by Susan Lobb Porter | Art, Cool Apps, Photography, Process |
Friend Christina is cleaning. That means if I’m not careful, if I have my back turned or am otherwise engaged, I will discover all sorts of CRAP on my desk. Just. Like. That.
Some of it I even want. Some of it I can use with my class. But the pirate eye patch? No. No no no no no! Even if Johnny Depp wore it once upon a time. Which he did not.
I took the empty pencil tins. The nice ceramic jar for brushes. And half a dozen little bitty used canvasses that someone will be happy to paint over. But I really scored on the books. Collage anyone? Altered anything?
Disclaimer: I don’t cut up beautiful photography books. I photocopy them and then do the cutting.
Is this a beautiful little booty or what? Yum yum yum, I know there’s something I can do with this.
And I’m always a sucker for mother and child bonding.
Oh look, Mummy…those people are on a floating booty barge!
And now it’s time for some Grungetastic manipulation.
This style is called Worn. Looks like it’s been through the washing machine. It’s an upgrade purchased through the app. Another 99 cents. I really like it, maybe not for this image. Something where the action is lower on the page.
There are hundreds of variations I can do with this image alone. Picking only one is a challenge. I see using any of these as a transfer added to a painting. Or used as an element in a collage. Or whatever else my heart desires.
Oh man, this is such a cool app!
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art |
Stopped at a store on the way home from work tonight. Found a book on a sale table. A book of quotes. Pithy, profound things other people said once upon a time, the repeating of which make you sound pithy and profound.
Just what I needed! Because original thoughts are so over rated. I’ll never have to have another one again. Imagine that!
Well, needless to say, I scooped that puppy up before it could grow bookish legs and run away. We were meant to be together.
We spent the better part of the evening getting acquainted. I read words of encouragement. Of inspiration. Birthday greetings. Holiday offerings. Whatever you need for any occasion.
And it sparked my creativity. Yesterday I showed a journal page. The one with the typo. And the scary eyed muse.
An then I showed the unfinished fold over.
Said I’d show it again when finished. Didn’t have a clue when that would be because I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do. Until tonight when I found this pithy profundity by e.e.cummings: “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
Well that was it! Just use the quote and a photo of moi. A baby photo. I could do an image transfer. Then again it was late, I’d been working all day and my back was behaving badly. I decided to do a collage instead.
First thing I did was decide on the photo. Like this deer in the headlights stare. Someone was probably dangling something bright and shiny off camera.
I scanned the original black and white and altered the color to what I thought would work better with the paper. Then I cut. Glued. Painted. Should not have painted the quote, should’ve used a pen or marker. Oh well, it’s a journal. And it’s mine. Who cares, really…
Here’s what it looks like now.
Oh, and I fixed the typo on the inside page.
by Susan Lobb Porter | Art
Yesterday I said there might be some new collages to show off today. Guess what–ain’t gonna happen. Umm-hmm, that’s right. I overestimated my super-human artistic capabilities when it comes to time. Tick-tock. The wheels on the clock went ’round and ’round while I was running my butt all over town.
Apologies to little children everywhere for mutilating their beloved song.
So where did I go that was more important than making stuff? How about here. The Artists’ Studios in the Foothills, AKA, As If Studios. Had never really been there before. Thought it was just a place where artists rent studio space. They do but it’s much more than that. There are classes, a gift shop, a gallery. I’d discovered their shows are not limited to resident artists and that the current one, the Small Works Holiday Show was taking new work. Because the stuff sells off the walls for Christmas and they’re constantly replenishing.
Well, turns out I had a bunch of small pieces (4X4) I made a couple years ago for the studio tour and the ones that didn’t sell were banished to the attic. Basically forgotten. I dunno why. If buyers only KNEW what was up there, they’d be banging on my door begging for a look see upstairs.
Trouble with these pieces is they don’t photograph well. Covered with gloss medium that looks great in person but sucks when it comes to reproduction. Rather than risk rejection with the photos I just stuck the pieces in a grocery bag and headed on over.
Pretty ballsy, eh? Just walking into a gallery with a sack of art and saying here I am. So unlike me. But the very nice owner/manager Amanda told me to leave the bag and she’d get back to me tomorrow. Then she saw what I had and said she’d take ten pieces for the show. Ten.
YAY!
So here’s a few of the chosen. Crappy Photo Alert.
The pieces are all based around the theme LIVE LOVE DREAM DANCE. The LIVE series consists of houses and symbols of self.
LOVE series speaks for itself.
DREAM series is full of pyramids, boats and other symbols.
And then there’s DANCE. I loves me my dancers!
So if you’re in the area come on by the AS IF Studios, 940 Idaho-Maryland Rd, Grass Valley. Lots of fun work by lots of good artists. Prices are good, just in time for Christmas!
