Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend. I have a few new photos of the Wings in the City butterfly base and handprint progress!! I decided on a playful base, the mimicked roots. Each of the dots represents the 59 children and their cabin colors from the Stepping Stones Grief camp.
31
Aug 10
Curiosity can be catching…
I have always been curious. My favorite question is why. It is not meant to undermine or distract, but merely to understand. Whether it be reading, researching, or exploring, I always find myself asking why with an intense desire to know more.
In William Eamon’s post “The Disease Called Curiosity,” he notes this quality hasn’t always been seen as positive. There have been times through-out history when politicians, leaders, and officials strongly discouraged and even banned. I really like the post, especially the end, “The transformation of curiosity in the Renaissance was a precondition of modernity. Without curiosity, there can be no scientific discovery, and without discovery, there can be no new knowledge.” It is a good reminder not to be afraid to ask why and see where it takes you.
Read the original blog post here: http://www.williameamon.com/?p=185
31
Aug 10
A new use for no. 2 pencils
Image from http://www.archdaily.com/75392/hungarian-pavilion-at-the-venice-biennale/
“Last week we featured some photographs Patricia Parinejad shared with us of the Russian Pavilion for the Venice Biennale. Now she sent us the Hungarian Pavilion, where architects created some really nice spaces with an interesting use of wood pencils hanging from the ceiling.”
This is a beautiful shaping of space with a utilitarian object! I would love to walk through these!!
Check out the full blog post http://www.archdaily.com/75392/hungarian-pavilion-at-the-venice-biennale/
22
Aug 10
First handprints on the butterfly
Amazingly, the wonderful people at BJC found a way for me to include 59 handprints on the butterfly wings. (That 15 prints a wing, front and back).
My design was to have the large handprints move to smaller handprints as they move up the wing for visual balance. It took a little clever spacing, but it looks like I have everything figured out! (For the children who participated, I have a master sketch at home, to show you your handprint in case you can’t find it on the final piece.)
I chose bright colors to tie the whole piece together, the hands transition from red to yellow from the base of the wing to top respectfully. The symbols will be painted on in white after I get all the hands placed.
Placing the first of the handprints! I pour the paint in the tray and place the hand on the butterfly!
Placing the first of the hands
21
Aug 10
A few revisions to the base…
From the beginning I wanted to find a way to incorporate the children into the piece. A few people from BJC Hospice and Palliative Care had a great idea to find a way to associate when the handprints were collected into the piece. I will be adding something on the piece to designate the Stepping Stone Grief Camp on the butterfly.
I asked a few of the children while I was at camp what they thought I should to incorporate the camp weekend into the piece. They had a great idea. Each of the campers stayed with a group of peers in cabins designated by color. They thought I should incorporate the colors from the cabin into the piece! I couldn’t agree more. I am currently revising the sketches of the base to include each of the colors of the cabins: Pink, Purple, Blue, Green, Yellow, Red, Orange, and Silver.
My hope is when the children see the colors on the base of the butterfly, they will remember their cabin and the camp.
18
Aug 10
The handprint process: from plaster to foam
It took several trials and many trips to the art store(s) but we tested a process we felt would work.
After we collected all the handprints the children creatively painted, we took them back to my workspace. I had found in my testing Crayola Model Magic worked best for what we were trying to do: create a positive cast of the hand without damaging the children’s artwork.
We made a quick assembly line and gently pushed the model magic into the hand prints. The results: a positive foam version of the hand I could use to paint the butterfly. Carefully collating all the sketch sheets from the children with their desired symbol, I now have everything to begin painting the butterfly.
Amazingly, we finished this entire process in just a few hours thanks to great help from my family. It would not have been possible without all their quick help!
Lots more handsPart of the foam hands
16
Aug 10
Handprints all collected!
Back of Butterfly
It was an exciting time at the Stepping Stones Bereavement Camp for Children over the weekend (Learn More here) !! Saturday was the big day. We collected 59 children’s handprints to be painted on the butterfly for the Wings in the City public art project (Learn about Wings).
14
Aug 10
Directions to the big Reveal!
In just a few short weeks the butterflies will all gather in Forest Park for the big reveal!!!!!! I can’t wait. I plan on being there on Sunday afternoon as well! I’ll post comments with the time closer to the date.
Wings in the City :
Sunday, October 10th
11: oom am – 4:00 pm
Public Debut, World’s Fair Pavilion
01
Aug 10
Support Friends of Wings
If you are interested in supporting the BJC Wings http://www.friendsofwings.com/Default.aspx
They are sponsoring the Wings in the City public art program I am participating in completing a butterfly. Per the Friend of Wings website, the organization started ”In 1997, BJC Health System assured that a full continuum of care would be available for children by initiating our region’s first licensed and Medicare/Medicaid certified pediatric hospice program.”
You can volunteer, donate and support the group through many ways. I just ordered butterfly note cards to give to people and organizations who have helped me with the butterfly. They are so adorable! Check out more things here: http://www.friendsofwings.com/Volunteer_Boutique.aspx
17
Jul 10
Starting to paint…
Here are a couple of quick shots of painting in progress… studying for my latest architectural registration exam has slowed me down a little bit. I am back to painting and more updates are coming!
First of the painting
My assistant, loves to help paint, tile, and watch guard over the butterfly. Not sure which of us is going to miss the butterfly more...
