In the Name of Art

Backward in Blue, Uncalculated Collage

I wanted to experiment with horizontals in this one but as usual, the shapes and images pushed my ideas out of the way and came to a rest (with a contented sigh) this way. My best laid plans are merely obstacles for what each piece wants to do. I am happier with the decisions they make than I am with my own preconceived notions. I still want to do something with the idea of the geography of poetic justice but I'll just have to wait for the muses to show me the way. In the meantime, another uncalculated collage.

Watteau and Rose

Suddenly taken by the desire to make a larger version of the postcard-size art I went up to 13X11 and found out the paint behaves very differently when there's more space to cover. I'm such a risk-taker (yes, you hear sarcasm). The Watteau in question involves harlequins. Originally I titled it Chardin and Rose, these things happen when the pieces are flying, but Chardin never came close to a harlequin I'm sure.

Anyone who's a stickler for the truth and knows the painting portion of the collage can yell at me in the comment section.

Some pages here from the journal with meanderings about titles on the left and one of my happy wiggle girls (thank you Monica) on the right. Yes, there is a lot of writing under all that paint but I figure if I want to see it bad enough I can squint.

OK, Don't Look Terry

I've held onto this for a week or so waiting to finish the envelope for my mail-art to Terry and I sent it today so I'm posting this. I don't feel so bad knowing the real thing is at least coming, and I  haven't shown the back side either. 

I had so much fun with pop-ups but haven't done a thing with them for the longest time so this was a treat:

The Jansen cover finally bit the dust and that was the sign that it had become collage fodder, love those black and whites of old art! 

The Pages are Running Away

The scraps aren't going away. Every time I give myself a pat on the back for recycling the mass of images and text that nearly submerge me, an open drawer of paper scraps accuses me of not using enough. I have this sinking feeling that when I'm gone, an entire landfill won't be able to contain all the papers I've collected.

Found card, a Downward Glance

No scrap of paper is safe around me, I made this when I found some blank cards hidden away in my collage drawer. I like the challenge of sorting through really small papers and working them into collage. There is no meaning here, but the boy looking down at the chubby child tickles me.

Out of My Hands.....

Do click on  this link, you won't be sorry and you'll want to go right out, buy a tripod and start dancing with a flashlight!

http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#88WVv1/abduzeedo.com/amazing-light-paintings/

Revised, Renewed Disintegration

This was originally called Bullet Boy when I made it months ago. Bullet Boy didn't work out so he became my candidate for Seth Aptor's DISINTEGRATION project and was hung out to see what the elements could do for him. During storms and wind he lost his dictionary pages that I later collected (in small crumpled pieces) on my tree lawn and remarkably, the rest of the work stayed intact if a bit faded and unglued. 

I tore apart the intact portion and reassembled it here with a few more pages of text glued on and the addition of some paint and stamps. I didn't use all the parts but used most of it. I like the ragged edges of this one better than I liked Bullet Boy. The moral of this story is rain, snow, wind and decay can only improve on the art. It worked on this one.

Look at the category "Disintegration Investigation"  to see the previous incarnations of this one (pre-disintegration and during the process).

4 Down in a String of Magical Numbers

I had a conversation with an artist Friday night about titles and how she thought the title should always come before the work. I had to disagree since all the work I do directs the title after the fact. Without the physical appearance of string or numbers this one wouldn't have it's name. The poetics of the title is dependent on the rather strange combination of materials and images.

Meaning seems to be variable, fickle and subject to change. For instance, the others in this series were titled around the 6th sense and chance, but since I'm running out of 6s magical numbers will work better. And then there's the string.....what's up with that? When I figure it out, you'll be the first to know!

Fog on the Lake

The weather is cool, the water is warm and that means the lake is turned into a mysterious, amorphous space just outside my window. Looking at the wisps of steam rise off the water helps me to understand the myths about water nymphs.

Conditions were clearer than earlier in the morning when I couldn't even see the opposite shore or the water, it looked like mid-winter. Now of course, it's clear and sunny!