2025 01 Crown Vic

 

This project began with a cradled board and some homemade rust paper. Then in went a set of nails.

I got this steering wheel cover at the Iola Car Show this year so that it could act as a frame. I do not know what car it is from. 

I picked this photograph from my stash with the idea to use the couple but after I found this gear it became obvious I could only add one person. She went behind the gear and was then covered with resin. 

The gear fit perfectly on the steering wheel cover. As I mentioned above, I have no idea what automobile this steering wheel cover belonged to but because of the rather regal woman I selected to use as the image, I was thinking of the Ford Crown Victoria. 

1955 Ford Crown Victoria

Thus we have Crown Vic. It is 10"H X 13"W X 4"D. It consists of a Cradled Board, Automobile Steering Wheel Cover, Round Metal Remnant, Gear, Dial Face, Decorative Metal Remnant, Photograph, Rust Paper, Resin and Paint.

2025 01 Water of Love

Every once in awhile I love to start a project with a round shape, not the traditional rectangle or square, for the substrate. I covered the round with a rusted coffee filter. 

Awhile back I had purchased this Minnequa Flax Water Bag because I could not believe how cheap it was considering its antiquity. These bags were made to keep water cool in hot weather conditions. They might have even been used to put water into radiators of old cars running in the heat. They had great graphics but mine have all faded to the point where you almost can't see it. 

This is what the bag could look like if it survived

Lately I have also been buying a lot of old vintage lawn sprinklers. Of all the ones that I purchased, this is the only one that is square.

This garden hose sprinkler was enhanced with these images 

Thus we have Water of Love. After I knew I was going to use the sprinkler I was in the basement looking for other parts when the Dire Straits' tune Water of Love came to my lips so that is the name of this piece. It is 21"H X 21" X 2"D. It consists of a Wood Round, Minnequa Flax Water Bag, Square Water Sprinkler, Garden Hose Sprinkler, Drill Storage Box, Stone, Crystals (3) and Nails (24).

2025 01 Christmas Coincidences in Film

Every year when Denice and I watched our Christmas movie marathon, I am amazed at the cross pollination of actors in all these films. Some of that may be Golden Age Studio practices and others, maybe not. As a Golden Age movie trivia buff, this proves to be a ton of fun for me to investigate.

Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart, The Shop Around the Corner (MGM, 1940)

Let us start right at the top. James Stewart starred in The Shop Around the Corner (MGM, 1940) directed by Ernst Lubitsch. His character, Alfred Kralik, is a troubled man at the shop.

James Stewart, It's a Wonderful Life (RKO, 1946)

Stewart is troubled again as George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life (RKO, 1946), the character Stewart played in his first role after returning from being a bomber pilot during World War II. 

Barbara Stanwyck, Remember the Night (Paramount, 1940) 

Barbara Stanwyck made her first Christmas movie Remember the Night (Paramount, 1940) when she played a repeat offender shoplifter prosecuted at Christmas by Fred MacMurray. 

Barbar Stanwyck and S. Z. Sakall, Christmas in Connecticut (Warner, 1945)

Her character is not really different later when she played the fake magazine columnist Elizabeth Lane in Christmas in Connecticut (Warner, 1945). 

Inez Courtney, William Tracy, Sara Haden and Felix Bressart in The Shop Around the Corner

 (MGM, 1940)

In Shop Around the Corner, the store clerk Flora is played by Sara Haden. 

Cary Grant and Sara Haden, The Bishop's Wife (RKO, 1947)

Seven years later in The Bishop's Wife (RKO, 1947) she played the Bishop's secretary Mildred Cassaway, charmed by the angel Cary Grant.

Store owner Hugo Matuschek in The Shop Around the Corner is played by Frank Morgan who will be The Wizard in Wizard of Oz in the same year--nothing to do with Christmas but a cool fact anyway.

Percy Helton

When Matuschek suspects one of his employees is romancing his wife he hires a private detective who is played by Charles Halton. 

Charle Halton, It's a Wonderful Life (RKO, 1946)

Later he played Carter, the bank examiner, who helps Mr. Potter get a warrant for George Bailey's arrest in It's a Wonderful Life.

