Time Out (For Art)

I needed an antidote to all the holiday hustle and bustle and what better place than
SFMoma and Robert Rauschenberg?
It was delightfully uncrowded. I think everyone must have been out holiday shopping.

Many times people ask me things like "How do I learn about collage (or art)?" and I tell them what they told me at art school -- look at A LOT of art -- as much as you possibly can.
You educate your eye by looking...and looking.
If you live in the Bay Area and are interested in mixed media art, you really don't want to miss this one.

Talk about re-purposed art -- this is it!

Detail

Detail
Rauschenberg was a master at layering -- and using repurposed  ephemera in his work -- you can see newspapers and magazine pages embedded in some paintings..and there was a sock in one too...and a dime in another..

Detail
I love the bits of paper layered under paint..
and the colors...

He started a lot of things....

These two I really wanted to take home with me....they are very large...there is no sense of scale in the photo...ok, if I have to I will just take one...

Another favorite -- it is large too...

Silk screened. Mixed media lovers -- look and learn.

Detail

There were lots and lots of these pieces - all different - zippered together and on three walls.

Detail
I love this.....I left feeling happier and inspired and wanting to go back and look at everything again.
GO if you can. And, if you can't, maybe check out books of his work from the library.
You will be glad you did.
An art break with five artist friends. And, a Japanese lunch.
Can't beat it.

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And One Thing Leads to Another

Rubber Stamps from SF Scrap. Somebody stop me!

I admit it...I have a rubber stamp problem and Scrap isn't helping...

The $1book sales aren't helping my studio space either. I have SWORN OFF going. But I was at the farmers market and ...well...I had to walk by on my way to the streetcar and I just took a little look.....ok, I bought ONE book but only one and I went right home and tore it right up. Now I have 25 beautiful Chinese drawings which are perfect to use in my Chinatown Altered Book project.
One thing leads to another...

The World of Stamps is a page for my altered book .....

My pal Dori needs more pages for the book I made for her and she likes joss papers so I played around a bit one night...

And, here is what I ended up with -- like it? I hope Dori does. I actually liked it and wanted to keep it for my book. But good behavior won.

Chinese inspired book pages made me think of Chinese food....and if you like it, SF is the place to be (unless you're in China).

The clouds parted one day and I tried out a little cyanotype printing. I have some ideas for that too....if we get summer sunshine any time soon. It was 55 degrees here the other day. In July.
We really are different here in SF.

Card for my pal The Artful ReCrafter. She recently got a beautiful old six burner (yes, gas) stove and this ad made me think of her. I'm sure she'll want to make that lovely hot dog casserole.

Re-purposed card made by mail art friend Judi K. She cut up and re-worked an envelope I sent to her and sent back this card to me. I love it, especially how she cut that slit in the mail slot and stuck the little card in it. This was such fun to receive.

The Rolodex Project
The cards are coming in and I am loving each and every one. These two from the talented Connie Rose. 

HEADS
For some reason I am obsessed with cutting out all these heads from my old French and Spanish dictionaries. I can't stop. I have an Altoid tin stuffed with heads.
Why? I don't know but I am quite sure I will think of something to do with them.
Any ideas? What would you do?
I've been clearing -- and cleaning -- my studio. It was time. Those $1 books really add up. I put boxes of books out front on the sidewalk but i still have enough to fill up a brand new bookcase my sweetie installed for me.
Then, I started cleaning out the closet. 
Right now you'd never know how hard I've been working but things often get worse before they get better, right?
I hope so.
I'm getting tired of cleaning and I want to play.

When I'm done you can all come on over and we'll have an art party!

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