Cast Signing New Sculpture

Dear Art Lover,

     Every cast should be signed or decorated, yes?  Share the love for faster healing and all that jazz!  I was fortunate enough to have two Italian children that I sometimes get to have fun with visit [they live in a different village from me] and show me the colors!  They came over with their parents and my landlord to pick some of the latter’s cherries.

     The next day I woke with an idea for a new sculpture and got started on the 5^th of June.  I only share the date since people often ask me how long it takes to make one of my artworks.  I usually do not know since I rarely work consistently on one piece at a time.  Anyway, my handwriting with my left hand is legible, but not always pretty or controlled.  I think painting and drawing are out for a while.  Sculpture tools are too dangerous, even if just dropping them.  Plastilina is an oil-based clay that never dries out.  3-dimensions is quite complicated to do [building the armature], so that left bas-relief.

 

     I pulled out one of my larger drawing boards and the sand bags I made for my stone carving.  I used wood and a wooden palette to trace shapes on my board for the outer edge size of my future composition.  And applied the clay with my left hand.  It may never be great, but at least it is progress on a foundation.

     We did the cast signing on Nori’s tractor.  There was nowhere else for the kids to sit or me rest my forearm for them to draw on. After that and cherry-picking, I had to show them the proper ways to enjoy passion flowers, such as enhancing one’s eyelashes.  You have done this, too, no?

    

Peace, 

Kelly Borsheim, artist

Bees Passion Flower Broken Wrist

Dear Art Lover,

     Have you ever seen so many bees at once on a flower?  I snapped several shots of this passion flower near my home, so cool.  Also, tucked in among my landlord’s lemon trees is an aloe vera plant.  I had no idea that aloe makes a flower!  WOW, just look at this beaut!

Enjoying so many busy bees at my home.

     And finally, just when I was looking forward  to fewer distractions and working on paintings and sculpture again, another fall.  Obviously, my knee is not healing.  This time, I also hurt my left ankle and broke my right wrist in two places.  At least my cast maker was/is still cute [although not fond of being photographed]!  Time to properly study Italian . . . at least one month in this cast!  Shorter blog posts, as well, jaja.

Peace, 

Kelly Borsheim, artist

 

Painting Again!

Dear Art Lover,

Working on the head first - oil painting

     Stereotypes are not always accurate, nor are they always flattering.  I am currently working on a large composition of a Serbian farmer and his granddaughter.  I have been to Serbia twice now to visit them and I adore this family.  The stereotype that I am referring to this time is one that I have heard from other farmers as well:  That city folks tend to think that farmers are dumb.  Oh, the stories that Srecko tells about the kinds of things that people and even his government assume of him!

     So, I hope to show this farmer as I see him:  a studious, thoughtful, and intelligent man.  Technically speaking, I want to do a partially monochromatic painting, focus on brush strokes and texture, create a story-telling composition, and make something beautiful.

     It is great to be back home and painting again.  My trip to the USA was fruitful and fast, despite my being there for seven weeks.  It was not enough time with my family (although my baby sister’s wedding was a lot of fun!) and even less time with friends, many of whom I did not get to see at all.  I really appreciate those who made an effort to come see me privately or at one of my art events.  Thank you!

Cheers and, gosh, almost a “happy June” already!

Kelly

Serbian Farmer monochrome painting work-in-progress

Xscape North Carolina

Dear Art Lover,

     Living in a different country puts me out of touch with my native one sometimes.  But so does my lifestyle.  As such, I often do not experience much of the activities that people do for fun, especially here in the US where I am visiting.  So, when my brother’s neighbors in North Carolina invited us all to join them for a new attraction, we went for it.

     Xscape in Hudson, NC, opened recently this past February.  We were asked to dress up like Indiana Jones (sadly, I could find nothing).  Their postcard says, “You are a team of archaeologists on an exploration through an ancient Egyptian tomb.  You only have 60 minutes to escape!  You and your fellow archaeologists must work together to solve riddles, puzzles, and clues.  Teamwork is key!  Will you escape . . . or become trapped with the Curse of the Mummy?”

     While we waited, the greeter and main man out front Connor Stamey entertained us and invited us to play darts and pool while we waited for our entire party to arrive.  They also had large comfortable couches for sitting while solving little puzzles, skills one would need in the room.  Later, Terry Osborne (aka Professor Carson) led us into our new adventure and gave us the rules.

     As a kid, I played “Clue” with my brothers and sometimes cousins.  This was a similar sort of thing, but live and with a timer.  The atmosphere was more fun than a real archeological site, in that there were colored lights and lasers sometimes.  They do have a video camera in there to make sure that things do not get too heated between team members.  And they had a walkie-talkie communication with us.  They also helped us along with clues when we got stuck.  Their record thus far was a group that solved everything and escaped in 37 minutes.  We were far less together for that.  

     Cell phones were not allowed (cheating on riddles for one reason), but no one specified cameras, so I tried to lay low to do what I do.  I rarely use flash for anything and while these images are not the best, they are fun perhaps.  After we exited the tomb rooms, we were led into a big photo room and had our pictures taken.  Connor asked if anyone had phones for him to take a photo of us on our group and I nervously produced my camera, afraid he might erase my images. Hhahah.. no worries, he was cool with it and we got a shot of our group with Professor Carson.  Enjoy.

Their Website is:  http://xscapenc.com/

Peace,

Kelly

P. S.  Happy birthday, John, from Virginia with the boys!