LAW 149: The Merry Month of May.....

I  have obviously been trapped in a time rift somewhere, yea, that's right, the Time Bandits took me away to let the aliens experiment on me. That's my story and i am sticking to it.

So, the aliens were kind enough to transport my entire collage studio for me, so even in my captivity i have been quite productive. Since i was just now granted internet access(evidently the intergalactic rates are prohibitive) i thought i would take a moment of two to up date you.

Beyond Our Horizon, 3.21.18, hand cut and torn collage on cardboard, 7 x 13.75"

My original intention; that yesterday's collage, Beyond Our Horizon and this one were to be companion pieces, a diptych of sorts. That idea got thrown out the window when i decided that Beyond.. worked much better in the the horizontal.

Gravitas, 3.22.18, 7 x 13.75"

I think we will dispense with the "hand cut and torn collage on (whatever) for the sake of brevity. I don't know when my alien overlords will cut me off.

Fallen to Earth, 3.28.18, 9 x 9"

Am i the only one in this experiment who lies awake at night dreaming up new ways to approach my art making? Probably not. I have been consciously trying to change up my approach to collage; techniques ranging from limiting my "palette", to creating a complete background prior to considering other compositional elements. All of this in service of achieving a greater fluidity in the work.

If the truth be told, i think that the Time Bandits were responsible for the limited palette idea, likely since they took all my color away last night.

Today my alien masters wanted yet another experiment, will they never simply leave me alone to pursue my art making in peace? No, they simply, always have more questions, more tricks they want me to try, and they want me to write about it as well! See below....

THE LONELY CITY,  3.30.18,  9 x 9"

I sometimes find it difficult to give myself permission to use torn and cut edges in the same composition; i really prefer the look of torn paper. Sometimes nothing but a clean, crisp, cut line will do. Unless i am tearing simple, straight edges it is not faster, nor more convenient to tear an edge. if i am looking for a curve, or a simple form i score, then pinch and or fold along the score line to guarantee the line i want.

Okay, i think i have to post one more image, some of my fellow detainees say that we will be granted access again tomorrow, i'll do my best.

Blind Prophet, 3.31.18, 9 x 9"

Later, hopefully not much....

gail

LAW 148: Take care of your tools

If you are a serious cook, or even half way serious about cooking the single most important tool you have is your knife. Without a good sharp, did i mention sharp? knife you are putting your fingers at risk. I know a lot of people actually seem to prefer a dull knife; i guess they feel safer, the opposite is actually true.

I just had to replace my cherished Old Hickory chef's knife, see picture below.

Yes, these are the same knives!

I have used this knife for over twenty years; i took it with me when i was cooking for Mungo Jerry's Fat Cat Cafe, i took it with me when i left after three years there.

Years of use!

I also know a lot of people prefer stainless steel knives; i have to respectfully disagree with them. Yes, i will concede that they are minimally easier to care for as they don't rust. But, and it is a very big but, no matter how sharp they are when new they simply do not hold an edge and have a very limited life span. They don't stay sharp and are difficult to sharpen.

Did i mention that a high end stainless steel knife is expensive?

If you cherish your fingers and an excellently sharp knife, one that takes only a few swipes on a steel to regain its razor sharp edge look no further than a high carbon steel knife. Yes they will rust if not dried properly, yes they develop a beautiful patina over the years, losing the bright shiny surface they come with. I'll take sharp over shiny any day.

A knife for every season

Since these knives retail in the $20 range i think i got my money's worth. If you look at my knife rack i think it is pretty easy to tell that all of my knives are high carbon steel. Some are "heirlooms", passed down through my husband's family, some that i bought when i was a very young woman, first starting my kitchen odyssey.

I own only one stainless knife, it's new, a replacement for my filet knife that somehow disappeared. I mean, i live on a boat, we eat a lot of fish. I simply have to have a good filet knife.

a good Finnish fish filet knife

I also really appreciate that Old Hickory is an American company; they have been making these excellent knives since 1924.


Did i mention i have my own sushi knife?

More later,
gail

LAW 147: Taking a Turn to the Abstract

Hey hey hey! Happy Vernal Equinox. So far today it has rained, snowed, sleeted, rained, snowed.....
our boat, Tesla's Revenge is rocking back and forth in her slip in concert with a charming North Wind.

