Chris Holmes Constructions

It's beginning to look at a lot like commerce!

2011-12-06T21:36:00.001-05:00

A couple of years ago I had an idea to make a small amplifier and mount it in a cigar box to use with my computer at work. When I finally got around to building it, I thought it came out great--and a lot of people seemed to agree. So I built a few more and put them for sale on Etsy. I listed the first one several weeks ago and it has been steadily gathering admirers.

Finally, Saturday night someone pulled the trigger and bought it. Then to my wondrous eyes did appear... another order yesterday. And another this morning! I need to find more cigar boxes.

Circuit Board Candle Holder

2011-11-29T21:51:00.002-05:00

Solid Walnut base candle holder with a screen made from translucent printed circuit boards.
3 1/2" square base, 4 3/4" (12cm) tall.

Available at my shop on Etsy.

Vintage Cat Tin Amplified Speaker

2011-11-17T22:10:00.009-05:00

Here's another amplified speaker I built. The tin is from a set of vintage Ikea storage tins. It's for sale over on Etsy. There's another one housed in an old cigar box, too.

Occupying Ball Square

2011-11-17T21:42:00.006-05:00

In addition to having sculpture on display at Salon Cu in Ball Square, Somerville, MA, Blue Cloud Gallery across the street is now showing my Ice Floe Jewelry Box.

The inside is lined with blue velvet and has slots in the bottom to hold rings, slotted rails inside hold a LOT of earrings, and hooks on the backs of the doors hold necklaces. The doors are held closed by hidden magnets.

Seven penguins watch over your bling. The whole thing is afloat on an ice floe with a few ice cubes strewn about. Stop in and check out Anna's baby quilts and book purses while you're there.

Cigar Box Speaker

2011-10-24T23:30:00.015-04:00

I built a small amplifier for my iPod and mounted it with a cast-off speaker in an old cigar box.

I cleaned up the box and gave it a coat of paste wax. Connectors and controls are mounted on an aluminum panel that is set flush into the back. The 2W amplifier combines left and right stereo channels. The amplifier gain is fixed, volume is controlled by the iPod.

I breadboarded the circuit and the amplifier chip doesn't have a proper heatsink, so it gets pretty toasty. I'm going to see if adding some copper foil is enough. If not, it'll give me the excuse to design a custom circuit board. Though I work as an electrical engineer, I've never done board layout before.

So how does it sound? Pretty good!!!

Sculpture at Salon Cu

2011-05-17T21:09:00.005-04:00

A few of my sculptures are on display this spring & summer at Salon Cu in Ball square, Somerville.

Check them out if you're looking for a new 'do. Ask for Kaitlyn--and the 15% Yelp first-timer discount. www.SalonCu.com

Save the Date for Open Studios

2011-01-27T20:32:00.004-05:00

April 30 + May 1, 2011
saturday + sunday, noon - 6pm

Open Studios is coming up in just a few weeks!

I'll be participating for the fifth year with my wife, Anna (AnnaZee.com). We hope you'll drop by to see what we've been working on.

What is it?
Visit nearly 400 artists in over 100 venues who will open their homes and studios for the Thirteenth Annual Somerville Open Studios Event on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, 2011 from noon to 6 pm. During this free showcase for the arts, mid-career and emerging artists working across a broad spectrum of fine art styles and craft media will exhibit and sell their work to the public. Visit the website for more information and a map.

Artists' Choice Exhibit
The Somerville Museum hosts a preview show for participating artists. The museum is located at 1 Westwood Road. Visit the website for gallery hours. Visit this first to narrow down who you'd like to visit.

Storage Box

2010-08-07T14:58:00.004-04:00

Storage Box

I made this for Anna to store CD's and papers. The design is inspired by Japanese lacquered boxes, though the iron drop pulls are from Nomad, a shop in Cambridge that has more of a rustic style.

The drawer faces are Cherry with Danish Oil finish and the carcass is painted MDF.

This work is available for sale.

Summer Art Fair

2010-06-29T22:08:00.004-04:00

I have a few pieces in this show, held annually by the Cambridge Art Association.

July 2 through August 31, 2010
University Place Gallery
124 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA
Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 9-6, Saturday 9-1

All work in the show is priced under $200, so here's your chance to become a hotshot art collector without a stack of Benjamins.

