Deciduous art...
It's been a whirlwind here, both literally and figuratively. The installation went up without a hitch and so far has survived 15 mile an hour winds and rain. I ended up usiing all of the extra bottles I packed, widening the panels to reach not just to the bottom of the fence rail, but to the concrete beneath. I was thrilled to be met with three big bags of gorgeously painted and cut bottles from Grand Rapids Christian Elementary Evergreen Campus. Their cobalt blues and greens filled in the beginning of the wedge at the staircase providing a striking contrast to the more subtle colors I had in place. And lots of 'doingies', which is what I call the spiral cut bottles. I had not included many in the panels and was happy to be able to add them, creating a playful bounce to the installation.
John has been acting as photographer and getting bold with trying different angles. Above is a favorite of his images. The one to the right cracks me up because it looks like I am deep in prayer, and I might have been. Getting the colors right is like rearranging a room of furniture.
Being back with Chris and Oren feels like coming home from college. I was here at ArtPrize in 2011 and am so at home in my familiar room with the window above the bed and its light filtered by the leaves of a tree on the verge of bursting from green to yellow. The junior high band still practices on their street and I laughed at the thought that after three years they haven't improved; a new rotation of students has filled the ranks. I guess they are a perpetual beginner band. The streets are familiar, the season identical, but there is a difference. In 2011 cancer had not yet illumined us to a fragility of life we would come to know, and I wonder if sages recall a prior innocence.
So many contrasts. I did not anticipate the courthouse setting would add to the sense of juxtaposition already embodied in an art installation made of trash. Outside the building is a bench dedicated to victims of crime. People come and go, some enjoying their brightened walk to the office. A soon to be mother-of-the-bride chatted while I filled in gaps and adjusted the panels. So many people reach out and touch the plastic, like reaching toward a mystery, the fluttering colors, so glass-like invite curiosity and wonder. A woman walked past and said, "How uplifting" and a gentleman in suit and overcoat exclaimed "Magnificent!" and after a few steps exhaled "wow." Chris noticed the quiet faces lost in worry, some tear stained. They walk toward doors that will determine their future. They look into the colors, deep in thought. I hope that the installation helps lift their burden a bit, even if only subconsciously. Then there are the children! Drawn to the colors and the glitter, they come with a built-in sense of wonder. A little girl argued with John that no, there were definitely more than 10,000 bottles, that there were at least that many in the small portion she was looking at.
Today we are going to 'fluff' as Chris likes to call it. We will open blossoms and manipulate some with heat. I'm sure I will become fixated on what isn't instead of what is, a habit I need to break. I am forever seeing the gaps between the bottles. We decided that if a blossom falls off, surely they will tumble to someone who needs it. I am calling it 'deciduous art.'
Shipping day!
Two van loads to the shipping dock and hoping all of this will fit in the 5x8x4 foot crate! Godspeed roll of wonder! See you in Grand Rapids Friday.
Gofundme, elves at my doorstep, and a change of plans...
We ship on Monday! A friend is building the huge wooden crate (8x5 feet by 45 inches) free of charge. Are we sure it won't fit in the van? Below is the smallest 1/2 section of five. My magical thinking failed this time and we are flying and shipping the project instead of driving it up. Our back up plan of renting a truck is foiled as well. John started radiation yesterday and can't be away from the daily treatment for more than a few days.
As humbling as it was to ask for help in getting 10,000 bottles cut and painted, more so is raising money to offset shipping and travel. If you or someone you know would like to help with that I have set up a 'gofundme' account to collect donations. Please share:http://www.gofundme.com/bridging-communities
Kim and I had a great time at Busch Gardens training 49 Hillsborough County art teachers for the collaborative tree that will light up Christmastown in the park's Pantopia area. Pantopia has a recycled theme ,with found object sculptures, and themed assemblage doors that hint to characters living behind them. Busch Gardens generously gave the schools lots of glitter glaze to mix with one hue so that students will recognize their school's contributions to the whole. Before the workshop began I chatted with a designer who asked, "So you will be able to work with whatever you get back from the teachers?" and I nodded and mimed leaning over a precipice, a place I seem to land myself on a regular basis. The Busch Gardens team made the event not only logistically flawless, it was fun: elves, door prizes, and most importantly, cookies.
