Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Ikebana Freestyle Inspired by Kid's Art

As a student of Ikebana, most arrangements are regulated by the sequential lessons in four instruction books. Free style arrangements allow for creative expression, so I am inspired by and full of gratitude to use ceramic vessels created by my children in their elementary and high school art classes.  



























So many facets of art lessons carry over into adulthood: visualization, prepartation, organization, coordination, attention to details, practice . . . . Art class played a big part in preparing our children and me for college and careers-- industrial design, pre-med, mechanical engineering and urban/transportation planning. 
Thanks, Ms. Gaskins (MCN), Ms. Grant, Mr. Magoto (SUV), Mr. Nicaise, and Ms. Probst (SUA) !!!  RIP, Sr. M. Reina (NDA).

Friday, March 15, 2024

Sculpture + Zen

Backlit Morimono Project (Book 2-16).
Material: eggplant, dragon fruit, radishes, mandarin leaves 

Ikebana

My first goal in retirement was to center myself before making major decisions and setting long-term goals.  Mastering the Sogetsu style of Ikebana, serves that purpose while exercising creativity. Now four months in and over 30 arrangements, I immediately get to a still frame of mind with every project. 

The easiest way to describe Ikebana is ‘Japanese flower arranging’, but that doesn't cover it.  Ikebana cultivates a connection between nature, art, and the soul.  Personally, the study of Ikebana fosters in me a calm yet forceful pull to practice continuously for its soothing effect. 

Tranquility overrides the chaos of daily living in the time that I focus on form, angles, shapes, color, and movement. It’s not unlike the cathartic inner peace I get from sculpting, but working with natural material is more intuitive and just ‘Zen’. Stay tuned for more compositions.



Monday, December 12, 2022

Theorias Street 12 in Plaka

2022

At the foot of the Acropolis, Demetrios Lagoyiannis, a tailor from Arfra, Peloponnese (near Kalamata), with his wife Martha (Kokkinaki), found an optimal home in Athens just a short walk from his shop in the garment district.  On Theorias Street, they raised their three children, Georgia (1934), Christos (1936) and Eleni (1938). Christos Lagoyiannis, as a young boy and football fan (aka soccer), memorialized his favorite team by carving the AEK shield (logo) in the marble porch sill. His work of art, or graffiti, circa 1940's still exists today below the Parthenon and other architectural icons rebuilt by order of Pericles during the 'Golden Age' of Athens (460-430 BC).

In the same block of neoclassic houses shadowed by the classic temple was a home fronting on Panos Street, adjacent to Theorias #12, where Demetrios Georgiades (1929), an orphan, lived with his Aunt Katina. Georgia Lagoyiannis and Demetrios Georgiades married in 1959, and soonafter had two sons, Pericles (Peri) and Yiannis. The three generations lived close together, until 1967 when many Theorias Street residents were displaced by eminent domain to redevelop the ‘Plaka’ area as a tourist mecca by the Ministry of Culture. The late 19th century homes with terracotta roofs became souvenir shops, cafes, and museums. Demetris and Georgia relocated to non-descript apartment buildings in dense surrounding neighborhoods, until they both retired and settled outside of Athens, near Elefsina.

Photo: Kanellopoulos Foundation web site

Christos Lagoyiannis took up his father’s profession in Athens, tailoring fine suits for prestigious clients. He and his wife, Vasso (Gkioka), raised their two children, Demetris and Martha, multi-generationally in Aghia Paraskevi with his in-laws next door, and their children/grandchildren above and across the street.  Eleni, the youngest sibling, with her husband Kostas Sophoulis established a home in Aghios Stephanos with their three granddaughters: Evangalia, Martha, and Manuela, that gradually expanded to accommodate four-generations. Demetri and Martha Lagoyiannis (Papou and Yiayia) lived out their days as grandparents and great-grandparents in the Sophoulis home. 

Icon in Museum
In 1976, the Theorias Street homestead opened to the public as the Paul and Alexandra Kanellopoulos Museum to house an extensive private collection. In 2004, the Kanellopoulos Foundation added a new wing. 

Peri, who immigrated to the US, returned often to Athens  from Cincinnati, OH, with his wife and their three children, to visit his parents, brother and sister-in-law, nieces, and cousins. Most trips involved a hike through Plaka where Peri reminisced about his early school years playing soccer on the Acropolis plaza. 

2010 
Each visit they paid tribute to Uncle Chris at the engraved Theorias Street alter and took a compulsory family photo with the museum backdrop. Unfortunately, they never found the building open until their 2022 visit for a special reunion.  Enthusiastically buying tickets to see the interior and the permanent exhibition, they retold the AEK story to the staff, who validated it by checking the stoop outside the gate.  After touring the notable Ancient Greek and Byzantine collections on the first floor, the museum's director offered to take them to the second floor that preserved more of the original house elements, such as ornately painted ceilings watching over the display cases filled with art and artifacts, but currently closed to the public.

