Red Carpet alias Welcome Carpet

(Yes, during the process of the installation, the colour became a topic of conversation and the client re-baptised it Welcome Carpet instead of Red Carpet. )

Back to end of 2009. Once the winners of the Art Journey were announced, the real work started. As a glass artist in the very early stages of an artist career and a total novice with regards to public art, it was a saving grace to be introduced to Stephen and Marcus of the Trinity Session in Jo'burg, who would be the project managers from the artists point of view.

With a wealth of experience with public art commissions in Jo'burg, I (and the other artists of this first phase : Anthony Harris (Voting Line), Duncan Stewart (River Memory), Mxolisi Sapete (Sit, Talk Trade: Fishbird), Anthony Coke (Sit, Talk Trade) and Anton Momberg (Conversation Piece)) was in good hands and looked forward to a quick, interesting and fascinating learning curve.

What I did learn in the period between commencement and finish of the project was that, working with a whole team in discussion and implementation stages, one has to make compromises to fit the public art sphere. It's quite different from creating in an environment of a private studio.

But I grew up fast (art wise) and besides having my creation visible in a public domain, I take with me an encyclopaedia of new experiences whereof some were good and some not so. I've made a big step forward gaining a better understanding of the art world and the interaction between artist and the public domain .

An interesting glass year

To say the least .... .I just updated my website when linking to my blog I suddenly realised that it's been almost 18 months since my last entry. But I've got all the excuses in the world as it has been a fascinating year for me if nothing else.

Sometimes Murphy's Law works FOR you instead of against you and that eventually resulted in an incredible experience in 2010.

My other passion (besides family and glass) is Scouts. Was a girl guide in Belgium for about 13-14 years and later when my kids got old enough, we got involved as a family. I especially like the opportunity to be creative and am quite involved in finding creative projects to put Scouts in the limelight.

One of my Scout Colleagues' girlfriend works at the museum and she encouraged us to submit ideas for public art in Nelson Mandela Bay, as seen from a youth movement's point of view. We got the brief and while working on ideas for the Scout submission I thought, ... what the heck, I might aswell submit ideas for myself as glass artist, which subsequently did.

I didn't make the prizes in the first round, but at least got (together with the scouts project and a few other art submissions) an honourable mention. This encouraged me to submit entries for the second round which would consist of 5 particular positioned art pieces on the Donkin Reserve in Port Elizabeth as part of the Route 67 experience.

End 2009 there was a prizegiving function and we went, even if it was to see what project would eventually win (I had submitted at least one idea for each commision). After the few speeches, the art pieces and their respective winners were announce. I hovered between thinking I didn't stand a chance and perhaps my idea was unique enough to stand a chance! My emotions went up and down like a jojo! And then , ... the unbelievable happened : the winner of the Red Carpet piece was announced... and it was ME! It was the most exhilirating feeling of the world!

I was in for a rollercoaster ride and boy , was it ever that!