Inspired by the Arc House; https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/vision-house-arc-house I’ve decided to take it step further and create ‘The Draggo House’. Here’s some initial pictures of the ‘skeleton’ of the house:
UPDATE 2/13/19: The first photo is from the photo shoot done with Kathy Daly, who did an excellent job. The sculpture was suspended inside “The Eye on the Horizon” on a very windy day! We had to further restrain it using monofilament fishing line. I also changed the halo on the sculpture, turning it into a spiral, with the idea of it drawing in energy from the Source.
This is my latest/older creation which is appropriate as we celebrate the new year and say goodbye to the old. I say 'older' because this idea was conceived 27 years ago, hence the picture of my son Lucas (who is but 2 weeks old) and I working on the 2' high wire model.
There are several pictures of the sculpture in progress. I created it out of 1/4 copper tubing, which is quite soft and malleable and then becomes hard when hand worked. It's 4x larger then the model standing at 8' tall and is about 6' wide. It only weighs a mere 12.5 lbs!
I installed the sculpture on the roof of my front porch, with the help of the same son. (This is why I had to wait 27 years to create it!) I learned a lot about spotlights vs. floodlights, lumens, etc. in illuminating it. I do want to make a base mount for it so the sculpture isn't cluttered by wires and poles. Then I want to take to a hill where I can photograph it with the Rockies or heavens behind it.
Yes, this sculpture is about bringing Light to the darkness; to the world. We need to remember to focus on the Light, even in the days of tRump, or the darkness can overwhelm us.
Light Being mounted on my porch roof surrounded by LED fairy and meteor lights
My two week old son, Lucas and I working to construct the 2’ wire model some 27 years ago!
The completed wire model.
Constructing the 8’ copper tube piece in my studio.
The completed Light Being installed on my porch roof with the help of my now 27 year old son!
"Butterflies of Light" is an immersive, experiential installation designed to strike the imagination; meet the developmental needs and challenge (physically, mentally and spiritually) children, teens and adults respectively. Using the life cycle of the butterfly both concretely and metaphorically, it's like "Alice in Wonderland" that can be understood on many different levels, encourages divergent thinking and hopefully, touches the heart of the participants. Based on a story by the same name (see below) it begins with an egg, created in love. A larva emerges from the egg that asks, "Who am I?” which is the theme of the larval (child) stage of the installation. Challenged, centered and guided by balance beams the larva encounters "I am..." stations that help them answer that question in a positive manner. Entering a beautiful, jade-green chrysalis they emerge as butterflies (teens); fully developed physically, but lacking the maturity of adults. As their developmental journey continues, these butterflies are confronted by various choices where they clarify their values. In short, they are both creating and discovering themselves, but in the end are found still wanting more. Confronted by a omnipotent hand, they have the choice of reaching beyond themselves into a spiritual realm of enlightenment (adult stage)... or not.
BUTTERFLIES OF LIGHT
By Paul R Bareis
Shimmering and glimmering,
Diffracting and scattering,
Light seemingly exploded from the dancing bodies of the gloriously colored butterflies. The glowing wings of the male and female touched and melded for but an instant, but within that infinitesimal speck of time, Love was made manifest.
The female sought the cool underside of a vibrant green leaf to attach her precious pearl of an egg, then flitted off to dance again with the Light and sail on the breath of Love.
Time and the magic of Love animated the small pearl of life, and it began to wiggle and stir, stir and wiggle and wiggle and stir some more until a tiny, glistening grub emerged. Caring not one iota about its appearance and driven by the primal instinct to survive, it began to feed... and feed... and feed some more, consuming the Sun Light drenched and constructed leaf.
With time and voracious consumption, a beautiful, star-speckled caterpillar developed. Knowing not who or what it was, only that it was Loved and sustained by the Sun Light the caterpillar continued to feed until reaching full size and then... it stopped. A very small, but very important thought flickered across its mind, “Who am I?”.
As if transfixed by the thought, the finest trace of silken Light-thread appeared at the end of the caterpillar’s body and began to wrap all about it, layer upon layer of comforting insulating Love. Encased in this chrysalis, this gentle protective womb of jade-green and speckled Light, the caterpillar began to discover its true self and began a miraculous transformation. Painful at times, and at other times joyous, the process was complete when the thought exploded across the transformed creature’s mind, “I am me! There is no one else like me! I’m different! I’m special!”
