My blog postings have been sparse lately because I have spent the spring immersed in the world of 3D yellowfin tuna.  For the past three years artists from Dartmouth and Westport have created 4-foot long fish that are used to promote the Art Drive, an open studio tour through the coastal villages of Dartmouth and Westport.  The fish are auctioned off on eBay to support the event and the Lloyd Center for the Environment.

As a participating artist this year, I spent a long time thinking about what to do with my yellowfin tuna.  In Mexico, reflected light patterns on tin angels made me think of shiny fish scales and that started me off on an idea that was at the time way beyond my skill level and pay grade. But a lot of time playing with photoshop and learning how to use my graphics tablet got me to a pretty good place when my daughter raised the bar saying,

“ Oh Mom – you have to make this 3D.  It will be so much more dynamic.” 

Easy for her to say!  She is a talented artist who can easily move in three planes.  For me, adding a third dimension was as challenging as one of those yoga poses that the teacher does so easily.  While she twists and turns all forty six different muscle groups, I can’t even get a message from my brain to my neck, much less arms, shoulder, abdomen, legs……..  But perseverance pays off.    After many trips to AC Moore and Ace Hardware trying out different schemes and learning more about adhesives than I ever wanted to know, it did come together. So here is “Charley’s Angel” made of photographs on colored xeroxes mounted on flexible foam, over an oatmeal box.....

 

The angels that started this whole idea.

  

My own little yellow fin angel stands only 12” tall.

To create the colors for the fins and scales I used sunshine and a bright
Mexican tablecloth and a lovely turquoise shirt.