Tiny Desk Adventure

April 13, 2024Jenny Dowd

Earlier this year I saw an interesting call for entries at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia. The exhibition Small Favors called for objects that fit within a 4 x 4 x 4 inch plexi cube. I love making tiny things and brainstormed for a few days with my dad about a subject, we had some funny ideas but both liked the idea of making teeny tiny bookshelves.

I used a red stoneware for the shelves and books, and white slip with simple sgraffito designs on the books. One idea my dad and I had was to balance a little cup of tea on one of the shelves. I made the tiniest little cup with a handle and a saucer, but after dropping it a few times decided on a little vase with flowers.

Looks huge laid out like this, but the shelf this is resting on is from a little test kiln and measures only 9 inches wide. After firing and assembly, I had some fun posing the shelves for a photo… light switch for scale!

Titles are usually the hardest, I gave this one the name: Tiny Desk Adventure after sharing the photo with a friend who said it reminded her of the Tiny Desk Concerts on NPR. Books are such adventures and with a tiny bookshelf on your desk who knows where you will go!

I was pretty excited when this little piece was accepted into the exhibition, it’s on display until June 2nd but will be visible online for much longer. This is the 50th anniversary of this themed exhibition and almost 500 tiny sculptures are included. See all the work here: (although some images are still being added, so mine might not be at this link yet) https://www.theclaystudio.org/exhibitions/small-favors-2024

All the pieces are online for viewing and purchasing, the link to the whole shop is here: https://public.theclaystudio.org/public/shop/collections/232/Small%20Favors%202024

And the link to my piece is here: https://public.theclaystudio.org/public/shop/item/47767/Jenny%20Dowd/Tiny%20Desk%20Adventure

categories Art Exhibitions
tags small favors, jenny dowd sculpture, tiny sculpture, ceramic sculpture, ceramic books

Little Pocket

November 09, 2023Jenny Dowd

Several months ago I was invited to make a piece for a show at Mystery Print Gallery in Pinedale, WY and I think the prompt was one of my all-time favorites: Tiny Vacant Spaces.

I had so many ideas right from the start, but also completely discounted each one of them as they didn’t fully fit the theme.

I thought about the pocket my mom made for me that I would put under my pillow at night with a tooth for the tooth fairy.

I thought about my school desk in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade when I was convinced a mouse lived in there at night. Before leaving every afternoon I would arrange my books and school supplies to create little stairs, hallways, and nooks for the mouse. In the morning I would wonder at what antics it got up to while the school was quiet.

I thought about envelopes and hollow mushrooms and clouds and ladders and how the moon appears so tiny.

At the absolute last minute, the day before the final shipping deadline I came back to the pocket.

I found a tiny 4x4 inch frame and created a stack of fabric to fill the space, and then made a teeny tiny pocket for the top of the stack. The thick frame means the piece can hang on the wall or stand up in a nook.

These are my thoughts on pockets, and specifically - Little Pocket:

Too often there are no pockets where there should be pockets. All the possibilities of the myriad of things that could go in those pockets are lost. Little Pocket is a shadowy ghost of the pocket that should be.

As much as I enjoy coming up with ideas, I also like a good challenge in packing and shipping my art - so here was my solution -

After placing a protective front over the open frame the whole thing was wrapped in foam, and held in place with not only strawberry tape but also a rubber band. Then I popped it into a little box. Pretty easy compared to some!

The exhibition will be on display at Mystery Print Gallery until December 30, 2023 - if you are in the area stop by and see how all the artists interpreted this theme. And keep an eye on the Mystery Print FaceBook page for photos of the show!

categories Art Exhibitions, Process
tags fabric art, little pocket, tiny vacant spaces, tiny art

The Cloud Factory - On the Road

October 27, 2023Jenny Dowd

This summer, thanks to a program with Jackson Hole Public Art, The Cloud Factory made a return to Wyoming. (Click here to catch up on the history of The Cloud Factory)

In late July Sam and I made the long trek from NW Arkansas to NW Wyoming.

As soon as we arrived in Jackson we met up with friends and got to work making clouds in a park. I brought some clouds along with me, and we were well stocked with clouds made by the summer interns at JH Public Art, but we didn’t know how many would be needed. We used paper and fabric, embellishing with drawings and stitching, and either made them hang on a string or soar from a stick!

(To see how to make clouds visit the Get Involved page on the Cloud Factory website)

JH Public Art found a refrigerator box and I spent an afternoon making it into a Portable Dispensing Unit. After cutting the openings for the coin and the clouds to be dispensed from, I added instructions (insert coin, get cloud) and decorated the box with clouds.

How does the Portable Dispensing Unit work? The unit is too small to produce clouds, so we stock it with clouds that have been made offsite. The Unit only works with official Cloud Factory coins which we hand out freely. With the coin, the option is Cloud on a Stick or Cloud on a String… insert coin, get cloud! (See this previous post for more behind the scenes info)

With the help of JH Public Art Interns (Cloud Engineers) we popped up and dispensed clouds at 2 locations on August 2nd. In the morning we were on the Glenwood boardwalk between D.O.G and Penny Lane. Our audience was pretty skeptical, it was a dreary rainy day and most people just wanted some coffee. Even so, we convinced several people to take our free coins and choose a cloud on a stick or cloud on a string. Many a mood was brightened and the smiles and laughs made it all worth it.

After a few hours we folded up the Portable Dispensing Unit and moved it to the Center for the Arts for the Wednesday evening People’s Market. Some people remembered the Portable Dispensing Unit from the summer of 2021 when it briefly popped up on the boardwalk and some remembered the giant Cloud Factory from the lawn of the Center for the Arts in 2020. It was a long day of dispensing clouds but it was full of laughter and cloud factory sound effects.

