The Chilkoot Trail

artist residency, Chilkoot Trail, Exhibitions

If you follow my blog, you saw numerous posts as I prepared for my Chilkoot Trail Artist Residency in 2018. Now you get a glimpse into the trail I hike from Dyea, Alaska to Bennett Lake, British Columbia. This beautiful video was shot and edited by the awesomely talented Steve Hossack who lives in Anchorage Alaska.

I spent two days with Steve and Sarah Frey who is the marketing and development director at the Yukon Arts Center while they filmed my final days on the trail. They are both incredibly charming people and were a blast to work with.

The Chilkoot Trail Artist Residency application is now open, the deadline to apply is February 1, 2019. Click here to Apply

Over the next few days, I will make several posts about my project, the trail, and my preparation, so stay tuned!

Chillin’ on the Chilkoot Trail Hand Printed Bingo Cards

My first night on the trail, and first round of Bingo with fellow hikers.

Artifacts still on the trail since the 1890’s

more Klondike Gold Rush artifacts on the trail.

The beginning of the steep pass

My morning radio checkin with the rangers.

At camp with 48 hikers the night before crossing the pass. We played 6 rounds of Bingo for great prizes. People went home with my hand made and signed bingo cards.

I love snow in August! Top of the Chilkoot Paxx

I love rocks, I love climbing. Looking down from my hike up the pass.

Hilary Lorenz feeling good at the top of the Chilkoot Pass

Me playing around with pieces of wood I found at Lindeman Lake

A pencil drawing made one afternoon while on the Chilkoot Trail.

My tent set up at Happy Camp in Canada.

Drawings made at Happy Camp.

My last night playing Chilkoot Bingo and eating carrot cake at Lindeman Lake Camp

A lucky Chilkoot Bingo winner.

Steve Hossack, Hilary Lorenz and Sarah Frey on Bennett Lake, British Columbia.

Hilary Lorenz, Steve Hossack, Sarah Frey, Nancy Morrill at Bennett Lake Camp

Ink on Paper, 6′ long drawing made post residency

I am still so happy after 2 weeks of eating out of a titanium cup.

Moth Migration Project Progress

Exhibitions, Moth Migration Project

July 15, 2017 is finally here. That is the deadline for submission of moths for the Moth Migration Project exhibition installation at 516Arts in Albuquerque, NM. I know some late entries will come in and they will be counted, but the deadline is important for a number of reasons.

At deadline all registered artists who filled out the on-line form will:

Receive their Moth Migration Certificate of Recognition postcard in the mail.
Have their name, as they requested, be written acknowledged on the website,(MothMigrationProject.net), when the website is completed
Have a dot with their name and the number of moths from their city listed on the website.
All names will be given to 516Arts administrators to be listed as contributors to the exhibition installation.
All registered moths will travel to subsequent exhibitions over the next two years. (yes you can still contribute for that!)

Here is a preliminary look at about 2/3 of the moth responders. Each dot represents the registrants name, not the number of people or moths. For example, the The Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Gallery in Kent England contributed 1,894 and engaged 16 schools as well as their own arts but they are just one dot. We need to work the details on the number of people and moths from a single dot. The site will be interactive, it is not an illustration, you will be able to click on each dot and find additional information.

Moth Migration Project preliminary map

Links for press and information that is beginning to go out:

Susan Martin and the amazing people from Some Serious Business is doing a tremendous outreach with marketing. Click her for this project.

Click for the ArtWeek.com listing

The FB invite for the Opening

The FB Moth Migration Group

Finally I would love to tell you the numbers, but I have not added them all up. I will do that in the coming week.

Please share this project, and artist who have already received press, please share a link to the articles! This is amazing international collaboration!

Cast Flax Paper with Jacqueline Mallegni

Exhibitions

Cast Flax Planters and pebbles by Hilary Lorenz

“The Making of a Rock Garden” is a cast paper and linocut installation that I am creating for the exhibition Call & Response curated by Gabriel de Guzman at Wave Hill – a public garden and cultural center in Riverdale, NY. The exhibition opens September 10 and runs through December 3, 2017. Call & Response celebrates the 10th anniversary of Wave Hill’s Sunroom Project Space.

