The Great MYSTERY BUILD Reveal

When my kids were in elementary school they participated in a statewide project called "Odyssey of the Mind."  It was like an athletic team for problem solving.  They had to solve a problem and use certain materials in the solution.  I always recruited an engineer-type as a co-adviser but I loved the entire ordeal of watching the young brains go into creative/resourceful mode as well as the lessons learned in working with a team.

So when I read about the Mystery Build challenge for adults I began to salivate.  I knew it would be much more fun to tackle the proposal with a buddy so I recruited fellow artist Carmen Beecher as a partner in the project.  Basically the gig is that you receive a small box of materials and a theme and have about a year to create something along the lines of the theme using only the stuff they send.  Then you photograph it, video the process, write about it and submit.  Easy, huh?

Here are the contents of the box.  This years theme is "re-create a work of art."  The work of art was not defined other than to be a recreation of something else.  We decided that a noted masterpiece would be fun and, both avid readers, choose "Moby Dick."  I love brainstorming and kicking ideas around with Carmen was very stimulating.  I must give her huge credit however as her research included re-reading the entire novel while I settled for the annotated version.

Any depiction of Moby needed a great white whale.  Here is Carmen in my studio making a papier mache whale head over a balloon (that would have to be removed) from the elmers glue and the packing confetti.

The journey was wonderful - we tasked our brains, researched symbolism, learned new crafts, tried new tools, spent time together, built trust and learned how to make a (short!) video.  The journey was well worth every bit of time and the $35 spent.

But we are now at the destination.  And it sure would be nice to see a little something more, a little cherry on the top, for our efforts.  So we are asking you to choose us over the hundreds of other pieces submitted and help vote us into the People's Choice Award.  Any one but she or me can vote daily and award us up to 5 stars.  On November 20 the submission with the most stars wins $1500 AND bragging rights.  There are many other prizes awarded by the judges but this is the one for which we can campaign.

So click here, watch the video for #2, Thar She Blows, and click on the 5th star.  A little box will ask you if that is how you vote.  No need to register or share your email, but only vote once a day.  If you wish to jot down the voting address and do it with your morning coffee it is: http://mysterybuild.com/voting/

You can bet that Carmen and I will be forever grateful for your support....and of course, we will be sure to share "the rest of the story."

ARTfully yours,
Cindy

Moby Wins Again

Remember when I mentioned the fabulous Mystery Build contest where you order a box and turn the contents into something creative related to the theme they have chosen?  Well, I am pleased to say that artist/friend Carmen Beecher and I have completed our submission...ahead of schedule even!!
We opened our box to see this:

and using only those contents (the addition of paint was permitted) we turned it into this:

Well, that is only a tiny view of what we did, I didn't want to reveal all our secrets just in case one of you out there is competing with us.  But that's a closeup of Captain Ahab, he of the peg leg, and of  Ishmael clinging to Queepeg's coffin. Carmen was a ball of creativity and it was really fun to bounce ideas around and then to "play" in the actual creation. 

I am also announcing this finished product because come November we will ask you for a big, big favor: there is a People's Choice Award (and a large sum of $$ that goes with it) and we will be soliciting your votes of support.  You are allowed to vote once a day and we will be sure you are aware of the "window of opportunity" when it starts.  I'll also share with you then the video we had to submit (as I said, this was a real challenge) of our assembly and construction. 

On another note: all of us, artists and non-artists alike, share a curiosity about studios.  A virtual friend, Marla Laubisch has created the perfect glimpse into the working spaces of a variety of artists.  She has dubbed it a Blog Carnival and I liken it to a home tour on-line.  Via my blog you will be linked to other artists and by clicking on their name you will go to a photographic tour of the place where they make their craft.  So that means you will be getting a bonus blog (I like to think of it that way) from me this weekend which tours my NC studio and provides links to other studios as well.  You can visit at your leisure, sit down with your favorite beverage and amble along as it suits.

Hope you enjoy it.  Now I need to run straighten up my work space, it seems I am expecting a lot of visitors!!

Cindy