NeoVictorian Remix

I've just finished reading The Devil in the White City, Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America  by Erik Larson. It is a detailed account of the Columbian Exhibition in Chicago in 1893. I learned so much about the era, and its people, and their inventions. It is amazing to realize what these men and women accomplished in a short time.

I had been working on this piece with ferris wheels in it before I started the book. It took on a new meaning for me after I started reading it. I have a new appreciation for Ferris' Wheel. The first ferris wheel appeared at the Columbian Exhibition, and was America's answer to the Eiffel Tower which was built for the Paris Exposition.

The piece is almost finished now. I have added wiring to the object in the woman's hands and also added a glaze to the background with words written in it.

The woman also has had many more gears and three-D objects added into her machinery. I'm going to change the flowers on her hat, and then I think it will be finished. I plan to enter it in the FCCA show, "Conceal and Reveal".

Mind Your Manners -- Leslie Brier, Controversial Artist?

 I will start this post with a photo of the genteel Miss Bordeaux, who apparently fell asleep while reading a book of Victorian Spot illustrations. No wonder the pages are dog-eared!

And now, dear readers, I will recount for you a tale of someone who was not so genteel at the Dorothy Hart Community Center on Saturday night. I entered my Electrolux Baby (Circus 2)  in the sculpture category, and was delighted to find him sporting a blue ribbon when I  arrived at the show.

A few minutes later, a group of two couples approached. Upon seeing the blue ribbon, one of the women exclaimed, "You have got to be kidding!" and then went on to say how "ridiculous" it was. I realized she had a right to her opinion, but was surprised that she voiced it so loudly.

And then it got worse. She and her group finished touring the show and we both ended up at the sculpture row once again. This time she was even more vocal, and loudly declared it to be "disgusting" among other things.

Now if a friend were telling me this story, I'd say, "Well, I definitely would have said something." But you know what? I didn't. I couldn't. I didn't stand up for Electrolux Baby, and I'm not sure why. I guess I was taken aback at how strongly she seemed to feel about the situation.

And now that I've told this story, I feel much better. It is out of my system and we need never speak of it again.

Steampunk Circus Digital Remix - Working with a Net

This collage is made from 1890's era newspaper images.I built up background layers, and then added the newspaper images on top. Some are gel-medium transfers, and some are applied face-up straight from a laser print, and tinted with colored tissue and watercolor pencils.

It wasn't finished, but I wasn't sure what it needed. There were several ideas that I wanted to explore, and I wasn't feeling particularly patient. So, I decided to go to my computer and work it out in PhotoShop.

Here is the digital image. I added the top hat first, and then put in the rest of the images from there. The words went in last. I love working with type and typefaces in my job as a graphic designer, but tend to shy away from it in my altered art work, mainly because I don't love my own handwriting the way I love typefaces.

To me, a typeface can instantly set the tone for a piece whether its used in graphic design or fine art. (I used Algerian here.) I think I'll need to take a break from this image for a few days, and then come back to it and see if I still like it. If I don't, I can rework it - a major advantage of going digital. That can also be a pitfall - sometimes it's good to work without a net, so to speak, in order to make a commitment. Right now it looks a little to busy to me.

I'm still pondering what to do with the piece in the previous post. Terry Pitzel and Elizabeth Woodford have both given me some great suggestions, so I'm hoping to finish that piece this week. Stay tuned!

NeoVictorian Adventures

Here is a piece that I've been working on for the past two weeks. It's not quite finished yet. The caption is, "Everyone admired her graceful movement." I'm still trying to decide if those words belong in  the piece, or under the piece. It is 22 inches tall, so the words will have to be pretty large if I do decide to put them in. And, I'll have to figure out how to get them in there.

This piece is a mixed media collage. Most of the images were taken from late 1800s issues of Scientific American and early 1900s issues of Ladies Home Journal. I only have two more weeks to work on it, so I'll let you know how it turns out. As always, suggestions are welcome!

Creative Anachronism

Cabin Fever is finally starting to set in. I just can't think of spring and blossoms, right now, so I've begun working on some Halloween projects that I didn't have time for back in the fall!

I'll wait until this fall to post them. In the meantime, enjoy this Valentine's Day greeting from one of my favorite artists, my daughter. And I'll enjoy the peppermint patties and snow caps that my husband and kids got me for Valentine's Day. Hope your day was full of sweet surpises!

Heartfelt

I've often said that February only has 28 days because we just couldn't take any more than that. Just when I thought I'd had enough of the snow, I happened upon this gravity-defying curl that brought the magic back for me again. I can't imagine the complex set of circumstances that had to occur for the snow to end up like that. Look at the angle of the icicles on the bottom of the curve! (You can click the photo for a closer look.)

Another benefit of the snow is that it's forced me to stay in and get some projects finished. Janet Moss had the perfect word for me: "Heartfelt". I was looking for something short and sentimental, and heartfelt summed it up perfectly.

After I had my word, I framed it in a brass frame, punched some holes in the frame and added some dangles from an old pin that I had.

This year, I'm working on using the items I have, instead of hanging onto them in case I need them for something better later. In that spirit, I used not one, but two of my precious tatted doilies - a white one and an off-white one. I made the heart on top, and aged it with instant coffee.

In the meantime, the original flower I had disappeared. I suspect my fabric-loving cavalier Bordeaux had something to do with it. So I created a new one. I've been doing a lot with these flowers. I'll show them in another blog post.

Here is the finished product. I think sweet Charlotte looks right at home in her new surroundings. Heartfelt thanks to Janet for her inspirational choice of words!

Help me, I'm stuck!

This little penny doll  is Charlotte. I've been spending a lot of time with her lately. I was so inspired by Janet's quilt, that I had to try some "French Rose" art for myself. I know better than to attempt an entire quilt, so I made some shabby little  flowers. I've done all kinds of things to distress them, and I'm very happy with the way they turned out. Here is the whole piece so far:

Nothing is sewn down yet, and I plan to distress the pink hearts uner the doily in the same way that I distressed the flower. Beyond that, I am stuck. I think my dear Charlotte needs some words, or more shabby flowers, or some text that has been soldered under glass...but I don't know what. I went to some thrift stores looking for inspiration, but it didn't work! If you have any ideas, please leave a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page. I'd love to have her done in time for Valentine's Day.

In the meantime, we are snowed in again! I am so happy that it's on a weekend, and I don't have to worry about school or work closings. We are all here safe and sound. Here's a look at the water crock outside my kitchen window.

We have at least 8 inches outside and it's still coming down like crazy!