In preparation for this artwork I have been experimenting with casting paper pulp. Part of the experiment is finding the right aesthetic for my idea, the other is learning technical skills. Today, I got to spend the day with the amazing Jacqueline Mallegni of Paper Rain Studio in Abiquiu, NM. Jacqueline makes minimalist sculpture and custom lighting all from natural materials. Today she is teaching me how to make shaped flax paper. Jacqueline teaches classes in her studio as well as at the Espanola Fiber Arts Center in NM; Palo Alto Art Center; Gospel Flat Farm Gallery and Commonweal both in Bolinas, CA and the O’Hanlon Art Center Mill Valley, CA. You can find details on these links or her website.

The first component of my art installation is the paper planters. I would like them translucent, they must resemble real planters while respecting and taking advantage of the material properties. I also need to make 50 in a reasonable amount of time.

I will share with you some of the steps I learned today from Jacqueline.

Combing and layering the flax onto screen

The pressed and glued flax ready for forming

smoothing_fiber_Hilary_Lorenz_hand_tattoo

Applying and forming the flax sheet around the planter

Smoothing out flax sheet around the form

Creating the creases on the form

Letting the forms dry in the sun – the one to the right is painted with indigo

The flax forms drying under the hot New Mexico sun.

After drying the detail of the top lip of the finished planter. I experimented with a soft frayed edge and a hard edge.

Tiny flax wrapped pebbles

Indigo painted bleached flax in a creased and pleated form

Close up on edges of planters

One days work, four different forms plus pebbles. A combination of natural flax, bleached flax and silk. Thank you to Jacqueline Mallegni at Paper Rain Studio

I love learning new things and today was an exceptional day. I am excited to see how these planters evolve and how they will influence the making of the linocut plants that will tumble out of them.

Moth Migration Mania!

Exhibitions, Moth Migration Project, Prints, Uncategorized

Moth_Migration_Post

The Moth Migration Project is developing beautifully thanks to all of you! We are only two months into the project with three to go and it is amazing. I am incredibly lucky to have Josh Lamore, writer, musician and graduate student from Pratt in library science as my fearless assistant. Josh has been brilliant in helping set up the database and cataloging system. He is also an excellent artist who has contributed his own moths plus helped me print countless other. Technically, they are not countless, we have organized every moth.

Here are some notable events I want to share with everyone:

Sevenoaks Kaleidoscope Gallery in the UK is currently hosting “Whispers” Moth Migration Project satellite exhibition with an Instagram Feed, check it out here. Along with the exhibition is a collaboration with Danford Grammer, check out their twitter feed with the kids making moths.

Sunbury Shores Arts & Nature Centre in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada is hosting a moth migration project printing party.

I hosted a printing party at Rush Arts in NYC for their V.I.P. Arts Club. Plus I have had 5 in my home. I think I will need a vacation after this.

There are numerous teachers around the world introducing the project to their students, teachers from Australia, New Zealand, UK, Canada and Lithuanian. It is such an amazing opportunity to introduce pollination, migration, immigration. I see this project being all about connection and community.

I received sponsorship from Speedball, who very generously supplied me with linoleum, paper and their new professional relief ink which I love! I am a die-hard oil base ink printer, but their new line of water washable professional inks are fantastic. They clean up easily with water but print like oil. This will be amazing to use in upcoming Moth Migration Printing Parties.

In April I received 2864 moths! They are hand drawn, linocut printed, silkscreened, paper cut, gel prints, all types of media and incredibly beautiful. Thank you!

We have a FB group where you can share you moths. Just click here to find it.

Also please tag all your photos with #mothmigrationproject and or @adventureartist so that I can see them all.

Lastly, if you want to join, email me at mothmigration@gmail.com. All are welcome!