With those thoughts the chrysalis split and the splendid butterfly began to emerge: first the antennae, then the head and then rapidly the rest of the body exploded out into the world. Spreading her wings into the warmth of Light, she felt an incredible lightness of being. Dazzled by the beautiful color of her own wings she stretched them to catch the gentle breath of breeze that sent her sailing into the world of her life.
On her life’s adventures, she tasted many nectars, some sweet, some not so sweet and some so sour that they brought tears to her eyes. Still, for all the nectars she tasted and all the beautiful flowers she visited, she felt wanting. She even tried flitting with other butterflies, but she still felt alone and unfulfilled even with them all around.
One day, while resting after flitting from flower to flower she spied a butterfly that was not only vividly beautiful, but emitting a glow of astonishing Light. The glowing one immediately sensed her presence and alighted lightly beside her. Extending an antennae, this especially ordained butterfly beckoned her to touch it. Reaching out with her own and making contact, she was immediately flooded with the vision of a giant hand. Immediately, she drew back in fear knowing that such a powerful hand could crush not only her fragile wings, her body but her very being as well! The glowing one nodded with understanding and explained that, although this hand was extremely powerful, it was also extremely gentle and would not hurt her, in fact it would fulfill her in a way she could barely imagine.
Dazzled and somewhat dazed the butterfly thanked the glowing one and returned to her travels of flitting from flower to flower. However, as she flitted and flew she sensed her own emptiness and the vision that had been planted within her became more prominent in her mind’s eye. At last overcome by curiosity and desire, she decided to seek out this strong, but compassionate hand.
Upon making this choice, the butterfly suddenly found herself caught up and lifted by a very special breath of wind. It carried her rapidly but gently over hills and meadows and streams and all manner of natural wonders... it was a virtual kaleidoscope of beauty!
Suddenly, the butterfly found herself before the outstretched hand and what a magnificent hand it was indeed! At once both strongly masculine and softly feminine, it beckoned to her to alight into the safety and comfort of its palm. Looking at the massive fingers she imagined them curling around her, crushing her.... but no, she sensed that this being of Love had no wish to possess or control her, but to in fact free her.... “Free her from what?” she wondered.
Tentatively the butterfly approached the great hand, but at the slightest sound or movement she nervously flitted backwards and away. But always her curiosity and her need to be fulfilled got the best of her and drove her back. Finally, she took a leap of faith and lightly alighted on that magnificent palm. Immediately, she felt safe and comforted; a blissful peace that seemed to resonate with the joy emanating from the great being that held her. Enveloped within that peace, she recognized that she was Loved unconditionally and that nobody or nothing in her life could ever take it away from her.
Then the butterfly felt a stirring of the wind, as if a mighty breath was about to be unleashed. Animated by her fear, she frantically fluttered her wings to escape, but... As suddenly as the wind had built up, it died down. Once again she sensed that this being of Love meant her no harm, and in fact wanted to fill her with its very essence.
Gathering up courage, the butterfly once again alighted on the compassionate hand. Feeling again the mighty wind about to be unleashed, she heard these strong and loving words, “Dear little butterfly, this is the breath of my very being. If you so choose, you can take my breath of Light inside of you to complete your transformation.” Gathering up courage, she inhaled this breath of Light, not so much with her lungs, but with her very being. Like a golden cascade of honey, the Light flowed slowly into her filling every part of her spiritual self. Upon contact, each part became infused with an incredible warmth of Light and Love. Finally, it reached the very essence of herself that had been implanted within her when the two glowing ones had first touched wings. This essence, this hidden kernel of Light and Love within her, recognized and reached out to meet and connect with this cascade of Light and Love. As the two hugged each other in a kind of rapture, this Light and Love became magnified through herself and it virtually exploded from her in a dazzling explosion of Light.
Now complete in her metamorphoses, she recognized that her meaning and purpose in life was to share this Light and Love with others. Smiling at her now glowing wings, she lifted them to sail on the currents of Love that flow continually around our beautiful planet.
Not the end, as the end cycles into a new beginning… over and over...again.
Commissioned by Jean Bareis & Carrie Martin, the creation of this piece was, as usual, an exploration of an image that comes to me and then slowly watching it manifest. I knew that both Jean and Carrie had lost their mothers in the last two years, so I knew it would have something to do with angels and Light.
The original idea sketched out on a piece of 3" x 3" paper. It's always strange to take a 3D idea and project it out onto a 2D surface.
