More Barn Art

As I mentioned a couple of years ago, I created a series of "barn art" sculpture/paintings for the exterior of my barn/house. Recently, I moved two of them to a barn in Marshfield, VT on Route 2 so they would get more visibility. The move, however, left a void on my own space and because I had some extra scraps laying around, and because I didn't like one of my existing pieces and wanted to reconfigure it, I made a few more pieces.

Untitled September 2013 barn art pieces on their Marshfield, VT location

I found the process of playing with the shapes and colors, and trying/struggling to make something that I'm proud of, a good exercise.

June 2015a (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

34.5" x 24" x 1.5"

2015

I think this one in particular would look great blown-up, perhaps to three times its current size.

They work on carports too!

As I was looking at all the pieces I had cut up, and painted, I kept on thinking there had to be good art in there somewhere. And slowly, as I mixed and matched, and re-mixed, they were revealed.

June 2015b (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

34.5" x 30.5" x 2.25"

2015

I like the contrast of contemporary art on an old traditional structure, but I also like the unexpected quality of them, how unusual it is to see something like this on the outside of a home, so I think they would go well on a regular house as well.

June 2015c (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

36.5" x 20" x 2.25"

2015

June 2015d (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

36" x 33" x 2.25"

2015

June 2015e (barn art)

exterior latex paint on plywood

40" x 18" x 1.5"

2015

Last year I made a piece for a barn near Asheville, NC, as I mentioned here, so site-specific commissions are welcome and, though I enjoy living with all of the ones I've created for myself, I'm happy for them to move on to other people's homes so I have room to make new ones. Don't hesitate to inquire if you are at all interested.

North Carolina Barn Bling

On a recent trip to North Carolina I was commissioned to construct some barn art for friends that live in the Asheville area. I had mailed them some of my exterior paints ahead of time and was told that they had scrap wood or plywood laying around that I could use, but other than that, there were no plans. I was thrilled that they trusted me enough to let me do what ever I wanted, with no direction or limitations, just the way I prefer to work. 

Moving the finished piece out of the barn for installation.

Unfortunately, I forgot to measure it so this picture is included for some perspective.

Honestly, constructing it was a little nerve-wracking. Because of travel plans and other activities, I was left with only 30 hours from start to finish. Additionally, I wasn't sure what I was doing, or if I'd be able to finish it, until the 27th hour.

Finding a way to get it into place was a little complicated but, thankfully,

not too difficult because it was relatively light.

I was a little concerned when I saw the plywood that I was going to work with was only 3/8" thick because I wasn't sure how well I'd be able to attach the pieces together but it turned out not to be a problem and the thickness was especially fortunate when it came to raising it in place; because it was so light, it wasn't too difficult to work up the ladder. By the way, I find it only appropriate that we used a tractor for the installation, as all barn art should be installed.

Though I try to be as safe as possible when installing art work, I'm always relieved

when no one dies or is seriously injured in the process.

My fear in taking on this commission was that I would get all the pieces painted but wouldn't be able to come up with anything I liked in the allotted time and would have to tell my friends that I'd finish it at some indeterminate time in the future. I was truly working on "a wing and a prayer", just trusting that somehow something would come together if I just followed the process. Much to my surprise, and based on the feedback I've gotten, it seems to have worked. More than anything though, I'm just relieved I'm not embarrassed with it.

072214

3/8" UL plywood and exterior latex paints and stains

approximately 8' x 8.5' x 1" (I forgot to measure)

2014

I've been calling this series "Barn Art" but I like my friend's terminology of "Barn Bling" better. It is located off a rural road and faces away from it so the only way to see this piece is by personal invitation. It is nice to see my work on an actually barn, I particularly like the contrast of contemporary art on an old, traditional, building.

Barn Art -- A New Series

I recently started a series of painting/sculptures for the outside of the converted barn I live in. I've never seen anyone else making anything like these so I figure they must be original. I'm not sure why I started or even what I'm doing. I have no plans or ideas, I'm just trying to follow the inspiration wherever it takes me with out any judgement. I think they are fun, I like how they alter the look and impact of my building. They change it from a drab structure to something that is different and unexpected. I like that. I can't tell whether they are good or bad, or whether anyone else likes them, and I really don't care. For me, it is just enough that they are what they are.

Below is the first one that I made in early August. It was made with all the cut-out circles I had left over from Box of Courage I made for the Exposed show in Stowe, VT back in June. I haven't titled any of these pieces yet and I'm not sure of the measurements either, I think not knowing these things is part of the fun. The front door this one hangs over is about 44" wide though, so this piece must be around 55" inches wide.

Untitled

exterior latex paint and 5/8" underlayment plywood

39" x 58" x 3"

August 2013

This one is more of a pure painting but it is done on the old hay bale door I pulled off the barn about nine years ago. I rediscovered it recently as I was cleaning up my stacks of stored lumber. When I found it I was entranced by the peeling alligator pattern of the old lead paint so I took off whatever wanted to be removed and used the door as a found canvas. The stripes are painted along the strips of tongue and groove boards used to make it so the colors just emphasize the pattern that already exist. I did measure this one and was surprise how large it is.

 Untitled

exterior latex paint and stains on old hay bale barn door

48" x 45"

August 2013

This piece was made with some scrap pieces of 3/4" underlayment plywood that I repurposed after 8 years of service as snow/ice protection for a couple of A/C compressors. When I finished it, I really didn't know what to think but it has grown on me, a lot. It has inspired me to make a similar style piece for indoor walls.

Untitled

exterior latex paint and stains on 3/4" underlayment plywood

55 x 54" x 2"

September 2013

These last three pieces were made with a repurposed sculpture I made last year for Art Hop. The old piece inspired this year's Box of Courage but I didn't feel it was nearly as good and I no longer had the desire to display it so I cut it up into geometric shards with no idea how they would be reassembled, only the assumption that something good would come of it. I was really surprised and very pleased with the results. In fact, I didn't have any idea how figurative this first piece was until a couple of days after I assembled it. To me, it looks like, if there were such a thing, one of Caesar's armored hippopotamus soldiers practicing yoga. Very funny. 

Untitled

exterior latex paint and stains on 5/8" underlayment plywood

63" x 45" x 2"

September 2013

I hadn't realized the figurative nature of this one until I had finished either. To me, it seems something like a Picasso portrait.

Untitled

exterior latex paint and stains on 5/8" underlayment plywood

61" x 37" x 2"

September 2013

And this last one seems more purely abstract but has a figurative element as well. I think that tension of being right on the edge of a figure makes it more interesting.

Untitled

exterior latex paint and stains on 5/8" underlayment plywood

45" x 31" x 2"

September 2013

Here is a view of the overall structure. The small window on the right side is where the original hay door was located.

At this point I either need to buy another barn or start selling these things because, unfortunately, I've run out of exterior wall space and I still have some pieces I'd like to finish. Marketing something like this can be problematic though. By nature, it isn't something that would hang on a gallery wall and aside from telling friends about it on Facebook, how do you get the word out? Maybe I should start a blog!!!