Quotes!

A difficult situation is going on right now with someone very close to me, but there is very little I myself can do about it.  It reminded me of a quote I was once gave my artist friend, Deb Booth  'Worry is the misuse of imagination' and I am trying to hold on to that very thought.

Deb and I say that quote to each often and it inspired me to do a collage of it, which then led to other quotes.  I can feel quote collages popping up from time to time in the future as well.

Worry is a Misuse of Imagination collage

Everything Is Possible collage

Be Kind collage

Not My Circus collage

Just Be You collage

Tybee and Tomochichi

Tybee Island is on the Atlantic ocean and just about 12 miles from Savannah.  Happily it is maintaining a low-scale skyline [four stories seemed the limit] and an 'old school' beach feel - more so, of course, when visiting in Winter.

Coming upon the Fish Art Gallery was quite a delight.  Alas, it was closed, but as you can see, the yard is chock full of constructions and assemblages, and apparently some unique supplies for purchase for your own project.

My favorite

Torsos and body parts for sale

Want to do some shell art?  Here:s a wagon-full

Ralph Douglas Jones is The Fish Man, morphed from sign painter to artist.  Here is a nice piece on his story at SavannahNow.com.

Sign Painter Turned Artist - 2008

Back in Savannah, away from the shops and galleries,  I saw a space that looked like a gallery. Turns out it was a school administration building, but they were indeed hanging art. They let me wander in and explained it was a display of art from the Savannah schools, up to Middle School and there would be an opening and awards event later in the week.  

I was given permission to photograph this large piece, which is a middle School collaborative project.  The subject is Tomochichi the 17th century Chief who gave the land for the settlement of Savannah,  I found this piece arresting,

Savannah!

Savannah is a great town and a favorite place of mine - the fabled Historic District an ultimate place for the urban walker.  The one-of-a-kind aspect is Savannah's 24 'squares' - park-like oasis all throughout the District, plus 3 'non-square' parks, including the vast 30 acre Forsyth Park.  Walk, walk, Sit awhile among the wondrous Live Oaks,Walk, Find coffee and good food - all abounds.. 

The elegant classic architecture of the Historic District is indeed beautiful, but Savannah is different from other historical towns, as it is the home of SCAD, the well-known Savannah School of Art and Design, so there is a grand eclectic mix of modern and funky among buildings with a long heritage. SCAD has saved and rehabbed at least 67 buildings in the historic District which are used as classrooms, galleries, residences etc.  Amongst all the history, my artist eye is delighted to find the urban oddments that always appeal to me.

No time while here to really collage, but I thought I would 'amp' - amplify and saturate  - the colors of some of my travel photos, which will hopefully find their way into emerging as fuller collages.   Having fun I am.

  

Streamliner Diner 'amped'

The Streamliner is a 1938 diner saved by SCAD and relocated to Savannah.  The Sandfly BBQ people lease it.  Great BBQ too.

Paddle Wheeler 'amped'

This grand old=style ship is available for cruises, parties and weddings.  My step-daughter Mia was married here in 1996.

Art Car 'amped"

Came upon this art car at the Market Square.  The artist is the gentleman in the blue plaid shirt.  He told me he didn't think he was an artist or that it was an 'art car', but that he had been working on it for five years and that he did like to bring it out to the Market for people to see 

Sofa Park amped1

Sofa Park amped2

These sofas are part of an installation of about six in the 'garden' of the SCAD gallery.  The walls are the remains of an early freight depot.  The museum itself is more of the recovered building.  The sofas are of a dense plastic.

Random fun...

And two last things worth mentioning.  I happened upon these great sketches on the street, next to the trash can.  I rescued them too. Of course.

Gotta love the tip jar at our favorite coffee shop, Gallery Espresso.  Ta da!

Sarasota!

Sarasota is famous for it's beaches and upscale shopping out on the Keys, but being in search of the urban walking experience, we are exploring from our base in the historic, and a bit more funky, neighborhood of Laurel Park and close to downtown.  The area is replete with homes built in the 1920:s.  Cottages, Mediterranean Revival - all the styles that grab my attention. 

Nearby Burns Court is another great area and it sports a block of homes that were among the first built to draw travelers to Sarasota, most built between 1925-26.

In any event, from the elegant to the funky, something about cottages by the sea really floats my boat [corny pun absolutely intended!].  And although I've only done a few collages here, as the weather has been nice with no rainy-stay-inside-days, I have many photos on hand to keep me happily collage-ing

How could one not photograph this wonderful mural!

Cameras 

Mid-century modern in beachy colors!

Murray Homes

The mosaic shoe as planter was sitting on a porch railing, but not of this great red doored cottage. It was an actual shoe embellished and was on the porch of a tile shop. Warning- shoe is not true to size!

Shoe House

In thinking of my love of "beachy, I recalled the first beach cottage my family stayed in that I actually remember, not just from photographs. It was a white cottage with sea blue trim and a white picket fence - a Mrs. Treft's.  We rented her upstairs apartment.  I was so fortunate to spend at least two weeks every summer of my childhood 'down the shore', at Wildwood, N.J.  There is a photo of me at just 3 months old on the beach.  This fisher-girl-with-Dad photo is one of my favorites and one most evocative of being, as we said,  "down the Shore".  I send appreciation to my parents out in the Cosmos,

At the shore

.

Cedar Key Redux

Cedar Key continues to fill me with color and whimsy.  And although the weather has been a bit cold and windy, it affords me to time to collage while looking out at palm trees and the Gulf.

