Magic

 These days seem a little devoid of magic...so I made some.

Contrapuntal Magic, 2024

Cut & paste paper collage

(magazine & decorative paper scraps)

A Raven

A Raven (7/5/24)

I saw the body of a dead raven today as I was driving the freeway south to Seattle.  I only caught a fleeting glimpse as I passed by, but was startled by how large it was.  Slick black feathers swayed in the breeze of cars speeding by inches away, and nobody seemed to notice.  It seemed an ignominious end for such a magnificent bird.  I wanted to take it into my arms and carry it to a safer place (is any place safe when you’re dead?) but I did not stop.  There were friends waiting for me in Seattle and I was busy.  We’re all busy.  Busy living.  Busy dying.

 

Dark Side of the Moon

 She was beautifully out of place.

Dark Side of the Moon

Cut & paste paper collage, 11x14, 2024

Scroll-ology

The Northwest Collage Society has set an interesting theme for its next exhibition -- scrolls.  I've just finished my two submissions, and they were truly fun to make. "We Made a Map of the World But We Never Got To Use It" is simple rice paper scroll collaged with newspaper cutouts, tissue and decorative papers, hand-cut paper shapes and thread.  The images are abstract, but reminiscent of maps and globes.

"Modern Women" is a cotton fabric scroll created from some old hand-sewn quilting squares, collaged with cut-outs from early 1950's women's magazines.  The scroll hangs from a vintage wooden towel holder with hand-painted vegetables dancing across the top.

          
     

                        Modern Women, 10"x50"                       We Made a Map of the World, But We Never Got To Use It, 12"x50

 

Some More People I Know

 More collage images from my recent artist's book called "People I Know, People I Don't Know:"

WIP -- People I Know

 I've been working on a new collaged artist's book to be called "People I Know, People I Don't Know."  Collage on mostly "found" pages, such as old music scores, scrapbook pages, a page from a vintage knitting instructional booklet, miscellaneous decorative paper and whatever else I find down in my studio.  I'll bind it with a soft cover, probably some variation of Japanese-style stab binding.  Here are a couple completed pages:

Him and Her

 Made a couple quick "reverse" collages yesterday.  I call them that because instead of pasting cut-outs onto the background, you cut a shape into the background and paste your cut-out to the back, so that it shows through the background.  They're quick and often striking, fun to do.

Her, 12x12, 2024

Cut & paste paper collage (magazine scraps)

Him, 12x12, 2024

Cut & paste paper collage (magazine scraps)