Strata Installation

I've been very busy this past year with multiple installations in Texas. In October/Novemeber 2009 we installed Strata, a 3 story mixed media mosaic and glass stairway mural. Thanks to the Mosaika team from Montreal, it went up like a dream...with a hint of a nightmare... See more pictures of the install on the Mosaika blog.

Final piece in!

Houston condensation is dreadful!

Ike, One year later

  

 

September 13, 2008, a massive 55" diameter oak went through my rental property next door.  It was one of the largest trees in the neighborhood and completely covered the house, draping over all sides of it. 

The limbs from the tree were stacked 5 feet x 5 feet x 200 feet long.  Here is Garland and Lily a couple weeks after the storm.

I saved the base of the tree and carved a throne with a chainsaw, fine tuned it with a grinder and smoothed with a sander.  It is finished  with a gallon of watco and hand-rubbed tung oil. 

 

Ike's Throne, a meditation on the power of the storm and the energy captured within the tree.

A Walk in the Garden (Part 3)

Plumeria  Frangipani

Desert Rose

Miklkweed

 

Bleeding Heart Vine, Clerodendrum Thomsoniae

 

Pride of India,  glorious peonies

 

Dragonfruit blossom, Hylocereus undatus

Dragonfruit blossom, Hylocereus undatus

 

Dragonfruit blossom, Hylocereus undatus

Dragonfruit blossom, Hylocereus undatus

Ranch Installation

Dance lessons- every Monday night!

 

 

Strata Tiles: Waterway Project in The Woodlands

This project, Strata, is to be installed in fall 2009. These are handmade tiles that will be incorporated into a larger mosaic of mixed stone, clay and glass.

Cast glass to represent a lizard trapped in amber

Detail of amber

 

Fake fossils created in clay, fired and glazed

IKE

Yesterday, we filled the cars with gas and purchased groceries. There were no lines and everything went smoothly.
This afternoon, Ron, Hagen, Garland and I cleared the yard of anything that could be picked up and tossed through our rolling glass doors. All our flashlights have new batteries, we have piles of plastic tarps, rope, ducktape.
If the track of the storm remains as it is tonight, we will remove most of my studio to the main house tomorrow. Our fears are that with the high winds I may lose my roof, since it is only tin and insulation on the studio.
Our plan is tomorrow to move two of the cars to a concrete parking garage on a higher level. Hopefully we will be able to find a place to park them. Everyone may have the same idea.
A month or so ago, Ron purchased a generator, we have gas to keep it running. With Rita, we were without power for almost a week. At least this way we can keep our food cold.
The kids do not have school tomorrow. Ron's work is canceled. I feel too antsy to work.
Tonight at supper, we played a selection of storm songs, about high winds and flooding. Garland failed to find the humor in it, but she still recovering from her accident with the tree limb.
We are watching the approach of the storm on the net. Our TV is limited to what we can get with the rabbit ears, so it is only local coverage.
I am charging my camera batteries so tomorrow morning, I will go out, take some photos to post.

Tyrone Guthrie Center Annaghmakerrig

Annaghmakerrig

Entry

My attic bedroom, so quiet one can hear one's heart beating.

Door to my studio

My studio before I started working

Dinner is at 7 every night around a large pine harvest table

after dinner- before our evening walk

down on the lake at 10 pm

New Indianapolis Airport Mosaic Installation overview

CLICK ON AN IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION
I was not able to be in Indianapolis on Monday, June 9 when the installation started because my daughter was in the hospital.  Butch arrived on Sunday night and Abraham and Casimero from Kolorines arrived early Monday morning. 

Monday, June 9, the 1st day
Julia Moore,Public Art Administrator, Blackburn Architects, met the guys and showed them around.  The team took the safety class, did the drug test, and received security badges.  Butch rented the truck and picked up supplies.  Julia was there making everything go as smoothly as possible.  We are so lucky to have her on the project acting as a liaison between the airport and the artists.   

