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).