Dedicated to my mom, Doris Myers, who died March 6 at age 102. I worked on this piece for many hours while sitting with her talking or just working while she napped…
On the inside, I added weights to balance the work. A ceramic bowl thrown by my mom many years ago just happen to fit “perfectly” and the bronze hand is a casting of her artist’s hand created in the late 1960’s when Mom was in graduate school…
Continuing my theme of “reciprocity” between nature and humans working together or the benefit of both.
My first vessel exploring the importance of “reciprocity” between humans and nature
The second in this new series, exploring the relationship between humans and nature.
A continuation of a favorite early series. Notice the gorgeous flashing of color.
A recent work, inspired by some of my favorite themes (Goddesses, Totems…) and materials given to me including amazing found objects and a roll of sheet copper. Corn husk coiling and a sheet of bark I’ve been saving for just the right project. 24” tall
Created from the bark from the roots of mulberry and black walnut trees we removed for a building project.
Another view
A series created for my solo show at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette.
Displayed at the 2019 National Art Education Association’s Juried Member Exhibition in Alexandria, VA.
Explores one of my favorite themes - the dance of life…
Detail
barks, reclaimed materials, sweet corn stems & husks, feathers, waxed linen
This powerful vessel is another work I created to commemorate my late father, Richard Myers. He was a small family farmer and also a full time mechanic, commuting for over 40 years to work in the steel mills "up north".
This vessel really exemplifies my work. It explores materials and their power to convey conceptual intent and my improvisational approach to construction techniques that are usually fiber related, such as the loom woven section of corn husks and the stitched and lashed together other constructions. Nearly all of the materials including washers, rusty lids, and other salvaged materials came from the "forgotten corners" of his farm and the place I grew up. The charred wood came from his barn that burned down one night in a freak lightening storm. The honeylocust branches with their powerful thorns came from trees also on his property. The various sections of the work capture the varied facets of his personality. To date, this is one of my personal favorites...
42" h. x 22" w. x 18" d.
Exemplifying the “many sides” of my Dad…
One of my little signature coiled sweet corn husks baskets with peeled curly willow.
coiled honeylocust branches, waxed linen, feathers, pebbles.
Efforts to capture the darker sides of industrial agriculture in a basket that holds “ideas”.
milkweed pods, cotton thread, hemp
The concepts of the totem and "Goddesses", across cultures and time, are both ongoing sources of fascination for me.
I experiment with the power of vertical forms as I combine my love of design, process, and materials to explore my world.
I wonder about what issues a Goddess for the 21st century might address and the varied forms she can take...
Here are some of my explorations so far:
Installed in my show, Goddesses, Totems & Other Investigations at Tippecanoe Arts Federation main gallery, September 23 - October 22, 2019.
Sweet Corn Goddess Totem was inspired by and then created from a gift of wire spools and the husks from summer sweet corn we enjoyed.
She was featured in my solo show “Legacies” at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, September 21 - November 25, 2018 and also in “Goddesses, Totems & Other Investigations” held at TAF in fall 2019.
Also for my Goddesses, Totems, & Other Investigations Show, I decided to feature Farm Goddess Totem II with a special, site specific installation using my beloved collection of old tools and salvaged materials from my family’s farm. My goal is to convey a dark, sadness at the loss of small, self sustaining, family farms of earlier years that have largely been replaced by industrial agriculture…
Farm Goddess Totem is assembled from salvaged objects from the forgotten corners of the family farm, lashed together with waxed linen cord. Coiled and woven corn husks with wild turkey feathers gathered on my farm create her persona. She is conceptually "elevated" with a thin brushing of gold gilder's paste and sits on bed of sand. This Farm Goddess honors small family farms from earlier times that were self sustaining and bemoans their contemporary industrial replacements...
42" h x 18" w. x 16" d.
A playful form exploring process and materials: a gourd, corn husks, corn cobs cut on a chop saw and stitched together sitting atop coiled, dead lily leaves from the flower bed, carefully scaled pheasant feathers, dried okra and willow twigs. Salvaged corrugated tin, a favorite material cradling soft fleece inside, and several other interesting found objects embellishing the form.
about 28" h. x 9" w. x 9" d.
This sculptural assemblage combines some amazing "finds" from the family farm and other local locations: a huge vent off a downtown Rensselaer building that had been abandoned behind Campbell Printing after being replaced,\; a bucket with an incomparable patina and other fascinating finds from my parents old barn that I created a mane in back by rya knotting corn husks from Indian corn (the purple hued ones) and local sweet corn and a handful of turkey feathers collected on walks on my farm.
She is assembled on site (top form, balanced on the bucked, balanced on the vent) and then surrounded with a site specific installation using my collection of natural and found materials.
Conceptually, she honors the small family farm of my family and many others in the 20th century.
about 6' h x 6' w, x 6' d.
This form was a synthesis of opportunity.
It was created during one of my favorite annual events I attend, an art retreat for members of the Art Education Association of Indiana held at Saint Mary of the Woods College. Each summer for 4 days, I gather with about 30 of my beloved colleagues to make art day and night. We share media and techniques in formal and informal workshops.
This Goddess commemorates my 2016 experience by combining a number of media and processes we explored:
a special paper-mache clay to form her body with sticks, pine cones, and pods gathered on my journeys to the dining hall; a clay pedestal that explored slip soaked fabrics and notions to create textured surfaces, and a copper neckpiece, commemorating the copper jewelry workshop I conducted. She is also honored with a layer of gold gilder's paste.
This is a special sculpture and installation created to celebrate the 20th Anniversary Exhibition of the Niches Land Trust, held at the Fountain Gallery, Lafayette, Indiana in March of 2015.