With the help of my fearless Cloud Engineers, we dispensed over 300 clouds to the surprised people who encountered us!

Visit The Cloud Factory website to view the dreamy video that captured the magic of the day, made by cinematographer Blake Ciulla

The Cloud Factory

Until next time!

categories Community Projects, Art Exhibitions
tags The Cloud Factory, cardboard sculpture, Public Art, jh public art

Lucy goes North

November 02, 2022Jenny Dowd

A few months ago I was invited to participate in an art exhibition with the intriguing theme: Lucy goes North. It was good that I had a few months to mull this over…

Curator, David Klaren, of Mystery Print Gallery in Pinedale, WY said this of the theme:

“A few years ago I had Wyoming Public Radio playing in the background as I moved between the shop and gallery preparing for a new exhibit. I wasn’t paying attention to the Friday afternoon magazine segments, but as I walked into the shop, the narrator stated, “and after the break, Lucy goes north.” I caught myself wondering, who is Lucy? And why was she going north? I had no idea, but I thought it would be interesting to throw the idea out to a group of artists to build an exhibit around.”

I kept thinking about old maps and mysterious journeys and finally decided that Lucy was considering an adventure to catch some of those big stars that she heard hang low in the Northern sky.

I decided to make this more of an illustration than a ceramic piece, so I rustled up a pad of watercolor paper, thin black pens, India Ink, and my favorite entomology pins. Oh, and I found a little wire net that had been made years ago for another project - looks like it could catch some stars!

Each morning while working on this project, I grabbed my favorite starry mug, a 2nd from a soda firing a few years ago.

The final piece, hastily photographed before packing up for shipping, is a shadow box. The compass rose sits out a bit in front, and the stars are all pinned in place.

North is where the stars hang low

Lucy had heard stories of the North.

That the sky was vast.

That the stars hung low in a big big sky.

She wondered if they could be caught.

She picked up her star-catching net.

Lucy went North.

The exhibit will be on display at Mystery Print Gallery & Frame from Nov 3 - December 30th. The opening reception is November 3 from 5-8pm. Check out the Facebook page for photos of the exhibition (coming soon), I can’t wait to see everyone’s interpretations!

categories Art Exhibitions, Illustration
tags lucy goes north, Mystery Print Gallery, starry drawing, starry pottery

The Cake Stand Biennale

April 02, 2022Jenny Dowd

My cake and cupcake stands made their NW Arkansas debut in the sweetest, coolest event ever - The Cake Stand Biennale! (Check out an article here from the Fayetteville Flyer)

This Fayetteville exhibition put out a call for entries - for artwork to be displayed on cake stands - I missed the call and deadline, but contacted them anyway because I thought it was such a neat idea. They were looking for a few more cake stands to display artwork on, and it just happened that I had several small stands just sitting around cake-less.

I love making cake stands because they are specific, interesting, intricate objects with plenty of decorating options (plus a little silly). And of course, cake stands mean there might be cake or a sweet treat around, but I also love the idea that these stands can elevate any object and make it just that much more special. I really love the idea of cake stands as tiny galleries, what a perfect use when not being used for cake!

This event and exhibition is super short, it started with a ceremonial cake cutting (with my cupcake stand proudly holding up a teeny cupcake!) on the Fayetteville town square Friday late morning. We walked to a few locations with cake stand art before heading back to the studio to work…

Experience Fayetteville on the town square is a host location that had two of my small cake stands - each displayed prints by Jordian Molloy Gillen from Northern Ireland

(Left to right)

We found a piece by Jennifer Diaz at Cheap Thrills Vintage and another by Amberly Schaffer at Block Street Records. A beautiful paper cake by Megan Smith is in the bakery section at Ozark Natural Foods, and Swoon Juice Bar featured a slice-o-pie by Olivia Gallenberger.

(Left to Right)

Several pieces were at the Fayetteville Public Library, three little embroidered hoops by Cooper & Co Goods were at Xuma Kitchens and Likewise Community features a photograph by Kweku Kranpah on my little cupcake stand.

And that’s just a tiny crumb of the cake! I can’t wait for the next one…

Curator’s statement:

The Cake Stand Biennale is a city-wide art exhibition in Fayetteville, AR that celebrates the idea that art can be anything and art can live anywhere! The Biennale will take place over two days (April 1-2, 2022), with 32 local businesses and Fayetteville landmarks as cake stand host locations. The cake stand galleries will feature the work of over 50 artists from around the world. From paper snack sculptures, to traditional functional ceramics, to literal cakes, we’ve got work representing just about every art medium anyone could imagine outside of our cake stand galleries!

For more images and information, follow The Cake Stand Biennale on Instagram: @The_Cake_Stand_Biennale

categories Art Exhibitions, Community Projects, Collaboration
tags The Cake Stand Biennale, nw arkansas, nw arkansas art, fayetteville ar, cake stands, cup cake stands, cake stand gallery

Whodunnit??

February 28, 2021Jenny Dowd

The Art Association’s annual anonymous art show kicked off a few days ago, did you guess which piece was mine? This year the pieces are all on display at the Art Association Gallery and Center for the Arts Gallery with purchasing and viewing online. Some pieces are still available and a heated silent auction is also in process, check it all out here: https://whodunnit.afrogs.org/#/index All sales benefit the art education programs at the Art Association.

I was asked to make a 12 x 12 canvas, and since I still don’t know how to deal with a canvas surface I made my own support. But first, a ladder…

For some reason I just wanted to make a small porcelain ladder and when it came out of the kiln I knew what my piece would look like. I was thinking of all the helpful but slightly awkward tools I like to draw on mugs, but what if I made them 3D? (See them here)

Ladder, hammer, scissors, staple gun, wrench, carpenters pencil, and tape measure. Each tool got its own pocket and I embroidered the pocket with clues or an outline of the object.

