more from the button factory

Wow. Can't believe it has taken me so long to follow up on some of the art I enjoyed at this year's Button Factory open studio. Admittedly my time there was TOO short, but I did get to the studio of Jen Benn, the reigning queen of technology paintings. How does one make circuit boards look beautiful? Always richly painted, Jen's canvases are filled with wonderful patterns. I could see sections being reproduced as fabrics. And this year she introduced some intricate patterns representing DNA. Jen likes to work on large canvases, but I heard a rumor that she might work on a series of smaller works. Stay tuned.......
AND, as always, Tim Gaudreau had some a provocative works aimed at raising awareness of environmental concerns. Previous projects have included a Lost and Found series which more or less viewed discarded litter as it might be seen through the eyes of someone visiting our planet for the first time. Tim's Self- Portrait Through Trash show won him national recognition. And this latest group of photo collages assembled in a cross formation, depict packaging,(ultimately trash) made necessary by our increasing desire for convenience, as modern day idols. In all of these projects, Tim manages to awaken an awareness regarding serious environmental issues, without really preaching. I think this is a much more effective means of getting his audience to examine their own behaviors and perhaps make modifications which will benefit the planet. It's important work.

only show your hands to this woman if you can handle the truth!!

I briefly attended the open studios at the Button Factory this weekend. More about the art in a bit, but FIRST I must tell you about a fascinating hand reading I had done at Tim Gaudreau's studio. Tim's wife, Atlanta is a certified hand analyst. She examines your hand shape, line formations and fingerprints to tell you some things about yourself; your strengths and weaknesses, your journey, the stumbling blocks and how you might overcome them. Now when Tim first sent out the email about hand readings I thought of it as a fun, quirky kind of thing. But almost as soon as she took a look at these working hands of mine, she started telling me all kinds of things about myself which I KNOW to be true. And some other things I have really been thinking about the past couple of days. It was amazing! I had just the brief ten minute reading, but I hope to have her do the full hour reading at some point. Atlanta does not yet have website, but I'm sure you could contact her through Tim's. I would highly recommend it!