Jill Herrick-Lee: One for the Record...

… and before the year ends, I am finally posting my Art Grows Here installation for 2013!

For those of you who have happened upon my blog, Art Grows Here is a ten day mapped-guided tour of art and performances throughout my community and I am a co-founder.

"Anything You Want it to Be" AGH 2013 and "Chime In" in the background from AGH 2012

This year I worked in collaboration with my fourteen-year-old grandson, Sam. We began with remnants from a newly installed fence, the posts from an old fence, an old iron hoop (used for storing wood), some odd found items including an antique garden pick-hoe, a collection of keys, some vintage Erector set parts, and a rusty railroad pick. Then I told Sam our project could be "anything you want it to be" and this became the title of our work. I let him take the lead (he created all of the essential elements while I advised and wired the wood around the hoop) and initially he said that the hoop would make a good dream catcher but as he moved things around he made a wonderful eagle-like bird which became our centerpiece and kept a strong Native American influence.

Raven made from old rusty found items including a railroad pick and garden hoe. "Feathers" and "claws" made with keys!

On the left post a "bear" made of more found items including springs for a jaw and a serrated picture hanger for teeth.

A fish made of Erector Set parts and a key.

The opening day of the show the fish was spinning in a strong circular direction and we found this particular cigarette box (below) on the lawn nearby. We never saw and couldn't make the fish spin like that again and we don't know anyone who smokes.