2023 10 Make What Ya Brung Collages

October means our art buddies are going to gather at the Lind Pavilion on the Shake Rag Alley campus for another addition of Make What Ya Brung. The numbers were up and down from a high of 26 to what it became as life, illness and other concerns interfered with some people attending. Those who came had a great time surrounded by fall colors.

Tom Goodman had the space across from me working on his figurative assemblage

My jewel, Denice, was to my right working on her jewelry

This was as far as the collages got at Shake Rag

For this MWYB, I decided I was going to abandon my usual assemblage act and concentrate specifically on collages. Here are the results. 

Terrific!

At this point, from my vintage magazine collage stuff, I did a work with a young girl, her monkey and some 1950's looking furniture. After staring at it enough, it was obliterated by some mixed media techniques which made me much happier.

This was as far as it got at Shake Rag

Here are the results after I worked on Terrific! at home. 

Thus we have Terrific! It is 14"H X 11"W X 3/4"D. It consists of a cradled board, paper and paint.

Some Days I Catch A Rhythm, Almost A Song In My Own Breath

The audition of the collage

This was as far as the collage got in Mineral Point

Here are the results after working on the piece at home. 

Thus we have Some Days I Catch A Rhythm, Almost A Song In My Own Breath. It is 14"H X 11"W X 3/4"D. It consists of a Cradled Board, Paper, Paint, Watch and 5 Beads. The title comes from Philip Levine's poem Call It Music.

Bringing Me Pearls For My Lost Eyes

This is as far as the collage got at MWYB

Here is how it improved at home.

Thus we have Bringing Me Pearls For My Lost Eyes. It is 18"H X 24"W X 1"D. It consists of a Cradled Board, Pearls, Paper and Paint. The title comes from Black Out by Faiz Ahmed Faiz. 

Vitruvian Frog

Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci

Glued but not painted by the end of Make What Ya Brung

Thus we have Vitruvian Frog. It is 12" Round and 2" Deep. It consists of a Wood Round, Paper and Paint.

The Dew Of My Eyes Has Dried: I Won’t Weep Again

Don't tell the other collages but this one is my favorite of the ones I did over the weekend.

Thus we have The Dew Of My Eyes Has Dried: I Won’t Weep Again. It is 12" Round and 2" Deep. It consists of a Wood Round, Glass Shards, Paper and Paint. The title comes The Rain Of Stones Is Finished, a poem by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

2023 10 In Vain Are All the Charms I Can Devise

I am taking part in an online Michael deMeng workshop called A-Poe-Thecary: A Collection of Vial Things. My goal was not only to make a bottle per the workshop but to create a shrine to hold the bottle as well.

I started with a honey jar that attracted my attention when we emptied it.

Part of the fun of doing these found object workshops is to shop your own stash which is what I did to find these additional items for the incantation bottle.

I chose this box from my collection simply because it was the best one to fit the bottle I was making. I decided that I would roast the edges of the box by using Michael's Tricky Burnt Flesh Routine. I added a little spice to the formula by mixing in some wood glue to the amber shellac to add texture and a general gunkiness to the result.

I had seen an art exhibition by encaustic artist Ray Papka and in studying his art in the gallery I saw that he liked to have a box within a box. I decided to try that technique on this piece. The Land O' Lakes cheese box had to be thinned a little but it made a great nest for the next object in this project.

At the last Make What Ya Brung I attended my art buddy Katherine Engen was making a structure that included multiple hand made books. This idea stuck with me so I decided to include that as well in this project. 

It seemed fitting that a collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales could be the cover for my book of incantations. 

Incantations

Hand Made Papers

Coptic Binding

Niello: a black mixture, usually of sulphur, copper, silver, and lead, 

used as an inlay on engraved or etched metal, especially silver. (Wikipedia)

Thus we have In Vain Art All the Charms I Can Devise. It is 18"H X 11"W X 4"D. It consists of a Honey Jar, Light Bulb Socket, Inscribed Metal Remnant, Tinker Toy, Nut, Lamp Finial, Wood Box, Drawer Handle, Land O Lakes Cheese Box, Nails (16 Large), Nails (14 Small), Plaster Cast, Masking Tape, Grimm's Fairy Tale Book Cover, Handmade Papers, Belt Buckle, Washer, Waxed Linen Thread, Paper, Paint, and Ink.

The title for this project comes from Thomas Campion's poem Thrice Toss These Oaken Ashes.