Moth Production Printing

Exhibitions, Uncategorized

My sweet little Showcard Press.

Moth Migration Project – printing in progress

Conrad guarding the moths as they dry.

You too are invited to join my project. Get all the directions HERE. or just scroll to the next post. Deadline for Moths July 15, 2017. Exhibition Dates August 19 – October 28, 2017 at 516Arts, Albuquerque, NM.

Moth Migration – 2nd update

Exhibitions

Sorry I have no pretty pictures today. I have been teaching the last two days and did not have time to print. But I have a new crop of questions that I want to get out. You may have one of these questions on your mind.

Do you want the name of the moths?
Yes, please tell me the moth species. You may write it on the card with your name and address when sending in your moths.

Does my moth have to look exactly like the real thing?
No, not at all, you may take all the liberty you like.

Can I send you 5 different moths?
Yes

Can I send you more than 5?
Yes. My goal is 40,000 + I am hand printing about 4,000 myself between now and May. I will print each myself but get help in cutting them out.

Does the paper have to be two sided?
No, it does not. The paper can be just black or white or grey without any detail. It can be detailed on one side or both if you really want to make that, but it will not be well seen on the bottom. Because I am making several thousand myself, I am using old prints and drawings as my moth paper. I am printing on the “clean” side so there will be texture and marking on the bottom. It is also essentially “free” paper since I already have it.

Does the size you listed 1″ to 6″ include the wings?
Yes, that size is the total for the largest areas of the moth, whether it be the height or the width. That way it will be into an A4 envelope.

What exactly do I need to be a moth ambassador?
Moth Ambassadors are people not living in the US and who would like to gather a group of 5 other people to make moths, but shipping from their country could be cost prohibited. I do not want to deny people the opportunity to participate simply because of postage. Moths must be all packaged together from one location in an A3 or A4 sized envelope and send international standard mail, no express or special services. Please confirm you want to be a moth ambassador with me. I will need a copy of the the receipt of postage from the post office. (This is for my tax purposes since I am self funding it) Receipt can be send via email.

As always, I am deeply thankful for your participation and so excited to see how all this will unfold. More photos will come this weekend.

Please email your intention to participate and questions to: mothmigration@gmail.com

moth_migration

Crowd Sourced Moth – 1st Update

Exhibitions, Uncategorized

Linocut and Drypoint Hawk Moths

I am blown away by all the amazing stories, offers, suggestions and people committed to participating in my Moth Migration Project to be exhibition at 516Arts, Albuquerque, NM, August 19 – October 28, 2017. My goal is 40,000 moths from around the world. In three days over 250 people from the Australia, Africa, Canada, Europe, Korea, Latvia, New Zealand, the UK and the US have committed to the project. It is happening so fast and I am beginning to put everyone into a data base to track the project.

There are “Moth Ambassadors” in several countries. An Ambassador engages their family, friends, colleagues, studio mates and print collectives to either come together to make moths or make them on their own. They will then be shipped together and I will pay the shipping costs particularly when it is from a country that the cost of shipping could prohibit their participation. It is first come first served.

FAQ:

Can I use color? No, these should just be black, white or grey. If the paper is off-white, tan or a lighter brown that is fine. You can see in my dry point and linocut moths different color papers.

Do they need to be detailed? No, they could be as simple as a cut shape and no detail what so ever. That is up to you.

Can I get non-artists to join? Of course, everyone is welcome.

Do they need to be printed? Absolutely not, they could be simply cut or drawn. But no photography please.

Can I make any size moth? The moths should be 1″ (2.54cm) to 6″ (15cm). A little over or under is fine, but they should fall in that area. If you are really keen on making a giant one, please email me your idea and we can discuss. mothmigration@gmail.com

Do you want them cut out? Yes, please the moths should be cut out so that I receive the moth shape, not a rectangle of the paper. They will be attached directly to the wall so they look like they are flying.

