November 20 -- oh shoot, I missed my midnight deadline by 9 minutes...

I worked on a lot of the collages today and I have finally got all 11 remaining collages started and in several stages of done-ness.  Three of the collages were started by using the overhead projector to transfer images onto the canvases.  Here is one of them...it is a picture of me as a monster/guy.

Today I also picked up Forest Horses from the framer.  I know I said no sneak peeks, but I am really happy with the way this turned out...even the (faux) floating frame looks good to me.  This is the collage from a few days ago that I felt guided to do...the "very wet" one using the marbled paper in a collage for the first time.  Honestly, this is so unlike me and not something I would be able to sit down and draw...but I love it a lot...the colors in person are very intense.  It is called Forest Horses because the green marbled paper's color is Forest and so is one of the shades of green Unryu paper.

And -- ta daaaa -- we got my very bare bones website up and running today!  Here is a link for it!  And this is all I can do for tonight.

November 18 - stuff is coming together today!

Several things really started to fall into place today.  Andi helped me by sewing the straps to hold that one collage to a board.  I explained to Andi what it was I was trying to accomplish and she did all the measuring and ironing and pattern making and sewing.  I will add the grommets later (maybe tomorrow) -- I am wearing out already for tonight.

Andi cutting the paper pattern she will use to make all the straps nice and even.

Andi sewing -- she has to take her right shoe off and work the pedal barefoot.

Sewing, sewing, sewing!

Ironing more and turning corners out.

Nice work, Andi...that would have driven me to tears!

I got the middle strap a little off center, but -- ta-daaaaaaa!  This is what it will look like -- kinda like hanging a quilt from a dowel.

And this is how I hope it will look once I put the grommets in...they are just sitting there for now.  I still need to sand (and probably wax) the board so it is nice and smooth -- no slivers!

I also discovered some creatures and a theme for this papered canvas.

I had to take photos after I outlined the creatures so I could find them again later...good luck trying to spot them -- I almost couldn't find them again already.  I have no clue yet how I am going to work on this collage yet in order for viewers to see the creatures.

I also brought two other collages to near-done-ness...I had to trace and cut out small pieces to fit into spots on creatures in both collages.  I try to tear paper as often as I can vs cutting it because the edges fade into the collage better, but some of these pieces I cut today needed to be cut and it won't matter that they have straight edges in the end.  No peeks, though!

November 15 -- back to the blog

My computer conked out on me last week...I just got it back today.  Graphics card or something. 

I have been working like crazy to get stuff closer to finished for my upcoming show.  And I made the postcards for the show (which are due to arrive tomorrow).  And I was waiting on a couple of different art supplies orders to arrive -- and they all did.

I know I said I wasn't going to make any more antler/horns (little ones anyway) for a long time but I was feeling pretty stuck on the plaster cloth guys and I saw this branch when I was coming in from outside a few days ago so I used it for a sort of a headpiece for one of the former horses...kinda like a Las Vegas showgirl...but not really.   I also gave him bigger ears.

I have a total of 11 collages to complete and I only have 4 that I don't know what they are yet...and they are at least base-layer papered.  Here is a peak at all of them hanging in various places on walls all over the house...these are the drying positions and not necessarily how they are oriented.  

Tonight I papered both of the bases I needed to do.  One for Baby Beast and one for He Dreams He is a Tree.  Both are very wet in the photos but I think they will look pretty good when they are dry.  Both guys go flush to the base so you won't see any of the wooden dowels and that is why I only papered up the dowels as far as I did...plus, I didn't want to interfere with the fit of the legs onto the dowels...a little too much paper and matte medium make a big difference.

Base for Baby Beast.

Base for He Dreams He is a Tree.

I am so behind on the hand sewing it isn't even funny, but I need to get the things that require drying time done first.  I saw these weird gloves at the grocery store of all places and they were 10 pairs for $10 so I grabbed up 10 pairs.  I think I want to add them to the larger guy as a mane or something.  Maybe I will mix in some of the "regular" spikes...dunno yet.  I would really like to do some sewing tonight but I probably won't get to it...I am in a super amount of pain today and tonight and I just don't think I am going to go back to work tonight once I have taken this last break.  I feel sort of okay until I sit for a bit and then it all starts taking over.

The weird gloves.

Day 145 - 365/2014

Day One Hundred Forty-Five

There were more than I remembered or wanted to think about.  I have waaaay too many half started, partially done, hopelessly drifting collages going at once.  All of these repurposed paintings from sales and resale shops are really starting to pile up.  I need to commit and finish some!

I dragged all NINE (sheesh) of them out to the dining room for photos and initial evaluation(s).

The pile of smaller ones.

The three bigger ones

For the purposes of this blog entry, I will call this one Collage 1.

Collage 1 has two main characters right now...this rabbity guy...

...and this goaty guy.

For this blog entry, this is Collage 2...it has three main characters.

This guy...

...this guy in the middle...

...and this little guy on the end who is sort of hard to make out...his arms are outstretched and his nose is hidden by his arm.

For this blog entry, this is Collage 3.

For this blog entry, this is Collage 4.

For this blog entry, this is Collage 5...it was probably the second canvas I started to repurpose...it has a lot of characters, but here are the main ones...not sure how many will survive to the end.

This cat guy carrying a patchwork dog guy.

This blue horned guy.

This long-legged canine-ish sort of guy.

This is my favorite character in this collage...he is hard to see but he is sort of like a bear with his eyes closed.

For this blog entry, this is Collage 6,

These are the three latest ones...Collage 7.

Collage 8.

Collage 9.

I stacked them up and grabbed the smallest one.

So I pulled out the smallest collage and added more solid black outlines and used blending chalks to add a bit of defining color.

The edges of this one are continuations of the surface...not sure if I will frame it or not.

The pens and blending chalks.

How Collage 4 ended up...more color, a little more definition...it might be done now...maybe.

And then I just grabbed one of the next sized ones...and ended up with the walking guy...who had no real head...I finally added the basic outline.  It was getting late and I was losing any sort of inspiration.

Oh brother...this guy started off like a bear but now I don't know what he is...there is a long way to go on this one.

Eeek...I need to finish this up...it's almost midnight!

2012/365 - Day 185

working on collages

Shoot -- I missed my midnight deadline by 10 minutes!
 

Ruth came over tonight and we worked on the collages we are submitting for consideration in an upcoming show.  Tomorrow I will photograph them for the cds and we will fill out the paperwork and on Thursday I will mail the cds in. 

And yes...I still have more work to do on the foxish-creature.

This is a freestanding gallery wrapped work of art by Ruth.

Ruth had another whole section she was going to add to this wonderful collage but we both agreed the new addition was better as a separate piece on its own...and this collage is perfect the way it is.

After sitting with Ruth's collages for a while, I feel like  I don't even want to submit mine...I realize our styles are totally different...but hers seem so much more like Art to me than mine do.  I'm not putting mine down -- I really like mine -- it is just that Ruth's are so composed and complete.  Just lovely.