Ice Cream and Sea Grass, Spheres and Balls

It's been cool here and eating ice cream has not been on my list, but I was inspired by the colorful ice cream shop signs.  And as I began to write this post, I noticed that spheres and balls are inhabiting my collages.  I do like the addition of a random sphere, ball or dot.

Ice Cream In The Sea collage

Hilton Head Island

Windows in improbable places are as much fun as balls and spheres. Red shoes are always welcome in my collages.

By The Sea In The Grass collage

Hilton Head Island

A bit more time and then off to the urban delights of Savannah.

Till next time.

Diners!!!

We came across a great little breakfast and lunch spot tucked away in a small shopping area and with one of my most favorite things, classic 'diner' decor.  The Southern Coney and Breakfast has two great specialties -  'Best Ever Pancakes' and Coney Hot Dogs.  Now being from the East Coast, I assumed that referred to Coney Island, NY, but learned there is a famous hot dog maker in Michigan known for its 'Coney' hot dogs.

The pancakes were indeed 'Best Ever' and I've seen many a box of pancake mix leave with diners after breakfast.  Haven't tried to Coney's yet.

Best Ever Pancakes collage

Hilton Head, SC

Well, diners led to conversations on 'diners we have known' and I remembered with affection the Horn and Hardart Auto-Mat in downtown Philadelphia. I remember if mostly for a quick stop for an after work slice of pie.

Pie At the Automat

Hilton Head, SC

It's been cooler here, offering plenty of  'inside' afternoons for collage with the view of the sea through 'Big Window', as I now refer to it.

Till next time.

By the Sea

 Fortunate I am to be spending unstructured days by the sea.  Our lovely rental offers a daily panorama of the ocean. We're in a walkable part of town, so daily meanderings, then back to the sea view with time being off-the grid.

The window is such a feature of our time here. You can be with the sea through chilly, rainy, foggy days. It's presence is ever strong.  It sets me in a mysterious mood, mermaids and madams of the sea.

Sea View collage

Hilton Head Island, SC

Octopi are another totem of mine. Here meeting with my ubiquitous teacups, sea shells and pearls.

Octo Moon collage

Hilton Head Island, SC

Till another time.

Winter Solstice, Holidays, Yule, Remembrance

December is the 'Holiday Season'  A time where tradition, religion, custom can meet up and we can think and remember those close to us, those near and far, an annual hello. We review the past, look forward to the new year. I grew up with Christmas, gave a nod to Yule and embraced honoring the seasonal change through Solstice. But most of all, it like to see this as the season of connection and reconnection with people. 

Our 21st Century Solstice Woman was inspired by an image from a magazine cover with the lead article being about women scientists. 

Solstice Woman 2025 collage

This is my favorite Christmas collage, echoing early days.

Retro Christmas collage

My dearest friend Michael, my  Heart Brother' passed away on a Christmas day. He is now truly 'fratello spirituale',  my brother in spirit.  He celebrated Yule and this is the last card I made for him, here as a Yule man himself.  It now holds his essence for me. 

Yule Man collage

December also has the 'passing day' of two other dear friends, Helen and Amy, both extraordinary special and important people in my life.  So December is my  Season of Remembrance as well.

Helen With Frida collage

Flowered Amy collage

Wishing all of you all good things in all ways.

Till another time.

Thankful, Eras and Change

I felt in an especially thankful mood this Thanksgiving Holiday time. Whatever you may feel about the origins of the holiday itself, feeling grateful, giving thanks, family and friends gathering, resonates for me.

I came across these 'thankful' words and made special cards for family and friends this year, which I haven't done before. This collage, using those same words, is my thankful message to you. It has a nostalgic feel, with it's kinda retro people and of course, pumpkin pie - my favorite.

Thankful collage

I've been reading Bread of Angels by Patti Smith. The title refers to good things that come your way, the 'Bread of Angels'. Thankful we are for such moments. This is a memoir of her childhood and early career. I feel a strong affinity with her; admiring her as a person who has lived by her own light. I find we have some simpatico sensibilities and life elements as well, such as, growing up in Germantown, Philadelphia, the Jersey Shore, NYC in the 70's.  The collage reflects a memoir; different eras of life.

Patti Eras collage

Tres Street Ladies is a favorite collage of mine and one of my favorite murals here in Waynesboro.  The mural is by Julia Chon and titled Sun Moon and Stars. Thankful for such extraordinary talent.

Tres Street Ladies collage

                                       

Recently I noticed that the entire middle of the mural was gone, apparently to be replaced by a door.

Today I discovered that the entire mural has been painted over! Grrr. Sigh. The book store that had once been in this location has moved and I was unable to find what is in the building now.  Perhaps a new mural will appear.  We can hope.

 Till another time!

Cups and Crows!

I always seem to wear two hats. Intuitive and logical. Free flowing and orderly systems. And so on. When I was younger, I sometimes wondered and even worried about this push-pull of interests and aptitudes. My sister Jacqui, who was a gifted astrologer, would laugh and say, 'Look E, you were born at High Noon under a Full Moon, this is just the way it will always go for you.'

My two hats are very evident in my collage work.  These two pieces came within the same flow of  'collaging'. One is light in energy; a bit of whimsy to ponder and perhaps bring a smile.  The other enters the mystic arena of totems and symbols; which often for me, includes Crows.

I often use cups and saucers, fancy teacups and other dishes and bowls in my art.  Sometimes they are the incongruous element; sometimes the focus. In this piece, I came across the blue gold teacup first. It set the stage for the collage.  I also like to include favorite people in my work and where better than in a teacup. And of course, why not add cake? Everything's better with cake.

