Mixed Media Artists-Celebrate Earth Day Every Day!

Chasing Rainbows - ATC

Happy Earth Day! Over a billion people will share in celebration today, the forty-fourth anniversary of the annual day of awareness and action. And yes, this unabashed Tree-Hugger will be celebrating!

There is no question that we all have a role to play in taking care of the Earth. If we even make a small change, each one of us together can bring great transformations.

"Chasing Rainbows" is an Artist Trading Card. The substrate for the card is illustration board. Layered on the card is a combination of different coloured paint samples, handmade paper, joss paper, and a wrapper from a Hershey's Kiss. The quote is cut from an old dictionary. I finished the card by adding a decorative leaf.

But aren't we collage and mixed-media artists living the spirit of Earth Day every time we produce our work? Aren't we staying true to our Muse when we follow the path of nature and inspiration?

Who could not be inspired by all the magical wonders the Earth has to offer? Just think of what life would be like without the vastness of space, the infinite variety of colour presented to us with each sunrise and sunset, the boundless texture and form of soil, the nurturing sensation of rain...giving way to rainbows, when we are fortunate enough to see them.

We mixed media artists do chase our own rainbows in our own way....our mantra "reuse and recycle". And haven't the resulting finished art been incredible!

May you have a wonderful, inspiring Earth Day...each and every day!

Keeps rainin' all the time.....

Ethel Sings ATC

I recently took part in another Artist Trading Card swap. The theme was "Stormy Weather".

In a way, this card is an homage to my Dad as much as it is to Ethel Waters and composers Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. My father was a great music aficionado. Jazz was his Muse. The voices of Ethel, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Peggy Lee flavoured my childhood. I loved hearing about the concerts in clubs in Manhattan that ran from Friday to Sunday with one band after another taking the stage. My heart skipped a beat hearing about Gene Krupa and his glow in the dark drum sticks. Swing, Big Band, Progressive Jazz, even Scat filled the rooms of our home.

So when I heard of the swap my thought was of the beautiful vocals of this song first performed by Ethel Waters in 1933 at the Cotton Club in Manhattan.

The substrate is illustration board. I dyed it using Bleeding Art Tissue. I enhanced the photo of Ethel with Iridescent Medium. I added metallic and distress inks. I altered the music with Glimmer Mist. The final touch was handmade paper using a variety of inks and acrylic paint.

Can a Muse be passed on from one generation to the next? In this case, I think it was.

Harmony Comes in Many Colours...

Harmony--Conventional Collage

STRATA: n., pl. stra•ta (ˈstreɪ tə, ˈstræt ə) stra•tums.
1. a layer of material, naturally or artificially formed, often formed one upon another.

How could I take this concept and turn it into a collage? Would I be able to harmonize the bits and pieces that found their way to me? I needed inspiration...

I went to our local Salvation Army to peruse their used books.  I picked up quite a few, and in the collection was a nearly new copy of "Memoirs of a Geisha". I read the book a long time ago and was enchanted by the movie. The cinematography was breathtaking. I was recently told at work my new position would take time to adjust to because it was like being asked to "learn Japanese".

Again..nudged my my Muse, I put added handmade papers, art papers, and Oriental papers into the design. I found a spot illustration of a Geisha a long time ago and filed it away in the "maybe I will use this someday..." box of art papers. She found a home at last. I also used a Chinese wood block and ink. The character is "Harmony". I stamped it on tissue paper which was sheer enough to paste over the Geisha image.

The Japanese type is from an ad I found in a magazine. I also used a story, the black and white text, from the same issue.

When I finished, I did feel that Harmony was the key to this collage. The colours seemed to blend even better than I hoped they would. 

Harmony...the word is simple...but means so much more. Harmony in Life, in Art, in Work. Isn't that what we are all striving for? I think the Muse would agree.

Make Your Own Kind of Music....

