Once Again in Cedar Key...

For many years now, we've been spending some Winter time in Cedar Key, Florida. If you follow my blog, you've been with me before.  Cedar Key's great charm is that it is a small, 'Old Florida' town with lots of great houses and cottages and charming storefront and restaurant facades. It has the 'old timey' feel that truly appeals to me; all with a Florida on the Gulf  color palette - and that's before I get around to my alterings and amplifications! lol.

After our typical morning meanderings, afternoons are a perfect time to review my photos and see what speaks to me and do some 'collage-ing'. 

2nd Street Cafe is our go-to place for breakfast. And Miss Betty is one of our favorite servers. She's 80+ and is indeed the friendly face you see right here. 

2nd Street Cafe and Betty collage
Cedar Key series

 

Amongst the colorful cottages and lovely Victorians, there are also some vintage wooden buildings that catch my eye.  Cedar Key is known for its many cats and although there are indeed armadillos in the area, I didn't actually meet one at Wells Wood.

Wells Wood collage
Cedar Key series

Kiss Coffee House & Grill, food-truck style,  offers specialty roast coffee, as well as BBQ and great things such as Brisket Chili. 

BBQ with Patti collage
Cedar Key series

Here for awhile longer. Fortunate me.

Till next time.

Not Radioactive! Radiation Therapy collage

This is the 3rd collage in my 'breast cancer cycle' of 2023;  the last collage.  I'm hoping now to file that in my 'Past Health Events' folder and as the radiologist said,  in my rear-view mirror.  I ended three+ weeks of daily treatments on 12/28, just in time for the new year and the beginning of my annual Winter Trip. I was fortunate to have little side effects from the treatment and am confident any random cancer cells were eliminated by the radiation therapy.  Life may bring me something else but probably not a repeat of this specific situation.

I titled her 'Not Radioactive' as I noted that the booklet I was given about radiation therapy used that phrase three times.  I mentioned it to the techs and they said people do still carry a connection to radiation and radioactive.  My Crow totem was with me throughout the treatments; embraced by Crow wings.

Not Radioactive-Radiation Therapy collage

The 1st collage after the mammogram that discovered the tumor, 7 millimeter biopsy

7 Millimeters collage

The 2nd collage post-surgery to remove the 5 centimeter tumor

5 Centimeters collage

The collages in an embellished frame, with flowers sent by my friend, Donna.

Fini!! Series Complete.

Till next time.

Remembering Michael Anthony Gritz - my DearHeart friend, Brother of Spirit

 As some of you may know, my dearest friend Michael left us on December 25th, 2023. My brother of spirit is now my brother in spirit.  We shared a unique closeness for over forty years. The friend who becomes family; at times a house mate, Godfather to my child, Alexander, partner in work and many endeavors. The person you always trusted and was always at ease with.

We shared many things, interests and sensibilities and the collages here are some cards I made for various celebrations of Michael; including our totems of Bat and Crow.  I share them with you in celebration of his  being.  Now, he's in the stars.

Solstice Sister and Brother

Masked Ball for Michael

Dragon for Michael

Bats At Tea for Michael

Billy Porter and the Guys for Michael

All Hallows for Michael

Steampunk Bat Man & Magical Grandmother for Michael

Wings and Roses for Michael

Thank You for Michael

Archangel for Michael

This is the last card I made for Michael.  It's a portrait of him dressed as Yule Man. I made two versions and this is him with bat energy. I hope he liked this rather elegant look. I never heard from him about it or my last Yule gift to him.

Yule Man Michael

Ever in my heart. Ever with me. 

Till another time.

Yule! Solstice! New Year!

 Wishing everyone all good things in all ways.

 Winter Fairy - Yule

Winter Solstice

New Year with Patti & Lou 

See you in 2024!

Patti Smith In Blue and Friends

My health has my main focus right now and I just started radiation therapy, but fortunately, images come my way and inspire me to take time out and go into collage mode.

I'm a fan of Patti Smith, her music, books and her always Patti just being Patti-ness. I came across the three main images in this collage serendipitously on the same day and knew they worked well together. And as I worked on the collage, I felt they all shared a certain life-attitude as well.  Google image search revealed that the red-hatted women was Vita Sackville-West and of course, the Magitte-like image carries his different way of seeing.  The last element I searched for.  It is Arthur Rimbaud, a favorite poet of Patti Smith, which she had just referenced in her 'M Train' book I am reading.  

The back-stories to a work can be interesting, even fun, but in the end, it's the images, the juxtapositions and composition that calls me.

 

Patti Smith In Blue

Till another time.

Mammograms! Get 'em. They're on your side.

Recently I went for my annual Mammogram.  A few days later I received a call that I needed 'additional screenings.'  The news hit me with quite a shock.   A letter came saying there was an  'architectural distortion'; a term which describes a distorted shape or pattern visible on a mammogram, but a distinct mass is not seen. It may represent a benign condition or possible breast cancer.  Sigh. Of course, I wanted to have my re-screens done the very same day, but instead, I had to wait ten days for an appointment.

