Needless to say, (which is a very silly phrase because if it was true I wouldn't waste my time saying it.) I managed to mail off something this Thursday. (Probably not a needless to say thing really as there was just as good chance that I wouldn't because deep inside me, okay not deep, is a lazy person. For instance, it took two weeks to get up the energy to put my recycling in the car trunk and then another two weeks for me to make it to the recycling center.) So there will be another post coming with a new piece to display. Eventually (you know when I get up the energy from my lazy self to do it.)
Until then you are stuck with the following thoughts.
When I stopped by the post office, the lady behind the desk once again examined the piece, giving off the vibe of " I don't know if this will make it". As she held it, she ran a finger over the edge where the layers of index cards used to create the piece were visible. I just widened my eyes and used innocent face as if I couldn't understand the concerns she was trying, non-verbally no less, to express.
(I, of course, have always assumed I do a good innocent, or as others may call it, playing dumb face. Some would say it comes naturally. I don't talk to those people too often.)
I ended up looking over what I have lying around at home. It's all pretty crude work and I thought about what I would have to do to make it better, refine it a little, produce work that had if not more class, a more finished air.
That lasted about a second before I mentally shrugged it away...no sense in trying to be something I'm not.
Work in Progress
I am currently working my way through the Charlie Parker series by John Connolly and the art side of my life is slowing down, but just a bit. I have three pieces hanging out in the house, under books or drying in the sun or stalled due to mediocrity (as defined by me...after all who's opinion matters more).
Also due to my work schedule I'm locked in to sending some stuff out on Thursday, my day off. Of course I don't know which ones to send, who to send them to or if I can really consider them finished...
But here's my mental list of what is sitting around the house...
Only one has a definite person to which it will be sent....so the conclusion here is I need to get in gear and do some things.
I don't know if this is a thing or a feeling or a consequence (which are all things of a sort huh? I speak English I swear) but sometimes when I pick up a piece and do a touch here or there on it or sort through the scraps I've already clipped out of a magazine I can end up creating something totally new. No planning, no thinking that "I'm going to create a new piece..." Just a hmmmmm and oh, and how 'bout that and suddenly I realized I've been working for a long time (ignoring the rerun of NCIS playing in the background) and I have a whole new project started...It's one of those good feelings.
Also due to my work schedule I'm locked in to sending some stuff out on Thursday, my day off. Of course I don't know which ones to send, who to send them to or if I can really consider them finished...
But here's my mental list of what is sitting around the house...
- Keyhole collage
- Modern Pastoral
- Trees, attempt number 1
- Champagne & Dorothy Parker
Only one has a definite person to which it will be sent....so the conclusion here is I need to get in gear and do some things.
I don't know if this is a thing or a feeling or a consequence (which are all things of a sort huh? I speak English I swear) but sometimes when I pick up a piece and do a touch here or there on it or sort through the scraps I've already clipped out of a magazine I can end up creating something totally new. No planning, no thinking that "I'm going to create a new piece..." Just a hmmmmm and oh, and how 'bout that and suddenly I realized I've been working for a long time (ignoring the rerun of NCIS playing in the background) and I have a whole new project started...It's one of those good feelings.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
So previously I mentioned that I had this idea for a circle shaped piece and since it's been received it is now eligible for posting....
Below is Spirit Animal. It's (another) one of the pieces that didn't turn out exactly as I imagined it. I thought of having the tiger background with all these orchid and exotic flower cut outs dotting it. However, my lack of patience did me in, (I could only cut out so many flowers before the peaceful delicate blooms made me very very angry with an exacto knife in my hand) and then what I did have didn't look right (too many flowers (heh) and very gaudy).
So without the number of blooms I'd imagined and unhappy with its appearance....I thought about the person I was planning to send it to and got this:
A tiger with a flower barrette. (Of note: I used another piece of card paper to back this when scanning....)
This is made from coral colored card stock, a tiger graphic from a newspaper-like thingy and magazine flowers. I started with a plain old glue stick and end up warping it when I applied the gel medium, which I swiftly combated by smoothing it back out and then layering on gel medium (thicker than any makeup used on Broadway...including Cats. In fact, if you see the white-ish looking sections above is where it wasn't completely dry when I scanned it).
