2026 11 The Manic Dust Of My Friends, Those Who Fell Along The Way, Bitterly Stings My Face

In an earlier post I talked about a workshop with Leighanna Light that taught the process of gesso transfers. When I got home I worked on this substrate and box for the image I created. 

This weird little tray probably was one of a few that made up a bigger tray for charcutier.

The substrate selected was this old file tray

I covered the plastic so that it could be painted

Cady Wells' photography of Mabel Dodge Luhan, Frieda Lawrence (D. H. Lawrence's wife ) & Dorothy Brett.

Thus we have The Manic Dust Of My Friends, Those Who Fell Along The Way, Bitterly Stings My Face. It is 13"H X 10"W X 3"D. It consists of a File Drawer, Plastic Tray, Jewel, Tin, Gesso Transfer, Collage, and Paint. The title comes from Stanley Kunitz's poem called The Layers.

2026 11 A Musical Note Never Changing Goes Unheard

Always on the look out for found objects that can make a good substrate, I was happy to find this banjo ukulele for only $20.

In a class held by Karen Robison at Shake Rag Alley we learned how to tea dye paper. I rolled a vintage glove into a batch I made and it gave me this ghostly image which proved perfect for this project. 

The original banjo had four strings but when I re-strung the instrument with waxed linen thread I only had room for three.

Thus we have A Musical Note Never Changing Goes Unheard. It is 20"H X 8"W X 2"D. It consists of a Banjo Ukulele, Beads, Tea Dyed Paper, Waxed Linen Thread, and Paint.

2026 11 Projecting in Turns onto the Screen of Being

Since I took a workshop in Washington state at Bellisima Arts with Gary and Mary Ann Carlson I have been trying to be a little less symmetrical and more asymmetrical in my art making.

This pieces was constructed with that in mind. It started with this cool tool which is a screwdriver you can use to get around something in the way of diving in a screw. I felt the tool lent itself to the asymmetry I was looking for. 

I also bought a huge map for only $1 at a church rummage sale and I am starting to use it up.

I decided that even the collage would try to take part in the asymmetry.

Thus we have Projecting in Turns onto the Screen of Being. It is 13"H X 12"W X 2"D. It consists of two Cradled Boards, Angled Screwdriver, Tacks, Collage, Paint.

This piece is my submission to the Museum of Wisconsin Art's 2026 Membership Show hanging in late 2026.

2026 11 Somewhere In the White Space Between Sight and Sightlessness

Leighanna Light

Back in September I blogged about a workshop I took at Shake Rag Alley with Leighanna Light (https://artthou-gniebuhr.blogspot.com/2026/09/2026-09-spirit-protectors-metal.html). Today I am blogging about the project I did there which I am calling Somewhere In the White Space Between Sight and Sightlessness.

The process we learned was transferring an image using gesso onto tin. At Shake Rag, this was as far as I got.

The substrate was a lantern I picked up at a vintage store. I decided it need a shrine shape behind enhanced by a fork. When I got home, it was time to figure out how all this stuff was going to hang together.

All the parts at home ready to go

My #1 starting point is to figure out how this thing is going to hang

This image came from Leighanna

Thus we have Somewhere In the White Space Between Sight and Sightlessness. It is 18"H X 5"W X 4"D. It consists of a Lantern, Iron Rest, Fork, Jewelry, Wheels, Tin Lid, Collage. The title comes from a poem by Kwame Dawes called Horns.

2026 10 Coach Potato In Space

I found the weirdest frame in the world: a couch. In messing around with it I decided to add an astronaut (do not ask me why).

Then this sat around in my basement stash for awhile before I got a second wind on this project. 

I decided that this project would be mounted on a mink stretcher board substrate.

Every assemblage project I do goes through an audition phase where various objects come out of their storage boxes to see the light of day--some stay, some go back in the box. 

This is the point in the design that I knew I needed a potato. 

Thus we have Coach Potato In Space. It is 37"H X 25"W X 6"D. It consists of Couch Frame, Wood Round, Wood Mink Stretcher, Wood Shape, Wood Boards, Plastic Airplane, Electrical Dial, Aves Clay Potato, Paper, Paint, Collage.

2026 09 Spirit Protectors: Metal Figurative Assemblage

   

Leighanna Light appealing to the Spirit Protectors to make this class go right

Spirit Protectors: Metal Figurative Assemblage 

with Deck in a Box: Image Transfers on Plaster, Metal, & Paper

September 17-20, 2026

Instructor: Leighanna Light

Shake Rag Alley, Mineral Point, WI

Leighanna Light came to Shake Rag Alley this September to teach two workshops: Spirit Protectors: Metal Figurative Assemblage and Deck in a Box: Image Transfers on Plaster, Metal, & Paper.

The first workshop began at 9:00 a.m. Thursday morning. Here is the course description: "I created my first Spirit Protectors during a difficult time in my life, and can’t seem to stop—I want to share with you! On day one, I’ll teach my favorite surface design techniques on metal: leaf printing, faux etching, texturizing, and metal transfers, and we’ll prepare our bases & create cool, funky faces. On day two, I’ll share tips & tricks to achieve balance, contrast, & a powerful composition. We will cut tin, combine it with our metal & make beautiful woven pieces. Learn simple cold connection techniques, as well as how to safely & properly operate tools. Finally, put it all together to create two figurative assemblages attached to a wooden base. Your Spirit Protector can be as large as your imagination can take you! No experience necessary. Materials Fee includes: All hardware, screws, nuts & bolts, nails & wire, paint, glaze, gel medium, clear coat, wax, hanging hardware & most tools. You will leave with at least one finished piece; however, most people complete 2 in this workshop."

The Lind Pavilion at Shake Rag Alley from my worktable

Class samples

Here are some Spirit Protectors as class samples

I begin to work

The person with the most metal wins

This is "4 U Soap"--which sold at the end of the class to one of my classmates

It is time for workshop number 2!!!

The second class began on Saturday the 19th called Deck in a Box: Image Transfers on Plaster, Metal, & Paper. Here is the class description: "In this 2-day workshop, create a luscious deck of plaster & metal cards, each 4 1/4” x 3 1/4”, that will reside in a small metal box embellished with transfers and plaster. Learn multiple techniques to transfer images onto plaster, gesso, and metal, and then take each transfer to a finished work of art. You can explore a theme or subject matter with this project, use this as a shrine to someone or a place that is close to your heart, or allow yourself the freedom to learn the different techniques and experiment. This is a fun, loose, lighthearted workshop with lots of time to play and experiment with different products and techniques. All experience levels welcome—I hope that you can join us!"

The person with the most metal wins, part two!!!

Before I uncovered them, these were my efforts;

weirdly, I never took photos of my uncovered images

Here are some images created by my workshops companions.

I did put one image on a tin lid and while I had some extra time I began to mock up this assemblage. Time will tell if it goes any farther.

I want to thank Leighanna Light for a fun four days. Also thanks to my classmates and all the great folks at Shake Rag Alley for providing this opportunity.