Thursday 31 May 2012

God Save The Queen

Theme of the Week - The Queen Of Punk

As it's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee next week and lots of programmes about Punk on the TV too I thought it might be fun to combine the two - or one or the other depending on your taste! No fun!

Monday 28 May 2012

would hans arp say yes?


I've been trying to loosen up my approach to collage—be more spontaneous and less obsessive/compulsive about it. So I've been studying the Dadas and the Surrealists. This collage is inspired by the work of one of my favorite artists from that period, Hans Arp (1887-1966). He did a series of "automatic drawings" that influenced me when I was cutting out the black shapes.

The background is of a bunch of people trying to break the world's record for the largest "raft" of kayaks. The photo is by Nancie Battaglia.

Ignoring the Unusual Rainbow and the Pretty Dancers, Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill Only Had Eyes for the Sheep

So, gang, this is my last contribution before taking off for the summer -- ALL of the summer! Lucky enough to be travelling for a couple months, starting in Barcelona and ending in Helsinki, so I'll be on the absentee list until August.  Looking forward to catching up with all of your fab collages when I return.  Ciao!

Patrick Hughes Prays for Rain

Friday 25 May 2012

the ties that bind


That funny little watercolor of Chang & Eng, the original Siamese twins, really caught my eye: their clothes and hats, not to mention the racket, include every hue in the rainbow except orange! So I added orange (a lovely textured Japanese silk paper that didn't scan well) and stirred in some other stuff.

Fascinating fact about Chang & Eng: They wanted to be separated, because they had different personalities and habits; but doctors always said there must be something vital in the band of tissue between them, so the operation would be too risky. After they died, an autopsy was done. It turned out the band was just fibrous tissue—no nerves, no arteries, no veins, nada.

P.S. I posted this earlier, but I felt something was missing from the collage. I wanted to expand on the theme of Chang and Eng trying to escape from "the ties that bind"—the big rope of grey fibers. My husband suggested a triangle of another color opening up like a road for Chang and Eng to travel on. Pink flowers seemed to do the trick.

Thursday 24 May 2012

Boot Sale Sounds

A collage for new banner to my audio blog which fits the latest theme rather well I think!

Theme of the Week - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

In complete contrast to last week's theme this week's is about bright colours, especially the colours of the rainbow or just incorporating a rainbow in your design somewhere. Have fun!

Al Jolson Being Pulled From Rascist Trap By Boy Scouts

Monday 21 May 2012

Pipe Dreams

A few scraps from last week's collage projects wanted to be together...

Sunday 20 May 2012

Ride The Snake (To The Ancient Lake)

out of the deep past


I saw these ancient Sumerian (c. 2750 BC) figures, a group of about twelve, and it seemed like they were begging to be released from the rather dark and boring photograph they were in. So I clipped out five and gave 'em a new setting. (I don't know how those artifacts got into the blown-up version. It looks better here.)

Thursday 17 May 2012

when you leave this world


This is just my second black-&-white collage, and I must say, it was fun to make! It seems like the composition is easier to figure out when you don't have color to deal with.

Background (big propeller, small people) is part of the business end of the Olympic, sister ship to the Titanic. Figures in upper right are Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Gentleman standing in water is Alfred Kidd, who based his 93-pound steam-powered model on the Empress of Britain, a Canadian ocean liner sunk by a U-boat in 1940 (photo taken 1953). Tendril thingies from a photograph by Lisa Elmaleh. Words from an ad for Levi's.

The Time Machine

Theme of the Week - Black & White

No colour this week just monochrome or near as you can get to it! It will be interesting to see what everyone comes up with. Have fun!

Wednesday 16 May 2012

saw you at the show last night


My husband talked me into posting this one, on the grounds that it has party streamers...

Car is a 1955 Oldsmobile 88. Photo of orangutan by Frans Lanting. Contortionist is from an engraving based on a painting by Pieter Brueghel. The streamers are from a micrograph of some kind of cells, but I lost the legend—I'm guessing neurons in the hippocampus of a rat. I don't know what grammar book "Weaknesses to Avoid in Writing Sentences" came from, but the paper was so old and/or cheap, it fell to pieces when I glued it. 

If this collage seems wary, uncertain, poised in an odd position, it's because that's how I've been feeling lately. One kinda cool thing in my life just took place, but another thing that would be really cool, if it happens, is up in the air right now.

So...hey! by the way, I think it's amusing that's a '55 Olds, because that's the year I was born. Man the '50s seem like ancient history to me. Can you believe that for Halloween in 1959 I went as a beatnik? =laugh= But the car's not bad to look at. I noticed when I was cutting it out that it has little breasts underneath the headlights: they're parking lights or turn signals or something, but they look exactly like little glass breasts.

Celebrate Spring!


Saturday 12 May 2012

The Old Spinster Celebrated Mother's Day with Her Children by Making Them Pancakes

Dolls are people for a make-believe world.  And what better way to celebrate their existence than to make THEM pancakes on Mother's Day!  On that note:

Happy Mother's Day To Everyone Who Is One...Be It Mother To A Child or A Cat or A Bird or A Reptile or A Dog or A Doll!

Party Time

Rock & Roll Will Never Die

Thursday 10 May 2012

Wednesday 9 May 2012

See Through Windows

One of the songs that came to mind was this one from Family who were a big favourite when i was art school in the 60's.

Tuesday 8 May 2012

The world outside.


He was amazed to find the world outside was so full of color after almost a lifetime of thinking the world was black and white.

I nearly had a coronary cutting out the birds and branches today after overdosing on espresso.

Monday 7 May 2012

House Arrest

Trossachs

Tippi

As she gazed out the window, Tippi grew nervous (another entry in the Hitch's window category..).

The Little Woman Watched As Her Husband Relaxed and Paid No Attention To the Fact That Bobby Was About To...

Had fun with this one!  Vintage advertisement for Alcoa Aluminum Windows.  The two figures not relaxing are from a folk art calender featuring the carved wooden sculptures of Lavern Kelley (1928-1998).

They Rebuilt Manderley But They Couldn't Get Rid of The Ghosts

Another of my architectural plates.  Young man in pj's from a circa 1950s catalogue.  That's not Rebecca but movie star Alice Brady circa 1930s.  Scene out the window is another old plate from a vintage book.

Sunday 6 May 2012

Bluebird at Sunset


I purchased several antique architectural plates from an antique shop years ago and rediscovered them recently.  Perfect for this challenge.  Each window had 12 panes and I started cutting them out very carefully but alas the strips dividing each pane started getting cut out as well!  The painting of the sunset is from a circa 1943 magazine ad.  I am sorry I did not note the name of the artist before I glued it behind the plate.  The blue bird is from a thrift store find - an unused memory journal.

Carry On Hitchcock

It's Dial M for Mayhem as Jimmy Stewart looks out his Rear Window and spots the Carry On Team.

Thursday 3 May 2012

Theme of the Week - View From A Window

This can be looking out or looking in ofcourse. Lots of windows or just the one. Have fun!

Tuesday 1 May 2012