what life gives

2012-01-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

2011-04-11T05:02:00.000-07:00

The gardenLab@516 / Season Two
April 2011

The GardenLab@516 enters it’s second growing season with a complete transformation of the lot. The winter Sky Mirrors installation has been dismantled and new planting beds have been turned.

Many items will leave 516 and become a part of a storefront installation in the West End to promote site reclamation and sustainable gardening practices in the West End neighborhoods.

A few items will stay including the plaster bust of the Indian brave and the plaster doll head molds. After a year exposed to natural elements, all of the plaster objects are aging nicely.

The GardenLab@516 facing an interesting circumstance this year. The building on the property of 516 (a.k.a. The Ruth Stanford House) which has sat unoccupied for many years, will undergo a complete renovation this year and become an satellite exhibition space of The Mattress Factory Museum. The contractor’s access route to the building is an element that needed to be considered in this year’s design of the garden space. Unsure of when the work will start, I have designed a garden space with both permanent and “portable” box planting elements. The plan is for the contractor and I to work together. As equipment is brought in and demolition gets underway, the portable box elements will be moved about the garden space and if needed they will be moved to the properties of my neighbors. (I have great neighbors!)

2011-02-12T11:00:00.000-08:00

the winterGarden@516

2010-12-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

the light throwing sculptures @ 516
wire, beveled glass, recovered metal · sizes variable · 2010

Light throwing sculptures in the GardenLab@516 hang at variable heights from wires strung between the Ruth Stanford House (516 Sampsonia) and Frank & Belle Battista’s house (Monterey). These sculptures are designed to dance with the wind while capturing and reflecting the light from the sun to the space below. These sculptures are symbols of appreciation — prayers of thanks — for the wind, for the the warmth and light of the sun, for friendship and community, and for the absolutely wonderful lesson-filled space I was given to work with.

2010-12-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

the Sky Mirrors @ 516
mirrors, scrap tires, stone, sticks and an occasional found object or two · 6'w x 16'd

The Sky Mirrors are the primary sculpture in the center of the garden for the winter season. They bring the sky to the Earth to remind us to look up every once in a while and reflect on the greatness above.

The GardenLab@516 is a Mattress Factory installation at 516 Sampsonia Way in Pittsburgh PA. It is located next to the Ruth Stanford house and a few doors down from the Mattress Factory’s main building. An outdoor studio, garden and laboratory installation in the spring, summer and fall seasons, the gardenLab transforms into a light-throwing, mirror-reflecting reflection installation for the winter season.

The GardenLab@516 began in April 2010 and will go on at least into the spring of 2011. There is no end date at this point. It may see another growing season and continue into the fall of 2011.

2010-12-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

“...so, what’s with the scary baby face molds?”

That’s the number one question of visitor’s in the GardenLab@516.

Long story short — I like to age white plaster objects by exposing them to natural elements for long periods of time. My interest in aging plaster in this manner started a long time ago with a plaster ballerina lamp. (See Ballerina In The Barn post 1.21.08)

I found these plaster molds in an alley outside of my former studio in the South Side. They had been out in the elements for a while were very damp. I thought they were creepy, but cool, and really shouldn’t be left to disintegrate in a pile of discarded trash. So I gathered them up, matching fronts with backs, brought them into my studio and placed them on a sunny windowsill to dry out. As they sat on the windowsill drying, quite a few visitors to my studio and were drawn to the plaster molds. Most people thought that there had to be a deep meaning attached to them — but really, there wasn’t.

I’m not sure if people understand when I tell them that their presence in the GardenLab@516 is simply to age the surface through time and exposure to the natural elements, and that the meaning and the physical state of these objects are currently in an embryonic stage. When these objects have aged appropriately, their meaning will be fully developed and they will become part of a future work.

The baby face molds seem to make people uneasy — and that I am sharing them in this public way makes me uneasy — because I can see that people are attaching a certain kind of meaning and importance to them that I feel doesn’t belong in this garden. I’ve contemplated removing them from the garden many times, but I have resisted this urge because the molds do need to incubate in the “laboratory” part of the garden space. They are still growing and it would be wrong to uproot them before they are mature.

