Winter Tree Collage

Anyone who lives in the Northeast knows we've had quite a bit of snow this past week! This collage was definitely inspired by the view outside. The background comes from a crayon batik piece, combined in Photoshop with an image I took last year at Endicott Park in Danvers, MA.

What some people in the Northeast may NOT know is that you can now search locally on http://www.etsy.com for pieces like this, and other great handmade stuff from local artists. Simply go to "Buy" and "Shop Local!"

Know what I love about snow?

Well, to be honest, there's not a whole lot I like about snow, but I do love days like this. The roads are barely passable, no one is travelling, you have to stay home, which means we can do things like: decorate the tree, make art, and watch the Patriots, with no need to feel guilty that we should be doing someting else! My very favorite kind of day.

The Shoe Collage

You are warned, this is a gross little story. Okay so a couple of weeks ago I left my shoes in the middle of the bedroom floor. High heels. Heard a god awful crash. Husband yells he needs my help. Gross, gross, gross. The most disgusting thing I have seen lately. My shoe took out a chunk of his foot. Like you took a spoon and scooped out a chunk. Took an Emergency room trip at midnight. This was after my daughter was sick all day. Well I warned you...hope that wasn't too bad.

Anyway, here is a more pleasant and cheerful view of a shoe! Something a bit brighter than I normally do. The purply-pink began with the crayon-batik technique Belinda has on alteredbelly.com. I have it on ETSY as a print, or card if you like.

Heart Collage

To be honest I'm sick of thinking about Christmas and winter in general. So I was thinking about the heart swap I signed up for and was playing with some ideas. I liked this one so much I'm putting it on ETSY as both a print and a card. It's a mix of two mixed media collages, blended and altered in Photoshop. There, I feel warmer already.

Wintry Birdhouse Digital Collage

Brrr...it's SO cold in the Northeast right now. I can barely get warm even in the house! I was thinking of the little birds that visit my backyard and wondered how they were doing while I did this little digital collage.

Paste-up 2008

An juried exhibition of small format collage to be presented at the Ayer Lofts Gallery in Lowell, Massachusetts. Karen Bettencourt, who is a fantastic artist, is one of the jurors. I had intended on participating last year, but life got in the way. This year I am excited thinking about what to submit...last year's entries were gorgeous.

What kind of flower are you?

I am an Iris What Flower Are You?

Cool! Considering it's about zero point zero degrees in Massachusetts right now, a little flower imagination hits the spot! Here's what it said about me and I'd like to think it's true:

"You are a very sensual person. You like to experience all the sights, smells, tastes and textures the world has to offer. Ordinary be damned, because you want to do it all."

Geneaology of Pop/Rock Music

Last week we took the kids and my dad (who was freezing because he lives in Florida) to the ICA in Boston. The ICA is the Institute of Contemporary Art, which has had an awesome makeover in a stunning building on Boston's waterfront. The actual gallery itself was a bit smaller than I had imagined, but was an interesting exhibit of the best in contemporary design.

The thing I thought was "coolest" was Reebee Garofalo's Genealogy of Pop/Rock Music chart. It covers "the time period 1955 to 1978, more than 700 artists and 30 styles of music are mapped in currents flowing from left-to-right." The piece is included in "As Below, So Above, 2007", on the wall as you enter the museum.

We bought the poster for my 14 year old son, who never complains when I drag him to museums.

1ST ANNUAL ALTERNATIVE PROCESS DIGITAL PRINTING EXHIBITION

Some of you might remember that I took a digital printmaking class with Mary Taylor. I loved it! Now Mary is juror for a digital printmaking exhibit. I think I'll submit something. How about you? The information is below.
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Booksmart Studio embraces the new digital printing technologies while holding on the old values of traditional craftsmanship, printmaking, photography, and the studio arts. The studio prides itself on blending these old values with new technology to create works that encompass both state-of-the-art printing and classic hands-on personalization. This upcoming exhibition will celebrate the combination of new technology with an enduring emphasis on fine craftsmanship and quality.

The exhibition, recognizing and celebrating innovation and talent in digital printing, will be juried by Mary Taylor- educator and award-winning vanguard of digital processes. Using an eclectic mix of found objects, handmade papers, hand coatings, and modern digital printing processes, Taylor creates fine monoprints, artist books, and mixed media digital prints. While not teaching digital printmaking workshops or managing the studio of Digital Atelier’s Dorothy Krause, Mary Taylor is advancing her own unique talent and pioneering the art of alternative digital printing processes.

Exhibition Application

Christmas Tree Mixed Media Collage

So can anything good come of having your kids home sick from school? Yes, because I got to stay home from work & make this Christmas tree collage. Aside from taking care of the flu kids, it was a good day. I'm going to work on this a little more then put it on ETSY.

