Nancy MacBride

At Florence Griswold Museum Oct 1st- Nov1st 2015. I was thrilled to have my creation be a part of this fantastical exhibit. In the foreground is Thumbelina's bedroom and foyer

Looking over the "pond" to Thumbelina's tower dining room.  The foyer below in the stump includes a ladder for any guests lacking wings.

Food deliveries in the foyer. A portrait of Thumbelina's friend "The Swallow". Ladder for guests lacking faerie wings.

The two balconies are for the fairies to land on when flying to the palace. The round gourd in the background is lit from within with a remote controlled, battery operated LCD flickering votive.

Studying the details in the diningroom. The windows open and close. The dome is clear so you can see in from above (adults) and also at eye level for small children.

A detail of the interior of the dining room. The floor is a plate with Morpho Butterfly wings under glass. Milkweed pod chairs,  base of table is made of pearls.

Another view of interior of dining room. Larder cabinet. View of windows that open and close. View of copper trim on dome. The copper should patina beautifully.

The skylight in Thumbelina's bedroom is a magnifying glass.  You can find Thumbelina's wings by looking through the skylight (beware of tickles from the feathers) or the large windows or door.

Through the magnifying glass skylight. There is a remote control, battery operated, flickering tealight candle that lights up this room.

Looking through the mica windows, you can see Thumbelina's wings hung on her bedpost. Thumbelina isn't a fairy. When she married the fairy prince, the fairies gave her a pair of wings and changed her name to "May Queen Of The Flowers." 

The beetle on this gourd is a reminder of the insect, frog, and vole who tried to marry Thumbelina. Thankfully she managed to get away from all those terrible suitors. This gourd has a remote controlled, battery operated flickering tealight that shines through the mica window that isn't visible in this photo. The ladybug is a nod to my late Aunt Joan.

There is a light from within that flickers. The bell (that makes up the bottom of the structure) rings if any danger approaches the fairy Kingdom.

A good place to retreat for some quiet time.

Greta Visits Thumbelina's Kingdom at Florence Griswold Museum.

Some of my students visit the faerie Kingdoms exhibit at Florence Griswold Museum.

I built this figure on a hemlock tree beside a footpath through Voluntown Peace Trust.  I cut one of the smaller tree trunks coming out of a cluster of exposed roots to about 5’.  I had to be very careful of her twig fingers as I screwed the torso into place on the cut trunk. Acrylic paint and bark, leaves and vines helped her to become one with the tree. She has 3 smaller figures –companions on other smaller trunks coming out of the same tree. She is looking toward a footbridge that hikers cross.

Imported yellow leaves and flowers in this pine stand contrast with the brown pine needle floor. I like the idea of tending to and caring for the piece. It is participatory in the way that people might put a garland of flowers around a statue of the Virgin Mary or bring offerings to a statue of Buddha. In fact, someone has since put a red berry in a hole in the bark over her breast.

Fey has made it through 3 winters!

Fey began as a 32 oz yogurt cup, bubble wrap and long wooden bead through which I threaded wire for her arms.

The wire was covered with tape and paper mache. (I think I didn't really need the paper mache. I then used Aves Apoxy “fix- it” as a "textured skin" over the figure. Glass eyes made the figure come to life.

The Voluntown Peace Trust 2010 Art Walk. Nancy MacBride curator, artist's works in video:

"Ball Valve" - Paul Robertson
Carved Wooden Mushrooms - Wayne Berardi
"Way Peace, Why Not?" - Robert Rothbard
"Gandhi Box" - Ana Flores
"Sail Song" - Troy West
"Inside Self" - Dan Potter
"Hanging Lady" - Dan Potter
"Europa" - Dan Potter
"Sue" - Dan Potter
"Sliding Lady" - Dan Potter
"S+W=G" - Robert Rothbard
"Bridge Fey" - Nancy MacBride
"Teedyuscung" - Caitlin MacBride
"Conversation" - Caitlin MacBride
"Earth Centered Tibetan prayer flags" - HCW
"Justice collage" - HCW
"Da' Beers Long Gone" - Robert Rothbard
"3 Natural Elements" - Robert Rothbard
"Mark 9/10" - Robert Rothbard

Music by Anna Hughes/Wade Cottingham

www.voluntownpeacetrust.org

Suspended figure: approx 5' long, natural materials, paper, Paperclay, acrylic paint, glass eyes (sold)

I'm proud to say that this Sprite hangs in the office of The War Resisters League of New England. Suspended figure: approx 5' long, natural materials, paper, Paperclay, acrylic paint, glass eyes (Collection of War Resister's League NE)

Suspended figure approx 4' long. Natural materials, paper, Pareclay, acrylic paint, yarn, wire (Sold)

Suspended figure 5' high. Natural Materials, paper, paperclay, acrylic paint, yarn (sold)

Suspended Figure approx 5' high. natural materials, paper, Paperclay, acrylic paint, yarn

This is a branch I brought home from Florida. My daughter stitched and beaded the fabric and gave it to me saying, "I think you could use this for an art doll."

