2026 07 Guide

I am going to do blogs about the three pieces I made at Bellissima Art Escapes with the assemblage artists Gary and Mary Ann Carlson. (Feel free to read about the entire Bellissima experience at 

This was the first piece that I worked on at Bellissima. The entire intent of me traveling all the way to work with the Carlsons was to learn about asymmetrical construction in assemblage. Here is what I had after the first day.

When I came back the second day I was not all that thrilled with the construction of this work. It felt to me like I was not comfortable with asymmetry (which I guess at this point was true) and I was just sticking stuff on my design to push it outside the box and my comfort zone.

So I went to work again.

At the end of the second day, this is what I had going. After consulting with Gary, we decided my piece, even though I tried to extend my materials past the symmetrical boundaries, have greater value being more in my usual style. While this should have thrilled me (because I have a large ego), it made me think I might be missing the whole point of the workshop.

Believe it or not, I did dream overnight about how I was going to alter my project to get it more asymmetrical. However, it appears that I was so eager to work on my project I took no photos at the workshop.

The answer was simple: there were give aways at this workshop and on that table I found parts to what I assume were a lamp. Adding these two elements made my brain explode--I am not kidding. The next two blogs about the other works I made will show that the concept of asymmetry was now in my toolbox.

I did ship home my art projects and got to work on them right away. Here is the finished project. 

The lamp parts that proved enLIGHTning to me

This wood wheel I bought at Tinkertopia in Tacoma, WA

(you can never, never, never have enough crap)

This face also came from Tinkertopia

Thus we have Guide. It is 22"H X 14"W X 4"D. It consists of 12" Wood Round, Wood Drawer, Wood Shrine, Wood Circle, Knob, Wood Rounds, Wood Balls, Pencil, Rubber Straps, Lamp Parts, Nails, Metal Findings, Clay Face.