Ragzedge Arts

Maxim of the Week

2012-01-29T08:00:00.001-08:00

Inspector Chan’s rather foolish demeanour invariably tricked the culprit into revealing his crime.

Maxim:

Murder will out.

PS. Snuck in a little extra post last night, just to make up for my absence.

Looking forward to catching up with your blogs this week.

Where does the time go???

Gallery Gaze

2012-01-28T21:09:00.002-08:00

Oh my goodness, where has the time gone?! Another week has flown by and I didn't get any art work posted here, although I have been dabbling, as promised in the previous post. I must admit that I have been spending more time over on my other blog lately, leaving little time to share pictures here. Sometimes it's a fine line between which blog I should post a picture to, as I tend to tamper with nearly every photo I make. When does it stop being a photograph and become digital art?

For example, I turned this photo of two pedestrians walking along gallery row into a posterized version

as I also did with this street scene of South Granville, though less obviously.

If you'd like to see some more of the sights from my day out visiting Vancouver art galleries, hop on over to Décolleté and take a peek.

I'll be back soon with updates on my dabbling, I promise.

Meanwhile, I've got a maxim to prepare for tomorrow.

Art never really sleeps;
it just takes a nap from time to time!
(you can quote me on that)

Maxim is Back! Plus More...

2012-01-21T23:30:00.008-08:00

Picking up her daughter from playschool was the sweetest moment of Rose’s day.

Maxim:

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.

***

I've been indulging in a rather longer break from art making, blogging about art making, reading about art making, visiting other artists' blogs than originally anticipated. I know there's a popular push to make art every day but sometimes it's good to not make art. Sometimes it's the art itself that stops; the inspiration or fire fades; the confidence wanes; the questions creep in; the desire dwindles. I've come to identify this phenomenon as a fallow period in my process of art making; a time for the creative soil to rest and replenish itself. And it is also a time to not FREAK OUT because of the fear that I've lost the ability to make art and will never be able to do so again. Well, there's all kinds of ways to make art and all kinds of art forms so the likelihood of "never making art again" is pretty small.

But really, in this instance, I've just been enjoying NOT making art. However, the old itch to make scratches on surfaces has been gradually creeping back into my consciousness.

I recently felt the need to set up a little creative corner in my bedroom (yes, I'm still visiting the old homestead in North Vancouver,
probably till early March, which I'm blogging about on Décolleté Glimpses).

Using an old card table for my work surface and a pedestal that was once used as an ashtray stand to hold my brushes and small things not in use, I`ve created a mini-studio.

So, okay, I'm not going to be making great Art...I'm going to be Messing About.

And that's okay.

We have to give ourselves permission and freedom to play,

to goof around,

to explore and make a mess...

as artists,

and in our daily lives.

I'm not using any fancy supplies:

An old magazine that I picked up for free on my last visit and saved because I liked its matte paper.
Acrylic paints from the dollar store: off white, sienna, black, moss green, gold.
Cheap brushes.
A large bottle of matte medium (for glue and as a protective layer).
A few magazines to possibly use for collaging.
Paper towels (post-clean up collage fodder)

I prepped several pages in the magazine by smearing them with paint and medium, separating them with wax paper and standing the book up on end to let the paint dry. I've started making a few "paintings" in it, which I'll be posting here over the next several weeks.

I warn you, though,

it's not going to be pretty!

***

The Sunday Maxim #213

2012-01-01T00:32:00.004-08:00

Nobody was sure if Boris was a young dude, old beyond his years,

or just an incredibly immature old guy.

Maxim:

Scratch a Russian and you find a Tartar.

Or should I say, "Scratch an old year and you find a new one"?

I wish you, dear blogger friends, a creative and inspiring 2012.

I'm taking a little break from Ragzedge postings for a couple of weeks.

But I'll be back!

Ciao for now,
Lynne (louciao) xo

Window Wonderland Reducks (+Swans+Geese)

2011-12-20T12:48:00.004-08:00

I recently enjoyed a bit of window shopping at Holt Renfrew in downtown Vancouver--it's pretty much the only way I can afford to shop there. The very clever window-dressers had chosen to illustrate the lyrics from The Twelve Days of Christmas. Here's a sampling of images that I couldn't resist "toying" with.

Electric Lady Land Partridge in a Pear Tree!

I bet you didn't know that it was a Canada Goose that laid the golden egg.

5 gold rings...jewellery is always a popular gift, or how about a solid gold hoola-hoop.

Golden rings and golden eggs with a little Christmas bling (thanks to Pixlr effects)

8 maids-a-milking with 6 swans-a-swimming while the 7th one swans in for a solo

9 ladies dancing conjure up visions of sugar plum fairies

11 pipers blowing as hard as a winter wind, even though they haven't got a leg to stand on

(image treated with a dousing of magic pixlr dust)

and 2 turtle doves (or as my grandmother used to say, "Lovey Dovies")

wishing you love, warmth, and merriment

in this festive season

xoxo

*To see more images from the Twelve Days of Christmas window, take a peek at my Décolleté blog*

Maxim of the Week

2011-12-18T00:20:00.000-08:00

In her latter years as school band director, Mrs. Pendergrast found that she really didn’t mind having lost most of her hearing.

Maxim:

It’s music to my ears.

A Quick Study

2011-12-15T22:51:00.001-08:00

Being in the midst of Christmas planning and prepping, being far away from my studio, there is not a lot of energy or inclination for art making...not even Christmas cards will be hand made this year.

But today, just before dashing out on still more errands, I felt compelled to grab my little box of water colour pans and whip up a quick sketch of the view from my bedroom window.

Toying with the image a little in Photoshop tonight,

I found myself feeling pretty much in the pink.

I hope you're all feeling many shades of happy.

Maxim of the Week

2011-12-11T04:05:00.003-08:00

Myriam decided not to tell her husband that she’d fed the leftover headcheese
that he loved so much to the cat.

Maxim:

Has the cat got your tongue?

Falalala

2011-12-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

Starting to think about shopping and decorating?

A little eatery in Deep Cove has made a modest nod to the season with this outside display.

I snapped a picture and translated it into a graphic image which I think would be suitable for a Christmas card with a contemporary edge.

All that's needed is some glitter glue applied to the lettering.

la-la-la-la

Maxim of the Week

2011-12-04T02:00:00.001-08:00

Akbar felt his back go out just as Rowena flung herself into his arms at the start of their dance routine.

Maxim:

Here I stand, I can do no other.

Not Without Effect

2011-12-03T09:25:00.004-08:00

I thought I'd sneak a little "bonus" post in here, to say I've arrived on the west coast and to participate in Bonnie's Photo Art Friday. This is a picture I took on a walk to my favourite park. It wasn't a particularly good photo so I thought it would be fun to experiment on it.