This collage is a perfect capture of Cedar Key.  The three main elements - the flamingo, the funky Tiki bar sign and the Pirate cottage are all pretty much as you see them.  Of course, I did amplify the overall color of the composite image, but they all started out intensely colorful.  Even the large yellow flower was found painted on a building. Happy.Happy.

Pirate Flamingo Tiki Bar - Oh My

My favorite restaurant in town is Steamers.  They're open every day and have a wide variety of food. We've taken to eating at the bar, hanging in the locals vibe.  The uber-competent and very nice bartender is a joy to watch as she handles drinks, food and more and perfect pours of Guinness.  And it is yet another colorful building.

Steamers

I first started collecting octopi images because my son likes them, but I've developed my own affection for them.  Tentacles add a nice frisson to things.


Far Away Inn provided another wonderfully painted exterior as a background.  Now the repeated image motif is fashion dolls instead of paper dolls. And everyone liked pie.

Admire

Now you just have to be intrigued when you come upon a sign that says "Fine Art & Smoked Mullet."  Following the sign down the road presented me with this great art house trailer, complete with its own Lady on the roof.  Alas, it was not open - and has yet to be open - , so neither fine art nor mullet was to be had.  This is the sign that got my attention, but it is actually on the main road in town.  And the 'sushi' is candy sushi, with a Gummy fish on top.

Fine Art & Smoked Mullet

Smoked Mullet and a dip made from it is a local favorite here.  I purchased some dip at a nearby Winn Dixie.  Very weird.  The dip had pimentos and mayonnaise and eggs in it, so in the end this brand tasted like Pimento cheese spread gone bad.  That's enough fish adventure for me. Better as art.

Smoked Mullet Dip

Dockside Motel at night has a very noir feel to it.  Our mystic guest has left the building.

Dock Side Motel

David Bowie - 1947-2016

An archetype of creativity, freshness and innovation left us today.

David Bowie 1947-2016

Cedar Key - Old Florida

Cedar Key is one of my favorite places.  It's a laid-back, funky little island town. friendly, casual, on the Gulf.  Colorful enough to sport two art galleries and award-winning clam chowder.  There is a big clam growing industry here and the Cedar Key clams are the sweetest, most tender I've ever had. A perfect place to chill out, release stress and  just 'be', especially in Winter,  And in that, lots of open-ended time to noodle around with photos and images to my heart's content, especially on cooler, cloudy, windy days.

The view from our screened porch is a wonderful Live Oak and then the Bay.  Perfect.

Live Oak - Cedar Key

There are a lot of colorful buildings here, folk art signage and lawn art - just what inspires me. Happy am I. And although I love the water and marshlands and bird sanctuary, the first thing that caught my eye for a collage was this funky jeep.

JEEP

We pass the Far Away Inn everyday, full of murals, yard art and welcoming rainbow flags.  And yes, the 'Judys" are paper dolls of a young Judy Garland.  The 'Let Us Be - We're Alive sign is also from the Far Away Inn artist.

Far Away Inn Judys

Let Us Be

There's not much of a beach here, but kayacking and boating is popular, The door to beyond featured here is from one of our favorite breakfast joints, Away From the World Cafe.  The name comes from a Dave Matthews song and the only music they play in the place is the Dave Matthews Band. 

Kayacked

Cedar Key has a small airport owned by the county.  Small enough that there is no control tower.  It was built during WWII for air/sea rescue and then given to the county.  Apparently the runway arrow had been recently painted, giving me this stark shot. As usual. all my original photos have been amplified, altered  and the colors saturated.

Into The Wild Blue

Thoughts on My Dear Friend Helen

My Elder Friend, Helen, passed away recently.  She had an emergency surgery in June, which she surprisingly recovered from, but she didn't actually recover and after a long six months, with her life filled with shifts and changes, she passed away quite soon after a last visit with her son.  Her spirit is dancing in the Cosmos and today we released her last earthly essence from the Blue Ridge Parkway into the valley that drew her to Virginia almost 20 years ago.  

Helen was such a close friend, confidant and ally; a treasure in my life.  The 20 years difference between us didn't matter at all, except she had many stories to share from those years.  We traveled together, shared our issues, our ups and downs, spiritual views and most specially, shared art together.

We had many years working in the studio together, creating assemblages to express, expunge, transform and shift, and at times resolve, our inner dynamics and our outer challenges.  We even coined a term for our work - Aspect Art - art that reflects 'aspects' of one's self. 

We collaborated on pieces together, made pieces as gifts for each other and really found that both of us in the studio at one time, added a special, vitalized dynamic to our individual creativity.

 And after a few years, we also wrote a small book about our way of working 'from the inner to the outer', called - naturally - Aspect Art - Art As the Soul's Journey.

2016 begins an era in my life without Helen, but all we shared lives vibrantly on.

Helen

Looking into the Valley from the Blue Ridge Parkway

Holidays! The Time of Little Art

Holidays have a way of capturing your time, even if you celebrate in a lackadaisical way.  I've fashioned my own way of celebrating this time of year, but I do like to send hellos and thinking of you at this traditional greeting cards time.  And thus, holiday cards become the art of this month as mini collages.

Octo Friends

Lights, Socks & Fish

House Joy

Apartment Joy

Santa Boy

Wishing You All Good Things In All Ways!

Monster Joy

These little 'monsters', sans the Santa Hat's, are the work of  Junker Jane! Check out her work at her blog.  She has an Etsy store too.  You can have a doll of your very own.