Mr. G's Clipboard

A while back I showed you a couple of clipboards I painted/collaged which launched me on a search of the local flea markets for old clipboards.  I found a couple of them.  Then, I mentioned to dear Mr. G that I was looking for them.  The next month at our little group meeting, he brought me a bunch of them. Vintage, very used, and one beautiful one made from wood.  (I'm keeping that one for myself, as I doubt we ever run across another one like it!)  Mr. G knows everyone in his town and I DO mean EVERYONE, so once he put the word out for clipboards they arrived at his door and he gave them to me.  Nice, huh?

I asked Mr. G what he'd like for them and he said..."a painted clipboard."  So, of course, he must have one.  Now, let me say this...he is an art teacher.  He could certainly paint his own clipboard and do a much better job that I could...but then, he couldn't say it was from ME, could he?  So, I did the best I could to create a clipboard he would feel was 'just for him.'  And, it is!

Mr. G and I have been friends for a very long time, so I kind of think I might know a thing or two about him...and vice-versa.  He has a little house collection and I love houses myself, so that got me to thinking about 'house sayings.'  This one is just about my favorite..."the way to a friend's house is never long." So, I decided to collage two houses on his clipboard and connect them with this saying.
And, it's true...the way to Mr. G's house is never long (even though it is about 75 miles from me)...and when you get there...you will be entertained.   The day will fly by and soon you will have a lovely memory.  If you are ever invited there...you should GO.

In our long history, we have been on some trips together....and traveling with Mr. G is great fun.  I can remember one trip to North Carolina to visit the Biltmore Estates.  Driving was our dear friend, Sharon H. and also along was our dear friend, Deon.  I don't believe I have laughed that much...before or since.

He has a way of making things happen that make you say...WHAT?  On the back of this clipboard is a copy of a black and white photo Mr. G once sent me.  At the time, I was considering making a quilt of St. Basil's in Moscow.  Why, I don't know and I never did actually do it, but Mr. G being like he is, found a picture of St. Basil's and placed a cut out photo of the two of us over it (taken at an earlier quilt show)....then sent it to me with a note...as if we had REALLY been there.  Hilarious!  I don't know why, but I thought it should be on the back of this clipboard.  By the way, I wrote on the back of the original photo...."October, 1998 - My famous art teacher/traveling companion and me during our infamous and entirely fictitious trip to St. Basil's.  What fun!"  Now you know, only two completely nutty people would do these things!!

Mr. G always wants to know what my words mean on these collages I make.  Rarely do they mean anything...but on this one, I put "birds of a feather."  Pretty accurate, if you ask me.

So...there are houses, birds, butterflies and trees...some of my very favorite things.  There is my house and Mr. G's house.....and the road to a friend's house really is NEVER long....hope you enjoy his clipboard and I hope he will too!  Of course, he has to wait until next month to get it!!  take care, pat

PS.  Oh, I learned something too.  It's just a little thing, but I had never done it before.  That yellow square on the back with the bird in it....I painted the square, then pressed a dry rubber stamp on it....a reverse stamp, so to speak.  I love that!!!  Never had tried it before and really, never even thought of it before.  I try to learn something new every day!

My New "Vintage" Collage

As promised, here is my new "Vintage' collage.  At the downtown studio yesterday, someone asked me where my ideas come from and I had to say "I just don't know."  They just happen.  Sometimes I might choose a paper napkin to use and that sparks an idea.  Sometimes I might choose a old ledger sheet that might give me an idea....or a color, or a photo, or a flower.  I never know as these things just seem to EVOLVE.

I think I've mentioned before that I am just 'playing' when I'm in the studio.  Unless I'm working on a commission piece, I just go where the mood takes me.  (And, yes, it's true, I'm no longer doing those pieces...at least for a while.)  Anyway, I just gather my little bits of 'this and that' and try to make something out of them.  I've got my personal favorites and this one is my favorite of the three I've shown you lately.

You already know that I use lots of paper napkins in my collages.  What a great idea it was to use those and NO, I didn't come up with the idea.  I saw it a couple of years ago on Sharon Tomlinson's blog and immediately went crazy over the idea.  Visit her HERE.  She is so COOL!  Isn't it amazing what we learn out here in Blogland?

Now, back to this new vintage piece.  Well, I call it a vintage piece because of two things.  #1, I chose to use one of the vintage ledger sheets from the very old ledgers I received from my son-in-law.  The date is Monday, May 15, 1916.  That sounded like a good place to start to me...so I tried to find a picture of a woman from 'around' that time...nothing has to be exact...isn't that a great thing?  So, I found this lady in a copyright free Dover book and promptly cut her out to add to my selection.  Always wanting to add birds, I found this little bird and the bird cage, in some scrapbooking papers I had.  See how this is going?

