Easter Lilies

The white lily has been a symbol for Easter since the Middle Ages.
I would imagine it is a rare Christian church that does not decorate with
Easter lilies on Easter Sunday.

In the past, we have had lilies near and on our altar table.
This year I wanted to use the Easter lily as a more integral part of the congregations experience. Initially, I thought about hanging potted lilies along the sanctuary arches over the congregation. However this brought its own set of problems -
how to hang them, maintain them, and give them attractive pots
(the metallic-sheet covered plastic pots are not so pretty).
I also felt that they weren't going to have the effect I was hoping for, close but not quite.

I wanted more drama.

Then it hit me. I wanted each flower to be big, really big. I set about designing 3-foot high Easter Lilies. Working with paper I cut and glued, painted and stapled, folded and sewed, tore and taped. After a few prototypes I ended up with something resembling a kirigami design.
(origami with cutting)

Each lily is one piece of paper cut and folded, then secured with hidden tape and staples. Though labor intensive for my team of 4 the result was fresh and new and Easter-y.

The best comment I heard was "I am convinced that I could actually smell them."

Happy Easter!
Be good,
Scott

It's Monster Time

Somewhere in my mind I have this idea that I will create something every day. This is to be on top of my normal painting schedule and other life responsibilities. I have a hard time thinking that I can't do it all. So far, I don't think I am winning.

We have a picture window in our living room that was just begging to be something. A big scary something. A big scary Halloweeny something.

I used cardboard, acrylic paint and glue to make the window monster. The eyes are tissue paper stretched over cut out circles with lights behind them so they glow in the dark.

Ooooo scary.

Be good,
Scott

The Autumn Leaves

This past weekend we celebrated Homecoming Sunday at my church, the Magnolia UCC. It was a chance for anyone who has ever had any connection to the church to come together and connect, and in some cases reconnect.

I wanted to create something celebratory in the sanctuary. I knew that the service would be focused on the 'great cloud of witness' from the reading in Hebrews. But, I also wanted to highlight community and autumn. Recently, a tree that had shaded the stained-glass windows in the front of the church had been removed.
This meant that they would have a stronger impact then they had been having in the space. I wanted to respect that, too.

I was inspired by a banner that read "I am the vine, you are the branches".

I used 8" ribbon segments and tied them around a couple of pear tree branches to represent the leaves - and the members of the community.

The colors were dictated by the stained glass windows. I graduated the color of the ribbons, starting with red at the tips of the branches moving to orange, yellow, chartreuse and ending with green at the base. This echoes the changing leaves of the trees outside.

The 'falling' leaves are taped to the wall as well as hanging from wire from the branches to add another dimension. They represent the "great cloud of witnesses", those members that have gone before us.

The effect of these branches ended up being very simple visually and, yet, they were able to embrace all of the concepts I had set forth.

I like this idea so much I think I will do something at home like this. It can be done in colors to match any room or occasion. It could be interesting to do a branch all in black or purple for Halloween. Or all white or silver for Christmas or winter. Be inspired, be good,
Scott

Even on Vacation

This past weekend Cameron and I went camping with friends on Lake Chelan.

Lake Chelan is located on the eastern edge of the cascade mountains. The south end of the lake is a popular resort location and full of summer activity. The north end of the lake, 55 miles long, is accessible by boat, small airplane or on foot. We have friends that own 65 acres very near the north end.

There is not much there but wilderness. Occasionally, a boat passes by or an airplane flies overhead, but for the most part the only sounds are the wind, the waves and the birds.

We were there for four days of relaxation and simple living.

It was the third day when our friend John suggested that we each make a puppet. It suddenly occurred to him when I peeked out of the tent window looking very much like a puppet in a puppet theater.

We had til the end of the day to create our characters using anything we could find. I decided to give myself even greater confines by letting myself use only natural material.

It was a greater challenge than I had anticipated, but fun nonetheless. The result was this rather unattractive, pine-cone-headed woman. But, her unattractiveness was overlooked do to the fact that she was all held together by grass and tension.

Though a couple of us (who shall remain nameless, what happens on Lake Chelan....) couldn't bring themselves to create a puppet, the two of us that did, had a great time doing it.

As you can see, she is not pretty. But, she was a great way to spend a couple of hours. I had to push myself to create something I have never done before, with 'limited' resources. I was pleased and surprised that she actually stayed together and was rather sturdy. Who knew that grass could be so durable?

So I challenge you: create something ridiculous just for the act of creating. Can you make a puppet with only the things you can find around you?