I made a texture and applied it, then erased areas of it. I'm just learning how to make textures but Bonnie has created some that give really fascinating effects if you're interested in trying some for yourself.

This weekend's Photo Art challenge is to try an effect that's new to us. I very recently learned on Nancy's intriguing blog a rural journal of this very fun website of free photo effects, Pixlr. I chose a couple of effects there and this is the result. I think it gives a pretty fair impression of a Canadian west coast morning. Well, maybe after a particularly strong cup of coffee...which I'm about to indulge in as I set out for a little blog visiting.

Yup, I've gone coastal.

My Bags Are Packed

2011-11-30T00:59:00.001-08:00

Have paints, will travel.

Heading west today.

Will unpack a maxim for you on Sunday.

Maxim of the Week

2011-11-27T01:46:00.001-08:00

Having outfitted himself with a suit and accesories from the Goodwill Shop, Osmond feels that he is dressed for success.

Maxim:

You must cut your coat according to your cloth.

Fly Away

2011-11-23T13:09:00.007-08:00

I'm madly preparing digital files to bring with me on my fast-approaching trip to Vancouver so I'll have something with which to amuse myself and keep the creative fires burning while I winter over there.
In sifting through what to bring, I came across this digital collage I made awhile back...

I used several free downloads from the internet and applied various textures and effects to the resulting composition. You can find links to sites with free images and textures on my sidebar, under the "Fun and Useful" heading.

Meanwhile, I am flitting madly about my gilded cage, gathering up seeds for thought and art-making, completely in a flap. One more week and I'll be taking flight!

But I will still be peep-peep-peeping at your blogs, and dropping messages here.

(yes, the writing's on the bottom of the birdcage, if we only know how to interpret it!)

Maxim of the Week

2011-11-20T01:17:00.001-08:00

In the 6th month of her pregnancy, Darlene is alarmed to find that her formerly "innie" belly button has popped up into an "outie."

Maxim:

Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.

XVI The Tower

2011-11-16T19:54:00.001-08:00

Things fall apart. Everything changes. Change is often painful, difficult, but necessary.

The Tower indicates that our ego defenses are no longer serving us. All our old ways of coping aren't doing the trick. Everything upon which we built our belief system is discovered to be flawed or false. This is a time of desperation but not despair. From this "crack up" will come rebuilding and renewal. We will open to the true self and, with this knew knowledge, create a firmer foundation upon which to build our lives.

I am basically writing this "off the top of my head," having glanced at descriptions of this card in a couple of books. However, as I imagined this image some time ago and have been carrying it "inside my head" this is what I feel the card represents.

There will be a pause of some months in the creating of my Tarot Series. In two weeks time I'll be heading to Vancouver and staying there for an extended period. As I won't have the supplies and books I need to work on this series, I'm going to set it aside, yet again, until I return to my home studio.

Meanwhile, I hope to keep the Maxim of the Week going, and whip up a regular batch of treats to serve on Ragzedge while I'm away. And I'll be checking in to see what my creative blog friends are up to.

Please stay tuned!

Maxim of the Week

2011-11-13T01:57:00.001-08:00

Pavarotti the parrot was a bit confused when Roger the pirate tried to teach him to peck a piece of cheese from between his pursed lips.

Maxim:

Don't bite off more than you can chew.

What's It All About, Elfie

2011-11-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

Look who I found frolicing in my yard this afternoon.

Not wanting to frighten him away, I quietly snuck up to him.

But it turned out that he was more than happy to oblige me with a photo op!

This enchanting little fellow is the result of a doll-making round robin I participated in a few years back. I made the body, painted the features, and put the doll on a bare stand then sent it all off to the next person on my list. I think we were four in all, each in a different Canadian province. Everyone created their own doll pattern and there were no instructions as to how the doll should evolve (what sort of character, age, sex, theme). One person did the hair, hat and shoes on mine, another the costume, the final recipient created the setting on the base I had provided. I was completely surprised and utterly delighted when this little fellow returned to me. I would never have thought to develop him into such a happy little elf.

*And now I'm going to be skipping off for a few days myself, so there will be no maxim this Sunday and perhaps no postings on Ragzedge for a little while. But I will be back!*

Meanwhile, please enjoy what's left of autumn before Old Man Winter comes blowing in.

Maxim of the Week

2011-10-30T02:00:00.002-07:00

Although Abimbola's grandmother loved looking after him, she couldn't wait for the time when he would learn to walk.

Maxim:

You've got to stand on your own two feet.

To learn more about the Grandmothers of Africa and for an opportunity to lend support to them through the purchase of an original piece of textile art, please visit Valerie Herder's

African Threads.

Spirit Circle

2011-10-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

I was recently commissioned to do a painting on glass, using an old window frame as the substrate. The request was for something with a native American art feel to it. I revisited a design that I had created several years ago, inspired by my studies of North American native arts.

Contained within the Circle of Life are Bear, Eagle, Salmon, Human, living in peaceful co-existence and interdepent on each other. Spider has also passed by as we see the web she has spun, inside the top of the circle. Represented are those creatures that walk on four legs, those that swim, those that fly, those that crawl, and those who walk upright.

This is the painting within the window frame.

We humans are very small within the context of Nature, and dependent on the natural world for our very survival; and yet we have caused such havoc. This circle is intended as a symbol of healing--a symbol of Spirit; the spirit that inhabits all life on earth. We are all interconnected. We are all one.

Maxim of the Week

2011-10-22T23:12:00.001-07:00

Although Jean-Yves, in his job as sommelier, could recommend the perfect wine to go with any dish, he himself was a tee-totaller.

Maxim:

Do as I say, not as I do.

Bedevilment

2011-10-20T17:41:00.001-07:00

Traditionally designated as XV The Devil card in the Tarot , I have renamed it in my own deck as Bedevilment. This card indicates, much as a line from an old song goes, being "bewitched, bothered and bewildered" by our own obsessions.

A dictionary definition of the word "bedevil" states: to harass or torment; to throw into confusion. When this card pops up in a Tarot reading we'd best ask just what is it we're tormenting ourselves with or are confused about. Those shoes that we simply have to have? A lover we can't let go of? A particular fantasy wherein we save the day or become an overnight sensation in some way? What illusions, delusions, or substances are we using for false comfort? Relationships that are keeping us bound in some way must be shed. The Bedevilment card lets us know that it's time to stop taking our obsessive desires so seriously; to laugh at ourselves (I mean, look at this creature's get-up!), get a grip on reality, and to lighten up.

It's time to examine how we are bedeviled by boundaries and limitations created by our own fear-based beliefs and admit the ways in which we hold ourselves in bondage to physical or material desires. This card indicates the need to bring light into the darkness of desire and obsession, whether it be through the sobering light of day, the light-heartedness of humour, or the soothing light of Spirit.