I also made sure to test the scissors.

So here it is, The Basics. Just enough to start any project! The piece ended up like a pillow for the wall with little pockets for the tools. It was pretty exciting to see my piece in the gallery with a red dot before it got picked up by the purchaser!

The sale & auction is open until March 4th at 6pm MST check it out here

categories Art Exhibitions, New Ideas, Process
tags Art Association of Jackson Hole, whodunnit, small sculpture

A Poetry Apothecary

September 19, 2020Jenny Dowd

This entry should probably be titled “An attempt to begin to get caught up.” I haven’t posted since May, but there has been plenty going on. I’m starting out with a project from early June because it really set the tone for the summer, it’s also one of my favorites.

Early this year, poet Matt Daly invited poets and artists to collaborate in A Poetry Apothecary with the prompt: A collaborative collection of original poems written by local poets who acknowledge the power of poetry to serve as a balm, a poultice, a splint, a placebo, a treatment, a remedy, a prescription, or perhaps even a cure for some of what ails us in our times of need for healing.

Matt and I have collaborated on projects in the past few years and decided to work together this time as well. We started with the idea of tiny poems and tiny drawings that may or may not be helpful for different emotions or problems. Something like - the problem is ___ so the cure is ___ . It also took on the feel of a game of Memory.

Our piece is titled “Sticky Situations” partly because I kept drawing tiny sticky objects - glue, tape, cinnamon roll - and also it seemed a way to define the current pandemic situation.

The process was fun, I drew a bunch of little drawings and gave them to Matt, he responded to the images with a malady and a poem. And we switched, he gave me a list of poems and I drew an image in response. I love how they make sense and yet don’t. I giggled so much in my studio while drawing these helpful little objects!

The exhibition was installed at the Center for the Arts, and our piece was in the Conference room. In response to Covid-19 we mounted the text and image onto small paper plates and encouraged viewers to flip the plates with a bamboo skewer. Seriously one of the first funny inventive moments of this time.

Check out this link to a tour of the show with poetry read aloud: https://vimeo.com/430154010

Also this review on WyoFile

Below are each pair, the drawing is above the poem it applies to. Click each image to enlarge.

I hope you feel better after visiting this Poetry Apothecary.

Or at least had a good laugh.

categories Art Exhibitions, Projects, Illustration, Collaboration
tags A poetry apothecary, poetry and art, tiny drawings, ink drawing, sticky situations, poems by Matt Daly, Helpful Objects

Merlin & Friends

May 16, 2020Jenny Dowd

Well, it happened. Merlin the Cat finally got his own book.

Earlier this year I was invited to participate in the 2020 Laramie County Library Book Arts Invitational, Imagination: Inspiration and the Artist Book. This year the theme called to imagine your story, inspired by fairy tales. (I have participated in past invitationals at the Laramie County Library, read about the process behind those projects here: 2018, 2017, 2016)

As usual, I was a bit stumped by the theme. It seemed a nice escape to imagine my way out of our current COVID-19 pandemic… but was still hard to latch onto an idea. Each year my dad asks me about the theme for the show and helps me brainstorm an idea, but we were both stumped.

The story behind this story is a winding one, but stick with me…

One gloomy, rainy day I took some funny photos of Merlin and his “friends.” I emailed them to my parents one photo/page at a time, like a slowly unfolding story. A warning - while true, this story is a little gory:

Once upon a time, Puppy, Moose, & Rat were relaxing in front of the fireplace. They thought nothing could destroy their peace and warmth.

Suddenly, next to that warm fire with his friends, Moose felt a chill. Could danger be lurking? Rat felt the hair on her back bristle and Puppy held his breath. Something was coming.

The attack was swift. Moose and Puppy carefully looked for their friend, Rat. She tried to hold her breath while trapped under the paw of the monster.

But it wasn't over. The monster suddenly grabbed Moose and tore into him. Puppy and Rat lay as still as possible.

When it was over, the fire went out, the 3 friends were strewn about. Meanwhile, Merlin the Monster turned his back and prepared for a nap.

The End.

So, about a week later my dad texted me suggesting that this story could be made into my project. But he warned that it needed to be sanitized, because it was just too mean and might scare little kids. We texted back and forth a bit, and it turned into a tale of friends working together to find a spot for a nap.

I wrote up a quick draft of the story and sent it to my parents who both had some suggestions. We even met up for a FaceTime chat to go over it. My parents chimed in as I worked on the story and illustrations. My mom had the idea to include a pillow on each page (like the hidden mouse in Goodnight Moon)

I suddenly felt like this was a huge project and decided to break it down into 2 or 3 cells per page. I took photos for reference. The part about Merlin liking to nap or at least pretend to while we cook in the kitchen is as true as it is annoying.

I love how Merlin can have this truly shocked expression, so I tried to capture that. I also borrowed his “friends” for reference. Merlin didn’t really like not having them around to chew on so I had to hide them in my drawing room.

And where was Merlin this whole time? Underfoot usually, or closely watching.

And here it is! I'm not super excited about using cardboard for the pages, but I needed the book to stand up for display and I’ve been trying to use materials I already have in my house. Plus, now that it’s finished I have a better idea of how to do this for real.

If you find yourself in Cheyenne, Wyoming this summer between June 11 - August 7th, stop by the library to see the show in person. (Check their website here first, to be sure of any limited hours or access due to the COVID-19 issue) A printed catalogue will be available from this show and I can’t wait to see how the other artists interpreted this theme!

