Merry Merry Happy Happy

Holiday time has ups and downs.  But still time for a bit of fun.

I was inspired by my Red Retro Collage to make a Retro Christmas.  It has retro touches, the ceramic christmas tree so popular back in the day, a Slinky and of course, the forever 'retro', fruitcake.

Red Retro Christmas

I love to do custom cards for friends, but a friend suggested I do some cards for our gallery.  So this year I did a series of Joy cards. Here's a few.  Enjoy!

Joy

More Joy

Cats Joy

Stars Joy

And thinking of my SVAC Art Gals.  You know who you are.

Wishing you all, all good things in all ways.  

All Hallows Eve, Art and Fashion

Halloween always asks for a collage or an oooky pooky assemblage.  But this year, inspired by Frida Kahlo, I'm in an All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day mood, thinking of those who have passed. But yeah, with a bit of the oooky pooky too. Thanks to Mischief Circus for some inspiring images.

All Hollows Eve

Got a lovely respite in Ashville, NC thanks to dearhearts Liz and Morris.  We went  a bit out of town to Hendersonville, NC and came across Art on 4th. There a many places to get 'gift-ie' art in Hendersonville,  but Art on 4th is truly a gallery.  Wonderful stuff, great people and you've got to love their motto 'Where love at first sight, happens all the time.' 

To top it all off, they even made a great lunch recommendation and we had a fine Shepherd's Pie at Hannah Flannigans Pub.

Art On 4th - Hendersonville, NC

The background image in Fashionistas was found in the trash and happily passed along to me by the wonder-full Mimi.  She knows what makes me happy. Just needed a little amping, of course.  And the original image didn't have animals heads on the lovely high-fashion models - you knew that! - but they were certainly called for.  And pink cake!  Necessary. Totally.

Fashionistas

Jerk Taco and Gators!

Life can just come and take you in another direction and it has.  I see it's been months since I've posted and really, if it weren't for birthdays and the chance to create a collage card, I've had little emotional and actual space and energy for art.  Yay for birthdays!

But my sister is coming along well, the intense time of setting up how to manage things is beyond the crunch time and space is opening for art.

My old friend JP Folly posted a wonderful photo of the Jerk Taco Man in Chicago and it just caught my eye.  I've done my usual 'amping' of the original photo and added the elements that called to me. Would love one day to actually have Jerk Chicken right there.

Jerk Taco Man collage

And while zooming around on the net, I found a great old-school postcard of a favorite place of mine, the Mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida.  I've used images of Weeki Wachee before and I have actually been there for the Mermaid show.  I'm sure Weeki Wachee imagery will still call to me.

Weeki Wachee Gator Girls collage

While noodling along it my own files, I found this fun collage I've never posted.  It was inspired by a FaceBook post of a friend and I've set in in her home town of Staunton, Va.   pronounced 'stan ton' by the way.  Now you're in the know.

Staunton Girls collage

What would you think about if you weren't worrying?

As I shared in my last post, it has been a stressful time with my sister's hospitalization.  But I am so happy to report that she is finally at home and recovering well.  There will be some more out-patient therapy and other medical tweaks but she seems on the way to a full recovery. Yay!

On the way to her recovery I've had to work on handling stress.  The query 'What would you think about if you weren't worrying?' popped into my head one day and it seemed a perfect question indeed.  So I made a quote collage to remind me of it.  Less worrying freed up some collageability!

The wonderful oddling figures are dolls that I came across in someone's blog.  They were unattributed but good old Google image-search  discovered the source.  You can see more work from dollmaker Kateryna Kalinina.  

What Would You Think About If you Weren't Worrying? collage

The figures here, while contemporary, seemed just right for a retro setting.  Wonder Bread and Pie A'la Mode seemed good comrades for this scene. And what can be seen just out the window?  Google image-search revealed the people are custom-designed paper dolls!  You can be captured in paper-dollness your very self by checking out Jordan Grace Owens' Etsy shop.

