Putting Art to Work – Iris Raffle to Stop the Dump

[row][col type=”1″ class=””][/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=”box_green box”][title type=”h3″ class=”fuse”]Message from the Concerned Citizens Committee of Tyendinaga and Environs[/title]

The Concerned Citizens Committee of Tyendinaga and Environs have been fighting for 15 years to keep our land and water safe. Waste Management wants to build a mountain of garbage on fractured limestone with a stream running through the middle of the property. It makes no sense, but they are determined to go ahead. We are determined too. We will not see our land and water wells ruined by the leachate from this large leaky dump.

We are winning our battle with Waste Management, but winning costs. For this reason we are holding a raffle. All money raised in this raffle will fund our experts, whose brilliant science has clearly demonstrated the unacceptable risk of this foolish proposal. Please help us pay our way in this fight. Put Art in your life, and you will be giving life to our efforts. We are determined to keep the water safe for our children and their children too. Thank you![/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””][title type=”h3″ class=”fuse”]Raffle Artwork – A Collection of Five Iris’s[/title][/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””][quote_box author=”Harlan” profession=””]Please support and share this! Put out the word by liking this on Facebook or emailing the link to your like minded friends and colleagues. [/quote_box] [/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””][minigallery id=”2316″][/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””]All of the pieces in the raffle are included in the mini gallery above, but first, here is some more information, from Harlan, on this collection of iris pieces. There are four pieces to win including a brand new lamp, wall plate, a watercolour and a vase. An early bird prize ‘white night’ wall plate is also included in the raffle.[/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””][title type=”h4″ class=”tfuse”]Early Bird Prize[/title][/col][/row] [row][col type=”1_2″ class=””]

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The iris piece “White Night” was made in 1977. I managed to find an old sandblaster, bought it for peanuts, and used it. I was interested in the linear qualities of the iris flower, and the support rhythms that the leaves offer. Of course this had little to do with the somewhat “stiff” support that the leaves and stems actually offer the flower, but since this is art, there are freedoms for the artist. I found composing the leaves to suit a circle format and at the same time allowing the iris to float on the surface to be challenging and interesting. Reality was not the goal, but dancing with an Iris was.[/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””][title type=”h4″ class=”fuse”]First Prize[/title][/col][/row] [row][col type=”1_2″]

The newest piece, made in 2013, is the result of a lot of time spent making iris flowers into lampshades. This has been going on for about twenty years, and I am finally getting the hang of it. This is my answer to bringing flowers into your house.[/col][col type=”1_2″]

[/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””][title type=”h4″ class=”fuse”]Second Prize[/title][/col][/row] [row][col type=”1_2″ class=””] [/col][col type=”1_2″ class=””]

The Iris Vase was made in 1977. I had initially thought that the vases of this shape would be for holding iris flowers. It soon became apparent that they were in fact sculptures of iris flowers on a supporting vase. What I started in “Me and my Iris” had morphed into a combination of drawing, carving and full blown three dimensional iris flowers. The idea of making the vase into a support for the iris flower and its leaves, continued to evolve over a period of about twenty years. I was always torn between the fabulous traditions of China, and the linear traditions of Art Nouveau. All of that comes out in this piece, plus my infatuation with iris, which lent itself naturally to both traditions. The goal at the time, was to make something that has a very short beautiful life in nature, have a very long and beautiful life in porcelain.
[/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””][title type=”h4″ class=”fuse”]Third Prize[/title][/col][/row] [row][col type=”1_2″ class=””]

The watercolor, “Crown Sterling” is a memory piece. When we lived in Calgary, we had a lovely little white picket fence that surrounded our whole yard. We lived right down town, on the corner of 2nd avenue and 6th street, with total bicycle access to all that we needed. We were given a Bassett hound, and had a little Marnie girl who loved him dearly. They leaned on the picket fence together, and made friends with anyone that passed. Our Postman may have been their best friend. Different times.

One of the dear memories that both Maureen and I have of that place, were the Icelandic poppies that grew wild in the sidewalk cracks near that picket fence. I well remember asking people not to step on them, and being not too successful at that task. This iris painting is a combination then, of memories of Calgary, and the new iris’s we planted in Lonsdale…not to be stepped on… ever![/col][col type=”1_2″ class=””]

[/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””][title type=”h4″ class=”fuse”]Fourth Prize[/title][/col][/row] [row][col type=”1_2″ class=””] [/col][col type=”1_2″ class=”left”]

The oldest piece is “Me and my Iris” probably from about 1975. When I came to Lonsdale in 1973, I was determined to make porcelain my main medium. I was also focused on using what we had on our land as subject matter. When we found patches of early spring blue iris I knew what to do. I did drawings, paintings and of course used them as a decorative element on porcelain. In a short time, the drawings were becoming three dimensional in porcelain. The problem was, I did not know how they were built…so I broke all my rules and cut some off to study. I took them into the studio, and took them apart so I could find out all about their structure. For reasons I no longer remember, I did not want to take flowers inside…preferring to leave them for all to see in their natural splendor…I have changed. The reason that there is a cameo of me inside the iris on this wall bowl is now obvious I hope. It is simple, just me getting inside of an iris, but it actually did happen…just so you know. . I liked it so much, that I kept it on my studio wall for all this time. It was the first of many three dimensional iris pieces, which result in the wall/ mirror lamp nearly 40 years later[/col][/row] [row][col type=”1″ class=””][styled_box title=”” class=””][title type=”h2″ class=”tfuse”]BUY YOUR RAFFLE TICKETS!!![/title]

Contact Fred Whalen to buy your tickets through email at
hhraffle@leakyland.com or by calling 1-613-968-5695 between the hours of 9:00am and 5:00pm (EST, Ontario).

Raffle Tickets are $20 each or $100 for six. There will be a total of 3,000 Tickets – 1 in 600 chance to win. The early bird draw for the “White Night” iris wall plate will be made September 17th, 2014. Four final draws will be made January 7, 2015 for the four additional iris pieces (lamp, vase, watercolour and wall plate).

[title type=”h2″ class=”tfuse”]Thank you for your support![/title][/styled_box] [/col][/row] [divider type=”space”]