DQ

DQ

On my way to Newport ten days ago I kept seeing Dairy Queens.  None of them were convenient for pulling off until almost to Newport.  I guess the suggestion of signs and actual Dairy Queens planted the seed of "I want a soft vanilla cone."

It was good but of course the bottom of the cone is wrapped in paper.  Immediately I thought of ephemera.  So when I taught the Secret Pocket journal workshop in Newport I whipped out that piece of paper with the Dairy Queen logo and included it in this collage which was my demo for the class.


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John Baldessari: Recycling Images | Art21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kxPmDc07oI

Three Women

More iColorama magic  This time I mostly concentrated on the background.  I thought about changing the color of their dresses but then I really liked the way they were against this background.  Off to a Melinda Tidwell workshop beginning tomorrow.  Can't wait!
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Mika Tajima Wants to Hire Contortionists | "New York Close Up" | Art21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QUGKPqfoaw

Prime Beef

Prime Beef

Off for a day of art with art friends on Bainbridge Island today.  Can't believe I woke so early, but I am already creating.  Made another book this morning.   I will bind it at the mini art retreat.

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I have featured this artist previously.  Here is another look:

Yinka Shonibare MBE: Being an Artist | Art21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2EAKiV7IJc

Grandma Sake

Grandma Sake

Can you just imagine a grandmotherly woman like this one who was involved in prohibition distributing alcohol throughout the county and beyond?  So innocent and yet very rich from her illegal deeds in the 20's and 30's.

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El Anatsui: Language & Symbols | "Exclusive" | Art21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25eGwinKugs

Buttonhole Books

Over the past few weeks I have been making buttonhole books and as you can see I have been making them in quantity.  I taught a workshop at the Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival on how to make this book.  I wanted to have muscle memory, hence, the number that you see plus two that I gave away to my helpers.  Once you have the routine of binding down you can bind quickly and successfully.

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Josiah McElheny: Paintings | ART21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze-Pvw9cLls

Beverly

Beverly

It's time to start creating some new works as I am pretty much up-to-date on what I have made with the exception of some buttonhole bindings that I will show tomorrow.  Well, I can always show what I have created on iColorama because I have plenty of those.  Next week I will be attending a Melinda Tidwell workshop on Whidbey Island.  I am pretty excited about taking this class.  Look her up on Pinterest if you have never see her work.

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another video about this artist:

Abraham Cruzvillegas: Autoconstrucción | ART21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-3JWhmgkQ4

Dance to the Music

Dance to the Music

I am thinking now that this piece is posted that it needs something in the upper right that is a bit bolder.  Perhaps a number or a letter.  Sometimes I work on pieces and set them aside.  Sometimes I need to look at them when they are posted.  Deciding when a piece is done is not always easy.

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Tabaimo: "dolefullhouse" | "Exclusive | Art21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmU5t7zsR1c

Mary Jane's Cheese Souffle

Mary Jane's Cheese Souffle

The Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival was absolutely fantastic.  As I have reported, I taught two workshops and yesterday I got to be a student.  What fun!  I learned how to make three new journals.  Now I am tasked with trying to recreate my new learned knowledge.

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Oliver Herring: "TASK" | ART21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlEYbZhuco8

Sarsaparilla

Sarsaparilla

Isn’t the word sarsaparilla a great word and it is considered old fashion, but I love the way it sounds?  I just told a friend the word and she said it sounds “Sassy!”  Day two of the Paper and Book Arts Festival in Newport was just fantastic.  I had my second amazing group.  We did the Buttonhole binding and everyone had success.  Last night as we were sitting around just talking and having fun, something was said and we cracked up laughing.  You know that kind of belly laughing and crying.  My stomach hurt but those kind of laughs are good for you and they do not happen often.

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Beryl Korot: "Dachau, 1974" | Art21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWMbLK1awLI

State Treasurer

State Treasurer

Day two of teaching in Newport, OR and what a wonderful experience I had.  Everyone in both classes was so amazing!  There Secret Pockets and their Buttonhole bound books were all outstanding.

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Matthew Ritchie: "The Morning Line" | Art21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja2CUVJmQ48

Cowboy Caviar

Cowboy Caviar

I am in Newport, OR for the Paper and Book Arts Festival.  For me, being at the ocean is rejuvenating.  I can get a new lease on life just looking out at the sea.  Today is my first workshop.  It is my secret pocket one.

