Bare Naked... BEARS!

This week I'm submitting my proposal and application to dress up these naked little bears. Well, mama bear is about 4.5 feet tall- baby is 2.5 feet. These are part of a public art project in the town of Easthampton, Ma. You know how some towns have moose, or cows or even whales all decorated/ painted/embellished, sitting on the sidewalks? This is one of those sorts of things.

This is fiberglass, and I have to propose how I am to decorate them. I actually still don't know what i am going to submit. Im leaning towards fused glass/ glass tile mosaic all over them. Im also considering something ridiculous like resin and glitter. I can imagine them sitting on the sidewalk sparkling. I can choose if I want both bears or just one. If accepted, they give you $500 to work with. Application have to be in by Feb 18th, so I better get working!

I once did three bus stop benches for the City of Springfield, MA, and they gave me $500 also. And when I was done, I made about $30....which I thought was a bonus! That was my first public comission, about 5 years ago. I had made three benches, they gave me the form- three sided basic bench, and I mosaiced them and molded with cement them like no other. One had two trees on each end cap, one had waterfalls, and one had mill buildings- all representative of the surroundings.

That was pretty ambitious of me, as I had never done something like that, never worked with cement on that scale- nor had I done anything that was suppose to last in the elements! Well, they are still there on Main St. in Indian Orchard (part of Spfld). They have lasted, with a little rust (from the armatures I inserted into the cement) and only one was smashed by a snowplow. But more importantly, people are still sitting on them!

How would YOU decorate these little bears?

(yes, im listening because i need ideas!!!)