03/29/2012 - Completion of Tree Art

I got news today that this piece was chosen to be in a First Thursday show...hooray. To be honest I didn't really figure out what "First Thursday" meant until I was talking to my mother-in-law about it and did a little web research. This and my Portland Bike Lane piece will be part of a 75% recycled show sponsored by SCRAP and Whole Foods. Can you notice anything strange about this picture?

Reclaimed Material: bicycle brake wire (cables)
Other/New Material: none
Tools: cable cutters, electrical tape

How I did it: I finished this piece by continuing to unravel the cables to make the various branches and tucking the ends under the canvas. I wanted to give a 3D effect to the piece, so I raised some of the "branches" and trimmed them at various lengths. I had to bend down the ends because each strand is razor sharp...I have the cuts to prove this. I trimmed off the excess wire from the back of the canvas and used the tape to hold the cables in place.

What I would do differently: Once I start a project I am really excited about I have a hard time sleeping because I just lay awake thinking about my next step, so I didn't get much sleep during this process. I should do things differently by getting more sleep, but it is hard to turn off creative processing mid-stream. I am very excited with how this turned out. My doggie, Max, was outside while I was taking this picture and is sitting right behind the piece so you can see his silhouette in the middle of the piece.

In case anyone reading this lives in the Portland Area, here is the information for the opening, but the pieces will be on display the whole month:

03/27/2012 - Finishing up Rubber Frame

This frame took much longer than I anticipated it to. I was working on it in the middle of the family room floor and I think every family member, even the dog managed to walk on it while I was sitting there.

Reclaimed Material: rubber inner tubes, wooden frame
Other/New Material: staples
Tools: scissors, staple gun

How I did it: I finished weaving the horizontal strips through the vertical, pulled them taut and stapled them to the other side. Because the strips were so thin I had to continuously straighten them out as I went along.

What I would do differently: Next time I do a frame this large, I definitely need to use larger strips (I think I said that already), but it really paid off because the weave looks really nice.

03/25/2012 - New Rubber Canvas Project

This is a project I have been wanting to do for quite a while now...the finished art not the frame. This is a piece I ended up submitting for a show, but I am waiting to hear back whether or not it has been accepted. 

Reclaimed Material: rubber inner tubes, wooden frame
Other/New Material: staples
Tools: scissors, staple gun

How I did it: I cut the rubber into thin strips. There are lines on the rubber that I used as guides. I started by stapling the strips along the top edge of the frame then pulling them taut over the front of the frame then stapled them to the bottom. I then stapled a row of strips along one side of the frame. Furthermore (writing so many "I"s and "next"s is getting boring), I began to weave the strips through to the other side then stapled each strip as it was pulled through.

What I would do differently: I need to remember to take pictures of my projects when I finish them for the day since some are taking longer than a day to finish. This is just a corner of the finished piece, but this picture gives a general idea. 

02/14/2012 - Bicycle Parts Picture Frame

The bicycle chain ring has been sitting in my craft supply pile for many years now. I always thought to myself "that looks so cool, I want to do something really neat with it." I have also been saving some thick clear plastic from the package of a toy my daughter got for Christmas. The frame I got from SCRAP PDX for the wood part so the back was just sitting around. I threw in some rubber, my favorite material of course, and a picture of Zoe and I and had a Valentine's present for my hubby.

Reclaimed Material: bicycle chain ring, inner tube, plastic packaging, back of picture frame
Other/New Material: tops of snaps, photograph
Tools: scissors, hand saw, epoxy, marker, clamp

How I did it: I used the marker to mark the shape of the chain ring on the frame backing (I adjusted the back so that the stand would hold the frame up properly). The frame back was narrower than the width of the ring so it does not cover the whole back. I clamped the frame back to a table and used the hand saw to cut along the marks. I then used that as a guide to cut out the hard plastic to be used as the "glass". I did not have a piece of inner tube wide enough to cover the inner circle in the chain ring so I used the epoxy to glue two pieces together. I used the clear plastic circle as a guide to cut out the picture and rubber then cut a circle in the middle of the rubber so it could be used as the matting for the frame. I glued the picture to the back of the frame, then the rubber. I glued the clear plastic piece onto the back of the chain ring and let the pieces set. I then glued the two pieces together. I used the tops of snaps to fill in the four large holes in the chain ring. 

What I would do differently: My original plan was to use snaps to attach the chain ring to the back of the frame so the picture could be changed, but the snaps were not long enough to be attached to the ring. I would like to figure out a way to make this a frame without having to use the stinky epoxy. It is a necessary evil when working with heavy duty materials.