Taking the pressure off

I launched 2013 with a trip to NYC. Oh the art, the density of everything, the energy. Splendid beyond all imaginings.

When I returned home I decided to pursue my love of cardboard, thanks to an introduction to Franz West at the MOMA. I decided to reduce my materials cost therefore taking some pressure off of myself to create a Masterpiece on every canvas and cradled panel I invest in. Cardboard is free for the taking and often comes "prepped" for collage with packing tape, shipping labels and printing.

In the above piece I first laid down some acrylic paint. I then transferred a colour printout of some graffiti that I had photographed. This was followed with collage ephemera and more acrylic. Once I felt that the groundwork was in place, I transferred a black and white photo of my daughter into the composition there by creating a focal point. Lastly I further painted into the piece to emphasize or deemphasize various aspects of the composition. The final steps for this are stitching into the cardboard with my sewing machine (I so love fabric & fiber) and then applying a protective coating to seal the cardboard.

What I love about this work, and the others like it that I have subsequently created, is that my focus has shifted. I am not worried - well not nearly as much - about whether the final is art-worthy; I am concentrating on my brush work, colour blending and more technical skills. The interesting thing is that I feel more creative and freer.

If you are interested in learning more about my techniques, please feel free to comment. I will get back to you.

Comments

A Picture-perfect Idea

When I last spoke of the Anonymous Art Show that I participated in back in Nov. 2011, I neglected to note a detail that really stood out for me. On the main wall near the entrance, the organizers hung a large canvas wrapped with all the names of the contributing artists. I was proud as punch to see my name included in print among the over 400 other talented souls who participated in the annual event. It's a small thing, one's name typeset amongst so many others, but it spoke in a large way to me. It said that my work is valuable to this organization; it's appreciated, acknowledged, and recognized. And that feels great. So if you find yourself in need of a creative way to express thanks to your contributors at an event, this may just be the final touch you need.

Starbucks saved my marriage

In early February I was still greatly enamoured with my Christmas "urchin" necklace ( see Jan 20th posting). I put it on daily feeling extra warm and fuzzy with the knowledge that my guy had showered me with such a special gift of love. And then I lost it. I mean I physically lost my necklace. One morning, apparently the clasp wasn't fully closed, the chain released and the necklace slipped off of my neck. I was beside myself with sickness; and my better-half was using all of his energy to restrain anger-based comments from exiting his mouth. Pulling my emotions together, I retraced my steps multiple times, posted LOST signs around the neighbourhood and sent out a lot of gratitude vibes hoping a Kind Soul would return it to me. One very long day later we received a call from a Kind Soul. A fellow Starbucks regular found my necklace on the floor near the coffee bar! English isn't his first language so he didn't know how to go about finding the necklace...

Retro Illustrations

I am absolutely crazy about retro illustrations. Specifically late 1950s through 1960s. I love the colour-ways, the loose illustrative approach and equally loose print registration. I recently tripped across this site, Uptown Avenue , that showcases a few samples. Great, eh? Admittedly I have confiscated a few books that friends have given our 2 year old that have super illustrations in them. I'm not proud of that. And I do periodically take them out to read to her. Don't judge me : ) Anyway, this is just a quick note to introduce you to these works in case you hadn't noticed them before. Enjoy!

Stickin' Ideas Together

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