 There's that little tree also.  It's an odd little tree, but I really enjoyed drawing it and painting the leaves.  I WANTED a tree on this piece, although I've no idea why...except that I love trees.  Once again....it doesn't have to look like a real tree.  You KNOW it's a tree...no matter how it is drawn.  And, do you remember what I always say about trees?  I feel they are Nature's version of Lace.  Have I told you that I never knew what a tree really looked like til I was nine years old and got my first glasses.  I needed them from the beginning, but no one noticed til I was nine.  My teacher, Mrs. Ledbetter, kept putting me closer and closer to the blackboard until my desk was touching the blackboard and I still couldn't read it.
So, she took me home that day and I was taken to Waco where a nice lady eye doctor found out I couldn't see too much and gave me glasses.  We lived about twenty miles from Waco and all the way home I was amazed by what I saw...including trees.  Up until then, I thought trees were one big roundish thing...never knowing there were individual leaves.  I've loved them ever since that day!  Have you ever been driving at dusk and seen the trees against the sky....so 'lacy.'  That is how I decided they were Nature's version of lace.  I love that!

In this piece, I also wanted to use the rose napkin, as I have so often done.  (I need to quit using this particular napkin.  I do love it so, but all my pieces are beginning to look alike!!)  And, I also found a paper napkin with pretty pink and yellow butterflies.  My plan  (really - a 'plan'?) was coming together.  I painted the canvas and began laying out the piece....usually,  my collages have no message whatsoever...they just turn out the way they want to turn out.  After gathering together all these 'bits' it occurred to me that this woman was on the verge of getting to VOTE!  WONDERFUL!!  And, that's a message for sure!  Here she is...in 1916...and in just a very few years...she would get to vote...so the little bird is telling her to 'Spread Your Wings and Fly' and I expect it was (in 1920) like letting a bird out of a cage!  What do you think?  Well, that might be reaching, but I really like the concept as I think we should all be out there voting each and every time there is an election.  Especially women....so many have done so much so WE could vote.  So, there's my one attempt to be profound.  I like it.


I'm also showing you a black napkin with butterflies on it.  That is the one I left out of my last post if you'd like to go back and see these butterflies with the red tulips.  I did add a touch of oil pastels to them for a speck more brightness.  Also, I need to tell you that I did shine up the pink and yellow butterflies in this piece with a bit of clear embossing powder and my heat gun...I don't think it shows up in the photos, but they do have a nice clear shine on them that is raised from the surface a bit. 

So, there you are.  Hope you've enjoyed these last three canvases.  Yes, you will be getting a break from them, as I've no more to show at this time....so expect something completely different in my next post.  It could be flowers,  it could be chairs....maybe bread...who knows?  So, have a great 'rest of your weekend' and take care out there.  pat

PS.  I've noticed that I'm not the only person trying to get used to the new Blogger.  Forgive me if this post looks kind of awkward.  I figure it's better to get it posted than it is to post it perfectly.  Or, something like that!!

Red Tulips

In my last post, I said I'd show you RED TULIPS in a couple of days...so here they are!  Another of my downtown studio collages.  I'm also showing you the paper napkin I used to make this collage.  Red Tulips, of course.

 I also used another paper napkin for the butterflies.  OK, I did forget to take a photo of the paper napkin the butterflies were cut from, so let me describe it....black, with a few sprigs of flowers and these multi-colored butterflies in different sizes.    Maybe this Friday, while at the studio, I can take a photo of it..then add it to this post.   I'm sure the photo would make more sense to you than my description of it.

After painting the canvas and adding the butterflies and tulips, I drew in some little flowers and painted them.  I just thought it needed 'something.'  And, as before, I used oil pastels to add more color to the butterflies and tulips.

Also...as is my current habit....words cut from books.  Anyone can do this...you just choose some words you like and glue them on!!  And, this sounded good to me:

"Spring, so glorious
Red flowers grow
butterflies fly
the sun shines." 

Enough said!  Hope you like it.....and next time...my 'new vintage' collage.  Take care, pat

PS.  So now Blogger has changed....oh my!  Just when I think I know something...turns out I don't...it's so hard for an old dog to learn new tricks...but, I'll try!

