Brick House Pictures

I was pleased with the opening for my show Brick House.  Officially it started at 5:30 last Friday evening.  At about 5:45 I started to panic a bit because no one was coming by yet.  But from 6 to 8 there was a really nice steady flow of people and comments were positive.  And, if someone thought the work was awful they, thankfully, kept their thoughts to themselves.

The series features my own handmade paper on canvas.  Each brick is a separate piece of paper painted using a variety of painting techniques.  The grout texture is made by using the surface of the canvas along with modeling paste and sand swiped from the neighbor's sandbox.  What really makes these work is that I finally figured out how to use shadowing to enhance the texture of the papers.  Ah, progress!

Here are some pictures from the evening...

This picture gives you an idea of the scale of the work.  It also shows me looking better than usual.

I talked at length with a very interesting and interested lady about this piece.  It was sold in my mind.  However, this gallery at the college doesn't allow for immediate purchase and as of this minute I haven't heard from the lady.  I'm still hopeful; however, if you need to have this piece in your home it's yours for $350.

I like the size of this one and the colors turned out really nice.  I plan to use this one as my "show" piece and will finally have something to enter into the Kalamazoo Area Show this year.

Here's the entire wall, about 30 feet.  The comment I heard most often is "I want to touch this".  I say go ahead.  The texture of the handmade paper along with the various painting techniques encourage it.  I think most wanted to touch the pieces because they couldn't figure out the materials used.

This is the smallest painting, 24" x 18" but the most involved.  The patches are plaster, the bricks are handmade paper.

The show is up at the Center for New Media/KVCC (downtown Kalamazoo, across the mall from the Raddison) until the 28th of November.

Lorrie

Brick House - Opening on Friday

I have some exciting news!  I've been working on a series that I'm calling Brick House.  The work will be shown for the first time this month.  The opening reception is Friday, November 4 at the Center for New Media, KVCC, downtown Kalamazoo from 5:30 - 8:30.  I'll be part of Art Hop.  Come on down and take a look at my new work as well as the work of other artists showing that evening.  It's always a fun night out.

This new work is a huge step forward for me.  I really feel like I've made great artistic strides with this series as I'm incorporating handmade paper into paintings on canvas.  The handmade paper, while already very textural, actually looks dimensional because of the painting efforts with regard to shadowing and color.  The piece shown on the postcard is 24" x 24".  I will have other pieces that are bigger too.

The reception is Friday.  But, the work is up for the entire month.  I hope you'll stop by.

Lorrie

Fall Colors

The Altered Sisters group (we meet monthly to talk art and have fun) had a tag swap in early October.  This is my attempt.  Can you guess what the background is? I love the honeycomb look to it.

A couple of weeks ago I spent three days in the garage/driveway making sheets of paste papers.  I used Lysol wipes to clean up the plexiglass in between each sheet.  These wipes were too pretty to throw away so they became the background for the tags!  Good one, huh?  Then, I burrowed into the back recesses of my messy studio and found my stamps.  I knew I had a leaf stamp in there somewhere.

We have had the most glorious fall here in Michigan.  The colors have not been super bright and vibrant because the temperatures have been too warm.  Nonetheless, it is very pretty out with colors, sun and warmth.  Throw in the occasional 42 degree day with rain and the good stuff is appreciated even more!

I turned 50 last month and my husband threw me a surprise party.  He did a great job and I had a  super time with lots of friends and family.  I think I'll use this image on my thank you notes.

Lorrie

KVCC Student Show

Each year Kalamazoo Valley Community College has its annual student art show.  Well, since I'm an official student now I decided to enter.  I was juried in with my piece called Bailey Park.  I completed this painting well before I took the Painting class this semester but rules stated that the piece entered had to have been created within the last two years so it qualified.

I haven't shown it on the blog in a while so here you go...

All the colors in this photo are too "hot".  Adding it to my "Please Get a Good Photo" pile.

This 24" x 48" piece uses many of the techniques that I am hoping to explore on my own and in Art 205.  Basically, I am incorporating highly textured handmade paper into an acrylic painting on canvas.  In this case the houses are handmade paper and the background is plaster and paint.  For a look at how this was done you can begin with this post. 

