Boro or Not Boro, That is the Question

Can one start out with the idea to make a boro?  The impression I have (and I am not a scholar) is that boro evolve over many years and with, possibly, the work of many hands.

Having said that, I am hard at work on something I will only describe as "in the boro tradition."

I started with a pile of muslin that I almost threw away.  It is the lining of a curtain that I bought with the plan of using the fabric to upholster some chairs for the back office.  It took most of my spare time for a day to take it apart, then I soaked it twice before washing.  The fabric came out great but the muslin backing was in shreds.  Most of them were wide enough to work with so I broke my vows to 1) not save everything and 2) not start any new projects.

I have kept the vow to not buy anything new for this project.  The floss I'm using is mostly from a box of white floss I bought at a mill end warehouse in 2004 and dyed a few years later.  Some of the floss I have found at yard sales. The needle I'm using came from a yard sale bag.  I tea dyed some of the lining muslin and some yard sale floss for color interest and added in some pink/orange/brown batik I had sitting out from another project.

So far I am loving this project.  Every bit of it is handwork, almost all running stitch.  The piece is in three layers and I am able to start and end each thread on the inside so the back looks almost as good as the front.  The hand stitching is soothing and goes faster than one might think.

And I'm making something from nothing, finding usefulness in leftovers.

Layered Collage

I seem to have developed a technique I call layered collage,  I start with canvas, underpaint it, then alternate layers of tissue, collage paper, and watercolor.  The resulting surface is very thick and strong enough to support heavy applied elements, which opens a lot of possibilities for three dimensional work. 

The above pieces were made for last year's Maymont show at Crossroads and are based on photos I took in April 2010.  I've tried to show the process from beginning to end.  There are three pieces in progress here--because each step requires drying time it is possible to work on several at once.

Random Studio Scenes

Have Fun!

I read a lot of other artists' blogs and, while there are those who post every day, it seems that many are very sporadic.  Not because they're not doing anything but because they are doing everything.  I fall into the latter category.  It has been a very busy spring, summer, and fall with increased work hours, real life both good and bad, and juggling way too many artistic projects.  There is a lot to tell about what all has been going on this past year and what is going on now.  I will try to bring things somewhat up to date and hopefully meet my goal of making shorter but more frequent postings.  In the meantime--beds need to be made, dishes washed, Halloween decorations put away, sketchbook for upcoming trip prepared, and so on.  

Sometimes this life is a job and sometimes it is a joy, more often a mixture of the two, but let's keep looking for the fun!  I will if you will.  (Photo from this year's State Fair of Virginia.)

Wire for a Good Cause

Tonight I'm giving a demonstration of the wire working as part of Art in Action, a fundraiser sponsored by Henrico CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) at Crossroads Art Center. 

Getting ready for this demo has forced me to think more about what I do and why I do it, and to finally put some things down on paper.

Yes, this is the same image from yesterday but I wanted you all to look at it again.  As you can see, I use a variety of wires--some purchase, but most salvaged.   Trimmings of picture hanging wire, violin strings, phone cables, spiral notebook bindings--whatever I can find.

As you can see, this piece has a much more thickly worked surface.

Full view of the previous closeup.  This piece is from a series I did called Universe in Perspective.  I used found wire to illustrate the connectedness of all life, from the cellular to planetary to the galactic.

I work with spheres (rather than creating more representational works) for two main reasons.  First, because I feel that the sphere is a very elemental shape and I feel very connected with the earth (a great big sphere) when I make these balls.  Second, and on a more practical level, I feel like I have not finished exploring the possibilities of this shape.  Its simplicity allows me to experiment with structure and surface in a way I couldn't if I were concerned with making a specific image.

I have a feeling I will be having more to say on this subject.  I'm looking forward to getting some interesting feedback from the visitors to my demo tonight!

Holiday Galleria Part 3

I don't know if it is obvious yet that all of these items I made for the show have a common theme (beyond Christmas ornaments).  All are made from reused or salvaged items.   The fabric for the hearts was created out of scraps from other quilting/sewing projects, and the candy wrapper globes -- well, I can't say I ate all of the candy, but I know who did.

The last series of work is spheres made from salvaged wire.  (I admit, I did buy some wire to get these finished in time.)  This type of wire work is something I've been doing for several years and is the work I am currently showing in my regular space at Crossroads.  It seemed like a good idea to make some smaller, less expensive pieces to sell in the Galleria as well.

Holiday Galleria Part 2

Another series I did for the Holiday Galleria was glass balls collaged with tissue paper, origami paper, and candy wrappers from my extensive collection.  This was a mixed success  -- I feel like they are not quite done, and there are a few technical issues to work out, but I like them. 

Here are some photos of work in progress:

And finshed pieces at the show.