Typographies and Topographies

Two years ago exactly my collaborator Christina Gregor and I were putting together this epic installation called, "i'm thinking of changing my smile," covering half of the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Civil War era Dole Mansion in Crystal Lake, IL. 

Amongst many things, this exhibition has typography, topography (the landscape of a fantastic domestic space), and way-finding.

Typography. Seen below is the entry signage for the exhibition. As you pass between two curtains you walk below this free-hand machine-stitched (on muslin) fabric sign.  Very little planning, other than scale went into the free-form stitching. Loose threads, re-run sticthes, pseudo-ligatures, serifs and san serif fonts abound.

As for way-finding, even the map that we used to guide the audience around the installation appears to not take itself-seriously. How will wings feel against my face?

"i'm thinking of changing my smile" is about being comfortable in your own skin, in your own nest. If anything, as the work progressed into the installation it took on a life of its own as its creators' own abilities to differentiate between life and art or between a real-live domestic space and the illusion of an invented domestic space blurred the lines of dream, image, and reality.

Somehow we were left with images and the suggestion of images, objects and the suggestions of objects. The topography of the landscape was fantasy-filled and yet frighteningly real as we (the artists) pretended that we were not taking serious the very thing that had become poignant and real.

View in Mr. Dole's Billiard Room.

June 2011 Collaborative Installation

Greetings! The first half of 2011 has been completely absorbed by "i'm thinking of changing my smile,"
 a collaborative installation with Christina Gregor at the Dole Mansion and Lakeside Legacy Arts Park in Crystal Lake, IL. Our blog can be viewed at: http://collaborateeccg.blogspot.com/

This installation is significant for its size (5 rooms and a large stairwell of an opulent 1860's mansion). The house was built by Charles Dole as an opulent summer home and is currently in great disrepair. As part of an experiment, Christina and I were invited to do a mixed-media installation that dialogues with the age and history of the mansion. And that is exactly what we did. More to come on our other blog.

Spring is here!

Spring is here and I have been quite busy, between my jobs at the museum and at teaching Computer Arts and Graphics.

Unfortunately I have had little time to work at my etsy shop, however, since I last posted I have created a second etsy sight devoted entirely to hand-made items. I realized that my http://www.ecolemancruz.etsy.com/ shop had become full of as much vintage and patterns as it was handmade. I wanted a fresh start and decided on opening a second shop where you won't be distracted by vintage items.

My "deliberate creator" shop is at http://www.deliberatecreator.etsy.com/ and currently carries reusable coffee cup cozies, crochet plastic bag, tea travelettes, and hand-made cards. All of my items are primarily made of materials that are vintage, upcycled/recycled, or leftovers and remanants.

Seven Days Until My One-Year Etsy Anniversary!

Yeah! this is my first blog ever. I know--its about time!

Over the next week will be the countdown to my One-Year Etsy Shop anniversary (http://www.ecolemancruz.etsy.com/). I hope to have some fun promotions up my sleeve.

A little about me and why you should join me in my blogging adventures: my appreciation for making art and curious objects from junk and recycled materials goes back to when I was a kid. I think I was always very deliberate in my choices to reuse something to make it into something new. I squirreled away pieces of jeans when we cut them into cut-off shorts and I would make purses for my friends when i was only 9 or 10 years old. Puffy t-shirt paint could transform any old t-shirt or canvas shoes into clothing fit for a queen. I learned from a very early age from my mother how by wielding a hot-glue gun you could be creatively empowered. I owe a lot to my mom for her careful savings of pennies: clipping coupons, collecting old and very used antiques, and hitting every garage sale, thrift store, clearance isle and craft store in her path. This instilled a desire in me to preserve, save and collect, and out of that my art making practice was born, and has since flourished (with some encouragement from mentors and academic training--I am also a certifiable nerd)!

So yeah, I am going to say it, "I liked to make recycled art way before it was even cool."

Yep!