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)

 

Post-Thanksgiving sketch

I'm very excited to have started this piece. There's still lots to do, but I wanted to post an initial sketch. The etching of this woman is SO beautiful, I was a bit anxious to cut anything from the element. But I really like the juxtaposition of the etching with the strong colors of the rest of this piece. Can't wait to see what happens with the rest of it!

 

Rest in peace, Peg...

As I said in my last post, my Mother-in-Law Margaret "Peg" Durr passed away last month unexpectedly after a short bout with cancer. I really enjoyed having Peg as a Mother-in-Law a lot; and I think she was proud to have me as a Son-in-Law -- the "professor", and an artist too! She was always interested in my art life and would come out to openings that I had locally. She bought the piece pictured below, for her boyfriend in Long Island. She also bought a very early piece of mine from my first solo exhibition in Little Falls, NY (reception picture shown below). We also had a great time when my wife MC and I, took the two mothers on a trip to Italy. Peg's creative artistry came in the form of being quite a chef. Grazie di tutto Peg! RIP...

Speaking of COVID...

After two and a half years of carefully avoiding COVID, both at school and in the general public, I finally contracting it earlier this month. I was fully vaccinated, so I think that prevented me from getting it too badly. I also went on anti-viral medication immediately. SO I had just a couple of pretty bad days, and then about two weeks of tiredness and low stamina. I back to feeling mostly better, but still have some lingering symptoms like a dry cough. I also had other life stuff get in the way of being able to spend time in my studio. School politics have been very bad lately. I resigned from my position on the Tenure & Promotion Committee. I loved serving on that committee and felt like I did a good job; but the politics got to be too much. I also went to Denver last month for my niece Jessica's wedding. THAT was a great time! And, unfortunately and sadly, my mother-in-law Peg, died unexpectedly after a short bout (mercifully) with cancer. Sometimes we need to put aside our creative work to deal with the other things that life throws at us. I am looking forward to getting back in the studio soon and cranking out some new works. I was able to do this small piece recently...

KAYLA SPIVEY exhibit, "From the Ashes"

When I had my solo exhibition at 4 Elements Studio in 2021, I gave an artist's talk about my collage work. A couple days after that presentation, I got an e-mail from Kayla Spivey, who was a resident artist at 4 Elements at the time. She told me that she enjoyed my talk and was interested in talking to me more about art and creativity. Since then, we have spent lots of time texting and talking about the creative process and art-making. This fall, Kayla had her first solo exhibition, at 4 Elements Studio. It was a wonderful exhibit featuring an impressive and ambitious project for which she made hundreds of ceramic tiles which she pressed with fabric (before firing) and meticulously hand-painted. She used her background in chemistry (she has a bachelor's and master's degree in chemistry-related areas) to work on paint composition, and to work on developing the correct composition of materials so that she could incorporate her mother's ashes into the work. The results were beautiful and powerfully emotional/psychological. I had the honor of introducing her at the opening. But unfortunately and sadly, Kayla contracted COVID, and missed the opening. The many folks in attendance loved the work, of course.

FB post from a fellow collagist

Recently, Dante Jericho (not sure if that's her real name of her FB name) posted this photo and wrote: "Just an everyday example of some of the freaky s#%t you can expect to find on the floor when you're a collage artist. Just glad I spotted it at 2PM rather than 2AM"

I can TOTALLY relate! ;-)

 

Rome Regional Exhibit (in Rome, NY)

Had a GREAT at the opening reception of the Rome Regional Juried Exhibition last night. It was a really nice collection of works... and I git another Honorable Mention for "Who's Protecting Whom, and from What?". In addition, my sister-in-law, Donna Durr, won Best in Show! We enjoyed celebratory cocktails afterward. Another friend and fellow artist won a special award. Very exciting!