In a way it really is more than simply a tiger with a hair trinket especially when I think of its title, Spirit Animal, together with the image of this fierce tiger with the flower in its hair. I had one of the moments where I was layering on the gel medium, thinking of the receiver and it was just seemed so perfect.
This was a fierce person who can be extremely restive or boldly defending and has a feminine style which is a part of her that isn't as blatant as the rest of her tiger-ish personality but is there in more subtle smaller things. (Note: I don't mean style simply in the clothing sense or physical appearance. I would explain it more but I can't...it's that French saying, a certain je ne sais quoi. (Do I automatically sounds smarter by using a French phrase? My guess is no because with my luck I used it incorrectly...))
Time to throw a little deep, or not so deep ("after all you expect the puddle to deepen, into...I don't know, a deeper puddle..." some book I read some time), thought into this:
I think the hardest thing to reconcile is the difference between how you see your self and the way other people perceive you. Often times you can miss all the good when you look in the mirror (which is probably okay sometimes because if you thought you were the most fabulous creature every time you looked in the mirror, you'd be unbearable to be around).
Anyways. I guess it comes down to Spirit Animal being a positive representation of a friend.... I like it and it turned out better than I had imagined.
Below is Spirit Animal. It's (another) one of the pieces that didn't turn out exactly as I imagined it. I thought of having the tiger background with all these orchid and exotic flower cut outs dotting it. However, my lack of patience did me in, (I could only cut out so many flowers before the peaceful delicate blooms made me very very angry with an exacto knife in my hand) and then what I did have didn't look right (too many flowers (heh) and very gaudy).
So without the number of blooms I'd imagined and unhappy with its appearance....I thought about the person I was planning to send it to and got this:
A tiger with a flower barrette. (Of note: I used another piece of card paper to back this when scanning....)
This is made from coral colored card stock, a tiger graphic from a newspaper-like thingy and magazine flowers. I started with a plain old glue stick and end up warping it when I applied the gel medium, which I swiftly combated by smoothing it back out and then layering on gel medium (thicker than any makeup used on Broadway...including Cats. In fact, if you see the white-ish looking sections above is where it wasn't completely dry when I scanned it).
In a way it really is more than simply a tiger with a hair trinket especially when I think of its title, Spirit Animal, together with the image of this fierce tiger with the flower in its hair. I had one of the moments where I was layering on the gel medium, thinking of the receiver and it was just seemed so perfect.
This was a fierce person who can be extremely restive or boldly defending and has a feminine style which is a part of her that isn't as blatant as the rest of her tiger-ish personality but is there in more subtle smaller things. (Note: I don't mean style simply in the clothing sense or physical appearance. I would explain it more but I can't...it's that French saying, a certain je ne sais quoi. (Do I automatically sounds smarter by using a French phrase? My guess is no because with my luck I used it incorrectly...))
Time to throw a little deep, or not so deep ("after all you expect the puddle to deepen, into...I don't know, a deeper puddle..." some book I read some time), thought into this:
I think the hardest thing to reconcile is the difference between how you see your self and the way other people perceive you. Often times you can miss all the good when you look in the mirror (which is probably okay sometimes because if you thought you were the most fabulous creature every time you looked in the mirror, you'd be unbearable to be around).
Anyways. I guess it comes down to Spirit Animal being a positive representation of a friend.... I like it and it turned out better than I had imagined.
Second Chances
I don't know if the difference will be apparent here but I used the IF piece to play with the gel medium I bought to seal some of my collage work...
Of note: I should have paid more attention to the comments on warping caused by the mix of medium and water. It produced a thin, shiny coat but was not exactly what I wanted. So after that first coat dried and then spent some time under my over-sized art books, I did another thicker coating of the medium with no additive. Resulting in the above image...
Note the damage because I have no patience and the collage stuck to every damn thing....
I've gotten a bit better but only a bit, as you will see when I post the piece that started my investigation into sealing and glossiness.
Of note: I should have paid more attention to the comments on warping caused by the mix of medium and water. It produced a thin, shiny coat but was not exactly what I wanted. So after that first coat dried and then spent some time under my over-sized art books, I did another thicker coating of the medium with no additive. Resulting in the above image...