We must shed our false identities (illustrated by the mask, gloves, perverse attire) and free the bonds of our limiting beliefs and obsessions (shown in the rope not being actually knotted or tied).

Maxim of the Week

2011-10-16T02:08:00.001-07:00

While Hilary enjoyed many of the perks of being a politician's wife, she had trouble dealing with the conservative dress code.

Maxim:

Caesar's wife must be above suspicion.

Dragon Breath

2011-10-13T06:22:00.001-07:00

Armed only with a small bamboo stick,

I confront the dragon before me.

*

This little metaphor for confronting one's fears reminds me of the tale of Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Do you remember Dumbo? Due to his very large ears, he could actually fly, but knowing that elephants can't fly, he didn't believe in his own ability. When given a feather to hold in his trunk and told that this "magic" feather would enable him to take flight, he was able to soar...but when he dropped it...the ground seemed to be coming up at him awfully fast. Until he was finally convinced by his "life coach" (an anything but mousy mouse) that he had the power to save himself and fly free.

Background: Original photo, manipulated in Photoshop CS2

Asian script: From a free newspaper picked up in Vancouver

Texture Layers: Shadowhouse Creations plus my own

Dragon and Girl: Copyright-free images from Dover press

(you can receive free samples from Dover every Friday by email)

Maxim of the Week

2011-10-09T01:50:00.001-07:00

Pasquale whispers words of love and encouragement to his pet bird, Flaubert, before sending him off in the homing pigeon race.

Maxim:

If you love somebody set them free.

XIV The Healer (Temperance)

2011-10-06T10:44:00.003-07:00

After doing some research on the meaning of the Temperance card in the Tarot, I have decided to rename it "The Healer" in my deck.

Generally if I think of "temperance" I associate it with not overdoing anything (especially drinking alcohol). But the Tarot card's meaning has more to do with the ability to remix the ways in which one lives one's life into a more harmonious combination. New solutions to old challenges can be found through careful analysis and patience while maintaining a well-balanced outlook on life. No going off the deep end here; no gnashing of teeth or rending of garments. We have the knowledge and ability within ourselves to heal those aspects of our lives that are out of balance. "Balance" is the key: bringing body, mind, heart, soul into a harmonious flow of energy and thereby being well in the world, no matter what the circumstances. The Healer gives us the opportunity to blend opposing elements that we have been struggling with in a seemingly leaden present into a new and harmonious combination, in order to produce a golden future.

In other words, "Physician, heal thyself!"

Maxim of the Week

2011-10-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

Motumboo is proud to demonstrate his traditional tribal dance to the tourists but is a little resentful of them comparing it to something they call the Hokey-Pokey.

Maxim:

He who pays the piper calls the tune.

Tarot Series: XIII Death

2011-09-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest installation in my ongoing series

Not altogether fearsome. Rather friendly and stylish-- for Death, that is. And proferring a lovely bunch of roses, signalling life in the blood red of the petals, and hope/love in the green leaves. So, yes, a death of situations and/or relationships that were once, and perhaps still are, held dear.

The time has come to let certain things go...whether we really want to or not. And out of this death of sorts, new beginnings and opportunities for growth and change will arise.

Maxim of the Week

2011-09-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

Having been a fashion trend-setter 40 years ago, Mavis sees no reason to change her style.

Maxim:

You can't improve on perfection.

Sneaky Pictures

2011-09-23T06:37:00.001-07:00

Sometimes a picture just creeps up on you, like a little blue cat on silent feet, and jumps into your lap.

©L.Ciacco 2011, Girl With Blue Cat, acrylic, graphite, found text on paper, 7.5 x 5 in.

I keep small pages of watercolour paper on hand and use up left-over paint on them, building up layers and textures, drawing into the wet paint without paying much attention. Until one day, the page starts to "speak" to me in some way; some aspect of it catches my attention and I begin to see an image coming through. I follow this ghostly presence and see where it leads me. And thus a picture gradually unfolds.

I think this Girl With Blue Cat is a message from my subconscious about the recent disappearance of my little grey kitty.

Maxim of the Week

2011-09-17T20:46:00.000-07:00

With his tie slightly askew, but wearing his favourite cardigan and best shoes, Jerold picks up his cat and goes to introduce himself to the attractive new upstairs neighbour.

Maxim:

Don't call us, we'll call you.

Playing With My Food

2011-09-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

I went to a dinner party last night and thought I'd offer up a dish from it for Bonnie's Photo Art Friday (which is open for business all weekend).

I enhanced the original image with a texture from Shadowhouse Creations and an old café receipt from Graphics Fairy, both downloadable for free on their blogs (see my sidebar for links). A little more texture was given to the background with another photo I took of the linen tablecloth. I cropped the picture to give it more visual impact.

This is the original image. Not a great photo, but perfect ~~fodder~~ food for digital play.

While I'm at it, here's a picture with a similar theme

Hmm...all this looking at food has given me an appetite!

While I'm chowing down on some lunch, I think I'll cruise through the delectables being served up on the other participants' sites. All their links are over at Bonnie's.

Bon appétit!

Maxim of the Week

2011-09-10T20:58:00.001-07:00

Belva struggles to install her latest acquisition into her étagère.

Maxim:

There's always room at the top.

Float Your Boat

2011-09-09T07:04:00.001-07:00

A blog friend, Bonnie, of Pixel Dust Photo Art, is launching Photo Art Friday today. The rules are simple, just post a photograph of your own that you consider to be artistic, whether it's straight out of the camera or somehow digitally altered, and add its link to the gallery over at Bonnie's. There's already some very visually stimulating work being shown there.

This is a photo I took at Finn Slough in the Vancouver lower mainland area last spring. The slough is a fascinating place and I've been posting about my visit there over on my Décolleté blog for the past couple of weeks. I wanted to give a painterly effect to the original photo and was very happy with a texture I found at Shadowhouse Creations. Okay, so not the prettiest of scenes, but rich in atmosphere, don't you think?

Be sure to head over to Bonnie's to take a tour of the other photos posted for Photo Art Friday. And join in if you feel inspired!

2011-09-04T04:54:00.000-07:00

Although Fiona loved being a new mother, she was looking forward to the time when the baby would no longer need to nursed during the night.

Maxim:

It's not all peaches and cream.

Hang-ups

2011-08-31T17:59:00.001-07:00

The latest addition to my Tarot cards series is the one traditionally known as The Hanged Man, but I preferred to interpret it with a more sexually ambiguous personnage. After all, it's not just the males of our species that have all the hang-ups.