Yesterday, a neighbor knocked on my door to alert me that "some random lady just left trash bags by your front door." I burst out laughing, then opened my trunk and showed him the panel I was about to transport as 'show and tell' to the workshop and informed him that bags of trash on my doorstep are a regular occurrence. Little did he know that I have elves of my own.
New thoughts on bridges...
A few photos before I run out the door to set up my Miche purses at The Orlando Home and Garden show. What a wonderful labor day, with laborers stopping by all weekend to help me on this last leg of my project. The photo to the right is misty because it is so muggy my camera fogged over, but I think the image looks so pretty with its accidental filter.
My friend Sherri and her sons stopped by with bottles and worked for a several hours, leaving with a to-go bag of bottles for her oldest to cut to fulfill his high school community service hours. He probably doesn't realize that he is serving a community of art enthusiasts of up to 400,000 when the project reaches ArtPrize 2014.
A husband and wife, a friend on her day off from work, and a mom with her eight-year-old daughter put in their 'two snips,' cutting from the mound of bottles that mysteriously appear on my doorstep on a regular basis. We sit and chat, conversations ranging from new appliances, curly hair care, to more serious topics like grief and loss. I imagine quilting bees had the same quiet atmosphere, eyes focused on the work, hands busy, and our minds in a state we rarely experience while in community. Words flow comfortably into an odd mix of topics that ranges from the mundane to the eternal, and we get to know one another not only better, but deeper. I thought that "bridging communities" would entail gathering a diverse group of individuals working toward the same goal. Now I am thinking of bridges in a new light, not only bringing together two sides of an expanse, but as architecture. Suspension wires, hardware, concrete pilings dug deep into the
ocean floor, combined with labor and engineering that, if done right, creates something not only functional but strong and beautiful as well.
Rainy day tour of second panel, old friends, and hitting walls...
It takes friends of thirty years to put up with when I eventually and invariably hit walls. Families are good for that too. Yesterday, my friend Shelly stopped by and stayed, even though she knows me well enough to tell that I was in a dark mood. Shelly and Cassie, James's girlfriend who has become family, sat and cut bottles while I put the last of the pieces on the 2nd panel in the driving rain. You know when you are in the company of people you feel safe with when, not only can you loosen the filter on showing your feelings, you can wear your bathing suit with impunity. Later, our friends Bill and Mary Kay, 30 year veterans of my wackiness, spent the evening cutting bottles and watching a movie with us. The best part of having visitors, is to get to share this experience, process, and finished work. I am in love with color, swept, fool-headed and dizzy.
The sun is out today and I am going to work on a forty foot panel that begins at a height of 14 1/2 inches and ends at 38. I'll tie a string to mark the angle, unless my friend Nan, a former math teacher, stops by with a geometry formula on the tip of her tongue. Kids are wont to say they will never use the math they learn in High School. To a degree they are right. When the need for a mathematical solution presents itself, the cruelty is that they will remember there is one, but they won't remember what it is. Maybe Nan will have a volume formula so we can figure out what size truck we need to haul this behemoth to Michigan. My heart protests, "It's not a behemoth. It is big and beautiful, a roll of wonder, kind of like me. "
Childish things and a video tour of phase 1!
I love that the day after I received the beautiful bottles in my last post, a box arrived from a teacher in South Carolina. The contrast in craftsmanship makes me smile and reminds me of the range of communities that are participating in this project.
Today, I visited United Cerebral Palsy and did a mini workshop. I had forgotten how chaotic teaching art is for me, my teaching style matching my random thinking patterns. The students loved the project, especially my signature glitter. It was all over the floor when I left, like a cartoon 'poof' left behind when I disapeared. (My apologies to the cleaning crew.)
A friend stopped by last week with her sister, who, even though she suffers from Alzheimer's, enjoys cutting bottles for me. They dropped off a big bag of cut bottles and took home a supply to work on. Another friend whose husband was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, sat and cut bottles with me as we processed out loud our husbands shared complicated disease. I enjoyed yet another visit, a friend brought her adult disabled son to contribute their efforts to my crazy idea. They both took to the work like a duck takes to water, or like glitter takes to ... pretty much everything.
I've been reading I Corinthians 12 and 13, thinking about the different parts of the body having different functions to create the whole, a picture of community in collaboration. I've also thinking about slowing down and calling upon the higher power to help me to work in a spirit of love. I pondered the author of Corinthians saying he 'thought like a child, then put away childish things' using the idea as a metaphor for the limits of what we know now, like looking in a dim mirror, compared to when all things pass away and only love is left. Then, we will see clearly. I am puzzled and all metaphors have their limits. Surely putting away childish things can't equal seeing clearly. I'm thinking it's quite the opposite.
