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Posts Tagged ‘Falls of the Ohio’

Blue-headed Vireo

Posted in animal art works, Art, art and environment, birding, birds and birding, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , on October 16, 2009| Leave a Comment »

blue-headed vireo

October and the Fall migration is underway.  One bird I look forward to seeing is the Blue-headed Vireo.  I have spotted them the same week in October for two consecutive years now.  I watched a pair working their way around the willow trees and observed one eating a fat, dark moth it caught.  These vireos are less wary and found lower in the trees than the other vireo species recorded here.  The official Falls of the Ohio checklist counts six vireo species.  I’m still looking for the Yellow-throated Vireo, which like the Blue-headed is considered uncommon for the park.  I like the bright white spectacles around this bird’s eyes.  Here’s a different view of this bird.

Blue-headed Vireo, 10/09

A couple weeks back I made another bird from Styrofoam and just didn’t get the chance to post it till now.  I think it turned out well and I call it a “White Jay”.  It’s about the same size as a Blue Jay.  Materials used to create this sculpture include:  polystyrene foam, sticks, lead (one eye), bark (for the wings) and plastic.  I later attached it to a branch, as in early ornithological prints, and is in the present Galerie Hertz exhibit.  Again, here are a  couple different views of this piece.

White Jay, 10/09

White Jay, 10/09

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Dancing Man

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , on October 14, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Downed tree at the Falls, 10/09

Another day of adventure at the Falls of the Ohio and made all the more memorable since I had company this time.  My good friend Jefferson, his son Holden, and my son Michael made the short trip across the Second Street Bridge to have fun and collect sticks.  Wood is something the Falls has in abundance and Jeff has a purpose in mind for his sticks.  He wants to support a net over his goldfish pond to keep out leaves and all the cleaning that results when they get in the water.  Jeff always seems to have a purpose or job to do.  The boys decided to collect wood and construct some kind of fort.  That has been their prefered activity at the Falls for as long as they have been coming out here.  I, on the other hand, prefer to play and I made a figure to accompany us.  I call him the Dancing Man and here are a few images from our day together.

Dancing Man, 10/09

Dancing Man, back view, 10/09

Here are front and back views of this figure.  He’s made from Styrofoam, sticks, plastic, and aluminum all found in the park.  Finding branches and roots that have the right gesture to them is what helps give this work some sense of motion.  I like it when I find a piece of foam that isn’t so static in form.  The body of Dancing Man has some torque to it that further enhances the implied motion and helps make it a more interesting sculpture in the round.  The limbs also help animate the figure and lead your eye to the head which has the most detail invested in it.  This guy looks surprised like he wasn’t expecting to get his feet wet!

Dancing Man with Tire, 10/09

Looking through the day’s images, this one is my favorite of the Dancing Man series.  There was enough moisture in the sand that it reflected the back light in this interesting way.  At the moment, it seems that there are more washed up tires along the shoreline than is usual.  One can always find a tire or two, but after the last bout of high water, it’s like sea turtles that have come along way across the river just to find this certain stretch of beach to haul themselves out on to land again.

Michael, Dancing Man, and Holden, 10/09

Dancing Man ventured too close to Michael and Holden’s fort and was captured.  This image does a good job of giving you some idea of the scale of my Styrofoam figure.  Michael’s in the 8th grade now and Holden is a year behind him.  I’m glad they are good friends and I know it pleases Jeff as well.  I first met him when we were undergraduate art students at Murray State University.  Our families have remained close.  Jeff is a wonderful artist in his own right and has become a middle school art teacher in a neighboring county.  I am going to use Dancing Man for an exhibit I’m participating in this weekend.  I’m also looking forward to my Bluegrass Bioneers talk the same day.  Two separate events both involving my art.  It must be serendipity because it sure wasn’t planned out that way!  Final image is of the guys by their improvised fort.  I’ll catch up with everyone later in what will prove to be a noteworthy week for me.

Michael, Holden, Jeff, and Dancing Man, 10/09

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Yellow Boat

Posted in Absurd, Art, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, Ohio River, Originality, recycled art, watershed, tagged , , , , on October 11, 2009| 2 Comments »

willow trees and water, 10/09

Last week’s rain means that the river is high.  The once exposed fossil beds are now covered by swiftly flowing water.  Along the shoreline, new layers of driftwood have been mixed up, added to, and then deposited on the Indiana side of the Ohio River.  This is usually a good time to see if anything new has washed up.