Make Your Own Kind of Music ATC

Art, Dance, Literature, and Music is the language the Muse uses to speak to me. It could be seeing an inspired piece of choreography, an extraordinary painting, hearing a moving piece of music, or reading thought-provoking passage.

I recently took part in an Artist Trading Card swap. The theme was "Red". I found the photo of the woman in my collection. Her auburn hair was perfect for the challenge. I had the TV on while looking through my photos and heard a phrase from Cass Elliot's song, "Make Your Own Kind of Music". Synchronicity again...or just a nudge from the Muse?

The substrate is heavy watercolour paper. I started by dying the paper with various shades of bleeding art tissue. I then rubber stamped the card with sheet music for the background. I added the main image next followed by a French postage stamp, art paper, handmade paper, and more rubber stamping. To finish the card, I added Distress Inks to the edge and sprayed the card with Color Shine "Sweet Cherry" to complete the aura of "Red".

The lyrics of the song keep rolling around in my mind..."make your own kind of music...sing your own special song...even if nobody else sings along." Being true to yourself in Art and in Life is the easiest way to be your most authentic self. And your most authentic self is the greatest gift you can share.

The Infinite Passion of Life...

"There Is No End." ATC

The closing of Summer is bittersweet. Days infused with an unrelenting heat slowly melt into clear, crisp nights and frost covered mornings that welcome the start of Autumn.

It is on early Autumn nights that my eyes gaze skyward. I always find something magical about the night. There are so many curiosities to discover. Night sets the unconscious free. To quote Vincent van Gogh: "I often think that the night is more alive and more richly coloured than the day." 

The serenity allows my Muse to speak to me unencumbered. I find the inspiration I need, and very often over look during the busy hours of the day.

I recently took part in an Artist Trading Card swap. The theme was "Circles".  Staring at the sky brought back memories of one of my favourite paintings, Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night. Seeing it for the first time at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan took my breath away. But it wasn't until I made my pilgrimage to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence that I fully understood the inspiration that motivated Vincent.

The substrate is a standard manila ATC card. I found a print of The Starry Night to use as the base of the work. I am a great lover of Chinese food, and with Chinese food comes fortune cookies. The messages in the cookies are a treasure for collage artists. I pulled one from a bag of saved fortunes. It read:

"There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life."

Perfect. Was it a lucky pick or did my Muse guide me?

I followed Vincent's mystical arcs and rolling curves with the fortune. A print of the astrological view of the skies was a perfect fit. I added handmade paper and stencilled circles from a template using metallic acrylic paint.

The ATC challenge came at the perfect time. The circle moves on. Seasons...Change...but it's the passion we bring to the circle that truly imparts meaning to this thing we call "Life".

Life Is An Adventure!

"Jodie & Millie's Real Life Adventure" COLLAGE

Life is an adventure. No matter how well we plan, there will always be some twists and turns to keep the journey interesting.

Travelling mirrors life: Passports delayed or lost. Flight missed and rescheduled. Directions that lead you well off your chosen path. Problems with hotel reservations. Or sometimes the stars align and your trip magically falls into place perfectly.

Despite the ups and downs of travelling, one guarantee is that you will return home with a plethora of paper...from tickets, to maps, to receipts...and everything in-between.

To a collage artist this is a supreme bonus and one of the reasons I adore travelling. You never know when that torn receipt or discarded napkin might just be "the" finishing touch you needed to complete a piece.

And so it is with this collage. The work was inspired by an inscribed photo from my collection. The two women are Jodie and Millie. They are standing outdoors and Jodie is carrying a journal. Where did they come from? Where are they going? The Muse inspires me by waxing lyrical...directing my imagination.

The substrate is a 6" x 6" deep edge canvas. I wove strips of different types of paper to create the feeling of travelling through a journey of discovery. The paper includes art and handmade papers, ticket stubs, dyed watercolour paper using the "Bleeding Art Tissue" technique, road maps, hotel receipts, postcards, stamps...and of course the photo of Jodie and Millie.

