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.

Out and About in the 'Boro

I don't know if people really call our town, 'the 'Boro', but I like the ring.  My 'regional' collages have a fare share of  'hometown' favorites and these are the latest.

Willy's Ice Cream is a long time popular landmark.  Founded in 1995, it occupies a corner of a shopping center parking lot, closes for the winter and has a wonderful retro feel. And yes, the ice cream is great.

 

Willy's Ice Cream - Waynesboro series

 

This house has caught my eye before, but recently while driving by, the light was on it just so and I said to my husband, 'Stop the car! Pull over!' and I jumped out and got some shots.

White House on Main - Waynesboro Series

Till another 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.

Halloween. Oooky Pooky!

Halloween.  All Hallowed. The veil between the realms is thinned.  The dark mysteries can be glimpsed at.  We can dance and explore behind our mask and costume.  Some of these collages were made just for the season.  Others are just apropos.

Spirits @ News Virginian

Bad Dolly Trick or Treat

Crow Sisters Dark Matter

I Still Repeat The Things You said

Ascension

All Saints Frida

Local Landmarks & Landscapes, Millennial Barbies and Out of Action

It's been awhile since I've been here.  I had knee replacement surgery in June, had a few set-backs with it and am just now feeling energized enough to collage and blog.

But some of my art has been out and about.  I was delighted to learn that both of my 'gothic'  pieces in the Shenandoah Valley Art Center members show sold!  WooHoo.

LOCAL banner

There was another great group show at SVAC, which I'm sorry I didn't let you know about at the time.  The concept was art based on local landmarks and landscapes.  The project used an interesting device, in which artists chose from a list of locations.  50 in all.  I chose a wonderful home on Cherry Avenue and went with that 'Cherrified' inspiration in a big way.  Literal can be fun!  A book of the show was produced as well.




A few favorites ~

Assemblage - Jen Jones

   

Ice Tower - John Ball

    

Downtown Waynesboro - Caro Mayo

Cherry Avenue collage

Art took a back seat while recuperating,. I did do a couple birthday cards, but it was just recently that I had the energy and ability to stay at my computer, to do a collage.  Came across this image of the new line of Millennial Barbies - and their Kens - and off I went. I do like the retro baker accenting the hipsters. A bit of fun.  Eclairs and donuts too!

Millennial Barbies 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

Fall Foliage Update - alas, rain

Alas, 2 days of rain really did put a damper [pun intended] on the Art Show, but I'm still glad I did it and I sold a bit and had some really nice experiences. Two of my own favorite artists bought pieces of mine, which delighted me. An old friend who was in town for the weekend, surprised me by stopping by the booth.  She found out about it on Facebook.  All the pieces went to people who really appreciate them. 

One guy was really attracted to the altered shoes and said he had to have one but none of them were really speaking to him.  Turns out he has a shoe repair business.  A thought came to me and I took a chance and said, "I have a really weird shoe. Would you like to see it?' and he did and yes, it was perfect for him.  Love that stuff.

The Noir & Blanc etagere got a lot of attention, including a woman who owned one as a jewelry box.  I noticed the kid reactions.  Girls seemed to like the art and boys said 'it was a little bit creepy'.  Maybe girls zoned in on the doll parts and boys zoned in on that they were, indeed, parts.

Mz Underwood also garnered a lot of comment.  Nora and I observed that people were drawn to the pieces that had more literal parts - like a typewriter or a radio for a head.  

Also, cards of my collages sold well, so that was nice feedback. The director of my gallery told me she wanted me to put work in the gift shop and a shop owner in nearby Staunton would like some pieces on consignment, so that was fun too. Several people told me that my stuff really needed to be in an urban environment, which I know, but again, fun to hear it from others. 

As ever, many many thanks to Nora and Deb for their support and encouragement.

These are some of the characters who have new homes -

Wyrd Sisters Shoe - off to the shoe repair shop!

Mz Underwood

  

Window of Fate

Edgar 3

Earlier in the day, I bought this from the guy who bought Edgar.  I can see this he would totally appreciate Edgar. 

Thanks to Piper Groves at the Shenandoah Valley Art Center for coordinating the event so well and for offering us Emerging and Local Artists the opportunity to easily participate.

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.