Rising Matriarch

Today kicks off the start of the Rising Matriarch project which was made possible by a generous contribution from the Women's College of Denver University.

When you come to RedLine this summer to visit the exhibitions "Off The Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art" and "Notes on Feeling" I invite you to participate in the Rising Matriarch project. This clay sculpture of an African Elephant is waiting for its skin and that's where you come in. Write down or draw in ball point pen on the paper provided your wishes, hopes, fears and stories for women and girls of our community and those around the world. These messages will eventually be cast onto the clay and become the young elephant's skin. Once dry the skin will be removed from the clay and the elephant will be held together by these messages from our community.

Female elephants spend their entire lives in tightly knit social groups made up of many mothers, daughters, aunts and sisters. These groups are led by the eldest female or matriarch. Behaviors displayed by elephants are well documented and include expressions of grief, memory, making music, art, self awareness and altruism. In cultures around the world they are symbols of wisdom, and overcoming obstacles. An "elephant in the room" is also a metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored. At RedLine this young elephant is all of those things as well as a symbol of a rising matriarch; a young female leader. What would you share with her? Please visit RedLine this summer and contribute to this project.

Opening Reception: Friday, June 1, 2012 
6-7 Members Reception
7-10 Public Reception
Project runs through July 29, 2012 

RedLine 
2350 Arapahoe Street 
Denver, CO 80205 
Tues - Friday 10am - 5pm
Sat - Sun 11am - 5pm

The Elephant in the Room

This coming Friday the elephant I have been working on with a team of volunteers at RedLine will finally be unveiled.

 My first shot of the project taken from my phone (hence the terrible image quality). You can see the armature underneath and a ton of shopping bags tied onto the armature and filled with newspaper to give it some bulk.

Start of the trunk

At this point we have almost 600 lbs of clay on the platform. My hands and arms are quite sore.

Adding some bulk to the form and beginning to lay in major muscles and bony landmarks.

Details are starting to emerge.

If you come to RedLine on Friday you will see the completed clay elephant along with some of its paper skin; including the ears. This clay elephant is only the mold for the paper elephant we will be creating all summer long.

Thanks to all of the fabulous volunteers who helped me with this project: Heather, Viya, Gonzo, Anthony, James, Elaine, Hannah, Jenny, Jeremiah, Savina, and Erin, I couldn't have completed this in a month without you, thank you so much!

icebreaker February 3 - 25

I'm pretty excited to be included in the next show at Ice Cube Gallery curated by Gwen Chanzit of the Denver Art Museum. There is a great list of artists participating including Ray Tomasso whose amazing papermaking studio I happened to visit a few weeks back. Also included is work by fellow RedLiner Rebecca Vaughan, and Ice Cube members Jennifer Jeanelle and Theresa Anderson just to name a few. Please come by and check it out.

Au: Exchange up until January 1, 2012

Here is a shot of my piece For Our Fear in the Au: Exchange exhibition. This is a great show with some really wonderful work so please make it to RedLine in the next month if you can.

For Our Fear is a depiction of the golden winged ram when alive or the golden fleece once sacrificed, from the myth of Jason and the Argonauts.

EPIC Arts Fall 2011 Youth Exhibition

This fall I have been helping some 8th grade students at Whittier prepare for their EPIC Arts exhibition. These students have been exploring social justice themes including: homelessness, bullying, and social class issues. Their work along with work from two other schools will be on display at RedLine December 10 - 31, 2011.

This Saturday we are having an opening reception with refreshments and fun. Please come out and support these young artists in our community.

Au: Exchange, November 11 - January 1, 2012

I've been cooped up in the studio for months now working on new work for RedLine's upcoming Artist in Residence Exhibition, Au: Exchange curated by Cortney Lane Stell. 


This exhibition reconsiders gold, and the relationship of RedLine artists with the material and the economy. Each resident artist was given a 2.5 gram gold bar to use in relation to the exhibition. Titled after the material’s relationship to the concept, chemical ele­ment symbol for gold as a material and exchange references organized markets, financial systems, and the exchange that happens between artist and curator.


Join us Friday, November 11, (that's 11/11/11) at RedLine for the opening of this show. Member's reception is from 7-8 pm followed by a public reception from 8 - 10 pm.

RedLine's Annual Resident Artist Fundraiser

Come and visit me and the other RedLine artists in our studios on Halloween weekend and help support RedLine at the Artist Bacchanal. This gold themed event will surely be a great time, plus you'll get a preview of our upcoming Resident Artist Exhibition. For tickets click here