Yellow Boat, 10/09

I found many of the objects that comprise this blog such as bottles, shoes, balls, Styrofoam, driftwood and more.  Among the more fun discoveries was this toy yellow boat.  I came across it adrift in a puddle and judging from how dinged-up it looks…must have survived a fierce storm.  The boat’s occupant looks like he has a case of sea sickness.

toy boat in puddle, 10/09

Here’s how it looked at the moment of discovery.  After a few snapshots, I pocketed the boat and set out on a quest to find more waters for it to float on.  It was nice taking this break from the last few days.  I have about a dozen Styrofoam sculptures opening in an exhibit at Galerie Hertz next Sunday.  I’m also giving a talk the same day on my art for the Bluegrass Bioneers event.  More on both events later in the week.

Yellow Boat in fallen tree, 10/09

In a fallen tree I found a water-filled hole and a safe harbor for the yellow boat.  So far, it’s still a bit hard to gauge how small the boat is.  That’s what I like about photography…you can’t always judge scale.  To settle it in your mind, I offer this last image that will give its size away!

Yellow Boat in hand, 10/09

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Trick or Treater

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, animals, Art, art and environment, creativity, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged , , , , , , , on October 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

under the willows, 10/09

Under the willows the trap has been set.  With mask on and gun drawn the Trick or Treater isn’t waiting for the end of the month.  Halloween is now.  Soon a victim will appear and it will be “your candy or your life”!  Sugar can do that to a fella…even one made from Styrofoam.

Question Mark butterfly, 10/09

Waiting requires patience and so the Trick or Treater stays hidden.  Insects are plentiful today.  Fresh Question Mark butterflies flit through the zone demarcated by shade and sunshine. Can you see the small question mark sign on the hind wing that gives this butterfly its name?  Small tiger beetles chase each other across the sand and a hundred small grasshoppers are making lace from the wild grapevines.  Sooner or later, someone is sure to come by and then the trap will be sprung.

mask of the Trick or Treater, 10/09

Today is warmer than it has been for a few weeks.  The bear mask starts to get hot and with that a change in tactics is required.  Rising from his hiding place, the Trick or Treater begins to stalk the margins along the willow habitat.  Do you hear voices or is it just imagination playing tricks?  Carefully, he follows a line of driftwood towards the sound in the woods.

Trick or Treater, 10/09

Trick or Treater, 10/09

The ambush is set and everything is ready.  The trusty squirt gun is armed and the Frankenstein-head candy bucket is eager to find fulfillment.  The prey has been spotted next to a pile of Styrofoam and sticks that look vaguely familiar.  Inching closer, the Trick or Treater is aided by the noise his potential victims are making and the crunch of sticks and leaves is unheeded until total surprise is achieved!

the Trick or Treater's surprise, 10/09

The idea for this figure came from a destroyed teddy bear I found at the Falls last March.  Either some child or dog came across it first and knocked the stuffing out of it.  The bear was still damp having been carried by the river to the spot where it was discovered. The empty bear’s head would make a perfect mask and I waited until now to put it together.  There is a face I made with acorn eyes and pink plastic mouth under the  disguise.  Every now and then, I find Halloween related items and I decided to put a few together to create this figure.  I’ll probably use it for a decoration this year where it will greet fellow tricksters in their quest for candy.

destroyed pink teddy bear, 3/09

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“You are Loved”

Posted in Absurd, Art, creativity, Falls of the Ohio, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, Ohio River, Originality, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, tagged , , , , on October 5, 2009| 2 Comments »

"You are Loved", 10/09

It’s been four weeks since I was last able to visit the Falls.  Between a badly twisted ankle ( turned the same ankle twice in one day) and work and family obligations, I have had to remain close to home.  In just such emergencies, I have an ample supply of Falls materials at home.  I prefer working in the larger context, but home will do in a pinch.

I made this small table-top piece last night for a work colleague who recently lost her mother.  My friend had expressed a wish to own one of my works and since her mother was an artist, thought this might be a nice way to offer my condolence.  This work incorporates found wood, Styrofoam, coal, plastic, and the shells from Asiatic clams. 

Over the years, I have made many smaller pieces ( my family calls them “Foamies”) and I have sold and given them away as presents.  I get asked to donate to many not for profit art auctions and I usually give these smaller works all made from materials gathered in my walks at the Falls of the Ohio.