I just completed my first ever college art class (Art 105).  Good experience, weak instructor.  I debated about continuing with another class.  KVCC has an artist-in-residence from the Netherlands right now and she visited our last class and contributed greatly.  That one experience, that took less than 45 minutes, was enough to sway me.  Yep, I'm registered for Art 205 and it starts this Thursday.

Lorrie

PS.  Our garage sale (mentioned in my last post) was a huge success.  Lots of stuff gone including piles and piles of new toys from Steve's sample room.  Still have a sleeper/sofa left as well as a nice office credenza.  Anyone?

Waiting for the Opportunity - Close Ups

Here are some close ups of Waiting for the Opportunity.  I love how the tight crops turn the piece into an abstract.  I've always been about color and texture.  With these up-close-and-personal shots you really get a look at both.

Water.  I love this.  In fact, my final for my painting class took the water idea a bit further.  I'll show you this painting soon.

If you hadn't seen the completed piece you'd never guess that this is a handmade paper fish!

This looks like a topographical map to me.  Hills, valleys, water, etc.

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This one shows one of the handmade paper fish on the left, the painted canvas in the blue and then the raised plaster "lock". 

And back to my favorite part:  water.

Here's the finished piece again for reference on the close ups.  One of these days I'm going to actually have a good picture taken of my finished work.

We're having a garage sale this weekend.  It takes so much time and preparation.  However, since we do this every year, my husband and I have a pretty good routine down.  Nonetheless, it is exhausting.  See you again from the other side of the (hopefully empty) garage.

Lorrie

Waiting for the Opportunity

The Artists Co-op that I belong to recently had a show opening at the Kalamazoo Nature Center.  Called Earth:  the Power and Fragility, this show had some super work from about 15 members.  So, in the middle of the basement remodel, my painting class, a trip to NY as well as interviewing for a job and ferrying the kids around, I had a show-quality (shouldn't they all be show-quality?) piece to create. 

I juried into this group as a handmade paper and paper mosaic artist so this is the type of work that I needed to make.  It felt good working with the heavily textured handmade paper again!

My idea on this theme was to highlight the plight of the Great Lakes with regard to the very invasive Asian Carp. These fish are expected to enter the Lakes via the Mississippi River and Illinois Canals.  Currently there are "zappers" in the canals that are supposed to keep the fish from entering Lake Michigan through the Locks but it is inevitable that these fish, with their voracious appetites, will get into the Lakes and alter the ecosystems.  These fish are just Waiting for the Opportunity.

Here's my progression over several days:



Back to working with handmade paper again.  Yeh!  The fish are handmade paper fish glued onto a canvas.  The chair that is supporting the canvas gives you an idea of scale.



A coat of tan paint went over the whole thing then I started to build the colors of the water.

Each fish received it's own color.  My formerly bright and fun fish had to become rather dark and menacing.  Asian Carp are not pretty fish!  The white over the blue on the right is plaster.

Continuing to layer blue on blue on blue on blue.  I used my fingers for about 90% of the water on this piece.  Very little brush work involved.

The fish get a bit of highlighting with copper paint and the Lock is put in.  The lock is more plaster so it is raised.  Lots of dimension on this piece.



The Lock is painted copper as well.



OMG!!  What happened?!?  Stay tuned...

Lorrie

PS. That is what they call a cliff hanger. :)

Paper Mosaic Frenzy

In anticipation of the Handmade Paper Guild Holiday Sale this weekend as well as the month-long Signature Gallery Shop I've been in a paper mosaic frenzy...

Picture frames and 10" x 10" mirrors...

More picture frames and 10" x 10" mirrors...

Some holiday stuff...

Some fun stuff...

Most prices range from about $10 to $50.  I will have larger stuff available too but I don't have pictures of it all yet.

Back to the studio...