Sew What

2010-06-23T23:02:00.004-04:00

My wife, Anna, will be showing her Book Purses--hardcover books upcycled into purses--at Sew What this weekend.

The event will include vendors who produce handmade jewelry, accessories, clothing and home goods. Artists will be painting live during the event with an opportunity for the public to receive custom art. This event will also include a Swap-o-Rama-Rama which is a community clothing swap and do-it-yourself workshop in which attendees explore creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing.

Saturday, June 26, 2010 3-7pm Union Square Plaza, Somerville MA (click for a map)
(Rain date is Sunday, June 27)

For more info, visit the Sew What website at http://www.FusionEthosFashions.com/SewWhat.html and Anna's website at http://AnnaZee.com/

Construction 27, revisited

2010-05-23T22:23:00.011-04:00

Construction #27: Wood construction
I was never happy with the original loud color scheme, below, so I painted it black. It worked well for Louise Nevelson.

Materials for this piece include:

Pine from a church renovation in Medford that Ruth told me about.

Curved table leg from Steve.

Croquet set from a woman in Medford, found through freecycle.

Metal bracket trash picked by Daemeon.

This work is available for sale.

Construction #40

2010-05-11T22:40:00.009-04:00

Construction #40: Wood construction with acrylic paint 12x4x8"

Remembering the people and places involved in the acquisition of each component of my constructions really adds to my enjoyment of the work. I use a lot of reclaimed material, so each piece ends up having a pretty varied genealogy. I thought it would be interesting to document the sources that I can remember. Materials for this piece include:

Pine from a church renovation in Medford that Ruth told me about.

Wood hanger from our closet.

New pocket door track from a recent renovation. Our carpenter, Richard, chose not to use this piece from the installation kit.

Cabinet drawer removed from our kitchen in the renovation.

A piece from the "shorts" bin at Boulter Plywood in Somerville.

Page from Emerson's essay, Art. My wife made the book into a purse.

This work is available for sale.

Somerville Open Studios

2010-04-14T13:39:00.007-04:00

Open Studios is next weekend!

I'll be participating for the fifth year with my wife, Anna (annazee.com). We hope you'll drop by to see what we've been working on.

What is it?
Over 350 artists in over 100 venues will open their homes and studios for the Somerville Open Studios Event on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2 2010 from noon to 6 pm. During this free showcase for the arts, mid-career and emerging artists working across a broad spectrum of fine art styles and craft media – including painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, glass, fiber, jewelry, furniture and ceramics – will exhibit their work to the public. Visit the website for more information and a map. I'm at map location #50. Note that parking is free during the event hours--it's OK to park in resident-only spots!

Artists' Choice Exhibit
The Somerville Museum hosts a preview show for participating artists. The show is open April 16 through May 14, 2010 with an Opening Reception Friday April 16, 6 pm to 9 pm. The museum is located at 1 Westwood Road. Visit the website for gallery hours. Visit this first to narrow down who you'd like to visit.

Lost and Found at the Nave Gallery

2010-02-02T21:37:00.002-05:00

I have a few pieces in this upcoming show at the Nave Gallery. I hope to see you at the reception!

Opening reception, Friday, 19 February 2010, 6-8 p.m.
Saturday, 20 February 2010, 1-5 p.m.
Sunday, 21 February 2010, 1-5 p.m.

The Nave Gallery
Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church
155 Powderhouse Blvd., Somerville, MA
Click here for directions.

Description
Energy isn't created or destroyed, it's simply lost by one and found by another.

Join us for the opening reception of "Lost & Found at the Nave" on Friday February 19th at 6PM! The event is free and we'll be presenting the works of 15 local artists who have come together to present their interpretation on the theme of "Lost & Found" in a variety of mediums. Selected pieces are available for sale and range from restored antique chairs to paintings to multimedia presentations.

The show is curated by Adam Ribaudo and features work from:

Christine Jozitis, Jessie Pinkham, Bennett Grizzard, Barrett Thornton, Mike Fortier, Emily Zilm, Harold Flood, Brittonie Fletcher, Mike Bullock, Tova Speter, D. Heidi Hample, Chris Holmes, Melissa McDowell, Dan Ribaudo, and Pete Septoff.

