Hula Hoops and Hopscotch

"Hula Hoop and Hopscotch Memories"
24 x 30"
mixed media on paper

This piece sat for almost 2 weeks on my work table with the bottom part glued and the top part a mystery to me as to what to do with it.  My creative spirit got all caught up in those spirals on the bottom and couldn't seem to move forward.
Yesterday I just went into the studio with a devil may care attitude and came up with this.
Sometimes I need to let the muse take over.
She said "Don't over think it, Clare!"

www.claremurrayadams.com

When the Artworks Talks to Me

"Vivid Dream"
24x30"
mixed media collage

So...this is the piece from March 6th where I left the work untitled, having forgotten the title I was originally thinking of.
Now it is titled and the artwork is updated...a bit different from the one you see in the previous post.
I am having a lot of trouble with the framing of these larger pieces.  Because they are on paper and I am using wet adhesives and paint the paper gets rather wrinkly.  Putting the piece behind a mat is just not working out.
So I took this out of the frame and mat and attached it to a larger piece of mat board.  This still left some wrinkles and marks that I didn't like so I added some additional pieces of collage to the edges.
It looks much better although I would have liked more negative space around the whole piece.
But it now float on top of the board under the plexiglass and frame.

Lesson learned!
I always like it when the art work talks to me.
This piece said "I do not want to be trapped under a mat."

Knives, Spoons and Mom's Recipe Box

Missing the Forks
6x7" on board

More from the silverware series where I used those precious, favorite napkins as collage elements.
The writing behind the napkins are copies of some of my mother's recipes.
I have her little recipe file box, which is pictures above, as well as lots of loose recipes that she collected.
When I find myself writing notes, art ideas, book titles, etc. on little slips of paper instead of in my journal or my date book, I know that I am turning into my Mom!

Arch and Ivy

Arch and Ivy
8x8"  mixed media collage

The last few pieces (some of which I've posted and some not) have been heavily layered.
I wanted to go back to work with layers that are thinner thus revealing, not totally hiding, the ground or base layers.
As with much of my work, the materials and process influence my decisions.
The circle of ivy leaves was one of the original elements in this collage.
The archway developed or appeared as I added other papers and paint.
I am finding that the stained tea bag papers remain transparent so what ever is underneath still has some presence.
They also take paint well.  The arch appeared from the stained marks on the tea bag and was enhanced by some
watercolor paint.

Observation and Anticipation

Observation
6x6" Print

I have been away for a few days visiting family in Texas where I attended my niece's wedding.
A good time was had by all and now it is back to the studio and the gardening.

A number of years ago I made this print that combined chairs with a pair of eyes "observing" the scene.
I love chairs and this photo of rows and rows of chairs seems fitting for the season when graduations, weddings, and reunions take place.  I must confess that I did not take the photo.  I don't know who did.  And I don't remember how I came upon the photo, but I have loved it for its repetition and solitude.  It also speaks to me of anticipation....the anticipation of an event where the chairs will be filled with people.  Where each guest will be "observing" and participating in some way in the event.

Foundations of a Visual Vocabulary

Variations on a Theme no. 10
8x10"

Here is the final piece in this mostly white /light series.
It has been both fun and challenging to work with this palette using collage.
You can see more color sneaking in when you notice the image in the lower right hand corner.
As I observe and analyze this piece I also see the use of imagery that I started with earlier in the blog...
the circles, the use of notations via music notes and shorthand papers along with the ladder form.
It seems to me that one's visual vocabulary has a foundation of images, shapes, forms, color, and technique that
become truly one's individual identity and artistic voice.
The circles and notations, the stitching and collage, the plaster and shellac are that foundation for me.

You can find this piece for sale in my Etsy shop.

Dimension and Depth

Variations on a Theme no. 9
8x10"

Series is almost done.  One more to go.
I have always enjoyed working in white and light tones, usually using paint.
Returning to this palette for awhile has been good...both challenging as I looked for a variety of materials to use
as well as exciting to create collages with limited color.
The use of plaster adds dimension with its texture and the shellac adds depth with its amber glaze.

