Inspired By My Collage Group

I made these pieces today in my monthly collage group. There's nothing like hanging out with a small group of artists creating our own stuff while enjoying each others' good company. Both pieces make use of acrylic gel-printed tissues and papers.

Blood Moon, collage on gel monoprint, acrylic, 8" x 8"

Breaking Out, collage on printmaking paper, 8" x 8"

The Joys of Recycling

This collage started off as an unsuccessful monoprint. I thought I'd incorporate the print into this new project, but by the time I was done, and added my acrylic painted papers and some acrylic paint, none of it was visible any longer. Some pieces just seem right on the first pass, but this one took a lot of editing until I was happy with it.

"Orange Cruciform on a Field of Blue", 8" x 8", August 10, 2014.

Revisions

There are times when I just don't know whether a piece is done. Or, I think it's done and then I change my mind. These two gel plate prints were like that, until I added a bit of collage to each of them. Now I think they're finished. We'll see!

"Cycle", August 3, 2014, acrylic gel plate print with stenciling and collage on printmaking paper, 8" x 8"

"Stems", August 3, 2014, acrylic gel plate print with stenciling and collage on printmaking paper, 8" x 8"

Jumping Fish

It's been hard to find time lately to create, but a couple of weeks ago I was inspired by the company of my collage group friends and put together this piece, which I call Jumping Fish. The papers are my own acrylic-painted tissue paper and acrylic-painted deli paper. The substrate is 8" x 8" Stonehenge.It makes me smile!

Jumping Fish, July 5, 2014

Index Card Collage

Here's a little collage on an index card, inspired by various other artists' ICAD (Index Card A Day) projects. Materials: index card, acrylic painted paper, magazine pictures, washi tape, 3" x 5".

Twister, June 17, 2014

Collage Play

I made these today in my collage group using papers from my stash. One is not really a collage, but who's checking?

Inky Stem #1 - Acrylic monoprint with marker and ink, adhered to matboard, 5" x 8", May 17, 2014.

Inky Stem #2 - Collage of acrylic-painted papers, with ink, on matboard, 5" x 8", May 17, 2014

Black and White

I just completed a fun class called Black and White at Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven, CT. We explored several angles of creativity using only blacks, whites and grays. Here's some of my classwork:

Black and White Collage Study, 01/18/2104, cut and reassembled magazine photo on white paper, approx 8"x7"

Black and White Collage Study, 01/18/2104, acrylic paint on paper, cut and reassembled, approx 9"x12"

Black and White Collage Study, 2/15/2104, paper, approx 9"x12"

Black and White Collage Study, 2/15/2104, paper, approx 9"x12"

Gray Scale Collage Study, 2/22/2104, acrylic paint on paper, cut and reassembled, approx 12"x12"

Wanted: Sleep, 3/1/2014, paper, magazine clippings, and acrylic paint on mat board, approx 16"x11"

City Wide Open Studios 2013

New Haven's annual month-long art bash, City Wide Open Studios, is in full swing! Each of us hundreds of Connecticut artists has one piece in the main show at Artspace and is showing the remainder of our work at one of three subsequent weekends. I'm at Erector Square this weekend, October 12-13. I hope you can stop by!

Summer Pear, Main Show, Artspace, October 2103

My wall at Erector Square, October 12-13, 2013; Building 5, 2nd floor, Studio O.

"Orbits"

"Dew-Sun"

"Portal"

"Spirit Dance"

"Gauze"

"Pebbles & Shards"

City Wide Open Studios - Upcoming Opening Reception on October 4

New Haven's annual month-long art bash, City Wide Open Studios, will kick off this coming Friday, October 4, with the opening reception at Artspace. I will be participating along with hundreds of other Connecticut artists. We each have one piece in the main show at Artspace, and will be showing the remainder of our work at one of three subsequent weekends. I'll be at Erector Square on October 12-13. I hope you can stop by! Here's a sampling of my work:

Summer Doings

I spent a refreshing week last month at Jane Davies' Collage Journeys In Vermont 2013 workshop. Check out this link to see Jane's post about it. This was my second year. What a fun and relaxing way to spend a summer vacation - art and Vermont together, along with the company of some wonderful fellow students!


I came home with a lot of works in progress. These two are the closest to being done, as I see it.

Acrylic/collage on printmaking paper, about 10"x10"

Acrylic/collage on printmaking paper, about 10"x10"

Jane coached us through a creativity exercise that she calls "Big Fat Art". Here are some of mine.

