This is the third of three Relics that I made recently. This one is made from two beaded tomatillo husks, thread, a thread spool, an old button, and a weird metal hand from somewhere or other.
I collected the tomatillo husks from the ground in my garden. It was interesting to me how much they softened and didn’t break the more I worked with them as I added beads. By the end, they had started to resemble loosely woven fabric, not brittle leaf veins.
I’ve been working on some new art lately.
One of the boxes of odd objects that I displayed as part of Jane’s and my show in Jasper held tomatillo husks that I collected in my garden last fall. I combined the husks with a wonderful little bit of clothing (used just as it came to me with a safety pin holding it together), some beads, and some cast off silk thread.
It’s no more than 5″ tall and hangs from a pin in a shadow box.
It’s been accepted into the Working Together show at the Evansville Museum put on in conjunction with the Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana. Yay!
I have a couple art bundles hanging in my magnolia now. Here’s the second one after it’s had a little time to weather. I have seeds planted inside. Also inside are the remains of a planter lining and some fabric. I’m not sure what will happen, but I’m hoping for growth–even if it’s just the growth of mold.
The concept behind the art that Jane and I created with the high schoolers in Jasper was that the bundles of art would go outside to weather in the elements and further develop the art. The art teachers decided that the art should be hung in a tree at the school and invited us to view it when we picked up our art at the end of the show.
Today we were in Jasper to collect our art, so I stopped by the high school. I wasn’t sure what I would find or if the group had actually hung their art out, but at the back of the building I discovered this bush. I thought it was pretty great that they decided to try letting their art weather.
The art opening was great! The Jasper Art Center put on a very nice party with food, wine tasting, and wonderful Celtic music. Plus it was wonderful to see Jane and my art up on the walls together.
Here’s an overview of the show.
Jane and my art opening went very well and now our show is up at the Jasper Arts Center in Jasper, Indiana through the end of April.
While we were in Jasper, we took the opportunity to check out the Geode Grotto–a fantastic folk art environment constructed by a priest using Indiana geodes and cement. I’d read about it before seeing it, but it’s really something to experience in person. It’s quite large.
Jane suggested we should use it for inspiration for taking our garden art to the next level.
Check it out if you’re ever in Jasper! I was in awe.
Amy Rich 