Digital Collages

I was going through old files today (the ones that made it from my old Dell computer to the Mac) and found these old digital collage prints. Although these were done totally on the computer, I have done several that have calligraphy added to them as well.

The Pepsi cards were from 2005. They were made from multiple images rather like paper collage but without paper and without paste. No fancy filters, etc.

Lonely Serenade is a favorite. Many images were blended together to make this image. Unlike the Pepsi cards, this one entailed much manipulation and many filters, etc.

Music was one of my first digital collages. It's 'pure' digital. No photos were manipulated, it was, rather, 'painted' on the computer. One friend used to call these images painting with light.

There are many more of my digital collages in two albums on my website.

Stages of a New Work

Perhaps my last in the pseudo Yves Leterme style, this one is also the largest. I'm almost finished exploring this idea, I think. Here are some of the stages this watercolor paper is going through.

1. & 2. Watercolor background...very random. I then added pen and ink strokes.

3. Illegible pencil lettering - achieved with the left hand.

4. Partial obliteration of all the above with gesso.

5. I have added some ink spatters.

What's next? I'm not sure where to go next. It needs some contrast. I think I'll add some color back in, and possibly some legible lettering. Must think of the right words. It will sit awhile until I get enthused about it again. Perhaps I'll switch it all up and turn it toward collage.

See examples of Yves' work and news of his new book, Thoughtful Gestures, on his blog, Animal Scribax.

Laurie Doctor Journal Workshop Prep

We have some homework to do in preparation for the upcoming Laurie Doctor journaling workshop in Louisville. 1. Make some rubbings. 2. Keep some journal pages...text and drawings and/or ephemera.

Here are a few photos of pages I've begun.

Gallery Work

Delivered work for Koch & Co. Gallery today! Deborah Koch recently obtained a grant to open this gallery and invited me to participate. The work so far is stunning! She and her crew have designed a beautiful gallery space and she has contracted with some really fine artists. The grand opening will be coming very soon.

Some canvases.

Some framed pieces. The first is Prismacolor pencil.

This one is bleach.

Quotes on happiness.

Sorry about the bad angles. Because they are framed, I had to tilt the camera to avoid glare.

Clean the World, One Doorstep at a Time

I just finished this piece. It's another in my version of Yves Leterme's style, though he might cringe at the comparison. His words are often nearly illegible and are decidedly more artful. Mine is more of a bridge between traditional and abstract - a bit of both. I do love this style though. I love the layering and obliterating and the use of multi media, here watercolor, pencil and ink.

The lettering was done with Dr. Ph. Martin's Spectralight in sequins blue. As a final step, I added a vertical pencil line near what looked like an implied door and knob to further tie the quote to the background art.

Lucky Me! I Am the Winner of MB Shaw Stencil Giveaway!

I recently entered a contest on Mary Beth Shaw's blog for a set of her small stencils. And I won! I had previously ordered her new book, Flavor for Mixed Media, and include photos here of my booty (not THAT kind!) along with her book and the lovely inscription she wrote inside my copy.

I was thrilled to "find" Mary Beth in a Google search for collage and mixed media many years ago. Her aesthetic meshed well with my own; I loved her sense of color and her subtle layering of textures. A couple of years ago I was pleased to meet her in person at the Cherokee Triangle Art Festival in Louisville. Meeting her again in her book and on her blog completes the image of her as a fascinating mixed media artist and a lovely personality.

Here's a photo of Mary Beth's book and my prize package. The tiny work on the left of the book is the backside of her business card, and is a photo of one of her pieces.

This is a snapshot of the first page of her book, inscribed to me. (The blue stencil is a 'tip-in' that came with the book.)

Here are the three stencils in the prize package I won. Yippee!

Thanks, Mary Beth!!!!! I'm going to love playing with stencils again.