Contradictions

Variations on a Theme no. 8 (detail)

Variations on a Theme no. 8
8x10"

This layered collage incorporates whole pieces of paper and fabric with some found remnants of other collage pieces.
For my purposes, stitching on paper is drawing.
The addition of the coppery metal pieces adds dimension to the flat surface
and contrasts the delicate nature of the thin thread.
This particular bird image is one I often repeat.
It represents soaring, freedom, release although it is slightly
veiled behind the layer of vellum which somewhat contradicts the notion of freedom and release.  

More White on White

Variations on a Theme no. 7
8x10"

More palette cleansing!  White work on paper with stitching.
I love the textural effect of the torn paper edges and the stitching on paper.

8x10" mounted on a board ready to hang.
$110 with free shipping in the US.  Visit my  Etsy shop for details.

Quilt on a Clothesline

Clothesline Art no. 3:  Quilt
6x6"

This is the third and final piece in this particular series of clothesline artwork.
It is a photocopy of an earlier collage with the addition of the sewn paper sheets and quilt.
I like how this piece looks as if it is hanging in a field of wheat.

The work is $45 with free shipping in the US.  Look for details on my Etsy shop.

More Clothesline Art

Clothesline Art no. 2
6x6"

Not everyone has white sheets. In fact, the  range of color and design in sheets today is amazing.
It is Friday here and a day when I typically do some laundry.  Should I string up the clothesline and hang my wash out?  It is currently 40 degrees but sunny.  I have never hung my laundry out while wearing gloves!

Clothesline Art

Clothesline Art no. 1:  White Sheets
6x6"

In the Spring and Summer I like to hang my wash outside on a clothesline.  I love the smell of the clothes "kissed by the sun" and I like seeing them wave in the breeze.  It does take more time to carry them out and pin them to the clothes line.  Throwing them from the washer into the dryer is definitely easier, for sure.  But for now I am happy with this little nod to domesticity.

I also have always liked seeing clothes hanging on a line.  I live in Amish country and these admirable women hang clothes out year round.  I like the architectural look of clothes on a line and the way people choose to hang the clothes....all the sheets and pillow cases together, all of the underwear together, shirts together, overalls together.  While I am doing laundry for just 2 people, I do tend to put like articles together on the line.

This series of just 3 pieces is a nod to all that I like about hanging clothes on a line outside.
It is somewhat abstract yet I think the sheets are readily seen as such.  The background came from a photocopy of a collage I made a few years ago.  "Fresh" sheets have been sewn onto the line adding a bit more dimension to the new work.

The work measures 6x6" and is mounted on a board, ready for hanging.  It is priced at $45.
To purchase, please visit my Etsy site.

Using Stitch as a Drawing Line

Variations on a Theme no. 6
8x10"

So...after a week of teaching and working in the yard, I am back to making art.
Once spring arrives (and it is finally here!) there is so much to do.  It will be interesting to see how I balance art making with all of the yard work and gardening that I normally do.
This piece is number 6 in a series of light / white works.  I feel like I was able to get back to the really light palette that I was trying to achieve.  There are a few more pieces coming in this series.  I am enjoying this but getting eager to use more color. I think the "cleansing" of my palette worked.  I hope I can start reusing color with a new eye.
I really do love stitching on paper and fabric, and this is one of the things I was able to accomplish in this series of light works.  I like to think of stitching as a drawing line, a way to add linear elements but with thread and stitch as opposed to pen and ink.  That is part of what I did in this series.
I am finding that each piece brings a new set of challenges...
how to use mostly white materials,
how to use stitch in a way that references drawing,
how to manipulate materials, both fabric and paper,
how to be abstract and yet appeal to a broad audience of art lovers.

For sale in my Etsy shop for $110 with free shipping to the US.