Below is a tour of the first of four panels. Enjoy!
3 wishes, another box of goodies, and where is Jakarta?
A box arrived from Texas today, stuffed with over 200 gorgeous cut and painted bottles. I am humbled by the care and delicacy of the artist's work. I must find out how to make the beautiful pink fringe in the photo. It brings back a silly, happy memory of crimping my daughters' and their cousins' hair on a family vacation.I am touched by the generosity of people from all over the country working so hard for me, a complete stranger. And I am learning so much from them. I think we need to have an international conference!
Another friend is collecting recycled bottles from her daughters' Girls Scout troupe. She deserves a merit badge or at least several boxes of cookies. When I asked if the girls would cut them for me, she volunteered to do it! There is a teacher organizing her National Honor Society, a teacher working in Michigan so her students can add their pieces when I arrive, and yet another getting her art club in on the action. I may need to wrap a second building!
Kim (my faithful intern) and I cranked away at the finishing touches on our first 50 feet. You can't imagine how many bottles the panels gobble up (About 50 per square foot. I'll take pictures tomorrow.) It was so nice having Kim helping again today. Not only is it more fun working with a fellow artist, she has a great eye and helps guide me with design decisions, kindly reassuring me out of self-doubt. Yesterday, working by myself, I felt like I was muscling through. By the end of the day, I wanted to strangle the panels. I went to bed so frustrated, I got up and vaccuumed, for which everyone was grateful as there was a considerable glitter trail across the kitchen floor. I emptied the dishwasher, then plopped on the couch with my computer to check my email. A woman from Indonesia needed advice on a Christmas tree she is working on for her church. Someone half a world away helped resolve my day positively without even knowing it.
Only a few more weeks to go and we still don't know our travel plans or how we will get the massive project to Michigan. One complicating factor is that John is to begin radiation treatment and can only be away from the doctor a maximum of four days. Here are a few needs that you may be able to help with:
1. Does anyone know a freight shipper that loves the arts and would help us with shipping?
2. Does anyone have sky miles that are burning a hole in their suitcases?
3. Does anyone know a benevolent insurance agent who would donate a liability policy for the time the panels are on display at the courthouse? ( Insurance is required and not provided by the venue this time.)
Thursday, I visit United Cerebral Palsy to work with their students after school. I'm excited that as momentum grows, so does the realization of my vision, bridging communities through collaborative art. I'll dance to that!
Pen in a pinch until day is done...
On Saturday, I got up at the crack of dawn to collect bottles at The Celebration of Running 5K. I had a great time chatting with runners, and met one delightful woman who told me about Black Girls Run which had over 100 runners at the event. I sighed that I used to run in high school and college and would like to get back into it, if only I qualified for their organization. She told me that anyone is welcome and that she has found the organization to be the most supportive group of women she has encountered in her quest to get back into running. I am excited to meet up with them in the future.
I spent most of my time picking through the bins designated for plastic bottles and removing trash that didn't belong, or fishing plastic bottles out of the regular trash cans. The main culprits in the plastic bottle only bin: paper cups, peach pits, banana peels, beer, and an occasional wad of chewing gum.
I stood guard by the recycle truck, lest my treasure be crushed and hauled away! The driver interested in the project, and 
diverted the bags of trash the volunteers were bringing, allowing me to inspect them before they were loaded into the truck.
When I came to load up my van, I showed him part of a panel I happened to have with me. He was amazed that it was made out of recycled plastic, then asked, "How are you going to get that to Michigan?" Unfortunately, I have yet to figure that out.
Once I was home, all of those beer bathed bottles needed a good rinsing off which took most of the day. Plastic fencing around a ladder to created a fab Mac Gyver inspired drying bin, though I am sure that by the end of the day I accumulated more bad luck than I should have dared, walking in and out under the ladder. But I had a dog nearby, even though I didn't have my fingers crossed and I didn't know about spitting three times on the rungs. (More on metaphysical ladder safety.) Though naive to the folklore remedies, my only bad luck was a knocking my head on the rungs a few times. Now, not only am I better informed on the history of ladder superstitions, I can build a pen in a pinch should my dogs misbehave more than they already do.
