Preparing for the 8 Visions exhibit at Attleboro Art Museum

The creative flow really came through as I put together pieces for this recent show at the Attleboro Art Museum. All the collage work for this show is new and the image work is shifting more deeply into something I'm calling a dancing fluidity. I did a lot of mono printing with masks and an abstract use of paint on a gelli plate. This supported a more flowing set of images.  Serpents and the sea and a kind of rhythmic, musical dance emerged. This isn't new for me, but the expression is softer, quieter and more internal.

I'm also introducing more obvious, recognizable elements and this is great fun. I'm looking forward to bringing in more. Animal life speaks to me, the massive and yet soft and tender forms of whales and elephants bring me alive with my connection to the earth. I feel great birds, turtles, more serpents, fish and who know what great beasts will come along!

There is also much coming along with myths, ancient stories telling of life before the word. Much to open to as I keep feeding the flow of creativity.

The show runs from August 7th to September 7th with a reception night and artist's talk on Thursday August 8th. The museum is in Attleboro Mass.

"Everything is Music"

collage using hand painted papers and monoprinting on bristol paper

17" x 18"

"Mysterious Currents"

collage using hand painted papers and monoprinting on bristol paper

17" x 11 1/2"

"Deeping Flow"

collage using hand painted papers and monoprinting on bristol paper

15 1/4" x 18 1/4"

"Serpentine Tales"

collage using hand painted papers and monoprinting on bristol paper

15 1/2" x 13 1/2"

"Beyond the Word"

collage using hand painted papers and monoprinting on bristol paper

14 1/2" x 13 1/2"

"Oceanic Melodies"
collage using hand painted papers and monoprinting on bristol paper
10" x 12 1/2"
I continued to work on this piece just before framing it and so it has new elements not seen here.

Into 2013

"It Can Be"

11" x 14"

collage: hand painted papers, acrylic and metallic paints, drawing media on bristol paper

"Winter's Dance"
18 1/8" x 15"
collage: hand painted papers, acrylic and metallic paints, drawing media on bristol paper

"Gateway"
13 3/4" x 12 1/4"
collage: hand painted papers, acrylic and metallic paints, drawing media on bristol paper

New pieces for the end of 2012

"Ride Upon"

13 5/8" x 11 1/4"

collage; hand painted papers, found papers, drawing media, acrylic paints, metallic paints on bristol paper

"Dance Between You"

16.25" x 13.25"

collage; hand painted papers, drawing media, acrylic paints, metallic paints on bristol paper

"Galactic Spin"
15" x 17.25"
collage; hand painted papers, drawing media, acrylic paints, metallic paints on bristol paper

"Sweeping Towards"
13.75" x 11.25"
collage; hand painted papers, drawing media, acrylic paints, metallic paints on bristol
 paper

November: surprises

I've become more curious about working in a unplanned, responsive way with a certain raw messiness. Like playing in a sandbox. 

This piece took many turns. For a while it was a wildly gestural mess. I do love working that way. Once I began to play around with more structured shapes the piece began to fall into place. Great surprise.

"Vessel 1"
18" x 22'
collage: hand painted papers, acrylic and metallic paints, drawing media, glue mediums on bristol paper

Putting things together in October

"Springing Forth"
15" x 18"

collage: hand painted papers, acrylic and metallic paints, drawing media, glue mediums on bristol paper

"Free Notes"
22.50" x 17.25"

collage: hand painted papers, paints (acrylic-metallic), drawing media, glue mediums on bristol paper.

"Buoyance"
21.50" x  16.25"
collage: hand painted papers, paints (acrylic-metallic), drawing media, glue mediums on bristol paper.

"Depths Hidden"

collage: hand painted papers, paints (acrylic-metallic), drawing media, glue mediums on bristol paper.

September's work

These are the pieces of the last several weeks, still mostly in process. I've started working on larger sizes of bristol paper, 19 x 24. I continue to work freely, allowing the marks or papers I've put down to say something to me. Many times I'm listening to music, lots of classical piano these days and that begins the relationship to the new piece. I keep letting the momentum of the piece build, following it's lead.

I'm also finding out about "mistakes" and what it means to continue to work with them. Some of my most favorite pieces have felt like huge mistakes at some point leaving me feeling a bit stumped but sure there's more interesting things to follow.

"In Concert"
22" x 18"

collage: hand painted papers, paint (acrylic, metallic), pencil, pen, mat medium on bristol paper

collage in process

collage in process

collage in process

more collages

These are the collages that I finished up today. This set since the workshop have been put together in a month-the flow is on. I love the way these pieces come,  no laboring over the placements, there's instead a joy and abandon as I keep working. I'm making sure I get out more rather than a few "special" ones.

"Alchemy 1"

11.5" x 16.5"

collage: hand painted papers, found papers, acrylic and metallic paints, drawing media, glue mediums on watercolor paper

"Third Movement"
11.5" x 12.75"
collage: hand painted papers, found papers, acrylic and metallic paints, drawing media, glue medium on watercolor paper

"Movement 2"
collage: hand painted papers, acrylic and metallic paints, drawing media, glue mediums on watercolor paper