I began this collage during the first waiting period.  I typically create an 'avatar' of myself when collages are about or represent me; adding my distinctive curly hair, perhaps my crow feather & spiral tattoo, etc. The figure began rather dark, but then I stumbled upon the first pink flower, which I added to the dark dress.  As time went on, the pink flowers grew and the tenor change.  

It turned out that I did indeed have a tumor; just 7 millimeters and low-level as they grade these things, but it would require surgery.  So 7 mm was added to my avatar.  I had a similar situation 20 years ago, so the star on the left arrow marks the previous success. The questioning symbols on the right, were added while I waited for the pathology report.

All this waiting time gave me a great opportunity to get myself 'aligned' to the next steps that would be required of me and it was a great support to have art as my expression and distraction to move away from fear.

7 Millimeters - Mammogram collage series

I did have surgery, a lumpectomy, in which a 5 centimeter area was removed and a lymph node.  Everything was contained, no cells in the lymph node and I am recovering well.  As of now, it seems I will also have radiation therapy, so the red poppies came into play, representing the fire/heat of radiation.

 

5 Centimeters - Mammogram collage series

I shared my first collage with a few people and my friend Donna sent me a collection of paper flowers, which inspired me to use them to create this embellished mat with the two collages together.

The Mammogram Series with embellished mat

As scary as the words' breast cancer' are, finding something in its earliest, smallest stage is the gift of the mammogram.  Get 'em.  They're on your side.

Till next time.

Come visit us @ Paint It Orange in Orange, Virginia!

There were some challenges this summer,  but working on being at Paint It Orange was a wonderful anchor; a creative place to stay in for awhile throughout the difficulties.

Jess created a unique space,  offering classes, events and open-studio space.  She also supports local, and like me, 'kinda local', artists with shows at her space.  

Our opening is Thursday, October 5, 2023, 5-7pm, 137 Caroline Street in downtown Orange. If you're in the area, please join us.  The art will be up through the end of November.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I once lived in Orange county and it has been an interesting journey as I searched for images of Orange that caught my 'collage eye'.  I even came across a house I had once lived in; with many changes, not unexpectedly. 

Jess herself has been a collage muse of mine and I included an array of collages of her in the show; along with other collages that went along for the ride to Orange, like Jackpot Motel

 

Railroad Avenue - Orange, Virginia Series

Alices At Mayhurst - Orange, Virginia series

 

On Main Street - Orange, Virginia series

Be Nice Be Kind - Taylor Park, Orange Virginia series

Retro Promenade Jess

Jackpot Motel

Till next time.

Sister Memories

My wonderful sister, and only sibling, left us 2 years ago.  I still have moments when I think I must call her to share something or ask a question. My option now is to send those 'calls' into the ether, and in fact, I do. She's in the stars.

She was a magickal person in so many ways and courageously went through a most difficult last five years of her life.  Ever brave, ever kind, ever willing to still 'be there' for others.  You would have loved her too.

 

Bastet Jacqui Rose collage.

 

Sisters - Jacqui Rose collage

 Till another time.

Anthony, The Aces and Crow

Today marks the 36th year since my father, Anthony,  passed from this realm.  He came home from World War II with a Silver Star, which I did not learn of until he passed.  He worked as a civilian for  Naval Air for 40 years and went through life-changing physical challenges of major proportions in my teen years. But through everything, he was that Dad that holds you close, is there for you as best he can be and you know you are always his best you.

People always commented the he looked like the actors Victor Mature and Robert Mitchum and he did carry a kind of gravitas that they portrayed.  So they join him here in this remembrance collage.

Anthony, Robert and Victor collage

I'm always attracted to quirky people and loved an image I came across of The Aces, a wonderful sister group. They are living out loud their story of becoming with their music and, here, with a bit of pie.

The Aces with Pie collage

Crows are always in my sphere and this is my latest crow totem. I was very pleased when I came across the yellow feathers; a unique crow.

Yellow Crow collage

Till another time.

 

Assembled for Tea - Assemblage at SVAC - Shenandoah Valley Arts Center

 June is the annual Members show at the Shenandoah Valley Arts Center.  

The show runs from June through July and if you're in the area, do stop by and enjoy.

 

 

 

 Although these days I work mostly in collage, mixed-media assemblage was my first love.  I loved the collecting of the bits and pieces, finding the right 'container's' and discovering the alignments that would emerge.  I was inspired to do an assemblage for this show.

Some of the key pieces here were box assemblages I had made in the past.  It was great fun to pick and choose who would go in this piece.  There was much arranging/rearranging with various selections.  Once the core units settled, I was in search of a base.  I found the large tray and from that, the theme of a tea party emerged.  Shoes, tea cups and saucers are often featured in my collage work, but first appeared in my assemblage work. I had many such miniatures in my assemblage items collection. And dolls in various ways were always part of my 3-D work.  The piece is 19" long x 14"wide and 24" at it's highest point.

Assembled for Tea - Mixed-Media Assemblage

 

Assembled for Tea - Detail - TOP

Assembled for Tea - Detail - LEFT

Assembled for Tea - Detail -RIGHT

Assembled for Tea -BACK

At the Gallery...

Till next time.