Remembering Aunt Dot - Mixed Media Collage

I created this little collage a while back but never posted it (it's in my etsy shop now). The woman is my Great Aunt Dot when she was young. My grandmother, for as long as I can remember, would bring out a suitcase full of photos whenever I would visit. We would go through them and she would tell me all about this one, or that one. She had 9 brothers and sisters so there were quite a few photos and some of them were very old. Anyway, she passed them on to me and every once in a while I use one of the girls in a collage. Even though it was several years ago now, Thanksgiving was the last holiday we spent together. My little Nana dragged me to the bathroom to help her with her lipstick (she had to have her face on for the dinner!) and insisted on having her glass of wine. I hope I'm able to do the same at 90!

Maryline Lemaitre collages

So here it is a week until Thanksgiving and I am just now giving in to the fact that summer is over. We took several small trips over the summer and found some fantastic art. In Old Montreal we happened upon Galerie Desja, a gorgeous gallery. The pieces that struck me the most, though, were by Maryline Lemaitre. Beautiful, huge, mixed media collages.

If you are in the mood for some collage inspiration, Maryline's website is http://www.marylinelemaitre.com/.

Daylight savings messing up photos of my collages

Here's another mixed media collage, a companion piece to the one from yesterday. You'd never know it though...the photos of both came out so different. Why? Because I am not able to photograph them with any sort of proper daylight now that it's dark so early! (OK, if I had any real photography skills I'm sure I would have the answer). I was hoping to get home from work in time to have some daylight but it didn't work out the way I hoped. So these two pieces really are similar and I'll have to take better shots of them over the weekend.

When a collage process works like you want it to!

I've been working for a very long time trying different techniques, following other people's instructions, learning the best way to do things, and I finally found a process that works for me and incorporates the things I like, and (I think) I do best.

The base for this collage is composed of various papers (old book pages, crinkled paper bags), covered with a bit of modeling paste, then a wash of acrylics. On top of that I placed an inkjet transfer design (using Kimoto Silkjet transparencies and golden soft gel gloss). The design for the transfer came from a scan of another collage I did, and added to in Photoshop.

I'm excited that everything turned out the way I hoped! This piece, and a companion piece, is online at http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7830898.

China - Faces & Places Digital Collage

Faces and Places Collages

After doing so many collages that are composed of faces and maps or ephemera from certain cities or countries, I thought I would continue with that theme and call the series Faces and Places. This is Paris #1, and it's on my ETSY shop at http://chrisenc.etsy.com.

Lots of new collages on ETSY

I've been working on lots of new collages. This is one and there are several more on my ETSY shop at http://chrisenc.etsy.com.

Self Portrait Challenge - Bathrooms!

As I was reading Michelle Caplan's fabulous blog, I realized that I also have a self-portrait image...one I could use for this month's Self-Portrait Challenge theme of bathrooms!

Girls do funny things on "girl's weekend" trips to NYC, and I guess I was no exception! This was taken at Bar 89 in Soho, which is probably something all New Yorkers know about, but being from Massachusetts, well...

This Unisex bathroom had clear glass doors, then when you close them, they turn opaque. So after shopping for knockoffs all day, then enjoying several drinks at Bar 89, we discovered this bathroom and took lots of silly pictures. This is me trying to figure out if I could see outside the door.

Yes, I can hear all the New Yorker's laughing now.

Fossil collage

This digital collage is composed of layers of rust images along with fossil images and text. I like the textures and blend of colors. Over the weekend I'm going to try printing this on some sort of highly textured background and see how it looks.

"Another Saturday" Mixed Media Collage

Here is the mixed media collage that uses the same technique for the writing on the face as the digital collage I posted yesterday. The background is various color washes on thick watercolor paper, covered with japanese paper, then a transparency layer with the face.

Botanical Collage

Another digital collage. Actually I made a real collage similar to this one over the weekend and will post it soon. Call me lazy, but it's in the studio and I'm too tired to go get it.

Part of the process was the same for the digital collage here, and the traditional one, and that is the layers with the face and text. In Photoshop there is a background white layer, a layer over that with text, a layer over that with a light color that I partially erased, and then the top layer of the face. For the face I used the levels adjustment to make it really contrast, then used a halftone filter to make it contrast more. All the layers except for the face were set on normal, but the face layer was set on overlay.

Further changes were made after that, but that's how I got the face and text looking the way it is.

I'll try to get off my bum tomorrow night and post the other one. After working all day at my "real" job, then carting the kids around, it's surprising to even bang this little collage out, but it seems to be an obsession!

A Day at the Park Digital Collage

Just playing with Photoshop while watching tv. Combined some photos I took at Endicott Park in Danvers with a public domain photo of this pretty girl. Looks like she enjoyed a nice day at the park.

