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Treefort Tarps

Feb 03 2014

Plans for Treefort Public Art

By 2D & 3D, Treefort Tarps

I finally made it to Whew!

You may remember the tiniest amount of whining and self pity emitting from this blog as I struggled with my first big important project for 2014 — designing a public art piece for the Treefort Music Fest, March 20 – 23. Oh come on, I wasn’t that bad!

My plan is to create giant “papel picado” similar to the banners we string up on our patios to make it festive. All with a nod to tree forts and music.

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I plan to make up to seven of these using 10 ft. square vinyl tarps, which happen to come in an amazing array of colors: blue, green, red, orange, silver, brown, black…

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then string them together just like the papel picado banners they are modeled on, and hang them the length of a building in downtown Boise. Not just any building. My bright eyed friends will recognize this immediately as the back wall of the Record Exhange.

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There are two other terrific artists, Mike Landa and Bobby Gaytan who are designing projects as well. All three of us have gotten approval up to this point — actually we were told our concepts were “wildly positively approved” — and let me tell you, that feels great!

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Now I am waiting for final approval from the building owners to hang my piece at this site. I hope to hear this week, and the minute I do I will be buying a rainbow assortment of vinyl tarps.

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Gotta tell you, I have lived in Boise off and on for 23 years, have never claimed to be anything but a city girl (Why do we camp?), and frankly I’m relieved to finally find a purpose for these tarps that makes perfect sense to me.

Now get ready to listen to me whine about how much work it is to cut out 700 sq. ft. of vinyl.

Just keep those triple shot breve lattes coming!

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Jan 30 2014

Hey the Sun Came Out!

By Ordinary Days, Treefort Tarps

Hey the Sun came out! But I’m still fighting my way out of the inversion — at least the one going on inside my brain.

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I’ve been working on the See Spot Walk design for IHS and I’m going through the second stage of the three stages of a big important project — you remember, the IMPOSTER stage. Only this time, I really AM an imposter.

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I hate to tell you, but I can’t paint. I’m not actually an artist. I just pretend to be one for the sake of this blog.

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So for the past few days I’ve been f-ing around and f-ing around and going home crying (not really, that’s just the punchline to a much longer story) and all I have to show for it is this impasto.

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Luckily there’s Instagram. This almost looks like I meant to do that.

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But things may actually be turning around this afternoon because suddenly here comes the SUNSHINE after what feels like an impossibly long inversion. And I got a really great haircut — thank you Ingrid at Arroyo Salon in Boise. And tomorrow is the Lunar New Year — let’s hear it for MOONSHINE too! You know what I mean.

And there’s always Lula to remind me that it doesn’t matter how silly you look while you do it, just put one foot in front of the other and keep walking…. You’ll get there!

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Jan 16 2014

Closing in on “Whew!”

By Everything Else, Treefort Tarps

This “big important” project I’ve been talking about, and working on, and talking about some more, and working on sort of — has been rougher going than most — and I know exactly who to blame.

Yep. That would be… me.

I have just been thinking too much. Overthinking. And worrying about it WAY too much. My favorite new Wise Words are “Worrying is like Praying for what you Don’t Want.”

Yes, it’s just as easy to manifest the negative. But no more.

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So here’s the project: I am designing a public art piece for the Tree Fort Music Fest in March. I need to finish the design and get it approved in January, fabricate it in February, and install it the beginning of March so it will be up for the entire month including the Fest itself which is March 20 – 23.

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As Don Draper would say it needs to be “Simple but significant.” For it to be identifiably by “Sasi” it needs to be colorful, playful, patterned and have content which ties it to the event.

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Well, I think I’ve finally got it! I’m going to do giant “papel picado” — you know, the cut paper banners no fiesta — or Fest — is complete without:

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Of course they won’t actually be made of paper, and I have to get official approval first, but it just feels right. Finally!

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With apologies to Martha and the Vandellas…

We’ll be dancin’
We’re dancin’ in the trees (dancin’ in the trees)
This is an invitation across the nation
A chance for folks to meet
There’ll be laughin’, singin’ and music swingin’
We’re dancin’ in the trees!

Jan 07 2014

The Sun’ll Come Up?

By Everything Else, Holidaze, Treefort Tarps

I actually woke up this morning with that stupid Annie song “The Sun’ll Come Up Tomorrow” playing in my head. Annoying orphan chorus and all. “Bet your bottom dollar that tomorroooow there’ll be suuuun!”

At 6:30 in Boise in January I have my doubts,

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but it’s the metaphorical sun I’m still waiting for anyway so I decided to go ahead and get out of bed.

Yep. I’m still stuck on “Imposter.” But while I keep hacking away at the underbrush trying to clear the path for the “Great Big” idea which will get me to “Whew!” I’m paying more attention to the finer details of this process. That’s right, I’m witnessing my own agony so I can share it with you. Aren’t you glad?!

Here’s my first observation. I totally underrated how much work the first stage is when you have the “good little” idea and you have to just do it because you might have five or seven ideas that all require the time it takes to get out of your head and onto the paper — otherwise they don’t count.

Talk is crap. You have to do the work.

What? You wanted more insight than that? Well I want my lazy-ass muse to stop rolling her eyes at me and help me take down the Christmas decorations so I can go to my studio and start playing with my “good little” ideas so they can grow into a “Great Big” idea and I can finally get to “Whew!”

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Now somebody bring me some coffee!

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Here’s my second observation: it’s time to stop talking, go get my own cup of coffee and get to work!

Jan 06 2014

Stuck on “Imposter”

By Everything Else, Treefort Tarps

I’m realizing that for every new art project of a certain size — i.e. big and important — there are three stages which apparently we MUST to go through in order for the project to ultimately be a real success. You can’t go around them, you can’t go over them, you can’t go under them…you MUST go through them.

The first stage is what I think of as the “good little idea” stage. You know essentially what you want to achieve with your finished artwork and you have an idea. It’s a “good little” idea. Not a great idea. Not a big idea. But it’s a place to start and — this is important — you MUST START. That’s really the hardest part of this stage, just getting started. If you can get past all the busy work you’re putting in the way of beginning this project and just do it you’ll get through this stage with flying colors.

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So you start with your good little idea. You do the work. You get the idea out of your head and onto the paper, or the canvas, or expressed in whatever medium you have chosen. At this point you might even really like what you see. You might want to kiss yourself and that’s fine, enjoy the moment, but then get ready for the next stage. It’s coming in fast and it’s coming in mean. It’s going to be HELL.

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The second stage is what I think of as the “you are an IMPOSTER” stage. If you are an artist who has completed big important art projects you know exactly what I’m talking about…”Who do you think you’re kidding? You’re not an artist! You have definitely bitten off more than you can chew this time Missy! In fact this time you’re the one who’s going to get eaten — Alive! Buahahahahaha!”

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I hate the second stage. The second stage SUCKS. Big time. In fact, I am currently sitting in the middle of a second stage moment right now as I write this post. The only reason I haven’t packed away my paint brushes forever, invested in full body ink, and joined a wandering circus with only a newly adopted pitbull as my traveling companion is because I know, as day follows night, there WILL be a stage three.

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The third stage is what I think of as simply “Whew!” It’s when it all comes together and you actually have a Great, Big Idea, and you ARE an artist, you’re NOT an imposter and your muse isn’t a barren bitch with a sadistic sense of humor after all. All is well. All is well. And all will be well. Until next time.

Wish me luck. It’s lonely in the second stage.