peacocking

Another dream project swung my way.  I have wanted to do a peacock feather for a long time and kept throwing it out to organizations in proposals and finally got a YES!  Plus, they asked for a companion piece, and I chose a whole peacock. On the 30th, I get to see them both hung up.  I can't wait!  there is so much iridescent in this mosaic. The eye feathers have a ring of irid and also the highlights on his head and neck.

At the beginning, I started to question my decision to go multicolored. Once it was done, I think it makes this bird look even more cheerful.  Both of these go in the MICU in Penn State Hershey Medical Center. 

The feather incorporates tiles made by faculty at the Med Center. They did a fantastic job as you would have guessed.  I regret not having many close-up photos, but I had a phone mishap and lost a bunch of stuff.  I had a great photo of hospital peeps here in my shop working on tiles but unfortunately, that was one that is missing. 

One of the tiles made here at my shop was a cute little ice cream cone.  I had to have that one piece of feather swoop down so the ice cream cone would be upright. It is hard to see but that little drip has an ice cream cone on it. 

full steam ahead

Last post I said I'd be full steam ahead in the new year and that started on January 2.  I am working on the biggest, most collaborative project that I've ever been a part of.  Just like most artists I know, I want to do every inch of my work MY WAY.  That's not what happens in a collaboration. 

I guess there were about 75 kids and each got their own patch of color to work on and do whatever they wanted.

Here are two of the 6 mosaics that I am obligated to produce for this project.  These took two weeks and there are six more weeks spread out through May.  I am working with all seven Lower Dauphin schools, and five of them are grade schools!  The resulting mosaics will find their home in the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute in Harrisburg.  All six mosaics will be on the adolescent floor of this hospital.  We are hoping to help provide a more nurturing environment for patients and the people caring for them.  Does something this big have it's twists and turns?  Oh, you bet.  But even though I don't enjoy certain aspects of a collaboration, I have to admit that those things make me more bad ass and capable of the next cool thing.  Thanks Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for what you've done to make this happen.

AND, I just realized that I didn't mention the video someone made for me.  Olivia Pfeffer did a fantastic job and I highly recommend her.  You can see the video here on YouTube.