Opening Reception for Chicago's Twelve at Garfield Park Conservatory!

Last nights opening reception for Chicago's Twelve at Garfield Park Conservatory was wonderful.  All the artwork blends beautifully with the plants.

Here I am standing with my piece, Monsanto's Genetically Modified Crops.  This is my first outdoor sculpture I have ever made and it was a real challenge to figure out, but it has withstood a pretty awful storm a few days ago and nothing has been damaged.  I look forward to creating more outside sculptures!  These piece has been an amazing learning experience.

My piece Heirloom Fruits and Vegetables.  This is also my first time making site-specific installations.  The Garfield Park Conservatory is a very warm, humid, and wet location so I and the other artists had many elements to consider when making our work.  This has been an awesome opportunity to grow as an artist!

In this photo is 8 of the 12 artists and Sergio Gomez, the curator of the show.  

We each had a chance to tell everyone a bit about our work.

Heirloom Fruits and Vegetables

Heirloom fruits and vegetables are plants that have been grown for about 50 to 100 years or more before large-scale agriculture began.  Heirloom plants are open-pollinated, meaning they have been naturally pollinated by insects, birds or wind.  The produce found in grocery stores are usually hybridized to make them more disease and pest resistant so they can be grown in mass quantities with less hassle.  These fruits and vegetables are also chosen for their longer shelf stability.  This way of picking and choosing leaves many varieties of fruits and vegetables unknown to us that are often richer in flavor and largely diverse.

Monsanto's Genetically Modified Crops

Inside these jars are the 8 genetically modified crops Monsanto produces and sells at an incredibly large scale.  This includes corn, wheat, soybeans, canola, cotton, sugarbeets, alfalfa and sorghum.  The seeds they sell to farmers have had their DNA manipulated to make the plant resistant to specific pests, diseases or environmental conditions.  This piece serves as a reminder to recognize the history and future of these 8 crops.

Chicago's Twelve will be at Garfield Park Conservatory until December 9th.  We will also be having an artist talk at the Garfield Park Conservatory on October 24 from 6 to 8pm for Chicago Artists Month.

Installing Monsanto's Genetically Modified Crops at Garfield Park Conservatory

Monsanto's Genetically Modified Crops is finally in it's place in the Monet Garden at the Garfield Park Conservatory!

Almost there....

I have finished all 8 of Monsanto's genetically modified crops for my new piece that will be on display at the Garfield Park Conservatory for Chicago's Twelve.  I will be installing my work sometime next week.

I have enough time to sew together two more heirloom plants for my other piece.  I am thinking of sewing an heirloom pumpkin and a patty pan squash!

Almost Finished with Monsanto Sculpture!

I have finished sculpting and painting 7 out of the 8 crops Monsanto sells as a genetically modified seed.  The Sorghum is the last one to do and I should be done with it tomorrow.  All I have left is to seal up the jars real good so water can not get in and drill the holes on the wooden shelf I built to tie the jars to it with twine.  This is the frightening part since this piece will be outside for four months but I am excited for the challenge because I have never made artwork for outside before.

Only Sorghum Seeds Left to Sculpt!

Yesterday I finished sculpting the Corn.

The Alfalfa

The Sugarbeet.  Once they dry and are painted I will attach the leaves to the beet inside the jar.  It has been hard enough sculpting these plants, but trying to sculpt them to fit inside their jars hasn't made it any easier!

The final crop to sculpt is the Sorghum.  That pile of sorghum seeds took an hour...so I found some foam and covered it in clay to stick inside the jar so I do not spend 3 days making sorghum seeds!

Sculpting 8 GMO Crops

I have been sculpting a ton to get 8 Monsanto Seeds finished!  Above is the sculpted soybeans in there tiny glass jar.

So far I have completed the soybeans, wheat, canola, and cotton.  The armatures were made out of thin wire.  I needed to make sure no part of them was touching anything since they will be viewed from all around and can not have any flat spots.  

Wheat!

Cotton!  I will glue in the cotton once it dries.

Canola!

I hope to finish the last four crops today.  Those include corn, alfalfa, sorghum and sugarbeets.

Chicago's 12 at Garfield Park Conservatory

Chicago's Twelve at Garfield Park Conservatory opening Wednesday, August 8 from 6-8pm!  Also, there will be a Chicago's Twelve Artist Talk at the Garfield Park Conservatory on Wednesday, October 24th at 6pm for Chicago Artist Month.

This is my first idea for a piece that could be located outside.

My second idea.  I have yet to get the go ahead for either of them but I have probably 2 weeks to get these done.  I am going to have to be speedy.

Monsanto Seeds

The materials I would use would be  recycled wood, metal, glass jars, and clay sculptures of corn, alfalfa, wheat, soybeans, canola, cotton, sugar beets and sorghum.  These are the 8 GMO seeds Monsanto produces on an incredibly large scale.   The glass mason jar is used to preserve foods.  Having the plants in the jars is a reminder to save and preserve their natural make-up.  Plants are brought to peoples attention when they are in the Garfield Park Conservatory and this piece serves as a reminder to recognize the history and future of these 8 seeds.

Heirloom Fruits and Vegetables

The Garfield Park Conservatory contains some plants that are over 300 years old.  They also display plants that many viewers did not know exist.  Placing these heirloom fruits and vegetables in the Garfield Park Conservatory will educate viewers about edible plants that seem strange and have been around for over 50 to 100 years.  The materials would be made of recycled fabric and twine to hang from the ceiling.

