Having the book signing this week for Local Color – Boise 150 at Rediscovered Books reminded me what a big job it was, of all the time and effort we invested this year producing the catalog and putting on the exhibition. But more importantly it reminded me that the whole point of the project was our wish to show our affection for Boise through our artwork.
Every piece in this show was a little love letter to Boise and mine addressed two of Boise’s best loved features: her four seasons, and the Greenbelt which literally runs through the heart of town. The way I enjoy the Greenbelt most is cruising it on my bike, and so for “Le Boi-cycle” my bike became the Greenbelt.
I had a metal toy bicycle which I painted with acrylic paint meant for painting on metal, and I glued on tiny people from the hobby store — the ones that live in tiny railroad towns.
And then I painted a watercolor painting of the little 3D model and THAT is the piece which was in the Local Color exhibition and catalog.
Le Boi-cycle
Around the runners, around the puddles, around and around go the wheels of my bike. It’s spring. Past the blackbirds trilling on cattails, dodging squirrels and commuter ducks, around the green tailored grounds where small white balls ruin perfectly good walks. It’s summer. Spinning past students, and the stadium cheering in blue and orange, geese honking overhead. It’s fall. Crunching through snow and sli-i-iding on ice, rounding the bend…and there are deer. It’s winter. Around and around go the wheels of my bike. Around and around the seasons cycle.
This one’s for you Boise. SWAK