And no, this was not an excuse to shamelessly share photos of my cat. But he does need a certain amount of attention for survival, so thank you for helping him out!

categories Art Exhibitions, Illustration, Process, Projects
tags Laramie County Library, Book Arts Invitational, illustration, Merlin the Cat, studio cat, Ink drawing

Park(ing) Day 2019

September 22, 2019Jenny Dowd

PARK(ing) Day happened on September 20th in Jackson. This is a day (all over the country) where artists reimagine parking spaces into places of possibility. This was the 5th year Jackson has been involved, organized by Jackson Hole Public Art, and my first year participating.

Check out last week’s Journal entry to see how I built my cart…

Once the cart was finished, I could focus on the final touches. A fabric canopy was made to provide shade, I kept this simple by sewing a piece of fabric then drawing a little embellishment on the edge. It’s rather rickety - so at this point I started hoping for a day without wind.

I’ve been making flowers for the cart all summer, some even came from past projects. I put my dad to work cutting stems (wire) for the clay flowers. Each type of flower made from porcelain.

After bisque firing the flower, the stem is attached, then it gets bathed with color… I used a mix of acrylic and whiting (calcium carbonate) and then layers of watercolor.

The finished flowers were poked into the styrofoam inserts that line the cart, and after a test of the awning, plus the addition of signs, it was ready for a parking space!

On a wet, cold, rainy Friday morning Jeny’s Flower Cart opened! I had to set up a tent over my parking space so it wouldn’t melt. I was located in front of Hand Fire Pizza on a very busy Cache Street.

The gloomy, cold day was made cheerful as I invited people walking by to make flower bouquets for free! I have no idea how many flowers I made, and no idea how many I gave away, but I probably went home with less than half of what was started with.

For a little history on the flower cart…

In 2016 I was invited to create an artwork for a Tiny Art Show curated by JH Public Art. Since the show was featured at the People’s Market (a farm & art market in Jackson) I thought a tiny flower stand would be welcome. I made a little cardboard shelf that would hang on the wall and filled it with clay flowers, bouquets, and vases.

A year later after Penny Lane Cooperative opened on Scott Lane, the businesses on that block had a “Midtown Throw-Down” and invited artists to sell their work during the evening event. Since I was already selling my pottery in Penny Lane, I decided to make a concessioner’s tray full of flowers, and walked around during the event selling flowers.

It seemed that the next logical step would be a flower cart, it took me a few years to find the right venue and to plan and build the cart.

Not sure what’s next, but I’m looking forward to a break from making flowers!

categories Art Exhibitions, public art, Problem Solving, Process
tags parking day, jh public art, flower cart, flower factory, jenny dowd sculpture

Flower: Factory & Cart

September 14, 2019Jenny Dowd

I am working on a mound of pottery orders… but first, flowery public art events!

Last week I was invited to participate in a Town Square Takeover. This artist space was created by Wildly Creative Jackson Hole and the Center for the Arts. 6 artists showcased what they do during 3 afternoon takeovers on the Jackson Town Square. Read all about it here.

My takeover was on Friday September 6th and I invited people to participate in a Flower Factory.

I made lots of signs out of cardboard, and collected some safety equipment, since safety is a big concern in the Flower Factory.

7 stations explained how to make a crepe paper flower - the type of flower the factory was producing on that particular day. Many participants came by and safely made flowers, I’m happy to say there were no incidents of lost time and flowers were produced and distributed to nearby people.

Another type of flower factory is currently in the works - I am participating in PARKing Day on September 20th. For this event, artists and designers are invited to take over a parking space in Jackson (and all over the country!) from 10am - 6pm.

I am creating a flower cart that will be parked in my space where flowers and bundles of flowers will be distributed (free!) to all who would like them. So, to get ready for this event, I am making a flower cart out of cardboard. This project is currently taking over the clay studio… and Merlin is not a happy studio cat.

The start was pretty simple, then the wheels and handles got a bit tricky…

Each wheel does spin on an axle, but I just couldn’t figure out how to make this happen from the start in my small space. So each wheel is fitted on a short tube that allows it to spin and also provides a place to attach. To connect the wheel, I made a thick triangular shaped piece that the tube could fit through and is also connected to the base of the cart. Once the triangular shape was connected, the wheels spun but needed a little more support. A longer tube / axle was used to connect the wheels. Now the cart can move on the wheels… but I doubt it would hold up for much of a journey!

The handles also posed a small challenge. I didn’t want them to be flimsy and also wanted to avoid getting things hung up on them before the event. Deciding to make them somewhat detachable, shorter inserts were attached to the cart, allowing longer handles to slide over. It’s not a big difference, but it does take up a tiny bit less room in my space and offers more strength to the handle. This should make transporting the cart a little easier next week.

Tons of measuring yet still rather wonky. The inside is fitted with pieces of styrofoam that will hold the flowers. So hopefully the rest is the fun part… signs, an awning, and lots and lots of tiny flowers…

Visit me on September 20th, 10am - 6pm in front of Hand Fire Pizza on Cache Street in Jackson. And I’ll publish an update next weekend showing how the cart got finished!

categories Art Exhibitions, Community Projects, Process, Studio
tags flower factory, wildly creative jackson hole, town square takeover jackson hole, public art, jh public art, PARKing Day

Clouds & Cupcakes: Part 2

September 07, 2019Jenny Dowd

Clouds & Cupcakes opened this past week at Mystery Print Gallery and Frame in Pinedale, WY. I was so excited about the show that I completely forgot to take any photos - so thank you to everyone who photographed the work and posted it on Facebook! Now I have another excuse to travel back to the gallery and see the work… next time I’ll remember to photograph it.