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Hiroshi Sugimoto: Cabinet of Curiosities | Art21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqQlQFu-KtY

Fam-KO 42

Fa-KO 42

I am off to the Newport, OR Paper and Book Arts Festival.  It is three days of book making, paper activities, and just plain fun.  I am teaching two workshops, the secret pocket journal and buttonhole binding.  Can't wait.  Then I am going to take one class on Sunday.  I know it is going to be a blast.

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assume vivid astro focus: Masks | "Exclusive" | Art21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB5ykyAAhtk

Frightening

Frightening

I call the looks on some of these mannequins frightening, hence the title.  Or perhaps a tiger is frightening or learning to swim?  Even the situation in the Middle East  is frightening.

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James Turrell: "Second Meeting" | Art21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BuJpDXkMz8

Hallucinating in Color

Hallucinating in Color

My friend, Michele sent me the insect image via email while she was on a cruise around South America.  She had take a photo of it while exploring off ship.  I changed the color in PhotoShop. Thanks Michele.

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Mary Reid Kelley: "You Make Me Iliad" | ART21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaHDT_nOzaE

Lemonade

Lemonade

I finished my 25 collages for Germany.  Good feeling but now I have a bunch of them in the book press forcing them to be flat.  Then it is packaging time and off to the post office for mailing.  Maybe I will get that done this coming week or not.  It is a busy schedule coming up.

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Mariah Robertson’s Chemical Reactions | ART21 "New York Close Up"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv17mnCyq0A

Won't Be Back

Won't Be Back

I found several mannequin head shots online.  I had never seen molded mannequin heads quite like this before.  Most of them have open mouths and colored hair such as the blue in this one's hair.  They have a clown like appearance in a way.

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EXTENDED VERSION! Robert Ryman: Variations and Improvisations, The Phillips Collection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qlf6yKqNY4

Firewater

Firewater

The background of this piece is mostly faux marbleized paper.  I made it on my gelli plate.  It is easy and fun to do.  The western images came from a vintage hardback book that I found at a paper flea market one weekend about a year ago.

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Jessica Rankin: Mind & Language | Art21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUtOVW8W6CY

Magic

Magic

I recently purchased some matte medium from a different company than I usually do and the substance left a bit of a chalky film. It kind of veiled the mannequin on the left.  For this particular postcard I don't mind the look but now I have to be careful using this brand especially when I want a totally transparent look.

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Fred Wilson: Beauty & Ugliness | Art21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEPTJKLSpRo

Red

Red

I am loving the mannequins heads, wax, plastic, or wooden, that I found on Pinterest.  There is quite a selection. Red beans, red cheeks and chin, and red hair.....of course, the title had to be Red.

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Graciela Iturbide: Photographing Mexico | ART21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66DmEqzd8Sk

The Children Were Very Still

The Children Were Very Still

I am making great progress with the 25 postcards that are going to Germany to be dispersed through the world.  This one, The Children Were Very Still, is one of my favorites.  Sometimes the collage gods just align to help create a piece that to me just totally works.  Since I work rather quickly and let the work lead me, it is even more amazing to me on how something turns out.

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Art21: Spirituality

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVEUWWWWtq0

Not Afraid of Jack

Not Afraid of Jack

A collage and book arts friend, Lynn Skordal, mentioned to me that she was once involved with a group of artists in Europe and elsewhere who submitted art to an organizer who created boxes for the art.  Once she has 25 pieces for the boxes she sends out the boxes to the artists.  At least I think that is how it works.  So I decided I would participate and I am sending 25 postcards to Germany for this project.  Not Afraid of Jack is one of them.  I have about ten completed.

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Mary Heilmann: Abstract Painting | Art21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I17qqiz_l2U

Rich and Hearty

Rich and Hearty

Here is the sister to the one yesterday.  As you know I like using recycled materials when I can and labels on cans are a good source of ephemera.  I rather like them because you not only get an image but words as well.

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Rackstraw Downes: Texas Hills | "Exclusive" | Art21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QntAJGiCcAE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QntAJGiCcAE

Campbell Heiress

Campbell Heiress

I started this postcard over a year ago.  All it needed was a focal point.  Nothing surfaced and the card got misplaced.  In cleaning my office, which has resulted in many happy finds, the incomplete postcard must have known that it was time.  My fooling around with iColorama needed to have occurred and now a finished piece came to be.  This postcard has a sister which will be shown tomorrow.

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Eleanor Antin: Politics & Paper Dolls | ART21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzacXt3l4NU

Tunnel Book - The Year of the Dragon

cover

book open

view down the tunnel

This is one of my favorites so far.  At first I really had trouble photographing down the tunnel.  My iPad came through.

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Minerva Cuevas: Bridging Borders | Art21 "Exclusive"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPtQJFpOlAM