CJB's Art Notes: Noxubee Refuge & little more art from Chelsea

This post includes images and stories from Tyson's and my adventure as artists in residence at the Noxubee Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi, with images of artwork that we made there, photos from investigating the environment on foot and in kayaks, some wildlife, an art show that we caught in Virginia, and then some shows we saw in Chelsea with some of my classmates from grad school after we got back. I hope you enjoy it!

To see all of the images from my recent "Out & About, Late Summer 2014" post as well as from our residency at the Noxubee Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi, visit my Flickr albums at the following links:

Out & About, Late Summer: https://www.flickr.com/photos/caetlynn/sets/72157646922906503/

Noxubee Refuge, Mississippi: https://www.flickr.com/photos/caetlynn/sets/72157648834362669/

As you will see, the natural beauty of the Refuge was astounding. In addition to working as a team to photograph and draw collaborative inspiration through new processes together, we also lead an art & nature day program where we helped participants with their photography and drawing; gave a slide presentation in the evening about our work to the public and members of the Starkville Arts Council at the local hub 929 Coffee House; and also sat in with the BFA thesis class at MSU to provide feedback on their thesis proposals, give a slide talk about our work, and talk to them about life after school and different professional resources that they can seek out and access as artists.

The Starkville Daily News wrote an article about us too! Here is the link:
http://www.caetlynnbooth.com/files/CB_TW_StarkvilleDailyNews-2.pdf

Our time in Mississippi was a very creative and productive one, and over the next few months, Tyson will be going through all of his images and editing them down into a tight portfolio. I completed 3 small paintings and 2 medium-sized paintings (see below), and began under-paintings for several others. I will also be working with the materials I developed at the Refuge over the next few months.

To begin, here are some of Tyson's photographs that he is planning to print:

by Tyson Washburn

And now, the five paintings that I made in Mississippi:

Surface Tension, 2014, oil on canvas, 9" x 12"

Swamp Stump Sunrise 2, 2014, oil on panel, 18" x 24"

Swamp Stump Sunrise, 2014, oil on panel, 18" x 24"

Above and Below, 2014, oil on canvas, 9" x 12"

Wading, 2014, oil on canvas, 9" x 12"

The following are photos that either Tyson or I took around the Refuge:

At the overlook at the visitor's center. Upon our arrival, Steve Reagan, the Refuge Manager gave us a very warm welcome, as well as a personal tour the next day, providing us with all kinds of interesting information about the history of the place and what it means to manage environments to support wildlife. The refuge is a reclaimed environment (over-farmed and over-logged), so it's about 60+ years into the rehabilitation effort.

On the Cypress Grove boardwalk

Looking out at the lake from the bank very near the house we stayed in

Out on the lake during one of our early morning kayaks

Morning mist at sunrise

Sunrise

Polaroids taken over the course of 2 weeks using expired film. Some interesting results!

Our earliest morning kayak--it was still pretty dark when we went out

Tyson photographing

Crazy colors at sunrise

Right before the sun came up!

There's me in my kayak

On a different early morning adventure, Tyson accompanied refuge scientists out to catch endangered woodpeckers to band them

This is a female red-caudated woodpecker

Tyson got to release her by putting her back on her tree (each woodpecker of this type has their own tree--they are very social)

Sunset (by TKW)

The forest in the morning

In the afternoon (by TKW)

And alligators in their natural environment!!!

We also came across one at night when we were driving back from town that was warming himself on the road! They have about 200 at the refuge, with the largest measuring about 13 ft. Luckily, they try to avoid humans...

On a photoshoot in the woods together

Our accommodations on location

We got to drive around a Dept. of Fish & Wildlife truck, and had keys to the locked gates for a behind the scenes experience--it was amazing!

There were several of these placed along the road leading to the refuge as well as along roads within the refuge. They are based on traditional quilt patterns--they were so nice!

Petty's BBQ in Starkville.... Mmmmmmmm

On our last morning at the refuge!!!!

By the time I got my camera out, you couldn't really make out what kind of bird this is, but it's a Bald Eagle!!!! We saw them a few times at the refuge. This good omen appeared as we were leaving on our last day.

On our way back to NYC, we stopped in Blacksburg, VA, where our friends Lindsey & Warren are now living while Warren completes his graduate work at Virginia Tech. We stopped in at the Moss Art Center to see the current show, Evolving Geometries, featuring the work of Odili Donald Odita, Manfred Mohr, and Patrick Wilson. This mural is by Odita. Coincidentally, our good friend Alan Prazniak was in Blacksburg for October to help paint this mural!

Patrick Wilson

Patrick Wilson detail

Manfred Mohr video: computer art by algorithm

Odili Donald Odita

Tyson and Warren in the back gallery

The following are images from back in NY:

Our friends Joe & Jamie are opening an art space and studios here in Ridgewood! Click here to learn more about this awesome project!

Sharon Horvath at Lori Bookstein! A great show!!!

Sharon Horvath

Tyson and I also met up with Liv Aanrud, Catherine Haggarty, Erik Schoonebeek, and Katherine DeGaetani, former Rutgers classmates, in Chelsea to check out some shows. This is Trevor Paglen's Code Names of the Surveillance State, a very clever and funny video installation. It's up until December 20th, and is worth the visit!