Note the damage because I have no patience and the collage stuck to every damn thing....
I've gotten a bit better but only a bit, as you will see when I post the piece that started my investigation into sealing and glossiness.
Evil Laughter Everywhere
I've official finished two more pieces which will be winging their way toward their final location. Of course since these people may actually read this blog, there is a delay in full feature posts on these pieces at this point.
(This is unlike Walk? which was sent to someone who hadn't read the blog, and in fact still has not read the blog even though they did get the piece. It hurts a little inside. Sniff.)
More to the point, while one piece has been posted but the recipient doesn't know they are getting anything and the piece got a nice glossy finish (as well as picking up some damage from my inept gluing). As for the other, the recipient doesn't know what they are getting....hence my evil laughter. (Okay so it's totally in my head but still, it follows me everywhere and when I think about what I'm mailing it increases in volume.)
I beginning to wonder if I get more joy from sending things out to random unknowing targets then actually being a real mailartists and participating in calls...
(Also, I might, just might have told my friend with the night sky piece that it wasn't important they read the blog....but there's no proof I said this as I deleted that text message and I doubt they saved it. Time for more evil laughter.)
Muwhahahahahahaha.....
(This is unlike Walk? which was sent to someone who hadn't read the blog, and in fact still has not read the blog even though they did get the piece. It hurts a little inside. Sniff.)
More to the point, while one piece has been posted but the recipient doesn't know they are getting anything and the piece got a nice glossy finish (as well as picking up some damage from my inept gluing). As for the other, the recipient doesn't know what they are getting....hence my evil laughter. (Okay so it's totally in my head but still, it follows me everywhere and when I think about what I'm mailing it increases in volume.)
I beginning to wonder if I get more joy from sending things out to random unknowing targets then actually being a real mailartists and participating in calls...
(Also, I might, just might have told my friend with the night sky piece that it wasn't important they read the blog....but there's no proof I said this as I deleted that text message and I doubt they saved it. Time for more evil laughter.)
Muwhahahahahahaha.....
Aptly Named
So.
In order to expand my knowledge about the whole mailart movement (movement sounds so formal and academic and goes so perfectly with the rest of this whine-fest) I have picked up reading a few random blogs.
(Okay, not so random...google reader really picked them out and they were near the top of the list with a number of followers. Did I ever explain how impulsive I can be?)
Here's the thing:
The pieces they have on the sites are much more professionally arty and infinitely cooler than mine. (Also fewer people obsessed by shiny objects.) So colored me totally intimidated. I have been urged to mail something out and farther afield than those I know....
But I've always been a chicken at heart.
Inch by inch I'll get to the point where I can knowingly (not accidentally like I did with that first piece) send it to a stranger, until then I will keep looking around at these guys:
Mail Me Art: a British mailart project that was centered around creating the book "Medium without message".
Mail Art Postcard Exhibition: no central purpose just a place to mail pieces which may or may not show up on the blog.
Mail Art Projects: A large group of mailartists contribute to the blog which contains calls and a discussion group.
Anyways.
I need to produce a little more as yet....besides this is, after all, called Amateur Hour.
In order to expand my knowledge about the whole mailart movement (movement sounds so formal and academic and goes so perfectly with the rest of this whine-fest) I have picked up reading a few random blogs.
(Okay, not so random...google reader really picked them out and they were near the top of the list with a number of followers. Did I ever explain how impulsive I can be?)
Here's the thing:
The pieces they have on the sites are much more professionally arty and infinitely cooler than mine. (Also fewer people obsessed by shiny objects.) So colored me totally intimidated. I have been urged to mail something out and farther afield than those I know....
But I've always been a chicken at heart.
Inch by inch I'll get to the point where I can knowingly (not accidentally like I did with that first piece) send it to a stranger, until then I will keep looking around at these guys:
Mail Me Art: a British mailart project that was centered around creating the book "Medium without message".
Mail Art Postcard Exhibition: no central purpose just a place to mail pieces which may or may not show up on the blog.
Mail Art Projects: A large group of mailartists contribute to the blog which contains calls and a discussion group.
Anyways.
