Fabienne Verdier

I have a new hero. She is French artist Fabienne Verdier. Here is a sample of her work and the brush she uses.
website:  FabienneVerdier

Rain - GFS

So - the commissioned piece I've been working on all year was installed last week. It's a permanent installation in Gordon Food Service's new building in Wyoming, MI.  Rain - GFS is 10' x 10' x 15'h and made of silver leaf on polyester film squares, fabricated steel suspenders and aluminum. There are around 10,000 squares and 10,000 suspenders. Here are a few photos -

view from below:

view from the second floor:

view from the stairway:

Last comments on Art Prize 2011

I have some thank yous to post -
- Cathy and Alan Moore for a warm home and comfortable bed during the three weeks of Art Prize
- Ellen Wilt - thanks Ellen, for the beautiful working space
- Connie Cronenwett - thanks Connie, for the timely use of your paper cutter
- Klaus Wolter - thanks Klaus, for taking pity on me and making the jig
- Paul Malboeuf - thanks Paul, for food, ideas, videos, construction help, support and a million other things
- Rick DeVos for the platform that allowed Art Prize to happen
- the people of Grand Rapids for their warmth and understanding of Rain

MLive Art Prize do over? Here's the link

My two favorite videos of Rain:

This one by Paul Malboeuf on YouTube

And this one by Dustin Dwyer on YouTube

"Rain - Art Prize" update Sept. 10, 2011

Finally! Two days to go until we install "Rain" in Grand Rapids. Almost all the work is done. The 2' square modules are packed up in 5 boxes and the super structure is sitting ready to be transported.

There is a little video of another step in the process but I'm waaaaay beyond that now.

I'll post images of the installation next week, when it's DONE!

Art Prize doesn't open to the public until September 21

Art Prize - on to Silver Leaf

I finished bending the 7600 aluminum wire suspenders on July 4. Now it's on to the silver leaf. This is for Art Prize in Grand Rapids, MI, Sept 21 - Oct 9, 2011.

I have adhered most of the silver leaf to polyester film but have a few sheets of pf to be beautified yet. Here are a few photos of the silver leaf on polyester film before I seal it and cut it into 2.5" squares. It's beautiful this way - makes me want to leave it uncut.

Installation for Art Prize 2011

8 June 2011
Recently I went on a car trip from Ann Arbor, MI to Seattle, WA. While I occupied the passenger seat I bent wire to form suspenders.

I've cut and bent 4800 aluminum suspenders. I have approximately 2600 more to do. This is all in preparation for my installation at the Grand Rapids Public Museum in Grand Rapids for Art Prize 2011 (September 21 - October 9, 2011).

I bent wire in the Columbia River Valley:


I bent wire in Missoula, Montana -


I bent wire at the Grand Coulee Dam -


I bent wire in the car -


I've bent wire in hotel rooms -


This is my elevator talk about the piece (called Rain)I'm making:

"I'm taking 7000 reflective squares and arranging them within the space of an airy 10' cube. The squares will move with ambient air currents."

In case you're wondering how the reflective squares relate to the suspenders, one suspender sits under each reflective square on lines of monofilament. A visual of a small version of this in on youtube.

Silver Liquid: a tribute to water - part 3

Exhibition dates: October 19 - November 28, 2010

"Sumi Pond"
encaustic on Sumi drawing on wood panel
22" x 22" x 2"



"black ink"
encaustic on Sumi drawing on wood panel
22" x 22" x 2"


WSG Gallery
306 S. Main Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103
734.761.2287
WSG website
WSG blog

more to come -

Wax and Wire in UM Hospital Lobby

"Stillness in Motion" is on exhibit in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the main lobby of the University of Michigan Hospital from February 16 to April 13, 2009.

Most people will look at these paintings and see the wax patterns - they are the subjects. But for those who care to observe more carefully, the Moire pattern is there. Look and the motion of the Moire pattern will take you on a journey, the wax pattern with its stillness will bring you back to the present. Opposites - one doesn't exist without the other.

"Chinatempo", 36"x36", wax on 2 layers of aluminum screen, painted background


"Moire 1", 36"x36", layered aluminum screen


"Circle", 36"x36", wax on 2 layers of aluminum screen


"Traveling", 36"x36", wax on 2 layers of aluminum screen


"Stillness in Motion", 36"x36", wax on 2 layers of aluminum screen


"Lightness from Dark", 36"x36", wax on 2 layers of aluminum screen

"Stillness in Motion" at WSG Gallery

This exhibit at WSG Gallery in Ann Arbor, Michigan runs from September 23 - November 2, 2008.

"Bulging Flat", patinated silver leaf on polyester film, 60x40


Installation view of 4 screen pieces.


"Indotempo", encaustic wax on 2 layers of screen creating a Moire pattern, 36"x36"



"Stillness in Motion", encaustic wax on 2 layers of screen creating a Moire pattern, 36"x36"


"Lightness in Dark", encaustic wax on 2 layers of screen creating a Moire pattern, 36"x36"


"Traveling", encaustic wax on 2 layers of screen creating a Moire pattern, 36"x36"


Patinated silver leaf on 12"x12" squares of plexiglas - four of 20 in the grid


"Reflection", patinated silver leaf on polyester film, 24"x36"


"Waterfall", patinated silver leaf on polyester film, 72"h x 60"w

"The Distance Between Black and White" - Woman Made Gallery

These are photos of the pieces that were in the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago, September 2 - 28, 2008. All of them are acrylic transfers of photos on the back of half inch sanded plexiglas. Each on is 18"x24" or 24"x18".

"Porch Rain"


"Ocean Web"


"Black Tree"


"Land"


"Grasses"


"Skywriting"


"Lake Michigan Trees"


"Tree Fence"

Slideluckpotshow - Detroit, 31 January, 2008

Some of my digital paintings were part of the Slideluckpotshow in Detroit at the Ladybug Gallery. The website for this event that happened on 31 January, 2008 isn't up yet. Here is the bit that I submitted. It lasts about 2 1/2 minutes.