Holiday surprise

 I have had a couple of unfortunate experiences over the past several years of finding an element that I REALLY would like to use, only to have it "ruined" by the ink from the reverse side bleeding through after coating. For example, when I coated this iconic image from LIFE magazine, ink from the reverse side of the page bled through...

Of course, the question of whether to use such an emotionally-charged and sensitive image is the topic of another post, perhaps. The point that I am trying to make is that the coating process can sometimes "ruin" an element. I only had this example; but it has happened a number of times. I tried using this colored mat to test whether I could make the element "work". But I was not satisfied. Some folks have suggested that I make a photocopy of the element, and coat that. Sorry folks, I only do analog collage -- so that option is not going to be a remedy.

The same bleeding-through happened with this element (but I didn't take a photo of the "ruined" image):

Which brings me to my holiday surprise. I recently came across this image -- which I was very excited about using as a compositional element:

When I coated the page (it was very thin paper -- newspaper-like), the ink from the reverse side bled through. Once again, I was very disappointed that the image was rendered "unusable". Instead of throwing it out, I set it aside in a pile in the standard chaos of my studio. When I was cleaning my studio a bit this week, I was very pleasantly surprised to find it, and discover that the bleed through had disappeared (perhaps as a result of thorough drying?). I'm re-energized to work with this element. I suspect you will recognize it in a new composition for 2023!

Kracken 'n' fish

Knowing that I do collage stuff, a colleague of mine asked about the best way to attach a photocopy to a painted board. I explained what I would do; and offered to bring in some of my acrylic medium. Then I offered to bring the materials into the studio and do it for her. I decided that the piece would look better with some fish to embellish the scene. Of course, I checked with her before putting the fish down. I think it looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. She loved it!

It's time

I remember taking a course entitled, something like, "Visual Arts Appreciation" in college. It was an "Art History Lite" general education course, taught by Professor Michael Fox (yes, I still remember) for first-year students, primarily. I loved the course! I remember vividly when Professor Fox showed the class a number of paintings of shoes, by Van Gogh. Some of the shoes were quite worn, with thin. soles and holes in the leather. Professor Fox suggested that these shoes captured the intimacy of normal life, and represented the humanity of the individual who had donned the shoes. I think that sentiment can probably also be captured in the "over-clothing" that painters, sculptors and other artists wear when they create their artworks. 

At the end of what has been a trying year for me, I am ready to look forward to a new -- and hopefully better -- year ahead. And in that spirit, it is time (actually past the time) for me to don a new pair of "studio pants" (lined, canvas Carhartts). I've been wearing the old pair for over 10 years, and it shows. But, if acrylic medium-covered, paint-splotched, hole-y material could talk, there would be lots of good creativity stories to be told by these pants. The big question is this: "Should I simply throw them away; or save them as a nostalgic artifact?"

They were more faded than I realized too...

"The Grand CD"

 For Christmas, my wife Mary Carol and I are opening-up a $1,000 CD for my step-son. I thought I could go to the bank and open-up an account without his being there, but alas. SOoo... I wanted to a simple/fun collage to give him to "represent" the CD. I didn't plan on a piece that would turn into a composition that I would consider a "real" composition. But I REALLY like this one. And, serendipitously (I LOVE when this happens), you can kind of see a "1" (from a dollar bill) followed by a comma, and three abstracted circles. $1,000... "The Grand CD".

Black spot and lemonade

 Well, I finished this piece last night; and I like it... except. Except there are two problems. It's difficult to see in these photos, but there is a black paint "touch-up spot" down near the statue's feet, between the legs. The black doesn't really match the back-ground black (50 shades of black?). It commands enough attention so as to detract from the composition (i.e., it can't remain like it is). Like the approach of many collage artists, however, I think I will try to make lemonade out of a bit of a disappointing outcome. The balance of this piece was bothering me a bit anyway. The level of manipulation on the top, does not "match" the manipulation on the bottom. Not a problem, necessarily -- the tension could be considered part of the composition as well. I absolutely LOVE the frame (both good color and good design) for this piece. SOoo... I think I will "simply" cut the frame down to reduce the height. This will solve both the black spot problem and the balance problem. The minor problem is that I really like to finish projects and move on to the next -- I dislike returning to pieces for fixes. But things don't always go as planned, or as I like ;-) 

December to remember

 I believe that this December was the first time that I have had pieces being shown in four different venues, simultaneously (I know I've shown in three venues, previously). I have three pieces in the Members Show at Kirkland Arts Center (Kirkland, NY), that will be up until the first week in January. I had a piece in the Annual Small Works Exhibit at the Main Street Art Gallery in Clifton Springs, NY. I also had 11 pieces at a "pop-up" show at the Saranac Brewery in Utica, NY. And I have pieces on permanent exhibit at 4 Elements Studio in Utica, NY. I'm very pleased that others are able to see my work!

Saranac Brewery:

Kirkland Arts Center:

Season's Greetings!

 Every December, I have great intentions to create a holiday collage card. But as they say, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". I has always been challenging to get anything "extra" done during that time, because I am typically very busy wrapping up the semester -- administering and grading final exams and papers. THIS year, however, I was able to accomplish my goal. Here is a piece I have entitled "Hark". Of course, as I am always inclined to do on this blog, I have provided some of the intermediate steps that were part of the process.

Don't forget the "side painting (below)