I need to produce a little more as yet....besides this is, after all, called Amateur Hour.
Hello Again.
So I can no longer blame my mom for anything as she had left North Carolina...
I picked up the gel medium and played with it last night. Nice glossy surface and it's, as advertise, an excellent adhesive. (I was unsticking stuff as much as I was glossing stuff over.) We'll see.
Walk? has also reached its destination and I have yet to experience any ridicule from that corner. Apathy for the piece or apathy towards communication? I can't tell.
Lastly. (God I have nothing to say but it's kind of a duh to myself as I haven't worked on anything new in days. Although, I have a few ideas, one with ribbon, one with fabric pieces and one based on the remains found in a hole punch...I'm thinking confetti)
(Shoot I forgot how I was going to wrap this up. I got all caught up in my asides.....)
(Ha. I remember now.) I spoke with MMC, who was supposed to get the hideously compelling Sleepless Night, Bedroom Ceiling. (Skype is pretty amazing, I got to actually see my friend for the first time in almost ten years...and yes I am now concentrating on the decision to buy a new laptop so that I have a computer fast enough to talk as well as see on Skype.) The piece most likely ended up at their old apartment, and she said it would be a surprise for the bachelor in residence there now. I think I will have to make something new for her (my mom also kind of ordered me to and since I love my mom...).
So, I'm back at work...I know, you are so very lucky to be able to bask in my brilliance again. (The wonder of the internet, I can say that and not worry about keep a straight face.)
I picked up the gel medium and played with it last night. Nice glossy surface and it's, as advertise, an excellent adhesive. (I was unsticking stuff as much as I was glossing stuff over.) We'll see.
Walk? has also reached its destination and I have yet to experience any ridicule from that corner. Apathy for the piece or apathy towards communication? I can't tell.
Lastly. (God I have nothing to say but it's kind of a duh to myself as I haven't worked on anything new in days. Although, I have a few ideas, one with ribbon, one with fabric pieces and one based on the remains found in a hole punch...I'm thinking confetti)
(Shoot I forgot how I was going to wrap this up. I got all caught up in my asides.....)
(Ha. I remember now.) I spoke with MMC, who was supposed to get the hideously compelling Sleepless Night, Bedroom Ceiling. (Skype is pretty amazing, I got to actually see my friend for the first time in almost ten years...and yes I am now concentrating on the decision to buy a new laptop so that I have a computer fast enough to talk as well as see on Skype.) The piece most likely ended up at their old apartment, and she said it would be a surprise for the bachelor in residence there now. I think I will have to make something new for her (my mom also kind of ordered me to and since I love my mom...).
So, I'm back at work...I know, you are so very lucky to be able to bask in my brilliance again. (The wonder of the internet, I can say that and not worry about keep a straight face.)
Glossy!
I have found my glossy sealing agent (so no need to buy a bunch of clear nail polish). Basically I'm taking the advice from the expert village channel on youtube (which looks really cool --- I must get back to the little black dress video soon):
Shiny is now withing my reach. Wahahahahaha.
Shiny is now withing my reach. Wahahahahaha.
Seal it up
In the back of my head there is a reoccurring argument about how I am going to attempt sealing some of the collage pieces I've made (all two of them). Part of me really wants to just varnish those suckers so the surfaces is heavy, smooth and yes, glossy.
But of course, I couldn't just head into this without some advice. (Well, I could and frequently do but there could be issues I haven't even thought of -- besides the cost of postage -- that need to be considered before choosing my poison.)
First was E-How's "How to make a collage". A very simple and straight forward use of the glue and water to seal off your masterpiece. Of course you have to read all the directions and find this tidbit down in the TIPS section. This will apparently seal but is it glossy enough for me? (Can you tell I get distracted by shiny things?)
What I found more useful was a collage discussion page on Flickr and this time it was centered on "How do I seal a paper collage?".
Low and behold there are more issues then turning your collage into a glossy picture of perfection. I felt almost shamed for using a glue stick instead of rubber cement and not even considering the issue of warping and paper crinkles (of course I don't consider warping so much a problem as a reason to keep all my really cool but totally heavy oversized art books).