Red Retro Dining collage

I came across this super 'It's not you, it's me' image and loved it's great retro feel and tough-girl message.  Google image-search let's us know that you can have this design, 'Breaking Up Is Hard to Do' by Leon Ryan as a t-shirt at Threadless.com.  Cool beans.

It's Not You, It's Me collage

An Outback Steakhouse commercial prompted a conversation that reminded me when I was young my best pal Janis and I used to frequent Tad's Steakhouse in Philadelphia after work on a Friday night.  It was a big treat.  The place was kind of cafeteria-style and you got a steak, a baked potato wrapped in foil and a salad in those retro wood bowls..  I found some photos of the Tad's Steakhouse and with a little altering and combining came up with this version.  The $1.29 price was true!  This was a long time ago.

Friday Night At Tad's Steakhouse collage

When we can't do, we can look

My sister has been hospitalized since March 3rd.  It's been a hard time and I've traveled to see her a couple of times.  So my mind hasn't really been ready yet to create.  But in the midst of this distracting time, I've got to enjoy some fine, funky art, so I thought I'd share.

For my birthday I received a wonderful outsider art painting entitled Everyday Scenes in Rock 'n' Roll Heaven by Rev. Johnny Ace.  It's painted on wood and just pleases me so much.  I saw it at the great Roots Up Gallery, an 'outsider art' gallery,  in Savannah and my husband got it for me.  Lucky me!

Every Scenes in Rock 'n' Roll Heaven by Rev. Johnny Ace
On Saturday night the guys like to hang out with Elvis down on Main Street, goofing off, smoking cigarettes  and hitting on dead chicks.

I found this great blurb on Rev. Johnny Ace at Mike's Art Truck,   a great online outsider/folk art gallery based in Hillsborough, N.C.

I came across the wonderful funky cat beings of Danial Ryan on Facebook. This is my recent favorite.  I tried to buy this oddling treasure, but alas, I saw the post too late. I often feature pie in my own work.  Someone else now has this delight, but I sure love it.

Pie Cat, Plops2 by Danial Ryan on Facebook

Max Smoot is a friend of my son out in Oregon and I've gotten to hang out with him a bit over time. His art always speaks to me and captures just that touch of bizarro I appreciate.  Check him out at Maxart on Facebook and at his maxart shop @ bigcartel.

Max Art critters on Facebook

And then while working on my own Etsy shop, I came across Church of Type.  Super hand made block prints with a great sensibility.  Made my day.

Hank Williams @ Church of Type on Etsy

So with all this juicy art cooking in the background to inspire me, I hope to back creating myself soon.

Quotes!

A difficult situation is going on right now with someone very close to me, but there is very little I myself can do about it.  It reminded me of a quote I was once gave my artist friend, Deb Booth  'Worry is the misuse of imagination' and I am trying to hold on to that very thought.

Deb and I say that quote to each often and it inspired me to do a collage of it, which then led to other quotes.  I can feel quote collages popping up from time to time in the future as well.

Worry is a Misuse of Imagination collage

Everything Is Possible collage

Be Kind collage

Not My Circus collage

Just Be You collage

Tybee and Tomochichi

Tybee Island is on the Atlantic ocean and just about 12 miles from Savannah.  Happily it is maintaining a low-scale skyline [four stories seemed the limit] and an 'old school' beach feel - more so, of course, when visiting in Winter.

Coming upon the Fish Art Gallery was quite a delight.  Alas, it was closed, but as you can see, the yard is chock full of constructions and assemblages, and apparently some unique supplies for purchase for your own project.

My favorite

Torsos and body parts for sale

Want to do some shell art?  Here:s a wagon-full

Ralph Douglas Jones is The Fish Man, morphed from sign painter to artist.  Here is a nice piece on his story at SavannahNow.com.

Sign Painter Turned Artist - 2008

Back in Savannah, away from the shops and galleries,  I saw a space that looked like a gallery. Turns out it was a school administration building, but they were indeed hanging art. They let me wander in and explained it was a display of art from the Savannah schools, up to Middle School and there would be an opening and awards event later in the week.  

