Gifted

The spirit of art-making sparked early this holiday season and glowed bright.

During Thanksgiving, I was inducted into the tribe of the Sophie-zombies...what an honor it was to be painted by my gifted niece!

I came back and sank myself right into my first art residency at Vala Art Center in Redmond, Wa.
My objective was to inspire public art-making by creating a"pop-up" activity space where anyone can come experience mold-making, casting, or perhaps paint! Yes, it is the holiday season where felt and silk parade with light,...but why not come clean and leave a bit dirty with a pocket full of ideas!?

 

The highlight of my time at VALA was gift-giving. Anyone that dared to roll up their sleeves and make a mold of their hand were invited. Dental alginate is a safe, easy to use material to make quick molds from. It's body part friendly too, so kids of all ages can play. Curiousity was unbound with just enough holiday creep!

 

One minute cake batter, jello next. Then wax. Once everyone removed their hands from the molds, I poured melted beeswax into the voids. Viola! the wax hardens, molds uncrack, and so does the art! Ah Ha!

Mold-making is a foundation for casting in wax and other materials. My favorite is glass, which is  casted into molds by melting it in a kiln or furnace. I currently teach kiln-casting at Pratt Fine Art Center in Seattle, and am planning on teaching glass casting on the eastside. Contact me if you are interested in taking a class!

There was a buzz happening. There were no visitors, only participants. I really enjoyed watching Redmond Town Center transform from a marketplace to a community space. VALA gave it just the right pulse.

 

As both my residency and 2013 close, I'm excited about growing my local arts community. I deeply appreciate the work of the VALA staff for making this happen. It's so great to see the city of Redmond and businesses supporting local arts programs! I learned just how hungry people are to use their hands and make. The look of wow and wonder when you discover!

Wishing YOU gifted moments in 2014!