Acrylic on 70(?) lb drawing paper, "Big Fat Art" exercises

Acrylic on 70(?) lb drawing paper, "Big Fat Art" exercises

Today, at home, I started some Big Fat Art on my own. Here they are, in progress:

To visit the blogs and websites of some my my classmates, take a look at these links:
Beverly Fine
Marilyn Gillis
Sandy Gregg
Janet Joehlin
Bette Friedlander
Sherri Scott


Next month, I'll be participating in New Haven's annual City Wide Open Studios. Stay tuned for more information.

Setting up at Erector Square

A sneak peek. We will be in Building 7, 2nd floor, Room 7.

Prepping for CWOS 2012

New Haven's annual City Wide Open Studios 2012 event is in full swing! I visited the West Cove venue yesterday, and enjoyed viewing the work of several awesome artists. This coming weekend, October 13-14, I'll be at Erector Square (Building 7 / Floor 2 / Room 7), showing these small collages and two larger works.

My small pieces, varnished and drying

Art Show Receptions

I'm exhibiting on Oct. 13-14 at Erector Square, during the middle weekend of New Haven's annual  City Wide Open Studios (CWOS) event. The opening reception last night at Artspace was packed, and it was a lot of fun to see my little collage up on the wall along with the other artists' work in the main show. So exciting! My piece at Artspace is called Red Sky At Night - it and a few of the others I'll be exhibiting at Erector Square are displayed on my CWOS artist page.

Yours truly and friend Val at the Artspace reception, with my little collage "Red Sky at Night" up on the wall between us.

The Fairfield U show was a lot of fun, too! There was a good turnout in spite of the downpour. My self-portrait series was well received and generated a lot of interesting dialog.

Self-portrait series - LGBTQ and Allies Art Show at Fairfield U.

More on Collage Journeys in VT

As I mentioned in a previous post, I spent a fabulous 5 days last week at Jane Davies' Collage Journeys in Vermont 2012 workshop in Rupert, VT. One of my classmates, the talented Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, an accomplished artist and teacher in her own right, posted tons of great pictures here on her blog. Check them out!

Collage Journeys in VT 2012

I had such a good time at Jane Davies' Collage Journeys in Vermont 2012 workshop this past week in Rupert, VT. We created a lot of painted papers to add to our paper stash. We did studies, both small and large. I took the plunge and started a few 22" x 30" works. Here's a sampling of my work and a few scenes of Rupert and environs:

Painted papers and some small studies

Black, white and neutral 18" x 24" studies

Working large: Untitled #1, 22" x 30

Working large: Untitled #2, a work in progress, 22" x 30

The Rupert Post Office

View from my guest house

Circles and Lizards and Pears, Oh My!

I'm taking another fabulous Jane Davies online art class and recently made these studies in shape for one of our lessons. Jane and my classmates are so supportive. The third of these, the one with the lizards, wasn't going so well, and I was ready to give it up. With their encouragement, I took another crack at it and came up with something I like - a lot! Jane's blog can be found at: Collage Journeys

"Circles": August 6, 2012, shape study (one shape), 6" x 6", collage and acrylic paint on watercolor paper.

"Electric Pears": August 6, 2012, shape study (two shapes), 6" x 6", collage and acrylic paint on watercolor paper

"Circles and  Pears and Lizards, Oh My!": August 7, 2012, shape study (three shapes), 6" x 6", collage and acrylic paint on watercolor paper

More Yummy Color

For the final week of Jane Davies' Unlocking the Secrets of Color class, we created collages to convey warmth, coolness and emotions.

It's Hot as Hades, 6x6
Warm Abstract Landscape
Stamped and acrylic-painted drawing and deli papers on watercolor paper

Magic Mountain, 6x6
Cool Abstract Landscape
Stamped, acrylic-painted, spritz/blotted drawing papers.
and acrylic-painted deli papers on watercolor paper

Cold Winter Night at Poulnabrone, 8x10
Construction paper, pencil
The Poulnabrone Dolmen is a neolithic portal tomb in
the Burren area of County Clare, Ireland.
This wasn't done in Jane's class;
it's a favorite from my personal archive, 2009

Sweet-Tart, 6x6
The background is a paste paper from my stash.
In the foreground: stamped and painted drawing
and deli papers on watercolor paper.
This one went all over the map.
My original intent was quiet joy. It wasn't being
so quiet, so with the addition of the blue-green-yellow
deli paper at center right between the two circles,
I was going for bittersweet. Well, I added the green
and red circles, and wound up with more of a
sensation that an emotion, but no matter, I like it.