Transfers can be tricky

As most collagists know, transfers can be tricky. Positioning is perhaps the trickiest part (with incomplete "erasure" of paper, and ghosting a concern too). Last night, with a little skill and a little luck (gotta have some luck), I was able to accomplish one of my best transfers ever. I was trying to get the skull part of this element to line up with the yellow petals of the pansy. I was successful with that goal. I didn't realize the flower petal was going to look so good as a "brain" within the cranium. And I was "rewarded" (luck!) with some very nice additional alignments. One part of the underlying element ended-up looking like a heart; and other parts lined-up beautifully with aspects of the skeleton. I'm pretty excited about the way this came together, and will probably not do anything more -- I don't think it needs anything more. A beautiful two-element transfer collage.

busy sketching

 I haven't posted in a while, but I have been busy in the studio. My time lately has been spent looking through magazines for interesting elements and doing some sketching (exploration and experimentation). I have one piece that is nearing completion, and several pieces which are still "emerging". Here are a few of the works in progress (which may or may not end-up ultimately being created and "put done" on the substrate).