The sketch transferred to 2' x 2' x 1/4" piece of underlayment.
1/4" aluminum armature wire applied to the surface.
Aluminum foil applied to the wire. The lightness, malleability and durability of aluminum makes it perfect for providing the underlying structure of the forms.
Apoxie Clay applied in 1/8 thin sheets hardens in about four hours and then can be filed and sanded as needed.
Modeling the faces of the lovely subjects in Monster Clay. The hair was added after the faces were cast.
The faces were then molded with silicone (pink) and the supporting plaster mother mold (white).
The finished mold with the positive removed. Into this negative cavity, Apoxie Clay was pressed into the mold. After the faces hardened, they were ground down to the appropriate angle and hair applied.
The shadows of the wings were traced and then cut out of the board. Plaster was applied to the front of the board to give it texture, and then it was primed, painted black and finally highlights of silver and gold paint were applied.
LED lights were hot glued to the back of the piece to provide subtle backlighting of various colors.
The final piece with the picture taken on the studio floor.
The piece installed at Jean and Carrie's house.
The piece with the room lights off.
Jean and Carrie... Willy Nelson accompanied the process on his guitar!
That's me, always amazed at how 'real magic' happens in this world!
As best as I can understand from the Lakota People, "Paha Sapa" means "Holy Emerging Black Hills". Western anthropologist tend to leave off the "Holy & Emerging". I partly chose this name because the materials for this sculpture are from the Black Hills, including the cedar branches, the Paha Sapa limestone, the pine base and even the mortar which is derived from limestone. In addition, the fountain represents how caves, such as Jewel Cave, in the Black Hills are formed. The flowing water is the active force that dissolves minerals in the limestone that is then deposited in cavities in the Earth forming calcite stalactites, which are attached to the bottom of the sculpture.
The main reason that I chose this name for this living, dynamic sculpture is that it represents something that is just as sacred as a crucifix in a Roman Catholic Church. I believe that a "responsive, loving & creative force" permeates the Universe; some call it "God", others may call it "Great Spirit", but jargon aside, it is a force that is palatable in my life both guiding and sustaining me. When I revel in the beauty of this fountain and listen to its singing, cascading water, I feel in harmony with all that surrounds me and a peacefulness of heart.
May the Force be with you! :)
Exciting news!
Painter Beatriz Sotela Bearden, who has traveled throughout the world, says the goal of her art is to introduce people to “the marvelous differences in cultures around the world and the people who are so beautiful.”
The fifth annual self-guided Stapleton Open Studios tour of artists’ studios is back, with 28 artists ready to meet visitors, show their work and demonstrate how it is made. The artists represent a range of disciplines, including painting, photography, sculpture, mosaic, jewelry, glass and fiber art. All art is for sale.
Artists’ studios at 16 locations in Stapleton and North Stapleton will be open from 11am to 5pm on Sept. 23 and 24. The map of locations is available to download at stapletonartists.org. “With the Stapleton community growing in the area north of I-70, this year the map is divided into north and south sections, with I-70 as the dividing line,” said coordinator Lin Clark.
The Stapleton Open Studios opening reception will be Friday, Sept. 22, from 6–8pm at The Cube in North Stapleton. The reception is free and open to the public. Live music will be provided by Paris Swing Set. “All the artists will be there and each will bring one piece to show,” said Clark.
Clark said the number of artists has grown—six more than last year—as has the number of visitors. “We had at least 1,100 visitors last year, more than twice the number we had when the event started in 2013.”
In her photos, Katy Tartakoff tries to capture the beauty we see every day, but forget to look at and appreciate.
Three participating artists expressed their artistic motivations: creating beauty that unites people with each other, their own spirituality, and nature.
Painter Beatriz Sotela Bearden says, “What you see in my art is a world of faces. I have seen and met thousands of people from all parts of the world. My idea is to introduce people here to the marvelous differences in cultures around the world and all the people who are so beautiful. If people see that in my paintings, I will have accomplished something in life.”
Bearden grew up in Costa Rica and worked as an airline attendant for 36 years. Her travels took her to the Himalayas, Africa, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Russia and Central Asia. “I was able to record the faces I saw in drawings and photos, and now that I’m retired, I turn them into oil portraits. I’ll demonstrate the process of making a painting out of a drawing.”
