another bird box

this picture is a little fuzzy.  i took it with my phone.  that's because it's a work in progress.  eventually the whole mess will fit into a frame.  as of now, i am glueing it all together in hopes that it will not be too deep for the frame i have planned.  by eye, it seems like it will work, but it's hard to set it all up loosely and truly know. the glueing on these assemblage pieces takes forever.  you have to do a bit at a time, make sure it's all secure, and then add pieces slowly.  i have tried all types of glue, but have finally settled on super heavy gel medium.  it's nice because it remains flexible when dry, but is really gooey when wet.  it kinda suctions things together in a way.  i have tried all kinds of jewelers glues and epoxies, but this stuff is the best for me.  the added bonus is that it's archival, so i don't have to worry about it yellowing things over time.  the only bad part is that it takes overnight to let each section dry.

this piece is one that i am working on for the show in pagosa springs at shy rabbit in october.  it's a print show, and i plan to show actual prints in frames plus a series of assemblages that have prints as part of them.  so far this is #3 in the assemblage category, and all of them feature a print which has been cut, sewn, and placed in or on a metal box of some sort.  i have also used encaustic wax to cover the print, giving it a different spin on surface, and providing a depth a regular print doesn't have.  

ok...these are some of the objects in the piece: vintage wooden game pieces from various games, old casters, a kodak filter case made of bakelite, an old wooden box, a vintage "bird" block, a brass box, hard rubber/plastic numbers, and a vintage plastic bird cage toy with a brass bell.  

i plan to work on collecting the background materials and the paper to cover the frame.  but i don't want to get too far ahead of myself before i know if the frame is going to work.  two more boxes in the pipeline.  one with a vintage barbie dress, and one with a really awesome clown-shaped carnival knock down pin.  (the kind you throw balls at). 

last one

precipitation

this is the last collage in the series i just finished.  it's 5x7 inches, and will be sold framed in a black wood frame.  it was created on masonite, and it is sealed with archival varnish that contains UV protection.  these collages are created with lots of layers.  the very bottom is a letter from 1948 which has been watercolored. there is also gouache, acrylic, vintage paper, more watercolor, and finally sealer to protect it.  they each take about 3 hours, not including collecting the materials and framing.  

i have decided when i am a millionaire i will hire out my framing.  i really don't like to frame stuff.  it's funny, because one of my first jobs out of college was as a framer.  luckily it only lasted about 4 months, and then i started teaching.  the good news is that that 4 months gave me the skills to do it myself now.  it does save me a ton of money, and allows me to price my work more affordably.  so i shouldn't complain.

i was thinking about all of the jobs i have had in my life.  i think every single one has helped me in some way.  i can't imagine those who stay at the same job for 30 years.  here's a list of the jobs i've had:

1.   handbag salesperson/DC area

2.   camp counsellor/Maine

3.   administrative assistant for advertising department/London

4.   picture framer/DC area 

5.   elementary art teacher/public school/DC area

6.   waitress/DC area

7.   high school art teacher/public school/DC area

8.   elementary teacher/overseas public school/Iceland and Japan

9.   waitress/California

10.  elementary/middle school art teacher/private school/California

11.  pizza chef/Texas

12.  quick-to-fix chef/Texas

13.  craft co-op participator/Maryland

14.  assistant to a realtor/Iowa

15.  sandwich maker/Iowa

16.  elementary art teacher/Colorado

17.  middle school art teacher/Colorado

18.  high school art teacher/Colorado

19.  gallery owner/artist/Colorado

hmmm.  

eager to know

eager to know

another in the series.  one more coming soon.  

collage, collage

rollerskates

ice cream man

letter to texas

a couple of new collages for the show at sk3tchbook! on may 20th.  two more to come in this series.  they are 5x7 inches.
they are all collaged on to an old letter (and its envelope) from 1948.  it was sent to belchville, texas.  belchville...what a name!  

hands are moving

i have been making art all day.  i was listening to an artist i admire yesterday, and she said that in order to make good art, you have to move your hands.  every single day.  i'm not sure this monoprint is good art, but i will say that i had a lot of fun creating it.  i think i might cut it up and use a piece or two in another way.  i learned some cool techniques that i wouldn't have ever tried had i spent my day on something else.  i'm really glad that i got my hands moving.  

collage blocks

i just listed these little collage blocks and the collages in my last post in my etsy shop.  the figures are pages from my sketchbook that i have cut out and collaged on 3x4.5" birch plywood blocks.  they could easily be perched on a ledge or hung with the attached hardware.  i am liking the new style of artwork without a frame.  they seem a bit more modern.  wonder what they will be saying in 30 years?  

"those dang artists from the 10's, they always were making stuff on those dang wood blocks!"

speaking of a blast from the past, today i was in anthropologie looking the place over to see what was new in the field of display.  and guess what they have hanging from the ceiling?  macrame pieces!  i keep seeing macrame these days.  as installations, as decor, as art pieces.  who would have ever thought that would be cool again?  guess i better start practicing my knots!