Thanks to Sparked.biz, an art & design collective directed by designer Geoffry Gertz (my wonderful brother!), I learned about an amazing site called Doodle-Buzz. (Find out more about Doodle-Buzz here at Sparked.)
When I played with Doodle-Buzz, I started thinking about its relevance to a theme for artwork that I’d been contemplating. About 15 years ago, or something like that, my husband gave me an advertising poster for Adobe featuring the words “mind, heart, what is art?” I still have that battered poster in my office (where I make a living as a graphic designer), and lately, I’ve been wanting to work with those same words in some collages.
So, when I saw Doodle-Buzz, I had this idea of doing a search and creating a graphical news feed (you’ll just have to read about Doodle-Buzz, and you’ll understand) using first the word “mind” and then the word “heart.” I used the graphics created in the collage you see above. I’m not sure if this collage is finished, but I thought the whole concept was interesting, so I wanted to share. The close-up image below shows the Doodle-Buzz part more clearly. I’m looking forward to experimenting more with Doodle-Buzz and collage.
I loved making these tiny Small Earth collages. Each is just 3″ x 3″. Packed into that small space are bits of mica, screen printing, metallic paint, and more. The museum matting and whitewashed frames help the little details pop out. These would look great as a pair. One frame has little square accents and the other doesn’t… but that helps keep things pleasantly off balance, don’t you think?
(click image above for larger view)
Purchase Small Earth 1
$50 + $10 ground shipping and insurance to US addresses (click image above for larger view)
Purchase Small Earth 3
$50 + $10 ground shipping and insurance to US addresses
Maybe you’ve see the infomercials for the Cricut electronic cutters. They work sort of like a print plotter, except they cut out with a tiny knife instead of drawing with ink. They’re promoted as a tool for scrapbookers and card makers…definately pushing the cutesy, adorable image. (Winnie the Pooh designs, anyone?) However, an electronic cutter is actually an amazing tool for the mixed media fine artist.
Electronic cutters have been around for ages in industrial applications like vinyl sign making and package prototyping. What’s new (in the past few years) is that relatively inexpensive home models have become available. These cutters are sold under a number of brand names. In some cases, the same manufacturer makes several versions under different nameplates. The web is full of articles comparing the capabilities and costs of these machines (this one for example), so I won’t repeat that discussion here. Suffice it to say that after several years of consideration, I now have a Cricut Expression Cutting Machine that I chose because I can hook it to my Mac to use my own vector artwork (with the addition of third-party software called Sure Cuts a Lot), it cuts in large dimensions compared to many other machines (up to 12″ x 24″), consumables such as blades and carrier sheets are reasonably priced and readily available, and the machine itself is priced economically (around $300) compared to other machines that cut material this large. (Most machines at this price point cut 8″ wide at the most.)
So, what do I do with this machine?
I use the Cricut in my artwork in a variety of ways, but today, I’m going to talk about making foam stamps and using them to create background papers for collage/mixed media artwork. I use “fun foam” type foam sheets to make the stamps. I can get a package of foam sheets at Big Lots for $2.00. I use the cutter to cut shapes out of the foam and then adhere the foam shapes to pieces of plexiglass, wood, or cardboard. The picture below shows several stamps with a concentric circle theme.
Stamps cut on Cricut Expression
To use the stamps, I paint them with acrylic paint or gesso and stamp them onto tissue paper. Because the foam is not super-thick, and because painting the stamps is not as even an application as using stamp pad ink, the stamped result can be somewhat blotchy and uneven. Sounds bad maybe, but that’s what I want. I don’t want a perfect image. See below for sewing pattern and regular art tissue stamped with the round and square stamps.
Sewing tissue stamped using foam stamps and gesso
Tissue printed with stamps made on Cricut Expression
Stamp made from fun foam
You can also see how I used the round stamps with colored tissue and acrylic paint in my Sketchbook Volume 3 Project for Art House Co-op (below). In several cases, I painted over the circles with other colors after the stamped tissue was adhered to the collage.
If you use acrylic paint, you know how easily brushes can get ruined if not properly cleaned. Hey, those things are expensive, so let’s take good care of them! The totally fabulous technical support at Golden Paints offer these simple steps:
To properly clean your brushes loaded with acrylic paints, do the following:
In a small container filled with clean water, gently push the brush hairs onto the bottom and move the brush back and forth until the majority of the paint comes out.
Pat the brush dry, and continue painting. Resist the urge to leave brushes in the water container, as this bends the hairs.
Once you are done painting for the day, repeat step #1 and then with your fingertips, work a small amount of a liquid soap, such as Ivory Liquid, into the entire brush. Be sure to work the paint deep into the ferrule (where the hairs meet the wood handle).
After the soap has fully saturated the hairs, repeat steps #1 and #2.
