Pages 7 & 8

Pages 5 & 6

Pages 3 & 4

Here are the next two pages in my mini book of collages. One reader asked about the size of this book. It is approximately 2" x 2.75". I took an 8.5" x 11" sheet of card stock and folded it into fourths in both directions to create the book.

Pages 1 & 2

These are the first two pages in my mini collage book. I resisted the temptation to add paint as the final layer to the collages, which has been extremely hard for me. However, I think leaving the paint off has given the collages a simple beauty that I love.

Mini Collage Book

This week I have abandoned making my morning collages in favor of making a small accordion fold book of collages. It started with a magazine ad that had some phrases in it that really spoke to me, so I cut the phrases out and decided to make a book that incorporated them into the pages. I used a sheet of fossil colored cardstock for the book, and above is a photo of the cover. Each day I will post some of the pages.

Believe Collage

Believe
Collage size: 7.5"h x 5.5"w
Mounted on Bristol board 10" x 8"

Yesterday I spent several hours in my paint studio, putting the finishing touches on a new series of 4 collages for Collage Mania and a new series of 6 art quilts. The collage above is number 2 in the Inspirations series and will be available for purchase through Collage Mania in May 2009.
Click here to see the entire series.

Rust and Paint

I love images of peeling paint and rust, so last weekend I took my camera out to the family farm. Where better to find peeling paint and rusty metal than on acres full of old farm machinery and dilapidated outbuildings. This farm has been in my husband's family for over 100 years, and even though they don't farm the land themselves anymore, there are still remnants of those days all over the farm. In about an hour, I shot over 150 photographs. Above are two of my favorites.

Praying Mantis

It's praying mantis season here. All summer long I haven't seen a single one, and yet, in the last week I have seen a dozen or more. The one above was a morning visitor to one of our tomato gardens today.

Every time I see a praying mantis, I think of my Dad. He had yew bushes along the front walk of his house, and every year thousands of baby mantises would hatch in those bushes. Even when we had yew bushes in our yard, we never attracted the mantises like my Dad did. I miss seeing the mantises in his bushes, and I miss my Dad.

New Series Completed

Primary Lines #4
12" x 12"

All four pieces in this series are finished now. This is a series that I have loved working on --- the bright colors and splashes of paint here and there have brought this work to life, and I am thrilled with the results. To see the entire series, please click here.

New Acquisition

Life
Artist: Virginia Spiegel

This is the newest piece of art in my collection --- a rich collage of papers and cloth created by Virginia Spiegel. This is from her new series "Third Thoughts". I love the colors and textures in this collage and can't wait to get it framed and on the wall.

New Work

Primary Lines #3
12" x 12"

I am finishing up the last two pieces in the Primary Lines series. Above is #3, and I am almost finished with #4. Stay tuned to see them all posted together on my website.

Bees

The sedum in our garden is covered with bees right now, and I thought that would provide another opportunity to test this camera. Even though the photo could be better, I was impressed. This was shot without a tripod and with a gentle breeze blowing.