In my last post, Clouds & Cupcakes: Part 1, I showed some process behind my work for the show. Here, all the work by Shannon Troxler, Matt Daly, and Connie Wieneke come together and for sweet and cloudy conversations.

I turned the window into a bake shop, plus covered another gallery table with porcelain sweets - cakes, petit fours, cherries, and fortune cookies. Scattered in are a few small paintings of sweets and clouds by Shannon.

Shannon captured the fleeting nature of clouds with oils, which also look as if they will change any second.

Matt projected cloud fortunes onto layers of silk hanging in the middle of the space, the projected words and light passing through the layers and onto the walls with cloud-like ripples. The fortunes are the type he imagines clouds would receive if they went out to dinner together and received fortune cookies at the end of the meal.

As a bonus, the light caused extra shadows in the cloud studies that hang below.

Connie wrote a cloud ephemeris, inspired by the human need to pin things down, and to feel like we know what will happen - despite the nature of the ephemeral.

At the end of the gallery I hung a bulletin board with little drawings of photos of memories of clouds. More cloud studies in shadow boxes hang next to Shannon’s oil paintings of clouds - these float off the wall just above a silver leaf background.

The fortune cookies do contain fortunes - though most will have to be broken in order to be read. I see this as potential. A fortune cookie holds many possibilities, in this case, perhaps they will sit and wait, to be opened and read at just the right time.

I’ll be back to take more photographs soon. And the show is on display until November 1. Check it out if you are in the area, gallery details can be found at the Facebook page for Mystery Print Gallery & Frame

categories Art Exhibitions, Sculpture
tags clouds and cupcakes, pinedale WY art show, Mystery Print Gallery, matt daly, connie wieneke, shannon troxler, porcelain cake, porcelain fortune cookies

Clouds & Cupcakes: Part 1

September 02, 2019Jenny Dowd

Clouds & Cupcakes has been in the works for over a year - and as usual, most of the physical work has happened in the past few months. I’m always happy to have a show deadline on the calendar, it seems so far off with endless possibilities. Even though the final few months is always a scramble - it’s actually a carefully controlled chaos of a scramble because there has been so much time to think, and plan, and test, and dream.

Clouds & Cupcakes will open at Mystery Print Gallery & Frame in Pinedale on September 5 and will be on display until November 1. If you are in the area stop by for the opening reception from 5 - 7, with an artist talk at 6.

This is a show I’ve been turning over in the back of my head for close to 2 years and initially invited painter Shannon Troxler to tackle the space with me. The title didn’t emerge until this past very snowy cold January, and came from a specific feeling that I’ve found difficult to put into a few words. We started talking about this dreamy idea of clouds & cakes and that led to inviting poets Matt Daly and Connie Wieneke to join.

Today we are installing the show and I can’t wait to see all the work come together. I’ll publish the second half of this entry next Saturday with all the work in the gallery space. For now here is more on my process and how the show idea evolved…

I had an idea for prints, but something happened before I could even start them. While teaching a monotype class in the early spring I accidentally got a drop of white ink on my brayer that was already rolled up with blue ink. I proceeded with my demo - thinking this would be a good example of why you should keep a clean station - and ended up so excited and completely drawn down a tunnel of mark making. The small prints ended up with a lot of depth and wispy cloud-like forms. They were interesting on their own but also called for something more sculptural.

I like the idea of adding an element that can cast a shadow or move in a breeze, so after making a bunch of little porcelain clouds, I pinned them to the prints or hung them in the shadowbox frames.

While everything else was swirling around in my head, the prints anchored my thoughts for the show. Shannon and I met at Persephone Bakery one morning for sweet treats and brainstorming - which led to a desire to make the gallery window into a sweet shop.

Very flexible and thin porcelain paperclay was ideal for making fortune cookies. The paper here was just to help hold a side open during the firing. They fired an icy white and make a satisfying crunch when broken. Which, yes, you might just have to break the cookie to get to the fortune inside - each unique fortune written by Matt Daly.

My studio turned into a bakery as I made layer cakes that I could only dream of in a real kitchen. Each decorated with cloudy patterns and and perched atop handmade cardboard stands.

Another element came into place slowly over the summer while out walking. I started really noticing cloud shapes and tried to remember them.

You didn’t see that?

Oh. Well, since you missed it

I drew a photo

Stay tuned next week to see how the show comes together, I can’t wait to share the work created by the other artists!

What follows is my inspiration for this show and how the title came about…

Each year in the deepest moment of winter the same thing happens. Looking around, I think that I can’t stand one more day of the winter landscape. Too much white, too much snow, too much work and planning to get around. Within a few days this feverish feeling breaks. Suddenly the landscape is surreal; the clouds have combined forces with the snowy ground and I’m no longer sure where one begins and the other ends.

Indescribable shapes plus impossible shadows swirled with soft colors leave me unsure of what is concealed… and I’m reminded of frosty icing and the delicate sweetness of cake. Is the ground a cake and the sky frosting? Is it actually the other way around?

Conversely, in the middle of summer, the memory of winter is entirely out of place. The lush green plants growing as fast as possible in the short summer months, the river near my house that I ski over in the winter and paddleboard on in the summer - it’s just too much for me to comprehend. It’s odd, but somehow every summer I forget how high the snow piles and every winter I forget how green the land becomes.