2010-11-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

the story behind the GardenLab@516’s Swiss Cheese Fence
22'w x 6'h · 2010

The GardenLab@516 started out as my private outdoor artist studio in a vacant lot on the North Side, but it didn’t stay private for long. The Mattress Factory Museum on Pittsburgh’s North Side generously gifted this unused and trash-ridden lot to me for use as an outdoor studio for the 2010 growing season. As I worked in the space, cleaning up trash, planting plants and making sculptural works, I noticed that passersby on Sampsonia Way were stopping and looking through the spaces in between the pickets to see what was going on in the lot. Often I’d say hello and we’d start a conversation. Soon a few neighborhood folks became “regular” visitors and it became clear to me that I needed to add a few peepholes to give these neighbors an opportunity to get a better sense of with what was happening in the space. The first holes were small; a dozen holes, seven-eighths of an inch in diameter. This was good. Then more people started to stop by because they noticed the newly drilled holes and then someone suggested that I add a few larger holes. So I did. I added 18 more holes, some 2 1/2" in diameter, some 3" in diameter. Now this was even better. Then the Mattress Factory tour groups started to stop and peek through the fence. Then people wanted to come in and the garden went public.

2010-06-05T16:18:00.000-07:00

growing beans in circles @ 516

Green and yellow bean plants were planted around the five tire stacks that housed potatoes one though five in an attempt to keep the temperature of the soil inside the tire stacks cool.

The beans grew rapidly and produced an abundant crop.

2010-05-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

stacked tires + tire stacks in the GardenLab@516

The Tire Stacks; One through Five / Recovered scrap tires are stacked to make a living sculpture that houses five potato plants.

(l) Stacked tire compost bins double as air drying station for salvaged oak planks, and (r) tires in waiting in the garden’s courtyard.

2010-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Safe Haven
barn wood (yellow pine and chestnut) and piano keys
96"h x 12"w x 112"l · 2010

It was the magnitude of the twisted pile of debris that first drew me to the site of the collapsed barn on my family’s farm. The massive Pennsylvania Bank barn that had stood steadfast for over 120 years, now lay in pieces on the ground.

It was the individual beauty of the barn’s wood siding, exposed a century of environmental conditions that repeatedly drew me back.

“Safe Haven” is my visual response to a place of my past, that is now at it’s end. Through the work of salvaging what could be considered reusable in the debris of the barn, I found the seeds of a new beginning. A new beginning that started by letting go of the past.

2010-02-05T14:48:00.000-08:00

An Experiment in Complicating Simplicity;
Alternative Methods of Watering Plants
assemblage of found objects, water (salt, fresh, pond), plants (garlic, grass, paperwhites) and dirt
sizes vary 18' to 30"h x 10" to 14"w x 10" to 14"d · 2010

The three alternate methods explored in this work: (1) evaporation, condensation and precipitation of salt water; (2) solid to liquid states of fresh water; and (3) capillary action with pond water.

2010-01-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

water in the basement
275 plastic jugs, water, cardboard, ashes and basement dirt
recreation of actual event · 2010

My mother fought a life-long battle with major depression. Over a thirty-year period she became increasingly anxiety-ridden and panic-driven. The end of the world was of constant concern to her and she went to great lengths to be prepared for this event. During the time period of 1998-2000, she frantically prepared for Y2K, stockpiling food and water in the basement of her home.

When my mother was placed in a long-term health facility in 2006,
I started the task of cleaning out her estate. I rarely went into the basement and had long forgotten about her manic panic-driven behavior during the two years prior to 1.1.2000.

Then I came upon the water jugs — at least 200 of them, all clearly marked Y2K, covered with a layer of basement dust and dirt.

To my mother, these water jugs were objects of comfort. They helped to keep her panic and anxiety at bay. But to me, upon discovering them six and a half years after the fear of Y2K had passed, in the emptiness of a cold dark corner of her basement, they were just a reminder of the power of a horrible illness that shows no mercy to it’s victim.

