Chicken Art in Brandon

It is a tradition in Brandon, VT to get attention as an art community by the visual impact created by generous volunteers and members of the juried cooperative group of artists exhibiting at the Brandon Artists Guild. I am very proud to be a part of this group. It is a lot of fun to interact with these talented people as we gather together for painting projects. This year we are asking the question,

 "What's Hatching in Brandon?".

 It will be a big visual impact in the town and a lot of colorful FUN!!

In addition to decorating the town, the Brandon Artists Guild will be showing and selling themed art work by the members in a variety of media. The following pictures show the progression of my piece. It started last year, when I purchased 16 baby chicks. They are my models and inspiration.

A Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red.

I named all of them, but eventually it became difficult to tell them apart.

We ordered 3 Silver Laced Wyandotte hens. I named them Barbie, Joanie, and Patty, after my sisters. When I finally figured out why they had fancy tails and crowed, I renamed them Buddy, Joey, and Patrick, and then called them the "brothers". We kept Joey, the gentlest, and found homes for the others.

I desided to use the composition of the first photo but switch the Red for Joey, keeping the chickens black and white with a contrast of "kaleido-flowers" in random spontaneous patterns.

I used all Bullseye glass that I recently purchased.

Dichroic glass has the unique characteristic of totally different color based on transmitted or reflected light.

For example a single piece of glass may be turquoise when light passes through it, and then a shimmering red when light bounces off it. Another is bright purple with light going through it, then becomes metallic gold in reflected light.


The opening for this show is May 25th at the Brandon Artists Guild

7 Center Street Brandon, VT 05733
802-247-4956

A Brief Vermont Winter

"Ski Run Dream"

In the spirit of giving to a cause of great personal passion, I created this panel for the 2012 Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sport's Ski Challenge Auction. A square of white/clear swirly glass is painted and fired, with a layer of 3 soldered pieces behind it to add more color. The beveled border makes a prismatic brilliance. I observed a Tiffany window at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC where layers of glass were placed behind the panel to create enhanced color affects and softened lines. Tiffany studios created special glass with actual textures and colors specific for a project and painted details were used sparingly.

The stand was made by my friend Dick Kirby of Brandon. Dick volunteered on the Pico Mtn. Ski Patrol for many years, possibly starting some time in the 50's into the 80's. He is over 80 now and is very active creating fine metal work sold at the Brandon Artists Guild.

I typically volunteer at Pico Mountain, and occasionally at Killington, 2 or more days a week from Christmas to April. So it was very sad that the March heat wave melted away the remaining snow, bringing the season to a grinding halt.

It is hard to imagine how it would feel to live with a disability. Some of our children have lived with it their entire lives, but many of our adults have had to transition into difficult challenges and acceptance of becoming disabled. I worked with a partially blind young woman ex-Marine this winter from Nevada. Her vision impairment is recent and possibly related to serving in the military. She was very happy to learn to ski! Our clients get great joy and satisfaction in their skiing experiences. This is a gift we can give to them.

So now Vermont Adaptive has plans to build a permanent building for offices, equipment, volunteers, and clients at Pico. You can help with a donation through www.firstgiving.com, then specify "Vermont Adaptive". Thank you.

"Art Makes Brandon Tick" and other Auction Promotions

The big question is this:
"Why should an artist spend so much time and talent just to give away work?"

This winter I volunteered at Pico Mtn. assisting disabled individuals with skiing and the enjoyment of winter with the http://www.vermontadaptive.org/ program. I made many new friends and had a fabulous first winter in Vermont.

The Vermont Adaptive Ski Challenge event included a dinner and auction for which I made this piece, based on the logo found on the jackets. This piece reinforces that I am a glass artist to a new audience.


The town of Brandon is a charming historic town and art center in central Vermont. I am thrilled to be a juried member of the Brandon Artists Guild, http://www.brandonartistsguild.org/. They have a great reputaion in the state and a tradition of doing an annual auction in which a theme is chosen, and the members make extraordinary work which is exhibited all summer long and then auctioned in the fall. This year the theme is clocks.

