meredith + art

The Greyhound

2011-10-18T18:12:00.001-07:00

I was asked to create a mosaic for an auction to benefit greyhound rescue.

It's my interpretation of the Greyhound Bus logo. (We greyhound lovers love this kind of stuff.)

This piece was inspired by our greyhounds. Lacy, our first grey, was all white with a brindle spot in the middle of her back that looked like a cookie (you can see in my interpretation in the design). Our current greyhound, Jessica, is all brindle, but her stomach is white. The multicolored design reflects those markings.

Ninety percent of the tiles were donated by Sandy Hightower, an artist in Anaheim, CA. Sandy designs the ceramic tiles, fires them and cuts them. Sandy said that since I was making a greyhound for the auction, I should make one for myself. She suggested that after I told her how I (too often) became attached to the pieces I created and had trouble separating from them (saying goodbye...always tough). It was actually the smaller version of this mosaic that sold at auction...for close to $500. The money was used by Greyhound Pets of America to cover a fraction of the cost it takes to bring greyhounds from the Caliente Racetrack in Tijuana across the border to southern California where they are given medical care and found homes.

The piece hangs in our patio. I love it because it reminds me of my dogs, and the breed I adore.

The Chair

2011-10-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

I have a thing about words. I paint them on things sometimes--this time a sling chair. Here, Shalom...and part of Namaste.

The sling is made of canvas, a thick yet flexible material that was functional but kind of boring. I keep it in my office next to my desk beneath the window. Other words I painted Peace, Live & Let Live, Oneness, Let Go...the last mostly because I need constant reminding.

The chair is really comfortable.

The Perfect Broken Table

2011-10-18T18:11:00.002-07:00

There's something about recycled furniture that I really like. So this was the perfect gift from editor & chef extraordinaire Catherine Cao. (Thanks, Catherine.)

As you can see the lid is broken on the table (I used the other piece to make another mosaic). Sometimes things are broken but they still work, and the brokenness of the hinged tabletop actually adds to the piece's likeability. I collaged the last line from the Serenity Prayer in the upper left-hand corner. I find myself saying this prayer without even realizing I'm saying it, so I figured an excerpt "...the wisdom to know the difference." was a nice nod to a few lines that have gotten me through many a challenge. All the sides are different colors--green, red, orange, blue, purple, but you can't see them all right here. Maybe I'll post more pix of those sides later.

Mosaic on Sewing Machine Table

2011-10-18T18:11:00.001-07:00

This is a sewing machine table that I inherited. The sewing machine was never in the table--and I'm not a sewer anyway. But the surfaces were perfect for a mosaic, especially the sides because they are kind of set in a bit, so they hold the tiles nicely. I was given these tiles from a wholesaler who was happy to get rid of them. I was happy to take them and break them and give them a home.

The painting on the front and legs actually looks quite different in person...the color is a little odd here in the photo but it's a bronze and green patina finish. The edges along the top that look white in the photo are actually a light green tinged with bronze.

This might be one of my favorite pieces.

The little box in the outlet is from our alarm!

Love

2011-10-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to play around with letters. L O V & E were naturals. I thought it would be fun. It was.