When Nothing is Certain, Everything is Possible

Art gives us another window to look through. Creating captures your focus and you enter another stream for awhile.  For myself, 'pushing images' around in digital collage or adding bits and pieces together in mixed-media, lets me move away from the often overwhelming-ness of the world and find a 'breather' in an 'other' world.

Before Covid19, I was working on making embellished versions of some of my collages. I extracted key images and mounted them on foam-core to add dimension and then added a high-glaze finish to each piece.  But when everything changed in March, I just put all creating aside for awhile.  Recently, I re-elooked at the collage and realized it's a perfect message for now.

This is the original collage.

When Nothing is Certain - Everything is possible

and the dimensional version with  embellished frame

Friends of mine are creating these days as well.  I love this reminder from SVAC - Shenandoah Valley Art Center, of which I am a member.

Check out our current Members Exhibit.

I contributed my Covid 19 pieces and this, Frida Kali Kwan Yin

Frida Kali Kwan Yin

My dear friend Deb Booth at Different Light Studio found roosters calling to be quilled. Check out the detailed shots of the quilling.

Cock of the Walk by Deb Booth - Quilling

Black Rooster by Deb Booth - Quilling

Quilling detail

Quilling Detail

 

 

 

My HeartDaughter Mimi is an amazing craftsperson.  Knitting, quilts, lace, crochet and whatever else catches her fancy.

These magical birds were my birthday gift. The pattern echoes Mexican designs.

And a too cute Snow Bird for her friend Margaret.

Quilt in progress

So create! Make Art. Wash your hands. 

Take care. Stay safe. Be safe for others.

Covid 19 Heroes redux

In my last post  I shared being inspired by the call from Adobe to create images reflecting our Covid 19 Heroes -https://www.adobe.com/heroes.html.  I was drawn to photos of nurses, many of whom bore the 'scars' of their protective masks and created small portraits. 

I was moved to combine them in a single collage and those same faces inspired me to create a mixed-media assemblage.

My Covid 19 Heroes Angel carries the faces of these heroes, only one of whom I know by name- Kious Jordan Kelly,  He was a nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, gave the ultimate sacrifice. He died from C19 on March 24, 2020. 

These are small offerings of remembrance,  honoring, sharing heart.

Take care. Stay safe. 

Instagram - Covid 19 Heroes

Well, life has truly changed for all of us.  My last post was filled with collage from my Winter Travel.  Now travel is far from my mind, far from a possibility.  And although there is open time for art, a 'having to stay at home and wondering what's next' ennui stymied a creative flow.

Recently, as a user of Photoshop Elements,  I got an email invitation to join their Instagram posts of  #HonorHeroes@Adobe.  It inspired me and I was drawn to do some portraits of nurses throughout the country I found in various articles on the web.  It came to me to highlight their efforts with words capturing the essence of each person.  A tiny tribute.

Kious Jordan Kelly, NYC

Anthony Fauci

So I now have an Instagram account.

Please meet up with me there @ https://www.instagram.com/altered.e.art/


These portraits are my first Instagram post.  I still like what is now 'old school' blogging but think Instagram might be a great place to share random collages, from the 'archives' as it were.

And with our new 'aloha' - Stay well. Stay safe.

Savannah 2020

Always so happy to spend time in Savannah. The Historic District and further neighborhoods offer a wonderful combo of urban elegance, historic architecture, funky art, the River walk and the unique opportunity to enjoy a green oasis in its numerous 'Squares', i.e., parks throughout the city, culminating in  Forsyth Park with its many Live Oaks and its lovely, famous fountain.  

The presence of SCAD - Savannah College of Art and Design adds a special air of creativity and interesting people to the town. And offers a major museum and various galleries. Savannah's Jepson Art Center and the Telfair Gallery are other rich sources of art. as well as the numerous private galleries all around town. My personal favorite gallery is Roots Up, home for so-called 'outsider art'.

Our daily meanderings offer rich architecture, storefronts and homes, and all the signage and oddities that always catches my eye. And like in Cedar Key, many of my collages from the past six years have become historical artifacts, capturing places that are radically changed or no longer there.  

City Market - A.T Hun Gallery - Savannah

11 Barnard Street - Savannah

Planet 3 - Savannah

Prohibition Museum - Savannah

And a final caution I came upon...

Winter Travels 2020 - Cedar Key - the Nature Coast of Florida

Once again I am a most fortunate person to spend some Winter time in one of my favorite places., Cedar Key - laid back, old-school Florida Gulf coast town.  A place to sit and watch and listen to the Gulf of Mexico from our vacation rental deck, meander the streets of historic Florida cottage architecture, with enough restaurants to please and boasting two art galleries.

Our favorite place for breakfast is the Second Street Cafe. Steamers is our go-to place for lunch and dinner. And Island Arts, now on Dock Street, is where we always bring something home from, especially from potter Frank DiGangi.

And once again, I have fun being inspired by what is around me for collage.  As always, I take my own photos, amplify the colors and alter them and add elements that catch my eye, many of which are extracted from other local photographs. The background images may have a bit of artistic modification, so if you came upon that place, it might look different than my collage. I travel with a hefty supply of images and google is always available to find just what I am looking for - or wasn't looking for!  Art fun.

This year I noticed several of my past Cedar Key collages have become 'historical' as some of the places, especially businesses, are no longer there.

Big Deck - Cedar Key, FL

Dilly Dally Mermaid on Second Street - Cedar Key

This lovely mermaid resides in the Dilly Dally Gally gift shop, in  the painting she is holding. Here she been freed to hang out on Second Street with her armadillo pal.

Cedar Key Circa 1930

Yellow In Cedar Key

Second Street Live Oak - Cedar Key

Owl Sisters and Crow Solstice

The nadir point and the wheel turns

 

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

Crows! Calling All Crows!

I have a thing for Crows. Crows speak to me. I feel them. They're symbolic to me, my totem, as it were.

Many years ago in a drumming circle, there was a guided meditation where we were invited to dive into a pond and when we emerged we would meet someone/something significant.  I 'met' Grandmother Crow. She embraced me within her cloak and since then Crow came present in my life. I have had many other Crow experiences, have gathered all things Crow and find Crow in my art, as themselves and as intertwined with me.  I appreciate the Corvid cousin Raven, but Crow who is my clan. 

Recently I completed another Crow collage and today decided to post a Gathering of Crows, a Murder of Crows.  

Crows Unbinding Worry

Dreamtime Crow Guardian

Crows Sisters

Crows Sisters-Dark Matters

White Crow Guardian

Spiraled E Crowed

Sad Hope Wth Crows

Greenway Crow Gathering

Crow-ed Shoes

West Asheville Summertime

West Asheville, NC is such a fun and inspiring place.  Asheville itself is a great place, but I really thrive in the little-bit-funky West Asheville vibe.  Any walk around town is full of things that catch my eye and many yearn to become a collage. Yeppo, they tell me so. 

The weather was great and our time a bit short, so only two collages came out of this visit.  I typically do my 'regional' collages while I'm actually visiting and in the area.  It's part of my fun with capturing the locale I'm visiting.

Bari Salon - West Asheville, NC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The West Asheville Lion

Special thank yous to Liz and Morris our West Asheville hosts.  It's always special and so are they. Always.