Assemblage box – Denise's Boxes

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’

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.

Great things come in little boxes!

Sky Blue

New birthday box!

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!!

We have a winner!

Congrats to Sherry Ramirez from USA who won our recent 10,000 hit giveaway – her box is winging it’s way across the Atlantic as we speak!

Nearly there!

Heading to the next big milestone in ‘Denise’s Boxes’ – only 60 odd hits until I reach 10,000 – and when that happens there WILL be a giveaway!!

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

The brief for this box was simple, lots of travel, passport, work but with a generous helping of family and DIY! Lots of little in jokes and a secret scroll in the drawer! I love to source all the elements that are needed and this in the end creates a one of a kind keepsake for a special person.