Surprise!

This collage practically created itself and showed me that it wanted to be vertical, because there was another figure in the picture! This is what happens often in creating art.

Conceptual Change

There was a surprise in the process of working out the dark/light pattern in the composition. Suddenly, a smaller figure appeared above the reclining figure and I realized that the collage wanted to be vertical! In the next blog, I'll show you the picture vertically.

Next Stage of New Work

Here's a picture of the collage, as it develops:
You can see I've added the black, threading it through the composition.

New Work

As I paint or create collage, the work emerges and has its own ideas. For example, in this recent collage, the nascent, undeveloped idea was the image of a reclining figure.

This is the beginning, rough idea. We'll see how the collage emerges.

Working on Collage

This is one of my latest collage works (in progress). The background paper in the upper part has not been adhered to the canvas with acrylic matte medium yet.
I'm very interested in the figure. In particular, abstract figurative work. I lay down the shapes that feel "right".
The dark/light pattern is important. In this body of work, I always have black threaded through the composition.

Solo Art Exhibitions

The universe is opening up. In the space of two weeks, I've been asked to give two solo exhibitions of my art (both in the month of May). Additionally, three people approached me in the space of one week to donate art to two schools (Santa Cruz Waldorf and the Mountain School in Soquel) and the Santa Cruz Orchestra.

Open one door, and other doors start to open. A year ago, I put my toe in the water, by applying for open studios for the first time in Santa Cruz, CA. I got accepted. This led to two media articles about my collage work (Metro Santa Cruz and the Register Pajaronian , both in the space of two weeks in October 2007) and numerous contacts and friendships with some amazing people who visited my open studio exhibit.

What have I learned from this experience? I've learned to listen to what my heart's desire is and to hold that in the foreground of my awareness. I've learned to take a deep breath and just go for it!