The Mova/Termespheres are finally here!

After about three years of exploring the concept, the Mova Globe Company and the Termesphere Gallery have joined together to produce some wonderful new pieces of art. We have put together a great site to see these at

www.termespheres.com/mova

I teamed up with Mova Globes Company and together we have created limited edition, 4.5 inch diameter Termespheres that contain solar cells that cause the spheres to rotate almost magically. The revolutionary device inside the Mova globes compliments the Termespheres perfectly. They are actually a sphere within a clear sphere with liquid between them so the inside one floats. Because they need no batteries or plugs, these revolving three-dimensional environments can be enjoyed and admired anywhere. They even spin in your hands if you hold them.

They are each signed and numbered. In the end we will make no more than 3000 of each one. There are currently two Mova/Termespheres available with a third one coming soon. The PANTHEON and FISH EYE VIEW are the ones we have at this point. FROM THE EARTH is coming soon.

I received 60 of these spheres in the first shipment, 30 of the PANTHEON and 30 of the FISH EYE VIEW. Over the last couple of years I have had a prototype of the PANTHEON in the Gallery. The people who signed up in the gallery to be notified when they arrived were given the first chance at owning one. But as of last Friday, the Mova/Termespheres are available to everyone. As you can tell, I am very excited about this mixture of the Termesphere and the Mova Globe solar motion. It is very cool and people seem to really love them.

New Commission: The Smith Ranch Sphere

I have been commissioned by Nels Smith and his wife Jeanette to paint a 24" Termesphere of the Smith Ranch. SMITH RANCH SPHERE has been in process for a number of months now. I am working at capturing the feeling of the land and the Smith family who have lived on the ranch since 1909. One of the main focal points of the ranch is Inyan Kara Mountain. Bob Daczewitz his brother in law and I climbed it this summer. One of the reasons was to find a rock on the top that Custer had carved his name into. It didn't take long to find the carving because when you know Custer, you know he would carve it on the VERY TOP. We found it and also were very impressed with the view from the top. Custer was trying to find a cut across through the Black Hills. I was looking for artistic views for my spherical painting. The mountain is like a large spiral leading to its rocky top. It took us 6 ½ hours to go up and down it but it was a wonderful experience.

This painting will incorporate four different views of Inyan Kara Mountain. It will show up around the sphere like you were traveling around the mountain. Usually when you look in at my paintings you are conceptually looking out. In this case you will be looking in at the mountain but circling it also. I have gone through historical photos of the ranch, special event that have happened there and people such as Nels Smith's grandfather that was a Governor of Wyoming. It is starting to shape up very well at this point.

New Sphere: Caged

This new sphere takes advantage of the illusion of the sphere looking like a hole or flipping concave. When you first look at this piece you think you are looking at birds in a cage. After some study you realize you are the one in the cage and the birds are outside looking in at you. This video shows it very well. If you find yourself in the cage, I am not sure if you will find a way to get back out. But it's OK, you should have lots of friends that have ended up there with you too.

Lakota Headmen piece has moved to California.

This painting has an interesting story behind it. After I started this six sided pyramid teepee painting I realized if I were going to include the great Lakota Headmen I should find out from the Lakota elders who they felt were their great headmen or chiefs. Not only was this going to be a painting for me but I also had a commission from the Little Wound High School in Kyle South Dakota to work with art students to build an eight foot replica for their commons area within the school.

One evening, I went to Kyle and met with the elders of the town. They picked who they felt were the Headmen who should be on the painting. It wasn't just who they felt were great leaders but also who were important historically. When I finished my piece, we used it to project onto the larger format for the school. I worked with the students on the larger piece allowing them to choose the colors they thought fit.

The finished piece was brighter than the prototype but it worked well. One student came up to me with a suggestion of adding their school out the door of the teepee. I thought this was a great idea, connecting the past to the present and the future. He designed the image and painted it in the doorway. This was done in 1999. It still hangs in the common area of Little Wound High School.

Termes Featured on WheresEldo.BlogSpot.com

Jeannie and her husband, Eldy visited the Gallery on their travels in their RV. Jeannie writes a wonderful blog about the interesting and exciting things they see and do. Her entry about the Gallery is great so I thought I would share it with you.

Creative Connection 2010

I will be going to Creative Connections again this year in Oberwesel Germany. Creative Connections is a wonderful program offered for the DoDDs High School students. The students compete to attend this week long art camp. 150 students are selected. Teachers are available in theater, drumming, visual arts, and music. I teach spherical thinking but I will include Optical Illusions this year as well. Each teacher has between 12 and 15 students for an intense week. This year it is scheduled for the week of November 14th thru the 19th. I will tell you more on how that works out when I get back.

The Sixth Annual Termesphere Gallery Open House

The Sixth Annual Termesphere Gallery Open House is fast approaching! December 4th and 5th are the days. I hope you can stop out or go to the website, www.Termespheres.com. For those two days, everything--except the Mova/Termespheres--is 10% off—both at the Gallery and on the website.

Winter hours at the Gallery

The Termesphere Gallery has shifted to winter (more casual) hours. We are open 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. But sometimes we go for coffee…or lunch so it would be a good idea to call to make sure someone is here at 605 642-4805.