Lorrie

Jerry's Artarama Art Tip Contest

I submitted an art tip at Jerry's Artarama.  They then chose eight to be in the running for a $250 gift certificate. I'm one of the eight!  $250 can buy a lot of paint, paper, canvas, etc.   Please take a minute and help me win by voting by May 26 at:   Jerry's Artarama

My tip is about using acrylic paint and a heat gun to raise bubbles and make interesting textures.  There are a couple of other good tips there too (but don't vote for them).  :)

You don't have to sign up for anything or give any contact info. For those that are inclined to vote lots and lots of times:  thanks very much.  But this contest only allows each voter one vote.  I'll take all the one votes I can get!   Pass it on...

Lorrie

And Now for Something Completely Different...

At last week's Altered Sisters meeting one sister was kind enough to demo how to make the Sitting Pretties initially created by Claudine Hellmuth and shown on Martha Stewart.  Angela brought all the supplies needed to make these cute poppets.  (Many thanks to Angela for her time, effort and tips!)  As students, all we needed to bring was the photos.

We had a fun meeting exploring this technique.  I'd say it was definitely a success as there was several minutes, here and there, of no noise at all.  Just concentration.  Now, if you knew this group like I do, you'd really think that is amazing because we never shut up!   I made "Pretties" of my three kids.  Of course, they immediately told me that they don't dress like that!

The ingenious bendy base for these guys is aluminum flashing.  It is then covered with paper or fabric.  I primarily used paste paper scraps as well as some commerical papers. 

I had fun making these and they will go to my mom for her birthday.  I think they'll go over big.  My hope was that this would be a great 2010 Christmas gift idea for friends and family.  Sorry guys, I think these will be the only ones I make.  The result is fun but the process was too fussy (lots of scissor work) and problematic (glue didn't stick, markers didn't stick) for me. 

Then again, maybe I'd get better if I made more...

Lorrie

Close Ups

Last week I retrieved my Show Piece from the Carnegie Center for the Arts.  With these beautiful (and rare) sunny winter days I decided to take some close ups.  Tight crops can be so interesting...

The blue shapes (houses) are all pieces of my handmade paper.  The background is a plaster concoction.  Go here to see the beginning of how this piece was made.

Hope your day is sunny.

Lorrie

Handmade Paper Like No Other

Is it okay to say that I am totally in love my own work? Sounds pretty gutsy to me but I just said it anyway. But, believe me, I don't always love my work. In fact, now that I think of it, I frequently Like my work but seldom Love it. And, sometimes I Hate it. Guess I just opened up a giant self-defeating can of worms. For today then, I love my scraps! Maybe one day I'll love a whole, entire, wonderful piece.

These scraps of textured handmade paper were created with a variety of materials: artists' acrylic paints, latex house paint, spray paint, oil pastels, bitumen, mineral spirits, stencils and more. After scanning the scraps, I've played with them a bit in Photoshop too which gives them even more cool effects. The ones I'm showing you here are not digitally altered in anyway.














On this very white and snowy day, I wish you the opposite: a colorful day.


Lorrie

Spring will Come... Eventually

As we finish up the last days of January I'm finding myself celebrating each tiny sliver of sun that peeps through these heavy Michigan clouds.  Here are two pieces that I made last fall while beginning to experiment with the marriage of handmade paper on canvas. 

I painted the edges of the canvas too so they don't need to be framed and they actually look more "complete" than these scanned, cut off images.  (How to get rid of the glare so the pictures actually look like the real thing?!?)  Anyway, I like the results and plan to be doing more of this type of work this year...

Lorrie

Area Show - I'm In!

On January 5th, I took a deep breath and walked my 2' x 4' Bailey Park piece into the beautiful old Carnegie Center for the Arts in Three Rivers, MI.  I then plunked down my admission form, money and placed my piece against the wall along with hundreds of other pieces.  On Saturday I got the little postcard in the mail that said YES. I juried into the Carnegie Center for the Arts area show!

I've tried to get into juried shows a few times over the years and have been rejected. There are so many incredibly talented artists out there. I got discouraged, took the easy way out and just stopped trying.  Other artists continued to tell me that juried shows are very hit or miss.  It is all up to the discretion of the juror (in this case 3 jurors) and their background, likes and dislikes.  Basically, they are like most anyone looking at your artwork:  they either like it or they don't.  Well, the mind understands that.  But, when you get the NO postcard, it still stings.