As I removed the caps and rinsed the bottles, I came across an occasional crushed bottle or one with a paper napkin rolled up and tucked inside. I imagine the bottle crushers are also, like me, cough drop crunchers. And the napkin stuffers are my compadres too, since I am ever cleaning up meals and snacks by wadding up trash and stuffing it into coffee cups, much to the dismay of anyone else doing dishes. (There were surprisingly few bottles that fell into either of these two categories so I conclude that we are a rare breed.)
Wanting to finish washing all of my loot, I worked well into the evening and watched the sky wink a vibrant orange, waving goodnight as the purples emerged to calm the night. My second panel reminds me of sky, and I was happy for the inspirational light show at day's end.
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Roly-oly river...
I couldn't wait to get started on the second panel, so I rolled up the first panel, stopping at 21 feet, leaving 4 unfininshed feet for me to figure out later.
I discovered that when you paint the outside of Fuji water bottles, cutting them open reveals beautiful green and blue. We made gorgeous blingy pieces that remind me of a river as they trail through the colors. I love the look, but our vacuum cleaner may need to go back into the repair shop where we already have a reputation. When John took it in the last time they had to search for it since we had lost our pick-up ticket. The owner said , "Why didn't you say it was the one with all the sparkles!"
A new take on wreaths out of recycled plastic bottles...
My friend Judy Lamantia was kind enough to share a new take on making wreaths out of recycled plastic bottles.
1.Trim the leaves and 'sticky outy vine things' off of the wreath.
2.Cut the bottom off of the bottles. Then cut them into spirals, cutting off the bottle top. Next, cut the spiral in half, making two shorter pieces. Point the ends.
3.Start threading the spiral through the wreath. Sometimes just once, sometimes in and out, depending on what it does and how you want it to look.
4. Go all the way around and then go back and fill in until it's all nice and poofy.
Once your spirals are cut you can put one together in less than 30 minutes with no tools but your own little hands!
Here's the springtime version:
You can contact Judy by email or message her on FB.
Bridging communities, 1/4 almost finished...
I incorporated all of the painted and cut bottles my bottle art buddy delivered yesterday. I have taken over yet another area of the house. This is the first of 4 panels I need to make and I have no idea where I am going to store them until mid September when we head to Michigan for ArtPrize. And what kind of vehicle will we require?
I was excited to see my wreath headline an article sponsored by Cheerios on BuzzFeed. Wondering if I can get some sponsorship for the trip.
Can't wait to see this come together! The venue is working on community involvement when I get to Grand Rapids. This week, I meet with teachers here in Orlando, at United Cerebral Palsy. I am hoping their students will take part, bridging their community by participating.
I'm drinking tea, with my feet up, recovering from today's work. Forgive the brain fog that accompanies exhaustion!
Paper bag please, I'm too excited...
Sometimes less isn't more. This morning I was choosing a necklace to wear since I was expecting a very important visitor. Three similar necklaces were resting on my table so I combined them into one, and voila! It's a keeper. I was kicking myself for obsessively stocking up on these vintage German glass cameos, and now I'm a happy camper.
My guest arrived bearing a trunk load of 500 bottles, most already painted and cut. I can hardly wait to add them to my panel. I met Judy at ArtPrize in 2011. She was enthralled with the recycled bottles and we have corresponded ever since. I have found kindred spirits in the past, but this was my first encounter with someone who shares my passion for plastic bottles. I thought I had figured out every way to use a recycled plastic bottle, but I was wrong. It was so fun sharing ideas and visions for future projects. By the end of the visit we were both practically hyperventalating.
Judy's car was barely out of the driveway when I received a call from Art More Place in Melbourne. Sherri and I are coordinating a workshop at her studio. She called to tell me that she has access to a big event where there are an anticipated 6,000 water bottles available for my project! Soon I'll be packing up the scissors and my intern for some cutting up on the coast!
My favorite thought...
Zuzu enjoys supervising the project when she isn't stealing bottles or throwing herself into the pool.
I am so encouraged. Kim is cranking out painted and cut bottles faster than I can put them into the panels and just when we run out of bottles someone stops by!
Yesterday, a friend and her three children, the youngest a little baby, stopped by to deliver bottles. I remember the days of car seats and diaper bags, and am humbled that she drove out of her way to help me. When we finished the last of their recycled plastic contributions, I decided to hunt around the house in case I had missed any plastic bottles. I checked the front door and on the front porch was a huge bag full of water bottles!