While the card indicates being hung up about certain matters, or feeling stuck in an uncomfortable place in one's life, it also suggests it could be time to take a different viewpoint of one's situation. I painted the clothing all in earth tones to indicate a rather quietly traditional approach to life, but supplied a juicy red apple to symbolize the potential for new knowledge. The brightly coloured umbrella hints at a vibrant new world at hand, just waiting to be opened. Our hung up friend here holds the potential to turn his/her life around. At least that's the way I see it.

(doesn't this card make you want to grab your computer screen and turn it upside down?!)

Allow me!

Maxim of the Week

2011-08-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Swami Wannadoo tried to be at one with the pain of having accidentally sat on his beard.

Maxim:

There is no such thing as an accident.

(OWmmmmmmmmm)

Wheel of Fortune

2011-08-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

As promised, I continued work on my Tarot Card series, and here is the latest addition. The border of the card and the circle shape are actually a shiny copper, and I couldn't make either my scanner or Photoshop tampering reproduce the more purplish tone of the girl's shirt. But you get the idea, yes?

The wheel generally indicates a change in one's fortunes, for better or worse. Movement and change in one's circumstances. The time I had this for my Year Card, the year started out well but ended...not so great. It can indicate a change in direction, or being at a turning point in one's life, or perhaps even going around in circles. At any rate, hang on tight and stay focused when the wheel is in motion!

Maxim of the Week

2011-08-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

Stella wondered if acquiring two felines from the SPCA would categorize her as a crazy cat lady.

Maxim:

Who's counting?

[This (scratching) post is dedicated to my own dear little cat, Tasha,

who went wandering off on an Adventure one night last week and didn't come back.]

Miss Tasha 1993-2011

Lest Not Ye Be Judged

2011-08-18T09:56:00.061-07:00

After a very lengthy hiatus, I'm getting back to working on my Tarot Series.

"Justice/Adjustment: Legal and financial considerations, balance and harmony, learing to to get along with others yet be true to yourself, partnerships, contracts."
Mary K. Greer, Tarot for Your Self, Newcastle 1984

I've not yet written texts to go with my cards but there is a lot of information online about the Tarot for anyone who might be interested in delving further.

I'm planning to make the 22 cards of the Major Arcana. Thus far I have:

More on these as they develop. They will be available as individual greeting cards as well as a deck of the Major Arcana. (There, I've said it out loud in front of witnesses: now I have to do it!)

Maxim of the Week

2011-08-14T07:52:00.002-07:00

Although Carlotta didn't care for Rolando in her private life,

she had to admit he made an excellent dance partner,

Maxim:

You can't live with men; neither can you live without them.

Little Things

2011-08-11T14:06:00.005-07:00

I got ridonculously carried away this morning, fooling around with a photo, some downloaded graphics and a few free textures. At the end of my labours, I figured the image fits quite well with the theme over at Kim Klassen's Café this week, "It's the Little Things."

Lady with Bird

This is my "watercolour" version.

The setting (wall, foliage, flowers) is my own photo, taken of a house in Halifax NS. The lady in the hat is a free image from Stampington & Co., and the little bird is a free download from the Vintage Moth.

Textures I used include free downloads from Kim Klassen Café and Shadowhouse Creations.

Victorian Postcard from Stampington & Co.

Bird from Vintage Moth

Original photo

And here are two variations on a theme

Litterature Française

She did not try to catch them

I have to tell you, this is certainly not in any direction I intended to go this morning, or with this photo, but it was a fun trip. I hope you've enjoyed the ride as well.

I now return to my regular programming...whatever that is.

Maxim of the Week

2011-08-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

Winston was proud to take the group's pledge of helpfulness, honesty, obedience, and chastity.

Maxim:

Promises are like piecrust:

they are made to be broken.

Susan's Tree

2011-08-04T18:29:00.005-07:00

A blog friend recently asked me if I'd be interested in composing a digital montage for her of her favourite tree. Susan will be moving from her home of 23 years and will miss the view of the beautiful beech tree that has been her solace and joy through life's ups and downs. Perhaps more than anything else of the home she'll be leaving, it will be this dancing tree that she'll miss the most.

I made three different compositions from a couple of photos Susan sent me, this one being the loosest interpretation wherein I tried to create the texture of an old canvas.

Susan told me that I could share her sentiments on my blog, so these are her own words:

"I 've lived here for 23 years and am now moving. This birch is what I will miss most. I want to hang a pic in my new home. I see it as a dancer with her head hidden - her one leg is up in the air. See what I mean? It would be her right leg (on our left).

It's the view from my living room bay window. This is the side I'm in love with.

I've raised three kids and one grandchild and one orphaned niece in this house. Mostly times have been good. But there has also been lots of heartache and worry. I've sat many a sleepless night on the couch in turmoil, gazing at the that view. The view has mixed with my hopes, prayers, worry, love, etc. daily.

At the far base of this tree I can always find four leafed clovers in the summer. Must be a strain of them radiating out. I even found a five leaf clover. No one else thinks that's unusual, but it has me enchanted."

I find Susan's love for this tree enchanting, and am terribly pleased that she liked the versions I came up with.

I wish Susan every happiness, much love, and many lovely new memories to be created in her new home.

Maxim of the Week

2011-07-31T02:00:00.001-07:00

Seeing herself in the mirror for the first time after her televised extreme make-over,

Andrea is stunned by the amount of cleavage she has.

Maxim:

It's too much of a good thing.

2011-07-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

For those of you who were curious about the process I used to produce the Billet Doux image in the previous post, here's a list of the layers.

Just click on it to get a readable size page. I hope it's of some help for your own processes.

My "technique" is very much trial and error...or playing around, really.

The important part is to have fun with experimenting along the way.

When I started fooling around with the dogwood photo, I had no idea that I would transform it into any other sort of image. At some point I just started browsing through my collection of downloaded images that I save for digital collaging purposes and came across the Victorian lady postcard that I had received in a Stampington Co. newsletter that I get by e-mail. The image itself was much smaller than my flower, but by using the Transform tool in Photoshop, I got it to the size and placement that worked with the size of the flower. Then it was a question of getting the layers to blend together, which involved duplicating the background image (flower) and dragging it to the top of the stack a couple of times, as well as going back to previous layers to toy with their blending modes and opacities until I reached that wonderful "Eureka!" moment.

I hope this has been of some help/interest for you, in particular Thérèse and Bonnie.

Billet Doux

2011-07-27T20:36:00.002-07:00

A little "billet doux" (love note) comprised of 17 layers superimposed on a simple photograph of a pink dogwood flower I recently snapped at the Halifax Public Gardens.

The layers making up this image, include textures graciously supplied for free downloading by Kim Klassen, Shadowhouse Creations, D.J. Pettit, Stampington, as well as Photoshop brushes

and my original flower photo.

I send out love and wishes that you, my blog friends, are feeling in the pink.

Victorian Post Card from Stampington

2011-07-24T06:42:00.001-07:00

Embracing the concept of having an inner yogi, Grant begins each day

with a self-imposed routine of "Jumping for Joy."

