SOS ART 2015

SOS ART 2015

a community art show and event of creative expressions for

Peace and Justice

May 29 – June 7

@The Art Academy of Cincinnati,

                                  1212 Jackson St, downtown OTR Cincinnati



A piece of my art is included in this exhibit  at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Here is part of the article about the exhibit from River City News:


"More than 200 regional visual artists, literary artists, musicians, and performers will participate in the 13th annual SOS ART, both exhibition and a series of events that provide a forum for sociopolitical expressions of peace and justice through art. It features paintings, sculptures, photographs, videos, installations, poetry readings, movies, music, performances, and discussions on current issues of peace and justice.

Look for powerful and diverse statements in support of justice and peace locally, nationally, and globally – and a serious artistic conversation from Northern Kentucky artists.  

Sharmon Davidson’s mixed media calls attention to the inadequacy of out mental health care system. The Taylor Mill artist’s starkly titled “Mental Illness in America” addresses, she says, those suffering silently and others who are now homeless."



Unfortunately, I did not have time or the opportunity to take a photo of the piece, but will post it as soon as I get one.  This exhibit is well worth attending if you have a chance.

Spring Grove

A couple of weeks ago, when it was still extremely cold (sometimes referred to by me as "butt-freezing cold"), we went to a place in Cincinnati called Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum.  It consists of 733 acres of land, 400 of which are meticulously landscaped, containing everything from ponds and fountains to historical buildings. I was pretty surprised to learn that it was founded in 1845, and that the study of plants  was one of its main purposes from the beginning.  There are 1,200 species of plants grown there, including many "champion" trees (largest in the state or nation), and many that are over 100 years old!  Who knew?  Anyway, here are a few photos I took when I was there.

 

One of the historical limestone buildings on the grounds.

I just love the lions with snow on their heads!

A grove of bald cypress Trees.

This beautiful chapel was built by a beer baron.  Apparently Cincinnati had 32 breweries in 1875!  Again, who knew?

A side view of the same building. I attempted to make this one look like a pen and ink drawing.

A champion chinquapin oak.

There are angels to greet you everywhere.

Adolf Strauch, Spring Grove's first horticulturist, wrote:  "There is a certain poetic enchantment… powerfully felt by the beholder… among shady groves of ancient trees, whose trunks are encircled by the garland of eternity, the ivy, and where tuneful birds enliven the stillness of secret solitude."  

It really is quite a beautiful place.  I can't wait to go back in the spring when everything is blooming!

Transformation 36

I can't believe I've done 36 of these! It really doesn't seem possible (somewhat like the fact that it's already August). Some have been scrapped, some sold, some are at the gallery, and some still sit in the portfolio in my studio. The strange part is that the series came about entirely by accident. When I was in the Master's degree program at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, we were given a horrifying (to me, at least) assignment. At the end of the week, we were told we had to make 50 pieces by Monday. FIFTY!! This was inconceivable to me. Me, the super-perfectionist, think-about-it-for-a-million-years-before-starting, self-questioning, mind-changing, oh-my-god-i-can't-do-it- ME?

I was freaking out. Perhaps I misunderstood, or my hearing was going bad. But, no. Obviously, the instructors weren't serious, right? They were.

I had no idea where to start, but I thought, there has to a way to cheat...or- something. After all, necessity- and 430 dollars a credit hour- are the mothers of invention. I looked at the discarded work laying around the studio- the ones that didn't quite work out, and said, "Why not?" I started cutting them into pieces and gluing them together. It seemed a lot easier than starting from scratch. I don't remember how or why I came up with the 7x7 inch format, but for some reason I made them all that size. I worked all weekend, every minute, without stopping. I got my children to help me. Whatever, just so they were done.

Finally, I had 50 pieces. Granted, some of them looked like pieces of dog poo, but there were a few that were actually not too bad. Oddly enough, my instructors didn't hate them completely. I kept some of them. Then, I began to make more. Eventually, they became a series; now people even buy them! Who'd a thunk?

There must have been a point to all this- what was it? Oh, yeah... my point was... well, you just never know, do you? Also, thanks, Kim and Paige. I guess that 430 dollars per credit hour wasn't a total waste, was it?