BEMIS RESIDENCY Fall 2022

Stopped at The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, AK on our long, winding journey up to Omaha, NE.

The building itself at Bemis. Prime post-industrial stuff right here. We had a brief, glorious moment where the downtown farmer’s market was still going, so we could walk down there and pickup produce. Also picked up these pink oyster grow kit right away. Added some healthy organic matter to our luxurious but very concrete studio space.

Worked on some huge backdrops of different Gulf Coast vistas with human intervention in waterways. Used that washing machine at home to dye these huge batches of cloth and was really happy with that resulting crackling texture. Didn’t expect it, but love it. Had to do a ridiculous amount of ironing on the fabric after schleping it across the country. Also seen here: delicious handmade spinach noodle pasta for pesto pasta made by Marcus.

Had a couple opportunities to interact with nearby plants and critters. Right to Left: Hitchcock Nature Center (Iowa), Omaha Zoo, Fontenelle Forest. Please note the very wise frog from Fontenelle Welcome Center lobby. He knows.

Firstly tried to make some green clay with pigment. It worked but it was way more pale than I hoped for. So scrapped that pretty fast. Ended up underglazing most of those pieces. Made a ton of floral arrangement frogs. Meanwhile, James learned how to make plaster moulds and started his slip casting empire of mushroom caps. Also worked with a clay body that fires to a rich dark brown/ black on vitrification. Big excitement opening the kiln after THAT level of transformation.

The agony and the ecstasy of glazing. Still loads to learn on surface treatments. Not totally happy with all these, but we got some nice prototyping going. James slip cast a whiskey glass and I painted a couple goofy cups for fun. Might revisit that idea in 2023. Good little collabo project.

Other Projects

Commute, Main Street Marquee, Downtown Houston, TX (2019)

“Commute” was part of a temporary art initiative by the Houston Downtown Management District and Weingarten Art Group. Read more about the initiative here. The illustration celebrates the power of books to transport us and nods to Houston’s literary and self-publishing community by featuring the likeness of Zine Fest Houston organizers, María-Elisa Heg & Anastasia Kirages. Sadly, toward the end of the “Commute” viewing cycle the Main Street Market just below the Marquee caught on fire and is now undergoing repairs.