We are caught up again, but I just got an email that a friend coming over with several bags for me. On Friday another friend is driving and hour and a half to bring me 500 bottles she has painted and cut!
A few months ago I realized that if I had one message I would want to leave the world, it abides in my work in recycled plastic. My ArtPrize installation is called "Dancing on Joy's Horizon: Building Bridges." I believe that joy rests on the horizon between pain and beauty, weakness and grace. Taking trash that you can’t get rid of and turning it into art you can’t get enough of is the perfect metaphor for my favorite thought. Thank you for helping me share it visually.
And it begins!
Feeling better now that Kim and I have enough finished to start the 'quilting' process, attaching the bottles to the panels. I love the glassy feel using Sargent Art's pearl and glitter mediums mixed with their acrylics yields. You can see it in the hand painted pieces (brush strokes) in greens and pink/purple. They are generous to 
supply me with paints. Please Like them on facebook! 
Pennies from heaven...
I was caught up on painting and cutting all plastic water bottles on hand. When I ran out, I even checked under the furniture since Zuzu loves to steal them and remove the caps. (Dalmatian caught on tape) I began to panic, prayed, wailed a little, then awakened to RECYCLING DAY! Dismayed by the gentrification of one of my tried and true recycled bin neighborhoods which has switched to lidded multi-purpose bins, I decided to give a different area a try. Having a late start, I ending up playing 'cat and mouse' with the truck, and considered asking the driver if he would mind if I followed along behind to snag plastic bottles. None the less, I came home with a stash that filled two bins, then I jetted to a friend's office to pick up her collection. I now have ample supply to work with over the weekend. (Here is a link to a story of my brush with the law in pursuit of the bottle.)
When I came home from dumpster diving, a colorful box had arrived in the mail, all the way from the state of Washington. A couple of weeks ago, I emailed contacts who have emailed me over the years with questions or stories about their own recycled bottle projects. The box from Washington contained a lovely, encouraging letter, a hand embellished card, and at least 50 bottles, cut and nested together, ready for me to paint!
Later that evening, my phone pinged and I opened a text to the photo of colorful bottles above, bottles someone else is preparing for my 10,000 bottle project. I replied, " Looking at the photo felt like drinking orange juice with a V8 chaser, metaphorically of course, which is the only way that combination makes any sense at all."
Imagine my bliss.
Too much thinking and my prayer for the day.
"The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
― Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC
People have always told me that I think too much. I recently wrote about an interchange with my son, when he joined the minions who have said "You think too much." After years of experience, I responded, "people have said that my whole life. It's not like I can control the volume of my thoughts. It just is. I think how ever much I think." Of course he responded, "which is too much."
This morning, I was thinking about the holy spirit being bread, a favorite Frederick Beuchner quote about our purpose in the world, and dim mirrors. I prayed 'Father in heaven,' though I believe I might be better served to pray 'Mother in heaven' or 'Ultimate Reality' but that makes me nervous. It makes me worry that I need to add 'if that's ok with you father. ' I do not always capitalize 'you' when addressing God (or god) because in the french Bible God/god is spoken to in the familiar. God doesn't just speak English and on tutoie dieu. So here is how it went down on my yellow legal pad:
"Father in heaven, I need your Holy Spirit because no matter how productive I am in a day, unless You full me with the gift of your Holy Spirit , I won't feel good about it at day's end. But if I ask for that gift, you promise to give it to me like a father gives a hungry child bread and not stones. And I will be able to go to sleep tonight having 'done well' the way Abel did. I will sleep a sleep of satisfaction. Fill me so that I can fill the deep longing of the world with the heart you fashioned to crave doing what the world needs. You know my weaknesses and failings better than I do. Help me to change and overcome self-centered attitudes, anger, blame, shame, and greed, a list that comes readily to mind if I dare to give my sin a fleeting glance. Thank you that when I glance into that abyss, because you are with me, in me, and I am in you, instead of an endless black vaccuous hole, I see a dim reflection, a reflection that will be clear one day, of who I am in you."
Display days...
