POP ART c a n d y

Laura Conner, a Medway Middle School art teacher, is working with her 6^th grade class as they create their own pop art. With the influence of Andy Warhol, the students work in pairs and create larger than life size candy ‘sculptures’. The students first create the form using cardboard.  Using large pieces of colored paper the candy is covered, then paint is added for the details and more cut paper for the logos and imagery.

Paper plates for Mentos Candy

The students have access to a shared laptop to look up their candy.  Students are often going back to make sure they are doing an accurate replica.

Miss Conner says this is a project the students enjoying doing every year. After completed, the projects will be displayed in the library.

Last years candy project is still on display in the library and will soon be replaced with this 6^th grade class.

Pop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid-1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States.  Pop Art is a style of art which explores the everyday imagery that is so much a part of contemporary consumer culture. Common sources of imagery include advertisements, consumer product packaging, celebrity photographs, and comic strips.

Andy Warhol drew widely from popular culture and everyday subject matter, creating works like his 32 Campbell's Soup Cans (1962), Brillo pad box sculptures, and portraits of Marilyn Monroe, using the medium of silk-screen printmaking to achieve his characteristic hard edges and flat areas of color

Local Photographer, Tim Rice

Artist Photographer, Tim Rice grew up in Medway and still resides here with his wife and family.  He has always loved photography and takes pictures of anything and everything. He opened a Gallery/Studio space on Village Street 3 years ago.

His gallery has an array of images from landscapes, detailed objects, lego toys, just to name a few.

Occasionally Tim has an open house where you can see all his work and many prints are for sale (very reasonably priced too).

All of the wall photos in the gallery, see above, are printed on metal (yes on metal!) It gives a saturated vibrant color and is great for high contrast photos.  There is no glass over these, the print gives it a glossy shine. 

These wall photos of every day objects such as watches and stamps, were taken at the Brimfield fair.

 Various photos around New England.

In addition to a gallery space, there's a studio for indoor photography such as individual portraits, families or holiday photos.  Tim, here in the studio, lets me try out his studio lighting for his portrait.

Josie, the Rice family’s 8-month old Bernese mountain dog,

 is very friendly and loves to hang around with him. She even has her own instagram page @timricephoto_josiesmalls

On Tim's desk below you'll find, his grandfathers radio and some subjects for his photos. 

Tim has a collection of old cameras you may find on display at one of his open houses. Here his 1st Pentax camera.

 Often Tim will be out on location, shooting a wedding or some live music. He has a huge data base of band photography. Some of his photos below:

  To get a cool perspective on things, Tim uses a drone with a camera attached controlled by his phone.  He can photograph up to 300' in the air. Here at Choate Park, from the recent Christmas parade and fireworks display:

  Check out more of his photography here at timricephoto.com

In Oct 2009 Tim decided to take a picture everyday for 30 days and share on his site.

Well, he didn’t stop there, now 7 years later he is still taking a daily pic. 

You can follow his daily pic blog

Thanks for looking!

Jesse Green at Home in his Studio

I caught up with local Chainsaw Sculptor artist, Jesse Green, aka “The Machine”, recently at his home studio.  Most of Jesse’s work is done on site, usually carving from an existing tree. But every now and then he'll have a job he can do from his home studio.  He has traveled all over and done commissioned work for celebrities, the WWE, Businesses, Churches, Native Americans, The Big Apple Circus, to name a few.  But recently he was working on a Racer for Maplewood Day Camp in Easton.

So I was able to have a peak at his very organized space.

Jesse is one of the top Master Chainsaw Sculptors in the world and in 2014 even became the only person ever to be named The Official Chainsaw Sculptor Of Husqvarna USA (chainsaws).

Jesse keeps his chains in order by giving them a wrestling name too, he’s a huge fan!

Saying Jesse has a lot of tools is an understatement I was very impressed with how organized his work space is.  He also collects objects from each job, everything has a story/meaning behind it.

Jesse’s dad and grandfather also had a very full packed yet organized workshops.

Jesse outside of his studio garage where he has a great space outdoors for working too.

Jesse’s home is very eclectic and fun, he has put some work into it with the fireplace mantel and furniture.

This organ has been in his family for many years, and Jesse plays it everyday!

He is also a member of the Boston Band FEVAH DREAM. He’s an avid harmonica

Player. You can check them out here 

Jesse’s carved self portrait and a painting he did of his wife. I love that it has a woodblock look to it (a printing technique used from carved wood).

Jesse has kept himself very busy not just by sculpting but having his own tv show on National

Geographic channel, American Chainsaw. He has been doing lectures around the country and has toured with The Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show as the MC at state fairs.

Jesse enjoys his down time with his family and Rescue dog, Sandy Beach, here hanging out in his office.

Making Beautiful Jewelry

Jeannine Bell, a Texas native has been living in Medway with her family for 12 years.  About 10 years ago, Jeannine admired a seed bead bracelet in an art gallery.  It was quite expensive at $1200. She thought, I could make that, I just need to find the beads. On her hunt in a bead store she met a teacher who soon helped her to recreate the bracelet she had found. It took her 3 weeks but she was able to do it. From then on she began creating jewelry, from beading to weaving & welding. 

Taking many classes along the way, learning different techniques.

What she enjoys most is creating pieces to coordinate with an outfit and/or for a special occasion.

What I love about her pieces is that they are all so unique. Each is a work of art.

Copper bracelet welded with attached beads. Hand woven silver bracelets

Longer necklaces of pearls and stones.

Elegant beaded necklace(left) Beaded & twisted gold chain with a beautiful Vintage Swarovski Crystal (right).

Jeanine made this necklace to coordinate with a scarf

Various necklaces of natural stones, silver and sea glass.

Purples with ice blue beaded necklace

Green pearls combined with crystal beads

Custom earrings

Strands of Pearls

Jeannine at her desk working on another original piece.

Contact Jeannine 

Thanks for looking. Let me know what you think!