Now that I have scratched my itch to blog and published another image, I can move on!  The ankle is getting better, the cool fall weather with its great light quality is here.  I have a few opportunities (including work in an exhibition) coming up soon and I’m feeling upbeat!  I promise another post soon.

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The Shoes You Lose

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, collections, creativity, ecosytem, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, unusual collection, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , on October 2, 2009| Leave a Comment »

platform shoe

I’ve started another collection of images courtesy of you and the Ohio River.  Here’s the latest in found footwear located within the Falls of the Ohio State Park.  Although I have noticed lost shoes for years, I have only recently started taking pictures of them.  So, in many respects this represents the height of riverine fashions.  To see more, look under my “About” section on the right.  You might come across something you once wore on an outing to the beach.  My sons think their Mom will like this selection of images!

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The Sandman

Posted in Absurd, animals, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , , , on September 15, 2009| 1 Comment »

The Sandman and Adam, 9/09

The day my son Adam made his dragon, this is what I came up with.  I call him the Sandman and I based him upon the nocturnal visitor familiar in children’s stories.  As Adam and I walked along the river, I found the blue plastic sand shovel and the idea for this piece fell into place.

Cicada, 9/09

While my son and I worked under the willow trees we were serenaded by the cicadas.  The rising and falling buzzing courtship song of the males is a familiar sound of summer.  This year I’ve noticed them more at the Falls than ever before.  Now I understand why the cicada killer wasps are also more common.  I wonder if the wasps detect their prey by sight or do they zero in on the cicada’s sound?

The Sandman, 9/09

This figure is made from the found materials that have become my vocabulary for my Falls works.   Polystyrene foam form the head and body.  Each piece of foam has traveled down the Ohio River from who knows where?  I only use materials that I find in the park and over the years I have been able to keep to this personal rule because so much stuff shows up here through periodic flooding.  The Styrofoam is shaped by natural processes and I add other natural and artificial materials as I see fit and come across them in the debris of the park.

The Sandman, 9/09

The Sandman comes to the Falls of the Ohio because of the quality of the sand.  He wanders along the river’s shore and carefully selects the right sand which he stores in a small bottle.  A little bit of sand goes a long way.  The bottle is worn close to the body with the help of a little waste fishing line which is unfortunately plentiful at the moment.  The Sandman may appear a bit ghostly, but he’s harmless.  His appearance has more to do with the unseen and unknown quality of the night.  So, when you rub the sleep from your eyes in the morning…you will know where the sand comes from.  It’s a gift from the Ohio River formed over deep time.  Sweet dreams.

The Sandman, 9/09

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Adam’s Dragon

Posted in Absurd, animal art works, animals, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, unusual collection, tagged , , , , , , , , on September 8, 2009| 3 Comments »

Adam's self-portrait, 9/09

You can tell by looking at this photo that Adam is the life of the party!  I hand my son the camera and the first picture he takes is of himself!  The two of us went to the Falls the other day.  We hiked around and then made some art together.  Here are a few words and images recording our adventure.

Adam crossing over, 9/09

The river is in its summer pool meaning that it’s low this time of year.  The water in this photo is barely ankle to knee deep (and that’s if you step into a hole).  I usually wade over to get to the fossil beds on the Kentucky side.  Adam decided that he prefered the challenge of walking across this old telephone pole someone else had laid across the water and it was a good test of balance.  That’s what I like about walking over driftwood.  You need to pay attention to where you are going.  As we were exploring, Adam came across a piece of wood that reminded him of a dragon’s head and he decided to see if he could make the rest of it from other found materials.  I wonder where he got that idea?

Adam's Dragon head, 9/09

As you can see, Adam has a pretty good eye.  This old beat up piece of wood does resemble a dragon’s head or snapping turtle skull (that was my vote).  The eye socket is in about the right place and it does have a complete mouth with maxilla and mandible.  The other side looks just as good too!  Adam carried his driftwood from the river’s edge to the site that has served as my outdoor studio for months now.  Recently, I did a little “house” cleaning by rearranging  all my found materials.  While I worked on my piece, Adam was busy working on his.  Little Styrofoam people watched from a safe distance and from behind a tree.

