Some weeks fly by, and there are projects I don’t even get to. That’s what happens with such a long list of things on the go! Let’s see — what did I manage to touch on?

Evaluating

After the Finding Your Joy class, I hoped to apply the same ideas to reviewing a series. My digital Aerials series, started from some analog pieces (my Analog Aerials project) among others, needed a look. I thought I had it down to maybe 8 images I quite liked — these bring me joy and are ready for titles!

Now, I’d love to propose it as a show, but with an eye to the story — analog becomes digital — I only had a couple of the analog pieces converted. Sigh. Back to the drawing board, to try & include more pieces that have an analog base. Or — I’ve just had a thought as I type — maybe I can mount some of the other pieces that were starting points? Add yet one more idea to the hopper…

In other evaluation realms, I’m still looking for finishing and framing options. While I’d like to just mount paper prints to wood panel, that isn’t feasible in larger sizes, at least for my ability to pay attention to detail. All the places I’ve checked into so far led me to The Lab Vancouver, a photo processing shop near the local art school. Along with the framer who sent me there, they also aren’t able to mount to panel for me, but I decided to try what they CAN do: mount to dibond, a firm aluminum substrate, then laminate with a matte finish. It looks great! It’s now been handed off to Kent Framing for a float frame in thin black.

For a sample 8×10 print, the costs are adding up, but I bet it will look great. I’ve also got a wood panel to test what the DIY version looks like — wish me luck!

Meetings & Making

When I checked in with the Arizona Collage Collective this week, I hadn’t yet found a variation I liked for the Paris Collage Collective image. Not to cross the streams, but don’t collage groups do well at finding each other? Online meetings (with NWCS and AZCC), assignments from the Special Agent Collage Collective, and weekly prompts from Paris? Life is good!

But, building on the Find Your Joy class lessons, I wanted to push where I took the PCC image, and here’s where I landed: some scribbly backgrounds that I’m creating from a large manila sketchbook, and that lovely, fading flower just plops right in there and glows — it makes me happy.

For my other weekly meetings with SLMM — not collage, but layerists, a close cousin — I continued to work on my spelling book spreads, and this new idea, from last week, of warmed-up urban texture.

First, including last week’s piece as a comparision, I tried two more backgrounds of ripped-up posters. Such a strong base, and so fun to warm up into my palette!

But they’re getting a little busy… hmmm. Oh well — I’m having fun, at least. Then, during the weekly SLMM studio call, I tried a few more spelling book spreads.

As I assemble these compositions into a slideshow, they don’t have a lot of cohesion, to me. Maybe another round on both the analog and the digital?

Experimenting

I’m back on the vodka! No, not really — I don’t drink — but I did watch some videos, and the key with vodka & watercolour, it turns out, is NOT to use it as a medium, but to apply it while painting with water. Aha! A little dropper bottle to the rescue; a spray bottle would be great too, though a bit messier.

See the little blobby circles? That’s thanks to drops of vodka while the paint was wet. I love it!

Now, maybe some embroidery, some inking for prints, more collage…? I’m pleased to report that I now have a bit of a solution for drying my painting and prints, by taking advantage of the earthquake reinforcement beams in my home studio.

Another source of joy has been my larger manila sketchpad. I stand in front of it and make sweeping marks with crayon, brushes, graphite — anything that is at hand. I do like asemic writing, and when I tried some of my available options, they weren’t dark enough: they were a little pale on that lovely cream surface. Off to the art supply shop I went, and returned with some ink options in browns and black, for mixing or testing. That, combined with a really big brush, as well as some wooden skewers, got me some interesting lines with more stark differences.

After the previous attempt, which I didn’t even want to scan, this one looks more fun. I see collage fodder and layer options I can work with…

I also remembered to visit my small scribbles sketchbook, with a skewer and some ink, but regretting not leaving something absorbent underneath. Oh well, the goal was to remind myself of neglected projects — done. Plus, some beautiful marks for the scanner.

That’s a few projects that got some time. I do have a list of everything ongoing, where I track next steps and levels of joy and enthusiasm. But sometimes it’s just a routine swapping through, so everything gets a little attention every now and then. How do you manage to corral ideas and give them anywhere near equal time?

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