Maxim:

It's a leap of faith.

Maxim of the Week

2011-07-17T02:00:00.001-07:00

Every night before bed, Lucinda puts Rowl in his cat basket, knowing that every morning she'll find him curled up next to her on her pillow.

Maxim:

All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

(Please note that this is a pre-ordained posting. I am actually away from my post for an unspecified amount of time, enjoying some summer fun, but should be back soon.)

Maxim of the Week

2011-07-10T02:01:00.000-07:00

Whenever Herbie can't find a gig in a band, he plays his horn on street corners or at subway stops.

Maxim:

All the world's a stage.

Because I Felt Like It

2011-07-05T21:05:00.004-07:00

Sometimes instead of making art, I make crafts. Crafts can be silly (as some art also is) but usually somehow useful or practical (think crotched toilet roll covers in the shape of poodles. Hands up all who remember those!)

I developed a fascination with felting some years ago and have made a few stabs (especially when needle felting) at it from time to time. Here are two recent results of my dabbling.

Needle felted ring and wet-felted cuff.

I learned how to make the ring from a library book (sorry, can't remember the title/author) but a friend of mine came over and gave me a private felting lesson on how to make lovely cuffs. It's not exactly the season to wear them, but they'll be wonderful for chilly fall and winter days, don't you think? Especially if one's sleeves are a little on the short side.

(And for those who are interested in such things, I used two of Kim Klassen's free textures, Peeling Paint and Canvas Back, to add interest to the soft focus background of the above photo).

How about you? Feeling crafty these days? And when does craft become art?

Sometimes it's a fine line.

Maxim of the Week

2011-07-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

Manon could not help but feel some trepidation as she prepared to give Mr. Binky an enema.

Maxim:

The end justifies the means.

Four for All

2011-06-30T21:06:00.002-07:00

I went to my studio today with the intention of making a watercolour of a luna moth I came across this week--the first and only one I've ever seen. The result was more than disappointing. Even scribbling and dripping and stamping into the picture couldn't save it. But ripping the paper into 4 sections provided me with new fodder to work each piece individually as a new collage.

When in doubt, rip it up and repurpose the pieces.

Sounds like good advice for living one's life.

Maybe.

Maxim of the Week

2011-06-26T02:18:00.000-07:00

Not wanting to insult her hosts in the foreign land, Angela is nevertheless uncertain as to whether or not she can actually swallow the "special delicacies" they have served her.

Maxim:

There is nothing good or bad

but thinking makes it so.

Cornered

2011-06-23T11:02:00.002-07:00

Although I haven't been particularly creative this week, I have been looking after the business side of making art. A local gallery has requested cards and magnets made from my Maritimes Series. The catch is, the paintings' frames were made from lobster traps, which are curved. I will spare you the details, but I have to make this, for example,

©L.Ciacco Heartstrings acrylic on canvas

into this

which means filling in the missing areas with pixels.

Yes, it's a slightly tedious, rather painstaking job--right up my alley!

***

Apart from that, I got distracted for a few hours fiddling (pardon the pun) with a photo I'd taken in Montreal recently. It's always the poorly lit, out of focus pictures that I'm drawn to tinkering with.

What do you think of this very soft focus effect?

***

Anyway, back to pushing pixels into corners.

See you Sunday for the maxim!

Maxim of the Week

2011-06-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Elena loves to take Teddy and Dolly with her in a basket when she goes out walking.

Maxim:

It is better to be happy than wise.

Having a Bird

2011-06-16T19:55:00.004-07:00

Another week slipped by with no studio time! I decided to get in there this afternoon and rectify the situation. Nothing planned, a quick sort of scribble sketch, and then let the watercolours flow.

Now, I don't want anybody looking up this bird in an ornithology book!

Slipping a mat (even though it's not the right size) over the painting gives an idea of what it would look like if it was framed.

This was about an hour's worth of play time.

I hope you're finding time to play as well.

Make a play date with your self!

(I must remember to follow my own advice)

Maxim of the Week

2011-06-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

Struggling to still her mind and master the art of meditation, Cassandra gradually becomes aware that she visualizing a doughnut.

Maxim:

It's a piece of cake.

Domestica Revealed

2011-06-12T08:21:00.001-07:00

I was quite overwhelmed with the wonderful response that my watercolour painting, Domestica (seen in the post below), received over the past few days. I did my best to respond to your insightful comments but would like also to offer up my own interpretation of the painting.

What I think is the most fascinating aspect of art is that every viewer brings his or her own meaning/point of view/life experience/emotional state/belief system to it, to say nothing of their preference for colours, style, etc., thus making many stories of what seems to be just one.

For what it's worth, here is my own interpretation of the watecolour that appeared before me:

Red of her dress: first chakra/roots/tribal connection
Purple of her dress: highest chakra/spirituality. So her emphasis is on the tribal and spiritual aspects of a marriage.
Yellow of his shirt: third chakra/power
Blue pants: 5thchakra/self-expression. But as it's the colour of his pants, this self-expression is not in the proper place (!)--which should be at the throat level
Feet:: The joined feet show that they have been continuing along a path together for some time, in synch. The male's free foot, however, is heading away from the couple position, seeking an individual path while the woman is still trying to keep them together on the same path
Orange chair/Green leaves/White lilies:
-orange: 2nd chakra/sexuality/creativity
-green: 4th chakra: heart/love-
white: purity-
Note: these traits are outside of themselves. Though carefully tended and well-cared for, they have not been integrated into either partner's psyche.
Arms: Their right arms are in the same position, bent facing the same way, nearly identical, thus having similar goals/tasks. The man's left arm is disproportionately long--reaching out to create or grab something beyond the relationship, while her left arm is trying to keep him bound to the couple dynamic.
Black cat: This could represent a shadow self; an aspect of their psyches that is dark and mostly hidden to them that needs to be brought out and looked at because it keeps tripping them up.

So there you go.

You Never Know

2011-06-09T14:43:00.002-07:00

For days (if not weeks or months even) I've been wanting to get to my studio and make something that could be classified as art. For the past several days, I've had a vague image of a girl floating in my head and I felt that I wanted to do a drawing/painting of her...with crinolines and bare feet and long hair. Today I finally got to my studio and this is what happened.

Not quite what I had in mind, but I just let it flow, without question or criticism...other than the criticism of my trusty eraser from time to time. I've been thinking about relationships lately, for various reasons. Does it show?
There is a lot of symbolism in this piece, which I could describe, but I prefer to let the viewer bring her (or his) own interpretation to the picture. I will say, though, that the choice of colours has to do with the chakras, and the positioning of the feet and hands is very important. The cat, I'm not so sure about: I had intended it be a dog.