In the last days of January 2010, I recreated the Y2K water jug scene/experience that I found in my mother’s basement in the dirty and gritty basement of Fe Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA. The installation of “water in the basement” began with clearing the gallery’s long and narrow basement of it’s possessions to create a large, cold, empty space. Then I salvaged empty milk jugs from my local Starbucks’ recycling bin, cleaned, removed their dairy labels and re-labeled 275 jugs with the tag of Y2K. I filled and partially-filled the jugs with water and placed them on a series of built cardboard shelves in the far end of the gallery’s basement. I dusted the entire installation with dirt and ashes from my mother’s basement, and sprayed several areas of the shelving with water to weaken the strength of the cardboard with the intention of causing sagging and collapse to the shelving system. (This worked beautifully.) The entire basement was dimly lit by one 35watt light bulb placed at the far end of the basement.

2010-01-21T04:34:00.000-08:00

tape art dresses
work in progress 2009-2010

Three parts of an evolving (and revolving) work. Tape art dresses are part of a series of works that I refer to as the “cutting myself out of this fairy tale” series.

There will be several works in this series, most of which are in the planning and collecting of materials stages. “He Loves Me” (exhibited at Fe Gallery in Pittsburgh PA) is the first finished work in this series.

2009-12-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

the farm · eighty-four pa
foundation wall, field stone, brick, block and timbers

Salvaged materials for two land art projects that I will start working on in the spring of 2010. The location is at my family’s farm in 84, PA. The field stone lay hidden beneath a layer of dirt for close to 100 years and was recently discovered by my brother Tom when he leveled the raised ramp that led to the second floor of the now dismantled Pennsylvania Bank style barn. The brick and block were originally salvaged by my Dad who was a bricklayer by trade.

2009-08-10T22:47:00.000-07:00

what life gives
Eggshells, corrugated paper, found glass • 8'h x 10'w x 10'd
©2009 ROSE CLANCY

what life gives existed for three days as a site specific installation at The First Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival. Over the course of 27 hours, what life gives was open to foot traffic. Over 700 people walked through the installation, transforming a sea of jagged eggshell halves into a bed of softness that no longer maintained it’s identity as eggshells.

what life gives visually expressed my feelings about the difficulty of life’s journey and of the beauty found along the way. There is something inside of me that keeps me going. Often I do not know what that something is, I am just thankful that it is.

photo courtesy of Joey Kennedy

2009-07-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

studio / summer 2009 / work in progress for the upcoming Pittsburgh Visionary Arts Festival / August 7, 8 and 9

2009-07-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

studio / summer 2009 / work process

2009-07-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

a bright blue cotton dress revisited (work in progress 2009)

A friend of mine gave me this dress form and a big box of blue and green surging thread. I looked at the thread cones and wondered how I could turn these cones of thread into a material that I could use to make art. I separated the cones by color and took inventory. Five cones of bright blue sat off by themselves on the table... and I thought “five strands into one... yeah, I can do something with that” , then my eyes traveled to the dress form and I knew what I would do. I will make a dress.

The first step is crocheting, and that is where I am now.

2009-07-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

studio / summer 2009 / former living things

2009-07-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

‘New Works’ Exhibition / Brew House Space 101

2009-07-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

“when it rains” · layered paper (work in progress)

2009-07-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

BLINDSIDED
paper, plants, dirt, water

The plants survived a month of neglect.

PLANNING
27ft w x 10ft h · paint, pencil

A 27' wall painted the color of sunshine, depicts the path of the Lincoln Highway, the path I will take when I start my journey west to Monterey CA. Inside the white line are my thoughts of how I came to make the decision to travel westward. Blindsided and Planning are related projects. I plan to create healing gardens as I travel across the US. A sculptural form similar to Blindsided will be the centerpiece of each garden and the sculpture will transform over the course of time. The thought I wish to share with others is that with time and reflection, life’s negatives can be turned into powerful positives.

2009-07-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

BLINDSIDED; the second plant to fall
paper. plants, water, dirt · 2009

2009-07-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

I will see you in the Garden
Layered paper; paper clay, tomato plants, dirt and eggshells • 34"h x 51"w x 17"d
©2008 ROSE CLANCY

day one · 7 JUNE 2008
Opening day of the garden. Public reception and garden blessing

2009-07-19T18:15:00.000-07:00

the placing of the plants · 7 JUNE 2008
My sister Peggy and I placed the tomato plants that symbolize ourselves and our siblings upon a paper framework that represented our mother’s lifelong mental illness of major depression.

blessing of the garden · 7 JUNE 2008
I smudged sage in this blessing of the garden. Sage is used to remove negative energy and to provide a fresh start.

