What Do You Censor...Even to Yourself?

WHAT WE CENSOR, WHAT WE DON'T -Conventional Collage

With numerous magazine spread out before me, I searched the pages fruitlessly for the sentiment expressed in the words of Edgar Allan Poe: “There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.”

I have searched through quite a few vintage magazines lately. Seventy-seven years have yellowed the pages, but the ads have a message that today still ring out loud and clear. As women so much of our worth is tied to our appearance. The ads confirm this, marketing one product or another to make us thinner, younger, beautiful, and ultimately happier. And over seven decades, nothing has changed.

While I have no qualms with anyone trying to look their best, where does the obsession for unattainable perfection become just that...an obsession...splitting us into fragments of ourselves.

As artists, we are visual beings. Do you find yourself contemplating the message sent in these types of ads? Do they influence your work, or your life? Is the search for beauty and perfection tempered with self censorship?

The substrate for my collage is a stretched canvas. It is covered in metallic gold acrylic paint. I built the collage from a fashion photo from the 1950's, vintage magazine ads, excerpts from a 1938 diary, and handmade paper.

What do you censor...even to yourself?

May You Find Your Way To Your Treasures!

An Airplane Took Us - Postcard

As 2014 quickly draws to close, memories of the year...some good, some not so good...come rushing back to me. But over all, I am hopeful and looking forward to a New Year with new possibilities.

I designed this postcard for the LottoHEART exhibition hosted by Camp Rehoboth in Delaware. The exhibit displayed over two hundred cards. The theme of the card was set when in a magazine I found the Thornton Wilder quote:

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."

How true this is at all times of the year, but especially when we are saying good-bye to the old year and anticipating the start of the new.

Have you thought about what you treasure most? For me it's not only the cherished people in my life, but the feeling being creative, and listening to my Muse, gives me.

I warmly look forward to 2015's opportunities, the newest of which is my joining the Lunagirl Moonbeams' Design Team. I am excited and honoured to be part of the Team.

The substrate for the postcard is illustration board. Gleaned from magazine pages are the Wilder quote and the title edit at the top of the card. Postage stamps, a photo of the women, a decorative leaf, art and vintage papers complete the card.

As we move through the Holiday Season may your days be filled with all that your treasure!

Do What You Like. Like What You Do!

Home For Christmas - Collage

There is a saying that the secret of life is doing what you like.

I was invited to show with The Urban Individualists Group at the Artworks Gallery in Richmond, Virginia. The theme “Do what you like. Like what you do.” is Chris Ludke's inspiration. The photo below, from the exhibit, shows two of Chris' en plein air paintings.

Paintings by Chris Ludke

I selected Home For Christmas for a variety of reasons. I enjoyed working on this collage. Everything just seemed to fall into place. Again, Muse or Synchronicity... The canvas was just the right size. A piece of junk mail provided the night sky. The postage stamps and an envelope dated 1935 were just what I was looking for. The letter is from Chris. And as much as I value email for speed and an immediate response, I still love getting real letters in the mail.

Do you do what you like and follow your passion? And by doing what you like, does it bring you happiness and a sense of freedom? As Artists do we have the luxury of doing what we like and creating our own happiness? I think every Artist answers these questions just by creating.