Maxim of the Week

2011-06-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Standing at the altar, Ian begins to worry that his bride isn't going to show up for their wedding.

Maxim:

There are no gains without pains.

Interconnected Creativity

2011-05-26T14:06:00.001-07:00

Again, I am privileged to have a piece of my digital art featured on Deborah Lawrenson's beautiful blog, in a post she's titled "The Art of Translation." She discovered it when browsing through my website. Subsequently, I realized that I hadn't posted it here on my art blog (or if I have, I can't find it: such is the power of my organizational skills).

Because this is digital art, I made several versions of it as I experimented with different blending modes and layers. This a darker, more brooding image than the one Deborah has posted.

Deborah says that she feels very strongly that different forms of creativity are all interconnected. I have had many instances in my experience as an artist where this has certainly been the case, such as fellow artists discovering that they'd been working on the same subject matter unbeknownst to one another,or had the same idea without having first communicated with each other. And in this instance with "Alibaud," it stemmed (pardon the pun) from a photo sent to me from Owen Phillips of The Magic Lantern blog, challenging me to see what I could do with it in Photoshop. And now here it is linked to another artist, who writes charmingly of its effect on her and gives an excellent insight into Rimbaud's poem, Sensation, which is seen here on the digital "painting" in his own handwriting.

Blogging, I would say, is an interconnecting art form in and of itself.

To read Deborah Lawrenson's blog on today's post, The Art of Translation, click here
To see the original photo from Owen Phillips (scroll down the posting of June 11/10), click here

Please note, my lovelies, that I will be away from my post for the next week, visiting my daughter (featured in the Alibaud picture) in Montreal. So, no maxim this Sunday, but it will return on the following Sunday, June 5. Hope to see you there!

Maxim of the Week

2011-05-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

After a few hours of hitch-hiking,

Charlene begins to question her need

for material possessions.

Maxim:

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

Victorious

2011-05-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

In Canada, this Monday is Victoria Day, a holiday for those gainfully employed in the real world. I don't have a picture of Queen Victoria, in whose honour this day is named, but I do have a photo of a statue in Vancouver called the Angel of Victory. Close enough.

I really wanted to post this picture because I spent several hours manipulating it in Photoshop today and that, I feel, is my art practice at the moment. Pushing pixels instead of paint.

(I took this photo outside of Waterfront Station in Vancouver last April.)

Maxim of the Week

2011-05-15T06:25:00.001-07:00

Victor tries in vain to reach that itchy spot between his shoulder blades.

Maxim:

You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

Getting to Know You

2011-05-14T04:11:00.000-07:00

It is nothing short of amazing how people all over the world connect through blogging. Without this modern- day magic our paths would never cross, our ideas never be shared with each other, our histories left largely unknown, our artwork, for the most part, displayed locally or not at all. But with blogging, the world is our oyster and we have the means to crack it open and find the pearl.

One such pearl I recently came across, as she was prying open the entrance to Ragzedge, was British writer Deborah Lawrenson's blog featuring her writing, photos, and "Provence, the Luberon and an old house on a hill...". It was with great surprise and pleasure that I recently received an e-mail from her asking if she might use a piece of my digital art on her blog, which I readily agreed to.

My City Lupins picture, which I previously posted here last June, caught her eye and stirred up early associations with her own "crumbling home" in the Luberon, which you can read about, in her lushly descriptive and evocative style, on her blog posting today. I also suggest you explore Deborah's website to get to know more about her and her work.

Sorry for the lack of visuals with the video but isn't it a sweet rendition? Yes, it's lovely getting to know blog friends, day by day.

For a Dancer

2011-05-11T16:20:00.000-07:00

Today would have been contemporary dance pioneer and legend Martha Graham's 118th birthday. I used to be a dancer; I studied ballet from age 3 to 13, then went on to jazz, and was later in a couple of small contemporary dance troupes for a number of years. To this day, you can find me bopping around in my kitchen, especially when my daughter is home on a visit and we crank up the tunes and pull out all the stops, fuelled by wine and a shared sense of the ridiculous.

Here's my birthday card for Martha, composed of a photo I made of a bouquet of flowers combined with a picture of Martha I downloaded from the internet.

I wanted to give the impression of a charcoal and chalk drawing.

And here's a favourite song of mine by Jackson Browne that seemed more than appropiate.

...
"Just do the steps that you've been shown
By everyone you've ever known
Until the dance becomes your very own
No matter how close to yours
Another's steps have grown
In the end there is one dance you'll do alone
...
Into a dancer you have grown
From a seed somebody else has thrown
Go on ahead and throw some seeds of your own
And somewhere between the time you arrive
And the time you go
May lie a reason you were alive
But you'll never know"

I feel pretty sure that Martha Graham knew exactly the reason she was alive.

As my ballet teacher used to say,

"Make a dance of it!"

Seems good advice to apply to one's life,

wouldn't you say?

Maxim of the Week

2011-05-08T02:17:00.001-07:00

Ingrid eagerly anticipates the new glamourous image she feels sure the home perm will provide.

Maxim:

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

(I thought this went rather well with the previous post)

Reluctant Oracle

2011-05-05T07:21:00.001-07:00

I had some free time on my hands the other day, but not enough to really get into that messy creative space, so I whipped out my binder of magazine clippings to make a collage.

After much Photoshop tampering this morning, this is the result.

And here is the accompanying "poem" that's made up from the randomly chosen phrases in the collage:

The Oracle’s Chosen One

Memories are bondage

Are you good with that?

But with prophecies

and future gazing

(648 clues, that's all),

you have the power

to see into the future

and make things happen.

What is it?

The question or the answer:

The Oracle's chosen one

can't seem to get it right.

Is it in the cards?

Here's a tip:

Plan for the unexpected.

There you go.

Are you good with that?

And here's the original collage--

There you go.

Que sera sera!

Are you good with that?

Maxim of the Week

2011-05-01T02:12:00.001-07:00

Gisella decided to stop trying to hide her girth and embrace it.

Maxim:

Big is beautiful.

When the Red Red Robin

2011-04-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, one of my favourite songs was "When the red red robin comes bob-bob-bobbin' along." The other day, our yard was practically seething with robins. I had never seen so many in one place, all bob-bob-bobbin' along for worms, I guess. Each one was plump and robust looking, with his red waistcoast practically bursting at the seams.

Maybe this is what subconsciously prompted me to paint this image,
which was entirely spontaneous, when I went to my studio.

Looks like a curious heron also popped by to see what all the twittering was about.

It had been awhile since I'd put paint to paper and I just felt the urge. Do you know what I mean?

"I'm just a kid again, doin' what I did again!"

Maxim of the Week

2011-04-24T07:15:00.000-07:00

After months of deep meditation,

Swami Glamanda has the revelation

that he should design a line of fashion for gurus.