I've bee
n doing events for both Jamberry Nails and for Miche handbags. My friend Lori and I have a booth at the Home and Garden show in September. I'm playing around with the books we covered in canvas for Heather's wedding, thinking "You can't tell a purse by its cover!" I found this darling backdrop on Pinterest, and am contemplating painting some old silk draperies I have. (Thank you hauteindoorcouture.com for the pin)
TGIF
What a great Friday I had, so I shall say 'thank God!' Sargent Art paint samples arrived for my upcoming projects, and I met my new intern, Kim Nguyen. Kim is a recent graduate from Ringling College of Art and Design and couldn't arrive at a better time. Check out and 'like' her artwork on behance.com.
Let me enumberate some of the gifts Kim brings that are perfectly matched to my needs. 1. She is excellent with deadlines 2. She is an illustrator. For years I have wanted to write a book on recycled plastic art with instructions woven together with stories and illustrations. 3. She knows computers and social media. 4. She enjoys the plastic project, and 5. She is delightful. All this from our the first meeting.
Soon, I will be diving into cutting and painting full time, so if you are interested in stopping by to help, please let me know. I have contacted people who, over the years, have contacted me about the recycled plastic process, asking them to send me pieces they created so that I can incorporate them into the ArtPrize installation. I already have bottles coming from five different sources, from Washington State, Michigan, and Florida.
Since my Grand Rapids project is called "Bridging Communities" I am hoping to involve as many communities as I can. I am scheduled to work with the teachers at United Cerebral Palsy, looking to incorporate blossoms the students make. If you have a group and would like me to teach the bottle project so that your community can participate, please let me know. I have until early September to get 10,000 bottles cut and painted. I have 
launched a Kickstarter campaign if you would like to help me offset the expenses of this vision. In case you missed previous blog posts, I intend to incorporate 10,000 bottles into panels that will wrap the fencing around the Kent County Courthouse. I can picture it! Can you?
With all the help that is coming to my rescue, I am sleeping much better! I am also doing a 15 foot Christmas tree for Busch Gardens in Tampa. Busch Gardens has been wonderful, coordinating students and bottle collection for that project which I anticipate will take 3,000 bottles. In the meantime, they are helping me out by collecting bottles from their park for my ArtPrize entry.They did not blink at my request for 10,000.
I am so humbled when I reflect on how many people have helped me along the way. From teachers leading groups of students, to doctors mending broken branches of my wooden trees, friends dumpster diving, and so many people who encourage me daily. Years ago, I dreamed of and prayed for the opportunity to be able to create sculptures all over the country, involving the public. You, my friends, family, and supporters have made my dreams come true. There is no better gift. 
Humble pie.
I listened to Pray as You Go this morning hoping to start my day off on the right foot, not to earn points, which is my usual state of mind with regard to my devotional life. Today I began my morning with prayer and scripture as spiritual chiropractic alignment.
I fall into a trap of feeling I can never please God enough, thank God enough, serve God enough, love God enough, or be sorry enough for my failings. All this is true, and on top of it, Jesus says "one thing is needful." I picture Jack Palance in City Slickers, holding up his index finger and saying "one thing."
Years ago I saw a bumper sticker, "Jesus is coming. Look busy." I busy myself with a million unnecessary things in order to avoid the mystery of the true One Thing. Mary chose it, sitting and listening to Jesus, stopping in the midst of hubub and demands. Jesus came to free me into a leaping and dancing joyful life, but I look like the hymn singers outside the jail cell in the movie Amistad, the prisoner asking, "Why do they look so miserable?"
This morning, Pray-as-you-go, includes a reading from Micah. God is calling the mountains to listen to what he has to say to the people. Apparently, God has no people on His side, so He summons the rest of creation in frustration. It is an accusation; my stomach tightens. God calls on the rocks, hills, and dirt to be His witnesses. My heart sinks. I already know that I frustrate God. It's mutual.
God asks, "What have I done to you? How have I been a burden to you? I rescued you from slavery and gave you Moses and Miriam to lead you." What does God want in return? "Sacrifices of oil, grain, calves, herds? My firstborn?" The mountains lean in to listen to God respond to His own questions. All God wants is justice, tender love, and humble walking. I think of Rodney King's famous plea, "Can't we all get along?"
The podcast narrator asks, "Can you think of a time when someone loved you without expecting anything in return?" , an odd sequitur unless you realize that loving mercy, justice, and humility are not offerings to offset personal failures, but stars by which to navigate this life which you are hell bent on shipwrecking. What does God want in return? My good. God wants me to be my best self, the one redeemed from the broken pieces that I have swept and hidden in a corner, a pile of sharp edged chards marred by shame and blame. God's accusation? "What do you think I want? I don't want all of that busyness. I just want you, the real you, that unbroken you that is full of loving kindness like I am. Walk with me and you can bring that you to the universe. It yearns for it."
