Balancing Act

When I was a kid, I obsessed about a few things. I always wanted to build forts in the house and tents over my bed. This later found me fixated on trying to create things that could hang and move above me. I would check out countless books at the library on how to create mobiles, and Alexander Calder. I would often take wire hangers and bend them- attach colored paper drawings or objects. They never had the balance- (I was never good at math--) but they did make the room have a crafty charm. I remember making one entirely out of yarn god eyes. I must have been about 10- and decided to hang it over the lamp in my room so that it would dangle and create colorful lighting. I awoke to the smell of smoldering yarn and my dad yanking the smokey art piece into the trash.
When I was in college & lived in Ohio I worked at this darling gallery for home and garden. We sold these natural metal mobiles that hang from trees in the garden. The artist had made sculptures since the mid 70's. I decided to look up some kinetic artists-- that are creating Miro/ Calder like work that could hang someplace overhead. I love that mobiles seem so delicate...
Julie Frith is a mobile artist who appreciates modern design and structure and started making mobiles in the early 1980's for fun. These images are all from her website- where you can custom order designs

http://www.humboldt1.com/~mobiles/

The next pictures are from the artist Joel Hotchkiss- one of the the artists that we carried at the gallery. find them at : http://www.artmobiles.com/

this last site will help show you how to make your own mobile- (did I ever tell you I received my first degree in ARt Education?)
http://www.mobilesculpture.com/makeyourownmobiles/