Cupcakes & Clouds is an attempt to wrangle all those nebulous cloudy and wintery thoughts and memories into one space. Shannon Troxler, Matt Daly, and Connie Wieneke have joined me in describing the sweet cloudy mood of our skyscapes.

categories Art Exhibitions, New Ideas, Process, Sculpture, Studio
tags Mystery Print Gallery, clouds and cupcakes, porcelain sculpture, porcelain cake, cardboard sculpture, monotype, drawings

Chalky Characters & Helpful Objects

July 28, 2019Jenny Dowd

Last week I tackled my largest canvas yet… the Town Enclosure Pavilion on the lawn of the Center for the Arts in Jackson. This temporary structure was installed last year by Carney Logan Burke Architects with the intention to be a space for performances, gatherings, and also to offer creative space for visual artists.

Jackson Hole Public Art asked me to consider drawing on the panels using chalk. The pavilion can be walked around and through, with the panels changing with movement almost like an optical illusion, so this became an inspiration. I made a rough plan and then just decided to go for it.

Before starting the drawings I could not comprehend the size of the panels. Once a ladder was in place and I could only reach as far as my arms would stretch - I just had to go for it and make the shape fit the space. Suddenly I found it easy to run out of room and wishing the panels were larger!

It was an equally freeing and terrifying feeling to freehand draw these characters and objects. I used both hands to draw and went up and down the ladder and walked back and forth to the street to get a better view.

Some characters feature furniture acting out human scenarios (Bad lamp) and others are embracing their helpful nature - Super chair! (This chair swoops in just when you really need to sit down but there are no chairs nearby.) And the lamp saying “I really like you” to the other lamp. So careful and hesitant, ready to go out on that limb, just not quite ready for the other L-word.

Other helpful and awkward objects include the giant watering can and umbrella. The placement of the panels inspired the watering can and flowers, while walking past the water drops line up so the flowers are getting a good drink.

I’m inspired by the awkward feeling of ladders and nets, as if they are stretching and helping to reach that far-away object.

This was such a fun project! The chalk drawings will remain for a week or so - depends on rain. So if you are in the area be sure to walk by.

categories Art Exhibitions, Illustration, New Ideas, Process
tags chalk art, temporary art, center for the arts jackson hole, jackson hole public art, drawings

1 week, 2 shows

October 27, 2018Jenny Dowd

Sometimes it works out this way, I have work in 2 exhibitions and they both have receptions this week…

Animal Shelter opens on November 1st at Mystery Print Gallery in Pinedale, WY. For this invitational exhibition artists were tasked with interpreting the theme of animal shelter - how do animals find shelter, especially in the shared spaces occupied by humans, other animals, etc?

I focused on the tiny: snake, spider, bird, mouse. These critters can be seen as pests or pets, and I like the idea of them having flexible found shelter - each has an indoor option and an outdoor option.

The little critters are made from porcelain, multiples were made in case someone lost a tail or beak. The little drawings were done in a local coffee shop- another reason I like to work small!

4 tiny sculptures resulted. I’m looking forward to seeing how the other artists interpreted the theme. This show will be on display until the end of the year, so check it out if you are in the area.

The cookbook project, a year in the making, is now an actual printed cookbook! (Check out my past post Illustration project sneak peek for some behind the scenes.) The cookbook is available to purchase in the Jackson CWC office in the Center for the Arts.

I never imagined that my sketch - how to butcher an onion - would make the cover! (I took a knife skills class a few years ago, a short evening class through CWC. Learning how to chop an onion blew my mind! Plus… I’ve only cut myself in the kitchen a few times since this class.)

All of the original illustrations are on display and available for purchase in the Theater Gallery located in the Center for the Arts in Jackson until November 5th.

This Friday November 3rd, from 5:30 - 7:30, the culinary arts students will be serving tastes from the cookbook at the reception. Come by to see (and taste) the recipes that inspired drawings by me, Jocelyn Slack, and Cal Brackin.

categories Art Exhibitions
tags center for the arts jackson hole, wyoming artists, Central Wyoming College, CWC Culinary Arts Program Jackson WY, Cookbook Illustrations, Jocelyn Slack, Cal Brackin, local artists, how to chop an onion, Mystery Print Gallery, animal shelter exhibition, pinedale WY art show

Illustration project sneak peek

September 21, 2018Jenny Dowd

I’m excited to share a peek into a project that has been in the works since late last year…

In collaboration with the Culinary Arts Program at Central Wyoming College, located at the Jackson campus and illustrators Jocelyn Slack and Cal Brackin, I’ve been working on a cookbook! The three of us have been illustrating a collection of recipes developed by the culinary arts students.

The end result will be a published cookbook and an exhibition with some of the original illustrations as well as actual recipes made and served during the opening by the students.

Wrapping my head around how to create illustrations for the recipes was a challenge. It didn’t take long to realize that composing the image right there on a piece of paper was causing me to stall out and I would be more confident if working dimensionally.

I thought about the story each recipe told and how to best give visual instructions, then drew the components. After cutting the pieces out I was able to play with the composition and relationship of each object. Some images came from memory, while some- the 1950’s pink convertible- needed a source image.

After the initial composition on scrap paper, I moved onto ink on drawing paper. The next part seemed the most scary- I don’t usually use much color and rarely use watercolor. I had a few drawing drafts that didn’t work out, so they became confidence building practice pieces.

Pictured here- how to chop lemongrass for Thai Masala Squash Soup, Taco Soup, and Asparagus Soup with Cream- for that one I imagined a budding romance between asparagus and a pitcher of cream. (I got sick of my brushes rolling around on the table and making a wet mess, so I made a quick brush holder with foam and push pins. I made a sea monster brush holder out of clay earlier in the summer, but haven’t glazed it yet.)

For some recipes, I picked out a few key ingredients, like a shallot and mint for the Cucumber Mint Salad. Some are more visual how-to’s, like the middle illustration- Winter Vegetable Hash (Scrub veggies before peeling, do not rinse after!) and some are about telling a story- Thai Coconut Rice- gateway to the taste of another country.

