On the road

Soon we will be off on a grand adventure...the Southern Man and I...
taking a step (or rather many steps!) to decide what's going to happen next...

We're taking a trip down south...as in southern US...to check out a few potential locations for moving, 
visit with family, see some sites, get a feel for a place or two...

Since I will be on the road, I'll be away from my computer...so blogging will be on a little hiatus...

But I'll be posting on Instagram (my new favorite spot to hang out...follow me - user name fourcornersdesign) 
and on my four corners design FB page...

I'll be back in early July...

the temporaries

I've been working on a new series of collages...a series that I am calling "the temporaries"...

why that name you ask?  because the collage combinations that I am creating are made from ephemera...those inconsequential bits and pieces of paper that usually are forgotten...tossed...destroyed...and are mostly folded...mutilated...faded...deteriorated...

not prime material for fine art...but art nonetheless...

I decided to focus on the less than stellar qualities of these papers...and expose them...let you see the torn and tattered edges...the back sides...the uneven layers. These collages are put together with minimal glue...instead using my sewing machine to add a stitch here and there...and then mounted on office clip boards...it just didn't seem right that they should be framed...under glass...hidden from scrutiny...

Each collage tells its own story...and is a combination of vintage detritus, current junk papers, interesting odds & ends and recycled remnants of my own notecards with their cropped digital images...



























I've been hoarding so many of these remnants for too long...not wanting to give them up...
but its time to purge...to let go...

And here's why its been easier to let it all go...I've been making digital scans of each completed collage...and then creating a new composition...layering additional images and textures...continuing the story started with the original paper creation...

Entire image of collage seen at the start of this blog post...

and here - the enhanced version...

And the beauty is...if I don't like something in the enhanced version, it can be changed...and a new vision created...

another example...the original...

the enhanced...

Want to see more of the temporaries?  Come visit me at the Fresh Paint Art Festival in Everett on August 16-17...all the event details here...the complete set of the original temporaries and digital reproductions of the enhanced compositions will be on display...mark it on your calendar...

Joining  kim klassen's Friday Finds...where my "find" is discovering a way to both let it go...and create anew...

Nature knows best

Recently I read a discussion about where artists find their inspiration...
some could readily respond...others were frankly stumped...

I thought about it for a moment...and nature immediately came to mind

the variations of color in an autumn leaf...
     the patterns of drifting snow...
          the lines of a graceful tree bough...
               the layout of a spider's web...

as one designer put it, nature always gets it right

and though I may be fascinated with things metal and mechanical, I know that the clock spring mimics the nautilus shell...and that rusty patina is water & air working in tandem on destroying metal...and that paper was originally made from plant fibers...nature always in the first degree...

That's probably why I keep an abundance of crumpled leaves, dried poppy pods, striped feathers, bare branches, forgotten nests, patterned stones and parched wishbones in my studio...to keep inspiration nearby...at the ready...

edited with kk texture dollard soft & gentle, soft light 60%

Joining up with the others over at kim klassen's texture tuesday...
where the theme is nature...plenty of inspiration there too...

On the horizon

The next three months are going to jam-filled...lots of activity...some art-related...some not!  But I wanted to let you know about three art-related events that, if you are in the area, you might want to look into...

First up...
the Artist Garage Sale
June 7, 8am - 3pm
Schack Art Center, Downtown Everett

This annual event rounds up a bevy of artists who are cleaning out their studios...from supplies and tools to original art, everything is priced to go...I'm clearing out a TON of supplies...selling it by the box or bagful...and also getting rid of original art collages...

New this year is an "early bird" entrance ticket...gives you first crack at the good stuff...get all the details on the Schack Art Center site...

detail of "The Botanist's Study" by Amy Duncan

Second on the list...
I was notified this week that one of my collages has been accepted into the 19th Biennial Juried Art Show...highlighting the best of artists in the area, I'm honored to be included...details on the exhibit and a listing of the artists can be found here...my art friends Lisa Myers Bulmash and Lisa JonesMoore both have incredible pieces in this show...I'm in excellent company!





And Third...
Fresh Paint in August!  This annual juried show, held August 16 & 17 at the Everett Marina, not only gives you the chance to see 75 artists showcase their work...but watch as they demonstrate their artistic skill with hands-on activity.  I will have several original collages, both multi-media and digital available...I'm excited about the new direction I've taken this year with my work...this digital collage, The Primer, is one such example...

So mark your calendars...let's make a date...
please stop and say hi if you attend the Artist Garage Sale or Fresh Paint - I'd love to see you!

Can't leave well enough alone...

Recently I visited my sister for the weekend...like me, she is de-cluttering...getting rid of stuff...paring down...

She had this box of metal parts...a mixture of all sorts of do-dads...I told her that I would be happy to add it to my stash that I'm taking to the Artist Garage Sale on June 7 (link here...if you are anywhere in the Seattle area, you need to be at this sale!)

But of course...since it was metal...and calling my name...I just had to have a look...and pull out a few pieces...and before you know it...metal addiction is hard to break...

What drew my interest were the threaded rods she had...leftover from the garden goddesses we made years ago...

Threaded rod comes from either taking apart an old lamp...or old sport trophies...its the center piece that holds everything together...and since old trophies multiply at the thrift stores...and are usually available for cheap, its a good source for this prized possession...











I pawed through the box...
a few lamp bases, a couple of washers & nuts and assorted odd pieces later, I created two display stands...

I added the curtain rings when I returned home...they were a tad shiny...
but nothing that a coat of aged bronzed spray paint couldn't diminish...

It was a matter of simple assembly for each of them...the bases are from old lamps...the top of the one is a lamp shade skeleton and the other is some sort of flat metal disk...
Having the right size washers and nuts are key...if you buy an old trophy to take apart, save the washers and nuts to use in your re-creation...

for the base assembly...

and the top assembly...

There's no end to what these two stands could be used for ...let your imagination roam...family photos at home, birthday cards from a celebration, menu selections on a buffet table for the clip ring stand...a bouquet of posies, a single elegant dessert cake or a decorative bird nest on the flat pedestal stand...

and speaking of bird nests...talk about recycling...those coconut fiber liners that you use in hanging baskets...at the end of the season...after you take them out of the basket because they are decomposing...dry them out...pull them apart...they make luscious nests...




linking up with kim klassen's texture tuesday...
and Knick of Time Vintage Inspiration Party...
join in...find a dream...be inspired...
make something out of nothing...

edited with kk texture rainy day soft light at 60%
and kk texture dream at darken 61%
french kiss postage brush

Pay it forward

A couple of weeks ago, I signed up to participate in an art swap...a "Pay it Forward" exchange where you received a piece of art from one artist while you sent out 5 pieces of art to others...

I signed up via artjuvenation, the blog of artist John Arbuckle...I met John last year at the workshop I took from Seth Apter...its been a joy getting to know John who has a wonderful way with collage, especially incorporating color into the mix...

I received my collage from John...and I am thrilled with it...

You can read John's creative process about this piece here...

and you'll notice that the collage is perched so picture perfect on a shelf...I've been heading up a month-long exercise of posting "shelfies" on Instagram...the newest design craze where you post an interesting composition situated on a  shelf that gives a view into your world...much more creative than the selfie...

Its been fun to see the submissions from around the globe...and with one week left in the month, its not too late to join in...look for me on Instagram under fourcornersdesign...and tag your photos with #shelfieaday ...look forward to seeing all the creative eye-candy today...hopefully your shelfie will be in the lineup!