What a week! Nice to head south especially when it is snowing. Our art adventure began with a visit to family in New Jersey, didn't take enough photos. We will try to be better about that! Global Citizen planned an amazing event with hundreds of volunteer opportunities for children and adults at the MLK National Day of Service. The people of Philadelphia shared their ideas about racism, gun control, empowerment and most of all love. We were interviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer, but our quotes did not make the paper. We both caught a bug and were really dragging by the end of the day, but warmed by the what people shared. We toured Philadelphia on Tuesday, saw the room where democracy began and my favorite symbol of freedom, The Liberty Bell. Enjoyed some shenanigans with statues, then headed to our next adventure, staying at a working Amish farm. The Stoltzfus family warmlly welcomed us, although they were surprised that two women would head out on a trip of this sort. No men? Next stop Baltimore.
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The car decals have arrived! I have pictured a van wrapped for The Key Idea for years now. I have drawn pictures of it on several vision boards, in art journals and just for fun. Today is a beautiful sunny day, we'll wash the van and transform it into an ArtMobile. Meanwhile, I am preparing project materials for 3000!
There is something about KeyStones that I really love. They are rubbings of keys, done on rice paper and attached to stones with matte medium. I saw this idea in the Martha Stewart magazine years ago. I like making them, it's relaxing, what I imagine adult coloring does for people. I like putting them out in places, hiding them in plain sight for people to find and enjoy. It's like an unexpected gift that I can leave for others. In 2016-2017 lots of people checked into the website and wrote about a dream for themselves, the community or the world. Then for some reason, people stopped checking in. Not sure why. People still picked them up, sometimes I even saw them get excited to find it but then they don't take it to the next step. A suggestion was to place a QR code on the back. Trying that now but I need to use a tile rather than a rock for the code to be read. What do you think...old style? which prompt? new style with QR code. I appreciate your help to figure this out.
Thank you to Bev Fuller of Jon Fuller Locksmith in Orleans for this box of keys to inspire art. I am grateful to you for this box as well as to all the many others who have donated their used keys to this project. Did you know that most people want to keep their keys after they create their KeyStory? It becomes a symbol of their dream or goal.
In the past five years, I must have given away over 5000 used keys! Before they were donated to this project, these keys were carried around in pockets and purses and opened countless homes and businesses, boxes and safes, garages and sheds. The keys have started cars, trucks and lawnmowers. Some opened small boxes, private diaries, secret drawers or padlocks. It's funny, when both adults and children choose their key to draw, they often exclaim, "this key feels good". Are they picking up on the energy from the former owner? Some keys, no matter how ordinary, seem to contain good mojo. So many people are intimidated by white paper. They worry that they will wreck it. So The Key Idea "wrecks" the paper in advance with random sprinkles of ink. We want the project to be accessible to all, especially those who do not self describe as artists. Our project tour, The Keys to Our American dreams is less than two months away. Better get some paper made. Yes, at the equipment and furniture fits! Now we have to consider the art supplies and our clothes and personal items. No problem. Love me my Honda Odyssey.
Who remembers these? We have a TripTik! I had forgotten how great these are even in the age of Google. It's a detailed overview of the route from here, Cape Cod to there, Santa Barbara with 19 stops along the way. My last TripTik was in 1999, a road trip to Ohio for Thanksgiving at my sister's house. Now they come in their own little black case, even better. When did you last use a TripTik and where did you go?
Love the idea of #Inktober and I admire the people who are able to keep it up all month- not me, but I'll be one of them in 2020!
Meanwhile, here are a few of my early favorites. This might have been practice for when we are on the road... I still see the bruise on my thumb from a freezer incident in July. |
Lenore LyonsLenore Lyons is passionate about igniting the spark that happens when people think creatively and get big ideas. There is something about riffling through a large tray of keys that encourages people of all ages to think about possibilities for their life and their loved ones. Archives
August 2021
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