My Muse, Jodie and Millie were in the drivers seat and I was along for the ride. It was great fun seeing the work take shape. Like any trip, I started with my ephemera neatly placed on my work table, only to end with bits here and there. The work was a nice exercise in  just letting go and enjoying the journey.

If you let her, your Muse will guide you through your own Real Life Adventure!

I Was A Love Cult Priestess...

"I Was A Love Cult Priestess" - ATC

Such drama...such intrigue...The Roaring Twenties. It was a time of change from the dramatic acting of the "Silent Movies" to "Talking Pictures"...an innovation that could make or break many a career.

Looking through an old magazine from the 1920's I came across this vintage photo. It was quite daring and I felt she need to be in an equally daring setting. From the various art and handmade papers I had on my work table, thoughts of Sheena, Queen of the Jungle raced through my mind.

That "come-hither" look, the exotic papers, it all directed me to a design of a woman who was "brave, bold, and brilliant".

The Artist Trading Card is on manila stock. I used hand made and art papers, tissue paper, inks, and dyes. The text was cut from various sources.

The Twenties, like today, was a time of innovation and striking change. Thankfully we have the Muse to nudge in the right direction.

It's Only A Paper Moon...and other stories...

"Why Girls Go Wild" conventional collage

Ah....a day out with friends! You feel like you're over the Moon....

And for many the day was captured with a dreamy, Moon inspired photo postcard.

I wondered what brought the women to the photo studio to have their day on the Moon. Their clothes suggest the early 1900's. Are they friends, family? Many people do walk in and out of our lives...were they friends forever? Did they leave a mark on each others hearts? Did they believe in each other?

The collage is a conventional work on heavy card stock. I used handmade and art paper, found objects, postage stamps, ephemera from magazines and books, and of course the paper moon photo.

I couldn't help singing the popular 1930's song while I worked: "It's only a paper moon...hanging over a cardboard sea...but it wouldn't be make believe if you believed in me."

My Romantic heart wants to believe they did.

A Violet and Red Roses...

The Mystery of Violet Oakley

I have always loved the work of Violet Oakley. The drawing is superb. Strong. Accurate. The paintings inspired.

We are lucky to be able to see her work at the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg. The forty-three murals are majestic.

Violet had an extraordinary life. A book by Alice A. Carter, The Red Rose Girls: An Uncommon Story of Art and Love, explores the shared lives of Jessie Willcox Smith, Elizabeth Shippen Green, and Violet first at the Red Rose Inn and later with Henrietta Cozens at Cogslea near Philadelphia. It is an excellent read.

Playwright Cindy Dlugolecki's sensitive portrayal of Violet's life is explored through her work  Violet Oakley Unveiled which I had the pleasure of seeing several times.

Did the Red Rose Girls, as they were known, have a Boston Marriage? No one will ever know for sure. But their living arrangement did foster a climate of extreme creativity...each woman following the call of her Muse.

The concept for the collage was to find paper and objects and weave them together as you would a carpet.

It is a conventional piece. The substrate is  canvas. In addition to the photo of Violet, I used handmade paper, art paper, ribbon, joss paper,  a letter written by Violet,  and pressed rose petals.

The lives of the Red Rose Girls were woven together through the love of art and each other. Violet's life and work inspired me to create my own tapestry.

Dare To Be Yourself...

Powerful Women - Collage

This is the second image for the Egyptian Moon Dance Company's Powerful Passionate Woman Retreat.

As it is a companion piece, I wanted to keep the over all feel the same. The quote by May Sarton inspired the work:

“We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be.”

Dance is a beautiful thing. Egyptian Raqs Sharqi accentuates all that is intrinsically female.  It is wonderful to see the transformation when women dance. The Dance is a door to the soul, giving a glimpse of a woman's heart. Grace and elegance are rediscovered. Confidence soars. Dancers are empowered with a passion for living.