Tuesday, June 10, the second day. 
The guys protected the surrounding surfaces with plastic and paper.  The mural arrived, some of the boxes were wet and had been stacked on end so there  were some damaged areas.  The guys laid the complete mural  upside down in an adjacent room so we could see the image.   

 

Wednesday, June 11, the 3rd day.  First section was installed on the wall.  

I arrived late Wednesday night.

Thursday, June 12, the 4th day

Friday, June 13, the 5th day.  I do not know how I missed getting photos of the mural at the end of the 5th day.  I was spending a lot of my day on my hands and knees replacing missing sections of mural   It was fortunate that there was a room to leave the mural laid out so I could work on it.   

Saturday, June 14th, the 6th day

Sunday, June 15, the 7th day

Monday, June 16, the 8th day

Tuesday, June 17, the 9th day

The airport gives tours of the construction site.  One group was from the press and photos of the installation were in the local  Indianapolis paper. 
http://www2.indystar.com/autofocus/galleries/slides/2574/1  The mosaic images are #15, 16 and 17.

What a great construction site to do an installation.  The building is beautifully designed by HOK and AeroDesign Group.  Blackburn Architects supervised some of the design of public spaces.   Hunt/Smoot Construction managers create a safe, clean and enjoyable working environment. 

Wednesday, June 18,  the 10th day. 

The other hard hat trades working on the new airport stopped by with encouragement and comments.  The hobby gardeners among them could name all the native plants.  Some mentioned that it looked like early fall.  Santarossa’s men who were installing a terrazzo floor helped us with disposal of waste water.  Everyone was a pleasure to work with.  

Thursday, June 19, the 11th day

The stack of the last section to go on the wall

The last section is installed, and total  mural was acid washed

The installation team: Casimero, Abraham, DFG, Butch

Friday, June 20, the 12th day

Space clean, equipment returned, bags packed.  TV crew from Channel 8 (?) came by for an interview. 

Installation is completed.  Ready to turn in our security pass badges.  

The artisans at Kolorines, the fabrication studio, in Curenavaca Mexico did beautiful work.
I am pleased with Autumn Prairie Morning.  I am honored that my work is part of the really cool airport.  

Butch and I flew home on Saturday, June 21

Click here for details of the mural under public commisions on my web site.

New Indianapolis Airport Mosaic Mural part 2.

Installation started on June 9th

Security checking us out on Sunday.

End of the 7th day.

Butch learning mosaics.

DFG and Dennis.

Julia and DFG.

Making Repairs

Alpha and Ted

End of the 9th day.

New Indianapolis Airport Mosaic Mural

Installation started on June 9th

Start of fourth day

Dixie with layout

Butch in front of mural

Mural detail

Closer detail

End of 6th day

ANOTHER WALK IN THE GARDEN

 

Walkway with Duranta and Allamanda

Allamanda, Parrot Lily, and Duranta

Sweet Memory Duranta (Duranta erecta) blooms

Shrub Allamanda (Allamanda schottii)

Red Passionvine (Passiflora vitifolia)

Dahlberg Daisy (Thymophylla tenuiloba) has foliage that smells somewhat like parsley

Geranium (Pelargonium spp.)

Four-o-clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) can be trained to bloom in the morning if they only get morning sun

Blue Shade Ruellia (Ruellia humilis)

Tangerine Bulbine (Bulbine frutescens) stalk

Golden Kaleidoscope Abutilon (Abutilon pictum)

Palm Grass (Curculigo capitulata) Blooms at the base of the plant

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)

 

Canna (Canna spp.) bloom and seedpod

Bog Sage (Salvia uliginosa) is a unique salvia that likes wet feat

Blue Butterfly Clerodendrum (Clerodendrum ugandense)

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)

Blue Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus africanus)

Angelwing Jasmine (Jasminum nitidum)

Hardy Calathea (Calathea louisae)

Giant Star Potato Tree (Solanum marcanthum) blooms start out dark purple then fade to white in a similar manner to Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (Brunfelsia latifolia)

Potato Shrub (Solanum spp.)