"New Beginning" Bird Collage

It's Monday morning.....at this moment....10:24 a.m. Usually, I am at the downtown studio at this time, but I've had a revelation....and it is this - I need to be home on Mondays! Nothing much happens down there on Mondays and I am having a terrible time getting anything done at home, so staying home seems a really good idea. I'll still be downtown on Wednesdays, Fridays and the Second Saturday of the month..plus 'special' times, like May 5th, when we are participating in the Downtown Sidewalk Sale.

I couldn't let this particular Monday morning pass without posting. I always feel like I'm behind in posting...so I'm showing you my latest bird collage. It will be followed this week by two other collages...neither with a bird motif. Imagine that.

As you can see in the second photo...this collage began life with a painted canvas and paper napkins. I wish I had left the napkin on the right out of this photo, as I decided not to use it, then forgot to take another photo with it removed from sight. I did decide to use the white napkins with birds on it...just so sweet. Notice the canvas is not in my usual color scheme. Here's the story on that - I had some yellows, reds, oranges and one of my favorites, called "Apricot".....they were left over from something else I was doing and since I hate wasting paint, when I finished the other project, I just painted this canvas with the leftover paint. Not knowing what I was going to do with it...I saved it for 'another day' and that day was the one I decided to use this paper napkin with it's cute bird's nest. Other colors were added and here we are...the basis for this collage. I also used one of those vintage ledger sheets I have and, as always, WORDS.

Using these paper napkins is so much fun. You can use bits and pieces of the napkin, or the whole thing if you want to. (Remember to use only the top layer of the napkin, removing the back two, or you'll make a mess as the printed layer won't stick!)

Last Fall, I found the leaves I've used on this collage blowing down the sidewalk in front of the studio and I've saved them 'til later.' And, later is now....in Springtime! I've chosen to paint over them using oil pastels. I've also used the oil pastels to add some color to the birds and the nest. Again, I've drawn, then painted a vine. I've no idea why I like adding these to my collages other than I draw these kinds of vines on embroidery all the time and I guess I'm just so crazy about doing it, I also feel the need to include them in my collages. Who knows?

I always paint the sides of my collages....add my name and the year. Sometimes I had little bits of print or decorative paper too...then paint over them. Making these collages are so much fun. As you know, I'm not really an artist...but I like to pretend I'm one!

In my next post, I'll show you my other two new collages. One is red tulips, the other will be another of my 'new vintage' ones. I'm going to do my best to show you those two THIS WEEK....meantime, I hope you have a great week and thank you so much for visiting me!
take care, pat

Two Rose Collages

Well, two more collages today...these with more 'paper roses.' I use paper napkins in many of my collages and I have to say....I'm pretty fond of this particular napkin. You really have to see the napkin as it was purchased in order to see what I have done with it, so I'm beginning with a photo of that napkin. I rarely use the napkin as a whole, usually tearing bits of it to suit whatever it is I have in my mind. So, I hope seeing the napkin photo, helps you understand how it was used in each of these collages. By the way, I seem to find the prettiest napkins at Tuesday Morning. This one was is copyrighted by Gail Flores, Licensed by Suzanne Cruise. It's gorgeous.

The first collage is what I thought would look like a rose basket. I tore the napkin to 'fit' the painted canvas, and then drew the 'basket' on.......and finally added some stamps from my stamp 'collection.' (My stamp collection was purchased all at once, in a gallon jar, from the flea market a couple of years ago. I will probably never be able to use all the neat stamps from that jar, but I do have fun with them.) Again, a paper butterfly. A strip of ribbon too. And, the words, of course. "The fragance of the rose," cut from old book pages. I have 'touched up' the roses with even more paint. I like the way it turned out.

Next, is a canvas I painted, then made into this collage. I had cut the words out of a magazine,
"Well behaved women rarely make history." I just thought it would be fun. A page from scrapbooking paper, a date from a very old ledger from my son-in-law's family store, and again.....the wonderful rose napkin! (Don't worry about the vintage ledger....it was falling apart, so we didn't worry about using it for collages as there are wonderfully intact and beautiful ledgers we would never touch!)

The 'lady' (I think she is gorgeous and don't you love her outfit and jewels? I used some hot crystals for her earrings.), well, I just don't remember at this moment where she came from, but from scrapbooking paper or somewhere similar. I did add some hand drawn vines, touched with a bit of paint...and that number - 509...means nothing except it was the page number from the ledger. I had fun making this...getting paint and gel medium on my hands is great FUN...and using these napkins is too.

So...there you are...two of the latest made in the downtown studio...and, as always, for sale there.
If I can get my etsy up and going again...SOON....they might wind up there, but for now...they are with me as I play in the paint downtown. You all stay safe, warm and cozy....pat