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.

Farming at Midnight Sun Farm and Sculpting Soybeans

Today I farmed at Midnight Sun Farm.  Audra and I were helping out with weeding the kale.  The kale looks so beautiful and clean of weeds!

Audra, myself, and Nick.  Check out Audra's Tumblr here where she shares her experiences with a new career in urban agriculture.  She is awesome!

Myself, Nick and Becky.

I started sculpting soybeans for my second piece that will be outside in the Monet Garden for Chicago's Twelve at the Garfield Park Conservatory.

Once they are completely dry, they will be painted.

Heirloom Vegetables and Fruits Complete!

I have finished all 7 plushie heirloom fruits and veggies for Chicago's Twelve at Garfield Park Conservatory.  I can't wait to see them hanging among the plants.

From left to right: Purple Cape Cauliflower, Ruby Red Chard, Blue Hopi Corn, Make the Daugher-In-Law Cry Potato, Parisian Carrot, Zapotec Pleated Tomato and in the back is the Moon and Star Watermelon. 

If I have time, I am tempted to include an heirloom squash as well...

To make the chard I built a wire cage and sewed green fabric around it.  Then I covered it up with red fabric and sewed in the stem.  I then cut around the sewn stem.

Plushie corn has become my specialty as you can see here.  I cut each kernel out and sewed each one on.  Then I sewed the two sides together, turned them inside out and stuffed it.

Now I am going to start sculpting the 8 GMO Monsanto seeds for my other piece that will be at the Garfield Park Conservatory.

Cherry Jam, Pickled Garlic Scapes and Pickled Beets!

Michigan cherries from Hardin Family Farms, Illinois honey from Dennanne Farms, star anise, lemon and low-sugar pectin all to make Cherry Jam!

For this cherry jam I followed this recipe...sorta.  I used a cup of honey instead of granulated sugar and added a star anise to simmer with the cherries.  I would have added one more star anise and 2/3 cup of honey instead of a cup.  The jam is as sweet as the stuff you buy at the grocery store...and that was not what I was going for but it is still yummy.  I am hoping I didn't leave too much headspace for this jar...

I pickled two more jars of garlic scapes with basil.  The recipe is here.  Tonight for dinner I made garlic scape pesto pizza.  Garlic Scape Pesto recipe.  I made some great vegan cheese with cashews, nutritional yeast and canned red peppers for the pizza.  Here is the recipe for 7 Secrets Simple Cheese Sauce.  I have 4 more scapes left...what should I do with them?!

I received some beets in my CSA so I pickled them with apple cider vinegar, ginger and cinnamon!  They are going to be awesome.  Here is the recipe.

I have been pickling, canning and cooking like a crazy person...time to get back to the artwork...and stop heating our apartment up!

Wooden Structure for "Monsanto Seeds" Finished

Yesterday my Dad and I built the vertical shelf for Monsanto Seeds which will be on display at the Garfield Park Conservatory from August 8 through December 9 for Chicago's Twelve.

I used a base that my friend Andy found in the alley, some $1 scrap wood from my local hardware store, and wood that had been sitting around in my Dad's yard.

I am thankful that my Dad was able to help me.  He has any tool I could need.

My Dad sanding down some of the screws that stuck out.

The finished product!  Now I need to sculpt the 8 plants to put inside the jars and connect the jars to the stand with jute.  I am almost finished!

Here is the original sketch.

Working on the Midnight Sun Farm

I work at Midnight Sun Farm every other Friday and in return I receive a box of fresh, organic vegetables every Sunday.  This is called a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).  In the beginning of the season a CSA member can purchase a 1/2 share or a full share.  That money allows farmers to buy equipment they will need to start the growing season.  But this year I am doing a work share, so instead I work for my 1/2 share.  It has been a lot of fun helping out on the farm with Nick and Becky.

Midnight Sun Farm leases 5 acres of land from Prairie Crossing Farm.  It is a 100 acre organic farm in Grayslake, Illinois that helps beginning farmers get started.  "The Incubator program works by providing land, farm infrastructure, and a positive learning environment that helps beginning farmers develop the entrepreneurial skills, farming knowledge and market networks needed to become successful professional farmers." -Prairie Crossing Farm

Prairie Crossing is awesome because their are so many different farmers, farming in their own way and learning from one another.  The animals in these pictures are not Midnight Sun Farm animals except for the hot baby turkeys!

Thistle is so beautiful....yet so painful.  

It is nice to have some chickens around me where ever I go!

Hot baby turkeys!

5 Plushies Down, 2 to Go!

I have finished 5 out of the 7 heirloom plushies for Chicago's 12 at the Garfield Park Conservatory.  The Ruby Red Chard and Blue Hopi Corn are almost done as well.  The plushies are a Zapotec Pleated Tomato, Moon and Stars Watermelon, Purple Cape Cauliflower, Make the Daughter-In-Law Cry Potato and a Parisian Carrot!

Now on to the next piece!  I have bought all the scrap wood I could need and tomorrow I will start building with help from my Dad.  

Special thanks to Andy for giving me this base that he found in the alley a while back!

I made Arugula Pesto with Summer Squash!  Super yummy and raw!  All the veggies are from my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) work share.  I work on Nick and Becky's Farm, Midnight Sun Farm, every other Friday and in return I get a 1/2 share of fresh, organic veggies each Sunday!

Daphnis & Chloe's Interview with Me

Chloe, from Daphnis & Chloe interviewed me last Saturday.  It was awesome meeting her.  Check out the article she wrote after our interview here.

Parisian Carrot Sewn: 1 down, 6 to go!

I have finished one of the 7 vegetables/fruits for my piece for Chicago's 12 at the Garfield Park Conservatory.

I made up the pattern...this was not easy!  But it worked out.

Tada!  Parisian Carrot, a 19th century french heirloom.

I cleaned my studio so it would be easier to make artwork.  I had to take a picture because this is a rare sight!

Now I must start making the Moon and Stars Watermelon!