Sculptor Paul Bareis creates figurative and direct metal pieces ranging from tabletop size up to more than six-feet tall [direct metal means metal pieces welded together]. “The whole idea of creating, of making something out of nothing, is magical,” he says. “Real magic is taking raw stuff—like wood, steel, copper or clay—and watching as it becomes transformed into something of beauty and meaning. I stand back after I create a piece and say, ‘That came out of me?’
“When I create, I’m being utilized as a tool by God, just as I utilize a cutting torch or a modeling tool, with my own unique style and expression. Creating is how I enter into a relationship with the Sacred.”
Bareis, a former Montessori school teacher, will show his process by letting visitors participate in a hands-on activity called Model Magic. “People have a tendency to make art flat even though we see in the round. I’ll show the principles behind design and sculpting,” he said.
Katy Tartakoff’s fine art photography invites observers to see the beauty in their own backyards. Tartakoff’s photo subjects, including flowers, birds and insects, are often found on her walks in Stapleton. “My camera invites me every day to go for a walk,” she said. “I try to capture the beauty we forget to look at. I hope people see something they look at all the time but never saw.
“We are living in a challenging time, with elevated discrimination against many people. I stand for human rights, but I can’t get super involved in political change. So I make beauty. I hope to remind people of the majesty surrounding us; I capture life’s magnificence.”
Sculptor Paul Bareis says the process of transforming everyday items into something that is beautiful and has meaning is magical for him.
Stapleton Open Studios is the main event of Stapleton Artists, a group of artists dedicated to integrating art into the lives of people in the community. This year, Stapleton Artists gained nonprofit status. Clark said, “This allows more opportunities to bring art programs into the schools, and also host more workshops and lectures. Now we have an umbrella to apply for grants and reach out to people who love the arts, to get donations growing.”
For more information, see stapletonartists.org. To learn more about the artists featured here, see bbearden.com, paulbareis.com and katytartakoff.com. The Cube is at 8371 Northfield Blvd., Suite C.
I finished this awesome sculpture yesterday, which I started down at Ghost Ranch, NM! It's my largest sculpture to date standing at 4' 6" in its bare paw! (It's actually a sea otter, so don't go thinking it's a bear!) I've made it so the gazing ball can be changed to either suit a person's taste or the seasons. in addition, it's also made so that a light can be projected from under the base. A blue-green light would further the 'under the ocean' feel.
When I started this piece, all I had were three, rusted discs from a disc harrow, and to me it's totally amazing, as in 'real magic', that they were transformed into a piece of art. :) And yes, I named it "Ocean Light" as the piece holds spiritual connotations for me. For me, it's very much in the Native American tradition of a spirit guide. Perhaps this otter is leading us out of the heavy depths of despair, into the Light, speaking to the "unbearable lightness of being". See, and the understanding just came to me now as I reflected on this piece! This is why I've chosen to become an artist; to experience and deepen my knowledge of the Sacred. And if you want to know more about the "unbearable lightness of being": https://www.shmoop.com/unbe.../what-s-up-with-the-title.html
And the otter meaning, from a Native American perspective: http://www.shamanicjourney.com/otter-power-animal-symbol...
I was asked if the otter was carved from stone. In the Ghost Ranch picture at the top, you'll see me constructing an armature of aluminum foil. I then covered it with a thin layer of Apoxie Sculpt, which is an epoxy clay. You knead part A & B together and it hardens in 3 - 4 hours. Once its hardened, you can sand, drill or carve like a very hard wood. So it's a modeling/carving process.
“Transcendence” was conceived and modeled while my mother, Marloe, was in the final stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and was close to death. It helped me deal with my grief as I believed she’d be “transcending” to a better place. The female was actually modeled after her granddaughter, Anica, as I think we once again revert to a state of youthful innocence and bliss.
The stylized hand is that of an angel, there to vanquish all fear and aid in the transition. Multiple glass panes. upon which the soul is passing through, represents those dimensional planes that separate us from whatever lies beyond. The essence of this piece...love goes on!
"Transcendence" will now have a permanent at the Dahl Fine Arts Center in Rapid City, SD. It's very fitting that this sculpture resides here as Marloe had a great love of art and was a frequent volunteer at the Dahl. It is currently on display in the lobby area.
Today I took a sledgehammer to this beautiful cave/fountain/aviary sculpture as it had been badly damaged in moving it. I had constructed it in the classroom and had inadvertently made it too big to fit through the doors, so I had to cut it apart! I must say I was sad as the blows fell as it was not only the loss of this creation, but was symbolic of the passing of this phase in my life... I'm no longer a Montessori teacher, a title I wore proudly for over 25 years!