Adam working on his dragon, 9/09

Finding material for the body and limbs was on hand, but there was the challenge of what to use for the wings.  Adam did a little scouting around and found this blue, foam-like mat that he cut in half with my knife.  The wings are pegged to the body to hold them in place.  I did help him when he asked for it…which was when we hammered the legs into the body with another piece of wood.  As we worked, I asked him how third grade was going and other topics of conversation, but there were also periods of silence as we focused on our projects.  I heard that’s how you can tell when men are comfortable with one another….when time goes by and neither utters a word to each other.  They don’t need to.

Adam's Dragon, facing right, 9/09

At last the dragon is finished and the beast seems to be roaring its approval.   Adam seemed happy with his efforts.  I’m pleased that for now, he still thinks its fun to come out with Dad to explore, make things, and use our imaginations.  I can’t conceive of  how a person can develop a love for nature unless you have some experience in it?  The outdoors can help nourish the body and spirit in ways that are hard to replicate in school.  We had some fun playing with the dragon which is a dangerous thing to do because they are proud and fickle beasts and one can never completely relax around them.  If you do… than this can happen!

Adam bitten by the dragon, 9/09

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Fossil Bed Excursion, Part III

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, public art, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, watershed, tagged , , , , , , on September 6, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Fish Sand Drawing, 8/09

With the power plant behind us, I retrace my steps in the sand along Goose Island.  At the moment, there is shade.  Once we venture back onto the fossil beds we may get momentary cover from a passing cloud.   I stopped along the sand bank and made one more Styrofoam figure from materials found along the way.  He’s a simple guy with one very apparent attribute.  He has a bright yellow belly button.

Figure with Big Nose, 8/09

He’s made from found Styrofoam, sticks, various plastics, bark, and nuts.  I decide to take him with me and work him into other images.  I briefly watched a cormorant swimming near my position.  One moment his head was up in the air and then the next he was in underwater pursuit of some fish.  Continuing my walk, I’m heading towards the fossil beds and the remains of a 19thcentury dike.  I like some of the views of the skyline of Louisville from here.  With the water being so low, the exposed rocks create an other worldly sight.  Walking on the rocks it’s easy to imagine you are walking on an alien and ancient surface because it is!

Louisville skyline from dike at the Falls of the Ohio, 8/09

Figure on the Dike, 8/09

Here are two views from the Goose Island Dike.  You can see how this barrier divides the fossil beds from the Prairie Grass Habitat on the right.  This is where I left this figure…with his legs wedged in the crack of a broken rock.  I left him for someone else to find and enjoy.

Louisville skyline as seen from the Falls of the Ohio, 8/09

Moving down from the dike and onto to the fossil beds, I’m going to follow the river’s edge.  A small and noisey flock of Killdeer plovers scatters in front of me.  From here you can see how the water has sculpted this limestone into a pock marked wave.  It’s not the easiest surface to walk on and it’s very slippery when wet.  I have always liked this view and feel it’s worth the trek.  It’s like looking at a cross section of the history of life.  It’s ancient rocks represent a moment long ago when life was tropical and the water tasted salty.  Now, we are at a different latitude and the environment has shifted over deep time.  Fresh water now governs this landscape and we cling to it down to its very edge.  The tourist in me is saying my camera’s memory card is full for today and so this marks the end of this particular trip over the fossil beds.  I hope to return soon.  Perhaps the early fall when the sycamore and willow tree leaves start to turn yellow and ducks are in the air.

View of Louisville from the Falls of the Ohio, 8/09

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Passing Gas(oline) Container Collection

Posted in Absurd, Art, art and environment, collections, creativity, ecosytem, environmental art, Falls of the Ohio, fresh water, Green, Louisville, Kentucky, nature, nature photography, Ohio River, Originality, recycled art, sculpture, Styrofoam, unusual collection, watershed, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on August 22, 2009| Leave a Comment »

gasoline container at the Falls

I have just posted a new collection of images that can be found in my Pages section.  This selection is of gasoline containers found in context at the Falls of the Ohio State Park.  All theses containers reached here by floating down or with the Ohio River.  I find there is a certain level of irony represented in these images since they underscore how important fossil fuels are to us and that a container used to specifically hold this precious liquid should happen to wash up at a site that is famous for its fossils.  Civilizations rise and fall with their ability to harness energy and we have decided to hang our star on fossil fuels.  For now, I’ll leave it at that and let it join my other eccentric collections that are gifts and lessons from the river.

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