Frida & Billie and the Fall Foliage Festival Art Show

Frida Kahlo and Billie Holiday - two unique people who lived their lives 'out loud' and through pain and hardship, left a legacy of beauty and passion.  They've inspired my collages before and probably will again.

Frida & Billie - Kahlo & Holiday collage

And in an embellished mat at the Shenandoah Valley Art Center Gallery

And coming up soon!  Come to Central Virginia, over the Blue Ridge Mountains and celebrate with us.

https://www.svacart.com/

Till another time!

You're Invited! Please join me at the opening to my Wayne Theatre Gallery space show! Next Monday, 8/26/24

My exciting opportunity is almost here!  I had a preview of the show and Liz Moss and her partner did a fabulous and creative job - naturally! - of designing the show.  

If you are in our area, please do drop by and celebrate with me on Monday, August 26th, 5-7 PM at the Wayne Theatre in Waynesboro, VA.

        Here's the link to the Gallery announcement at  the Wayne Theatre Website. 

        Here's the link to the Waynesboro Theatre Events Page on Facebook.  Say you'll be there!! 

The show is focusing on my 'Regional' collages, anchored in photos of the area, landscapes,  mostly in Waynesboro, but also Staunton and Charlottesville.  As well a group of my 'Inner Region' collages; landscapes of  'inner and other'.

I especially like the 'mural' collage series.  Waynesboro has quite a few fantastic murals and more continue to appear.  Inspiring!  

The mural for this collage, Flowered, is on Main Street, near the Wayne Theatre. Apropos!

Flowered collage
mural by Nils Westergard

From the Wayne Theatre website...in the Exhibit Gallery

From the website...Wayne Theatre, Waynesboro VA

The show will be available through November 18.  So lovely.

Upcoming!!! My show at the Wayne Theatre Gallery space - August 26th thru November 17th, 2024. Fortunate me!!

I'm so excited to share about my upcoming show, here in Waynesboro, Virginia at the Wayne Theatre's Gallery space.  I've written about the Wayne theatre and it's wonderful restoration in a previous post.

I've been working with  Elizabeth 'Liz' Moss of  Rising Star Consulting and Art Services in pulling the show together.  Her insights, clarity and supportiveness are so appreciated.

Screen Shot - Wayne Theatre Gallery @ Wayne Theatre.org

Here's  the link to the Gallery  announcement at Wayne Theatre Website.  

                 The current show appears first, so  scroll down to read my entry.

It would be lovely to see and meet you at the Opening Reception on August 26th, 5-7 pm.  

                Here is a link to the Waynesboro Theatre Events Page on Facebook.  Say you'll be there!!

             

Till next time!!

Frida with Billie and Tom is in the neighborhood

It's always a bit of fun for me when I am drawn to include known figures in my work.  People who inspire and intrigue me. They bring such a pop of energy.  Sometimes they are anchor of the piece and other times they are just the perfect flourish, the perfect fit.

I came across the Frida Kahlo and Billie Holiday images the same day. They sat there on my desktop and eventually leapt into this collage. I find them most compatible.  The golden dress woman is Louise Brooks, a silent screen star who also had a strong presence.  I especially like Frida in her suited attire. The women with her were her sisters.

Frida and Billie collage

Waynesboro, Virginia, my town, has a great collection of muraled walls. I came across this one recently.  Tom Waits seemed to hold and echo the mural energy just right.

The artist is  Nils Westergard, a well known muralist and we in Waynesboro are fortunate to have other murals by him as well. He calls the mural Commerce Street mural  'After'.

Tom Waits on Commerce Street collage
Waynesboro, Virginia  Series

As always, thanks for looking!

Till next time.

Painting It Orange with Jess

I've featured Jess in more than a few of my collages; usually inspired by interesting and wonderful photos she herself posts.  Jess is an artist and owns a nifty shop and studio called Paint It Orange.  We've been talking about a little upcoming collaboration, so I've been looking at images of Orange, VA

Jess was indeed working on her car in this photo with the wrench, but more automobiles joined the party.

Auto-Matic Jess collage

 

Current collaged travels to Orange...

On Main Street collage - Orange, VA

Alices At Mayhurst collage - Orange, VA

Paint It Orange collage - Orange, VA

I lived in Orange in the mid-70's to '80's with my former husband, Perry.  Jess' father, Bill - also an artist - was  a good friend of ours and grew up in Orange. Bill and Perry still do all sorts of projects together.  Bill and his wife Nancy are part of the Rockfish Gallery.  Here is a favorite self-portrait of Bill, which lives in my front hall.

 

Self-Portrait - Bill Walters

 

Till next time.

 

 

Be tender with yourself

One of the fun things with collage is how images just appear in your sphere.  You're always on the lookout for them and they always find you.  It makes a nice alive element in life.

Lately an array of images of particularly interesting people have come into my world and I'm populating my collages with them.  Sometimes it is challenging to be different and I thought this message was timely. 

 

Be Tender collage

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Anonymous Content collage series always begin with images that just grabbed my attention that day.  It's a free vibe of what may enter the space.  Sometimes themes emerge and a title with it.  This Anonymous collage ended up with a preponderance of blue.