Again, the piece is a conventional collage finished as a digital file. I made handmade papers and scanned them. A few of the Victorian postcards are digital, a few I scanned from cards I have collected. I also scanned postage stamps, postage cancellations from envelopes in my collection, rubber stamped images, drawings, writings, tissue and art paper.

I approach a digital collage in the same way I do a conventional piece of work. I collect my bits and pieces. I clear my mind and let the Muse guide me. I like to work conventionally and digitally. Both methods are tools to get me to where I want to go within piece of work.

I feel in art and dance, as in life, we can only be our authentic selves when we dare ourselves to be ourselves. When we allow our Muse to help us to embrace life fervently, then we are truly powerful and alive.

Powerful Women...in the Digital Age

Powerful Woman Digital Collage

What could be more beautiful than a powerful woman?

The image was constructed for a Press Kit for the  Egyptian Moon Dance Company Powerful Passionate Woman Retreats. As much as I like to see the traditional two piece costumes, called a bedlah, on dancers in promotional material, I wanted something different for my work. After all, I am exploring my mantra: "The Heart of Belly Dance™".

Dance and Art are so intertwined in my life that it is hard for me to separate the two. It is something that has been with me for as long as I can remember. It is the reason I do not dance under a "stage name".  Many dancers like to take on another name in their dance life. For some dancers it makes them feel more authentic..that it is part of the illusion they are creating. A fellow performer said it was like putting on the finishing touches to her costume. Dancers also look at it as a rite of passage. Teachers will bestow a name they feel is fitting for their student when they reach a certain level of expertise. Unfortunately, for some dancers it is a security issue, a way of keeping their private life private. While all of the reason for using a stage name are valid, I never felt the need. The Dance is something intrinsic. Where does it end and my "real life" begin? My Art Life quandary follows the same path...where does my Dancer life take over from my Illustrator life?

And so goes for the Digital v. Conventional collage debate. For me they are both tools I use to get the work as close as I can to what I see it in my mind's eye. The collage uses a variety of materials. I incorporated art papers, handmade papers, clipping from old magazines, rubber stamped images, various fonts, postage stamps, postage cancellation stamps, tissue paper, and vintage images. Most started conventionally and ended up in the digital format.  I wanted something that gave the feeling of beauty and grace. I am an aficionado of all things Nouveau and Pre-Raphaelite, so it was natural to have the Muse guide me in that direction. I chose the colour scheme to enhance the overall feeling of sweet languor.

The debate continues...digital or conventional collage. Why not both? I think the Muse would agree.

Not Only in Heaven....

Ocean Dreams Altered Journal Page

As the temperatures climb, my thoughts are drawn to anywhere refreshing and cool...especially the ocean. And the ocean to me means Coney Island. I loved everything about Coney Island...from the subway ride, to getting to the water by walking down the streets with the magical names...Surf Avenue, Nautilus Avenue, Neptune Avenue, and the best of all...Mermaid Avenue!

I have a fascination with Mermaids. The concept is so intriguing to me. The idea of living life in the ocean, swimming in the moonlight, wearing starfish in your flowing hair sounds wonderful to me. I like to think of the mermaids as benevolent, beautiful creatures...graceful as they swim, like Synchronised Swimmers with added drama and mystery.

The page is from a 1001 Journals Project journal. The theme was Ocean Dreams. What could be dreamier than vintage mermaids?

The page incorporates vintage images of mermaids and starfish, found paper, handmade paper, postage stamps, inks and dyes.

But best of all is the quote from Johann Heinrich Linck's De stellis marinis liber singularis written in 1733:

"Not only in heaven, but also in the seas are there stars."

And the mermaid's brilliance reflect in their celestial  light.

O Muse!...The Story of a Life

O Muse!

I am a hopeless Romantic. I admit it..freely.

The collage is in a Journal I started as part of the 1001 Journals Project. The theme is "Friendship".

I was intrigued when I purchased both photos used in the piece...what was the story? Who were the women? Why is the woman in the photo in a suit and top hat? Are they all friends...or more?

