Monthly Archives: July 2024

Chimera Reinterpreted

Chimera?

chi·me·ra

/kīˈmirə,kəˈmirə/

noun

(in Greek mythology) a fire-breathing female monster with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail.
a thing that is hoped or wished for but in fact is illusory or impossible to achieve.

Similar: illusion, fantasy, delusion, dream, fancy

Illusion, Fantasy, Delusion, Dream, Fancy

I don’t think it is delusional, but certainly a flight of fancy to decide last minute (the week your show is installing) to start an additional piece, that you know will be a challenge. But, that is what I did. When inspiration strikes it is best not to question and just go with it.

I was busy doing all the mundane bookeeping type stuff we have to complete before we bring work into the gallery. This includes pricing, entering inventory, creating labels, etc. Things that are far from creative, but are necessary to present and sell your artwork to the public.

I thought about a sculpture that would bring together muliple animal patterns and elements in a single creature. A chimera. My chimera blends a leopard head with ram horns, a giraffe neck, zebra forelimbs, a tiger torso, a cow hind quarter, bird wings, and a lion’s tail. She is not the fire-breathing three headed Greek beast, but certainly formitable in her own way.

Mythical chimera reinterpretation. Needle felted sculpture combines leopard, ram, giraffe, zebra, tiger, cow and lion and bird — Chimera

Chimera is needle felted wool over a wire and quilt batting armature. Her amber/yellow eyes are glass beads that are sewn in place. I used to fishing line to create her whiskers, and metalic threads to highlight her horns and wings.

If I had thought of her earlier, Chimera may very well have ended up as my feature item for show promotion and advertising. I am pleased with how she took form, and think she will have some admirers when the show installs this coming Monday.

Speaking of Monday, and Next Friday…

I will be installing Natural Patterns: Flora and Fauna with painter Ellie Snow this coming Monday morning. The show runs at The Hillsborough Gallery of Arts through August 25th. The opening reception is next Friday, July 26th from 6-9 pm during Hillsborough’s Last Friday Art Walk. If you are local, I hope that you can make it to the reception.

Frog Bag and Too Much Garlic?

A Frog Bag for any occasion?

Well, maybe not any occasion. As I get closer to a feature show I usually like to create a few surprises. Over the years themed evening bags have been a fun addition. This year, I created a little rounded bag (recycled from the “teapot” base that my octopus was formerly astride) with a pond theme. I started by creating a color streaked evening sky, and a watery base. I then needle felted several stands of cattails and sculpted a jumping frog in relief. On the back I added a little dragonfly that combines felted wings, a beaded body, and embroidered wing detail.

Frog Bag- needle and wet felt evening bag, pond theme, sculpted frog, beaded dragonfly, fully lined with loop and bead closure — Frog Bag (front)

The bag is finished off with a green fabric lining with a batik pattern, a needle felted clutch handle, and a loop and bead closure. This little bag is just the right size to hold your phone and a few essentials.

Too Much garlic?

In my house, the answer to that question is… Never! But, I am aware that some people do have a lower tolerance level. This little anthropomorphic figure is a continuation of the mini sculptures that I have been making lately. Most to date have been mushroom and flower figures. This little vegitable is also a bit of a departure in size, as he is a bit larger than the other minis. I think I will wait to bring him in for the feature show too as it installs in less than two weeks now. Both garlic and the frog purse will be at HGA then.

Needle felted anthropomorphic garlic figure sculpture — Too Much Garlic?

Remember!

My show with painter Ellie Snow titled Natural Patterns: Flora and Fauna will be at the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts from July 23rd through August 25th. The opening reception is during Hillsborough’s Last Friday Art Walk on July 26th from 6 to 9pm. Hope you get the chance to stop by!

Sealife and Save-the-date

First, the new sealife

I was away from the studio for a week or so. On my travels, I had the occasion to visit the New England Aquarium in Boston for the first time in many (many) years. Having just shared my sea turtle, Yuri, and my re-imagined octopus, I thought more sealife was in order.

My newest sea creature is titled Buoyant.

Needle felted seahorse in seagrass sculpture wool over wire armature with glass bead eyes and embellishments one of several sealife sculptures for Natural Patterns - Flora and Fauna — Buoyant

Buoyant is a brightly colored seahorse floating among some seagrass. The figure is needle felted wool, with glass bead embellishment and some sparkling tulle in its dorsal fin. The seagrass is wet nuno-felted wool on green tulle, that I needle felted over wire.

I like the movement that I was able to achieve in this sculpture. It is a cheery little piece.

Another Rework

I created a tropical reef mobile last year, but I wasn’t completely thrilled with the end product. So. I decided to take the components of that hanging sculpture and separate them. Three individual hanging sculptures are the result of this rework. Meet “Yellow Tang”, “Pink Tailed Trigger”, and “Jelly and Bubbles”.

Needle felted yellow tang hanging sculpture with glass bead embellishments one of several sealife sculptures for Natural Patterns - Flora and Fauna — Yellow Tang

Needle felted pink tailed triggerfish hanging sculpture with glass bead embellishments one of several sealife sculptures for Natural Patterns - Flora and Fauna — Yellow Tang

I am planning on using them in our window display for the feature show, But, I am sitting in the gallery as I write this, and I’m not sure if that will work the way I intended. I see that I’ll have to try it out first.

The two reef fish, are needle felted wool over quilt batting, with glass bead eyes. Glass and crystal beads are used for bubbles. I hand-forged copper wire to create the “wave” that they hang from. The Jelly fish is nuno-felted and needle felted wool on netting. It also features glass seed beads sewn on to the cap and tenticles. Each of the small sealife sculptures can be wall hung, or strung from above as a mobile.

Save – The – Date

We are now in July. That means that my featured show opening is fast approaching. The opening reception for Natural Patterns: Flora and Fauna with painter Ellie Snow is Friday, July 26th from 6-9. I hope to see you there! The show will install in the gallery that Monday, July 22nd. It will run through August 25th. Stop by HGA and check it out.

Invite for "Natural Patterns: Flora and Fauna" at Hillsborough Gallery of Arts featuring mixed media/needle felted animal and sealife sculptures by Lynn Wartski — Natural Patterns: Fora and Fauna

Wartski Art Dolls and Sculpture

Art dolls and mixed media sculpture