Anonymous Content Blue collage

 

 

A vintage photo of classic Main Street where I live showed up, complete with retro cars and people. Alterations were required! The 5&10 and CocaCola soda fountain are long gone.

Retro Main Street collage

 

I was so taken by this vibrant woman in yellow that I had to make this collage just for me.  It is derived from Counterpoint, a painting I saw on Antiques Road Show.  The artist is Bernard Goss and the owner's mother knew him.  The appraiser said the 1954  painting had some controversy in the title and subject, as it showed an African-American pianist and Caucasian dancer performing together. Goss was a Chicago-area artist who was active during the WPA. He was a member of the important South Side Community Art Center.

Interestingly, this painting does not appear on any sites I found that included Goss' paintings.  I assume the owner has kept it in private hands.  I did a screen-shot to capture the image.  I have my own Chicago connection, having lived there for seven years when I was young.  The background is an edited vintage postcard of the Wrigley Building.

Counterpoint collage - Homage to Bernard Goss

 

Till next time.

Murals and Mid-Century Modern Meet-Up

Two of my favorite things ~ street art murals and mid-century design!  Always catches my attention and always inspiring.  It's quite fun discovering what images will accompany the main image or gather together at random [well, seemingly random as there is always a 'vibe' pulling things together.]

The mural, on what was once a ice plant and is now boarded up, is a Waynesboro, VA landmark.  She is Kaiya With Tulips by Nils Westergard, a Belgian-American artist and film maker based in Richmond, VA.  Kaiya is also quite well known in wider circles, as it was voted #1 on the Top 100 Urban Art 2019 list by Streetart360   My morning walk on the Greenway takes me past her everyday and I regard her with great affection.

Kaiya of Waynesboro collage

The Mid-century Modern house in the collage was not the inspiration of the collage.  My ongoing muse, Jess, posted a photo of herself in what I deemed as echoing mid-century sensibility and I was inspirted to place her and her dog in the mid-century setting.  

Mid-Century Jess collage

Happy Birthday! Happy Spring! White on White!

Our time away was great, but being home is as they say,  it's own kind of wonderful. Many things to attend to to get back in the groove, but happy to be here.

Each year I do my own birthday collage and one of my gifts to myself is that I compile an annual book of my collages and cards.  Both are fun to do and it's always interesting to see what is revealed in hindsight.

e birthday 2022 collage 

Octopi are often an element in my collage and I often use octopi hair on 'avatars' of myself.  This collage was almost finished, when my husband gave me for my birthday an amazing replica of an ancient Minoan pot - famous for their Octopi imagery-  produced by a museum in Greece.  It was the perfect finishing element of the collage.

Crows are another element I often use and I consider the Crow a menaingful totem in my life. But at an earlier time, when I was doing work with Wendy Ashley, an astrologer who anchored her work in mythology, she saw the Hare or Rabbit as a totem.  In some myths, the Hare is seen as the messenger between realms, moving by moonlight between the human world and the Otherworld.  Recently I was moved to add rabbits to some collages.  So I am welcoming Hare into the present.

The idea of this collage came to me in a dream - a Crow-Hare icon.  As she emerged, I felt she was in the fae or fairy realm and her name, Nix,  popped up as I completed the collage.  She anchors Hare, who is the stronger and more wild rabbit and Crow.  Ironically, I completed her on Easter, which I see as linked to the ancient goddess of Spring, Eostre.  

The eggs are Ukranian 'Pysanka' eggs, a tradition going back prior to Christianity.  The eggs are meant as memories or good wishes, prayers. 'Pysanka' means to write upon, and the designs are drawn or painted with wax and then dyed.  I was really drawn to the one on the upper left with the golden symbol. I looked it up and it represented Freedom, so appropos at this time.

Spring - Nix the Crow-Hare Fairy collage

Sometimes themes appear from circumstance.  'White on White' was inspired by the members gallery theme for May at SVAC - the Shenandoah Valley Arts Center.   The background image, the Heritage On Main  restaurant, had apparently recently been painted white and I noticed it just as I was thinking about a white-themed collage.  It's always nice when the Multiverse collaborates with you.  There are some puns on white in this little grouping and some surprise players.  The happy couple are Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter on their wedding day in 1946.

Till next time. 

Bastet - Jacqui Rose

For decades, my sister, Jacqui Rose, felt deeply aligned to the ancient Egyptian goddess, Bastet. The essence of Bastet was symbolic in Jacqui's spiritual practices.

Bastet, also called Bast, is the Egyptian goddess of the home, domesticity, women's secrets, cats, fertility, and childbirth. She was the daughter of the sun god Ra and is associated with the concept of the Eye of Ra (the all-seeing eye) and the Distant Goddess (a female deity who leaves Ra and returns to bring transformation).  Bastet's cult was carried to Italy by the Romans, and traces have been found in Rome, Ostia, Nemi, and Pompeii.  Our own family has Italian heritage.