The Cuban Chicken recipe was influenced by the grandmother of the chef… so I couldn’t resist a 1950’s pink caddy being driven by a chicken on a mission! The Singapore Fruit Salad made me think of a market full of exotic fruits which led to fruit eager to travel the world. Mixing pasta dough like a volcano of flour filled with eggs… well, that’s my visual definition anyway.

Some recipes got more color than others, I still love the simple black line of pen on paper, so I highlighted that in a few of these drawings. Especially the Meatball Sub- the meatballs are waiting for the toast to be perfect.

I still have several more illustrations to finish, so stay tuned for an update! And if you are in Jackson, be sure to stop by the Theater Gallery in the Center for the Arts to see the exhibition. The work will be on display from October 20 - November 5. The opening reception will be November 2 from 5:30 - 7:30pm. And the cookbook will be available at that time too!

categories Art Exhibitions, Community Projects, Problem Solving
tags Cookbook Illustrations, Central Wyoming College, illustration, Jocelyn Slack, Cal Brackin, CWC Culinary Arts Program Jackson WY, Storytellig, storytelling

Stickum Up!

September 08, 2018Jenny Dowd

Friday evening the alleys of Jackson got plastered with large prints of local art! Thanks to JH Public Art these temporary murals were installed during the Palates & Palettes art walk and will remain on view through Fall Arts Festival.

After a little wheat paste practice we hit the streets...

In the alley behind Eddie Bauer and Pinky G's Pizza you will find "Peaceful Inputs" by Sophie Stoessel and "Thrilling Wyoming" by Walt Gerald.

My tiny drawing, "Some things should not have wheels" is now huge in comparison to the original, and is right across from Sophie & Walt. And just down the alley behind Trio: "Holding Steady" by Katy Fox.

There are 7 more! So if you are in Jackson walk around and find them all, they will be up until the 22nd. One is even going to be a permanent painted mural, the artist will be starting on the 17th.

I'm so excited to see my little characters suddenly large! Stop by my booth at the Takin' it to the Streets Fair tomorrow to see the original- it's about 4 inches x 10 inches.

categories Community Projects, Art Exhibitions
tags JH Public Art, Jenny Dowd, Walt Gerald, Katy Fox, Street Art, Jackson Hole, Stickum Up

FoundSpace 2018: Part 1

June 04, 2018Jenny Dowd

FoundSpace 2018 is ready to be explored!

Now in its Fourth year, this project is a collaboration between the JH Land Trust and JH Public Art. FoundSpace offers the opportunity and challenge of interpreting conserved public land in creative and interactive ways. This year FoundSpace is at Emily Steven's Park just outside of Wilson, WY.

Last year I collaborated with Matt Daly, (see our project here) we had such fun that we decided to work together again. Inspired by the optical combination of words and images in thaumatropes, Matt wrote 12 short poems, one for each month, that highlight the overlooked (and often introverted) mini-fauna found in this area.

I illustrated each poem, which has been challenging since the magic behind the thaumatrope is 3 drawings- one on each side, plus a combination of the 2 when the disk spins.

The image had to be clear enough to read, yet the multiple parts allowed for slightly more information. I was so excited about telling the stories that I missed an important step- the image has to be perfectly registered on each side so that when the disk flips the image is not blurry. Oops.

I drew the image on paper, transferred it to plywood with carbon paper, then registered the image using holes in the side of the disk. (As seen by the highly technical use of drill bits...)

Each little critter has such personality and imagery created through Matt's words, it was easy to imagine the story and what I wanted to visualize. I am so excited to be part of this project and to work in collaboration with another creative who sees the world from a different angle. I'm already learning a lot about some of the mini-fauna that I was not aware of!

The thaumatrope is made cut disks from plywood in a diameter to fit discarded bike wheels that Matt scavenged. I drew and painted on the primed surfaces and made cranks so they can be turned by hand. The stands were made by Matt from discarded fence posts, and all stand at different heights.

We've started with 4 thaumatropes, and will install all 12 within the next month. So stay tuned for updates, and if Emily Steven's Park is part of your normal routine be sure to check back periodically.

There are 3 more artists who have installed artwork in the park: Bronwyn Minton, Bland Hoke, and Brittany Hill. Check back for my post on Saturday June 9th for a full update!

And if you are in the area, stop by Thursday June 7th from 5-8pm for the opening event. (You'll be able to make your very own small thaumatrope!)

categories Community Projects, Art Exhibitions, New Ideas, Problem Solving
tags FoundSpace, Jackson Hole Land Trust, Jackson Hole Public Art, Outdoor art, thaumatropes, illustration, poetry, Matt Daly, Jenny Dowd

Ensemble

May 25, 2018Jenny Dowd

It's time for the Laramie County Library annual book arts exhibition, Inspiration and the Artist Book. As usual, this year's theme left me stumped for a few months: Ensemble. I rolled the idea around in my head as I worked on other projects and brainstormed with my dad (now you know my secret!)

This time I went tiny, deciding to make an ensemble of clothing. But it's not just any clothing- these items are made from the pages of an old book.

I started out by making tiny patterns and testing how to fold the paper with the fewest number of folds or overlaps.

I really wanted a hat as part of this wardrobe, it took me a few tries to figure out how to display it. At first I made a stand-alone hat rack, but that seemed too complicated. In the end I added a little hook onto the clothing stand so all the little pieces would be together.

The clothing rack and hangers are made from black wire. I like the gestural line quality and felt it fit well with the pages of text.

The final piece is very small, 8 inches tall by 10 inches long.

