Kingdom Animalia

After making our first collaborative sculpture Trophy Fish in 2000, we turned away from using our plastic to make animals and such; and decided to only show the plastic, as is, in its matter of fact form. 

When Doug Woodring from Ocean Recovery Alliance encouraged us to reach new audiences through online exhibitions, we took the bait and submitted an image of our Trophy Fish to Exhibizone's Kingdom Animalia who made many promises about how they would help to spread the word about our project.

Here are our digital "stamps." 

https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=15626

Here's what might happen:

Stay tuned.

Trophy Fish is made of plastic lids and caps, collected from Kehoe Beach in Point Reyes National Seashore. Stacked concentrically, the dense colors are playful and generous. In their quantity, the lids are purposeful and attractive.

Our curiosity about these ubiquitous pieces of plastic developed into a concept. Inspired by our explorations of the shore, we decided to make something to celebrate our time there. After much aesthetic wrangling, we were pleased to present a trophy fish: sea, time, fish, our place in history—a show-off piece.

another RE:

We are feeling REwarded after the REmarkable REception last evening at Sonoma State University Art Gallery. The joint was jumpin' with artists and appreciators of all stripes. We are thrilled to be included. 

THANK YOU to Claudia Molloy, direction of operations and curators Eileen Parent and Stefan Kiesbye for your attention to every detail and for putting together such an illustrious group of artists and artworks. 

For more information visit the SSU Art Gallery website.  Gallery hours Tuesday-Saturday 11-4.

On Thursday, September 18 from 4-6 PM, we will be hosting a free hands-on workshop.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOWPD5LESK4/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

8/8/25

In Chinese numerology, 8/8/25 is a good day for starting new ventures, making important decisions, or engaging in activities related to wealth and prosperity. 

So, with Ocean Recovery Alliance in Hong Kong, we are thrilled to ride this wave of AI fun, as an awareness builder and fund-raiser for this awesome organization.

https://www.oceanrecov.org/plastically-possible

Plastically Possible | Ocean Recovery Alliance Welcome to Plastically Possible! A fun, new way to create pictures of sea animals, using GenAI to compile artistic images from plastic waste. By showcasing the staggering amount of plastic collected from just 1,000 yards of beach, the images invite everyone to consider their role in making our ocean and environment a better place, one piece of plastic at a time. www.oceanrecov.org

Check out Doug Woodring and Napoleon Biggs in conversation 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/726299256898234?mibextid=wwXIfr

THE BOX SHOW

Gallery Route One

August 16-September 13

August 16, Opening reception 3-5 PM 

September 13 Closing Party and final auction

Early on, back in the day, every year for the GRO The Box Show box we made boxes. But, when so many artists clamored to get in the show, we took our leave, making space for others to join in the fun.

Recently, when we were at the gallery director, Shelley Rugg, was there distributing boxes. She had a few remaining and encouraged us to come back into the fold and we are so glad that we did. 

It is a fun challenge to do something to a simple wooden box and create something fresh that will sell for big $$$. This is Gallery Route One’s biggest fundraiser of the year where 150 identical wooden boxes are transformed into 150 one-of-a-kind works of art by incredible local artists.

So dear friends we ask you to:

Bid box.

Bid big.

Bid often.

AUCTION SITE

Richard writes:

Title: "The Buddha's Last Instruction"

I've chosen to make the box into a small shrine commemorating the Buddha's Last Instruction. It contains a small statue of the Buddha seated in meditation, a mandala I created with computer software, and, of course, an antique light bulb found on Kehoe Beach (PRNSS), because we all know the Buddha's last instruction was "Make of Yourself a Light,"—don't we? Well...now we do!!!

Judith writes:

Calcite and chalk were the first whites used by Paleolithic artists to render drawings of animals thundering across the cave walls in the Dordogne region of France. While the true significance of these ancient artworks may remain elusive, they are believed to hold profound symbolic or spiritual meaning.

White is the most common color of plastic that regularly washes up onto Kehoe Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore. The shards and fragments tell the story of the use-it and toss-it ethos of our contemporary consumer culture.

Take a moment to let your eyes adjust to the seemingly monochrome of this stele. Allow the reflections from the shapes come into view. Notice the subtle variations in the shades. Contemplate the mystery of white as all visible light.

Let this exploration inspire you to appreciate the beauty and complexity of what is often overlooked.

we take AIM

Will Clapp, Dola Tibbs, Rose Dalager, Demi Hall

The AIM teens (Academy of Integrated Humanities and New Media) from Tam High were here last evening for dinner (Indian from Arti's) and the showing of their film project, MATTER OUT OF PLACE. 

We laughed, we cried. 

👏🎥👏🎥👏🎥👏🎥👏

Their youthful energy and their commitment to the environment is just the boost we need to lift us from the despair of politics gone awry.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C_c45EJyb1_rDlXqi_9f6bMomCanv0xw/view

The Academy of Integrated Humanities and New Media (AIM) is a film program at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, CA. This is a two-year interdisciplinary program for juniors and seniors that integrates the classes of English, History, and Media Studies. Each semester they produce award-winning short documentaries. 

"Skyscraper" the Whale - Have We Breached the Limit?

Doug Woodring from Ocean Recovery Alliance just sent these blast-from-the-past (2019) videos of the Bruges Whale. Happy to see our Can you find me? signs doing what we hoped they would do, engaging the public in a game of looking.

TRASH

We are keen on teens and especially when that means (TRASH) The Recology Artstart Student Hub. 

Big thanks to the Marie Kneemeyer from Recology and Heather Brook from Artstart for inviting us to present our One Beach Plastic project to the TRASH student artists. Their positive response gave us a real boost. All too often the problems of climate change and plastic pollution seem so huge that one can feel demoralized, immobilized, and bewildered about how to take action. With all of the catastrophes in the world, we are happy to find real joy in life — the creative moment gives us the best pleasure we can imagine.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone on September 4, 4-6 PM for Reclaim, Repurpose, Recover at Sonoma State University Gallery where we will, as the curators Eileen Parent and Stefan Kiesbye say, "explore the act of transforming discarded objects into meaningful art that holds powerful significance for the human experience. By reclaiming materials that would otherwise be wasted, artists mirror the process of self-discovery, personal growth, environmentalism and sustainability. The symbolism lies in the ability to recognize hidden beauty, potential, and resilience in both objects and ourselves."

This exhibition will showcase the works of Bay Area artists: Mia Feuer, Bryan Keith Thomas, Arleene Correa Valencia, Richard Lang and Judith Selby Lang of One Beach Plastic, and feature selected works from the Recology Artstart Student Hub (TRASH) summer residency program.