That simplifies my to-do list. It's not so much what I do this day, as how I do it. On my own, or with Help?
"To beep or not to beep..." , "I'll save you Dale!" , Kickstarter
In trying to come up with an eye catching visual for my predicament and to put out a plea for HELLLP, I recalled poor Wiley Coyote at the precipice. Next, came to mind are my childhood cartoon heroes, Dudley DoRight calling out, "I'll save you Nell!" and Mighty Mouse singing "Here I come to save the day!" I promise you that I did not watch much television, and cartoons were so rare during my stint in Paris it was a momentous occasion just to get to see one. Nevertheless, Mighty Mouse was my hero and I thought he was real. I also thought my parents spent their childhood as French Poodle puppies. That is what my father told me when I asked him what he was when he was little. He was a rocket scientist and such a brainiac I did not realize we were of the same species. I digress.
I have a habit of biting off more than I can chew, fully believing in my ability to pull off the stunts I come up with. Then, I realize I can't nor have I been able to create any of the fabulous art installation opportunities offered to me by this life, without help from my friends and family.
Yesterday, I finalized plans to create a 15 foot Christmas tree for Busch Gardens while at the same time creating at least ( at least?) 100 feet of panels of recycled water bottles to wrap the fencing around the Kent County Courthouse for ArtPrize 2014. Busch Gardens has a staff and we have come up with a great plan for their tree, but with regard to ArtPrize, there is no way I can collect enough bottles let alone paint and cut them. I am estimating it will take 10,000. Not only that,I can't afford the cost of materials, shipping, and travel.
I am vain enough to imagine plans where I can manage the precipice before me. But when I reflect on my successes, I am reminded of all the people who rallied to help me in the past, who I forget to acknowledge, let alone thank adequately. Nothing would have happened without friends, family, complete strangers, teachers, schools, individuals, and church groups who took the plunge into the unknown with me, trusting that in the end it will be worth it. And I realize their personal investment was not so much a commitment to the worthiness of the project, as it was a commitment to me and to my vision. My heart is warmed and my eyes mist. What greater gift can you give someone than to make their dreams come true?
The project I need help with in Michigan is called Bridging Communities. For years I have wanted to cover a bridge over a body of water. When i was talking about it with someone, one of those forgotten helpers from the past, they suggested the idea of bridging as a means of connecting, bringing together. In a baby step toward a bridge, I am excited to be wrapping the walkway railing with panels of recycled plastic bottles for ArtPrize 2014. I need as many individuals or groups as possible to create the bottle blooms that will be attached to the panels that will wrap the courthouse. I will happily teach workshops or send instructions. Enter Dudley Doright, another childhood cartoon hero who exclaims, "I'll save you Nell!" Attached is an image linked to a Youtube which exposes my compulsion for useless and indulgent research. I should be cutting bottles, or thanking people.
Mighty Mouse sang "Heeere I come, to save the DAY!" I had imagined him sparing me the rare but deserved spankings of my childhood. Eentually was sad to learn that not only was my dad not a poodle, Mighty Mouse isn't real. For real not real. My five-year-old brain was dizzied by that meta narrative... not only is Mighty Mouse not a super hero, he is not even a PERSON!
All this to say that I need your help in any way you see fit to offer it, because I can picture the colors moving like waves around the courthouse and I have a dream that needs to come true. And I admit before God and the world, and especially to God, that I can't do it by myself.
Ways you can be involved:
1.If you would like me to work with your group to create bottle blossoms that will be included in the installation please email me .
2.If you would like to help fund this project, I have set up a Kickstarter page where you can donate and get thank you presents from me!
3. Local friends, save your water bottles for me please and let me know if you want to come over and do some painting and cutting. I'm looking at it like an old fashioned quilting bee and hoping to set up a regular day for this. Tipsy Tuesday maybe? Wine and water bottles.
4. Share, share, share! The more the merrier. Please share this article on your social media pages and get your friends and family involved.
That's all I can think of for now. The concept behind these projects is the dearest to my heart. I recently realized that if there were one message I would leave the world, it is contained in this work, the transformation of trash that is so enduring we have trouble getting rid of it, being elevated to a place of transformation and celebration... something you can't get enough of. Thank you for helping me share it.