Black and Red Collage

Eye See You - Mixed Media Collage

I really like how this turned out. I used interfacing from Joanne's Fabrics as the substrate for this collage. I added bits of tissue paper and some pages from an old book found at a flea market. Then I went over it with acrylics in buff titan, and some other warm colors. Once that all dried I covered it all with InkAid so that I could print a digital collage over it. (Yes, I guess I got carried away with the eye digital collage from my previous post). Anyway, I couldn't have done it without inspiration from the Mary Taylor workshop I took on incorporating digital and traditional techniques. I highly recommend it.

This piece is up for sale on etsy now.

Brown Eyed Girl Digital Collage

Been a while since I've posted or had time to play. Full time work can be such a distraction from art! I wish I had more time to create.

IF: Wired (Digital Collage)

For Illustration Friday this week the theme is Wired. So many ways to be wired...too much time spent partying in the 80s is what first comes to mind...BUT this take on it is different than that! What I'm thinking is that sometimes we are chained, wired, or maybe even hard-wired to remain silent, or behind the scenes, or to let others do the talking for us. Maybe that's why I let the art do the talking instead?

Free ATC Digital Collage Background Design

I am going absolutely nuts without my printer. Tomorrow I am going to the Apple store to get a new IMac so I can get back to a normal computer/printer setup. In the meantime I keep playing with strictly digital collages, and here is one for you, if you are lucky enough to have a working printer! It is slightly larger than ATC size at 200 dpi. Enjoy! Link or credit me if you wish.

A Digital Collage to pass the time

So I've created this digital collage on my laptop because my main PC died...the one attached to my scanner and printer...which leaves me with not many options to incorporate mixed media. I guess it's time to buy a new computer, and I think it just might be a Mac this time.

Bird Collage

Just a little birdy collage. Inspired by reading a book called "Animals in Translation" by Temple Grandin where (among many other things) she discusses the complexity of birdsong and animal language. I found it fascinating.

Jeans Top Collage

Available on ETSY as a pigment transfer onto watercolor, or as a blank card.

Magenta Rose Collage

This collage started with acrylic on paper, which I scanned into Photoshop and combined with the images of the woman (flea market find), the rose (copyright free image found online). The background writing was a real find...while we were in Italy last year we stayed near Villa Ferdinanda in Tuscany, where there was a wedding one night. The next day we visited the Villa and the wedding programs, with menus, were scattered all about. I thought it was a cool memento from the trip.

The gates of a new beginning...digital collage

Holy cow. I just returned from a phenomenal 2-day digital printmaking class. We learned to transfer to frescoes, collage between acrylic gel medium then cover with inkaid and print, scrape modeling paste onto non-woven spun bond polyester then cover with inkaid and print, and other cool processes. Mary Taylor is a great teacher if anyone has a chance to take a workshop with her. Anyway I feel like a door has opened...new ideas are flooding in...and I can't wait til tomorrow to begin new collages.

Why...A broken-hearted collage

This collage started off with two altered playing cards. You guessed it...the Queen and Ace of hearts. I covered them with some old book pages and acrylic glazes, then scanned them both into Photoshop, where I combined them. Then I added more layers of found images and text.

Illustration Friday - Red

I always liked this digital collage, but when I switched over to the new version of Blogger it got lost from my archives. So here it is again...something very red for Illustration Friday.

Illustration Friday, Superheroes

I've been wanting to submit something for Illustration Friday for a while now. This week's theme, Superheroes, reminded me of all the women who've gone before us: in science, in politics, in art, in education, and in the HOME. Women who stood up to oppression and resistance, women who defied the odds, women to held on to traditon while etching a better future for themselves, women who paved the way for us to be the women we are today.

ACEO sized postcard collage

I was experimenting with various techniques this weekend. This ACEO-sized collage was made by adhering various InkAid pigment emulsions over collaged and acrylic elements. Each layer had gloss gel over it and once dried, the layers were ironed together under parchment paper to combine them.

The Boy, Digital Mixed Media Collage

My mother-in-law is so funny. She refers to my nephew as "the boy." This is not my nephew, but since I don't know his name I'll call him "the boy." The background came from an acrylic painting. Brought into Photoshop and added the other graphic layers.

Yay! A Digital Printmaking Class!!

I'm so happy! I'm taking a digital printmaking class with Mary Taylor of Mary Taylor Arttechs in February. Today I scheduled the time off from work, so I'm all set. I took so many photos last summer of Artimino, a tiny hamlet in Tuscany, and would love to learn some new techniques that will allow me to produce more diverse collage pieces with them.

945 Stories, a digital collage

Another digital collage that began w/acrylic background and altered with found images and ephemera in Photoshop.

A helping hand...digital collage

Another collage that started with an acrylic background, scanned and added to in Photoshop. Kind of sums up my feelings about the weekends at my house. All I want to do is collage, but as it turns out, the house needs help too!

By the Garden, a Digital Collage

This collage, like many of my others, started with a traditional collaged background with paper ephemera and acrylic washes. Then I scanned it into Photoshop and layered the woman into the image. The original is 5 x 7 and is available as an archival print on Somerset Velvet fine art paper.