I began this collage about a month after Jacqui's passing. I wanted to capture Jacqui in her strength and power; her fullness.  The orange tabby alludes to her own cat, Keppie, and I was pleased to find an orange tabby goddess figure. The gray cat alludes to a cat I once had. I think of them as sisters' cats. 

And once again, she is in the stars.

I submitted her in the upcoming 'Artist's Choice' exhibit at SVAC, Shenandoah Valley Art Center.

Community! Art at the Augusta County Virginia Library ~ October 2, 2017 thru January 6,2018

I'm participating in an art show at the August County Library on Community.  The invitation originally focused on the idea of works featuring the city of Staunton, then the county and then

evolved to varied themes by area artists.

I've contributed along the lines of the first theme, with my Staunton Girls and two pieces from my Waynesboro Series. Always fun to have art out and about.

Ben Thomas is the show coordinator and we had great fun associating the Pinky's collage to Pink Flamingo, John Waters, Baltimore and more.

In the area? The Library is located at 1759 Jefferson Hwy, [Route 250], Fishersville, VA.

Pinky's ~ Waynesboro Series

Staunton Girls

Weasie's ~ Waynesboro Series

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

Around the town

I'm continuing in my Waynesboro series.  This thematic project has been fun and will probably be ongoing.  

I was away for a bit, so didn't get to mention here the wonderful annual Fall Art Festival that the Shenandoah Valley Art Center - SVAC - sponsors every October.  It's a 2-day event, where art takes over the streets of downtown Waynesboro.  This year good weather was an added blessing and it seemed like a successful show.

In November, I'll be the featured artist in the gift shop at SVAC and will display large prints of these collages.  In fact, my current favorite is the KitKat art girl in the SVAC collage.  

SVAC - Shenandoah Art Center 

Pinky's

Weasie's Kitchen

where my art-pal bestie  Deb Booth and I meet for breakfast every week.

On Main Street

Basic City Luncheonette

Wow! A double-post day! J Perry Fitzhugh's Found Glass Sculptures

Bopping over to Facebook after my last post, I discovered that my dear friend J. Perry Fitzhugh is having a show of is found-object glass sculptures at the Barboursville Fine Arts Gallery here in, you got it, Barboursville, Virginia.  Check out  the show here.

Perry's explored the delight of combining found glass and other objects in other times of his life, but this series is quite special.

        

Waynesboro Fall Foliage Art show coming up! Free admission. Free parking.

The Emerging Artists Booth will be at Main & Arch Streets, in the parking lot.
Hope to see you there

 Come on by!!  Art, Music and food.  Fun in the Shenandoah Valley.

Main Street, downtown Waynesboro, VA

Check this out...

All About the Fall Foliage Art Show - video

Waynesboro's Fabulous Fall Foliage Art Show - October 12 & 13 and I'll be there!

I've been so fortunate to be featured in the Emerging Artists booth at the upcoming Fall Foliage Art Show right here in Waynesboro, VA..   

Bestie Gal-Pal Deb Booth mentored me once again and was the engine behind my applying to be part of the Emerging Artists booth and other lovers of whimsy and oddness at the Shenandoah Valley Art Center agreed and here I am.  Special shout-outs to Piper Groves the dynamic director of SVAC and to Pamela Martin, Exhibits Director.

Deb will have her own booth too, showcasing her wonderful photography and digital images

And a most special thank you to dear Nora, who has volunteered spend two days in a booth at the show with me. Wow!

Saturday October 12 10am to 5 pm   & Sunday October 13 Noon to 5 pm.
Downtown Waynesboro, Virginia.

Free admission and free parking.   150 vendors of all kinds of art, craft, jewelry and more, including music and great food.  Check it out: Fall Foliage/SVAC

I found it interesting to work 'to a show'.  I wanted to make sure that I didn't get into the 'head' of making pieces just for the show, but I did find that knowing there was an upcoming show added an extra energy.

Then there was all the prep for the actual doing of a show.  Although I may not sell one piece, I have to be ready to sell all of them. lol.    New business cards. Thank you & info cards to go with the art. At Deb's suggestion we printed note cards of my collages and some pieces that are not for sale.  Packaging! Pricing! Art pins! And I was able to have printed a fun 6' long banner to hang in the booth. Dennis did his organizational magic, created stands for the display and the first booth set up and on and on.  All this and as it turns out, I'll be traveling in September, so everything had to be done well in advance.   Which I am so happy to report, is the case.  Of course, I have already muttered that I don't want to do it again, but as Deb reminded me, now that I've done all this, the next time would be easier.

Some pix of the 'doing'.

Sample 'set up'.  The Noir & Blanc etagere will be a special feature.

I just love that acid green

Fun Pin Art  for whimsy

Some of the collages printed as blank note cards

The 6' Banner  - ordered from WalMart online Photo Center, of all places! 

Art packaged to go!  I used this method to ship art.
 Place the art in large cellophane 'basket' bags and tie the top.  The captured air in the bag nicely protects all the glued-on embellishments.  Looks cute too.

And now I can relax and wait for the big event.  If you're in the area October 12th or 13th, you'll know where to find me.