Here are the initial designs for Rapunzel's Tower to be installed at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens & Art Museum, Nashville, TN for the Summer 2008 "Happily Ever After" garden installations . . .
I am happy to have Selena Long as a fellow artist on this endeavor. We are excited that another artist, Lisa Bachman, who worked with us on Adrienne Outlaw's design of Peter Rabbit's Garden for last year's "Once Upon a Garden" exhibition, is also going solo for the Rumpelstiltskin design! Adrienne Outlaw has been a fabulous mentor to all of her interns - check out her website at www.adrienneoutlaw.com ! Hooray for Lisa Bachman! And me (I'm excited, too)!
The design is based on this tower we saw in Burano, Italy during our Summer 2007 travels.
Our version will be 12 ft high, and the base will be 4 ft x 4 ft. The first level will be 5 ft. and will include a rock climbing wall on the front under Rapunzel's window with discovery panels on the other sides. The window level will be 4 ft in height - Rapunzel will be three-dimensional with braided nylon rope hanging down the front of the tower; the other three sides will include painted, inverted shields depicting the Queen, the King, and the Evil Enchantress. The final spire level will be 3 ft high topped by a flag with the lettering of SOS in medieval style.
The final element will have painted stepping stones hidden in the grass surrounding the structure spelling out Rapunzel's name and depicting key symbols from the story. Children will be able to have their own scavenger hunt.
Initial design for the King and the Queen shield panels.
Main structure design, without the details or the spire and flag.
Above, the shield design for the Evil Enchantress, to be located on the back side of the structure.
Below, small versions of the stepping stone idea, this is found in an old Martha Stewart Children's Crafting magazines . . . I ripped it out so don't know the publishing facts . . .
The next step is the building of the 1/12th scale model, approval by the museum of the model design, and then the construction begins! I plan on using redwood stained with bright whimsical colors for the main structure . . . Lisa Bachmann, Selena Long and I will be brainstorming to make my lead design even better . . . there might be some evolution to the design, but this is the core . . . I am looking forward to sharing the process with everyone.
In the midst of this - our home is for sale and we are purchasing a new home with a full basement studio - otherwise, this will be built in my garage and backyard!
Me and artist Denise Michelle - Cheekwood Opening, Rapunzel’s Tower Banner - 2008
For Art's Sake,
Sher
POSTSCRIPT: I have been off-blog as my mother endured a heart-valve repair and an aneurysm removal last week . . . on top of that wee Claire, age 5, presented with a bizarre rash (at hairline and from waist to knees) which has "stumped" the pediatrician . . . kept her home in case she had the plague, antibiotics didn't work . . . no fever or other signs of illness....switched her to prednizone and -surprise- the rash dried and now has white flaky scales - apparently it (whatever it is) responded to the last medication.
I state this as the eternal example of a frantic daughter, sister, mother, wife, artist - struggling to balance all these aspects and still, somehow, create some art in the wee small hours of the midnight!
Everyone is now on the mend and I am playing catch up and clean up while the house is still on the market . . . quest for creativity keeps me breathing!
Full Glory of RAPUNZEL’S TOWER with viewers. Cheekwood Museum Art & Gardens, 2008.