a week in autumn

Introducing Grover Hayes!  I completed him this week and he is ready for my upcoming solo show.  Mr. Hayes was a featherweight boxer in the early 1900's and although he was small in stature, he was a force to be reckoned with, hence his nickname "The Battler."  He is the newest addition to my sports figures series.

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In other news, the little jester spent several days with me this week.  He participated in a Halloween Parade as his favorite character, Pooh bear and even ran into his friend Tigger...

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As the days shorten and the air chills, we enjoy the antics of our feathered friends.  Below is an image of one of the robins testing the maturity of the tiny crabapples just outside my kitchen window...

Not yet, little one!  You must wait until they ripen and turn red.  Come back for a delicious mid-winter snack.

anna's dance

Above is my piece entitled Anna's Dance, an image of Anna Pavlova, engaged in her Dying Swan pose.  I have to say I love this piece.  As I mentioned in my previous post, she was donated to a charity auction at the Starry Starry Night Gala to benefit the Future's Foundation.

Above is the second swan image in a very similar collage.  I wanted to create this piece in order to include her in my upcoming show.  The quotation is reported to be the last words Anna Pavlova spoke before she left this world and I feel it fits well with the subject.  I am still in the process of finishing this piece and will most likely tone down the quotations.  I have been playing a little with embossing this time around and have many new ideas to bring to the table.  

two swans in process

To follow, without halt, one aim: that's the secret of success. 

- Anna Pavlova

I am in the process of creating two new pieces.  One will be donated for a silent auction for the Futures Foundation, an organization dedicated to enriching the lives of people with disabilities.  My dear aunt Carla, who passed away earlier this year, was never happier than when she was attending one of the many dances they hosted.

The second piece will be  part of my next solo show which is slated to begin December 1, 2011 at Lennon Photo in newly revamped downtown Lake Orion.

While both swans are nearly identical aside from the colors, the backgrounds will be unique to each piece.  The original photo is of Anna Pavlova.  Below are close shots of some of the ephemera...

The music score is from what I believe to be a student's hand written note book.  I found this treasure at a open air flea market in Sienna, Italy.  The paper looks to be quite old and is thick with wonderful deckled edges.  

This page is from an old Italian religious book dated 1764.  Frankly, it is in such terrible shape that I have absolutely no regret about using it in my collages.  The pages have a high linen content and are almost impossible to tear.  I love to use various types of papers in my collages as they take paint differently and add interesting texture.

I will be finishing these pieces by week's end and will post the finished work.  

In other news, the above piece entitled Idol Love received an honorable mention at the Orion Art Center Portraits & Pottery Show.  I am delighted,  as the artwork submitted by the members of my community was impressive.  

idol love

Mixed messages are often a component of my pieces.  I find the concept of celebrity an interesting phenomenon.  In this piece, entitled Idol, I have included various ephemera that, to me, illustrates the impermanence of fame.

My pieces, when viewed from afar, look to be almost photographic.  By the addition of printed material, I attempt to draw the viewer closer to evoke contemplation.  I believe this is the piece that I will enter into the Orion Art Center's Portrait and Pottery Exhibit opening October 10, 2011.

In other news, I am planning another one woman show in December.  Details to follow.

Have a great weekend.     - Laura

A quick note

I wanted to take a moment to share one of my newest pieces before I get down to work for the day.  This piece was inspired by my trip to the Uffizi Museum in Florence.  The Catholic girl in me was drawn to the beautiful religious artwork and I decided to attempt to reproduce this image taken from Agnolo Bronzino's Madonna & Child.  It was fun to recreate a figure from a painting and I may work on more of these images in the future.

Sharing

I have had a very productive week and somehow I managed to finish two pieces!  The one above is entitled Fireflies and I have loved the image of this little one from the day I found it.  I decided he would be interesting on a dark background and I can see him as a companion piece to Willa.  Fairies and fireflies.  The fun thing about this pieces is that I used a touch of specialty paint on the fireflies and in the darkness, they glow.  I tried to capture this but my camera was not cooperative or the light hadn't recharged the glow paint enough.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  Below is a close up of one of the fireflies...

The second piece I finished will have to wait until next week to be unveiled.  I am doing my own spin on Renaissance Art thanks to my recent trip to Italy.

Speaking of Italy, I found a little flea market in Sienna and purchased several items to include in future pieces.  The Renaissance pieces will most likely be the destination of some of this newly collected Italian ephemera...

This hand written book of music was one of my finds.  I love the ragged edges of the sheets and the calligraphy is amazing.

This book is also a student's book of music and also contains some interesting calligraphy.  The weight of the paper is slightly heavier and it should add some interest to my collages.

The book below is from the 16th century.  It was a bit more expensive than the above items as I found it in a little antique store but I still plan to apply it to my art.  As you can see, it is quite damaged and so I have no guilt about using it in my work.  The religious tone is obvious and will also be included in the new series.

And so, I am off to do some local treasure hunting.  Next week I will share some exciting news regarding a couple of new shows that are in the planning phase.

Have a great week-end.

Laura

A quick update

I am back in the studio this week and I thought I would just give a quick update as to the progress I have made.  I started this project before I left for Italy and although I am inspired to begin a couple of new ideas, I have to complete this little guy before I can concentrate on a new planned series.  Below is the original image.

  I will be working on the canvas over the next few days and hope to have the piece finished by next week.  Have a great weekend.  - Laura