Hors d'oeuvres prepared by Katie Fay.

Most, but not all, of the pieces will be available for viewing throughout the weekend of the 20th during the Nave's normal hours of 1PM-5PM.

Chance Voyage

2010-02-01T00:13:00.005-05:00

Chance Voyage: Found wood construction 16x4"

This work is available for sale.

Third Dimension

2010-01-26T23:30:00.004-05:00

I just found out today one of my pieces was selected to be in the Third Dimension show at Cambridge Art Association's Kathryn Schultz gallery. The juror is Wyona Lynch-McWhite, Executive Director of the Fuller Craft Museum.

The show runs January 30–February 25. Reception Saturday, February 13th, noon-2pm.

Kathryn Schultz Gallery
25 Lowell St. Cambridge MA 02138
Tuesday through Saturday 11am to 5pm
617.876.0246
http://cambridgeart.org/

Constructions 37 and 38

2009-08-02T17:20:00.010-04:00

Construction #37: Found wood construction 30 x 8"
Construction #38: Found wood construction 29 x 11"

These works are available for sale.

I had some fun just playing with arrangements of found pieces to arrive at a composition that works. All the pieces have their finish as found--I didn't paint anything on these two. I used all natural wood for the first and mixed the colors and textures of different woods, moldings, and weathered paint for the second.

When I picked pieces to submit to Cambridge Art Association's ongoing Summer Art Fair, I was disappointed to discover these two were excluded by the maximum size limit of 24".

Summer Art Fair

2009-07-06T20:59:00.005-04:00

I have a few pieces in this upcoming show, held annually by the Cambridge Art Association.

July 10 through September 1, 2007
University Place Gallery
124 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA
Gallery Hours: Monday-Friday 9-6, Saturday 9-1

This is a good opportunity to check out a lot of not-too-expensive pieces. Everything in the show is under $300.

Save the date: Somerville Open Studios

2009-04-26T23:54:00.000-04:00

Open Studios is coming up in a few weeks!

I'll be participating for the fourth year with my wife, Anna (whynots.net). We hope you'll drop by to see what we've been working on.

What is it?
Over 300 artists in over 100 venues will open their homes and studios for the Eleventh Annual Somerville Open Studios Event on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 2009 from noon to 6 pm. During this free showcase for the arts, mid-career and emerging artists working across a broad spectrum of fine art styles and craft media – including painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, glass, fiber, jewelry, furniture and ceramics – will exhibit their work to the public. Visit the website for more information and a map.

Artists' Choice Exhibit
The Somerville Museum hosts a preview show for participating artists. The show is open April 17 through May 15, 2009 with an Opening Reception Thursday April 16, 2009, 6 - 9 pm. The museum is located at 1 Westwood Road. Visit the website for gallery hours. Visit this first to narrow down who you'd like to visit.

Cambridge Art Association / New Music School April 25-26

2009-04-18T00:13:00.005-04:00

The New School of Music has invited me and three other artists to show work during the North Cambridge Open Studios. The even runs the weekend of April 25-26 noon-6pm both days.

Gracia Dayton - Watercolors
Jessica Held - Mixed media
Jan Walker - Photography
Chris Holmes - Sculpture

New School of Music
25 Lowell Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

617-492-8105

Visit their website for event information.

While you're there, be sure to also check out the Cambridge Art Association's current show Violence Transformed.

Construction #34

2009-04-07T23:46:00.003-04:00

Construction #34: Wood construction with acrylic paint and metallic leaf. 19x12" This is actually from last fall, but I just got around to taking pictures of recent work.

This work is available for sale.

December Salon at the Nave Gallery

2008-11-27T12:28:00.006-05:00

I have a few pieces in the Nave's December Salon. This show features work by over 50 artists. There are a lot of great musicians playing in the gallery during the show's run. I hope it makes it into your busy holiday calendar!

Opening reception Thursday Dec 4, 6-8pm

Friday December 5, 6-8pm
Saturday December 6, 1-5pm. I'll be in the gallery 3-5, so stop by to visit!
Sunday December 7, 1-5pm

Thursday December 11, 6-8pm
Friday December 12, 6-8pm
Saturday December 13, 1-5pm
Sunday December 14, 1-5pm

The Nave Gallery
Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church
155 Powderhouse Blvd., Somerville, MA
Directions and parking information

13Forest

2008-06-21T19:38:00.004-04:00

Me and my work in good company. I dropped by 13Forest gallery with my wife this afternoon and couldn't help a bit of gloating.

