Commissioned Sunburst
16 x 16 inch paper cutting.
Sunday River Trip
The last week has really been amazing. I was a visiting artist Thursday and Friday at an elementary school in Branson, MO, and got to hang out with ~500 amazing kids. Plus, I was in Branson! That in itself is a trip. Ripley’s Believe It or Not.. Branson Landing.. Fun times. Saturday morning was spent about an hour South in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Such a pretty little town. It’s a little overwhelming when all the other tourists show up, but fun nonetheless. Saturday evening I returned home to catch the Leo Kottke concert at the Lied Center. Amazing as expected. Sunday, some friends and I took our kayaks and canoes to the Wakarusa River west of Clinton Lake (which is basically the Wakarusa dammed – and it flows into the Kansas River east of Clinton Lake). We wanted to catch the fall foliage before it fell off. It was totally beautiful and scenic and fun…
Halloween Paper Cutting Template
“Two lanky black cats scared of a bat.. But a pumpkin unmoved by the spider inside her!”
I designed the template below for my visit to Buchanan Elementary School in Branson, MO, last week. Each student got to take a copy home to practice symmetrical paper cutting. Click on the image or the link below to download a printable copy for your own practice! Instructions are included on the print out. (Not for commercial use).
https://ruralpearl.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/halloweensymmetry.pdf
Birdsong and Goings-on
Birdsong – 5 x 7 inch paper cutting.
I just returned from my last outdoor show of the year, the Maple Leaf Festival, in Baldwin City, KS. Where did the time go? I feel like I was just gearing up for my first outdoor show of the year… I’m super excited to be a visiting artist with 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders in Branson, MO, this week! I’ll be with them all day Thursday and Friday and have a couple fun projects to do with them! Then its back to the cutting board to dig into some new work that’s been doing a jig in my brain for awhile. I’ve got so many things I want to do, but that issue with time… must. build. machine. to slow it all down…
Sunburst Commission Sketch
Finished size will be 12 x 12 inches matted and framed to 16 x 16 inches.
Every Patch Has A Few Thistles – Cut Paper Art
5 x 7 inch paper cutting.
New Paper Cuttings In Progress
It feels good to be back at my desk working on something. So many things swirling sometimes that its not easy to sit down, nor is it sometimes possible (sidenote: I had a slow gas leak in my house that turns out has been there for months.. fixed now and luckily I didn’t asphyxiate or blow up!). Making the art is the best part, but I’ve been so caught up doing other things – taxes, correspondence, travels, shows, life. I think I’m back on track now. I think.. I hope! More to come…
Hard Working Americans T-shirt Design
I designed this t-shirt graphic for band Hard Working Americans. T-shirts are available at their merch table on their current tour. Hard Working Americans features Todd Snider, Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), Neal Casal (Chris Robinson Brotherhood), Duane Trucks, Chad Staehly, and Jesse Aycock.
Weekend Adventure: Hell Creek on Heels 5k at Wilson Lake State Park
To help celebrate my friend Rudy’s birthday, a few of us packed up our camping gear, running shoes, and birthday candles for the Hell Creek on Heels 5k trail race at the Switchgrass Mountain Biking Trail at Wilson Lake State Park, near Wilson, KS. The race was on Sunday morning, so we spent the day Saturday looking around, frolicking in Wilson Lake, eating, etc. Being a light sleeper, all the night animals kept me entertained most of the sleeping portion of the night Saturday, especially a pack of coyotes that sounded like I could reach out of my tent and pet one.. A little unnerving, but I was more appreciative than worried, all things considered. It was pretty neat. The race started at 8am Saturday and it was certainly unlike any running I’ve done before – through the hills of the park on rocky terrain – lots of climbing up and jumping down and not trying to face plant or twist an ankle on some rock jutting out. The scenery was unbelievable with perfect vistas from every angle and the weather was perfect. I’d have stopped in the middle to photograph the sights had I not been trying to at least not come in last. I managed to come in 4th (women’s category). My friends Rudy and Emily both got 1st place in the men’s & women’s categories, Rudy timing in at the same time as the overall course record holder. Not a bad birthday surprise I’m sure. We ended our adventure in Wilson, KS, at a buffet before heading home..
Kansas Natives: A Series of Kansas Flora
I’m one of four artists for the 2014 Lawrence Arts Center Art Shares program (read more about it here: http://lawrenceartscenter.org/artshares-lawrence/ ). I’m doing a limited series of 23 works of Kansas flora titled “Kansas Natives”. This is #1 of 23 and is my cut paper interpretation of ‘Western Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)’. These works are 5 x 7 inches each and are hand cut out of charcoal drawing paper and vintage Kansas maps (maps gifted to me by John Wysocki).