Branch from Florida, Paperclay, copper wire, beads, chain, fiber about 3' long.

The face is sculpted with Paperclay and Aves Apoxy onto a wooden decorative piece. Painted with acrylic and mounted onto shoulders created from a wooden "found" piece.

The size is variable. I like to hang it about 6' high -with the cranes puddling onto the floor. No, I don't know how many cranes. You are welcome to count them if you want to know.

The origami cranes are spilling through and out of an antique wooden scoop. For me the cranes symbolize peace- both personal and political.

Each crane is folded, stiffened with acrylic medium, collaged with overlapping papers then painted. The process of making the cranes was meditative and addictive for me. I found myself wanting to make cranes at inappropriate times. Yes- I often gave in to it.

Site specific piece created for the South Kingston Land Trust. Invitational Exhibit of 16 artists' work. This piece of land is on Green Hill Beach Road in South Kingston RI. The artists' reception is September 7th at 3pm 2014. All invited.

I admit...I lost count. I think there are 75 hands cut (jigsaw) from scrap aluminum, painted, drawn on (with a cut off wheel), vertically strung on brass wire with 2 fishing spinners between each of them. I was almost finished with this before I realized that I was revisiting "Peace: Within and Throughout"!

My trusted assistant!

Drawing into and through the paint with a cut-off wheel was very time consuming but added texture and line. It reminded me of painting and collaging the origami cranes in "Peace: Within and Throughout". Folding and bending the hands added dimension and may help catch the breeze.

The wheelbarrows full of mulch were fun to bring in too!

I enjoyed watching people look at and interact with Hands. One little girl said, "Here's a hand that is just my size!"

The Art Trail is always open. Green Hill Beach Road in South Kingston RI. 24 Artists exhibiting site specific work.

I was so pleased to be featured in Art Doll Quarterly as their artist profile for this quarter. To read the whole article they'd probably like you to buy their magazine from archives. Here is a link:

http://stampington.com/art-doll-quarterly/Art-Doll-Quarterly-Summer-2011

Last page of article.

 Adjustable size: Approximately 5’ X 25”

Luna was created as I approached my 50th birthday. Suspended scrolls symbolize secrets and wisdom to unfurl in the years that approach.

Luna is raised up on a painted old wooden surveyor's tripod. It is adjustable. Luna is centered over a mirror.  Women lean over the mirror base to see the house and see their reflection in the base.

A battery operated light hidden in her back illuminates the moon in her chest.

Luna is centered over a mirror. Around the mirror frame are 13 moons. Between each moon are 28 brass markers indicating the women’s cycle. Women lean over the mirror base to see the house and see their reflection in the base.

The "home" (found object) in the middle of the mirror is surrounded by winter snow. It is quiet…solitary…snowed in. Winter is the time for turning inward, for reflection and domestic comfort. The house is also used to give Luna scale.

(not for sale)

(sold)

Gourd Vessel pair. The heads lift off to store little treasures inside. (NFS)

Sculpted grandmother head on gourd (Paperclay). The top gourd is like a stopper and can be removed to store things inside the bottom gourd. More info under Altered Vessels.

The heads of the dolls lift off so the gourd can be used to hold jewelry or other small items. They have cork stoppers so they fit securely. The details are wood burned. Acrylic paint, beads, string and natural materials embellish the dolls. (sold)

 Type “A” Artist Is on a tripod of functioning amber wheels connected to a wooden star base. The mandala of beaded hands symbolize reaching, doing, creating. The center “eye” made from a printer’s type “a” is seeking inspiration. A golden halo around the eye symbolizes the Divine within. Tools of the artist-a paintbrush and palette are the backbone and core of the piece. Copper “motion lines” spewing pearls indicate moving forward in life.

Featured in the invitation for Norwich Art Center's Artistic Wanderings Exhibit.

Currently I am working on a series of altered vessels. My goal is to create a vessel for each letter of the alphabet. Each vessel will have components that pertain to the letter represented by the vessel. The process of working on these vessels is similar to the process of creating the figures.

Many thanks to Michael deMeng for starting me on this adventure.

The First Vessel H sold. It was then I realized I wanted to have an A-Z collection for exhibit together. They will be for sale when all are finished and exhibited together.

Found wooden horse, sculpted hands and honeycomb on dresser back, In drawers: horseshoe crab shell under mica, honeybee in vial

Sculpted grandmother head on gourd (Paperclay). The top gourd is like a stopper and can be removed to store things inside the bottom gourd. I thought it would be fun to try to figure out how to use some glitter (G!) and still keep it earthy -so the vintage glittery fabric is from a dress I inhertited but was too worn to wear. This took many hours of creating the viles, scrolls, andbaubles that hang off of the gourd.

