Traffic Box

May 17 2015

Go! No…Stop, Look, Listen. Now Go Go!

By melissasasichambers Tarpage

I finished the artwork for my next traffic box — actually it’s a HAWK Pedestrian Crossing Control box — and then got word that Rena Vandewater and I had been assigned each other’s locations.

Ooops.

Potentially that could have been a real pain — particularly if the boxes had been markedly different in size. Or especially if my actual location had not been a Pedestrian Control Box.

But that wasn’t the case.

In fact both boxes are basically the same size, and both are HAWK Pedestrian Control boxes.

They are just on different streets. Rena’s artwork will grace the box I thought I was doing on Cassia and Orchard, and my artwork will be on the corner of Edson and Curtis.

Those locations make so much more sense when you know that Rena does wonderful patterny, colorful paintings of orchards — get it? She’s assigned Orchard St.

And mine is inspired by patterns I saw at the International Market — which is off of Curtis. I’m actually hoping to display the entire tarpestry at the International Market after the box is wrapped this summer.

And so, inspite of all being well, I am reminded that it is a very good idea to Stop. Look. And Listen — before you Go Go!

May 08 2015

Up and At ’em

By melissasasichambers Exhibitions

Tonight is the Opening for Spring Awakening, the latest TVAA exhibition at Boise State Public Radio. It is also the debut of my tarpestry “Spring Awakening (The Unconcious Arsonist).”

I’m excited to have one of my original tarps out in the world where people, besides my nearest and dearest, can actually see it in person. Descriptions and detail shots don’t do it justice — you have to see the entire “elephant” if you know what I mean.

It’s been a whirlwind around here lately what with making plans to sell my beloved artists’ home, and being so jazzed about making more tarpestries inspired by our New Orleans trip, and having a new traffic box to design — yes, I’m doing a “traffic tarpestry.”

It’s actually a bit ironic that I am oozing with inspiration at the same time I have to subtract myself and a lot of my art from this house. Potential buyers have to be able to “see” themselves living their lives here, not me living mine.

(This bad boy is coming with me!)

I’ve “restaged” a couple of the rooms so it is more “housey” and less “artsy.”

Buh-bye “Gallery,” hello Living Room…

Buh-bye “Music Room,” hello Bedroom…

I left myself enough space in the Living Room to work on my tarps, sort of. It’s a little cramped, but that just highlights the kind of studio space I really need, and is helping define what we want for our next place. The next space has got to work as a studio first. We can live in our studio, but it’s much harder to turn traditional living space into working space. I’m guessing a lot of you are very familiar with that conundrum.

This is my latest New Orleans inspired tarpestry — sorry about the usual less than great shots since it is so big, and is on the floor.

Some detail shots…

And this is the “traffic tarpestry” under way…

(More to come on this piece in my next post.)

I hope you can make it to the Opening this evening for Spring Awakening — there is a ton of other work besdides mine to enjoy as well.

Up and at’em!

Apr 01 2015

Hurry Up and Wait

By melissasasichambers New Orleans Sojourn

Today’s been another sittin’ day. I have these days — even in New Orleans — when there’s just not much going on. Hard to believe I know.

It’s not really the sittin’ that bothers me, it’s the waiting for something to get me off my chair so I can get this show on the road and back to work on my “tarpestries” that gets old. (I’ve decided that’s a good name for what the tarps picadas have evolved into.) So I doodle.

Meanwhile, I got word I’ve been given another traffic box (or boxes — not sure if I get both — I hope so though) in Boise in my neighborhood. Yay!!

I want to do a tarpestry for my design so I’ve been doodling ideas for that.

I want to combine the motifs of the “walking man” and the “stopping hand” with the ethnic influences in my neighborhood. It should be fun and I’m looking forward to getting started.

But for now I guess I’ll just hurry up and wait.

Dec 07 2013

An Ordinary Friday

By melissasasichambers Ordinary Days

I’ve had so many things going on lately I haven’t been concentrating on my job…MAKING ART!

So yesterday I tied myself to the mast with my nose to the grindstone and knuckled down to work on this painting which is due on Monday.

This could explain why I woke up with an ache in my back — and a smile on my face, because I FINALLY FINISHED my painting!

Here ’tis:

It’s propped on a chair I painted too — I liked the way the patterns looked together.

Here’s another shot of just the painting. It’s titled “Up, Up and Away (Hither and Yon).”

In the evening we went to two gallery openings. The first was “Tiny Wonderful” at Enso. Lots of tempting small works. Would have gladly sprung for a couple of Cate Brigden’s as well as Kelly Packer’s, but we held ourselves in check and headed to the Visual Arts Collective for the exhibit of artwork made for the traffic boxes, including the one I did.

I couldn’t have asked for better placement of my piece in the lineup!

In case you aren’t familiar with “my” traffic box, this is the one I did for downtown Boise:

And this is the painting which was then scanned and printed on vinyl which was then applied to the box itself.

There were over 50 works exhibited representing the 68 traffic boxes which have been produced so far in Boise. That’s one full show. (Only 17 shy of the show I’ll be hanging next week for TVAA! — Oy, my back!)

Friday was an ordinary day. My very favorite kind of day.