Byzantine Exhibit, 2nd Floor
Upon returning to the lobby they were greeted by the Museum’s curator and archeologist, both curios about the residents who occupied the former home. Peri explained where his grandmother's kitchen was located-- near the museum gift shop/bookstore, and recalled the name of their landlord, but their questions would best be answered by Georgia, who could share vivid memories as the oldest child growing up there, including unspeakable scenes that she witnessed during the German occupation. 

In 2010, Demetris Georgiades lost his battle with cancer, as did Christos in 2011. In 2020, Kosto followed his brothers-in-law to eternal rest. The surviving sisters, Georgia, Eleni, and Vasso seldom get back to the old neighborhood, but as it happens, extended family were celebrating Georgia’s granddaughter, Chloe and her fiancĂ© the following day, at the ThissioView across from the Acropolis. After the engagement party, the clan strolled down to the museum.

Painted Ceiling, 2nd Floor
Georgia, in great form at 88, had an audience engrossed in her first-hand accounts of her life in the house during the war. The painted ceilings were as she remembered from childhood.  Evangalia, Martha, and Manuela Sophoulis plan to facilitate virtual visits for their mother who has more family history to share. Stay tuned. 

Demetris, Martha, Demetris, Christos, and Kosta, may you shine like the stars above and watch over the Georgiades, Lagoyiannis, and Sophoulis Families, until we meet again. 

Georgia with her sons, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law,
three granddaughters and other relatives
 

Saturday, June 6, 2020

SMA


Sister Mary Agnetis Memorial photos posted 20 months after installation. 


Work in Progress


Stations of the Cross (in progress).

Last summer, my son inspired me to sculpt 14 Stations-of-the-Cross, as he was constructing a Passion Trail for Good Shepherd Montessori School. Pictured are 4 of 7 reliefs in progress-- reminding me that it was a good start until life got in the way. This project is coming off the back burner. Hopefully you will see some major progress by the next post.



Saturday, October 19, 2019

Halloween Costumes - Part II

13 years of Halloween Costumes

Part I: 1993-2003 (Seattle Filmworks era), will be posted when photos are salvaged.

Sunday, September 30, 2018

SMA Memorial: Concept to Installation

SMA memorial on track for NDA Dedication Sunday, October 28, 2018.

Marble arrived yesterday. Plinth is turned. To do: patina, etching, assembly, install.
Stay tuned for progress pics, and updates on list of people to thank:
  • Seana Dahlenburg Hue NDA '81 - Inkind Graphic Design
  • Christine Dickman Huskisson '81 - Marble Donor
  • Janet VonHandorf Schmidt '81 - Wood Donor
  • Sr. Mary Dolores Giblin - SND Archivist
  • Sr. Mary Reina Arlinghaus,  In Memory of our Beloved Art Teacher
  • Dr. Laura Dickman Koehl '75 - logistics
  • Carol Rekow '61 - Archivist
  • Gary Bassett, Fine Woodworker, Rockler
  • John Cline, Casting Arts & Technology Foundry
  • Scott and Brendan Lewin, Lewin Monuments
  • Adam Schmidt, Fine Woodworker
  • Jacob Swindal, Alabama Marble 

Saturday, March 25, 2017

'Aurora'

Inuit folk lore explains that Labradorite fell from the frozen fire of the Aurora Borealis

See Accessories for more details

Costumes

Hard to believe it's been a year since the SUV Class of 2016 performed the musical, Fiddler on the Roof.  Creating the horse costume and sourcing faux wine bottles for the tavern dance scene and painting a few stage props were my 'art' projects in February 2016.
 

Friday, January 8, 2016

T-shirt Quilt Finished!!!


Recent efforts to focus on unfinished projects is paying off. Another creative tribute to a very special person is finally ready to spread... a queen-size T-shirt quilt.

Saving enough T's since 1995 to reflect pre-school-to-college milestones was much easier than choosing the final palette.  Computer mock-ups, as posted here, helped to arrange.  This was not the final layout, but I hope to post pics of the real thing after our first-born returns to the US and sees it.

After fusing, framing and piecing together the squares for the front and the fabric panels for the reversible back, I outsourced the rest. I'm so happy to have found the Quilter's Studio of Loveland, to do the machine quilting and binding.  Thank you, Laurie for exceeding my expectations. At this rate, I'll soon have more room to start new projects!-- maybe even twin quilts in 4 more years. 

Sr. Mary Agnetis Memorial is a step closer to completion

John Cline at Casting Arts and Technology never fails to deliver exceptional casting expertise. Could not be happier with the bronze cast of Sr. Mary Agnetis. Thanks, John and crew!

You can see more of their casting and restoration work HERE and the inspiration for this project in an earlier blog post (Oct. 30, 2013) HERE.

Next steps for Sr.MA:
  • Patina,
  • Base Design and Fabrication, and
  • Installation at NDA.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Pigs n' Peeps Productions

Pigs n' Peeps Productions covered the Red Bull Derby's best of show.  See for yourself.


Saturday, July 4, 2015