Book Jackets

Each person is a book. We are each an ensemble of ideas, information, fact, fiction, stories, dreams and musings. In order to face the day we wrap ourselves in what we have, leaving space in the wardrobe for more items and changing styles.

By mixing and matching we create a story to be presented to the world, adding and sharing pages and pieces through conversation, reading, living, and researching.

This tiny delicate piece was also a challenge to pack for shipping. In the end it occupied a much larger box than I would have imagined for such a small piece... but the box only weighed 4 pounds!

Visit this book sculpture in person and see how all the other artists interpreted "Ensemble." The show will be on display at the Laramie County Library in Cheyenne, WY from June 8 - August 8, 2018.

categories Projects, New Ideas, Art Exhibitions, Sculpture
tags Laramie County Library, ensemble, Book Arts Invitational, bookart, small sculpture, paper sculpture, paper clothing

Whodunnit?

March 10, 2018Jenny Dowd

Whodunnit? is my favorite event & fundraiser at the Art Association, and it was last night! This yearly event is a celebration of tiny anonymous art. Around 200 artists create and donate 6x6 inch artworks that are signed on the back.

One reason I like this event so much is that I find the 6x6 inch format difficult. After my usual struggle, the final piece often marks the exploration of a new idea in my studio. The small canvas becomes a sketch for a new path or it helps me figure out a problem to work through an idea I've been mulling over.

I've made several pieces over the past years for this event, but haven't managed to photograph them all. Here's what I found...

2010

Tooth Fairy Notes

At this time I was trying out some new materials and working to make the canvas feel more like clay. I was also writing some funny little stories and haiku about the Tooth Fairy.

2015

Envy

I think this was the first time I made the "canvas" instead of using the provided canvas. But most importantly, this piece was the first time flowers or little mischevious vases showed up in my sculpture!

2016

Remember when?

I'm still mulling this idea over, of adding depth by combining drawing with sculpture. This was the piece that started me thinking about that idea.

2017

Books

This was a tiny version of a small piece I had made in 2016 for a book arts exhibition at the Laramie County Library. (See that piece Here.) I had lots of leftover little books and wanted to revisit the idea and keep the background open. I added the flowers because as much as I love having flowers around the house, they have to be put up on high shelves or else my cat knocks the vase over. So I'm often finding wilted flowers here and there.

2018

The flower stage

This time I wanted to make something that would change with different backgrounds (I only made one, but photographed it on a few different papers.) I've been thinking a lot about stages and invented settings. I've also recently discovered that I love working with cardboard and I like showing some of the "how" behind the craft.

I'm still excited about the ideas behind each of these pieces (and the ones I forgot to photograph) and am looking forward to seeing what these ideas lead to!

categories Art Exhibitions, Community Projects
tags Art Association of Jackson Hole, whodunnit, small sculpture, jenny dowd

Utopia/Dystopia

November 11, 2017Jenny Dowd

Yesterday I visited Mystery Print Gallery and Frame in Pinedale, WY to check out the exhibition Utopia/Dystopia: Inspiration and the Artist Book.

This exhibition started out at the Laramie County Library earlier this year and now a smaller section of the work is on display at Mystery Print.

The invitational bookarts show was curated by Sue Sommers, with the theme of Utopia/Dystopia.

Here's a peek...

Camellia El-Antably

Mark Ritchie

Camellia El-Antably: Experiments in Utopia

"Experiments in Utopia" reviews the American experience with communities dedicated to a utopian vision.

Mark Ritchie: Imperfect Circle

The practice of group equine groundwork is as close to utopia as may be possible.

Cristy Anspach

Conor Mullen

Cristy Anspach: Highway Reliquary - Mule Deer

This work is inspired by a desire to address the human/animal struggle that plays out daily on our roadways.

Conor Mullen: Facts About Fallout

A hand-made PSA that compares ideas of utopia/dystopia through a repurposing of words/images once published by the U.S. FCDA and the DoD.

Holland Morelli

Tawni Shuler

Holland Morelli: Dystopian Flora

A study of plants as sentient beings, leaves as fresh and plant forms/structures as art.

Tawni Shuler: Warrior Rabbits

After recently moving to the southwest desert, my attention has turned to the jackrabbit and the folklore of the Jackalope, a mythical creature with the body of a rabbit and sprouting the horns of a deer. Jackrabbits can live in the extreme heat of a desert environment due to design of their feet, fur, ears and most importantly behavior adaptation.

Susan Durfee

Sue Sommers

Susan Durfee: Mystery

Sue Sommers: Liberty Walking Part 1 & Part 2

Liberty Walking: coin albums full of drawn feet. Honoring the Statue of Liberty, Emma Lazarus, immigrants, and walking women everywhere.

Nyla Hurley: The Railroaders

Patterns of consumption, dominance and production over people, wildlife, resources and the land.

Nyla Hurley: Nativist Nostalgia

My way of thinking is an addiction or even a disease: a disease of nostalgia.

Nathan Abel

Jenny Dowd

Nathan Abel: Excavation: Found Scroll

Created from scraps of old work, this book illustrated the tenuous nature of the relationship between utopian and dystopian ideals.

Jenny Dowd: Flowers still grow

This altered book represents a dystopian world of redacted and heavily censored information. Growth is still possible.

(Check out my earlier post here for a little behind the scene peek into my concept and process.)

If you find yourself in the Pinedale area in the next month, be sure to stop by and see the show in person!

categories Art Exhibitions
tags Book Arts Invitational, altered book, Mystery Print Gallery, utopia/dystopia, Camellia El-Antably, Cristy Anspach, Holland Morelli, Jenny Dowd, Mark Ritchie, Nathan Abel, Nyla Hurley, Sue Sommers, Susan Durfee, Tawni Shuler, Conor Mullen

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