I guess I'll never know the answer, but wouldn't it be nice to know how they came to that point in their lives...the image frozen forever on film...and where did life take them? Who was the Muse to guide them?

The collage is a bit of a hybrid. It started out as a conventional piece using vintage photos, found and handmade papers, and inks. In the end, digital ephemera was added. I love digital work as much as conventional, and it came together for me in this piece.

May you all find a friendship, or a love, to last a lifetime.

The Muse Moves in Mysterious Way...Like Seven Evening Stars

A song came on the radio last week. The singer/composer is Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam.

I have been working on a postcard sized collage. I was stuck. Everything I tried just didn't seem to "fall into place" as it does when the Muse is my guide, taking me along on a journey of discovery.

Then I heard Angelsea. It was serendipitous. I had come across a vintage photo of a folk dancer.  Two lines of the song kept going around and around in my head...

"She moves like and angel 

And seven evening stars..."

I knew I was moving in a better direction.

The collage uses a canvas panel as a substrate. I covered it with sewing pattern paper. I applied Ranger Distress Inks to give it a warmer feel...the feeling you get when the heat of the day is leaving and night is swiftly approaching. 

A shipping tag, again altered with Distress ink and rubber stamps, handmade paper, mulberry paper, printed tissue paper, pressed flowers, Polyester Organza fabric, and the image of the Dancer all became part of the collage.

If you are in Ohio and wish to see this collage, it will be on view with the National Collage Society's 16th Annual Postcard Show. The exhibit is held at the Downtown Gallery, School of Art, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio from June 19, 2013 to July 20, 2013.

Sometimes the Muse moves in mysterious ways....

Winter...and "The Four Seasons Suite"

The Four Seasons Suite: Winter

Part of "The Four Seasons Suite" is Winter. 

I used a 5" x 7" canvas as the substrate. The handmade papers were altered using acrylic paint, alcohol, water, Ranger inks, and Perfect Pearls Mist. At the woman's eye level I attached a piece of metallic copper Polyester Organza fabric. Red Mulberry paper completes the top portion of the design.

Again, I found the image of the woman and the holly leaves in a Dover Publications book. My love of Victoriana finds a home with their large selection of art.

I love the quote by poet Edith Sitwell:

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home."

The colours, the florals, the expectant look on the woman's face all say "Home"...and "Winter" to me.

Dance As Inspiration of a Digital Nature

A Raqs Sharqi Valentine

I know there is a debate among some collage artists concerning digital vs. conventional collage techniques.

The collage, "A Raqs Sharqi Valentine" is a digital work. It was inspired by my love of Egypt and Egyptian Raqs Sharqi.

The photo of the Pyramids was taken the last time I visited Giza. The stamps are from a letter I received. The cyan design element is from Egyptian money. The dancer on fire is from a photo I manipulated in PhotoShop. The Arabic writing says "Egyptian Moon", the name of the Egyptian Moon Dance Company.

I am a dancer. I danced from the age of three...first at a neighbourhood Dance School in Brooklyn, New York...then on to the June Taylor School of Dance in Manhattan. I studied Egyptian Raqs Sharqi, the dance also known as Belly Dance first while living in England and then in Egypt and the United States. I have had the pleasure of dancing with our Troupe,  Troupe Raqesi al-Qamar al-Masrion, for the last eleven years. I have never met a group of women more pleasant or dedicated.

The first time I saw an Egyptian Dancer I was captivated. Such a variety of interpretations...The balletic style of Samia Gamal, the passion of Tahia Carioca, and the fluidity of  Sohair Zaki, the fire of Nagwa Fouad, the strength of Fifi Abdou. I could see in their Dance the Art I translated from heart to eye to paper. They formulated pictures with their movements. They made the music visible. They drew from their passionate hearts and told a story...the same as I had on paper.

It was a powerful, women's dance. It was magical. I wanted to be part of it.

I have always loved the Middle East. My Mother was an Egyptophile. My Father did business with several Middle Eastern countries. My interest in the Dance was a just a natural extension of the influences I was exposed to growing up. 