Patti & Cyndi in Teacups with Cake collage

The inspiration here is the main figure. She comes from Deadly Storms,  a novel by Christine Feehan. I knew she was waiting to become a Crow Woman.

Crow Woman Among the Flowers collage

Crow Woman wasn't made with Hallows in mind, but she emerged at just the right time. I'm sure there are bats and spiders lurking in the background. So Happy Halloween! The day we dance between the realms.

Till another time.

Life's been busy! New Knee, Family Things, Oh My!

 I haven't made a post here since the end of May and many things have occurred, but alas, not a lot of art.

This 'fun' collage was created prior to my knee replacement surgery in July.  I was inspired by the stand-up comedian  Atsuko Okatsuka and her colorful outfits, which led to looking for other colorful women.

Style Women collage

My total knee replacement recovery has gone very well and I'm just finishing up Physical Therapy, which I'll then continue on my own.  Naturally, I created a memory collage. The background is the Strength card from M.J Cullinane's Crow Tarot.

TKR Right Knee 2025 collage

While working on this collage, I pulled up the collage from my 2017 left knee replacement.  At first I couldn't understand the collage, 'What is all this red??' Then I remembered I had thrown blood clots to my lungs post surgery and had to spend a week in the heart ward on medication to dissolve the clots. Fortunate I was and all resolved, so much I 'forgot' my own vivid imagery. The background here is a Mexican Lotteria card. You'll note my 'robotic' surgery girl and the cane in both collages.

Elective Knee Collage 2017

Soon after my surgery, my DearHeart step-daughter, Mimi, was in a terrible car accident with life-threatening injuries, including Traumatic Brain Injury.. The family came together and all our focus flowed toward her. Miraculously, Mimi has recover amazingly so far and just recently went home after her lengthy hospital and rehab facility stays. If you like, you can check out her GoFundMe page.

I haven't made a collage about this journey yet, but here is the card I made for her recent birthday, a most special one indeed.

Mimi's Miracle Birthday 2025

That's all for now. 

Till next time.

Deer Women and Pink Tornados! Annual Member show at SVAC - Shenandoah Valley Arts Center

I didn't create these two pieces for the Annual SVAC show, but I will most happily submitting them. I especially like that they show two aspects, the moody Deer Woman and the mysterious tornado woman with flowers.

I found an intriguing mystery novel at the library, Mask of the Deer Woman, and through that book, met the Deer Woman mythos. One of her guises is as a protector of women.  I set my version in what I call an 'urban' background. She stands tall for you.

Urban Deer Woman Guardian collage

Not created as a 'companion' piece, although it became that, is Pink Tornado. I came across the idea of pink clouds somewhere, somewhen, and rediscovered it in my files.  In my mind the clouds morphed into a tornado, which adds a different energy than clouds.  Another large ball has found it's way into a piece, along with oversized flowers.

Pink Tornado collage

For the upcoming gallery show, I created embellished mats. I always enjoy adding a bit of assemblage to my images.

Urban Deer Woman Guardian
framed with embellished mat

Pink Tornado collage
framed with embellished mat

If you happen to be near Charlottesville, Virginia or the Blue Ridge Parkway, join us at the Shenandoah Valley Arts Center in Waynesboro, for the annual show.  It runs through June and July.

Till another time!

Anonymous Content to Current Events

When things are going on in the inner and the outer, once again, single images reach out and the 'anonymous content' collages begin to take form.  It's nice that art always finds a way to issue an invitation.

The Twin retro lovelies came across my eye.  They had a haunted quality to me, thus their twinness became a darker mood of entwined.

Anonymous Content - Entwined

Here the key image was a photograph of Tony Bennett; master musician and artist. Playing around with amplification and saturation, the photo became a mood piece and the other elements entered the space. Who is our mysterious guest at the table?

Anonymous Content with Tony Bennet

The work I typically post is not 'topical', per se.  Right now, I work hard to keep my equilibrium with today's current events, which I find deeply concerning and unbalancing.  I make a kind of peace in that I am willing to take any direct action I actually can, while coping with how much is simply not given to me to have any impact on. 

While looking through images for a different project, I found a face that mirrored my own feelings of concern; and then another and still another. From those mirroring faces, this collage emerged.  Paradoxically, in creating the caged figure, it began to change. She is emerging and her branches are reaching upward, but I didn't recognize her as a somewhat hopeful figure until the collage was completed. Our own art reveals and surprises us.

Current Events 2025

Till another time.

Spring! Anonymous Content! Birthday!

I'm happy to celebrate Spring with Nix - my Crow-Hare fairy.  You may have seen her before or in one of her other seasonal themes. In any event, the Equinox has been welcomed and we're entering the Next.

Spring

Nix Crow-Hare Fairy

After the travel collages, it took a bit to do all the 'at home' things waiting for  you when you've been away.  Eventually, an image caught my eye 'just because' and this collage emerged from it. This is the first collage since I've been home.  I call these my 'anonymous content' collages, as I am not carrying a theme forward, instead letting the images 'find' their congruency together. 

The anchor image is the trio of retro-looking people, in the sepia tone, which I embraced.  I found it without any context except Kitty, Daisy & Lewis in the image name, who I discovered is a band. You can check them out here.  

Anonymous Content 9 

It's my birthday month, so naturally an 'annual' collage is in my plan. Totems abound - crow, octopi & such and this year, the trees of Forsyth Park in Savanah were still much with me and provided the background.

e @ birthday

Being away is nice. Being home just nice. Fortunate me. ꩜

Till next time.