Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward...?

Angels in America, No. 2

See you in 2017.

Ladies of Color

Heliotrope

Red

Chapter 9 -- Local Heroes, Local Book Artists of Washington State

Just returned from a visit to the new artist's book exhibition at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art entitled "Chapter 9 - Local Heroes, Local Book Artists of Washington State."  The show features a large collection of wonderfully varied artist's book from artists working all across the State, displayed beautifully in the upstairs book room (Sherry Grover Gallery).  These books will be on display through February 5, 2017, and I'm proud that two of my books, including "The Needle and the Sword," (below) are part of this collection.  BIMA is open every day, 10-6, and it's always free!

Definitely worth a visit.   The Museum is also featuring some outstanding Indigenous Art ("Native Hands: Indigenous Art of the Salish Sea), and there is a collection of Catherine Alice Michaelis pieces in the downstairs gallery, both of which you will want to spend some time with.  Then, you should wander into the Museum's cafe, the Bistro, and have a beautifully constructed, superlatively tasty late lunch.  You deserve it!

The Needle and the Sword: The Early Women's Movement In Twenty-Four Hankies

Fabric artist's book, modified Japanese stab-style binding, 2013 (unique)

On display at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Winslow, WA

The Man From Beijing Redux

Earlier this year I posted an illustration inspired by Henning Mankell's The Man From Beijing.  Here's another...

White

"He was white, as if somebody had drenched his cheeks in a white powder.

Or perhaps he was evil? The devil always sent demons

with white faces to terrorize the earth."

(Chapter 10, The Man From Beijing by Henning Mankell, translation copyright  2010)

"Marvelous!"

"Marvelous!" is an international exhibition of Collage, Assemblage and Construction, which will show January 6 - February 12, 2017, at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts, in Sebastopol, CA.  It looks like a wonderful show, with works from all over the world (Belgium, Uruguay, Germany, Greece, Japan, Canada France, Turkey, the Netherlands...), including these two pieces from little ole Mercer Island:

River Triptych

Free-standing collage on old book covers

Brevity

Collaged artist's book, 31 pgs, 9"h x 8.25"w

Goode's School Atlas

I recently finished a new altered book project -- the Goode's School Atlas -- a revision and re-imagining of a vintage 1947 school atlas.  New maps include (1) the Map of Geologic Perils, (2) the Map of American Serial Killers, and (3) Butterflies of Mexico.  Many pages were hand-cut to excise the land and expose collage work; others were hand-painted and/or hand-sewn.  The finished book has 54 pages, and materials used included book & magazine scraps, thread, acrylic paint, candy wrappers, cancelled postage stamps and spray paint.  Here are a few details:

December Exhibitions

I have collage pieces in two interesting December exhibitions:


Verum Ultimum Gallery in Portland, OR, is showing a lovely exhibition entitled "A Generous Kingdom" this month (December 3 through early January), including this piece  Go see it!

Beasts of the Northern Wild

Down in lovely Laguna Beach, CA, the "Small Works-BIG TALENT" exhibition will show at Las Laguna Gallery, December 1 - 30.  The show features works no larger than 16" in any direction, and I'm pleased to be included.  It looks like a wonderful show, well worth a visit.

Medusa

Paper Collage on "Found" Paintings

Over the years I have accumulated a large pile of old thrift store/eBay paintings, and recently I tried collaging on a couple of them.  Here's what I came up with last week:

Big Fire at the Dream Factory

29"h x 25.5"w

Wanna Be

19"h x 24.5"w

Home

Here are the two most recent collage collaborations by me and my good friend, Sabine Remy of Dusseldorf.  We seem to have been exploring some aspects of "home..."

Collaboration No. 62/2016 ("Leaving the 

Golden Cage") started by Lynn Skordal

and finished by Sabine Remy.

Collaboration No. 63/2016 ("Four Jugglers

at Home") started by Sabine Remy & 

finished by Lynn Skordal.

POP-UP NOW!

Currently on view at the wonderful 23 Sandy Gallery in Portland, OR, is an exhibition of lively movable books, including pop-ups, tunnels, volvelles, pull-tabs, etc. It's a wonderful collection of books, and, as always at 23 Sandy, you are allowed to handle and play with them.  You can find the on-line catalog here.  The exhibition will be on view in the Gallery November 4 through December 17...DEFINITELY worth a look.  I'm proud to have contributed two books to this show:

Manipulation

(a hands-on book about modern relationships)

Juxtaposition

(a mix & match book)

Kollage Kit Weekly Theme...."shadows"

My pieces for this week's theme over at Kollage Kit:

The Shadow and His Poodle

Terrible Lightnings and Much Thunder

See more here.

How Did We Get To This Place?

Hashtag

The Scream

Maybe it's just election season, I don't know....

What If...

Happy Halloween!

White Snake

Mary Oliver

Mary Oliver, born 1935, is a major American poet who has won both the National Book Award and a Pulitzer Prize.  She gives us lovely guides to natural things -- hummingbirds, owls, still ponds -- and finds a place for herself and humankind in the midst of the natural world.  Here is a small series of collages I adapted from a recent artist's book to illustrate several lines from the verses of Mary Oliver:

I was the bridegroom taking the world into

my arms...

("When Death Comes" by Mary Oliver)

Let grief be your sister...

("Flare" by Mary Oliver)

When death comes like an iceberg

between the shoulder blades...

("When Death Comes" by Mary Oliver)

Cancer Lifeline

Lovely Artist Reception last night (with the most incredible pastries!) for the opening of a joint exhibition between Cancer Lifeline and the Northwest Collage Society.  The show features original collage work by members of NWCS created in response to poetry written by participants in Cancer Lifeline's writing program.  You can see my contribution inspired by a poem called "Finding my Identity" written by Allison Totey (below) and other wonderful art and poetry through December 19, 2016, at 6522 Fremont Avenue North in Seattle.

Finding My Identity

National Collage Society

The National Collage Society presents a juried collage exhibition each year, and this year's 32nd (wow!) show is now on view here.  You'll see some lovely work from all over the country, including a small piece of mine (below) from a series called "Man Kind."  Click the link and check it all out...

The Bridegroom

Some Recent Three-Way Collage Collaborations on Vintage Pages of De Spiegel

Kiss Kiss

Tricollage collaboaration

 by Sabine Remy, Lynn Skordal & Josephine Wicherts

Picnic at the Beach

Tricollage collaboration

by Lynn Skordal, Josephine Wicherts & Sabine Remy

Marlboro Man

Tricollage collaboration

by Lynn Skordal, Sabine Remy & Josephine Wicherts

What I Want

Feminine Questions

A couple new collage collaborations between me and my good friend Sabine Remy of Germany:

Why Do We Say Yes?

(started by Lynn, finished by Sabine)

Do You Want To See the Scar?

(started by Sabine, finished by Lynn)

A New Book Cover

Marchand de feuilles, a small publishing house out of Montreal, Canada, is publishing a reprint of the popular novel Marie-Helen au moins de mars by Maxime Olivier Moutier.  One of my collages (above) is privileged to reside on the cover...perhaps you should all learn French and go buy this lovely little volume...

Hey, Lefty...

Here's How We Do It Out West

New Dress

Back Home and Back To Work

Simple Changes Unite the Whole Living Area

Picked up a book on burlesque and a 1953 Woman's Home Companion Magazine at the thrift store yesterday...