Acrylics strip the natural oils in real hair brushes, so to rejuvenate them, take a very small amount of a generic hair conditioner, such as Suave, and work it into the brush hairs with your fingertips until it begins to feel dry. It is important to NOT use too much conditioner. Shape the brush hairs to their original configuration, like how they looked when you first bought them.
Hang your brushes so the brush hairs are facing downward. We use Velcro on the end of the brush handle and apply Velcro to a shelf or table end near where we paint. This will keep any residual paint from drying in the ferrule. Allow the brush to dry.
Before painting, wet the brush in the clean water container.
If you follow these instructions, your brushes should last for a long time before they become irregular.
Find tons more tech tips from Golden here.
Cecil Touchon has designed a beautiful exhibition catalog for the Under the Influence show. The catalog is available to purchase, and you can also browse the whole thing by clicking “preview this book.” I’m so pleased to have my work shown alongside such a talented group. You can read Cecil’s description of the catalog below.
Artists were asked to make a work in honor of one of the artists that they consider as influential on their own development and to make an additional work in their own typical way of working. This international exhibition has participating artists from, Denmark, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and the USA. ARTISTS INCLUDE: Gary A. Bibb, Joan Schulze, Robert Tucker, Anthony Cricchio, Katie Gutierrez, Dilar Pereira, Ellen Filreis, Catherine Molland, Berni Stephanus, Marianne Lettieri, Claudia Drake, Cecil Touchon, Reid Wood, Maria Spissu Nilson, Lis Gundlach-Sell, Nazimova Boheme, Susan Gertz, Keith Buchholz. ARTIST HOMAGES: Andy Warhol, Joseph Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, Hanalore Barron, Paul Klee, Robert Motherwell, Franz Kline, Rex Ray, John Cage, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Gustave Klimt, Georgia O’Keefe, Marcel Duchamp, Kazimir Malevich, Piet Mondrian, Kurt Schwitters, Hans Arp, Auguste Rodin and Johannes Baargeld.
I’m participating in the show with the two pieces shown and described below:
Homage to Rodin and Annie Lennox: In August 2008 I visited Philadelphia and discovered the beautiful Rodin museum located there. A piece called Andromeda was one of my favorites. The title ‘Andromeda’ refers to the daughter of the Ethiopian king Cepheus who was chained to a rock near the water to be sacrificed to a sea monster sent by Poseidon. Traditionally, the chained princess is shown standing or sitting upright, but Rodin shows the girl facing down, as if completely exhausted or weeping. For my “homage” piece, I paired an interpretation of Rodin’s Andromeda with lyrics from the Annie Lennox song I’ve Got a Life where the phrase “I’ve got a life, though it refuses to shine” from the song is evocative of the Rodin figure.
It Ain’t Over: For a partner piece to the homage, I decided to continue the Lennox lyrics with the phrase “I’ve got a life, it ain’t over” from the same song. In this case, the imagery is typical for my work, being based on natural, organic forms. I used the silhouette of seaweed to create a tree of life embracing the words.
Both pieces are collages of paper and acrylic paint on linen.
The Art House Co-op is creating a completely user generated visual encyclopedia and they need your help! I’ve just signed up. Why not join me in participating?
There are two parts to it: submitting words and signing up to participate in order to visually represent the words. After signing up, you will receive five 3×3in canvases along with your five randomly selected, user generated words to represent. At least one of your completed canvases will be featured in “The Art House Encyclopedia VOL. 1″ book. Find out more about the Canvas Project Volume 2.
The Art House Co-op sponsors all sorts of amazing collaborative art projects. The gallery in Atlanta, Ga. I’m working on the Sketchbook Volume 3 Project right now. 2785 people are participating using the Moleskine sketchbooks supplied by Art House Co-op (you pay a participation fee). The theme of the show is “everyone we know”. I have until February 15th, 2009 to send your sketchbook back to them. Below you can see what I’ve finished so far.
This site is hosted on Dreamhost, a service I've grown to love. TryDreamhost for outstanding price, usability, and service. Plus, they have funny help messages! Use code below for free domain registration : DISCOUNTDREAM829.
What Is Art For?
What Is Art?: An Introduction To Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture
Tolstoy: What Is Art?
For Sale by Owner (For Sale By Owner Kit)
Collage Discovery Workshop
Collage Unleashed
Animals / Acrylic: Learn to Paint Step by Step (How to Draw and Paint Series: Acrylic)
Cute Country Animals You Can Paint: 20 Projects in Acrylic
Altered Surfaces: Using Acrylic Paints With Gels, Mediums, Grounds & Pastes
The Acrylic Book: A Comprehensive Resource for Artists
Landscapes in Acrylics (Ready to Paint)
Paul Klee (Living Art Series) (Living Art Series)
Creative Collage Techniques
SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups
Collage Journeys: A Practical Guide to Creating Personal Artwork
Collage Techniques: A Guide for Artists and Illustrators
The Art of Fabric Collage: An Easy Introduction to Creative Sewing
Colorado Collage (Celebrating Twenty Five Years of Culinary Artistry)