Category: Assemblage

ArtsCare Exhibition – Feb.2023

I was lucky enough to have three assemblage boxes chosen to take part in this amazing local exhibiton. I was even happier to find that my sister Moyra Blayney had three of her newly created abstract pieces in the same show!

This is the 12th year of the Arts Care ‘Here & Now’ Arts Festival for Older people.
This Annual Arts Festival offers a unique opportunity for older people to participate in arts activities right across Northern Ireland.

The RIPE exhibition was open to independent amateur artists and professional artists.

RIPE Exhibition and Festival Theme
Each year a theme is established for the RIPE Exhibition and Here & Now Festival. The theme for the 2022/23 Festival is ‘Living Well, More Tales to Tell’. They asked participants to draw on the strong oral tradition in Ireland of passing on tales and stories from one generation to the next and invited them to celebrate, reflect and share their tales through the creative arts.

Within this exhibition I saw artworks in a variety of mediums from paintings to photography, felt making to sculpture but all with a common theme and a focus on …
•    Every artwork has a story to tell.
•    Reawakened feelings from long ago.
•    Passing a story from one generation to the next.
•    Capturing a moment.
•    The Environment /how people and places have changed/stories of rural landscapes, seascapes, and skyscapes.
•    A celebration of ‘My story to tell’, past, present, and future.
•    Abstract interpretation of ‘Living Well, More Tales to Tell’

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22.02.2022

If ever there was going to be a date to add a new post to my website it was today! I am so surprised that there have been so many views over the past couple of months. I am not sure why but it may be the story I wrote about discovering a new Joseph Cornell box via a visitor to my Facebook page! (Denise’s Boxes / Denise McDowell Art)

I was commissioned to complete a box as a bon voyage present just before Christmas and thankfully the customer was pleased with it.

My love of assemblage art goes on, I love to find new artists and add them to my Pinterest page.

Treasure Uncovered! – A New Joseph Cornell Box

I was absolutely thrilled when a viewer to my Facebook page Denise’s Boxes / Denise McDowell Art contacted me during the week.

A lady by the name of Lana commented that she had actually met the assemblage artist Joseph Cornell many years ago, and not only that, he had given her one of his boxes as a present. Now, as most of you know, I am a huge admirer of this particular artist and have been inspired to create box assemblage pieces through his work.

To actually be able to ‘meet’ someone who spoke to him and received a gift from him is absolutely fascinating to me. Lana and I exchanged some messages and she has given me permission to tell her story on my blog and has provided me with some photographs to share.

As a 16 year old working in a store on Main Street, Flushing, Queens, NY, Lana lived only a few miles from Joseph Cornell. The store sold fabric and the artist would come in every now and then to buy fabric. She remembers him as ‘very quiet and polite’. He also asked if she and another girl would work part time cleaning his home – Lana says that unfortunately her mother would not give her permission but the other girl did work for him for a time. In her own words she says, “What a lost opportunity, can you imagine I would have been able to see inside his home and his unfinished works”. I agree!

Joseph Cornell presented Lana with a tiny box assemblage which she has treasured since 1966 and which shows on one side an image of a child, possibly a Medici print which have featured in many of his boxes. On the other side of the box is a simple stamp showing a seahorse. The box is papered inside and you can plainly see Cornell’s handwriting where he has dedicated and signed the artwork personally to Lana. Oh my goodness, how excited I was to see these photographs!

I really am honoured that Lana contacted me and feel that this is a very important find not only for Cornell followers but the world of art in general. I hope you get as much pleasure from looking at this tiny treasure as I (and Lana!) have had.

Clara Bow inspired work!

I watched a fantastic documentary about the silent movie star Clara Bow on BBC iPlayer the other day and then I noticed how many times I use similar types of ladies in my boxes! Just something special about them, don’t you think? They just have ‘IT’!

 

 

Belfast Culture Night

ON DISPLAY!

Can’t quite believe it is five years since one of my boxes was added to the collection in the Belfast War Memorial Museum.  It was to mark the 70th anniversary of the Belfast Blitz (now 75 years ago).  You can see it in the foreground of this picture and it was to be used to take to school talks to show some items which were relevant to children in WW2 for example a little suitcase with identity tag used by evacuees.  I was very honoured to have this chance to remember those affected by WW2 in my home town.

I revisited the Museum during Belfast’s Heritage night in September and it was lovely to see some Lindy Hop dancing and a singalong to ‘Songs from the Air Raid Shelter’.  An amazing place.  I do have a ‘thing’ about WW2 and my favourite books are by Nella Last who was the lady who wrote the diaries called ‘Housewife, 49’ which Victoria Wood turned into a fantastic tv drama.

New Year Giveaway!!

….ends 8pm GMT on Sunday 3rd January, 2016

NEW YEAR GIVEAWAY! To say thank you for all your support last year I am giving away a box, but this time YOU get to choose the one you’d like! In the picture below there are three assembled boxes. To be in with a chance just comment top, middle or bottom and if you’re the winner you get to own that box! This is open for until 8pm on Sunday 3rd January (GMT) and I will post worldwide! Please like this post and share if you want to but not required.

Ready, steady, Go!

New birthday box!

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This was another fun box to do, lots of interests for the person it was made for!  Don’t forget if you would like to buy or commission a box just contact me via this page or at dmcdni@yahoo.co.uk  – remember I can work to a budget and am always open to suggestions for new projects!!

Facebook page reaches 1,500 likes!!

Check out my facebook page – we have a giveaway!

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We did it!! 1,500 likes to Denise’s Boxes!! Thanks so much for all your support over the past 4 years. Now I have two of my altered hearts to giveaway as a thanks you! One is mainly grey and red with a little glass bottle with ‘rescue me’ inside and the other is mainly green and has a more historical look with a real coin in the middle. Just like this post and comment ‘red’ or ‘green’ and your name will go in the draw which will take place TOMORROW NIGHT (Monday 20th April at 8.00 p.m. GMT) This is open to all countries so get commenting. Sharing is not necessary (but it would be nice!) As always, this has NOTHING to do with Facebook but is a giveaway to thank you for following my work.

Penny Farthing box

This was a special birthday box which was a lot of fun to source.  The theme was money and vintage bikes, what a combination – just what I like, a challenge!  Thankfully it was enjoyed by the recipient.  IMG_1405 IMG_1406 IMG_1407 IMG_1408

10,000 hit GIVEAWAY!!!

Sorry it has taken so long to post my latest giveaway!! I did say it would mark the 10,000 hit but I see we are way above that now!  So the box I am giving away is one of my favourites lots of colour, interest and can be added to with a special quote or name.  All you have to do is EITHER comment on this page, COMMENT on my Denise’s Boxes / Denise McDowell Art Facebook page between now and next Wednesday night – I will remind you again!! This is a world wide competition and I will pay the postage as a special thank you!   So you have NO excuse not to enter!!

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