Finished! TV Project #2

e-flaxbow

Kelli Money Huff

Hey All,

I finally finished the second project in my Work of Art: The Next Great Artist challenge. As you may know from previous posts, I am using the television reality series as a way to stimulate my creative muse by doing all the projects assigned to the TV artists. I am waaaaaaay behind them, they are now doing the 5th project and I have just finished #2. However, as I mentioned before, my goal is different and I am not eligible to win the $100,000 that they are competing for.

The title of this episode is The Shape of Things to Come and it is a sculpture to be built from appliance/electronic junk. This is my interpretation of that challenge. Below is the inspiration for my piece.



This photo depicts a Flax Bow, a American Paiute totem that was hung in the homes of tribal members and was believed to promote harmony and good communication between family and household members. As I was looking at the junk that I had accumulated to work with, it occurred to me that the ubiquitous electronic stuff that most of us now have cluttering up our homes and our lives are all mostly about communication. (Does anyone ever have enough electrical outlets?)



Of course, true to my usual methods, this idea came to me in the middle of the night. While it is frustrating and even scary to not have any creative purpose, it is annoying to have it constantly visit in the night. I would like some sleep, thank you very much!!



Finding extremely little information on Flax Bows, even on the Internet, this was the only photo available and I am drawing my own conclusions about the name. My research turned up the fact that the Paiute used flax for weaving and other purposes and it appears that the lower part of the Flax Bow is made of strands of flax. The top which it hangs from is bow shaped. Thus that is where I believe the name came from. My piece derives it's name (e-flaxbow) from the electronic connection. Pun intended.



I like to use symbolism in my work and this piece is no exception. CD's, DVD's, cell phones, a keyboard, a mouse, and an intercom, form the whole concept of communication, both with the people in the home as well as good harmony with the electronics. The weaving which takes the place of the flax on both sides hanging down, is symbolic of the grid, both electrical and the Internet grid that is a vital and indispensable part of our lives. Numerous cables and wires of all types bind all the elements together.



You may have guessed that this is not my usual media or genre, however, I did enjoy this and even became excited about my idea. The next challenge is to create a book cover for a classic novel. I am using a book that holds lots of personal meaning for myself and my daughter, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Thanks to ennadoolf, one of our blog readers, for the idea.



As always I welcome your comments and ideas. Wish me luck.
Peace, love and creativity.

Kelli

A Walk in The Forest

I have been staring at canvases and dabbing paint on them and then not being happy, painting over whatever I did. I am just not feeling the paint right now. Sometimes that makes me a little panicked, but always disappointed and unhappy. However, there are many ways to be creative and when the well is dry, it's time to fill it with an artists date. So, my husband Greg and I went for a drive into the National Forest and took photos.

We really liked the color in the thistle flowers. (Yes, I know it's a weed, but Nature makes no distinction, all plants and animals welcome.) The bright purples are the ones in full bloom and then they lose color and become paler as the bloom fades and dies. I like both. I will share more of these photos when I have a chance to look at all of them. Perhaps this will inspire me or you to do something creative.

Peace and Creativity,

Kelli

Studio Day

This piece is not new but I don't think I have shown it to you before. I am in the studio working, have been all day, thanks to the rain. And I have 8 pieces that are in various stages of progress at the moment. (Aren't you proud of me? I know I am) However, the ones I am currently working on are not very interesting yet, and while I am waiting for drying time, (you know what they say about watching paint dry), I was just looking at older work.

This is one that I was never sure I liked and couldn't decide if it was done. I tell students that a piece is done when they cannot do anything to make it better. Of course sometimes we need someone else to tell us that, it's not always easy to be objective, especially when you have been working on the same piece for awhile. Now, I have decided that I like this and I am calling it done. I hope you agree and I always welcome you comments.

Peace and creativity,
Kelli

New Work

This is going to be a new beach piece, eventually, trust me, it will be. I know it doesn't look much like the other beach pieces yet, but this one is a little different than the previous ones in this series. And you will get to see the process as it goes through transformation several times.







Here is a close up of the textures. The color is a little warmer than this photo, it's actually more of a soft burnt sienna. (Wow, what's with me and burnt sienna? I even drive a Toyota sienna.) It already has about 6 layers on it, including raw sienna, iridescent medium and burnt sienna.

I'll keep you posted.
Peace and love and creativity.
Kelli

Critique Please

Hey All,

Please take a look at this painting and tell me what you think it needs or is it complete as is? I am trying to do a series of very, I mean VERY, loose landscapes, sort of impressionistic (just call me Kelli Monet) with texture (did you think not?) and some bright colors. Sort of a mix of Minimalism, Color Field and Impressionism all rolled into one. (Mincolfimpism?) I am all about the texture, but I want it just barely recognizable as a landscape. Be honest, I can take it.

Thanks a bunch.
Peace and love,
Kelli

Then and now

When I was a little girl my soft spoken but feisty Puerto Rican grandmother taught me the fine arts of needlework. She was a seamstress in a factory of the garment district of New York and she knew all of them. She taught me to crochet, knit, embroider, sew and even though it didn't stick with me - she knew tatting, lace making, and anything else you could do with a needle, thread, yarn and pieces of fabric. She even made cashmere coats with silk linings and fur collars for my Barbie dolls from scraps in the factory! How in the world she managed to make a set-in sleeve that small for my dolls is beyond me. As I was growing up I continued to sew - making my own clothes - but what really tugged at me was crocheting. I kept at it, I crocheted all sorts of things including outfits for my Barbies.

Fast forward to today..... I'm a painter. But, crochet, even after all these years, still calls to me. I miss it and I miss her. So the other day I'm sitting in my studio trying to think of a way to incorporate crochet into my work as a painter. I love texture. I've been using fiber in some of my collage and mixed media work for a while now so I thought why not add some free form crochet to my very organic feeling work. I started with some nubby yarn in a free form style, added some twine and then I'm looking at an acrylic on wood panel that just wasn't working the way it was so I played with it. Now what I have is what you see above. It's not done yet but I'm happy to be playing with the texture and incorporating pieces of my childhood through the crochet. It may not be what grandma had in mind but that's ok. I'm bringing a piece of my life with her into the life I live now.

Keep playing and never forget where you came from,
Carlynne