I was given permission to photograph this large piece, which is a middle School collaborative project.  The subject is Tomochichi the 17th century Chief who gave the land for the settlement of Savannah,  I found this piece arresting,

Savannah!

Savannah is a great town and a favorite place of mine - the fabled Historic District an ultimate place for the urban walker.  The one-of-a-kind aspect is Savannah's 24 'squares' - park-like oasis all throughout the District, plus 3 'non-square' parks, including the vast 30 acre Forsyth Park.  Walk, walk, Sit awhile among the wondrous Live Oaks,Walk, Find coffee and good food - all abounds.. 

The elegant classic architecture of the Historic District is indeed beautiful, but Savannah is different from other historical towns, as it is the home of SCAD, the well-known Savannah School of Art and Design, so there is a grand eclectic mix of modern and funky among buildings with a long heritage. SCAD has saved and rehabbed at least 67 buildings in the historic District which are used as classrooms, galleries, residences etc.  Amongst all the history, my artist eye is delighted to find the urban oddments that always appeal to me.

No time while here to really collage, but I thought I would 'amp' - amplify and saturate  - the colors of some of my travel photos, which will hopefully find their way into emerging as fuller collages.   Having fun I am.

  

Streamliner Diner 'amped'

The Streamliner is a 1938 diner saved by SCAD and relocated to Savannah.  The Sandfly BBQ people lease it.  Great BBQ too.

Paddle Wheeler 'amped'

This grand old=style ship is available for cruises, parties and weddings.  My step-daughter Mia was married here in 1996.

Art Car 'amped"

Came upon this art car at the Market Square.  The artist is the gentleman in the blue plaid shirt.  He told me he didn't think he was an artist or that it was an 'art car', but that he had been working on it for five years and that he did like to bring it out to the Market for people to see 

Sofa Park amped1

Sofa Park amped2

These sofas are part of an installation of about six in the 'garden' of the SCAD gallery.  The walls are the remains of an early freight depot.  The museum itself is more of the recovered building.  The sofas are of a dense plastic.

Random fun...

And two last things worth mentioning.  I happened upon these great sketches on the street, next to the trash can.  I rescued them too. Of course.

Gotta love the tip jar at our favorite coffee shop, Gallery Espresso.  Ta da!

Sarasota!

Sarasota is famous for it's beaches and upscale shopping out on the Keys, but being in search of the urban walking experience, we are exploring from our base in the historic, and a bit more funky, neighborhood of Laurel Park and close to downtown.  The area is replete with homes built in the 1920:s.  Cottages, Mediterranean Revival - all the styles that grab my attention. 

Nearby Burns Court is another great area and it sports a block of homes that were among the first built to draw travelers to Sarasota, most built between 1925-26.

In any event, from the elegant to the funky, something about cottages by the sea really floats my boat [corny pun absolutely intended!].  And although I've only done a few collages here, as the weather has been nice with no rainy-stay-inside-days, I have many photos on hand to keep me happily collage-ing

How could one not photograph this wonderful mural!

Cameras 

Mid-century modern in beachy colors!

Murray Homes

The mosaic shoe as planter was sitting on a porch railing, but not of this great red doored cottage. It was an actual shoe embellished and was on the porch of a tile shop. Warning- shoe is not true to size!

Shoe House

In thinking of my love of "beachy, I recalled the first beach cottage my family stayed in that I actually remember, not just from photographs. It was a white cottage with sea blue trim and a white picket fence - a Mrs. Treft's.  We rented her upstairs apartment.  I was so fortunate to spend at least two weeks every summer of my childhood 'down the shore', at Wildwood, N.J.  There is a photo of me at just 3 months old on the beach.  This fisher-girl-with-Dad photo is one of my favorites and one most evocative of being, as we said,  "down the Shore".  I send appreciation to my parents out in the Cosmos,

At the shore

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