Buggy Origami

This weekend I volunteered at a children's museum for a Halloween event teaching kids about all of the good and "bad" bugs out there!

For my station, I taught kids how to make origami true bugs. This is the "sucking" bug group which includes bed bugs, water bugs, cicadas, and garden pests such as leafhoppers and aphids.

Along with a fun chance to interact with all sorts of kids in Halloween costumes (Buzz Lightyears and vampires abounded!), this was great drawing practice.

I wrote and illustrated all of the materials distributed in my class, including this bookmark. I printed it out in neon cardstock, as well as white for the littlest tots to color in lieu of folding origami.

And as my first (super fun!) origami instruction project, I drafted up the pages below, too.

Feel free to print out (download links below images) and use as you like!

Bookmark 
(download)

Origami True Bug Instructions

(download)

Cute Insects

Starting to sketch out native Arizonan flora and fauna to connect with my roots here.

Woodburning and Music

Update: NEW ALBUM! 


This is a multi-year collaboration between my friend Mike Granger, myself and several Austinites. Give it a listen!

http://rcpz.bandcamp.com/album/practical-knowledge

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Thanks to my friends Chris and Melissa, I am the proud owner of a woodburning tool!

 I've picked it up fairly easily-- it writes like a pen and makes my workroom smell like winter. Which makes a nice escape because this time of year in Phoenix, you step outside and instantly burst into flames. If anything, it's a good reminder to wear sunblock.

Here we go..

Burning in the outline:

(the zombie is for a different project)

And filled with acrylic glazes:

 Pine panels, acrylic, wood stain. 3.5 x 5.5"

Inspiration: the blinking lights atop South Mountain that I see from my backyard)

like here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_greatest/6300617229/in/photostream/

Another outline:

And more color:

In conclusion, I sort of love woodburning. Expect to see more in future posts.

And don't forget to pick up some nifty new music here:

http://rcpz.bandcamp.com/album/practical-knowledge

Thanks!

--Kim--

'NSex Opening Night

At long last, here are photos from 

the collaborative art and science show I helped with earlier this year.

Next Wednesday we will be attending a reception at the Arizona Science Center

 to celebrate the first annual Arizona Science and Technology Festival!

All pieces were hand-formed with paperclay, underglaze, and low-fire clear glaze. After firing, they were carefully mounted and hung onto a scaffold we build from salvaged desert wood.

(one of the informational blurbs we mounted on stands and placed around the sculpture)

The artist-scientist-sculptors:

 Left to right: Joshua Gibson, Kimberly Shaffer, Morgan MacCallum, David Bradley, Brett Seymoure (top), Lisa Taylor (bottom), and Peter Marting

This one's from earlier in the spring -- I like the contours of the abdomen and wings!

Pen, 4x5"

Experiments in Jewelry: Part 1

I've decided to try out jewelry-making this year and am loving it!

 It encompasses so many things I like about art -- complete creative freedom and learning new, exciting processes. This year I've taken several classes and learned acid-etching, lost-wax casting, piercing, and a tiny bit of enameling.

 The chemistry and physics (acid and fire!) and preciseness of it all, as well as the potential for lovely handmade gifts, have me hooked.

To make sure I have the basics of assembly down, I've been making necklaces for family and friends. I can definitely use as much practice as possible with wire-wrapping, coordinating colors, attaching clasps and spacers and clamps. 

Here's one necklace made for a cousin, using glass beads, vintage wood beads, and brass:

I'm really looking forward to using my own images in jewelry, though. Remember the paper cut-out of the rabbit I did in January? (it's below)

The original is large -- about 10 inches long -- and very delicate. It's been tucked away into a drawer where the battering of life can't reach it.

But I can still enjoy the image! After a bit of digital updating to shrink it down to a 1-inch square then acid-etching it into copper, I now have a rabbit pendant.

It should last for ages without breaking!

In the months to come, I'll be experimenting much more with acid-etching, more elaborate piercing and enameling, and forming pieces into three dimensions by hammering, soldering, and bending.

I'll have to strike a balance between starry-eyed wonder at all the possibilities, and the elbow grease and band-aids inevitably involved when sanding, sawing, and filing.. 

For the bug-lovers: I'm still working on ant research on the side, and plan to use plenty of insect images in my jewelry work, too!

A cidada pendant, for good measure:

Until later,

Kim

(And a song for the send-off: the Canadian band Little Scream has a lovely piece titled "Heron and the Fox" here: http://www.myspace.com/officiallittlescream)

Papercuts and Watercolors

I've been working on a number of new pieces recently, including the following little papercuts and watercolors. All of them are six by six inches, to fit the theme of the annual 6x6 fundraising exhibit of the Eye Lounge in downtown Phoenix (March 16 to 18). 

This week I'm leaving for Asia for about a month, but will still be making art there, as well as hiking about, spending time with family, and consuming large amounts of amazing Taiwanese food. I can't wait!

For your listening pleasure: Alexis Harte's new album 6 Spoons of Honey. I especially like "Please Come Out" and the fact that the cover has a bee on it. 

Salvador the bird says:

Enjoy!

Papercut, 6x6.

Papercut with colored card inserts, 6x6.

Pen and ink, watercolors, 6x6.

Watercolors, 6x6. Inspired by road trips (L) and apical meristems (R).

'N-Sex Exhibit Opening: Success!

On Friday evening, more than 230 Phoenicians came 

to the opening of our ceramic insect exhibit at the Eye Lounge!

Here's the flyer in case you're looking to visit during the 1-month exhibit (until Feb. 15). 

We're expecting many more visitors on February 3, which as a First Friday brings thousands of people through local art galleries in single night.

A huge thank-you to all of our supporters, 

a slew of familiar faces from Arizona State University's School of Life Sciences, 

Social Insect Research Group, and School of Art. 

And much gratitude to David Bradley, 

Phoenix ceramic instructor, sculptor, and Eye Lounge member 

who initiated this entire project, contributed all of the raw materials, 

and organized the artist-scientist collaborations!

Please do visit if you get a chance. I'll post more pictures,

but it's definitely better in person!

--Kim

Ceramic Bugs -- Open to the Public in 2 weeks!!

As of October of last year, I have been collaborating with a group of scientists from Arizona State University and local artists to create a ceramic bug exhibit.

The occasion is the first annual Arizona Science and Technology Festival, whose primary purpose is to showcase local innovations in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Our team of entomologists and artists is creating an exhibit which will open on January 20, 2012. It will be on display at the Eye Lounge in downtown Phoenix through the month of February. On February 3 (First Friday), we're expecting a large audience for the monthly free art walk through the galleries in the area. 

Please come by and take a look! Our goal for our show is to show what insect / bug research is being done at Arizona State University. Expect to learn a lot about all of the crazy behaviors insects have for the purpose of reproduction. 

Also, we're planning to sell select bugs. If you or someone you know loves bugs, these would make a unique gift! They have holes for wall-mounting, or are perfectly awesome free-standing, too.

Here are the bugs in progress!!

Bugs. Paperclay, low fire underglaze. From 8" to 14".

--Kim--

Hopper

Hopper, 2 x 3 in., Porcelain and cobalt underglaze, 2011

Co-evolved Beetle

This sketch was done on the back of a receipt, upon discovery of an interesting image in a book I was reading for my Evolution course! If you're ever curious about the topic, Thompson's The Coevolutionary Process is definitely worth reading.

Insecta

Insecta, 11 x 14 in., Pen, 2010

Pogonomyrmex californicus

 California seed-harvester ant

Magdalis frontalis
Weevil