Skip to main content
search
All Posts By

melissasasichambers

I am an artist whose artwork is informed by its setting and its function. Where is it going to be seen and what does it need to express? I paint 2-D paintings as well as on 3-D objects. I also create artwork using unorthodox materials such as polyvinyl tarps and duck tape in my process of evolving a new art form. My work is playful, colorful, highly patterned, inspired by ethnic, traditional, or domestic motifs. Sometimes it is representational, sometimes it is decorative, often it is a combination of both styles. I create art for exhibition, art that is translated into public art, and art in situ.

Apr 30 2022

Zoo Boise Gorongosa merchandise

By Gorongosa, Public Art

The Summer of 2019 I installed the permanent outdoor Public Art piece for Zoo Boise’s new site expansion, the Gorongosa Exhibit. The artwork was completed that Spring and I had several conversations with Friends of Zoo Boise, the Zoo Boise Gift Shop as well as the company that purchases the concessions for the Gift Shop, in the hope of setting up a Licensing Agreement that would allow us to produce merchandise using my copyrighted images.  To no avail.

I decided in the end to set up an account with Redbubble.  They offer a panoply of products using my images — all of which you can view (and buy) at my page on the Redbubble website.

They will create everything from T-shirts and Hoodies, to Coffee Mugs, Shower Curtains, Duvet Covers, small pieces of furniture, Tote Bags, you name it, they make it.  Phone cases, Face Masks, Fanny Packs, Pillows, Floor Cushions.  Go see for yourself!

These photos are just screenshots from the website so, my apologies for the quality.  I have zero apologies however for the Actual Quality of the real things.  Having become my own best customer by solving 2020’s Christmas shopping purchasing a variety of these products, I can vouch for how well made they all are.

In fact here’s a sneak peak into our bathroom’s Leopard Shower Curtain.  Meowow!

Jan 22 2017
©2017 Melissa "Sasi" Chambers - "Great Circle of Life" Black Elk tarpage 1/2017

Black Elk Inaugural Exhibit, January 2017

By Exhibitions

“Black Elk, Lakota Warrior, Mighty Visionary” is the inaugural exhibition at the new Canyon Crossroads Museum at Celebration Park. I am exhibiting my tarpage “Great Circle of Life” depicting the vision Black Elk had when he was a 9 year-old.

Mike is also featured in this exhibition. Here he is with his painting, “Black Elk and the Morning Star.”

For a full picture of my tarpage, “Great Circle of Life” and my statement regarding its content, click here.

Jan 22 2017
©2017 Melissa "Sasi" Chambers - CATCH Social Justice Tarpage 11/16

2nd Series of Social Justice Tarpage

By Tarpage

The series of Social Justice tarps created for the Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (BUUF) Plate Partners began a second season in November 2016 with the tarpage for C.A.T.C.H. (Charitable Assistance for The Community’s Homeless), above.

Family Medical Center – Refugee Clinic, December 2016

BUUF Partner Church in Meszko, Romania, January 2017

Learning Lab – Literacy Skills for Refugees, February 2017

Jan 22 2017
©2017 Melissa "Sasi" Chambers - "Great Circle of Life" Black Elk tarpage 1/2017

“Great Circle of Life” – Black Elk Tarpage

By Exhibitions, Tarpage

 

“Great Circle of Life” — Tarpage, 60″ X 60″

This tarpage, “Great Circle of Life,” was inspired by the fevered vision Black Elk had as a 9 year old boy. He saw spirit horses galloping from the four sacred directions — from the west snorting lighting, from the north swirling in snow, from the east glowing like morning at dawn with starry eyes, and from the south with manes flowing like prairie grasses. As the horses vanished a firey rainbow arced above him and he saw six ancient grandfathers who gave him gifts of power — a wooden cup of water with the power to give life, a bow and arrow with the power to destroy, a red stick which sprouted four green leaves representing the tree of life — which would flower if all people shared the vision. Black Elk was just a little boy when he had this vision and it took a long time for him to have the courage to share it with his people. When he finally was able to share it, a ceremonial tipi was set up and images from his vision were painted on it.

Imagine this tarpage is like the material that tipi was made from, and the images on it are like those which were painted on that tipi. And the eyes? Black Elk’s. Mine. Yours. May we all share the vision.

Jan 01 2017

Dissolve, Resolve, Evolve

By Everything Else

My previous post was dated August 11, 2016, almost four months ago. For those of you who know me personally this wasn’t unexpected — you probably knew I was going through a crisis of artwork/blogging paralysis — not knowing what I could say or do, about or with the art I was making using polyvinyl tarp, duck tape, and sharpies. Artwork I had been calling “Tarpestry.” Artwork which I had been vigorously promoting using SEO (Search Engine Optimization, an approach that brings attention to websites). Happily I was getting plenty of attention. I even bought two new domains featuring the word “tarpestry.”

Unhappily, I also attracted attention which completely shut me down — at least in my ability to communicate about my tarp artwork. Turns out there is a commercial venture which produces blankets made of fabric with hippy-dippy designs backed by canvas tarp which are sold at music festivals and, you guessed it, they are called TARPESTRY. Actually they aren’t just called that, they are Trademarked that, and they considered my work a threat.

I’m won’t rehash the ridiculousness of their claims, but I will say that despite the myriad differences between my artwork and their commercial product the law is on their side. Because they own the trademark with the identical portmanteau word I had chosen — they win, and my SEO has rendered me SOL.

So where does that leave me? Well, I can’t call any of the artwork I create using polyvinyl tarp, duck tape, and sharpies “tarpestry” going forward. I can’t use that word in any of my domains, or promote it using SEO. I can still make the artwork, exhibit it, donate it, sell it, create books about it, catalog it on my website — but I have to call it something else.

I’m going to call it “TARPAGE.”

Tarpage — sounds like yardage, or on a bad day, garbage, and it feels appropriate as an umbrella covering the very first “tarps picadas” as well as “tarpestry.”

2016 was a brutal year for many people, and I understand that in comparison, my tarpage story is just a hitch in my git’along, so I’m not telling you this for your sympathy. I’m telling you this by way of explanation — for why you haven’t heard from me, and for why I’m going to change the way I share my “stuff” from now on.

For starters, this will be my last blog post on this website. All I’ve written previously will still be available to go back and read, I’m just not going to write anything new on this site.

My Portfolio pages will continue to be updated — some of which I often get a little chatty on — and I’ll keep my Resume up to date, have my books available, and will still be able to be contacted through my Contact Me page.

Meanwhile, I’m also closing down my (Melissa “Sasi” Chambers) Artists Page on FaceBook, but will continue my personal (Melissa Chambers) page, mostly as a link to my Instagram (sasiwasi).

I have three “resolutions” for 2017 — “Think Very Hard Before Saying Yes,” and “Streamline and Upgrade (anything and everything).” 2016 was a year of u-turns, dead-ends, and many mind-changes for me. I’ve realized I no longer feel the need to always say “yes,” and I’m not sorry about that. I don’t have to “do everything,” and it’s OK not to feel guilty about that.

Keeping up with the social media mouse race, pushing myself with SEO, agreeing to do things I don’t really want to do but have somehow managed to “own” far past the point of being a sincere and willing contributor…. I’m done with all that. And, I know you know what I’m talking about.

So here’s my third Resolution for 2017 — Respect the “No’s” without resentment or shaming, and make sure the “Yes’s” know how grateful I am for their gifts.

Thank you for all your support, and love, and good wishes. And for all of us, may 2017 be truly a Happy New Year!