Barbara Stanwyck and Beulah Bondi, Remember the Night (Paramount, 1940)

Beulah Bondi made a career out of playing Moms including Fred MacMurray's Indiana mom in Remember the Night. 

James Stewart and Beulah Bondi, It's a Wonderful Life (RKO, 1946)

She is also George Bailey's mom in It's A Wonderful Life (doing a wonderful job as the pleasant Mrs. Bailey and the witch like rooming house owner when George doesn't exist). 

Reginald Gardiner and Dick Elliott, Christmas in Connecticut (Warner, 1945)

Dick Elliott played Judge Crowthers, the man incapable of getting Barbara Stanwyck married, in Christmas in Connecticut. 

Dick Elliott, It's a Wonderful Life (RKO, 1946)

Later he would yell, "Why don't you kiss her instead of talking her to death?" at George Bailey and Mary Hatch when they were young kids in Its A Wonderful Life. 

Edmund Gwenn and Percy Helton, Miracle on 34th Street (20th Century Fox, 1947)

The whole ball gets rolling in Miracle on 34th Street (20th Century Fox, 1947) when in an uncredited role, Percy Helton plays the drunk Santa on the Macy's float. 

Percy Helton, Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby, White Christmas (Paramount, 1954)

In White Christmas (Paramount, 1954), in another uncredited role, he is the train conductor who sells Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye their $97.24 ticket that lets them sit up all night in the club car. 

Leo G. Carroll, Christmas Carol (MGM, 1938)

Leo G. Carroll haunts Scrooge as his old business partner Marley in Christmas Carol (MGM, 1938).

Leo G. Carroll, We're No Angels (Paramount, 1955)

Much later he plays the terrible business owner Felix Ducotel aided by three murderers in We're No Angels (Paramount, 1955). 

Gene Lockhart, Christmas Carol (MGM, 1938)

Gene Lockhart and his wife Kathleen got cast in Christmas Carol (MGM, 1938) as Bob and Mrs. Cratchett. (A non-Christmas bit of trivia: their daughter, who was uncredited in Christmas Carol, is June Lockhart of Lassie fame). 

Gene Lockhart, Miracle on 34th Street (20th Century Fox, 1947)

Much later, as Judge Henry X. Harper in Miracle on 34th Street, he would declare "Uh, since the United States Government declares this man to be Santa Claus, this court will not dispute it. Case dismissed."

I believe.

Thanks to all these actors and these great movies for a Happy Holiday season. 

2024 12 I Hear My Blood Singing In Its Prison

In December, 2024, I went to New Orleans because I was accepted as a visiting artist at the Kolaj Institute. You can read about the whole experience at this blog.

You can read about the first project I made at this blog. 

Here are the details about the second project I worked on. It started with this cool little ironing board I bought in a flea market. Because I did not want to spent a lot of time doing assemblage work in NOLA, I added the nails at home before leaving for the residency.

This project was the second one I worked on, essentially a filler project when work on the first project made it impossible to work on. Eventually I painted on the substrate to get that accomplished before the collage work started. 

From my collage mentor Andrea Matus deMeng, I learned to go through a decision making process about what images to use that she calls "auditioning." Nothing is glued down yet in the photo above--it is a trial appearance before the glue comes out. 

The face goes down and the painting also begins.

By this point everything is glued down and the painting is still going on.

This little wooden chair survived a few years out in my garden with a bunch of other chairs used as decorative yard art. When I tired of that, this chair went into my stash because it was still in pretty good condition. In NOLA, I reinforced the legs and gave it a light paint wash and some highlights.

That was as far as this project got in NOLA. When I came home, I did the last bit of assemblage work to complete the effort. 

I added a clock pendulum as a topper.

The chair got attached in just the right spot.

A makeup compact contains a secret.

Thus we have I Hear My Blood Singing In Its Prison. The title for this project comes from the poem Sunstone by Octavio Paz. It is 37"H X 15"W X 11"D. It consists of an Ironing Board, Wood Chair, Nails (39), Makeup Compact, Broach, Clock Pendulum, Paper and Paint.