Bugs and Botanicals
The Interconnectedness of Nature
Creating 50 pieces of art in 50 days, read more about this series and process below.
When a fellow artist encouraged me to apply for the 8th Annual 50|50 Juried Show hosted by Sanchez Art Center, it sounded simple enough: create a 6x6-inch piece of artwork each day for 50 days around a theme. I applied and was thrilled when I was selected by juror Brian Gross of Brian Gross Fine Art in San Francisco to participate in the exhibition. Little did I know how much this project would push me creatively.
My theme was Bugs and Botanicals - The Interconnectedness of Nature. The first couple of weeks were great; everything was new and exciting. Then the beginning of week three came and I realized that I had only completed 15 pieces out of 50. I began to panic. What did I get myself into? That was when I realized how much art 50 pieces actually is. My theme was fighting back, challenging me to come up with new ways to make each piece unique yet cohesive within the series. At times I was in the flow and ideas and pieces seemed to magically appear. Other days they had to be dragged kicking and screaming out of my head and through my hands. Somewhere along the way I just stopped thinking and kept creating. I didn’t have time to think or plan, I just had to make art. It was a wonderful feeling to surrender to the process.
In the end, I did it - I created 50 pieces of artwork in 50 days! These little treasures took on a life of their own and let me explore subject matter, technique, materials and new ways of creating. Each piece is a 6x6-inch mixed media encaustic painting. I used a variety of materials including vintage book pages, letters, maps, 18K gold leaf, gold thread, oil paint and micro beads.
The paintings are titled after botanists, naturalists or entomologists. I encourage you to look up the names and learn more about the wonders these scientists contributed to our world.
This was a remarkable art making experience for me. I hope you enjoy discovering these pieces as much as I did creating them.