MODERN ARCHITECTURE

 Have i mentioned that i am throughly done with this winter? Magellan our first mate/cat is definitely as dis-amused as i am with the weather. The ice/snow build up on the docks gets in the way of his important off the boat cat stuff. SIGH.







3.16.18, 8 x 8.5" on book board




Okay enough about the weather and on to talking about art.

CIRCULAR REASON

Several of my latest collages have gone in a decidedly non-figurative direction; which i have been enjoying immensely. There seems to me that working in an abstract style gives a greater degree of freedom; primarily for play. Abstraction Expressionism allows me the opportunity for experimentation within the context of the constraint of design and composition decision making.






3.17.18, 11 x 7" on book board




Collage presents the same challenges compositionally as any of the fluid media; there is always the necessity to balance color, shape, line, style of mark making: along with all of these comes the challenge of how to successfully merge different types of imagery.  By this i mean the basic differences you find texturally between the reproductions of various media; the surface texture of a fashion photograph or advertisement is significantly different than that of a hard edged, or impressionist painting.

LIGHTING THE URBAN NIGHT

I could go on; it should be apparent that each medium has its own particular look and one of the many challenges faced by a collage artist is how to make these disparate elements work together.










3.18.18, 8.5 x 11", on tag board



I was paid a huge compliment the other day; a fellow art maker on one of the many Facebook art groups i am part of praised the way i had successfully merged collage and paint work. Since the piece was 100% hand cut collage i was understandably flattered.

INTERSECTION
3.19.18, 8.5" 11"

I think that these new collages are successful. I try to always use more than one element from any image that i cut and use. This ensures that i am using the same "palette", which provides continuity and a sense of wholeness that i find is sometimes lacking in some collage work.

LOOKING FOR THE CENTER
3.20.18, 13.5" dia.

What do yo think?

As always, more later
gail

LAW 146: More New Collages

One of the things that most rocks my boat(so to speak) about collage is the wonderful, serendipitous connections that magically occur.

On the Altar

 I almost always know where and what the images i use came from. That sort of insider information is important to me, and is one of the elements that predicate just which image i use in each collage. ON THE ALTAR, for example the background images include spy satellite imagery, the American flag flying on the moon and a atom bomb test photo. Combine with the profoundly disturbing, yet silly image of the little girl "wrapped" in the flag reading these images should give you a greater understanding of where i was going with this particular piece.

  I keep my collage materials in manila file folders. This allows me to keep the material in some sort of order and also  keep track of the last time i searched through a particular file as i date a file each time i search it. I do this because i find that material gets stale if i look at it too often; if i know what is in any particular group of images i find that i tend to not really look at them, not see what is there.

Does this.... make me look....

New material is the life blood of analog collage work. I think that this is particularly important if you work the way i do; which is in a very open ended, spontaneous connection making fashion. I almost never have any preconception of what i am going to create; instead preferring to see what offers itself.

Imagine

It is getting more and more difficult to find the sorts of materials i like to work with. Second hand stores used to be great sources, and to be fair, some still are. Just not the ones that are close to me. So now whenever we travel a visit(s) to new, local thrift stores are always on the agenda.

Pensive

We went to visit friends in Delaware last week and i managed to score s few pretty awesome children's books in one of the three stores we visited. I don't often find kids books that i like to use, as the imagery is usually to simple and cartoonish.

What Do You See When You Dream?

These books however proved to be little gems of slightly psychedelic pattern and color. They have provided much of the imagery i used in these last few collages.

Enjoy, and as always
More later
gail

LAW 145: And They Called the Wind.....

Well today's creativity will be limited to the sorts of things that can be done without sharp, pointy, and cutty things. We are experiencing some of the effects stemming from whatever this northeaster is called. The wind has been rocking our boat strongly since about one this morning, and it is supposed to peak about three this afternoon. Oh joy!

I will take the opportunity given to update you all on what's happening in my studio here on Tesla's Revenge.

BUY, BUY,  2.23.18, 5.5 x &.25"

I have several projects i have been working on through out this winter, some of which are close to complete. I've been doing a lot of drawing and an abstract collaged altered book project as well.

DO NOT SPEAK,  2.25.18, 8.5.X 11"

Narrative/surreal collage is a special favorite of mine, and after the Parkland shooting i felt compelled to pick it back up again. These are unrelated(to each other) pieces in a variety of smaller sizes. I am not planning on showcasing them in book format.