A special thanks goes out to Tom Sarver for documenting the opening of the garden and for providing video footage of the event.

2009-07-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

I will see you in the Garden
Layered paper; paper clay, tomato plants, dirt and eggshells • 34"h x 51"w x 17"d
©2008 ROSE CLANCY

day three · 9 JUNE 2008
Seven of the eight tomato plants fell after an evening of heavy rain. Five plants fell as expected and landed directly below their starting points. Two plants fell in a way where they hit the framework and rolled outside of the good dirt growing area into an area of poor dirt.

2009-07-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

I will see you in the Garden
Layered paper; paper clay, tomato plants, dirt and eggshells • 34"h x 51"w x 17"d
©2008 ROSE CLANCY

day three · 9 JUNE 2008
Watering the grass and making mini rainbows.

2009-07-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

I will see you in the Garden
Layered paper; paper clay, tomato plants, dirt and eggshells • 34"h x 51"w x 17"d
©2008 ROSE CLANCY

day thirty-nine · 16 JULY 2008

2009-07-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

I will see you in the Garden
Layered paper; paper clay, tomato plants, dirt and eggshells • 34"h x 51"w x 17"d
©2008 ROSE CLANCY

day one eleven · 26 SEPT 2008
tomato plant removal and garden clean-up

2009-07-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

if I listened to my own advice...

I would document events as they happen and this blog would be current.

I knew that I was neglecting my blog — not because I had become lazy or disinterested in blogging, but because the subject matter of my previous entry changed the direction of my work in a major and in an unexpected way.

With a bright blue cotton dress, I exposed the personal pain of my relationship with my mother and her mental illness in a very public way. And in the process of doing so, I found that I was not alone. I found that the world around me was full of people who needed an outlet for the pain that they themselves were carrying relating to the subject of mental illness within their family or within themselves.

a bright blue cotton dress also marks a change in my thinking as to the materials I use for creative expression. In previous works, paper was my primary medium and the former title of this blog reflected it. While I still like the original title (In my first life, I was an egg carton), this title just isn’t appropriate to the expression or philosophy of my current work.

Now to catch up. The only way I think that I can do this is to start posting as if I hadn’t taken a year and a half long hiatus. But first, I need to take myself back to January of 2008 and gather my thoughts...

2008-01-29T15:47:00.001-08:00

a bright blue cotton dress
Mixed Media; plastic, wood, candles, paper, glass • 13"h x 18"w x 8"d
©2007 ROSE CLANCY

a bright blue cotton dress is a retrospective examination of my experience as a child of a mother who suffered throughout her life with the untreated mental illness of major depression. This examination is realized in the form of a “paperless” sculptural scrolling book. The images are silk screened onto acetate and housed inside the pockets of a roll of salvaged clear plastic packing material that scrolls between two glass candlesticks. Corrugated paper and wood were used to create the mechanical movement and the base.

The narrative: she did not know that she was falling apart as her thoughts unraveled and twisted themselves into a tangle of confusion like that of a thousand spools of unwound thread / desperately she cried out for a savior as she was swallowed by the black sea of depression, unable to grasp the hands that reached out to her / paranoia played her like a puppet depleting her soul of love and trust, leaving only a shell, a hollow void where the stranger that I did not recognize and could not love, came to reside / anxiety was the air in her lungs and it was the only thing with her as she took her last breath / like a bright blue cotton dress washed to an empty gray, she slowly faded and disappeared

As a young child, my Mother taught me about beauty, trust and love. Then, mental illness stepped in and changed everything. I watched as layers of psychotic thought clouded her sense of reality and buried her so deeply that I could not see her. While I have put the experience of her illness into a logical perspective, there is a painful sadness associated with this experience that logical thinking doesn’t address. The sadness of why. Why did this illness happen to my Mother — why does it happen to anyone?

It is my hope that by expressing my feelings through this book, others will find positive ways to express and release similar feelings — feelings that shouldn’t be held inside one’s self.