I haven't had a chance to go shopping to round off my supplies as I play with the glossy and sealed debate. On my list however are simple Elmer's glue, a small paint brush, some shellac or varnish (especially if it comes in an aerosol) and clear nail polish (my mom suggested it and I really want to try it out now....).
I am certain of one thing, I'm going to have a lot of fun trying...
But of course, I couldn't just head into this without some advice. (Well, I could and frequently do but there could be issues I haven't even thought of -- besides the cost of postage -- that need to be considered before choosing my poison.)
First was E-How's "How to make a collage". A very simple and straight forward use of the glue and water to seal off your masterpiece. Of course you have to read all the directions and find this tidbit down in the TIPS section. This will apparently seal but is it glossy enough for me? (Can you tell I get distracted by shiny things?)
What I found more useful was a collage discussion page on Flickr and this time it was centered on "How do I seal a paper collage?".
Low and behold there are more issues then turning your collage into a glossy picture of perfection. I felt almost shamed for using a glue stick instead of rubber cement and not even considering the issue of warping and paper crinkles (of course I don't consider warping so much a problem as a reason to keep all my really cool but totally heavy oversized art books).
I haven't had a chance to go shopping to round off my supplies as I play with the glossy and sealed debate. On my list however are simple Elmer's glue, a small paint brush, some shellac or varnish (especially if it comes in an aerosol) and clear nail polish (my mom suggested it and I really want to try it out now....).
I am certain of one thing, I'm going to have a lot of fun trying...
Light Bulb
I had started a post earlier today then I did some work on a new piece and it was while I was working that I had a revelation (which naturally caused me to actually say out loud: Light Bulb).
(Yes, I stole that line from Despicable Me. I am genetically part thief, the other half is a total hardline, this is the law, kind of person. I don't know how I escaped having multiple personalities when I have such contradictory characteristics. Shrug.)
I was working on these tiny tiny flowers trying to cut them out as precise as possible and I realized that at a certain point, I was done. I no longer had it in me to sit and work without thinking of the exact knife as a tool for vengence.
So I worked with other stuff I had already cut out. I'm not unhappy with the newly finished piece (and once again I have a sendee in mind) but. Yes there is a but here. (And if my humor was a little more juvenile.. .oh heck, it is. I said butt...heheh.) It didn't come out as planned, again more simple than the intricate masterpiece I was planning.
Thus revealing two flaws I try so hard to work around....
I lack patience. I do not have it in me to cut out these itty bitty little flowers to create my vision. I settle. I could spin this as creative problem solving, but it really is plain old laziness. Sloth. (How often do things get ruled out simply because they are beyond the amount of time and effort we wish to give for the results?)
My second flaw became apparent as I worked tirelessly to fight against it this evening. (Oh, so brave. Yes I am speaking of me...seriously, almost). I don't know when to stop. I will keep adding unnecessary details, extra little do-hickeys unless I have a good reason...(like the promised foot massage I am looking forward to tonight.) Which is how I ended up with the following piece:
(I'm pretty sure that yellow spot is completely unnecessary and that both the gate and words (Live your dream or some such nonsense) in the background could have been saved for another day.)
IF is mostly a combination of various images I collected from brochures and magazines with some ribbon and marker to give it some kick. Had you read my previous posts you would be prepared for the orangeness that is IF. I think I ended up wielding both the glue stick and turbo tacky glue to create this sucker.
Alas it has no sendee (yes I know sendee is not a real word) and it still needs to be sealed some how (and I wish it to be glossy) but it will eventually find a home or a place in someone else trash bin.
(Yes, I stole that line from Despicable Me. I am genetically part thief, the other half is a total hardline, this is the law, kind of person. I don't know how I escaped having multiple personalities when I have such contradictory characteristics. Shrug.)
I was working on these tiny tiny flowers trying to cut them out as precise as possible and I realized that at a certain point, I was done. I no longer had it in me to sit and work without thinking of the exact knife as a tool for vengence.
So I worked with other stuff I had already cut out. I'm not unhappy with the newly finished piece (and once again I have a sendee in mind) but. Yes there is a but here. (And if my humor was a little more juvenile.. .oh heck, it is. I said butt...heheh.) It didn't come out as planned, again more simple than the intricate masterpiece I was planning.
