intended to be wrapping paper!


*Please note this article references an old address for the store. It is currently at 1503 Lake Drive in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

inspiration up on the line

I think a physical existing Pinterest, whether that be a bulletin board or a clothesline or some other creation, can be a festive way to decorate one's creative space.

I have long had a clothesline where I clipped bits and pieces I enjoyed in my art room. However, when we put up a metal curtain wire in my daughter's room for displaying her art, I knew that's what I really wanted. As I accumulated beautiful fabric creations, the art of my great-grandmothers, I realized that I wanted a place to display those items as well. So I came up with the idea for a second line. When I finally made it to IKEA again, I  made good on my vision. A special thank you to the husband who installed them!

Before (good):

After (better):

fresh art

 I was recently shopping at 6.25 Paper Studio, one of the terrific shops in MoDiv here in downtown Grand Rapids. I was looking for gifts but ending up buying myself a piece of new art! These lovely letters were printed on a letterpress by the artists Carrie Shyrock and Beth Snyder of One Canoe Two. I saw it, I picked up, and I just had to have it. I love letters. I love letterpress. And I love the colors, which match my house so perfectly!

I intend to hang it in the sunroom after all is said and done. Before I can frame it I need other furniture pieces settled so I can figure out what type of frame would be best. So, for now it is propped up on a shelf in the living room with some cool glass.

another ArtPrize favorite

Last week Wednesday, the first day of ArtPrize, the whole family ventured downtown. This was my favorite piece from that excursion. These long tubes were suspended in a narrow gallery space that kind of reminds you of a hallway. Each of them had a living plant within them. I love it when a piece of art seems unlike anything you have ever seen or experienced before. Very cool.

It's called Nature Preserve by artist Michele Brody and you can see it at the UICA.

ArtPrize at the Meijer Gardens

Grand Rapids is right in the middle of ArtPrize, a crazy, enormous, city-swallowing, circus of an art contest that takes over this town. There's so much to see that you have to admit defeat before you even start. It is pretty close to impossible to see it all – especially if you are employed and parenting children who happen need to sleep on a regular basis!

Last Tuesday (the day before the official beginning of ArtPrize) we popped over to the Meijer Gardens to check out their ArtPrize sculpture. I have to say I liked, or at least appreciated, all but a few pieces. Kudos to curators. I always figure if they've made a career out of studying and understanding and discovering art then the pieces they pick are worth considering.

Photos weren't allowed inside (boo!) but I will link to a few favorite pieces of mine. The Gardens put images on their site, which is quit helpful considering the ArtPrize site is down while I am trying to write this post!

Sleepwalking Around the Peach Garden by Jae Won Lee
This is the one they featured on the cover of the program. The paper shapes were constructed a lot like these ornamental balls I made last fall. It was the masses of them, the presence of so many, gathered together and suspended from the ceiling by colored thread that made it especially magical.

Space In Between – Saguaro by Margarita Cabrera
This cactus was made of border patrol officer's uniforms. The artist does pieces that react to the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. I liked it partly because I am interested in creating my own dimensional, stuffed objects. But I especially liked that the medium, the material used to make it, made sense. It was part of the meaning of the piece. I have been ranting and raving about this lately in light of ArtPrize because sometimes people get impressed by things made of other things (like last year's giant penny made out of pennies) because it clearly took so long to make. But sometimes, it makes the piece more of a gimmick than anything else.

Untitled (Persian Rug) by Mary Brogger
This "rug" is made out of pieces of cut metal. So intricate! I am really curious about the process behind making it. Also, there were special light bulbs lighting it from different angles to create different colored shadows beneath. I love the attention to detail.

Buttress by DeWitt Godfrey
This piece was outside. It's giant and industrial and yet ever so playful as it tumbles down the hill. I really liked it.

Castled Void by Stephen Knapp
This piece would take some careful choreographing. Different colored lights bounce off mirrors and mix with each other to "paint" the wall. Really cool to see.

Little Black Dress by Suzanne Cohan-Lange, Sherry Antonini, Nikki Nolin
I wish I had been able to spend more time studying this piece. I think there is more to it than I had time to absorb since the kiddos were heading toward bedtime. When my 3-year-old saw the miniature black dressforms in the middle of the room she said "Oh look! Silhouettes." Now, considering they were three dimensional, she wasn't exactly right but she still had the right idea. Where would she have learned the word "silhouette?!"

Big girl room preview

It's not done yet (that quilt! the curtains!) but we've made it usable and daughter has happily made the move. The room features yellow walls (by request), pink accessories, and a focus on art-making and displaying.

 Using the wire curtain line from IKEA to clip up art is not a new idea by any means but it is new to our house and I am happy to have incorporated it. I think I will be adding a dual set of these in my art room. I am imagining paper bits on one line and antique embroidery on the other… A future project!