Saturday, September 22, 2012

The “Exquisite Doodle” Artist Project, Post 22

Mary Lou Zeek - Dream harvesting.

Today I’m going to share with you Mary Lou’s Exquisite Doodle box.  This is a very special post because without Mary Lou and her gallery there would be no Exquisite Doodle Artist Project.  She runs her gallery out of Salem, Oregon, and has the most amazing group shows.  The current show is called “UpCycle.”  Photo: ©William Skrips (group show “UpCycle,” Mary Lou Zeek Gallery)
Of course I had to invite Mary Lou to be one of the Players, not only for her to see firsthand the way the project develops, but because I knew she’d really enjoy it and create something wonderful.  As you can see, I was right!

The whole idea behind the Exquisite Doodle Artist Project is to continue where the gallery’s annual “100 Artists Group Show” from last February called “The Art of Communication” left off.  The proceeds from that show are being used to support projects which are documented on this blog with the intention of setting examples of how art can be used to stimulate and inspire communication between artists.  These examples can then be used to create workshops led by artists for the community.
My point of view about participating with Mary Lou on this blog stems from my conviction that we are all artists at heart with something meaningful to contribute to the world.  Photo: “The Universe Conspires,” ©2012 Alex Mitchell
To get a good idea of Mary Lou’s passion for art and commitment to her community in Salem, visit her blog:  http://www.marylouzeekgallery.blogspot.com.  There is a wonderful story up right now about her son Adam who is helping preserve Salvation Mountain in Niland, California.  Photo: ©Josh McNair, http://californiathroughmylens.com/2011/08/salvation-mountain-photos-and-stories-from-a-truly-unique-mountain.

“Leonard Knight (b.1935) decided to build a monument to God on a desert ridge (in 1986)… Carving and moulding the surface, using thousands of gallons of donated paint, he covered hundreds of meters of the ridge with evangelical messages and decorations.  “God Is Love” flourished amidst fields of flowers and cascading waterfalls.  After three years work the mountain collapsed, but instead of quitting, Knight learned from his mistakes, switched from using heavy concrete to lighter adobe to shape the mountain, and started over again…”
- Excerpt from “Fantasy Worlds,” ©2007 Taschen GmbH, text by John Maizels.
I’m a fan of outsider art myself, so I knew about Salvation Mountain from my books.  Within the category of outsider art, this creation is termed a “visionary environment.”  And truly, Leonard Knight had a vision that impassioned him to dedicate his life’s work to its fulfillment.  Photo: ©Josh McNair, http://californiathroughmylens.com/2011/08/salvation-mountain-photos-and-stories-from-a-truly-unique-mountain.
Here is the way the scroll turned out after Mary Lou doodled in the white spaces I left for her!  See Post 10 to compare.  Scroll pic 1 of 3,
scroll pic 2 of 3,
and scroll pic 3 of 3.
Read about Mary Lou’s visit to Salvation Mountain and Adam’s efforts on her blog.  Here’s a photo of the both of them.  It is clear that Mary Lou has passed on her passion for and perseverance in the arts.  http://www.marylouzeekgallery.blogspot.com.  Photo: ©Mary Lou Zeek Gallery
I had fun painting the interior of Mary Lou’s box!  She had started by outlining a few shapes in pen and I took it from there.  I hope she likes it!
Mary Lou’s drawings on her scroll made me very happy.  It looks to me like the blossoms of a dream being harvested… the result of believing, striving, and keeping the faith.

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