Gathering Winooski June 30, 2012

Gathering Winooski June 30, 2012

What a great week! Fun finds, and the generosity of strangers. I think people in Winooski are pleased that the Pop-up Galleries and the accompanying events are bringing people into downtown this summer, and as a result they seem happy to contribute items to the project.

 I had fun exploring the candy wrappers donated by the Pho Dang Vietnamese Restaurant with needle, thread, and some satin cording I had picked up at the retired nun’s yard sale. They turned into butterfly blossoms and were finished with a wall-mounted installation in a vintage glass flower frog.

 After hot crayon markings on the striped oxford shirt with stitch, I continued the oxford exploration with a similar technique to the one used on the candy wrappers. There is a summery nature theme emerging, as these too turned into butterfly blossoms, and a whole bouquet of them is now displayed in a vintage glass bottle.

The Peking Duck Restaurant donated a bag full of fortune cookies (how fortunate!) that I quickly put to good use creating cellophane blossoms on wooden coffee stirrer stems (from Cupps Bakery).  I stained the fortunes with soy sauce and stitched them together on the machine into a good luck garland. It hangs above the altered photos of Winooski folks from the past, wishing them luck in their new incarnation. I ate a few of the fortune cookies, but saved the rest for some yet to be determined project. Pulverize them into some kind of sculpture medium? Mix them with matte medium to create a texture for collage? I welcome suggestions.

I was visiting downtown Winooski in the drizzle the other morning and happened to spot a group of folks planting flowers in the island near the roundabout. I had a nice chat with Zack, who works for the city of Winooski, who informed me the flowers are donated by various local establishments, as well as some from Claussens’ Greenhouse, are planted by volunteers, and watered and maintained by the city. When I explained about my project and my desire for a red petunia blossom or two, I was gifted with two entire petunia plants, one in red, and one in magenta. I can hardly wait to get out the rubber mallet and have a go at them. I have a nice soft well-worn cotton sheet from the Winooski church thrift shop that should do nicely for my canvas.

The first night at my studio in residence Thursday was swell. I received a few visitors, worked away on some projects, and listened in to the poetry reading by Mark Awodey, and John Dooley. A most enjoyable evening.

I found some unusual and fun materials to explore and although they did not all come from Winooski, in the spirit of the project I will combine them with other items and fulfill my mission. Did you know that you can crochet with cassette tape, and stamp with button and cork stampers on inkjet printer ribbon cartridges to make multiple mysterious markings? Stay tuned for more on these creations.