I have not dropped off...

...the face of the earth.

There have been a lot of things going on this summmer--some good, some not-so-good. For now, I'll just write about the good things.

I pulled together a 40+ piece show that is currently on display at Alicia Ashman Library, here in Middleton. I wanted to mount each piece on something lightweight, but that had the same kind of bulk as the wood and plywood sources. This brought me to Gator Board (or Gatorfoam, if you prefer).

It's a wonderful medium that has a foam core and thin layers of wood on both flat surfaces. I had been forewarned that cutting this was a major chore, and that IS true--if you're trying to cut the pieces by hand. If, however, you use the recommended power tools, it cuts like butter, and the edges sand down nicely with a power sander. I had initially planned on routing the edges of the pieces to round them over, but instead wound up purchasing quarter round molding at the local big-box hardware store, cutting with my miter saw, and assembling everything, then wrapping my artwork that has been printed on either canvas, photo paper, velvet paper, or whatever surface I created onto each of the boards.

This was my thought on creating a kind of glassless, frameless presentation piece, which in reality has an integral frame as part of the structure of the art. Granted, if a piece goes home with someone and they actually want to reframe the piece, that option is always available, but for me, I love the piece rising out of the wall.

I need to head back to the library to take some photos of the show, but if you're in the Madison area and want to visit the show between 9-9 Monday through Friday or 9-5 on Saturday, you can find the library, read my artist's statement, and learn more about this show from the description below:

FLORA AND FAUNA
“Flora and Fauna” is a nearly a half-century collaborative effort between Mother Nature and me. Mother Nature has kindly provided all of the subject matter and offered the unique opportunity to perform the perennial treasure hunt to discover what She wishes to share, and in so capturing, enables me to also share these riches with you.

The Flora portion of this show features a broad spectrum of flowers, leaves, and trees, the Fauna portion of the show features a variety of animal species, and both subjects are presented in my altered state versions. Although neither botanist nor zoologist, I am, however, thoroughly enamored with the efforts of Mother Nature and others who instigate and nurture these types of growth.

I always respect Mother Nature’s design sense as it relates to her organic forms and elements, and allow those to remain in their true, natural states. On the other hand, there are times when I disagree with Her choice of colors and choose to alter them to states of super saturation, enhanced contrast, and elevated mood. In that She has not yet struck me with a bolt of lightening, I like to believe She approves of these alterations. Our one disagreement involved large hail, but that has long melted into a refreshing stream, and I have not crossed those waters since. I believe in the strength and permanence of our collaboration.