Staple Collage Series - 05

Staple Collage Series - 05

Several years ago one of my followers on this blog sent me a package of photograph that she had inherited.  They were all from an album of her relatives but she did not know any of them and were meaningless to her.  Rather than throw them away she gifted them.  Lucky me!  I still have some of them and since many are very light I have not used them until now.  I think the lightness is intriguing and very soft.  I like the gradation of color in this collage.

I also finished another journal.  I took an online workshop from Roxanne Evans Stout called Winged Messengers.  In this workshop we were use images of things with wings.  I decided to just concentrate on bees.   Here it is....

Staple Collage Series - 04

Staple Collage Series - 04

Funny how things work out.  I am going to debut a video below and since it is also an Asian theme, it goes perfectly with today’s collage.  That was serendipitous.  That is a great word.  I like how it sounds.

The video is of an Asian themed book that I have been working on for the last two weeks.  I made the book structure many months ago but put it in a drawer.  While cleaning my office I  discovered it recently.

I made the journal out of muslin and Japanese ledger paper.  Then I started a painting process and then collage followed by stitching.  I also used some graphite pencil.  I am debating on whether or not to add a title.  Here is the video......

Staple Collage Series - 03

Staple Collage Series - 03

This is one of my favorites of the Staple Collage Series.  I created what I call map lace out of a London street map.  This is a five element collage held by one staple.  Easy but effective in my opinion.

Staple Collage Series - 02

Staple Collage Series - 02

Today is a milestone day for me.  I am 70 years old.  I never thought I would be this age.  Hitting ages with zeroes is a time, it seems, to reflect.  This has been a difficult year for everyone and I am like the man in the collage, jumping angry.  Angry at the people who are not taking the virus seriously.  This week I made a postcard expressing my feelings for those who refuse to protect themselves and others .....

Staple Collage Series - 01

Staple Collage Series - 01

After I finished the junk series I started thinking about a different method for adhering collages.  I decided to try stapes.  In this series I used either one or two staples to keep the collage together.  As you will see I got carried away with the idea.  Lots of new collages coming soon.

Man on a Mission 2

Man on a Mission 2

Today is the last day of the junk journal series.  There are 56 collages in this journal.  This journal could be called the Corona journal since I did all of the work during the pandemic.  I also was not feeling well during this time and I did most of the journal in bed.  That was a challenge but it worked.  I usually work with matte medium but each of the junk journal collages was done using glue stick.  My table top was a clipboard.  It all worked in my opinion.  I hope you enjoyed some of the works.  I loved using bits and pieces of envelopes and ephemera that I have collected from snail mail sent me.  Thanks for that because it made this journal a collaboration in a sense.

Talk the Talk

Talk the Talk

I usually don’t place the focal point directly in the middle of one of my collages.  This rooster just seemed commanding and wanted to be prominent.  So that is where he landed.  Do you let your work speak to you and guide you or do you guide your work?   Maybe both?

Cheers

Cheers

I use to have a beer or glass of wine especially when going out to dinner or to the bars when I was much younger.  Now I can go months without having a drink.  It is not for any particular reason.  I just do not think about it.  Or maybe it is because my mother was an alcoholic and I saw how it could wreck havoc.

When I was in San Francisco my landlords gave me a bottle of champagne.  I never opened it.  We have wine in our cupboard.  I never think to open it.  I am not against alcohol, I just do not imbibe much.

Traffic

Traffic

In Seattle and perhaps other places in the country there have been many bicycle fatalities. Before the pandemic there was an increase in people riding bicycles to work and for enjoyment.  You see people in Lycra taking their sport very seriously.   It seems that with more bicycle riders there are more bicycle accidents.  I know mostly about the fatalities because every time there is one, a painted grey beat up bicycle is positioned close to the accident site.  The bicycle is covered in artificial flowers.  There is also a note attached to these memorials telling about the people who died.  I imagine there are less of these accidents because there are less people on the streets now.  

Sporting With the Fishes

Sporting with the Fishes

This makes me laugh since I have never heard of water volleyball played in salt water.  I guess it could be but waves would be a problem.  I guess that leaves water volleyball in a lake.  Possible, yes.

Hard Times

Hard Times

Part of the background either came to me from my friend,  Margit, in Germany or my Swedish friend, Ingrid,  in Sweden.  They both decorate their envelopes when sending me snail mail.  Thanks Margot or Ingrid.  We are getting close to the end of the 56 page junk journal.  I think there are only a few more pieces to share.  It was fun to create this journal using pieces of the snail mail from around the world.

Rocky

Rocky

Thanks Canada for a great postage stamp so I could make a collage made in the USA.  We are so lucky to have a neighbor to the north like Canada.  Until the virus the border was readily open for crossing both ways.  Now there is a two week quarantine if you decide to cross into Canada.  One has to have a legitimate reason for crossing as well.

Fire Water

Fire Water

Oh, don’t you know she has a fiery temper when she needs it.  

