Haiku and small poems about my daily bus ride to Olympia. Over the last 4 years I’ve logged thousands of miles up and down I-5 and hundreds and hundreds of trips.
Here are some in process photos of the making of “The Commute-Tacoma, Olympia”:
I took photos on the bus and had to make some design decisions.Inspired by an artist book made with a clam shell, I decided to use this shape.I cut up the most current schedule for my pages and box.
As I am making, all the while I’m thinking about the smells, sounds, rhythmic rocking, and views out the window that I see over and over again. How can I capture it within such a small work, and one I want to fit into a small box?
Things I want to highlight in words. I love words. I love to pepper my work with them.How can I put this thing together? Do I want to make it permanent?Now it is a flower, not a starfish. Still organic, not quite sure how it fits with the bus, yet.
This book was created for the 2017 Puget Sound Book Artists Exhibit, Northwest Musings. Come see this book and many other beauties through through July at the Collins Library, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma. <3
I fell in love with printmaking at The Evergreen State College. The ink smell, cleaning “green” using cooking oil, the sound of the presses, hand-cranking them across damp paper, the inspiration of antiquated art-forms… Thanks, Colleen!
Rubber and Speed Ball.
Upclose and personal.Custom card for someone very special.Yes, insects appear. Everywhere.Signaturehand carved clovers, positive and negative
Doing research at the Washington State Archives I found this wonderful photo of a restaurant that used to be on 5th in downtown Olympia. State Legislators met there. There was a separate “ladies” entrance, to ensure there were only proper outings and no mixing of the sexes.
Before I commit to cutting the paper, I rough sketch and sort out how big I will make the piece. On the table are my tools for working. Sometimes I journal about the picture and ask the people in it questions. They were very happy to be working there and got a long really well. They were always busy and the restaurant was very popular. of course, there is no way I can know if that is true or not; it’s what I got while I journal-ed.
The next step is choosing the building, trim, and window colors. I use a heavy colored paper from the craft store. I used to mount the finished piece on black paper and I’m trying to get away from that and use some sort of color instead. I think it brings my work alive and, what can I say? I love color! Once I choose my colors I sketch out the building, trim, windows and such with a pencil and then I check my angles and cut them out with scissors or x-acto.
I love cutting the windows and doors out! I then very carefully glue the trim pieces on. With this I use YES paste and a broken toothpick. TIP: if your YES paste is getting a little hard to manipulate, just sprinkle a little water over the top of it, close the lid, and let it incorporate for several hours to overnight. I then mix it in a little and find it reconstitutes my paste and makes it pliable again.
I can’t really write more about the glue-ing process. It takes patience and time. I put on my bifocals and move slowly. It is very meditative for me and I get really excited when I envision the final piece. The Joy I get from doing this is monumental. I hope my work brings you Joy and makes you smile.
THIS…is what I am talking about:The Buddha Called.
A custom order flew in from the ethers when I sported my Sacred Heart Margaret last month. Here are some pics during the process this weekend. Thank God for 3 days off! There are four pieces to this purse; 8 total with inside lining. The matte board is for the bottom reinforcement.
Patterns made of cardboard. This is vintage paisley fabric from the 1970’s.
Pieces cut. The white oilcloth is underneath.
My chicle pattern square. I came up with this a long time ago, just playing around with scrap oilcloth.
Buddha. He does have a happy smile on his face. I decided to add a lotus shape behind his head.
Talented Olympia artist Pam Corwin, featured a few studio pics on her blog. I was fortunate enough to be included in this first edition of a “Virtual Studio Tour”. I am inspired…
(TAM) Tacoma Art Museum moved into their new building 5 years ago. They are having a public birthday party on May 3 and there will be an original Ay Artbag on display. If you are in western Washington, come on by!
The last few weeks have been busy. Spending most of my days in my tiny studio, which is slowly getting too small. As the bags are born and new ideas hatch, I have less room and constantly have to move one unfinished project if I feel inspired to work on another. I had been feeling sorry for myself; crowded, I don’t have big work spaces like some of my artist friends, I have a recessed (can) light bulb out that needs to be changed, and blah blah blah.
Today I got over myself. I looked at my messy space and fell in love. Piles of oilcloth sit ready for being created into something, my new daytimer is still waiting to be transitioned into with all the piles of notes, addresses from christmas card envelopes, two address books, and business cards, storage is sparce, my portfolio lies in pieces and piles waiting to be brought together into one book.
The gift I gave myself is that I noticed these manifestations of what’s been in my brain now sprawled and spilled all over the four corners of this little place where I would rather be than anywhere else on Earth. And it is good…