Maxim:

God helps those who help themselves.

Cherry Blossom Pink

2011-04-22T18:56:00.011-07:00

When I was in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, the cherry blossoms were comining into bloom.

(To see the original version of this photo, please take a peek in my Décolleté blog)

Gypsy Ways

2011-04-20T08:34:00.003-07:00

Here's a digital collage I mixed up in Photoshop, using elements from 3 of my own paintings plus some copyright-free images from the internet (Dover Publications and Artisan Avenue newsletters).

This is the full-meal-deal-colour-blast version.

Next, I emphasized the rectangular aspects of the composition.

And finally I desaturated the whole thing to give it an aged and dreamy appearance.

Because the woman is gazing directly at the viewer, it's pretty much impossible to draw your attention away from her, no matter how colourful or blended the background effects.

I think the muted version is the most successful in integrating all the elements.

Which do you prefer?

Maxim of the Week

2011-04-17T03:01:00.000-07:00

Bicycling home from the organic produce store with her baby on her back,

vegetarian Victoria seriously considers going to a drive-thru for a burger.

Maxim:

When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

Maxim of the Week

2011-04-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

Jasper the stunt man hates it when someone hits him over the head with a real chair instead of a collapsing one.

Maxim:

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Maxim of the Week

2011-04-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

Joelene tells her daddy she’s so proud of being a dairy farmer’s daughter that she’d love to go along with him to the Farmers’ Convention in the big city; and with her own hotel room she won’t be any trouble at all.

Maxim:

Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.

Moleskine Travelogue

2011-04-02T00:01:00.006-07:00

While on "holiday" or travelling, I tend to gather bits of paper...business cards from restaurants and artists, gallery and city guides, newspaper clippings , etc. In order to have some sort of hardcopy souvenir of places been and seen, I glue the cuttings into unlined journals from the Dollar Store. I've found, however, that it's hard to keep up with the cutting, gluing, sorting, arranging and marginal note-making so I usually end up with a bag full of papers and clippings to sort out once I'm back home. This situation results in a pile of stuff sitting on my desk for months (dare I say years?), awaiting my careful ministrations. By the time I finally get back to the pile, the memories have faded and it's difficult to put it all into some semblance of order. A pleasure has turned into a task.

Enter the Moleskine. My daughter gave me this little book and it seems the perfect solution because it's small.

Small is beautiful @ 3.5 x 5.5 inches.

(Now she is back in Montreal,

says the back cover)

I personalised the covers. There's a little pocket in the back where I've stashed luggage tags.

Pages with clippings from gallery guides, ferry ticket, business card, which all serve as memory prompts to things I've done and seen during the trip.

Here, clippings from a local paper, some more gallery guide pictures, and a cut-up paper bag from a native art gallery, where I bought a little souvenir, provide a scrapbook collage effect.

It is not making art, but it is a creative process. And it's a satisfying way to keep a little trip diary. I'm not one for journaling and I seem to have given up sketching, so this is a good compromise for me.

The best way to make art while on holiday is to attend a workshop for that purpose.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a 2 hour demo of Liquitex acrylics at my favourite art supply store, Opus, presented by Oakland, CA artist,

Michele Theberge. She has some free stuff on her website, as well as a link to her blog, if you'd like to check it out.

The demo was informative and fun, but the best part was a complimentary bag of goodies to take home! Consequently, I have two small canvases that I'm trying to find time and space to paint stashed in my bedroom . This situation is causing more anxiety than pleasure! I guess I'll be carting them back home unfinished instead of a paper bag full of clippings this time.

Not sure if that's much of an improvement!

When will I ever learn?

Maxim of the Week

2011-03-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

There was always a twitter from the ladies in the dining room of the Senior’s Centre when “The Count” arrived for supper.

Maxim:

Clothes make the man.

(Thankfully, the Blogger glitch has been cleared up. Thank you for your patience and sympathy. I hope the wait was worth it!)

Technical Difficulties

2011-03-27T09:52:00.002-07:00

I am experiencing technical difficulties with Blogger. It's posting my photos at approximately the size of a pin head, and I can't zoom in on the angels dancing on top of it to find out how many there are and solve that age-old mystery.

The same problem's happening on my other blog, Décolleté.
If you don't hear from me for awhile, you'll know why.

Please stand by.

(The maxim is actually posted here to the left! Maybe you could see it with the aid of the Hubble telescope.)

Seen

2011-03-25T00:17:00.002-07:00

I recently took a little trip to Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island and, while there, visited the gallery of First Nations contemporary artist, Roy Henry Vickers. The gallery itself is built along the idea of a traditional long house, with cedar walls and low lighting that beautifully showcase his colourful original prints. His website is a treat to view, and I encourage you to click on the link to pay it a virtual visit.

In the gallery, this tall bird looks like he's hiding behind a corner, ready to jump out and scare the visitors with a loud squawk! Or maybe he's just self-conscious about his unusual height and is trying to be inconspicuous.

An eagle's eye view.

Here's a "posterized" (with Photoshop Elements) version of a photo that I took while in the area.

Ocean View, Ucluelet BC

I don't pretend for one second that it's anything like Vickers' work, but maybe it was inpired by it. I do think it would work as a real print, if I was a printmaker and knew how. In art school I usually made a mess with silk-screening so I think it's best I stick to Photoshopping at this point in my artist's life.

No More Waiting

2011-03-23T00:38:00.002-07:00

Today I got out my glue stick and my envelope of magazine rippings that I'd packed to bring with me to the west coast and put together a quick collage.

The Myth That There Are No Quick Fixes

You’re thinking about your health:

We never know which comes first,

tomorrow or the next life.

No more waiting:

Do it yourself--

focus on balance.

Learn to breathe sublime energy.

Maxim of the Week

2011-03-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

Attending her first church social since moving to the neighbourhood, Frances reluctantly accepts a cup of instant coffee from the minister’s wife.

Maxim:

It’s not my cup of tea.

Pedal Pushers

2011-03-16T00:01:00.003-07:00

I'm old enough to remember when capris were called pedal pushers. Anyone else? Let's see a show of hands.

A pedal pusher could also refer to someone riding a bike (or playing an organ). Here we see a mannequin in a store window, pedalling along while trying to balance a teacup in one hand and steer her purse-laden bicycle in the other.

She's like a different version of the little painting, Bixi Babe I did last September, don't you think? I'm hoping this altered photograph will suffice as my piece of creativity for this week as I haven't had the inclination to uncap my glue stick and make a collage. I'm on holiday, after all. But I did want to leave a little offering as I'll be heading off to Vancouver Island for a few days, so I had some fun with this photo I took the other day in downtown Vancouver. You can see the original over at Décolleté if you feel so inclined.

I'll preprogram Sunday's maxim to magically appear here on schedule.

