Something for fun, for a change

I've been so focused on finishing jewelry and collages for sale lately for a rash of summer shows, but I just have one more show lined up. So I'm working on something just for fun and not for sale. It's a nice change of pace- I think it's important not to get too wrapped up in making things I think people will want to buy! This is a little collage book (a lot of the materials are being cannibalized from my failed attempt at a Daily Sketchbook Project. I got annoyed at how quickly that book filled up and became unwieldy, so this new one is an accordion book which is more expandable.

WilD and cRaZy Baby Collage ArT PosTcards

Really enjoying working on building up the ArtyPantz Baby Art store on Etsy.

Here is one of a postcard set of two each of four different designs.

Click on the picture to see all four in the store!

The Light Within

Oh wow, it's been forever since I've posted here. I've been really busy working on stuff, just not so much actually finishing things! I did finish a bunch of new collages this past weekend though, and will have a whole big batch of new necklaces done soon!


(The Light Within, mixed media on 8"x6" canvas board)

New collaborative book project!

Here is the cover of a soon-to-be collaborative book I just sent to Joan Phillips (who also posts here)! She's sending me a book that I'll add to, and then we'll switch back and forth a few times, adding to each other's work.

You can see the rest of the pages from round 1 of the book I made on my site. I'll be documenting the process throughout to see how the pages evolve over time!

Collaged House Tiles

These are some new pieces I've been working on to sell at my upcoming fall shows. Currently, they're about 5"x8", but I'll be making them in smaller sizes as well. I've been struggling a lot with getting some quality shots of them, but this is what I have for now. They are painted and burned recycled wood scraps with paper & fabric:

new collage

As yet untitled, a new collage on canvas board.

more painting in progress

Still working on the painting I posted last month. This has turned into a textbook example of how sometimes I hit a wall and need to do something really radical and even destructive to get around it. All the paintings I've done that I really love went through a really difficult stage like that. Usually it's an exercise in letting go of something to get something better in the end.

In this case, I've been fiddling with the sky endlessly, carefully painting around all those nice collaged pieces with itty bitty brushes. But all that carefulness made the sky feel really awkward and flat, so I finally realized I'd have to sacrifice the collaged bits to get the sky right. So I'm finally happy with the sky, and I can still see the outlines of the collaged pieces, which will get painted back in, hopefully for the better!

painting in progress

I got stuck on this collage/painting months ago and set it aside, but was inspired last night to work on it some more. It's not done yet but is getting there!

new collage

I've been such a slacker about posting here! Trying to get some new stuff ready for this weekend's Art for the Cash Poor. Here's a new collage, one of quite a few that I'll be selling this weekend. It is 7x5 inches, in a glass clip frame.

Collage in progress- Roots

Wow, this posting once a week thing is harder than I thought! I'm supposed to post on Mondays but somehow the evenings keep getting away from me.

Last week I was trying to work on these large paper collages, but wasn't happy with any of them. I found some leftover 5x7 glass clip frames, and decided to tear down the larger collages and see if they would work cropped to a smaller size. It worked out really well for most of them. I have found that if I get to a place where I'm just totally stuck on something it's time to try something radically different!

Gocco/Collage

A new collage. The tree is a Gocco print I made a while ago on a computer punch card. I wasn't happy with the prints just on their own, so I'm going to try incorporating them into different collages or books. I added some pen, paint, and paper to this one.

Strange Plants, A Collage

I like making imaginary plants by combining old botanical illustrations.

Bridge (version 2)

Sometimes you just have to know when to quit. I originally posted this image a couple of weeks ago, and have been fiddling with the sky. I think I'm finally happy with it- a little less flat. The photo isn't very good, but it's still too wet to scan!

Painting in progress- Orbit

A few weeks ago I wrote on my blog about how I have way too many unfinished small paintings. 52 of them to be exact. So tonight I had the brilliant idea of setting myself the goal of finishing one per week as my thing to post here. Unfortunately this brilliant idea did not occur to me until 11pm, and alas, I have to get up in the morning to go to work. So for this week I'm posting another work in progress. I'm going to make a sincere effort for following weeks to post a finished small painting each week though!



Acrylic and collage on 8" x 4" canvas board. This painting contains several of my current fascinations- circles, planets, and this particularly gorgeous shade of turquoise paint I picked up at Utrecht a while ago.

little house for iPod shuffle

I made this little home out of a small matchbox -

collaged the outside, and did the drawer to match.

The iPod fits perfectly in the drawer and into the sleeve.

Presto! There you have it.

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