Camel Had a Dream

Camel Had a Dream

Dreams can be all over the place and this piece is just that.  I do not know if camels dream.  They probably do and maybe this is what their dream might be like.

9 To 5

9 To 5

Do you remember the film?  Dolly Parton was the best.  I wonder if I could watch it again and get as much enjoyment out of it?  Sometimes there are films that just aren’t the same years later.

Strutin’

Strutin’

I feel like Strutin’ today.  The US Supreme Court decision on equal employment rights for LGBTQ citizens could not have been better.  To think the decision protects rights for everyone now is amazing.  It was a 6-3 decision which means two conservative members of the court sided with a morally correct decision.  There is brightness today!

Looking Pretty

Looking Pretty

Just sit there and look pretty!  I had cut out this figure and set her aside until I thought of a way to adhere her so that she was sitting on something.  Although her seat looks much like a rock or some sort of cushion it is also abstract.  I like small successes like this. 

24 Brand Spankin' New Postcards - 16

24 Brand Spankin' New Postcards - 16

I love the pattern on the woman’s kimono matching the floral pattern ion the background.  Again it has a camouflage feel to it.  All of a sudden the bird is there, too.

Class Act

Class Act

This woman just seems to command and knows she is center stage.  She represents confidence and strength in who she is.  Perhaps she is at the beach.  Perhaps she is dressed to perform.  Perhaps she is ready to attend a big event.  I can’t decide if she is casual or formal.  Thoughts?

Curtain Call

Curtain Call

I think I was thinking about theater understudies and specifically the play All About Eve when I did this piece.  Have you ever seen this film?  I highly recommend it if you have not. 

Delivery

Delivery

I debated and debated over this one.  Should I add more.  Finally I went with it and left it basically just three elements.  I do not remember who sent me the card with the buildings on it.  Thanks to that person though.

Irene

Irene

The background flowers on the top left came from my friend, Irene.  I met Irene several years ago at Art Fest in Port Townsend, WA.  We have made many memories together the last being during a weekend in San Francisco this past October.  So glad I met you Irene.

Privileged

Privileged

Oh, this one has so much underlying comment.  To think it was created with a subconscious subtext.  Are we listening right now or are we listening with a filter?  Census reports are saying that by the year 2036 whites will be a minority in this country.  Hispanic population will be in the majority.  Just listen to the pain out there.  Just listen.  Right now the Black community needs just that.  Listen!  Don’t comment.  Just listen!

Freedom

Freedom

Freedom, that is what we all want.  How about it?  No more housework!   Well, I guess we have to be realistic! :-)

Something Love

Something Love

I do not have much to say about this piece other than it is not my favorite.  I guess I am not excited about the background.  Because of the way I work it was difficult creating it.  My process of starting and adding and adding more, letting the piece speak to me did not work as well as it does most of the time.  That is OK.  I have always said that I share whatever I have worked on.  So here is what I call a dud.

L’Esprit

L’Esprit

I like how the background almost looks like it is a photograph where the background is blurred.  This one is peaceful and we need that right now.

A friend recently sent me this and is appropriate for the black lives matter concern....... if you think of a fire department, all of the houses in the neighborhood matter. But it’s the house that’s on fire that we need to focus on. A metaphor for black lives matter. We need to avoid all homes matter because it minimizes the house that’s on fire.

With that said, all lives matter but right now there is a segment of the population that is particularly in need of our concern and change on how they are treated.

No More

No More

I could think of several narratives to go with this piece but it is too early in the morning to think about  them.  The birds woke me chattering away.  They sound wonderful but maybe not at 4:30 a.m.

True Match

True Match

I have no idea what is written on the book being held by the two men.  I created this collage prior to the Bible incident in D.C.  Kind of ironic though.

The Chair

The Chair

I am thinking that Terry Garrett sent me the background person on one of his envelopes or packages but for the life of me I can’t remember for sure.  If so, thanks Terry.  If not thanks to whomever sent it to me.  It might have even been a stand alone piece of ephemera.  The almost 70 year old brain is not remembering exactly.  I just love the chair which is a stand alone piece of ephemera.  It seems ominous just sitting vacant.  The twist of the woman’s body is also great.  It is almost like she is expecting  someone or is waiting for someone to sit in the chair.  There are an infinite number of storylines for this piece.

AMERICA

AMERICA

I am not recognizing America right now.  The face that is being shown to the world is not the America that  we can be.  We need leadership.  We need respect of each other.  We need to smarten up.  November can not be so long in coming.

Front Page Headline

Front Page Headline

I got a piece of snail mail with what I think is a Moo sticker from my art friend Elsa.  I had just the right piece of ephemera to go along with it.  Remember from your history lessons about the election of Harry S. Truman for President.  The headline read that Dewey had won the election.  There is a famous photograph of Truman holding the newspaper with that headline.  Hence, this piece just came together.  I love how there is not only movement because of the paper boy but also there is movement because of the cat tail.  Works for me!