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Above, John Link, Gary Olsen, Kristin Driscoll, and Linda Olsen are photographed with the finished frog at the entrance to Cottingham & Butler in downtown Dubuque. The installation is contained in the Part 3 movie in the right column. Kristin was the C&B employee whose theme was selected for the frogn project.
This frog project is particularly unique in that we are going to employ some interesting color techniques that have their artistic origins in Asian, African as well as Indian cultures. The design will employ literary icons from the great American writer and world traveler, Mark Twain. Linda and I are finding our inspiration for this project by examining Asian and Middle Eastern and European art and decorative motifs. Below is an Imari vase from Japan. Notice how the bright colors stand out against a dark background.
Below is a Herend figurine from Hungary that features a pattern we are going to try to replicate on the chest of the frog.
The application of color will use a variety of tools including brushwork and stamping techniques. Both of us are painters, and Linda, particularly, is an accomplished decorative painter. I am an artist and graphic designer. I've been thinking about this project for a long time... ever since I received the letter of invitation to be one of the available artists for the project from the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. The connection of the frog to Mark Twain is a natural, and since we live in a river town, how appropriate it is to create a Mark Twain frog with references to his brand of American literature. Coincidentally, an employee of Cottingham & Butler, Kristin Driscoll, submitted a suggestion for a Mark Twain theme for the frog, and project coordinators unanimously agreed. I'm considering icons from his books The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. But then there is the collection of colorful short stories and essays to consider. There are quotations, too, that would be so perfect to inscribe on the frog in some way. My wife is an excellent calligrapher, and since this is a collaborative project, I will defer the hand lettering to her, obviuosly. Or maybe I'll try my hand. That's the fun of a project like this. It's total experimentation, and we are grateful to Cottingham & Butler for allowing our creativity to flow uninhibited. Linda's talents as a decorative painter have grown considerably in the last two years. She is constantly doing something. Our kitchen table has rarely been empty of brush basins, paint bottles, and a project in progress. Stepping stones, bird houses, plates, glassware, even fabrics are all over the house in various states of production. And of late she has been working with clay and beads. Using polymer clay, she makes these fantastic patterned beads and jewelry items. Our friends and clients often comment on my prolific output, but I'm nothing compared to Linda who also teaches classes in her various artistic endeavors. Well, as you can see by the photos on the right, we are making excellent progress. Keep tuned to this webpage for more developments. A continuously produced movie is posted to this site regularly. See the control panel at the top of the right column. One Week Later As you can see by the photos and films, we've made tremendous progress in only a week's time. Not bad when one considers we didn't have a real plan, just instinct and a feeling. We worked to our best abilities. Linda is the decorative painter and she has a keen eye for color. I am the figural painter, and I have an eye for design. As you recall, we started out with a totally black frog, and we built colors on to the surface with brushes, stamps and stencils. Now the piece is looking like something African or Egyptian. The black paint that shows through the sometimes thin layers of color makes the piece appear antique looking. That was slightly unexpected, but we both agree that we like it. If we had started with a white background, obviously the effect would have been entirely different. Linda has always worked on white or light colored backgrounds, and I made her work against black. She likes it, apparently.
I found this splendid image of an African mask that was inlaid with paint, colored shells, stones and beads. Many African masks start out as wooden carvings usually from a dark wood like ebony. Anyhow, the frog is looking almost tribal like some ancient totem discovered in the tomb of a king or queen.
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Photos on this page are linked to larger versions Just click on them.
The kids in the neighborhood went crazy when the frog was delivered.
Once I painted it black it looked like bronze metal.
It takes three people to lift and move the frog comfortably.
We got it to the backyard on my trailer I use for our four-wheeler ATC.
I've masked off the outline for the chest portion that Linda will be painting. She is one of the best decorative painters
I'm using a chalk pencil to sketch on the patterns freehand. I almost never match my drawings perfectly, but that's all part of the process. |
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Materials: As you can see by the progress on the right, I'm working on figurals while Linda works on motifs and decorative sections. We are making room for quotes from Twain books and essays. We are using pearlescent paints that have jewel-like qualities. The colors are wonderful. I found the paints in an art store in Galena, Illinois, Sue's Ink and Stamp Store.
Lumiere Paint is among our collection of acrylic colors being applied to the frog. This paint as a very luminescent quality described as "pearlescent." I personally love the stuff. It works especially well against the black surface. In the right column is a good view of the frog from the front showing all of Linda's pattern work. Look below at her one-stroke leaves and water lillies. She's painting dragon flies and other insects. I might paint a catfish on it, but I don't know yet. We may run out of room. We've had such fun with the kids in the neighborhood, we are involving them in some way. Linda's idea was to allow them to put their hand prints somewhere on the frog (in their favorite colors, of course.
These are just two of our helpers. They will get a chance to paint something on the frog before it's finished. There are two boys down the block who also helped clean brushes, keep the dogs out of our paint, and helped move deck furniture. They'll make their marks on the frog as well. |
A neighbor stopped by to comment, "So you two actually paint together?" "Yes," I responded. "Don't you and your wife?" "No," was the one word answer to my question.
Linda is making excellent progress on the front of the frog.
We get lots of help, especially in the form of criticism from the neighborhood children. Kids tell you just what they are thinking as it occurs to them... totally uninhibited.
Mark Twain is shaping up. We have to paint fast and not be tempted to rework because the paint dries so fast out of doors. That's okay... if you make a mistake you can still wipe it off and start again. But we want to avoid that temptation as well. We practice a particular stroke or pattern on a piece of ceramic tile before we commit it to the frog.
Linda and I use those foam disposible plates as palletes. |
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Linda's pattern work on the breast and legs of the frog.
Linda and I often work on the same part of the frog at the same time anticipating each other's moves. It's spooky.
Here's a finished side showing the lilly pads and flowers, cat tails and a dragonfly.
Linda's exquisite work on the leaves.
Our covered swing with the swing removed offered much needed shade while we painted. The frog probably enjoyed the shade as well.
Painting a river boat.
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elcome to the Olsen's Frog Project, sponsored by Cottingham & Butler of Dubuque, Iowa. In celebration of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium's fabulous Frogs Exhibit, the entire town of Dubuque is hopping. Area artists have been employed to decorate giant frogs that are displayed throughout the city. The giant poly resin frog installations are sponsored by area businesses. In this particular case, Cottingham & Butler, the insurance company with deep roots in Dubuque and a Downtown District resident, has secured our services to decorate their particular frog. This website has been designed for you to follow the progress in video and still images that are posted on this page as the project progresses. 
The Frog Project was formed in conjunction with the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium's "Toadally Frogs" exhibit of live amphibians that will be a featured attraction all summer during 2005. 
We are using Langinickel brushes, those new ones with the acrylic handles. They don't absorb any moisture and should last longer than traditional wood handle brushes. I just love them. I've used the same brushes for acrylics and oils, and they perform and clean up beautifully. There is nothing worse than cheap brushes. Good tools are critical to an artist's success. You can see the brushes closeup in the videos.