2008-01-21T03:48:00.000-08:00

BALLERINA IN THE BARN
stepping out of the shadows
Mixed Media; plaster, wood, paper • 20"h x 12"w x 6"d
©2007 ROSE CLANCY

Is it any wonder that I stand in the shadows watching your world as it parades by with it’s insults, injury, chaos and pain? Is it any wonder that I keep my back against the wall and my heart safely tucked away where your world cannot touch it? Is it any wonder?

The ballerina has been in my life since I was fifteen. She lived in the barn at my parent’s farm. Originally she was a lamp that belonged to the previous owners’ of the farm. They left her behind when they moved, saying they would come back for her. They never did. I watched as over the years, her metal lamp parts rusted and disintegrated, her paint bled and peeled. She lost an arm, then another — but her hands remained intact, still holding the promise of tomorrow in a bouquet of five roses. Every time I walked past her, she seemed to call out to me to rescue her from this neglect, but I did nothing to save her, she was not mine.

On a visit to the farm, ten years or so ago, I noticed that she had new damage. Broken just above her ankles, she was separated from her base. I realized at that moment that I was the only one in the world that cared about this ballerina and that she belonged to me. I took her home and placed her a bright corner among a few houseplants. But, she always seemed out of place there, like a fish out of water.

It wasn’t until my neighbors cleaned out their basement and hauled a mountain of trash out to the curb on trash day, that the ballerina became complete once more. A painted wooden drawer on the top of their trash pile caught my eye. I knew immediately it was meant to house the ballerina. Placing the ballerina in the drawer put her back into the setting of the darkness of the barn. The place where she existed and was neglected for so long.

She has come full circle. Surviving harsh conditions that broke her, she somehow managed to hold onto her beauty and has become whole again. She no longer exists in the shadows, she is stepping out and ready to tell her story.

2007-12-05T10:17:00.000-08:00

THREE OPENINGS, ONE NIGHT

one) Artist Made Books
www.tommuseum.com
The Tom Museum / 410 Sampsonia Way / Pittsburgh, PA 15212
through December 31, 2007
Opening Reception • December 8, 2007 7-10pm

a bright blue cotton dress

two) deck your walls
www.moxiedada.com
moxieDaDa @ the firehouse / 1416 Arch Street / Pittsburgh, PA 15212
December 8 through 23, 2007
Opening Reception • December 8, 2007 6-8pm

Inner Sunrise
within without
Changing Direction
no Sand in my Sandals, no Stones in my Shoes

Included in this Holiday Exhibition at moxieDaDa are four works that sum up my journey through the past six years of my life. A time of acceptance, self examination, realization and change.

three) The Blogger Show
diggingpitt.com
Digging Pitt Gallery / 4417 Butler Street / Pittsburgh, PA 15201
November 10, 2007 through January 12, 2008
Public Reception • December 8, 2007 6-9pm

The Evolution of Heat
Sacrificial Tree

Both works, The Evolution of Heat and Sacrificial Tree, express my concern for the health of the environment that we live in. The destruction of our planet by the human hand is so overwhelmingly evident — yet there seems to be an attitude of apathetic detachment towards this reality by a large percentage of our population.

My message: Take care of the Earth, not just for today, but for all days.
Be responsible for the world you leave behind.

2007-11-01T06:50:00.001-07:00

THE BLOGGER SHOW
thebloggershow.diggingpitt.com
Digging Pitt Gallery • 4417 Butler Street • Pittsburgh, PA 15201
November 10, 2007 — January 12, 2008
Public Reception • December 8, 2007 6-9pm

The Evolution of Heat
Sacrificial Tree

Agni Gallery • 170 East 2nd Street • New York, NY 10009
November 1, 2007 — November 30, 2007
Public Reception • November 3, 2007 6-9pm

this box that I am

When John Morris first told me about his thoughts for an exhibition of artists who have blogs, I liked the idea. When he asked me to be a part of the show, I was honored — but wasn’t sure if I could be considered a serious blogger.

I use my blog as a personal journal, a place to examine my feelings about the work I create. I find that presenting myself in this public forum forces me to attach words to my feelings. Expressing myself verbally isn’t something that comes naturally to me, it is work.

