by patti durovchic
Friday, January 24, 2014
Bundle of Dreams
I love that Lynn sent me a photo she snapped after opening her birthday gift. I had as much fun wrapping it all as she had opening it.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Gather Your Dreams
First finished piece of the new year. Mixed-media collage made as a birthday gift for one of my oldest friends. Vintage papers, acrylic paint, colored pencil and image transfers on an upcycled child's board book page. 8" x 9"
This piece was a really fun one because I just let it lead me along. I had done another collage painting with the bare tree image with the triple spheres and had a basic notion of using that design again. In terms of choosing the other images and text, it started out as a random process… not thinking about it, just DOING it. Then a theme started surfacing… sleep and dreams. Only after I had filled in the large circle with a light blue wash of color, and wrote the word "dream" above it, I noticed that the text in the under layer said, "Where was she?" The next lines are partially obscured but say, "Awake or dreaming?" Did I pick that up subliminally?
I wasn't trying for perfection… just seeing what came through and trusting it. It intentionally turned out a bit like an art journal page, rather than a "piece of art". I love the motion of the curved lines and arrows in the pattern tissue… and the flock of swallows. The birds are an image from an old children's book that I've been saving for a long time for just the right project. Feels good to be working like this again. More to come!
This piece was a really fun one because I just let it lead me along. I had done another collage painting with the bare tree image with the triple spheres and had a basic notion of using that design again. In terms of choosing the other images and text, it started out as a random process… not thinking about it, just DOING it. Then a theme started surfacing… sleep and dreams. Only after I had filled in the large circle with a light blue wash of color, and wrote the word "dream" above it, I noticed that the text in the under layer said, "Where was she?" The next lines are partially obscured but say, "Awake or dreaming?" Did I pick that up subliminally?
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Calavera Wands
The rattle wands that don't rattle.
My grand scheme for making wands that actually rattle didn't pan out. As seen in a previous post, I started out putting pebbles inside walnut shells, but alas… not all ideas end up being workable.
I started over, gathering suitable twigs from under my neighbor's gigantic copper beech tree. I see this tree every day from my northern windows, towering over the neighborhood. We 4th Avenue residents all curse the tree a little bit in the spring when it's fuzzy little blossoms are blowing around, sticking to everything… and at this time of year, while it sheds it's two tons of leaves and (some years) prickly seed pods across at least three of our backyards, but it's magestic presence is worth it! This Grand Dame has donated her discarded branches to more than a few of my projects and I can always count on finding just the right piece to serve as a doll's spine or limbs.
These sugar skulls are polymer clay sculpted over bases of tightly wadded aluminum foil with wire embedded into the center, which was then wrapped around the wooden twig wands. They were then painted in a fairly common Day of the Dead motif… with joyful flowers in eye sockets, hearts and crosses. I love how this tradition teaches us to embrace our departed ancestors in festive celebration, with color, flowers and sweets. My calavera (Spanish for skull) wands are standing in a small tin bucket of red stones and ready for display at Guardino Gallery's 2013 Day of the Dead show, running through November 24th. Be sure to go see the show at 2939 NE Alberta St in Portland!
I started over, gathering suitable twigs from under my neighbor's gigantic copper beech tree. I see this tree every day from my northern windows, towering over the neighborhood. We 4th Avenue residents all curse the tree a little bit in the spring when it's fuzzy little blossoms are blowing around, sticking to everything… and at this time of year, while it sheds it's two tons of leaves and (some years) prickly seed pods across at least three of our backyards, but it's magestic presence is worth it! This Grand Dame has donated her discarded branches to more than a few of my projects and I can always count on finding just the right piece to serve as a doll's spine or limbs.
These sugar skulls are polymer clay sculpted over bases of tightly wadded aluminum foil with wire embedded into the center, which was then wrapped around the wooden twig wands. They were then painted in a fairly common Day of the Dead motif… with joyful flowers in eye sockets, hearts and crosses. I love how this tradition teaches us to embrace our departed ancestors in festive celebration, with color, flowers and sweets. My calavera (Spanish for skull) wands are standing in a small tin bucket of red stones and ready for display at Guardino Gallery's 2013 Day of the Dead show, running through November 24th. Be sure to go see the show at 2939 NE Alberta St in Portland!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
La Dama Catrina
Finished... and appearing soon at Guardino Gallery in Portland, Oregon!
Wood, wire, paper clay and acrylic paint... dressed in cloth, vintage lace, silk sari ribbon... decorated with silk flowers, copper and aluminum shiny bits. The ribbons in her skirt are hand stamped with various phrases and words relevant to the Day of the Dead... some are inspired by Mexican loteria cards. 16" tall.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Upcoming show at Guardino Gallery
Getting ready... deadline approaching! I'm excited and honored to be included in this show, and even more excited for the Hallowe'en night opening, where I'll see a few great friends...
La Dama Catrina is getting a new silk skirt. Sneak peek...
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