Be good,
Scott

Everything old is new again

This past fall as I was cooling down from one of my morning runs, I came across 'free stuff'. You know, the pile of stuff by the side of the road with the handmade sign saying 'FREE'. One of the houses in the neighborhood was being renovated and each day something new, rather old, was put out for the taking. This particular day I found a piece of furniture that had been a built-in desk. I liked it but couldn't really justify taking it. What was I going to do with it?
But, that afternoon I was still thinking about it. So, I got into my car and loaded it into the trunk.
It had sat in the garage for the last 5 months, in pieces.

I finally decided to tackle it. My friend Elynne had sent me an electric fireplace insert, which I ahd used as a heater, but it lacked character. The desk would become the new home for the fireplace insert.

After getting the desk back together, I still had a bit of work to box in the sides, build a 'hearth', make an inner frame and paint it, antique it (there was no way it was going to ever look new and fresh) and wax it.
It turned out beautifully.I used the scalloping of the leg and drawer shapes to dictate the design. I selected a print of one of my paintings that has similar shapes and covered the inset frame with it. I was even able to maintain a working drawer.
Be good,
Scott

Light Up My Life

Last summer I was walking down Queen Anne Avenue on my way to getting a haircut. I passed by a shop I had not noticed before, a lamp shop. I felt a pull to go inside. I kept walking.

I kept walking but I couldn't stop thinking about the shop and my draw to it. The window was full of unique, beautiful and creative lamp bases and shades. I appreciated the immaculate artistry but couldn't understand why I was so attracted to the place. I decided that once I had a fresh new haircut I would stop in on my way back.

I came to the shop, admired the window display and, well, kept walking. I caught myself and turned around and entered the store.

I met the owner/artist Kathi Mullaney. I introduced myself and explained that I felt pulled into her shop. She was kind and gracious. I told her that I was an artist also and we shared stories of living as artists. I loved meeting her looking at her lamps. I left her with one of my business cards. I felt bad that I had questioned my initial attraction. It was such a gift to meet her.

I think by the time I got home she had sent an email saying she had visited my website, loved my work and wondered if I would be interested in painting a lamp base for her. I went back the next day to get the wooden base, my blank canvas. What to paint, what to paint?

There had been a delay in finishing the base as the wood had been seeping sap. I let it sit in the sun for several weeks giving it a slow drying. I am trusting that it is done seeping now and have once again started painting. Here is a sneak look at what I am doing. I am excited to see it done but even more excited to see what kind of shade Kathi will design for it. Stay tuned to see the finished lamp.

Oh, yeah, check out Kathi's website. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. www.kathleenmullaney.com

Be good,
Scott

Season of Color

This morning as I was writing, or supposed to be writing, I found myself staring at the table by the window. The Christmas cactus happens to have bloomed at Halloween and the glass pumpkins I bring out every fall. I love the little squirrel-candle-holder as he is a reflection of the food-gathering-squirrels outside. The combination of colors is so vibrant, so beautiful and I wanted to share them with you. Surprisingly, (I didn't plan this) it is a study in the secondary colors: purple, orange and green. Okay, that sounds a little art-nerdy, but I am a little art-nerdy sometimes.

I hope you are surrounded by color (primary, secondary, tertiary....) especially as we embrace fall and enter winter.

Be good,
Scott

Happy Halloween

For the last 15 Halloweens I have gone to Fernwood Elementary School to carve pumpkins in Mr. Martorelli's classroom

The first year, I had all of the kids bring their pumpkins in. We covered the floor with newspaper and jumped into gutting the 19 orange jack-o-lantern's to be.

We only had to do that once. The mess, the smell, the chaos. It was all enough to truly make Halloween scary.

Since then it is a prerequisite to have only clean pumpkins brought into school. The mess, the smell and the chaos can stay at home.

Every year I carve between 18 and 22 pumpkins. (over 15 years that's about 300). This year it was 19.

I spent the entire day carving. Each student was invited up individually and we had a brief conversation about what kind of pumpkin they wanted. That first year after struggling through Pokemon characters, super heroes and family pets, I decided that naming a feeling was much more effective than giving me specifics. Now the options are goofy, funny, cute, scary, very scary and really, really scary.

It was as fun and exhausting as ever. I love that it is my Halloween tradition. In a way, it is my version of going trick or treating. I get to create goofy, funny, cute, scary, very scary and really, really scary, after all. Happy Halloween.

Be good,
Scott

Somewhere Over a Rainbow

Cathy, The Pastor of my church left to move to Montana.

