in the studio - familiar with a twist

Ty

4 1/2" x 4 1/2"

Digital images printed on charcoal paper

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Just like a good novel the collage process unfolds and reveals itself in its own way. 

1. I look at the "cover" - first embracing the concept of what I want to do.

2. Then I imagine where "the story" might take me or I may even try to guess its outcome.

3. Get settled in and start to feel comfortable.... maybe too comfortable.

4. Be jolted into the awareness that nothing is at it seems.

5. Resign oneself to go back and re-look at all assumptions.

6. Allow oneself to be freely taken on the journey.

okay - between step 5 and 6 there is an amazing amount of confusion and frustration..... at least in the collage process.

in the studio - A new challenge

Cosmos

8"x8"

Mixed media, digital images, watercolor, ink and pencil 

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I set myself some new challenges yesterday -  the collage needed to include a hand drawn figure and I wanted to experiment with using different paper qualities; photo paper and Mi Teintes rag paper for printing the images and, ultimately, watercolor paper for the painted figure. 

I began drawing figures in laid out 5"x5" squares just to see which of them might be of interest - whether in attitude or body position. At first my drawing square seemed too small but I began to like how the figures were either truncated or curled up inside. I ended up using the sketch above because she looked timeless, kind of like a Greek statue..... which made me think of ancient Gods..... which made me think of the constellations ..... and ancient maps of the sky! So thus it begins.

The trial and error, the research, and allowing the images themselves to dictate what develops is a very comforting process. The background is a digitally altered photo of a decaying tree mushroom that I took last spring in Columbus. It is printed on photo paper. The shadow figure is a photo of an art installation - clear plastic straws all connected together with white K-NEX (it's a toy) cross snaps  - printed on rag paper. The constellations of Pegasus and Musca (the fly) are from a star catalogue from the 1600's. The rest is watercolor, pencil and ink.

in the studio - Collage A Day?

Mother's Hands 

4 1/2" x 4 1/2"

digital images, ink, and colored pencil on card stock

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Enough with just thinking about all the possibilities, enough with looking for new inspiration!! Today I decided to jump in and make one collage by day's end. It had to be small, use some kind of map image, use photos that I already had, and be completed within 5 hrs. All seemed doable. 

I actually began with 2 separate ideas/concepts:

The first was to print one of my color photos on a map. In order to do this I copied a section of a map on card stock and then ran it thru the printer again to overlay a beach scene photo.  It worked out beautifully as both images were clear and interesting. However, on its own it was a bit flat.

The second idea I had was to work with a black and white close up image of my mother's hands and use it as a base for layering. I basically did the same thing as before, but first printed out a very muted black and white line street map and then reprinted it with the hand photo so all you saw was the veiny look of the streets on her hands surrounded by blackness. It was quite haunting as a photo - but there was no where to go with adding more collage - it was all just about the hands.

So - I returned to all the images I have of my mother that I took in the last few weeks before she passed away and selected one of her drinking from a bowl of soup. From there it just came together. Going back through all my photo files I eventually found the images she needed - flowers and green hostas, a world of sky above and the stability of bricks at her side. Searching, printing, cutting, experimenting, re-thinking - yet it was never frustrating. The entire process was all quite meditative.

I'd like to imagine I could do one collage a day - just to focus myself and try all the ideas swimming in my head. No plan, just experimentation. But, based on current work load, new house etc ....

I'm going to commit to 4 per week. 

We'll see how it goes.

I'm so happy that I jumped in today and even more happy that my mother was able to make this leap of faith by my side. 

Thank's Mom.

within the familiar - Order and Balance

Tools at a distillery in Kentucky

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Hardware stores can be like libraries to me - you can wander through the stacks, pull out something that looks interesting and spend hours imagining yourself doing, or being, something substantial - whether it be as personal as Little Dorrit whose quiet strength helped her maintain her spirit or as lofty and totally unimaginable as building a deck. There's something for everyone!

As we toured the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky this past spring I saw this open workshop area filled with tools. The mix of textures was a cacophony of noise - the various steel surfaces, the chain link fence, wooden boxes, coils of wire, layers upon layers of parts and colors. Yet, in its own way it was all so orderly and balanced. The room was actually quite dark but the wrenches were  hung so beautifully and they caught what little light there was and gleamed.  It was so satisfying to look at and I felt like I had been invited into some inner sanctum, or the belly of the beast.  

It made me wonder a lot about tools - and hardware stores - because less and less people actually use tools like these. There is less equipment that requires them. Will they all end up in antique stores? 

in the studio - maps, paper and identity

Exploring new worlds

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I have always been fascinated by maps - they open our imagination up to adventure, tell us stories, give us a sense of place, identify us, and help us find our way. In the past I have used maps to define the human body while exploring both personal and collective memory. But maps can tell us so much more about the human condition - territory, politics, ecology. Our place in the world can define us, pigeon-hole us, limit us, but it can also set us free.
My other fascination has always been clothing - how it tells a story about us, defines us. It is also inherently tied to politics, social status, and the economics of the world around us.
So.... lately I have been doing a lot of thinking about how to wrap these together!

In seeking inspiration and researching these ideas, I have found myself more and more fascinated by all things paper. I want to explore its delicate strength - cutting, folding, shredding, layering, the possibility of sculpting. No boundaries.

Not sure where is will all lead but I am looking forward to having the time and space to explore this new world.

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Some fascinating and inspiring art / paper work that I am LOVING -
 "The Me Bird"
Using what is called the strata stencil technique - this is a stop motion film created by the Brazilian design studio, 18bis
Laurie Frick
Engineer, techno-geek, artist.....amazing
Claire Brewster
A London based artist. Her blog is always interesting and her map cut-outs are beautiful

on the street - Broadway

Broadway just above 34th St.

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I love that New York City closed parts of Bway a few years ago to create a delightful ribbon of cafe tables and chairs. In good weather the communal areas are filled with people - eating, enjoying, resting, talking........

I really love that this was initially done in order to improve the flow of traffic midtown! Seems that the errant diagonal path that IS Bway tended to disrupt traffic where it intersected all the other streets. Ah - creative thinking solved a traffic problem, connected people to each other and the city outside their office doors AND added to the joy that is NYC.

I took this picture around 9:30 am. It was cold and the street was quiet. But I was inspired by the balance of color that I saw - chairs, tables, paint splatters on the cement, the pigeons. I wanted the furniture to be a bit unstable - fleeting, empty. 

in the garden

Enter the garden.

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"There is always music in the garden, but one must be very still to hear it"

unknown author

within the familiar - simple beauty

 

Look at the familiar in a new way. Inspire yourself with everyday things. Create wonder. There is quiet beauty all around you waiting to be held.

at table - welcome to my table!

Pull up a chair and be part of the on-going dinner conversation of life. 

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We are defined first by our family and our culture, by the smells and sounds that filled our childhood, and the traditions that were layered upon us. I grew up in a small Italian household........that happened to have many, many relatives living within shouting distance.

Dining, at any one of the many tables in the neighborhood, was about enjoying the company, the laughter, and yes, of course, the food. But most importantly it was about the shared experience. Whether it was an summer afternoon meal that extended well beyond lunch time, a holiday dinner for  50 or the simple dinner at the end of a long day. Each of these times at table were to be savored. None of them can be repeated, ever. It is the company, the food, the conversation and that moment in time that makes each “at table” uniquely its own.