oh, speaking of “donating for art” - I am making this constant, never-ending sculpture of crazy-quilted prescription bottles - and I received hundreds (of bottles) from everywhere - you put out a call and the people will deliver!!!
To the right you see the first stage of the prescription bottle installation - I sent our requests and I received envelopes and boxes from the following: Nancy Hayes, Julie Anderson, Lydia Weaver, Lydia Weaver's Whole Water Aerobics class, Dr. Nancy Kelker, Andrienne Outlaw, Alicia Beach, Lloyd and Shirley Curry. I hope I haven't forgotton anyone!
The point being is that we are RE-USING an item prior to its location in landfills, thus clogging up nature for hundreds of years. We are not even melting them and reshaping them - we have found something useful to do with them in their current discarded stated!!!!! Pre-Cycling!!!
This is how the prescription bottle piece turned- COPING SKILLS, 48"h x 53"w x14"d, wood, mirror-floored shelf, crazy quilted attached prescription bottles. Honors the help that myself and others receive from altered mood and anti-anxiety pharmaceutical assistant. I am thankful for the joy I can now have in my life because I am not a raging lunatic anymore!
BE PART OF 'EAT YOUR WORDS'
My next “community” piece is going to be “Eat Your Words” - it will be an acrylic-suspended table, with all clear acrylic dishes/silverware/bowls, etc. and the “food” will be colored paper printed with hurtfully email messages which have been sent and/or received.
This idea came about when I had a dream that I was cooking fried chicken breaded with shredded words (one of my personal icons in my work) . . . so if anybody wants that nasty email from Uncle Fester to be part of the piece, email me a copy of said emails (you can edit names or addresses, but the papers will be shredded/cut) to:
sherfickart@gmail.com
with “Eat Your Words” in the subject line
If you prefer snail mail: Sher Fick, 1023 St. Hubbins Drive (Studio), Spring Hill, TN 37174
Such as: an entry might look like this:
To: sherfickart@gmail.com
From: joejones@jonesy.com (provide real name and address if you want to be listed in the exhibition catalogue - your name won't be with your words submitted, and REMEMBER the worlds will be shredded!
Re: Eat Your Words Installation
"Well, I hope you feel good about yourself now that you made Granny cry on HER birthday. Who do you think you are. What gives you the right to take the attention away from Granny just to say you are pregnant with another brat. You are getting too big for your britches, Girl! You better watch yourself. You gonna steal all Granny's money cause she feel sorry for you. Over my dead body".
I will also give credit to all donators in the exhibition catalogue, so send your name, address, with email along with it, so I can keep you posted and give credit where credit is due!
Feel free to pass this information along - the more the merrier - and this series might take on a life of its own and last as long as the prescription bottle one - i.e. - my whole life! When Adrienne did her last piece (Shelter, see http://www.adrienneoutlaw.com ) we had hundreds of volunteers . . . it is amazing to do community projects.
I believe that with eat piece of paper that is donated, that we can erase those negative words from our minds as they will be ritualistically shredded and then used as a piece to great a fantastic social-interactive event.
Read MoreTo Resolution, or Not To resolution?
"The Call" by Remedios Varo
To me the real question about whether or not to make New Year's Resolutions is simple: No. I don't do that.
What I do is review the prior year and project what I wish to accomplish in the coming year.
Many divergent areas of my life are considered. Have I been the Mother I need to be in 2008 and what can I do better in 2009? Not just say "I will be a better Mother" - but, specifically, what are the actions I can do to make that occur. I can turn off the music in the car and actually have a conversation with the children while we are enduring the endless pick-up/drop-off phase of our lives. I can instigate conversations and ask what their opinions are and why. I can NOT turn every conversation into a lecture. I can listen. I can color more with my 6 year old.
In my marriage I could make dinner a few more times a week and I can turn off my computer and sit and hold his hand while he watches TV. I can play some Wii golf WITH him instead of reading on the couch. I could go work in the yard with him instead of holing up in the studio on the weekend. We could start doing some of the things we both love to do: hiking, nature photography, playing cards, and Scrabble.
As a sister I could call my siblings more frequently. As a daughter I could take some time to mail my mom cards and hand-written notes as she does not do e-mail. I can collect things I know she will love and always have a gift bag ready for any time I see her.
If 2009 is this cabinet - I get to fill it with all the dreams I have and hope to accomplish:
1. Better actions as a mother and wife
2. More completed artworks/applying for grants/fellowships and to VISIT real art again - a major trip for art viewing
3. More shows to share my artwork
4. I could finish posting my Etsy shop so people don't have to beg me to sell things.
5. Start my series about my Italian experiences
6. Get more active on my own blog ;) - pursue my writing with a more defined goal, write some of those memoir stories for myself and then decide if I want to share with others
7. Nurture and maintain my new and old friendships
8. Take time to reflect on my own life and the balance of my selfs: physical, spiritual, creative, and dreaming
9. Become more fully who I am intended to be
10. Make sure I am following MY CALLING
Read More