Vessel C featured on invitation for Artistic Wanderings Juried exhibition. Vessels Collection received the “Mabel Kingsbury Prize” 8/2013

Mixed media and found objects, Etched, distressed, weathered, painted metals and wood

Exhibited in Waverly Street Gallery, Bethesda MD invitational  2010Hygienic Gallery, New London CT juried ”Crossings” 2010 

This piece is intended to remind us of the innocents that are the casualties of war. This is a participatory piece- as the number increases the rings can be removed and number tags flipped.    

United States Department of Defense definition of collateral damage:  Unintentional or incidental injury or damage to persons or objects that would not be lawful military targets in the circumstances ruling at the time. Such damage is not unlawful so long as it is not excessive in light of the overall military advantage anticipated from the attack. (Joint Publication 3-60)

So, how much “damage” isn’t excessive? When does the damage become excessive? I imagine it depends on whose family and friends are the “collateral damage”.

This is my first piece of political art. Currently it is displaying the civilian body count from the war in Iraq (as of 4/16/10); however, this piece isn’t exclusive to the war in Iraq…it can be utilized during other wars.

Etched face in copper

Button resides in a wooden cigar box lid. The title comes from a game my grandmother would play with a group of young grandchildren. One child would go out of the room while a different grandchild hid a button (or something else) on themselves. The first child would return and all would ask, "Button button, Whose got the button?" The child would have to figure out which cousin had the button. (I guess by the suspicious look?!) When I told my own child about playing this game she exclaimed, "Well, welcome to The Depression!" (It was actually the early 1960s) Button's has a large eye for a face because it was a game of careful observation. Buttons, beads, wire, zipper, cigar box lid, Belt buckle, fingers from a kid glove, a piece of my favorite (yet "finished") striped tights. (sold)

Sterling silver (PMC), shell. glass, crystal and pearl beads, kid leather back.

4" tall. Sterling silver (PMC), shells,beads, wire, cardboard box, battery operated votive light. This doll was featured in Art Doll Quarterly Winter 2009. A nightlight is a good job for a Grandma.

This little figure went to Hanoi, Vietnam for an art exhibit. She was sold with the proceeds to tsumnai survivors. I am excited to have art on the other side of the world. Tintype, cinnamon sticks, beads, found face bead (I didn't sculpt it), copper wire, buttons. Approximately 10" long (sold)

Sterling silver sculpted face (PMC), shells, coral, wire, ribbon, beads Size is variable. (sold)

Paperclay, shells, coral, beads, wire Approx. 7" long. (sold)

14.5” X 8” X 5”  Paperclay, acrylic paint, grapevines, beads, feathers, newel post.

(Collection of Scottie Allen)

Creating work for the “en-Able-d Exhibition” challenged me. I've never created a figure based on a real or historic person. The assembled figures I construct are imaginary and I often don't know exactly what they will look like until the piece is almost complete. I thought it would stretch my creativity to sculpt a semi realistic face for Lincoln and find symbols and objects to represent him. I also loved the idea of an alternative to Norwich Art Center’s exhibit of copies of Copley's painting of Lincoln. - I wanted a part in creating this fun event.

"Walking Abe" is 5'2" X 32" X16" The face is paperclay, His torso is paper mache, birch branch arms. Abe's hair, beard and body interior are painted and cut pages from an antique dictionary. I dont know what wooden piece is that make up his legs and into his torso, but it seems it was used for measuring and says "Right Upright". The Lincoln quote on his lapels reads" All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind." He is striding across the 54 stars of the Union flag (of 1863-1865).

 It pleases me to know that visitors to the exhibit enjoyed "Abe Walking" enough to have it voted as one of the 3 winners in the “people’s choice” awards. The Enabled Exhibit had a very diverse collection of art with many great pieces.

33” tall

One day, while ironing Brownie patches on my daughter’s uniform, I struggled with not having time to create art. My three children were young and I was working full time. I was afraid that my creativity was drying up. I then realized my selfishness. Mine was a wonderful, privileged life. I grudgingly prayed for help with my attitude.

I had epiphany at that moment...I was sure that when it was the right time for me to resume creating art, I’d know what to do and God would be there with me. I believe the assurance was so strong because I knew I needed to pray about changing MYSELF - instead of the situation.

The time for art has come - my children are grown. The creative juices are flowing...things are coming together. This sculptural figure was created in remembrance of the quiet but powerful moment that happened while ironing. (Collection of Markus and Sue Starr)

The nest in the core is the home. Soft arms are for comforting others. Feathers are in the legs that will eventually fly. The key in the mind is to control attitude. Standing in an adjustable egg basket- a perfect base!