What I have realized about myself through my blogging experience is that I can express myself verbally. I have found that identifying the right words to express my feelings becomes easier with each post. Of course, this spills out into my everyday life, giving me a verbal confidence I didn’t have before.

A note of thanks goes out to Kevin Clancy, David Pohl and Elizabeth Perry — fellow bloggers who’s blogs who inspired me to venture into this realm. I think it’s pretty cool that they are also a part of The Blogger Show.

2007-11-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

EVOLUTION of HEAT • Paper Maché and Found Glass Shards • 8"h x 18"w x 12"d
©2007 ROSE CLANCY

Evolution of Heat is a response to my thoughts on the incredible amount of broken and discarded glass I came upon while walking along a local stream. The logic behind throwing trash into our waterways has always escaped me. I don’t get the flippant “out of sight, out of mind” attitude. As I picked up each piece of glass littering the shoreline, I couldn't help but to think about the person(s) responsible for placing it there. Did they think that the discarded glass was going to magically melt back into the Earth? Sadly, I doubt if their thoughts went any further than “out of sight..”

2007-09-22T13:56:00.001-07:00

experimental burn: session one

The two things that I have been wanting to do to finished paper maché pieces are the two things that one shouldn’t do to finished paper maché pieces — expose them to fire and expose them to water.

My expectations of the first experimental burning session were to 1) learn how to burn a piece without completely destroying it, and 2) observe the effect heat has on the strength of the medium. What I received from this experience was so much more.

This vessel in the photo above is one of my first works in paper maché. Although I liked a lot of aspects about this piece, I never really liked it as a whole and it sat on a shelf in my basement for the past five years. This piece was a perfect subject for my first burning session. I had no intention of trying to salvage it from complete destruction, but as this piece burned, I observed beautiful things happened to it’s surface. I pulled it from the fire and extinguished the flames. It sits once again on the shelf, with a renewed life. I don’t see this piece becoming a finished work, but it is the seed for future works.

Another piece I burned was a teapot shaped vessel with a long spout. My intention with burning this piece was basically to see how long it would take the maché to ignite and be destroyed. Now this piece was really interesting to watch as it burned. I placed the vessel directly on hot embers. As the embers heated up the bottom of the vessel, small flames licked about it’s base and smoke billowed out of the spout profusely — the movement of the smoke was amazing. I plan on experimenting further with vessels with spouts and burning. Next time I plan on filming the experience.

My intent with this piece was to burn it — just around the edges. I had a clear vision of what I wanted to do. Since I had experimented with burning a few pieces before this one, I thought I could achieve this rather easily. But that was not the way it was to be. This piece was comprised of two sections joined together. As this piece burned, the two sections separated from each other (heat expands) and started burning at different rates. At this point I pulled both sections from the fire and doused them with water. It was then that I realized my initial vision wasn’t going to work — but that something even better had happened. The bottom piece (what was the original base and on the left side of this image) had achieved a wonderful patina and it’s form called out to exist on it’s own. The top piece having lost it’s sculptural potential became fuel for my next session of experimentation with fire.

2007-05-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

no Sand in my Sandals, no Stones in my Shoes
Paper Maché & Twigs • 12.5"h x 9.5"w x 7"d ©2007 ROSE CLANCY

I consider no Sand in my Sandals, no Stones in my Shoes to be a self-portrait that recognizes an important pivotal point in my life. It is a reflection on the final closing of the door to the negative yesterdays that overshadowed the promise of my tomorrows. When I was finally able to close this door, I started to experience a new sense of joy in being alive.

The hardest part was closing the door.

2007-03-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

this box that I am • Paper Maché Corrugated Paper, Wood and Fiber
8"h x 16"w x 16"d • ©2007 ROSE CLANCY

After years of searching for answers outside of this box that I am, my journey brought me back to square one, where I forced to take a good look at myself. What I saw was a rather closed-up box burdened with the unanswered questions I had been carrying for years. I had build thick walls around myself for protection and pulled the lid down tight. I allowed few to see who I truly was.

Armed with this reflection, I had two choices. I could avoid the reality of the box and continue to travel in the circle of unanswered questions, or I could take the lid off and look inside. I chose the later.

