[process, inspiration]

Book box

Originally uploaded by cramzy.

A Good Sunday Morning in May to you all!

The photo to the right is one from The Practically Creative Group on flickr. It’s posted by ‘cramzy,’ a wonderful fibre artist whose work has impressed me continually.

Cramzy, also known as Emmy Schoonbeek, does all kinds of fanciful, beautiful and colourful stitchery, constructions and embellishments. This one caught my eye because of its cross-pollination effect. It’s so many things and includes so many things all at once.

It’s fibre art. It’s collage. It’s construction. It’s functional. It’s art. It’s a box. It’s a book. It’s got words, music, textile, paper, beads and probably lots more that we can’t see. Do click the image to see it in larger form.

I believe that this process of cross-pollination is one of the best ways to be freshly inspired and motivated.

It’s easy to utilize various skills and interests in our work when we’re already FEELING inspired and creative. That’s part of what makes it fun when one good idea or impulse bounces off another to create something new and unique. But it also can work for us when we can’t find that FEELING.

If you are in the doldrums with painting, try writing in your journal. Brainstorm. Do calligraphy until it turns into something else. Play with letters until they are abstract shapes.

If you can’t get started writing, do a quick symbolic collage of your main character. Or put on music that you love but don’t often listen to.

Another trick is to use these alternate parts of ourselves to be creative while taking a break from whatever has depleted our motivation. For example, when I’ve written myself into a corner, I find cooking to be a wonderful activity to immerse myself in. It’s creative and involves the senses but it doesn’t require a lot of mental concentration. This flow of activity allows my mind time to wander in a relaxed way. Without forcing it, I often find a way out of that corner and come back to the writing inspired and motivated—with a good meal under my belt!

Thanks, Emmy, for your inspiration this morning. Be sure to visit cramzy on flickr and at her blog.

[-art, photography, alterations-]

‘lingering doubt’

© 06 - 07 angela petsis all rights reserved

Today we have a wax collage done by Angela Petsis. She says that she’s only been doing collage a short while but it’s obvious that she has a natural affinity and skill for gathering, and the layered construction that collage requires. The transparency of this image - with words and background images showing through the figure - give it a dreamy quality. The wax she uses in lieu of glue gives it depth and an aged look.

I am always more drawn to an image when it’s been given an evocative title like this one. “Lingering Doubt” immediately draws me in. I look more closely at the woman’s image and begin to wonder about the look on her face, her stance, what she’s wearing. But more so, it makes me think about what’s going on within her. Both ‘lingering’ and ‘doubt’ are ambiguous words. They can lead to positive or negative outcomes, but they are evidence of an internal struggle that helps to give meaning to this complex image. The combination of title and image result in visual poetry.

- See Angela’s great tutorial on how to do Polaroid transfers
- Showcase of Angela’s Polaroid Transfer artistry
- Be sure to visit Angela’s beautiful website to check out what other kinds of art she’s doing: angelapetsis.com

Thanks Angela for your evocative collage!

Originally published in the original Practically Creative blog, February 2006; edited for re-publication

[-photography, alterations-]

Goddard stairs and window

Originally uploaded by suzeque.

Good Monday, all!

For the next few days I’ll be posting photos of alterations achieved by natural means: light, time, rust, weather, water.

This one is from Suze Corte and was taken on the campus of Tufts University, in Massachusetts, USA. It’s a great example of how sunlight can transform an everyday scene into one of golden warmth and visual depth.

Thanks, Suze!

Related posts:
light: Light Play
light, weather, time: Outside in
time: Time’s passage
rust: patina
water: Rain Day

Originally posted to the Practically Creative blog in February 2006

[-alteration, crafts, how-to-]

by Nancy Waldman

Here’s a fun little project that grew out of The PCQ’s Alteration Challenge.

It took less than a half an hour to put together. If you have your own tin (they are easy to find at garage sales or online auctions) you can make one of these for well under $10. The ‘clockworks’ can be found at hobby stores.

Just take your drill - you do have one, don’t you? - checking the package to find out what size drill bit you need to use - and drill a hole. Insert the metal piece inside the hole and attach the battery pack to it from the backside of the tin’s lid. From the front and still using the simple directions on the clock works package, put on the spacers and the hands of the clock.

From there you just put in a battery and watch (pun intended 8)) it go!

I used a Sharpie permanent marker to draw in the numbers but you can find press on numbers that would serve the purpose.

I wanted this one to be a counter clock since the word “soap” was written on side; I can even use for storing - yes, that’s it - soap. But the same clockworks can be used to make a hanging clock.