Anyway, Michigan and Indiana artists from a 17 county area were eligible to submit up to three pieces of any style or media.  From what I saw along the many walls of the Center, I'm in good company.  The opening is Sunday.  I'll report back...
 
Lorrie

Altered Sisters Round Robin - Surprise Me

The Altered Sisters met at my house this month for a holiday brunch, show and tells and the unveiling of another month of work in various altered books.  The brunch goodies were quite yummy, the conversation flowed and we've all agreed that this Round Robin has lasted quite long enough!  Two of the books are finished but most of the books still have another month or two to go before they go into the finished pile.

I worked in Susan's book this month.  The theme was "Surprise Me".  Well, that's an easy theme!  It means anything goes.  I've been playing with scans of my textured and painted handmade paper and decided to use this, in the form of a color copy, as a background.  There is some paint and pastels involved with this as well to bring up some of the colors and to soften the edges.  You may remember that I promised I would use a hand altered photo in every book I worked in.  I kept to that promise at first but this photo is being used just as I took it..  It was taken in Port Townsend, WA in April 2008 when I was lucky enough to attend ArtFest.

I can't help but wonder if these handmade paper scans have the possibility of a commercial life?  I'll show you more when the holiday rush settles down a bit.  I think I missed an opportunity when the whole scrapbook paper craze was still going strong.

Back to the topic of the Altered Sisters.  We gather once a month to share our artistic adventures.  If you don't have art buddies to share some time with, I strong encourage you to find some!  Art is usually a solitary venture.  But, it's so good to have positive people, who understand the ups and downs of an artist, that can be helpful, be supportive and be good friends.  I know there is the whole cyber world out there now, which is a huge helpful community and I'm so happy to be a part of it.  But warm, live bodies are even better.

Lorrie

Altered Sisters Round Robin - Book Six

For months now the Altered Sisters have been working on a Round Robin book swap.  This is the Round Robin for which I vowed I would incorporate an altered photograph into the artwork of each book.  Well, this month, I caved.  No photograph.  I just couldn't work up any interest in the idea.  That's not to say that the whole altered photograph thing doesn't have huge and wonderful potential.  I'm just not feeling that potential right now.  Gotta go with the muse, or in this case, the lack of one.

For November I had Catherine's book called "Open the Door to Color".  It is a well crafted effort with beautiful pages from each artist.  Catherine was one of my first customers when I started doing my paper mosiacs and she loves artwork that features houses.  So, it seemed like a natural fit to include a mosaic house along with the riot of color.  Here you see "Green House."

This book spread uses acrylics, paper mosaics, collaged flowers and oil pastels.

If you're interested in the altered photograph work that was done in each previous book, please visit the posts on March 22 and 25, April 7 and 11, May 4 and 8, June 4 and 9, and August 30.

Lorrie

Dream - Up Close and Personal

Dream: Here is the original photo that was used in the spread shown in the previous post called, Sit, Think, Relax, Dream. The artwork here was done in Heather's book. She hasn't seen it yet but I'm going to give away my "secrets" anyway...

Up close: Here is the photo after I worked on it. (I didn't crop in exactly on the photo because of the palm tree going off the photo.) Notice that the car in the lower left corner is completely gone after the photo is altered. The reflections/glare in the window panes are also gone. It doesn't show up very well in the scan, but there is silver pen used on the palm fronds, on the bench and also in the center of each window pane.

Personal: This photo was taken in Naples, Florida in the parking lot next to Tin City. I was down there in February 09 when my son was invited to attend the National Olympic Development Program camp for soccer. Tin City is a big touristy area with lots of activity. How I managed to shoot this bench without anyone sitting and enjoying an ice cream cone is beyond me! As you might guess, I love the color of the wall and bench.

Lorrie

Altered Sister's Round Robin - Book Four

Time to turn a page on the calendar again and that means it's also time for another round of art trades in the Altered Sister's Round Robin book exchange. The theme of this book is Dream and it will eventually return to it's owner, Heather.