How are they being shown? I am cataloging the location of every participant. I will make a diagram mapping where each person is from. I will attach the moths to the gallery walls with museum putty in lines connecting people together. For example. I will have a number of moths from Brooklyn, my home. If a person in Australia learned of the project from me, the moths will be attached to the wall in a direct line to Australia. If the person in Australia learns of the project from someone in the UK who got it from a friend in Canada who got it from me. Then the line of moths will “migrate” from Brooklyn to Canada, then the UK and on the Australia. It is going to take some serious logistical planning.

Can I make moths from my region? Yes, you can make the moth of your choosing.

What do I get? At the completion of the project I will design and print postcards that will be hand signed and mailed to every single participant.

Do I get my moths back? Unfortunately no. But the moths will be carefully preserved and cared for! I would like for this exhibition to tour internationally.

Deadline: All moths must be received by July 15, 2017. Mailing information will be given when you state your intention to participate by email mothmigration@gmail.com

Please tell me your town and country so I can get started on collecting that data.

This is going to be amazing!

Crowd Sourced Paper Moths Wanted!

Exhibitions, Moth Migration Project, Prints

Call for Participation! Cut paper and/or printed moths – Deadline July 15, 2017

I was invited to create an installation for the exhibition titled, “Cross Pollination.” Curated by Valerie Roybal, with assistance from Claude Smith and independent curator Aimee Gwynne Franklyn at 516Arts, Albuquerque, NM . Cross Pollination refers to how insects and other creatures pollinate plant life, but also to the cross pollination of ideas in art and science. I want to create an artwork using moths, nocturnal pollinators, as the vehicle for the cross-pollination and systematic exchanges between people.

Anyone from around the world may participate by making paper cut out moths. Moth will be cataloged and attached to gallery walls and ceiling in a giant geographically accurate web. This web will trace the origin location to every participating person. The moths will “fly out” from Brooklyn, NY and “fly” from city to state to country tracing the “migration” pattern of people’s participation.

My goal is to create and attract at least 40,000 moths. The number derives from the number of moths a grizzly bear may eat per day prior to hibernation. What does the grizzly have to do with migration? Probably not a whole lot beyond intercepting the work of the moths by eating them all.

DETAILS

Color: black, white or grey paper and or/ink – No colour
Size: No larger than 6″ (15.25cm)and no smaller than 1″ (2.5cm).
Paper weight can be variable, from about 30g/m to 270g/m.
Matte paper only please – No Glossy Paper – No “printer paper”
Species: Any moth of your choosing. I encourage your regional moth.
Deadline: All moths must arrive by July 15, 2017
Mediums: Cut paper, Linocut, lithography, Etching, Laser cut, Silkscreen, Letterpress, Drawing, no photograph no digital prints, no computer print outs.
When in doubt keep image plain and simple
Documentation: All locations and connections to people will be documented on paper and my website. A text sheet and diagram with all participants will accompany the installation.
You may make as many or as little moths as you like, but it would be ideal to have at least 5 of the same moth for visual groupings.
Please print name, city or town, state or province, country and who you found out about the project from. I will trace everyone back to the origin.
Please fill out this form by clicking here.
Exhibition dates are August 19 – November 11, 2017 but I need the moths by July 15th in order to photograph and catalog them. Installation begins August 1, 2017.
Important: Moth shape must be cut out of paper. Please do not send moth with any background image or paper. Just the outside contour as seen in the top image.
Please share your photos progress and completed moth photos on our FB group page, Moth Migration Project

Fine Print: Due to the volume of expected contributors I am unable to return the moths. All participants will receive a moth postcard in the mail signed by me as a thank you and acknowledgment of their participation. The exhibition will be well documented and all photos will be available from my website. Your contribution will also be noted on my website. There are no fees and no exchange of money involved.

Please email your intention to participate and questions to: mothmigration@gmail.com

You will receive mailing instructions, once you confirm your participation.

Thank you so much for contribution to my project.
Now I must get back to printing.

Again here is the form to fill out.

Simplified detail sketch of idea, actual size will be over 6 walls and 50 linear feet.

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