KT Goodlove #91

"How late it is."

Sometimes the monkeys work as girls, too. I usually only use them as men.

This is block #91 in the Kettle and Took collaboration series KTGoodlove for Art-o-mat®.

Day Two Hundred Five

Sometimes I like a nice, simple, uncluttered collage. This is one of those times.

I like the way the shades of blue came together.

Today was a long, long car day. Lotsa driving and I hate driving -- especially on the highway. This one makes me feel calm and still. Yep, nice, simple, quiet collage for today.

This is another collage for my Art-o-mat® series called "Animal People".

Day One Hundred Sixty-Seven

Mmmm, mmmm...strawberry margarita.

This is another collage for my Art-o-mat® series called "Animal People".













why won't yellow show up well on my scanner??? the background is quite yellow, really.

Day One Hundred Two

"Obviously, that's why I did it."

I am thinking since I've passed the 100-day mark that I should perhaps revisit the background explanation for my collages.

I first began cutting paper when I was in my teens and my mom taught decoupage (and other paper arts) to ladies who didn't want to do their own intricate cutting...they paid me to do it and was hooked.
I have been making "Animal People" collages since the early 90's but these creatures have been a part of me for a long time and were/are frequent denizens of my dreams. I've always been a lover of fairy tales and of children's book illustrations...surely they were deep seeded inspirations. Collage works best for me because I don't have much confidence (patience?) in my drawing or painting abilities. I have a very difficult time getting what I see in my head onto paper or other surfaces.

Also, shortly after I started making the collages, I became aware of J.J. Grandville and his incredible animal headed people...I have/had no interest in the context or politics of his drawings, just the fantastical characters themselves.

I make my "Animal People" collages for Art-o-mat® with cuttings from magazines that are on the way to the recycle bin. Everything is hand cut and glued...no digital wizardry. I often wish I could alter the size of pictures and print them myself or get interested enough to take classes to learn how to do computery arts. The same chip in my brain that governs math, how to pack a suitcase efficiently or be interested in current affairs also covers the techno stuff...and it has been missing or damaged for a l-o-n-g time...LOL.

I am frequently amused by the synchronicity that occurs when the Universe asserts itself into what I am think I am doing by myself. Take today for example -- "Obviously, that's why I did it." -- was a snippet from an interview in a magazine that I was flipping through. I wasn't reading the article, it just jumped out at me. It fit because I rarely have any meaning in any of the collages I make. And when I was struggling with what to write today I decided to do all of this explaining.
When I re-read it just now before posting, the humor of it all falling together made me laugh out loud. Coincidence?... Perhaps.

Day Eighteen

How to describe this? It will be convoluted no matter how I go about it...so here goes.

1. I collect phrases. Notebooks upon notebooks full of quotations, lines from lyrics, tv commercials, movies...you get the idea.

2. I enjoy (very much) the idea of being invisible...in all its connotations. I especially enjoy it when someone thinks they are -- or professes to be -- invisible when they actually aren’t. (And yes, I am easily entertained!) And while we’re at it, let’s stick hallucinations in here as well...being entertained by them (now), living through them...whatever.

3. A few years ago I became enamored of Werner Herzog. (I could listen to him talk all day...I love his accent and phrasing!)

4. Thank goodness for Netfilx -- and easy access to so many films I either missed or was never aware of.

5. I can never get over how one single image can look so different by simply angling it slightly.

6. I am fascinated by the notion of idioglossia and telepathy.

Still with me?

This weekend I watched a combo DVD of three short films by Werner Herzog. The third of the films was (as described by Netfilix) "Precautions Against Fanatics" ... a comic, faux-documentary look at the world of horse racing.

Throughout this short film, the phrase (and variations of it) “you see me” is repeated...it cracked me up. Nevermind that I probably don’t get the jokes or meanings of the film, it just cracked me up. I loved it on my terms.

So...there you have the litany of reference(s) for what the twin monkey doctors are thinking.

Whew!

Believe me...there is rarely this much "meaning" in my collages. This one may not work as well as others visually, but it makes sense to me!

Thank You, Mr. H and Dr. J! Hello, Devon!