What I found contained within this box was the true essence of myself and the dreams that I had safely locked away a long time ago. As I gazed to the center, I saw in my eyes the self I had forgotten. It was then that I realized some questions just may not have answers. To demand answers was fruitless. I also realized that I had selfishly hidden away parts of me that I was to share with others.

In response to this reflection, I have discarded the lid to this box that I am. I have opened up the corners for access to pathways, both for myself and for others. I realize that the years of searching weren’t in vain — those years had built a stronger foundation than that of which I was given. I am now traveling upon the path that was always there, a path I shied away from, the path that was intended for me.

2006-10-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

it’s been a while...

This past year has been an extremely busy one for me. Taking care of life’s business took center stage — every time I thought I had time to focus on my work in maché, something else seemed to require my attention.

I have been working though, in bits and pieces. The studio is full of work in progress with a few pieces nearing completion.

Change is constant. The ideas I have for future works are branching off in new directions. I am excited to start this new work... but before I do, the studio needs an overhaul. (Too much stuff.) My wealth of salvaged materials is being assessed and reorganized. I’m cleaning out the closets...

2006-09-05T01:11:00.000-07:00

(the best) RAW MATERIAL

Recycled paper egg cartons are the primary ingredient in my maché recipe. I have found that this is simply the best material to use. The
long fibers in egg cartons make the maché strong and durable.

You may be thinking that I must eat an incredible amount of eggs —
well — yes and no. The majority of the egg cartons come from family and friends. I am usually greeted by a bag full of egg cartons when I visit friends. Often I find donated egg cartons outside my front door. This always makes me smile — not only are people showing support for my work, but they are also showing support for recycling efforts.

An underlying but very important theme to my work is concern for
the Earth. What is happening to our environment scares me. I hope to encourage others to think about their impact on the environment.

2006-07-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

WITHIN•WITHOUT • Paper Maché • 10"h x 13"diameter
©2005 ROSE CLANCY

I am often surprised by thoughts that surface while creating art.
In this case a refrain from a song repeated itself over and over
again in the background of my mind — it was small and quiet —
“this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine...”
This piece is about the message of those words. It’s about
reaching the point where one becomes comfortable with the
releasing of their inner self (WITHIN) to be a part of the universe
for the benefit of others (WITHOUT).

WHAT WE ARE IS A GIFT TO OTHERS, WHEN WE CHOOSE TO GIVE

2006-07-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

INNER SUNRISE • Paper Maché • 10.5"h x 13"w x 10"d
©2005 ROSE CLANCY

The winds of acceptance have swept the clouds away.

2006-07-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

CONSONANCE • Paper Maché • 9"h x 9"diameter
©2006 ROSE CLANCY

In the final stages of completion of this piece, I reflected
upon what it was actually saying to myself and to others.
What I saw as an expression of the process of blossoming,
my son saw as the process of collapse.
Upon further reflection — I realized it is both.
This piece is about the struggle and will to bloom through
periods of difficulty. Struggle and will exist in repetitive
harmony.

OBSTACLES GIVE DIRECTION TO THE JOURNEY

2006-05-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

CHANGING DIRECTION • Paper Maché • 18" x 21"
©2005 ROSE CLANCY

The first realization of this piece was as a round mirror with a
square frame. Unhappy with the proportions, it sat in my studio
for almost a year. Then one morning in an impulsive mood
(and before caffeine), I took it to the workbench, grabbed
a handsaw and went crazy. This is the result and I am much
happier. Sometimes a change in direction is the answer.

This piece has multiple hanging options.

2006-04-21T07:29:00.001-07:00

WATCHING OVER THERESA • Paper Maché • 26"h x 24"w x 17.5"d
©2005 ROSE CLANCY

Theresa’s two angels — Edward and Aunt Rosie

Commissioned tabletop reclamation

2006-04-21T07:17:00.002-07:00

STUDIO TABLE • Paper Maché • 48"diameter with 12"leaf
©2006 ROSE CLANCY

Tabletop reclamation — work in progress. The maché is dry,
ready for sanding and paint.

2006-03-23T17:22:00.000-08:00