Promise

Bulb in a Vase
3.5x3.5" floating in a 6x6" box

I came across this image from a collage I made a few years ago just as I was noticing all of the spring bulbs coming up in my garden.   In the past I have often forced bulbs in the dead of winter by putting them in a bowl of stones and water.
Usually February is when I feel the need for something blooming, just to give me encouragement that spring is actually going to happen.  And after this past winter that is truer than ever.
So here is a little bit of that hope in a small  painting on a tea bag.

$50 with free shipping in the US.  To purchase, please visit my Etsy shop.

Jeff's Leaf

Jeff's Leaf
3x3" floating in a 6x6" box

Transfer of an original collage onto a used tea bag.
More color was added with watercolor paint, shellac and pen and ink.
French Knots to embellish.
I need to drink more tea;  I am almost out of tea bags to repurpose!

Letting the Work Speak to Me

Variation on a Theme no. 5
8x10"

Working with this large, curved, white collar was a challenge.  I guess it was the fact that it is so large on this 8x10" piece of paper and that it has such an organic nature.  A lot of my work tends to be more geometric.  So it is good to work against the grain, so to speak.  There was lots of staring...me staring at the big white collar and the big white collar just staring back.  I was waiting for the work to speak to me.  Sometimes it does; sometimes I just have to guess at what the work wants.  I think in the end the big white collar did not want to be so big, so visible.  The addition of the woven belt and the stained tea bags on the left helped the composition as did the pink circles on the right.
Over all, this Variations Series is telling me I need to work with smaller collage pieces when working in this size range.
But I did not learn the lesson soon enough.  I have already started and almost completed Variation no. 6 which also has a pretty large collage element.

Mended Door, Tea Bag Painting

Mended Door
3.5 x 3.5" recessed in a 6x6" frame

I received a comment yesterday about the tea bag painting of a poppy addressing the stitching on a piece so small.
(Thanks, Heather!)
The stitching in that piece was on the original collage that I resized and then transferred to the tea bag.
In this piece you can see the size of the stitches and that they are sort of out of proportion to the rest of the painting.
The used tea bags are somewhat fragile, depending on what kind of tea bags they are, how long I let them sit before I emptied out the contents, etc.
I don't mind the small tears and holes.  I think they add a certain character that is authentic to the fact that it is a recycled material.  In this piece I added more watercolor paint, pen and ink lines for definition and some shellac.  The shellac adds more strength to the piece without affecting negatively the translucency of the tea bag.
The artwork is not mounted directly onto the inside of the box, but raised on some foam core so that it appears to float within the box.

Priced at $50.  To purchase, please visit my Etsy shop.

Painting on Tea Bags!

Poppy
3x3" recessed in a 6x6" frame

I love poppies!  And they are just beginning to emerge from my garden.  I love the kind of fuzzy irregular leaves, the tall thin stems, the red-orange flowers and even the stalks with the seed pods that remain once the petals have fallen off.
Those stalks are so sculptural.
This small artwork is a transfer from another poppy collage that I did a number of years ago.
It is transferred onto a used tea bag, hence the small size.
I added some more watercolor paint and drawing elements.
I am finding the used tea bags to be a good receptacle for paint and ink, although they are rather fragile.
I haven't experimented with fresh or new tea bags but think they might be stronger.
I like the staining quality that one finds on a used tea bag so I am willing to work with the delicate nature of these bags.  There are also additional characteristics like small tears and spots of tea that add to the artwork.

Creating Tension

Variations on a Theme no. 4
8x10"

Strong contrasts in white and black emphasize the contrasts in imagery and materials.  The drawing of the spine and suture-like stitches seem to create a sense of tension or disconnect with the flowery embroidery.  So the variation in this piece lies in both the use of limited color and suggestions from the imagery and stitching.

Measuring Up

Good Girl/Bad Girl
6x7"

For me a ruler or tape measure has always referenced the idea of measuring up...
meeting up to  someone's expectations.
The dress that is framed by the ruler pieces is half white and half dark,
representing the good and evil that is in all of us.