Saturday, April 18, 2009

Circus Art

Today I will be heading in to Peru to the Circus Center to work on the banner project that has sort of been on hiatus due to someone feeling the need for a medical vacation..... (ahem!) Really, it has NOT been on vacation; we had the banner fabrics hemmed and then there was the work of trying to get proper images, etc. to paint. It is not, by any means a small job. And the real work is just beginning.
However, the artwork posted today is a piece I had donated a couple of years ago to the International Circus Hall of Fame fund raising gala.
In some odd, infinitesimal way, I have a connection to them. In the art above (which is another beeswax collage) you will see elephants and horses, and there is the image of a house in the background. That was the home of my great, great grandparents or great, great, great aunt, and when the Wallace Circus (later Hagenbeck-Wallace) would be in town for a show, or home to their winterquarters, they often would graze the animals or set up on my ancestors property. The postcards are the scanned backs of the images--this is a part of my lineage, at a very great distance.
I had a wonderful time putting the work together; the leaf skeletons refer to the Fall of the year, the last shows, discarded ticket stubs, the bright wrapping papers from prizes won upon a midway or some sugary sweet purchased at the performance.......
It is interesting seeing the faces of the men in their suits with the pachyderms---appropriately dressed while walking and tending the animals! I have no dates for the cards; I just know the writing is my grandmother's much later in her life.
In the signature line of e-mails, I sign off with "Life creates Art. Art creates Life."TM
Indeed, it is true. My distant family's life was the inspiration for this art.
The funds from the art helped a bit to keep the ICHOF alive.
It is a sweet synergy, even after all these long and distant years.
And now to work. Gessoing huge pieces of canvas.
Maybe, considering yesterday's post and accompanying photo I do have a little circus in my blood......you think? ;)

P.S. Please click the photo for a close up of the work, to enjoy the old photos. And the heading from todays post is clickable, going to the ICHOF website which is well worth a look-around for circus fans!

6 comments:

My Vagabond Heart said...

Love that piece. Glad to hear the banners are progressing. Look forward to seeing the finish pieces. ~8-)

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Yeah, me too. I think they will be interesting. It's been such a long time since I worked on this size scale---I think the last time was when I did work for the Base, when I was still single! We won't discuss how long that's been! LOL!!!!

Leslie said...

Thank you so much for the paying it forward with the Renee Award. What a lovely idea.

I love the circus piece as well. Very kewl.

Good luck with the banners. We are still snowed in here. Not going anywhere today, we're thinking.

Jan said...

What a fascinating bit of history in your background. I went to the circus site too and read the opening page. All very interesting and also so sad the parts about losing the animals and burning the wagons. I hope you don't over do it, working on the banners today. How many gallons of gesso will that take? Lots, I'll bet.

Also, congratulations on the award, what a nice bit of sharing.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Leslie,

Hoped you would appreciate it! You gracefully posted and stuck through, with faith, the situation with your church and if you did not earn the award for THAT ALONE, I can't imagine why not.
Plus, I love to check in---like a quick visit at a friend's house---to see what's going on.
You enjoy it!

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

Jan,
I'm not sure how much gesso we had--at least 5 gallons. But we had seven people there working and in 1 1/2 hours, they were primed. I actually could bend straight over at the waist and prime without and pain or fatigue. Of course, I'm worn out NOW, but I was so happy I did not have to dump work on someone else that I couldn't do. It was fun!
Glad you checked the link to the ICHOF; there was SOOOO much history here. And with the economy, it really is a struggle for all our remaining industries/tourist attractions.
I wish I could recreate the collage---but you know how that is. Once, that's it!

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