Life Perspective

I've been working on a variety of projects lately. As mentioned a couple of post previously, January 22, 2009, to be exact, my two artist friends and I have this delicious project. It keeps us connected even though one lives in the Bay Area, one in Bodgea Bay and I, in Oregon. We mail it to one another and create a single sheet piece about 6 x 7.5, either responding to previous pages - or - in statement to where we are in our life right now. This time I approached the project wanting to say exactly where I was and what I was feeling in my life.

I'm usually "the delinquent one", taking a month or more to 'do' my page, even though I usually have a 'flash' visualization of what I want to respond with - right at the moment I open the envelope and view the new pieces. My newest piece also took a bit of time to do layers of matte medium. I wanted to use actual eggshells, hoping to build up enough cushion to keep them from being crushed in the mail. Layer after layer, I created this pad of matte medium holding together the eggshells. That piece I attempted to adhere to the 6 x 7.5 sheet of water color paper which I'd collaged with magazine and newspaper images and text. I applied several more layers of matte medium to seal it and then, using gouache, I applied paint where I wanted. To place the glistening little reflective orb, I cut out a hole in the paper (so that light could shine through) and again, using medium, stuck the 'gem' in it's place. To keep the medium which flowed behind the hole from sticking to my table, I place a plastic bag (which easily pulls away when the medium is dry).

This was my finished piece . . . pretty wild and expressive for me, painter of beautiful nature images. But like I've mentioned, these small, free expressions really let me try new ideas, mediums and expressions - not concerned with how they will look framed up.

I'd love to hear your ideas on what exactly I was expressing with this piece. It will be fun to see how it reads and what each individual reads into it. Please enter a comment if you have a guess . . .