The Totem in the middle depicts nature "winning" over technology: willow twigs swallow up an orb made of barbed wire with a victorious topknot made of ancient blue stem prairie grass coiled into a form, holding a red osier orb as "joyous" grasses explode from the top. The site specific installation included mostly natural materials with a few selected "human-made" objects. The ceiling has an installation of dried leaves that flutter above in celebration. Other small installations of sand activate other areas around the gallery.
This is a work created to commemorate my late father, Richard Myers. He was a hard working small family farmer and full time mechanic in the steel mills "up north" where he commuted for 40 years. He was overall a fairly serious person who could be kind but could be "prickly" just as often.
The black charred body is made from a piece of burned wood salvaged from one of his farm buildings that burned to the ground early one morning from a freak lightening strike during a storm. I remember his crying "we lost the bank barn last night"... It was filled with obsolete farm machinery and long forgotten items but still cherished by a man who grew up during the depression. This collection of meaningful objects and materials captures him well...
This older work was created from random found materials--a fabulous blue piece of broom found alongside the road that had broken off a street sweeper; corrugated tin blown off the old farm shed; other rusty pieces I happened upon combined with other local natural materials: red osier dogwood, turkey and pheasant feathers, and more. This form and its concept grew out of the materials.
60" h. x 30" w. x 26" d.
In this work I explore the potential for dynamic movement implied by the materials: corkscrew will, dead iris leaves, feathers, pebbles.
One in a series or wall pieces created to honor powerful women I admire.
Notice the gold leaf on the center area. The rest is created from last year’s harvest of milkweed pods, stitched together with waxed linen.
Series created for “A SHOW OF HANDS” 2020 exhibition.
Gallery installation of my larger than life goddess, created for my exhibition “Goddesses, Totems, & Other Investigations”
Large scale hand created from reclaimed chicken wire for “A SHOW OF HANDS”
Created for the short time my exhibition, Goddesses, Totems, & Other Investigations is on display at the Tippecanoe Arts Federation main gallery, I used strictly natural materials in the installation surrounding” My Gaia”.
I consider each of my unique, site specific installations a special gift created especially for my visitors, to contemplate and enjoy. The temporary nature of an installation adds to its preciousness, hopefully inspiring a mindfulness of being in the moment.
“My Gaia”sculpture is my interpretation of the ultimate earth mother,, goddess, Gaia, sharing her power and her bounty in beauty and benevolence. her garments are created largely from corn stalks and husks, commemorating the corn fields that have surrounded me in my rural homes, nearly my entire life.
Presenting a new body of work exploring the image, form , and concept of hands.
Embroidery, upcycled ring box
Mixed media assemblage with cast hands
Coiled waxed linen & found object, replicating my arthritic hand:)
Giant hand created from upcycled rusty chicken wire
A cheesy, whimsical piece that had to be included in a hand show during this crazy time… Thanks to my 9 year old grandson Port, who allowed me to use his hands for my mould.
My 2019 solo show held last fall in Lafayette, Indiana at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette.
Highlights from my recent solo show at AMGL last fall.
Created from the bark of the roots of recently excavated mulberry and black walnut trees.
Created from “protective” materials.
A new totem and installation dedicated to the individual members of my Myers family relatives: my grandparents, parents, siblings and my own family using personal possessions and symbolic materials.
Contemplating the legacy of fossil fuels…
Ongoing explorations of milkweed pods and the vessel form.
Stitched assemblage created for Jasper County Art League’s “Reflecctions” Show.
Natural & found materials.
A special commission
Natural & found materials
Recent assemblages from natural and salvaged materials (from rusty washers to burned out kiln elements) exploring materials, form, and the feelings they can evoke...
The fabric backings are about 15" high x 12 " wide (ish)...
By far the largest assemblage to date (and quite heavy), this wall piece, 36 x 36" x 8" d. exemplifies by love of design & materials.
Can an artist have a hobby? Creating jewelry is mine.
From natural materials and sweepings off my studio floor, to sheet metal and glass beads, I'm having such fun!
Here are some examples of the range of my play for now. If you see something you like, send me an email to purchase or place a custom order.
"Place" stone pendants, encircled with copper wire netting on a copper ball chain.
I could net around stones 24 hours a day…
Assemblage brooches: “sweepings off my studio floor stitched onto forged copper with leather cord & copper wire.
Brooches created from barks, other natural and salvaged materials. Each brooch has a dedicated fabric covered backing that allows the brooch to be removed, worn, and then replaced. It hangs or the wall or can be placed on a small easel.
These are about 4" x 3".
Torched copper is amazing!
When the perfect customer shows up, life is good.
Examples of my simple copper work, forged, folded and torched.
Simple fold forming with stamping.
My first large order ready to deliver.
My first attempts at riveting and brazing. Fun!
"Organic" rivets :)... but I love the turquoise element with the plaited bezel wire.
A set of simple copper and brass earrings ready for carding. My hand forged ear wires enhance the simple forms.
"Seeing Red" series, a four wrap bracelet with a hand forged button purchased at Feast of the Hunter's Moon.
Etched Copper Brooches
"Black Beauty", my first 4 wrap.
One of my new “hobbies” is creating clothing, scarves and banners using fresh leaves and a process called Eco-dyeing or botanical printing. These items are created to sell at the several Art Fairs I participate in and more recently, large banners for exhibition.
A view across the gallery of my exhibition, Goddesses, Totems, & Other Investigations held at Tippecanoe Arts Federation Gallery Sept 23 - Oct 11, 2019.
On display at ARTPRIZE 2021 , Hyatt Place, Grand Rapids, MI
Created for A Show of Hands exhibition.
An added logwood dye blanket was used to print the gorgeous dark background