Five Genetically Modified Seeds from Monsanto

Here is an idea for an outdoor sculpture I was working on yesterday.  The materials I would use would be  recycled wood, metal, glass jars, and clay sculptures of corn, wheat, soybeans, canola, and possibly sugar beets.  These are 5 out of the 8 GMO seeds Monsanto produces on an incredibly large scale.  I am paying more attention to these 5 plants because they are foods we consume on a regular basis.  The glass mason jar is used to preserve foods.  Having the plants in the jars is a reminder to save and preserve their natural make-up.

Finished!

Monsanto and the Farmer is finally finished!

In the end, the corn is hardly visible because it is being crushed by Monsanto. It is sad that so much of my work is not seen, but at the same time it reminds me of the work the farmers do that is not appreciated.

Monsanto owns the corn and the farmers are it's minions. Monsanto can destroy the farmer. I wanted Monsanto to be crushing many varieties of heirloom corn because they insist on only growing one kind of corn, and this corn can mix with the heirloom seeds and we can loose them for good. Mexico is especially proud of it's many varieties of corn, but Monsanto has succeeded in growing it's one variety of corn there as well.

The farmer offers the one kind of genetically modified corn Monsanto has them grow.

My Plushie Corn Babies and I

Finally! I have finished all of the corn. The blue corn was my final one. This is the happy face of a girl who knows her plushie corn days are behind her.

I'm also finished with the entire piece. I will take photos tomorrow when natural sunlight is coming through the windows.

To make the suit jacket sleeve for Mr. Monsanto I bought a giant suit jacket from the thrift store and chopped it up. Although the jacket was huge, one sleeve still did not fit around Mr. Monsanto's massive arm, so I had to sew both sleeves together. This was not easy but somehow I did it!

Here are the two sleeves sewn together.

More to come tomorrow!

First Cardinal of the Year!

Earlier today, the weather in Chicago was super nice! I wore a sweater, leggings and long skirt and was content. Jacob and I took a long walk and spotted a cardinal in a tree. Here in Rogers Park I see so many cardinals. Sometimes I will see one once a day in the summer. And I get excited every time. This time I had my camera!

I am almost done with sewing 5 pieces of corn. I am half way done with the last one. I hope to have the entire sculpture assembled by the end of next week!

Buckwheat pancakes! They are very different in taste from regular pancakes. Jacob and I love them. I found the recipe on vegweb but had to make some changes to the recipe. Here it is:

Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes

-makes 4 pancakes

1 cup nondairy milk (I use soy)

1 TBS apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

4 TBS all purpose flour

1 TBS sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 TBS baking powder

2 TBS oil

-mix milk with vinegar in medium bowl and let sit while you mix dry ingredients.

-mix flours, sugar, salt and baking powder in large bowl.

-whip in oil to milk and vinegar mixture. Gently stir into the dry ingredients. Batter may be slightly lumpy, do not over stir. Let batter sit for 10 minutes.

-Heat oiled pan to low. Pour batter to desired size and turn the pan so the pancake spreads and becomes thin or else they will stay goopy inside. Once you see a lot of bubbles, flip pancake over. Be careful not to burn.

-Serve! Maple syrup, butter, and pecans!

Opening Reception at Union Street Gallery this Friday, 6-9pm!

This Friday, March 2, at Union Street Gallery (1527 Otto Blvd., Chicago Heights, IL 60411) from 6-9pm, my work will be on display in botanic/organic. I am super excited!

And...more corn. One more to go after this, then I can wrap this Monsanto piece up! Here is a link to an older post to see the hands I have sculpted that will be holding/crushing this corn.

Eat a Romanesco!

Here is a tiny update on the second corn I am sewing. I have finished this piece today and have another one to do before I can say I have two pieces of corn done. They take a very long time but it is very relaxing sewing each kernel on.

This is a Romanesco Cauliflower. He was super yummy with horseradish hummus. It is so mesmerizing to follow the pattern of this vegetable.

Last Thursday, Chicago Artist Resource hosted "Public Art: How to do Art in Public Spaces" at the Chicago Cultural Center. I went to educate myself for Potluck: Chicago's project we will be doing in February, and because I have an idea for Version 12. It is a festival where creative people will "open and remix" twelve temporary spaces for the month of May in Bridgeport. Their "plans include opening up a used bookstore, a nightly performance space in a church, a home brewing club kitchen, a department store/gallery showcasing all locally manufactured small batch and artisanal products, nomadic collaborative restaurants, and community kitchens, parking lot flea markets, a neighborhood tourism bureau, and a rotating exhibition space for artist and designers."

I want to propose a public art piece that would produce food as well so that people could take from the piece. Kale and Chard to be exact! I want to draw up some ideas and see if this could actually be possible and then hopefully find some people who would be interested in joining me and making this idea stronger.

I can't wait for summer. I want to farm!

Mrs. Chickens Chance to Shine!

Mrs. Chicken on Her Hill is going to be in a show along with one other piece of mine! She will be at the B1E Gallery in Rogers Park, 6902 N. Glenwood Ave (1/2 a block from the Morse red line stop) on Wednesday, January 18th, 7-10pm and Saturday, January 21st, 7-10pm! Come see Mrs. Chicken in all her glory!

A sign I made for the backroom at work.

More cards to be handed out with an image of the artwork on the front and details on the back.

I had to repaint Mrs. Chicken because she never got the second coat of paint she deserved.

And I finally sewed the corn together. I was worried it would not work but I think it turned out "corn-like." I will sew a husk on to it to make it a bit more obvious what it is. Then I have about 3 to 5 more corns to create for the Monsanto hand to crush.

It's snowing!!!