YOU,  2.26.18, 8 x 8"

My intention is a daily practice; quick reactions to my emotional/mental state that require fluid i decision making. In other words, yet another attempt on my part to stop my obsessive search through every piece of collage material i have here on the boat for that "just right" element.

ANOTHER DIVIDED MIND, 2.27.18, 5.5 X 8"

I have to learn to trust my design choices, to not drag out the process until even i get tired of it.

So here are the first five; i did back myself into a corner with the 2.28.18 piece, as yet unfinished; i know what type of image i need to complete it, i just don't own it. So it is waiting.

NOT TONIGHT...,  3.1.18, 5.5 x 7.25"

There will be more later.
gail

LAW 144: Never Dine With a Dinosaur

Never Dine with a Dinosaur, a children’s story book, is my "newest" altered book project. Chronologically, Never Dine... follows Jerome; it is a relatively large format book, each double spread will measure 11 x 20”. This is a fairly large piece of blank art real estate for an every day in one sitting project so my normal approach to collage had to be modified.

#1, Pink, 11.5.17

 My intention: 20 spreads, abstracts focusing on composition utilizing the torn edge.


I discovered almost immediately that 'complete' abstraction appears to be beyond me. Virtually everyone of the spreads have ended up with an observer.

For this project instead of obsessive searches for just the right image i am starting with a limited number of 'pages' of color, form, shape and pattern; trying to trust my own judgement regarding "the good enough choice", i.e., artist sanctioned playtime.

#2, Autumn Fire, 11.6.17

Learning to work with a limited 'palette' has proven to be a little frustrating for the obsessive compulsive who resides deep in my art soul; i have been known to search through every folder of collage material in the studio for just the right little piece of......

#3, 11.7.17, Time

Most of my recent work has included text; one of the parameters i set for myself with this project, no text. It took to the third spread for text to creep back in.  i really really did not want....

#4, 11.8.17, Impact

I started working on this project in the beginning of November, dropping in and out of it as the mood moved me. I really did however expect to finish this before now. Yes, life does get in the way.

#5, 11.10.17, Dark Sun

I still have six spreads to do, i came back to this project for the first time since 2017, sounds like a long time ago doesn't it?

#6, 11.11.17,  Untitled

Recently i have found it difficult to procure the type of collage material i prefer to work with. Because of that i found that i had to put this project away; i was becoming to familiar with my material, not experiencing any of the lovely aha! moments that happen when you are looking with new eyes at new material. A month's hiatus is usually sufficient time to bring back a sense of newness to the material.

#7, 11.13.17, Crystal Blue

Since i finished Inner Visions this week, okay so not finished finished. I do still have to make the covers and bind it. But i am done with the drawing part!

Anyway, since i have reached a point of completion with that project i promised myself that i would re-visit this piece, as well as Looking For America.

#8, 11.14.17,  Promenade

You heard it here first!

Anyway, 

more later

gail

LAW 143: The Last of Inner Visions

Yesterday i finished the last drawing of my Inner Visions series. It of course took longer then i anticipated, doesn't it always?

Inner Vision #16

Working with the colored pencil proved to be far more time consuming, and painful then i expected. Life!

I have seen three distinct stylistic changes develop in my drawings during this project. Don't get me wrong, change is good. I'm not grousing, merely making an observation.

I am however loving the simple black and white.

Inner Vision #17

I still have to create covers for this project and bind the drawings into book form; that will take some thought, so i guess i can't really call it done. I am however already working on another new project in my head. Maybe i should make myself finish up some of the other projects that are hanging around the studio; well, maybe one....

Inner Vision #18

I have to admit i have been enthralled by the whole process nature of these drawings. I have always enjoyed working with pen and ink. Some how that practice fell to the side, having a life, a career, a partner seemingly took precedence. So did many other things. But these long winter days aboard Tesla's Revenge have been the perfect incubator for my Inner Visions.





With #18 i started playing around with another technique to get the color on the paper. I was feeling constrained by the line first, color second approach i had started with. It felt a little to much like a coloring book. So i started by laying down random color, practically scribbling all over the page.

Inner Vision #19

Once i have the color laid down i start working into the drawing with ink; looking for shapes and lines to strengthen. sometimes it takes a fair amount of just looking to bring order out of the original chaos i created.

Inner Vision #20

Inner Vision #21

Next up? More pen and ink drawings, but with either ink or paint pre-worked on the paper. Just another way to divorce the color and image.

Maybe monsters, maybe portraits. We'll see.

More later
gail