Of course my personal goal was to create an outstanding piece to launch myself as a Vermont artist. What I didn't expect was the numerous "firsts" this work was for me in expanding my skills and techniques. I postponed completing custom work (earning money) but learned so much! I fused, painted, fired, etched, drilled, glued and grouted. The final challenges were installing the clock works and electrical illumination. The outcome was knowledge and skill for ME. It was far more effective than anything I could have gotten out of taking a class. There is a lot to be said for being self taught.

My peers were impressed. Warren Kimble gave it a triple "wow"!


The next auction request was for mirror frames for the Lion's Club auction, "Reflections of Brandon". I surprised myself by making 2 pieces. I knew I wanted to do the waterfall in a rectangular shape, but I also had a vision of a square piece featuring architectural details. My assistant from NJ, Tom McMenamin, took over 100 pictures throughout the town, giving me many great possibilities. The corners were done with Vermont slate from my own property. I used fired vitreous glass paint to create some interesting details. Wood strips outline the frame inside and out. Mosaic techniques complete the frame.
(The mirrors were added later where you see bark. I took the pictures in front of a tree.)


Nothing in Brandon is more spectacular then then the Neshobe River running through the center of town, cascading next to a tiny park, where I cherish moments with coffee and treats from Gourmet Provence, sister to Cafe Provence, http://www.cafeprovencevt.com/, an outstanding place!

Rather than fired painted details, I used conventional drawing and painting techniques with transparent glass on top. I was able to do a colorful sky, windows, ferns, and more. The flowers are textural details of fused glass. Real slate rock is included. It is finished as a mosaic.

Well, the answer is that it is for you. It is an opportunity to promote and expand yourself in ways you would have never done otherwise. Some of my best work over the years has been gifts for family and close friends. Motivation can simply be generosity.

Forest Family Portrait III

Forest Family Portrait II

The cut pieces of the panel ready to be painted.

Painting tools:

Reusche Powder pigments

Gum Arabic

Water

Brushes

Wood scraping tools

Glistening lump of mixed paint

The Family photo reference

The painted figures on the light table, unfired.

Forest Family Portrait

In the style of my favorite creation, I have been commissioned to do a family portait in the spirit of "Dancing in the Forest". Above is the Glass Eye design. Glass Eye is a CAD (computer assisted design) program that enables me to draw with my mouse and e-mail the progression of the design to the customer. I started this design Sunday at the Cafe Provence in Brandon, VT after having a yummy quiche brunch. http://www.cafeprovencevt.com/. I was drinking coffee and waiting to start my training at the http://www.brandonartistsguild.org/ Brandon Artists Guild, where I am now a Juried Member. Read more about Brandon on my web site blog, www.karendeets.com/pages/Blog.htm .

The young NJ family is a handsome group with varied skin tones, thus making the tree trunks interesting in the diversity. Details will be painted and fired. I will post the progression.

Mums in the Garden

I have an idea:
If bulldozers continue to carve up the rural countryside and plant housing developments everywhere, why not bulldoze rotting buildings in the cities and farm it!
When I observed several years ago in Trenton an entire block in rubbles, I thought to myself, why not add some top soil and farm this area? But to my surprise, in a short time, the Sovereign Bank Arena appeared.

Recently I became aware of an opportunity to help see a little bit of this idea become a reality. Artworks of Trenton, http://www.artworkstrenton.com/ , is sponsoring a fund raiser for STARS, South Trenton Area Residents Society, http://www.trentonstars.org/ , to start a community urban garden project. There are several locations in Trenton where you can pick up a blank 9" heart to finish anyway you like. They have to be turned in by Feb. 20th, and then on Feb. 27th they will be displayed at Artworks and auctioned off, with bids starting at $5.



My heart is called "Mums in the Garden". There is a young mother standing outside, an old mother in the right window, and a mother cat in the left window, in addition to the obvious chrysanthemums. It is composed of glass pieces with a mosaic technique. Some of the pieces are fuse fired and some are fired again with painted details. Acrylic paint is applied with a palette knife in the sky area.