WEEK THREE

September 15, 2012  More fun in the sun at The Joe Ford Nature Center.

September 14, 2012  After a day's work, my assistants and I always look forward to relaxing at The Diamond Lake Campground. The golf carts, the eclectic signs... even the bugs, we love it all.

                                         

September 14, 2012  We are forging ahead with the cyanotypes at Owensboro High School. As blue prints were once commonly used by architects and engineers for their technical drawings, we have added a layer of complexity to our imagery by combining floor plans from the new OMHS hospital and medical illustrations with our traces of botanical specimens. The goal is to tie in the new hospital's leading research in plant based pharmaceuticals.

On another note, Kathy Olson, the Director of from The Museum of History and Science, stopped by to offer this collaborative effort an exhibition space upon it's completion. We stopped by the museum after we finished up at the high school so Kathy could show us the wall space she is thinking of. We plan to showcase this community effort at the museum this January.

WEEK TWO

September 08, 2012  Children and adults made cyanotype prints at the Joe Ford Nature Center. Grace Ford, bottom left,  gets involved with the process too. The Nature Center grounds and facility are full of specimens to print from- including a bucket of snake skins!

September 07, 2012  At this time of year one can see the golden color of suspended tobacco appearing from the many barns along Owensboro's roadways. Stopping to make a few photographs was irresistible. 

September 07, 2012  The first Owensboro High School cyanotype to hit the line.

Students and assistants worked together to produce their first cyanotypes, also known as sun prints or blue prints. Julie White, Owensboro Fine Arts Fusionist, talks with students about the process.

The first cyanotype was produced by astronomer John Herschel in 1842. By 1843 botanist Anna Atkins was cataloging hundreds of botanical specimens using this process.

August 31, 2012   A visit to The WKU Botanical Gardens allowed me to meet with Directors Susie and Bill Tyler. They are generously allowing me to clip botanical specimens from their grounds to use in the cyanotype workshops that will begin next Friday. The Botanical Garden is full of beautiful and fascinating plant life and sculpture too.

August 31, 2012   An engineers meeting was called at the new hospital construction site to discuss the fiber optic system that will be implemented into the ceiling.  President of Construction Solutions Clinton Deckard, Mechanical Engineer Andy Johnson and KMLK Principle Consultant Tim McCurley discuss some of the logistics.

WEEK ONE

The Journey Begins  I expect that the route connecting Louisville to Owensboro will become a very familiar path. 

My Assistants Brigid Watters, Raegan Maddox and Jenna Gordon hang out in front of our cottage at the Diamond Lake Campground located in Owensboro, Kentucky. This will be our-home-away-from-home nearly every Friday night for the next several months.

September 1, 2012 Today I visited the Joe Ford Nature Center to discuss the workshops that I will soon be conducting there. Joe Ford holds a long legacy as a regional naturalist and his center is chock full of fascinating curiosities, including several snakes.

August 31, 2012  marks the first time I set foot onto the grounds of Owensboro High School. Along with my three assistants, Jenna Gordon, Raegan Maddox and Brigid Watters, I received an IDENT-A-KID sticker at the front office before entering the premises. Met by Owensboro Public High School Fine Arts Coordinator Tom Stites, we were escorted to the high school auditorium where I presented The Floating Seed Installation proposal to a group of 15 students.