Boulder Barrel Project

On August 10th of this year it will become legal for people to collect rainwater on their property in Colorado.  To celebrate and raise awareness I will paint a rain barrel as part of the Boulder Barrel Project, a community art project in Boulder, Colorado.  I don’t often do community art projects.  But something about this one sparked my curiosity so I answered yes right away without knowing what sort of barrel I’d be working on.  Organizers have sent two photos.  The classy looking barrel on the left is apparently a no-go.  (OK by me, attempts to stay classy deaden creativity.)  The clunky-bumpy barrel on the right, or something similar to it, is the one I expect to receive and will be working on this July.

My challenge is to make something on this utilitarian substrate that I am happy to show, something that connects to my art but that isn’t exactly art (this is more of a design project, really) that will also make sense in the lawn or garden setting where it will eventually go.