This sculpture is now gone, but the memories it helped create can never be erased. I remember the students who were so eager to work inside, students like Eric who found peace and solace inside. Developmentally, students this age (6 - 9 years old) love the security and mystery of such an enclosed space. And yes, this is how Montessorians strive to "strike the imaginations" of their students. Traditional schooling shoves the child's nose down onto a test paper forgetting that is the wonders of this world that truly inspire learning.
I was a sculptor of neurons and learning environments, now I'm a sculptor that takes raw and discarded materials and turns them into objects of beauty and meaning. I look forward to this journey that will carry me through to the end of my days. I also realize that with this experience, that the actual joy of creating, makes it all worthwhile even if the piece doesn't last forever.
Oh, this sculpture will be reborn in a smaller version that will actually roll through doorways! 'Tis the way of the artist to continually learn and grow and to improve on previous works. This is also true to the Montessori philosophy where we strive to create life long learners. I guess you could say that I'm a Montessori sculptor!
Continuing my exploration of motion in dance, I completed, "Three Dancers". This piece isn't as abstract as my previous movement piece as you can identify each of the individual dancers frozen in their dynamic poses.
It's amazing to me the myriad of forms that the human body can take on portraying a vast array of emotions. As a member of Spoke 'N Motion contemporary dance company, I've come to experience this first hand, although I'm but a neophyte in this artistic medium of motion. (Yes, even as a 59 year old white male, one can extend oneself into new endeavors!)
Interested in seeing people of all abilities and disabilities coming together to perform synchronous movement? Then check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SpokeNMotionDance/ for information about their upcoming performance in June. Yes, so for one number I might be paired with someone who was at one time the highest paid principle ballerina in the United States and for the next number I might be paired with a 14 year old girl in a wheel chair, who is also partially deaf, but has amazingly choreographed an amazing piece for our June performance! It really is an amazingly diverse group of people whom I love dearly!
"Perhaps if you made some smaller pieces, then I could afford to buy one of your beautiful works." To the best of my recollection , this is a comment that my friend Liz, made at my Bitfactory Gallery showing. She was also a dancer/choreographer with Spoke 'n Motion Dance Company with dance moves as sinuous and sensuous any dancer I've ever seen.
This was the impetus to explore 'motion' in a small scale sculpture. I began by looking for abstracted drawings or graphics of dance to help guide me on the Internet. I found some almost calligraphy like; very simple, stylized brush strokes that really captured the essential motion of dance.
I cut these images out of paper and then roughly traced them onto copper, both elongating and enlarging the shapes. It's all very intuitive, as I gauge success when it both looks and feels right to me. The process of cutting out the thin copper sheets with tin snips was an intriguing process as cutting transformed the copper into sensual curves that conveyed motion.
I was also intrigued with the idea of marrying a medium called poly-clay to the copper. Besides sticking, this fantastic, magical stuff hardens in about four hours to a very solid body, that feels like a a cross between stone and clay. Working with it is a bit tricky, as it is sticky and tends to easily slump, but the copper worked beautifully as a kind of armature for it.
After I created the individual forms, I then was led to patina only one side of each 'dancer' with a vivid blue patina and contrasted it with the shinny copper on the other side. As usual, the patina process is always magical as it transforms the metal. The only glitch was that it also stained the bright side, which I thought I had sealed and thereby protected. I ended up going back and re-sanding and polishing it to get it back to the shinny copper look.
The last step was drilling the stone slab that I was going to mount the pieces on and gluing the pieces into place. I was not sure what it would actually look like until this final step. I looked at it... It conveyed sinuous, graceful motion frozen in an instant of time. That's dance, one instataneous movement rapidly following another!
The showing at the Bitfactory Gallery on Nov. 4th, 2016 was very well attended! Many of my past families attended from the Montessori School of Denver. It was good to see students that I hadn't seen in years! It's amazing how they grow and change, but the fundamental person is still very much present. Also attending were family and friends. Thanks to all of you for attending and for your kind words of support.
I had the honor and privilege of sharing the space with Anna Marie Mead, who does beautiful abstract work utilizing bold colors and fascinating composition. Thank you to Anna for sharing the gallery space!
The Bitfactory Gallery was an excellent space to show my art work. The dark floors and ceiling, with the contrasting light colored walls, really made my pieces stand out! Thanks to Bill Thomason for providing this beautiful show space!