This time of year is always so over-the-top crazy busy with various kid-related things that sitting still for more time than it takes to read our whopping two-section newspaper is something that I'm definitely dreaming of right now. So, I didn't have a bit of trouble thinking up the subject for this book!




You may remember that in order to explore various hand altering techniques with photography I vowed that I would use one of my own photos in each book that I work in. Ironically, when hand altering a photo, it is often the bad photos that work best. That's because the altering makes the photo more interesting. In this case, the picture was already very colorful (and in fact, inspired the background colors) so I primarily played with the decking, the window and the tree.


Our family is approaching our busiest week/weekend of the year but I soon hope to be able to Sit, Think, Relax and Dream. Taking time out to do these things shouldn't be optional. It's important and will keep you strong.


Lorrie

Altered Sister's Round Robin

The Altered Sisters have begun a Round Robin that will last for about 10 months. We've not challenged ourselves in this way for quite a while and it's time. We've each chosen a theme and started our books with one spread.

My book theme for this Round Robin is Altered Photography. I have always enjoyed Karen Michel's artwork and I've had her book, The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery: Mixed Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals And More, for years as I've always hoped to do more with my amateur photos. Not only is my book theme Altered Photography (in which all participants use one spread in my book and have to alter a photograph in some way) but I vow to alter a photo for each of their books as well, no matter the subject. I think this is the only way I'll begin to explore the technique.

Remember that book page I started at the Portage District Library Book Fair? If not, see the January 11 post for more info. Anyway, I started with an old Winnie the Pooh board book and turned one page into this:

And this is what the spread looks like now:

Foreclosure on a Sunny Day

The spread uses my typical bright colors but marries them with a horribly serious subject. Since I often use houses in my artwork I've been struggling with how to broach the subject of the banking and housing crisis. This is one attempt. One advantage to using a board book as a canvas is that I can carve into the piece. The word "foreclosure" is not written on the artwork but actually carved into it and helps provide a bit more dimension.

I've gotten some new subscribers lately. Welcome! And, as always, thanks to all for looking!

Lorrie

One World, One Heart

(It is 10:31 pm on February 11 and I'm closing the entries down now. I know it's not midnight yet but I'm pooped and heading off to bed. Many thanks to all that visited and entered my drawing! I'll announce the winner tomorrow.)

The One World, One Heart giveaway has been going on since 2007. In the words of the hostess of One World, One Heart, "The original idea behind this giveaway event was to bring bloggers together from around the world who may never ordinarily meet. It closes the gap of the blog community and enables us to interact, discover new and wonderful people, and in the process possibly win a prize or many prizes along the way."

This seems like a good idea to me, so I encourage you to stay a while on your visit, let me know what you like and any suggestions you may have. If you leave a comment on this post you will be entered to win my giveaway. Please be sure you leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. This little party ends at midnight on February 11 and I will contact you on the 12th if you are the winner.

Be Sweet

5" x 7", mixed media on canvas.

If you would like more information on this event, click on the One World, One Heart logo in my sidebar. Thanks for playing and it's nice to "meet" you!

Lorrie

Contentment

Another sale this past weekend. I won't go into the details this time as it was just more of the same. However, I did have a pleasant surprise when I went to go pick up all of my work on Saturday. A 14" x 18"collage called Contentment sold. Apparently a lady stood in front of it for quite a while trying to decide but couldn't think of a place to hang it in her home. Finally, her friend thought of the perfect place and the piece walked out the door with them. Thank goodness for friends! Here it is...

I had a great time working on this piece, probably because I used so many different techniques and supplies. The bird is sitting in a box that is taped onto the canvas from the back. For the background I used molding paste, stencils and acylics. The bird, the roof, the stars and the grass are all cut from pieces of paste papers. The twigs are actually rolled up sheets of handmade paper. The six vintage jewelry findings are placed on pieces of handmade paper. Underneath the roof is some old window screening. And finally, the word "contentment" is glued onto a rusted piece of metal I found near a gas pump (dirty old gas stations are great spots to find rusty junk!).

I didn't set out to create a piece called Contentment but after seeing this bird so happy in its nest, the word just seemed to fit.

Lorrie