Back to the collage, I feel digital work is on par with conventional. PhotoShop, my scanner and a computer is no different to me than scissors, Matte Medium, and art papers. It's just another form of cut and paste. Being able to change from one media to the other keeps it interesting for me as well.

I suppose the debate will go on...but for me, I have my feet planted in both camps.

Summer Is Just A Sigh Away...

"Four Seasons Suite - Summer" 5" x 7" COLLAGE

The collage is an homage to one of the best times of the year and is part of the "Four Seasons Suite" I have been working on.

I used a 5" x 7" canvas substrate. The handmade papers were altered using acrylic paint, alcohol, water, Ranger inks, and Perfect Pearls Mist. Tea dyed gauze crosses the canvas at the woman's eye level. Mulberry paper completes the top portion of the design.

I am crazy about Victoriana. The images from Dover books. In my opinion they have the best selection of all.

To quote Henry James: "Summer afternoon — summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."

And Summer will be here before we know it!

Who Do You See...

Who Do You See When You Close Your Eyes?

Valentines come in all shapes, sizes...and with a varying degree emotion.

Keeping this in mind, I allowed my Muse to guide me through a selection of tissue and art papers.
The tissue from Starbucks was perfect! It had just the words I was looking for. Fascinated by logo design of all kinds, I have always been a fan of the graphics and marketing material the company has put together.  The Starbucks Siren  is iconic. And the mermaid set my mind adrift.

Is the love we have enough? Does Valentines Day give you a feeling of bliss or foreboding?  Are there questions you wish were answered? Do you feel, like the mermaid, that you are a mythical creature swimming in the uncharted waters of love?

The layout is the Bridge, which I have to admit is one of my favourites. I chose the colours in keeping with traditional Valentines. The substrate is a 5" x 5" canvas. Papers used are White Mulberry Paper, Printed tissue paper, handmade paper using acrylic paint and Ranger Inks inks, words from an old Dictionary, and tissue paper from Starbucks.

The rubber stamp of the woman's profile was just what I needed to tell the story of this Valentine.

"Who Do You See When You Close Your Eyes?". I wonder how often the question has been asked.

Earth Day...Forever Free

Forever Free

As it is Earth Day I thought I would post a collage with a nature theme. As the saying goes..."Earth without Art is Just "Eh". The Arts are what stirs our souls, makes us who we are, encourages us to follow our own Muse.

I started the piece with sewing pattern paper. I love the translucence and texture. It has a feeling of something not yet finished...the anticipation of what will be created.

The Substrate is canvas. Using the Tao format I felt would lend itself nicely to a visual breaking free.  The collage incorporates vintage ephemera, flower petals, handmade paper, sewing pattern paper, found objects, art paper, inks, dyes, and gauze.

And what better way to celebrate Earth Day? Collage is the ultimate in recycling And I think the Muse would approve...especially on Earth Day!

My Tea with Agatha

My Tea With Agatha

Keeping on a Food Theme...I am an insatiable reader. I usually have at least two or three books going at the same time. I normally read non-fiction...but I do love the twists and turns of an Agatha Christie story. My Mom is a great mystery reader and she introduced me to Agatha and her ingenious plots.

For many years I lived in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. Agatha went missing in December 1926. A manhunt ensued and she was discovered at the Swan Hydropathic Hotel registered under the name of Mrs. Teresa Neele. The Old Swan, as it is now called, was an easy walk from my house. I would stop there or at the Royals Baths, or Betty's for tea.

I loved using the photo of Agatha as a young girl. With her faraway expression, was she  searching for her own Muse? She did inspire me.

My collage again has canvas as the substrate. Included are a photo of a young Agatha Christie, tea stained cloth, dictionary pages, handmade and found papers, and....tea bag tags. There's even a Taylor's Tea tag...a right old Harrogate tea...and a company I had the pleasure doing business with when I was a commercial screen printer.