Construction #33

2008-06-01T17:15:00.003-04:00

Construction #33: Wood construction with acrylic paint. 14x11x2"

This work is available for sale.

13Forest

2008-05-24T23:31:00.002-04:00

The owner of 13Forest gallery in Arlington, MA saw my work at Open Studios a few weeks ago and he liked what he saw. I now have some work for sale there.

Thanks!

2008-05-05T23:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to visit us during Somerville Open Studios. It's a lot of fun to meet everyone--from the neighbors down the block that wandered in to the folks who planned for weeks and drove in from miles away. I appreciate hearing everyone's thoughts and reactions. Watching other people get excited about the work is very inspiring.

Somerville Open Studios

2008-04-20T18:14:00.002-04:00

My wife Anna and I, along with over 300 artists in over 100 venues, will open our home for the Tenth Annual Somerville Open Studios Event on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4 2008 from noon to 6 pm.

Maps will be available throughout the city before and during the event. Please email me your address if you'd like me to mail you one, or click here to download a copy.

More information is available at the Somerville Open Studios website.

Anna will be showcasing her clothing designs, book purses and quilts. Check out her website at www.WhyNots.net

Hampton Harbor

2008-04-20T18:11:00.003-04:00

Hampton Harbor: Wood construction with sea chart, driftwood, and nail. 13x5x4"

Sold

Construction #28

2008-04-13T19:53:00.001-04:00

Construction #28: Wood construction with croquet ball. 19x9x8"

This work is available for sale.

Construction #27

2008-04-13T19:44:00.003-04:00

Construction #27: Wood construction with croquet ball and acrylic paint. 10x18x8"

This work is available for sale.

Last year at open studio someone asked if I had any freestanding pieces because their walls were already full of art. Too bad I hadn't met this guy earlier, but I'd been wanting to do freestanding pieces anyway.

I actually made this last fall but at the time I couldn't think of a good background to use in the photos. I usually photograph pieces against a white wall, but that wouldn't work for this one. It was overcast this afternoon, so I figured I'd try it on the patio.

Construction #30

2008-01-20T17:33:00.003-05:00

Construction #30: Wood construction with acrylic paint. 12x16"

Sold

A lot of assemblage uses old found objects to invoke a feeling of age or nostalgia. I think my recent work has been influenced by this and in this piece I made a deliberate move back to the simple geometric forms I started with.

Buddha Contemplating the Sun, Moon, and Earth

2008-01-20T17:22:00.000-05:00

Wood construction with paper, ceramic figurine, and acrylic paint. 8x16"

This work is available for sale.

Buddha contemplates the sun and moon next to a mountain of driftwood. The piece is housed in an old drawer with a curved front.

This Buddha was one of a set of 3, so 2 more pieces may show up in the future.

Construction 25

2007-10-28T23:55:00.003-04:00

Wood construction with paper, croquet ball, and acrylic paint. 11x10"

Sold

The musical score is by Strauss. The first person to see it pointed out that I put it in upside down. Oops. The green surface was painted in layers and sanded in between to build up a really interesting texture.

Extra Fine

2007-10-28T23:03:00.000-04:00

Wood construction with mirror. 21x26"

The Extra Fine text from an old sugar crate makes a great mirror. Could be a bit narcissistic, or you could give it to someone else. The frame is old pine floorboards with most of the paint planed off.

This piece attracted a lot of attention at Open Studio last May, but ultimately didn't sell. I thought people might be more inclined to buy a functional or decorative piece, but it's not really "fine art", so I can't enter it in a show.

Welcome!

2007-10-27T21:18:00.000-04:00

Welcome friends and strangers!

I'm an assemblage artist from Somerville, MA. I show my work through a couple of local artist associations and their cooperative galleries a few times per year and at my city's open studio event in the spring. I'll post show announcements and pictures of new work here, but check out my website for older work and more information: ChrisHolmesArt.com

Please drop me an email if you have questions about my work or are interested in purchasing a piece. chris@chrisholmesart.com