2026 03 So Swift That Only Memory Can Capture It

 I was in Oaxaca, Mexico, recently and one of the things I have to say about that city: it is the most art centric environment I have ever been able to be immersed in. Artists, art studios, galleries and museums are all sources for inspiration for an artist like me.

In one gallery I went into, a ceramic structure I saw made me think whether I could duplicate something like this with cradled boards and collage. 

My original plan was very complex, so complex that I even sketched it out. But when I got to Make What Ya Brung in March of 2026 at Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point, WI, I decided as my first try at this I should simplify it down to four 8" X 8" cradled boards. 

(Photo from Blick website)

I decided that my method for madness would be to lay the four boards into a 16" X 16" unattached grouping. Then I collaged on the boards to hold them into one unit. 

First layer: pattern paper

Second layer: decorative paper and paint

Third layer: mixed media stuff

Fourth layer: collage

Fifth layer: detail paint

Then I used an Xacto knife to chop the collage up and separate the four cradled boards

I used basswood strips to create a back frame

Thus we have So Swift That Only Memory Can Capture It. The title comes from a poem by Linda Pastan called Memory of a Bird. It is 17"H X 17"H X 1"D. It consists of four 8 "X 8" Cradled Boards, Wood Boards, Screws, Cardboard, Collage, and Paint.