Commissioned pieces were never an artistic goal of mine, especially when it came to fine art. However, being asked to create something entirely different from my usual focus sometimes presents a new and exciting challenge.
JUNE 2021 - BEANSTALK
Temporary installation in Shellharbour City Library commissioned for Shellharbour City Library's School Holiday Create and Play program. Apart from experience in theatre arts from my previous role as a high school teacher, and set and prop design for my studio dance productions, I had not engaged in a large scale installation project before. A project of this magnitude, and theme, was definitely a first for me. This beanstalk was constructed over a period of four weeks. The main section consists of 9m painted insulated air conditioning duct. The winding vine consists of 20m drainage pipe wrapped in assorted fabric. Each leaf is fabric collage on a cardboard base, with wire woven in to allow attachment to the vine. Installation of the beanstalk took approximately 2 hours, requiring a lifter to attach it to the ceiling. The leaves had to all be attached on site to allow transportation of the piece. I'm really happy with the final installation, and the scale of the work in the space. |
APRIL 2021 - SCARECROW
Commission for Shellharbour City Council's 'Messy Hands: Create and Play' event in the Shellharbour City Council garden. I had three hours only in which to create a scarecrow from scratch. Council supplied a frame which was a little short of original specifications, but I made the most of what I had. Clothing was sourced from friends and local op shops, and the personality emerged on the day. The scarecrow was stationed in the library for several weeks before being moved into the front garden. Even though I did my best to make it kid friendly, and not too scary, staff told me that they always felt like the eyes were watching them... especially at night... |