Friday, February 25, 2011

Squeezing in Some Studio Time

I claimed a little time for myself when our house guests went off on a shoe shopping trip and to pick up a few warmer clothes. Coming from Sweden they were expecting summertime weather here in southern Arizona but the weatherman has been throwing loops at everyone it seems lately.

I wasn't sure what I was going to start with but a  when facebook friend had commented that she was clearing out all of her old art school sketches and pieces that she didn't feel worth keeping I shouted  across the interwebs that she was to cut up anything she didn't want and send it to me for collage papers.

I got two hefty packages of heavyweight watercolor papers and some lightweight prints as well to use any way that I please. I've promised her a piece in return for her most wonderful  supply gift.


The two layers of background on this are thanks to my friend.




This background paper was stiff enough to try out some encaustic work.
A piece of disintegrated shirt that I found on the migrant trail nearby.
It was naturally tie -dyed by the elements
( my second go at attempting encaustic, ever)



I added a few pieces that I picked up off of the street 
wire and a piece of balloon.



They were one piece but I didn't care for the composition so I simply
cut it into two pieces!



This was brush strokes of wax on an old aluminum tile I found on the road.


This is what the back side looks like, I t had been road-smithed by a car it appears.
I rather like it.





This came out a bit dark but I was just starting to flex my collage muscles for the day here.



More encaustic on heavy weight watercolor paper.





This was an experiment on a shard of heavyweight antique  mirror glass 
that I found outside of an abandoned old church last year.
The silver on the back had eroded away leaving a fabulous weathered silver patina
 they way old mirrors do.
I layered encaustic wax and scraped some away to reveal the glass and silver in places.
It's become a gift to our Swedish friend Olle that spent some good years in Alaska once upon a time.
I have more pieces to play with.

After a successful day in the studio I was felt freed up enough to go hiking yesterday in the hills surrounding our neighborhood. The hike yielded two practically brand new Mexican blankets that we found on the trail which will be great for the truck after a wash.

Our guests also got to experience the truly southwestern experience of a Mexican woman approaching us with fresh tamales in the parking lot of the grocery store.
They had never tasted anything like the green chile tamales and were quite pleased.

I'm off on a road trip to the surrounding area for a couple of days now. We're going to visit a few places that I've never seen like the cliff dwellings and some hot springs.
Of course I'll bring my camera!

14 comments:

  1. I love what you did with the things I sent you! I recognize them right away. You used them to great effect!

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  2. Marvelous organic work you mini hoarder in the making you!!! The shirt detail really makes it, wow, love what you are doing, the inspiration from your heart is there. Enjoy the break and your guests. xox Corrine

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  3. In your usual off the wall style that I love so much.......have limited internet because of a nasty puter virus ......will be back soon tho !!.......xx

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  4. Yummy textures Kim!!Looks like you having fun fun fun!!Big Hugs,Cat

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  5. I LOVE these Kim! How awesome to get all the art pieces to use, too! Hope you have some fun on your road trip!

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  6. Great pieces Kim! Love all that color textury goodness, ummm, especially that bird!!
    Thanks for visiting and signing up for the giveaway, and kind comments, and putting on your sidebar!!

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  7. These are some of my favorites, especially the one you cut into two pieces. There's a frowning bunny above the blue couple in the top one.

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  8. Your work has depths and dreams all woven out of your own perspective. You now have one more Follow!
    Rose & Studio Friends

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  9. Wow Kim that is alot of work in just one snatched session! Amazing that you can piece together all those disparate components and come up with such narratives. It is good having visitors when it forces you to go sightseeing in your own area!
    x
    sue

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  10. How neat of you to give a shout out and then creat some beautiful art work.

    - The Tablescaper

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  11. Love them! I'm just now catching up on my blog-reading, and I really enjoyed reading about the stamp & gem shows! I want to go to one someday, but for now I'll live vicariously through that post. And that's crazy about your occular migraines! Strangely enough, I only JUST learned that they existed last week. Anyhoo, your blog is so good!

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  12. Kim, the collage pieces you've been making are fantastic. Encaustic is very inspiring indeed and I haven't tried it yet but may have a go at some stage.
    (Sorry I've been busy lately and haven't had time to blog at all).
    Hugs,
    Svetlana

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  13. I really like your work especially the one with the bird and the one with the stamps and donkey. : )

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