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.

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

A new year!

Sometimes the energy is a bit goony and a bit edgy and you end up with this holiday greeting I posted on Facebook.

I was busy before the holidays - inspired by an item from ArtsCow - zippered bags they called cosmetic bags, but I think are anything-you-want-to-use-them-for-bags.  What a perfect image medium and practical too!  

ArtsCow is a great resource for printing images on a all manner of items - including photo books - with good quality and reasonable prices.  They are always offering a deal, so be sure to google for artscow coupons before you make a purchase.

So I set about designing collages for my family and friends and having them made into these clever bags.  I also gave them a card with the collage on it and enjoyed when they were surprised to find the collage on a bag.  Of course, I made myself a bag and a couple to sell at the Shenandoah Valley Art Center gift shop.  I really enjoy creating collages with specific people in mind.  Thinking about them, looking for the images that I feel 'resonate' with them and then finding how it all goes together just has it's own unique flow.

Mermaid Collage for April

Eclectic collage for Mimi

Laughing Mermaids collage for Deb

Steampunk Shakespearean  collage for Rachel

Angelic Roses collage  for Kathryn

Soaring Butterflies collage for Nora

White Mystics collage for Oksana

Astro collage for Jacqui

Be True Shoes collage variant for me!

I want to end with sharing a collage I made as a thank you note for some wonderful gifts I received this Christmas time.  Mz Mimi certainly had me in mind when she found a perfect pair of  art shoes, a motorcycle trophy with a witch on it [actually won at a Halloween race by her partner Mike!] and a fantastic book of photographs of images in fish tanks [wow, wish I had thought of that one!!] Fish Tank Sonata by Arthur Tess.

Magical Mimi Shoes collage

The wonderful laughing mermaid images are from ARTchixstudio.com - a favorite resource and inspiration of mine.