Birthday Collage Blossomed at the Women's Retreat

This is an annual tradition that I have taken to doing for my birthday. You know how you never want to throw away (well, at least I do) those precious birthday cards and personal comments from your friends? To save those, I have been doing a colorful collage from the cards to commemorate their thoughtful endorsements.

This year I'd saved a portion of the page to do my collage during my upcoming "Women's Journaling Alpine Retreat". I knew one of the exercises my brilliant tandem teacher, Jean Warren, was planning, the "Cut-up Memory Walk" would be perfect for my birthday process. So the instructions were to go outside, without notepad or camera, only your senses to focus on the diverse impressions nature offers up. Then, return to the workspace to replicate or comment with collage what you'd experienced outside. When I went outside, I settled upon a tiny plot of land, just down from the cabin and bordered by the parking lot. As I nestled in to observe, first I noticed the deep dark shadows that actually created the visuals of the rocks, then emerged an entire lil' ecosystem. There were ants and beetles busying between rocks and dirt, then, bees all among the blossoming flowers. As I buried my thoughts in this balanced, beautiful interaction, I began thinking of my loving, supportive friends who provide just such a thriving environment for my life. I saw the parallels and metaphors between this tiny Alpine world and my life. Just as I was memorized in deep appreciation and awe, I was brought back to the current moment with an intense aroma . . . our fabulous Chef Izzy Leas, was busy at work in the kitchen simmering a rich curry meal for dinner. My senses were fascinated . . . so this is the scene I took into the studio to depict in collage - from my birthday cards.

Creating items to combine for the collage was first. I began cutting up the cards, words or florals or shapes for shadows etc. I'd collected this delicate grass, with seeds still attached and (from a hike my hubby & puppy had taken for my actual birthday day) brought along the limey-colored moss. I worked up the rocks first with texture, and cut out shadows. Words cut in long, stem-like shapes became the stems for dancing flowers and from fabric I cut out the brilliant sun! It was a delicious frenzy of stuff . . . I'd also picked up this cool piece of bark that looked SO much like a fish - and that sparked the memory of some teeny lil' critters one of the fun participants, Cookie, had offered up to share - and one critter was a tiny fish. Looking thru the critters, I grabbed the fish and spied a moose. Ok, I'll add mountains and the moose too!!! Grief, now how could I add the curry floating thru the air - - ahhhhhhhhhh - - with golden yellow thread threaded thru the air. And - - WELLAH - I think I'm done with my "Cut-up Memory Walk"!

The remainder of my favored birthday card images traveled to the right, creating a segway over into the second page where I'd sketched my vision from an art showing I'd done the evening of my actual birthday day. It's an active, but memory filled page . . . and actually visually pretty satisfying.

Love to hear how you celebrate your birthday in your journal or painting . . .

"Emotion" Entry

I've been experimenting with some new and dramatic approaches with my journal entries. This one I've honestly been a bit afraid to try. Most of you know my work is usually representational, working from plein air, photos or "found objects". One of my dear artist friends told me about a painting she'd done in response to a very volital situation in her life - and it triggered a memory of a recent situation in my life. One that I'd not completely resolved. And it sounded like a very interesting opportunity to try something new - and express my feelings. So, oh boy, here we go.

I re-read the folded "private letter" that I'd written to the party I was having this situations with, which fired up my emotions all over again. And I was ready to start. I took some big, some smaller WC brushes - just splashing and dashing patterns onto my journal page. Next, I dipped my brush into black Indian ink, then into the wet pattern. I loved watching the ink spread and dance in granular patterns. With thick pigment, strong values I poked and exorcised my feelings as I repeated words I was feeling as I struck the paper. The "words" part just kind of came to me in the process. I'd ripped out images and text before I started painting and once the pigment and ink was dry, I arranged those around the pattern. Then glued them down with "Yes" glue (an archival, water soluble glue). I wanted to have that letter I'd written included, so I painted the photo holders black and glued them into place, adding text and painting on the letter to include it into the design.

I thought I was done. I wrote in my experience that had created the situation for me and left the journal for a day or two. But I kept thinking of it . . . I wanted to add something that felt hard and unfeeling, something with pointed edges that could hurt like I had felt that day. STAPLES! So they were added to page, completing the design - and apparently my emotional expression. I've not thought back about it now for days. It felt good to express, it felt precise in expressing where I was.

Perhaps you might try it around thoughts or situations you have strong emotions about. I'll do it again . . . be brave and explore your expression and yourself. You'll be astonished at the beauty you find there.

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 . . .

Playdate with, none other than myself

Oh, I'm feeling so spunky and creative. I've been doing this ongoing "over-the-mile" creation of projects with two other wonderful artist friends. One of the current projects that has been going for over two years, is 5 x 7 inch individual pieces. We create our piece either, in response to the previous artist's piece or, just as an expression of how we are currently feeling. And then mail the packet off to the next artist for their next 5 x 7 creation.

This particular piece relates where I'm "at" at this particular and responds briefly to the previous piece. I began by watercoloring the winter "Star of Bethlehem" blossoms, cutting out the profile they created with an exacto knife and over-laying their silhouette onto the negative, remaining paper. That paper, which had been painted in bold, abstract colors served as backdrop for collage pieces of newspaper and other texts, as well as some torn images. All collage application was done with diluted Mat Medium. I tied the entire piece with a coral/sand colored ribbon which sported a small Valentine I'd scanned and manipulated. I'm lovin' how spontaneous it was and how effectively it says what I'd wanted. Aren't us artists blessed?!?

Happy Creating!