The Schaefer House Boys

Part of my work (glass studio+mosaicing+AVAM) involves teaching, coaching, and interacting with a group of young men from the William Donald Schaefer House of Baltimore, (a group home for boys in the juvenile detention system) who are being treated there for various health and addiction related issues before going home. Sincerely- they are a pleasure to work with. 

Listen to their interview this Friday at 7pm (+ Saturday at 3p), on WYPR (MD NPR station 88.1 fm) as a segment on The Signal, with Aaron Henkin. It is so good! Or listen here.

The boys learn foundations by building their own pieces, and then make 2d circles and 3d "pop-out" spheres that are permanently installed in the main architectural mosaic at the museum.

They are eager to be there. They are ambitious and diligent. They always get right to work on the masterpieces they have been constructing from session to session (after changing the music selection).

They have also developed a very specific art skill that not even other high schoolers (who are young artists in stable home/school environments) traditionally would have. For that, I am so proud of them. They are funny. They make funny things (see "Fats Life" vs "Fast Life" above.. Fats was one guy's nickname). They all make beautiful glass hearts, and most of the time for their family members (hear about it in the interview).

This Sunday, October 26 at 3pm, is the opening and completion ceremony at the Visionary Museum. If you are in Baltimore stop by 800 Key Highway, it's free and open to the public. Several of the boys will be in attendance to hang their very last panel and see the whole 2000 sq. feet in it's permanent glory. I cannot wait to see and hear their reactions.

Paper 22

("I love music [so much] more than painting.")

 In fact, it is cleaner. 

*NOTE* This is my 100th post! The irony, since this is also in fact, an art blog.

Star-Spangled Spectacular (+More Mural Photos)

The Star-Spangled 200 was Baltimore's big to-do this year.  This month commemorated the completion of Francis Scott Key's "Defense of Fort M'Henry" which evolved into our national anthem. The Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission provided the funding, and was the reason behind the sidewalk mural I was painting last summer.

In a press release from the Visionary Museum, the mural is said to be a

"lively, complimentary and decidedly pro-peace take on Baltimore’s and America’s extraordinary true history."

We finished well into the cold season, but the snow and ice were generally good to the work. Here are the new and final additions not shown in previous posts.

The southern end of the mural features Chief Tecumseh from an anamorphic 3-D perspective, the far north side (museum entrance to Covington St.) are the written lines of his beautiful famous speech. 

Portraits of notable Baltimore natives were also painted near the main entrance of the museum. 

Tall Ships and Blue Angels (Featured ship: El Galeon Andalucia).

September 14, 2014 Canton Waterfront Park; Baltimore provided the people with Maryland's largest fireworks display to date.

(“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."-Chief Tecumseh)

Mosaics for the American Visionary Art Museum

Cutting glass, mirrors, fingers, etc. 

I've been working for the Visionary Museum in Baltimore, and artist Mari Gardner for several months building the rest of the mirror and mosaic panels that cover the outside of the AVAM building. 

Progress charts and layout diagrams. Install to begin August (or September) 2014. This faces Covington Street, Key Highway, and Federal Hill Park.

Grouted, polished and completed panels. There are just under 200, 30"x60" Durock cement panels, made beautiful.

Laid out for grouting and stacked for slow-drying.

Process plans.

We also get to work with some of the boys in the Schaefer House of Baltimore (Juvenile Services) ages 14 to 17. We teach them the mosaicing processes, they get to make their own pieces, and they add to our final panels with circles and 3-D pop-out spheres. They do amazing and wild work, see below!

Extra addition: old school overhead projector lenses, sprayed and coated with super-glam car paint.

Painting Repair 2

Oil on canvas with a 5" tear. Look closely in this rip, it's my cat. This repair was more self-explanitory that the last, the most important part being the painting replication. I patched the back with a piece  of size-appropriate canvas using Nova Gel, sanded the duct tape off the front (note: not a painting I own, or made) and primed the new patched "strip" area. Mixed new paint colors to match. 

Painting Repair

Two 36"x42", oil on wood panel portraits recently sold (very happy to say goodbye)! I couldn't send them off without fixing the warped curvature that made them unable to hang or lay flat. In the past, I attached an extra wire to two screws in the offending corners and twisted tight, which eventually was useless. New simple steps: corner brackets, and a 50" screen door turnbuckle. 

Corner brackets in place. This one needed a third hole drilled into center to accamodate the length of the turnbuckle. S hook used to connect.

This worked well for a 42" painting; different sizes are available, or you may have to cut the flat end of the rod with metal clippers where it makes sense. The size/length of the S hook (or other clip) will also make a difference. I think these are 25mm. Tighten in center until the panel is laying flat.

New Pieces

I have a tiny show hanging at The Metropolitan, 169 West St. in Annapolis, until the end of February alongside of Laura Gallagher. All pieces below are new! 

Falling Apart Looks Really Good

20"x24"

Acrylic on canvas

The Real Kind

18"x14"

Acrylic on canvas

All of It

30"x42"

Acrylic on wood

details

 

Swatch tags

Stephanie & Laura