Monthly Archives: July 2009

DISCO – THE FINAL REVEAL!

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Front

 This is the final product from the “Disintegration Manifestation” bundle.   I chose to focus on the passing of time, the changing of seasons, the elements of the earth, and the gratitude of “Grace” as an art form for the pieces from my bundle.  I altered this recycled plastic clock , which I found in a thrift store, as the substrait.  I added the pieces of paper, charms, an  invocation, a set of all seeing eyes, and of course the ‘travelin’ legs’  from the orignal bundle.  I wanted the final piece to look as if it had withstood the passing of time with the promise of future  time, and how preciously the earth offers time as the days pass, the moon rises, and the trees, passing seasons and elements remain constant.  I chose this particular, “seen better days” clock because of the word “Grace” printed on the face.  I saved that single word through the many layers I added over the clock face because the word “Grace” offered exactly what I struggled to achieve in my every day life.

The photos above show the finished art, the first one is hanging, as it is meant to be viewed.  The second photo is laying on the table.    I used pieces from the bundle, but also used other found objects as they found me, including the owl on the top to guide, or to guard?

 As seen from the bottom.  I used an old door keyhole plate on the bottom to thread the legs through – The legs became the symbol of myself, trying to find the secret of escape.

From the Bottom

 As seen from the left side.Left Side

 As seen from the right side.  I used local twigs and painted them antique gold (acrylic) to symbolize the tree the original bundle faced the elements in.

Right Side

 The niche.  A peek into the future, or a glimpse from the past?

Niche

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 First version of the clock face.  The word Grace, an acorn top, a maple seed, a delicate hand holding onto time, a postage stamp, a crown for triumph.Disintegration Manifestation 011

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Final Clock face.  The moon (a constant) angled hours of time, copper wire encircling the whole thing, randomly stamped numbers, the north star to guide us.

Original sub-strait  with some sanding, and the clock face disassembled.

Sub-structure (1)

Sub-structure with out drawer

Gessoed over

Gessoed over and ready to begin painting the surface, which I wanted to look like aging metal.  I used  Payne’s Gray, Burnt Umber, Quinacridone Gold, Turquois (Pthalo), Prussian blue,  and Yellow Ochre acrylic paint applied in layers to achieve an aged brass, or some ancient metal.

The bundle became known as the “Destination Manifestation” and was a focus for my desire to leave central Oregon.  I included a small piece of paper with my bundle stating my intention to leave, buried it in between boarding passes, airline tickets, postage, old envelopes, and travel money.  I knew I needed a change and I asked for it and then hung it on a tree limb in the front yard and hoped the universe would “grace” me with what I wished for.  I haven’t left central Oregon, but I have experience many changes over the last 6 months.  The first change to occur was the ending of a very stressful and toxic work situation.  I was suddenly and unexpectedly freed from working three jobs for the price of one  – and after the shock wore away, I realized what this really meant to me!  Freedom!

Departure by night 1st night (front)

 The original bundle, hanging in the night. (Above)

 In May, bundle ready to take down. (Below)

Time to take down May 2, 2009

Taken apart

Contents of bundle after hanging outside for 5 months.

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Recycling a Bad Painting

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Retrieving a PaintingThis was the worst painting – I couldn’t even find a photo of it – and if I did, not sure I would have the courage to share it.  I was reading “The Creative Edge” by Mary Todd Beam last night and I got inspired to try and save this painting.  As Ms Beam says, “it’s so easy to throw away things in our culture, we sometimes don’t think before we toss it out.”  It already looks 100 percent better and all I’ve done is glop on some black and white gesso and blot it away in places.  I like the floating hands in the right bottom corner, sort of reaching out to you.  Tomorrow I will put it on the easel and see what else I can come up with!

The Big Reveal – Coming Soon

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I am busily at work putting together the various pieces and parts from my bundle, to create a collage to share on August 1.  This project was created by Seth Apter from http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/.    As you know, my bundle was called the Departure Manifestation, and I hoped it would help me relocate to a different area in the state.  So far this has not happened, but I have learned  these things progress in their own time and there are usually good reasons for that, so I haven’t given up yet on the idea of moving away from central Oregon.  In the meantime, and I don’t know how much “the bundle” had to do with this, but I have a lot more time now for art making, and its been a very lovely summer!  This was a great project!

The Bundle, ready to hang.

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The bundle hanging outside in the night February 2009.

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May 1, 2009

Bundle May 2 006

Unwrapped

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Artist Journal – “Time Traveler” -finished!

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Here are the last two pages – see previous two entries for other pages.  I am so pleased with myself for finishing this!  The book  measures about 9 x 6 inches, and has 15 entries; 13 double pages, and two single pages. I used oil pastels, soft pastels, pencil, collage, gel transfers, and printing directly on cloth with ink jet printer.  All the words are taken from the magnetic poetry left on my refrigerator by family and friends over the last three years.

“Just dream blue peace happiness”

Dream Blue

“Here baby go heart and dance” (This is the last page)

Heart Dance

This is the inside cover page.

Cover Page

 

Cover

This is the cover.  I glued three washers, which signify to me the circles of time, to the front of the journal.   (I recently visited an estate sale and found a jar full of  lovely old rusty washers and these were in it.)  The largest is some kind of a gasket made of cork, the second is very thin metal and is a unique red and blue stripe, and the smallest washer is a delicate brass ring.