Have an inspired week!

Maxim of the Week

2011-03-13T01:00:00.001-08:00

Playing the role of Tybalt in “Samurai Romeo and Juliet,” Alec finds it tricky to emote convincingly while trying to walk on wooden sandals.

Maxim:

There’s the rub.

Have Glue Stick Will Travel

2011-03-09T09:00:00.002-08:00

By the time you're reading this, I will be on the "other side" of Canada, out west in Vancouver, ensconced in my mother's house for a few weeks. Before leaving, though, I thought I'd post another collage poem I did, again using magazine cuttings. I used an article on sexy lingerie from the Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper because I loved the colours and patterns (and because it's about as close as I'll ever get to owning any underwear like that).

OBJET

Take your own path;

empower yourself.

It’s always about

seeing your

future French lessons

paid.

(perhaps an alternate title could be "L'objet de mon désir")

I'll let you mull that over while I make my way west.

I have 2 glue sticks, a large envelope of magazine cuttings, and 5 sheets of cardstock packed and am hopeful that I'll have a few things to stick up on Ragzedge while away from my post. I've got several maxims up my sleeve as well, so they'll continue to pop up on Sundays as usual.

And of course I'll be around to see what you're all up to!

ciao for now! xoxo

Maxim of the Week

2011-03-06T05:47:00.001-08:00

After dutifully picking up her infant niece from the baby carriage and expressing her admiration,

Aunty Mona isn't quite sure what to do next.

Maxim:

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

(alternately: the tough go shopping)

Intuition, Collage Poem

2011-03-02T13:12:00.004-08:00

Here's another collage poem, not meant as art but as an exploration/discovery process. Using a couple of magazines and just tearing out images and words that resonate with me at the time of making the collage; seeing what sort of message comes through. Final step, rearranging/altering the words a bit to make a poem.

Intuition

Use your instincts

as a catalyst:

Forget destinations,

be guided by glimpses

of the sacred

behind the mundane.

See beauty;

travel light;

trust.

Is there any particular image within this collage that resonates with you?
Do you know why?

Maxim of the Week

2011-02-27T01:59:00.001-08:00

Dr. Euclid, the veterinarian, generally prefers his patients

to their owners.

Maxim:

A man is known by the company he keeps.

Future Options, Collage Poem

2011-02-23T19:01:00.004-08:00

I've been invited to help lead a workshop on dream analysis, guiding the collage-making element of it. Consequently, I have been preoccupied with ripping up magazines and spreading glue.

Future Options

Artist--

Damn the masses!

When straddling either way,

to trust your intellect

or follow your passion,

believe

that burning up forever

with visual harmony

is perfect for you.

You could live without it,

but would you call that living?

Collaging, using ready-made images from magazines, is a quick, intuitive process that does not necessarily produce Art. It is a Process. A Revelation. A Message From the Subconscious. I've added a new challenge to the process which involves taking the words that appear in the collage and arranging them in a sort of poem. It concentrates the "message" and adds another dimension to the process.
Try it! But I warn you, it can be addictive.

This is the original collage. In the version above, I added the red beret and the arty skirt, plus warmed up the overall tone using Photoshop.

Maxim of the Week

2011-02-20T03:18:00.001-08:00

Amy is hopeful that the tummy tuck, eye lift, breast enhancement,

nose job, face lift,

and realignment of her teeth will make a new woman of her.

Maxim:

You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs.

An Angel on my Shoulder

2011-02-17T18:55:00.001-08:00

For a time, over a period of a couple of years, while out on my daily walk, I would pick up scraps of metal, usually rusted, that I'd find on the road. I gathered them up and kept them in messy piles and gradually assembled various bits and pieces into rusty angels. I had thought to frame them and make an exhibit, but my sister-in-law tied them all into a tree in my yard last summer so they could fly and dance in the wind. They weren't meant to withstand the elements, due to the glue I'd used, but some have survived.

This is one of the more elaborate ones.

I have heard that everyone has at least one angel hovering near,

some perhaps more battle worn than others.

PS. For those who were wondering, here's the link to the angels in the tree.

Maxim of the Week

2011-02-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

After daring to express a differing opinion about the choice of accent cushions,

Leopold prepares to defend himself against the wrath of his lover.

Maxim:

Over my dead body!

Variasian

2011-02-12T12:13:00.001-08:00

Couldn't help myself...got to looking at the valentine (see post below) and wondering "what if...?"

Valentine Time

2011-02-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not one for sending valentine cards or getting mushy.

But tonight, after a long session at the computer while getting to know my new printer, I just felt like playing a bit. I started with a photo of a bouquet I recently received, then added in an old movie star face and a French postcard (not quite the same thing as a French letter!) and the whole thing evolved into a valentine. Sort of. More or less. Well, it says "Valentine" on it!

The ingredients: Just add love and stir!

Maxim of the Week

2011-02-06T06:43:00.001-08:00

Omer doffed his hat and eyed the fair May-Belle

but that was as far as his wooing techniques could go.

Maxim:

Faint heart never won fair lady.

(PS. May-Belle's response was to quote the infamous Mae West line,

"Is that a pistol in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?")

Nerve Block

2011-02-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

I was determined to get a new piece of artwork up before it'stime to post the Sunday maxim. Yesterday's attempt at painting went nowhere. It's just not happening for me these days and I can't force it. Tonight, I grabbed some papers and clippings to collage and then went at it with acrylics.

nerve block

or just plain procrastination

Steering your ideas

through gauntlets of objections

DREAMERS INTO DOERS

having started here

Art imitating life again, judging from the subliminal message that turned up!

Maxim of the Week

2011-01-30T03:59:00.002-08:00

Expecting a special delivery parcel, Glenda ran from her bath when the doorbell rang, only to find two young men in dark suits carrying a Bible and peddling the word of God.

Maxim:

The devil can cite scripture for his purpose.

Ambiguously Ambivalent

2011-01-27T18:16:00.007-08:00

This painting emerged after a long struggle with trying to make sense of the glued-on fabric bits. It went from a mother with a carriage of triplets, to complete abstract, to murk, to this wistful woman standing by the garden wall.

Reminds me of a scene that might be found in a Maeve Binchy novel.

She might be waiting for a lover, a friend, a taxi.

Perhaps off on a fun adventure; fleeing an intolerable situation at home;

or just longing for the time when things will be better.
Anticipation? Despair? Hope? Acceptance?

Waiting.

Maxim of the Week

2011-01-23T07:05:00.000-08:00

After a lifetime dedicated to deep meditation in a mountain retreat,

Swami Dananda concludes that happiness is

a warm woollen scarf.

Maxim:

Think warm thoughts.

(and wear warm woolly socks, sweaters, toques, mitts as well if you happen to live anywhere like I do!

Go here to see what I mean.)