When I was presented with the opportunity to create a festive yet meaningful setting for the Godspeed service I began by asking Cathy "Which of the past settings have you liked?" There had been many over the years. She recalled the large floral arrangements that another church member creates. She also mentioned some banners I had painted and several large creations - from fabric rivers to greenery jungles. Then, as if it were a footnote *"I like rainbows" she casually threw out to me.
I knew then that a large (it needed to make a statement) rainbow of some kind needed to fill the space. I initially thought I would paint a rainbow on a fabric banner. It was a fine idea, but I wanted something that wouldn't completely hide the beautiful stained-glass window at the front of the church. I also wanted something that would have more interest. So, I put it into the mix of 'things waiting for inspiration'.
I'm not sure when it hit me, I think when I was running one day. I would create a ribbon rainbow. By using various shades and sizes of ribbon I would hang them from red to orange to yellow to green to blue to purple.
The final banner ended up being about 7 feet wide by 16 feet tall. The ribbons hang over a pole and are taped to stay in place. The part of the ribbons that hang in front I cut in a large arch to represent the bow. It had a much greater impact than even I had imagined. It did end up being festive and meaningful.

Outside In

I am home now. My time at the cabin in Wisconsin was restful and fun. Well, as restful as could be. My parents are do-ers. My father, Ron, is happiest when there is a project to be done. For this last visit the list of projects included: pulling in the dock, getting the boat ashore, finishing the floor trim, and splitting wood for the fireplace. We accomplished all but the wood-splitting. My mother, Pat, spent hours piecing a quilt, doing laundry and preparing meals.

I can relax for only so long and then I, too, need to find a project. I blame them.

When I realized that the one blank wall in the cabin needed to be painted, it became my project. Now, just painting the wall one color wasn't going to be enough for me. In fact, Ron is a painter by profession, so that would be a job he could easily do (almost with his eyes closed). I figured a mural would work beautifully.

It didn't take much, if anything, to convince Ron and Pat. I didn't even need to describe what I had in mind. I figured that this blind trust is partially a result of my teen years. I had my own bedroom and my parents allowed me to paint and paint again whatever I wanted on my walls. Since then I have painted several murals from the simple to the ornate.

I wanted to do something simple for the cabin, yet something that echoed the surroundings outside. The result was this hazy hilly forest scene.

The process is fairly easy. First Ron prepared the wall and painted the base coat using the lightest color. Starting with the next lightest color I painted the ground and trees in silhouette. Once that dried, I took the next slightly darker color and painted the next hill and tree silhouette slightly larger on top of the first. I repeated the process each time getting darker with the color. The fifth and final layer contains no trees, just ground and a bit of brush and grass.

You can create a similar mural. (I know you can) You may want to sketch each layer or not depending on your confidence.To start select a paint chip at the store in the color that you want. There are often 4 or 5 colors on a chip that go from dark to light. Use them as your gradation. Use the lightest color as your base color and layer from there, lightest to darkest. If you want to be a little more daring you can chose colors from different chips within a color range. I used varying greens from light mint to olive to pine green to brown. They should still move from light to dark.

Try mountains, or rolling hills, or pine trees, or just tree trunks without the foliage. You can add as little or as much detail as you want. It is a nice, simple way to add depth and interest to a room without being too distracting. Have fun. It's only paint!

Be good,
Scott

Expanding my Repetoire

I am spending time at my family’s cabin in northern Wisconsin. It is a quiet, secluded, pretty little spot on the far end of a lake called Potato (we all wonder why).
Over the weekend my entire family gathered for my father’s 70th birthday. This little cabin was bursting at the seams with people and dogs. There is something so complete and so warm about having that kind of gathering. My family does this about once a year. We like each other and get along very well. I think at some point we all silently decided to focus the things that bind us and agreed to respect our differences.
Since I see my siblings and nieces and nephews only once a year, I tried to come up with something that I could do or give as a connection point. I decided that my art for the weekend was temporary tattoos. I packed a set of permanent markers and went about offering one-of-a-kind-at-your-request-tattoos. It was fun for me to sit with each of them and draw the image of their choice. It was a personal interaction requiring little words.
My hope is that, especially for my nieces and nephews, it is something they can fondly remember.
I don’t think that I am going to venture into true tattoo artistry, though it was suggested.
For now, I’ll keep it as “Remember when Uncle Scott …”

Make your own 'tattoos'. Use a set of permanent markers, the multi-color fine point set. With the black marker outline the desired design and then color it in as you would a coloring book. It's that easy. And remember kids, it would be a good idea to get permission before jumping into this project. Have fun.

Be good,
Scott