The Art of Objects: Entreamigos Projects 2013

Our wonderful weeks of work culminated in the big night at entreamigos: Gracias a la Vida, the annual auction benefit. I've told you about the child artists who helped me with my own projects. Now I want to show you what we did...and what I bought.

Here, in a corner of my studio, are the completed pieces.

This is the Friendship Desk, created from a pine table made by volunteers Jack and Rick, painted and decorated by me and Antü Santiago Coss, age 10. The beads I added spell out phrases in English and Spanish: write to me/escribeme, thinking of you/pensando en ti, friends forever/amigos siempre.

Ten days or so before the auction, I received an email from entreamigos director Nicole Swedlow. She told me something had just been donated and it was right up my alley. It was a wonderful chunky cobwebby box, with rusty metal trim in the Mexican tradition. I cleaned it up and made it into a cookbook shelf.

When Antü and I were working one day, I showed him a mirror frame that I wanted us to decorate. "Paint something on it," I said, and went to work finishing the desk. When I turned around, he had painted a range of snow-capped peaks across the top. Antü loves snow, although I'm told he's never actually been in it.

Snow, I thought. Hmmm...now there's a challenge. One thing led to another, and the piece became the Viva México mirror, with scenes and artifacts on top from Mexico's mountainous interior, segueing into beach at the bottom.

I cut the palm tree out of a sheet of tin and Antü painted the lovely curly waves.

My other art partner was 7-year-old Angie. "My life is art" she had told her dad a few weeks before. I already had an art box in mind, but Angie's words brought it all together.

The well-used objects on the top collage are all reclaimed from the entreamigos art bodega.

Angie signed her name and added her unique self-portrait to the inside lid.

She also painted all four sides, including this night sky with crescent moon of which I am inordinately fond.

The art box now has a home at Angie's house. Her good daddy Fred bought it at the auction, and won't it be a wonderful thing to have for her when she's all grown up?

Those are our own pieces. Now I'll show you what I bought at the auction.

I saw this screen being fabricated when it was barely a third complete and fell head over heels for it. It was created by Adriana Coss (perhaps not coincidentally Antü's mama) who heads the glass art fabrica at entreamigos.

When I first saw it, Adriana was twisting wires to hold the glass in place. I loved the whimsy of it.

The rounds are slices of recycled bottles, the squares handmade glass tiles made under her supervision by San Pancho's kindergartners.

(By the way, the blue lamp on the shelf was also made in the entreamigos glass shop from a tall tequila bottle. I'm in the process now of beading the shade.)

Isn't it fabulous?

I was also extremely fortunate to "win" this exquisite piece by Sheri Hunt, a friend and neighbor here in San Pancho. I saw it, too, when it was only partially finished. I promptly had a bad fit of covet. 

This heavy wood box, along with the one I did and five others, was built by a local woodworking shop. It measures sixteen inches square and four inches high. Sheri did most of the work in pencils, although people always touch it to be sure it's not actually carved. It is the new focal point of the inside sala where everyone can admire it when they walk in the door!

The bonus for me is that Saint Francis is the patron saint of our pueblo, whose formal name is San Francisco. I didn't have a St. Francis, and wanted one. I'm really glad I waited for Sheri's! 

And so this year's benefit is over. It was successful thanks to the hard work of a lot of people who worked for months and months to envision it and pull it off. In reality, my part was minimal. It was a privilege to participate, as always...and to see the dedication and inventiveness of the volunteers and employees of entreamigos.

 

Comments

[Fred Shumate G]

Dear Candice, I really like your collaboration with Angela Luisa Feibel "My Life is Art" and the beautiful "San Franciso" box by Sheri Hunt (hey, I know that girl)!

My wife Sandia and I were in San Pancho this past February visiting the Hunt's and had a wonderful time. Tambien, un besito para mi, a Tracy Guadalupe.

Saludos, Fred

[Sheri]

I am so honored and thrilled that the St. Francis box "El Tesoro De San Francisco" is living in your house and hopefully very soon I will be able to contribute another piece to your beautiful casa, Luz de Luna. That way small pieces of me will continue to stay in San Pancho when I can't be there.
Abrazos!
S

[Jeanne]

I love the pieces you and the children made - they're wonderful!!!

And that screen is gorgeous!!! I absolutely love it! And the box is beautiful too! Sherri did an unbelievable job - it sure looks carved!

Lucky you to have such fun with the children and such great artists, young and older, in your midsts.

[Jeanie@ the owl house]

Very impressive, amazing what little ones can come up with, I would be happy to have any of the projects! Would have to add an owl somewhere tho :-). The screen is gorgeous, and now you have a piece to remind you of the new Pope!

[Char]

Of course, I love the St. Francis box the best...the screen is so clever, so unusual (though it won't screen much will it!) and love the mirror! Such fun you must have had...I love living with you through this blog..congrats on being in the Reader's Choice contest by the way!