The Catalpa Art Studio is a physical site for activities like
woodworking and painting projects. It is a private work place that is located in
the Benson neighborhood of Omaha, Nebraska. It was constructed in the summer of
2004 with used lumber from a local salvage company.
The windows and doors were rescued from a storage area under the porch of a house. Leftover concrete blocks and broken stones served as a foundation. Second hand Venetian blinds and curtains dress the windows. The roof covereing is see-through acrylic. Two of the walls are mostly window area. It is a shed that is sometimes more like a greenhouse than an art studio
The challenge was to create a functional work space under a tree as a memorial to my late friend, Bob Borsodi. Bob was a master at recycling materials and using them to create something new. I met Robert in 1977 when he was running a coffee house in uptown New Orleans.
Robert was a very gentle man who had strong opinions about life, love and the prusuit of artistic endeavors. Among other things, he was a writer ,actor, carpenter and business man. His coffee houses were personal theatres that allowed him to be all of those characters.
I was glad to find a tribute to Robert on the web entitled , "Remembering Borsodi". My last conversation with Bob was the summer of 2003, under the Catalpa tree..
The Catalpa tree itself is quite interesting. It grows very fast and tolerates extreme heat and cold. Its heart shape leaves are very broad and can be 12 inches across. Long beanlike pods hang down from the branches like giant string beans.
In the early summer, the tree produces beautiful white flowers that look like miniature orchids. My wife planted the Catalpa just 5 years before the construction of the studio. At one point it sheltered a small pond that was home to some small bluegill and sunfish.
Roaming opossum and raccoons have long since eaten the fish. Pesky mosquitoes discouraged the maintenance of the pond. It is now a small deck supporting various wooden objects that are elements of something new in the making.
Squirrels, rabbits and cats continue to visit the area and sometines interact with whoever happens to be there. A pair of cardinal is usually nearby, along with some doves, sparrows, blue jays and many black birds. The black birds keep track of where the cats are by sounding an alarm that is passed from one area to another.
All of these activities and observations serve as inspirations for expressions of art.
.........................................................
Search 'Robert Borsodi' on the web for other perspectives on this noted New Orleans character.
The windows and doors were rescued from a storage area under the porch of a house. Leftover concrete blocks and broken stones served as a foundation. Second hand Venetian blinds and curtains dress the windows. The roof covereing is see-through acrylic. Two of the walls are mostly window area. It is a shed that is sometimes more like a greenhouse than an art studio
The challenge was to create a functional work space under a tree as a memorial to my late friend, Bob Borsodi. Bob was a master at recycling materials and using them to create something new. I met Robert in 1977 when he was running a coffee house in uptown New Orleans.
Robert was a very gentle man who had strong opinions about life, love and the prusuit of artistic endeavors. Among other things, he was a writer ,actor, carpenter and business man. His coffee houses were personal theatres that allowed him to be all of those characters.
I was glad to find a tribute to Robert on the web entitled , "Remembering Borsodi". My last conversation with Bob was the summer of 2003, under the Catalpa tree..
The Catalpa tree itself is quite interesting. It grows very fast and tolerates extreme heat and cold. Its heart shape leaves are very broad and can be 12 inches across. Long beanlike pods hang down from the branches like giant string beans.
In the early summer, the tree produces beautiful white flowers that look like miniature orchids. My wife planted the Catalpa just 5 years before the construction of the studio. At one point it sheltered a small pond that was home to some small bluegill and sunfish.
Roaming opossum and raccoons have long since eaten the fish. Pesky mosquitoes discouraged the maintenance of the pond. It is now a small deck supporting various wooden objects that are elements of something new in the making.
Squirrels, rabbits and cats continue to visit the area and sometines interact with whoever happens to be there. A pair of cardinal is usually nearby, along with some doves, sparrows, blue jays and many black birds. The black birds keep track of where the cats are by sounding an alarm that is passed from one area to another.
All of these activities and observations serve as inspirations for expressions of art.
.........................................................
Search 'Robert Borsodi' on the web for other perspectives on this noted New Orleans character.