Bellyache Bush (Jatropha gossypifolia)

Buddha's Belly Jatropha (Jatropha podagrica)

Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis)

Marilyn's Choice Abutilon (Abutilon spp.)

Shell Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet)

Tropical Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Desert Cassia/Senna (Senna polyphylla)

Soap Aloe (Aloe saponaria) buds

Pomegranate (Punica granatum)

Annual Dianthus (Dianthus spp.)

Gladiola (Gladiolus spp.)

Shrubby Senna (Senna corymbosa)

Oleander (Nerium oleander)

Oxalis (Oxalis spp.)

Crococosmia (Crocosmia spp.)

Stiff Bottlebrush (Callistemon rigidus)

Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina communis)

Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) with galls caused by the cypress twig gall midge (Taxodiomya cupressiananassa)

"Happy Orange" Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum)

Pink Buttons (Polygonum capitatum)

Zebra False Aloe (Haworthia fasciata)

Mistletoe Cactus (Rhipsalis spp.)

Orchids

White Shrimp Plant (Justicia betonica)

 

Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) with buds

Night Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum)

Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)

Goldfinger (Juanulloa aurantiaca) budding out

Dwarf Barbados Cherry (Malpighia punicifolia)

Purple Trailing Lantana (Lantana montevedensis)

Mexican Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia)

Red Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)

Hall's Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Peperomia (Peperomia caperata)

"Silver Spot" Peacock Ginger (Kaempferia pulchra) just emerging from dormancy

 

Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)

Steps leading down the bank

A future project

A WALK IN THE GARDEN

 

Courtyard garden with Lee Littlefield sculpture.

February, March, April and May are glorious months in the garden.  These photos were taken May 17, 2008.  The cool weather has prolonged the blooming season.  The fragrances are intoxicating.  The Night Blooming Jasmine makes visitors euphoric.   

Spicy Jatropha (Jatropha integerrima)

   

Coral vine (Antigonon leptopus)

Angel Trumpets (Brugmansia spp.) have a light fragrance in the evenings

Orchid

Ground orchid

Lipstick plant

Tropical pitcher plant (Nepenthes spp) in a hanging basket

Parrot Lily (Alstroemeria psittacin)

Ground covers, textures (Vinca major, Selaginella uncinata, Viola spp.)

Sparkler sedge, Chinese ground orchid (Carex phyllocephala, Bletilla striata)

Hardy Gloxinia (Sinningia sellovii)

Veronica (Veronica spicata)  Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea  quercifolia)

Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana)

Miniature pipevine (Aristolochia fimbriata)

Bromeliads

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) going to seed

Golden globes (Lysimachia procumbens)

Buddy purple Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa)

 

Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla)

 

Easter lilies blooming under a Fairy Duster                      

Brazilian plume (Justicia carnea)

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum spp.)

Hollyhock (Alcea spp.)

Cockscomb (Celosia spp.)

Daylily (Hemerocallis spp.)

 

Macha (Felis catus "Siamese x Manx"), the garden guardian.  

 

Splash plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) and tante sinningia (Sinningia spp.)

Tricolor Stromanthes (Stromante sanguinea) and holly fern (Cyrtomium falcatum)

Lily-pad begonia (Begonia nelumbiifolia)

Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum)

 

A Sago's (Cycas revoluta) new growth

Bromeliad in foreground, redbird (Pedilanthus tithymaloides) in background

Bicolor African iris (Dietes bicolor)

Crinum lily (Crinum spp.) seedpods

Bleeding heart vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)

Purple shrimp plant (Porphyrocoma pohliana)

  

Raven peacock ginger (Kaempferia rotunda) blooms before it leafs out

American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

What's Happening in the Studio

Here are some studio shots today. Since 1/08, I have been working on 42"x 60" landscape paintings.  Lilith is always with me. 

West wall.  12" x 12" works on wood.  The work on the floor is also on wood, but address issues more personal, my relationship with my daughter.  The cutout works at the top are samples that I did for the Miami Port project.