Found treasure

 Last night in the studio, I "came across" this gem. It's a beat-up old science classroom "poster" (map-like) made with kind of a paper-canvas material. To tell you the truth, I barely remember purchasing it (probably at the Farmersville auction). I was SO excited to have found this! I started experimenting right away (so much fun!). I have been wanting to try to create some collages that are a little bigger, so this is a perfect source. I have my hand included in one of the photos, to show the scale.

I love the muted color palette! I don't know what will come from this source for elements... but I'm excited to start exploring/experimenting. Here are some starters (all rough right now)...

Cooperstown (NY) Art Association

Had a wonderful time at the 35th Annual Regional Art Exhibit in Cooperstown, last night. I was so excited that I got accepted into this show, along with my friend and fellow artist, Tom Nettle; and my sister-in-law and fellow artist, Donna Durr. They accepted 66 pieces of the 176 that were submitted. And Tom won a Juror's Citation Award, too! The show was particularly strong, in my opinion... and well-attended. It's nice when there is some external recognition for all the time we spend creating in the studio.

Award winner, Tom Nettle

Cut paper collage entitled "Vivian", by Donna Durr

Award winner, Mary Helen Epps, with her piece, entitled "Contemplation"

 

creative distractions

 Well... I had intended to work on finishing the "paired" project last night; but I got distracted by some elements that were laying around the tables in the studio. Not sure if anything will come of this rudimentary start. But I am digging the way this looks (a bit of surreal; a bit of Warhol)...

The collage of life

I've been very pleased with the number of hits that this blog is getting on a daily basis recently. One reason I am posting today, is to let folks know what I have been up to recently. I consider my life to be very collage-like. In addition to loving my activities as an visual artist, I am playing more music with friends -- old and new. We play mostly improvisational music (jamming?), rather than playing "cover songs". Last weekend, as part of my birthday celebrations, I got together with my good friend Goody and a new person who we have not played with before. He played guitar; and an instrument called a "duduk" (an Armenian flute-like reed instrument). It was an awesome 2 hours of ambient, spacey, jazzy improv. On Saturday, we played with a full band, including keyboard, sax, and drums. SO much fun! I also dealt with a sewer back-up in my basement (yuck). Life is like a collage, with so many interesting elements. But I have also been working on a collage project which I "teased" about in an earlier post (regarding a potential transfer element). The project involves a paired set of collages. Not done yet... but here is some progress.

 

"In Someone Else's Hands"

 I finished this piece yesterday, for the National Collage Society “Small Works” exhibit. ALL entries need to be 4” x 6” and mounted on 8” x 10” mat board. I wasn’t going to submit this year, but this came together rather quickly. Although, in my haste to finish it (it HAS to be sent out today), I failed to do the “micro cutting” around the face (dammit! sloppy). I will still submit it. This one is entitled “In Someone Else’s Hands”.

teaser transfer

I meant to post this first image the other day, as a teaser (what will become of this?). But I ended-up posting about the piece I had just finished. Anyway... I had already decided on the answer to the "teaser" part if it... I wanted to use it as a source for a transfer. So now the "teaser" has moved along one more step. Here is how I used it for two different, complementary transfers. I'm still not sure where these final compositions will end-up; but I am interested in the process, and the idea of doing a complementary pair. The third image is a quick collage (like less than an hour!) I made for a friend of mine. It's a very small piece (3.5" x 4.5"). I missed some micro-cutting in my haste to get it done. But I think it's a nice, simple piece.

 

Sisters

I am happy to have finished this piece today. It's a "sister" piece to another one I created recently.