Here’s another idea. This is a photo of a clock I bought. It’s made from a metal tin that is open on the back side. The face of the clock is a piece of paper glued to the front. This brings up endless possibilities. Find a great picture and paste it on or better yet, do a collage. Fabric could also be used. Just be sure that your clockworks are high enough to lift the hands away from the face of the clock, especially if your collage gets a bit thick. They do come in several heights so this shouldn’t be a problem.

Easy. Quick. Fun. Functional. And, what great gifts they would make.

Originally published in the April 2006 issue of The Practically Creative Quarterly, theme: alterations; edited slightly for republication

[-practically mperfect, alterations-]

by Nancy S.M. Waldman

I missed a day (or was it two?) of posts. Some days I just don’t have *it*, you know? I’m busy shovelling out my workspace as it has gotten overwhelmed in the last two months.

When I get inspired, I start pulling materials out of the closets and can’t even think about putting any of it back because I might need it! Since my work room was such a mess, I started working in the tv room and several other rooms of the house. Whoa. Creative energy has a way of spreading, sometimes taking over not only our minds but whole rooms. *grins*

Anyway, it’s time to get things under control again. So that’s what I’ve been doing… as well as working on several small projects - all over the house!

Emma’s robot

Originally uploaded by Lockwasher.

Today’s image is charming, isn’t it? Lockwasher does these great sculptures out of found objects and metal do-dads. Each one has such personality and the craftmanship seems meticulous. I’m very impressed.

I chose this one because it’s made from a fancy tin. And, well, yeah, maybe because this one has a heart. Click on the image to see more of Lockwasher’s bots and rockets. They’re simply wonderful (and inspiring).

Must go work on my space.
Happy Sunday, all and thanks, Lockwasher!

Here are more wonderful robots that lockwasher has created.
See all our Practically Mperfect articles
Here’s a wonderful article on the process of creativity and how clutter enters into it: Mind Space
See all our Alterations articles
See our New Again, an Alterations Challenge
Here’s an article on our human need to GATHER things
(with links to the fun results of our Collectors Survey)

First published on March 5, 2006 in the original Practically Creative blog;
Re-published as written as an informal Practically Mperfect article

[-process, journaling, found poetry-]

by Nancy Shepard Metzger Waldman

In the course of researching Altered Books for the January 2006 issue of The PCQ, I couldn’t resist tackling my first altered book. Here is the journal and some photos I made of the process and progress so far.

Take heart other beginners, from the lumpy pages and [way]less than professional results.
It’s a beginning!

ALTERED BOOK PROJECT

First Question—How can I mess with a book?
Tomes are SACRED, aren’t they?

So, I found a book in a give-away bag…Country Walks in Connecticut.

Since I live in Nova Scotia now, I’m unlikely to use it ever again. Plus, it’s well-used already. Dog-earred and warped, it also has a very ugly stain on the cover and through the first 7 pages or so.

It’ll do. It has some lovely maps and black and white photos.

MAKING IT MANAGEABLE

1st step - glue pages together … eeek… it’s not easy for me to get over the feeling that I shouldn’t be doing this. I have to think of it as recycling, renewing, making art out of what has become a book no one wants.

It takes me a couple of hours to glue the pages. I used white craft glue diluted with water. It’s lumpy … but it worked!

NOW WHAT?

Since the book is about trails through the woods, I decide to make the art about a trail through the book….

I jot down words from the page that I like or that seem to relate to each other. The last word on the page is “connects.” This makes me smile!

JASPER JOHNS: “Do something…. do something to that…”

I color the words I want to HIGHLIGHT in CRAYON (goldenrod)… I try covering up the words I don’t want. First I use some brown ink that I’ve had forever. I like that I’m using what’s here … it looks nice on the page but the print shows through. ENTER: “Acrylic Colored Gesso, Unbleached Titanium” That should cover up anything…

I took digital photos of the book so far… then began modifying the photo of the photo on the righthand page. Put in loads of color - played with Hue & Saturation, Brightness & Contrast, Tone Adjustments, and Negative.

Tried to print out on TRANSPARENCIES but my printer objected. Had to make do with card stock.
NEXT I …

until …. VOILA! here are the first two pages:

The found poem on the right hand page is:

It was fun but I haven’t gotten back to it since. I love looking at other artist’s altered books but it may just not be ‘my thing.’ How about you?

Have fun!

Here’s lots more articles on artistic Alterations.

Originally published in the January 2006 issue of The Practically Creative Quarterly, theme: alterations