Thus revealing two flaws I try so hard to work around....
I lack patience. I do not have it in me to cut out these itty bitty little flowers to create my vision. I settle. I could spin this as creative problem solving, but it really is plain old laziness. Sloth. (How often do things get ruled out simply because they are beyond the amount of time and effort we wish to give for the results?)
My second flaw became apparent as I worked tirelessly to fight against it this evening. (Oh, so brave. Yes I am speaking of me...seriously, almost). I don't know when to stop. I will keep adding unnecessary details, extra little do-hickeys unless I have a good reason...(like the promised foot massage I am looking forward to tonight.) Which is how I ended up with the following piece:
(I'm pretty sure that yellow spot is completely unnecessary and that both the gate and words (Live your dream or some such nonsense) in the background could have been saved for another day.)
IF is mostly a combination of various images I collected from brochures and magazines with some ribbon and marker to give it some kick. Had you read my previous posts you would be prepared for the orangeness that is IF. I think I ended up wielding both the glue stick and turbo tacky glue to create this sucker.
Alas it has no sendee (yes I know sendee is not a real word) and it still needs to be sealed some how (and I wish it to be glossy) but it will eventually find a home or a place in someone else trash bin.
Visitor
So my mother is visiting me down in NC this weekend and this blog is suffering. Friday's post was a little weird and not alot of fun to write (I don't even want to read it over to check it out and see if it is as boring as my memory made it...and I'm not about to link to it either) so I can't imagine it's all that interesting to read.
Also because I have a visitor, I haven't done any work. The good part of the visit (besides getting to see my mom) is that she also packed up all my portfolios from past art classes, junior high to college, and brought me my favorite piece I ever made (with the exception of the series I did around a hand in front of railroad track. Perspective is so much fun to learn.): a collage we built in miniature then recreated on a larger scale.
Anyways...back to my guest.
Also because I have a visitor, I haven't done any work. The good part of the visit (besides getting to see my mom) is that she also packed up all my portfolios from past art classes, junior high to college, and brought me my favorite piece I ever made (with the exception of the series I did around a hand in front of railroad track. Perspective is so much fun to learn.): a collage we built in miniature then recreated on a larger scale.
Anyways...back to my guest.
Strange Affection
I have a great deal of affection for clip art. As campy or boring as a majority of the images are (the actual photographs they put in clip art can be great for a presentation but using too many of them is a bit of a soul sucker). I keepusing clip art to create promotional stuff for work...
Why? Because infringing on copyright makes my stomach go all sour.
Does this mean clip art is really within the public domain of free usage? I have no clue.
(I should probably clarify this...but that would require I stumble through the legalese of Microsoft, so do it yourself.)
Anyways, the reason I am still a fan of clip art probably has more to do with the functions in Microsoft Office Suite. I can recolor, I can make background color transparent, fading, color saturation....the old stand-by's of flip and rotate.
Basically I can take two black and white abstract designs and create this background:
The background pattern is entirely made by yours truly (can you hear the modesty or is that my imagination...oh, my imagination, got it). I did it for a book mark where I wanted an gingham-ish pattern in a rosy-brown.
I know this has no mail, no art and no philosophy but it is part of why I am enjoying my mailart projects so much. Sure someone else may have created the basic block you are using to create but you can still end up with something interesting and totally your own.
Why? Because infringing on copyright makes my stomach go all sour.
Does this mean clip art is really within the public domain of free usage? I have no clue.
(I should probably clarify this...but that would require I stumble through the legalese of Microsoft, so do it yourself.)
Anyways, the reason I am still a fan of clip art probably has more to do with the functions in Microsoft Office Suite. I can recolor, I can make background color transparent, fading, color saturation....the old stand-by's of flip and rotate.
Basically I can take two black and white abstract designs and create this background:
The background pattern is entirely made by yours truly (can you hear the modesty or is that my imagination...oh, my imagination, got it). I did it for a book mark where I wanted an gingham-ish pattern in a rosy-brown.
I know this has no mail, no art and no philosophy but it is part of why I am enjoying my mailart projects so much. Sure someone else may have created the basic block you are using to create but you can still end up with something interesting and totally your own.
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