[-alterations, art-]

Jack

Originally uploaded by wireguy.

I love this construction from wireguy. Dare we call it PopArt?

He says of his “Jack” creation:

With all the waste in the office, this became the (obvious?) first prototype. It’s amazing what you can do with plastic junk. Drink up and enjoy.

Indeed!
I hope some of our readers will take us up on the Alterations Challenge. And once you have, show your work! to us, to everyone.

I’ve become slightly obsessed — okay, I’ll admit it - there’s no such thing as ’slightly obsessed’ — with thinking of household items that I can transform into art and vice versa. So far, I’ve made artistic items from dried up gelpens and useful items of old photos but that’s only the beginning. I’m thinking lamps (though I haven’t quite settled on what to use), clocks (a glimmering of an idea that came from a clock I bought that looks as if it’s made from a cookie tin), fans (women of a certain age will understand my obsession with this) made from my paintings that are sitting in drawers, photograph boxes made from photos, windchimes, suncatchers….. can you catch the fever?

What I’m enjoying is the twist of mind that this challenge has given me. It brings on a new way of thinking about e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. I don’t regard a heretofore tossable bottle cap or cork or dried up gelpen as trash… I think of it as a possibility. What can I use if for?

On the other hand, I look at treasures of mine, things I never wanted to part with but had no immediate use for such as little bits of embroidery, or beads, or silk thread, or paintings I did years ago, or photos I took of museums or scenery from somewhere I can’t remember, or ones that are out of focus, or broken china or mirrors. What am I saving them for?

I guess I saved them for now. I’m not only happy to have some raw materials around to use for this challenge, I’m also thrilled to be using stuff up - whether it’s a stash of beads, or pens that don’t work or - like wireguy - plastic bottles.

Let’s turn the trash into treasures and the treasures into more treasured masterpieces that work for us instead of just taking up space in our drawers and on our shelves! Join me in my obsession. I guarantee that you’ll enjoy the creative buzz!

thanks, wireguy, for your Jack and your inspiration.

Originally posted in the original Practically Creative blog, March 2006

[-art, alterations-]

by Nancy S.M. Waldman

six pac

Originally uploaded by 84rms.

Yesterday, rocks. Today, leaves. Naturally good.

Norman Sherfield, who made “six pac” for a class he took with John Garrett, is a fiber artist who creates wonderful sculptures, often using basketry techniques. This is perhaps not typical of his work, but it does have the natural elements and whimsical qualities that his art exudes. He says of this, “Recycled beauty, ephemeral sculpture.”

This is art, folks. It’s not only visually interesting, it’s referential in a way that makes the viewer react. I look at it and immediately know that it’s made from cast off plastic six pack rings and dead leaves. The juxtaposition makes me think twice. I have associations of those usually discarded beverage holders and this isn’t it!

Then, I settle in to the image itself. It’s a familiar form - a basket with handles - and yet it’s completely different. Visually, I’m struct by the layering of rings, the way they’re connected with careful fiber threads, the fact that they’ve been altered from container-holders into a container.

The leaves, also often thought of as refuse to be packed into plastic bags and thrown away, are raised to a level of importance by the fact that they are being contained. It begs several questions at once: what is trash and why? can trash be seen as important and therefore, be elevated in some way? is it necessary to throw things away? what is the relationship of the biodegradable leaves and the non-biodegradable plastic?

Art is supposed to make us think and feel and react. Norm has created a sculptural container that succeeds in all respects. Lovely work. Click on the image to see more now. And please, check out Norm’s blog.

many thanks, norm!

Norman’s work is also featured in the New Again, an Alterations Challenge
See all our Alterations articles

Originally published in the March 2006 issue of the Practically Creative blog; edited slightly for re-publication

[-art, alteration-]

by Nancy Waldman

Eye Music

Originally uploaded by annieA.

This example of an Alteration is so simple and so stunning. It’s a collage using CD cases lined with painted paper inserts.

AnnieA created this in what she describes as a “humble offering in celebration of Mozart’s 250th birthday.” It’s a lovely tribute and clever way to re-use and re-purpose those plastic cases.

The artist tells me that she’s created one for her neighbor with a clever twist. It’s a puzzle to arrange. He took it one step farther by making a frame for the cases, backing it with metal and putting magnets on all the CD cases. She says it’s become a game in his kitchen. The painting can be reconfigured by anyone who has the urge! A great idea and collaboration!

Thanks, Rosanne!

Here’s another example of a similar idea that has been used in an elementary school. The cases are filled with clay “paintings’.

Way to go, kids!

Any other clever ideas for using those plastic cases?

Originally published on February 17, 2006 in the Practically Creative blog; edited for republication

[-art, alterations-]

by Nancy S.M. Waldman

Garden Fresh

Originally uploaded by clementine mom.

Our Alterations Challenge has to do with changing our thinking about art and design, to use objects in new and creative ways.

This morning’s post is from Elizabeth Lundberg Morisette. It’s called Garden Fresh and is made from garden hose and copper wire. It took Second Prize in the Greenbelt , Maryland, USA, Labor Day Art Show 2004. You can see another example of Elizabeth’s clever use of materials in her work “Hornet’s Nest” on the New Again: Alterations Challenge article.

Be sure to visit Elizabeth’s flickr site and see her other art work. Just click the image.

Thanks, Elizabeth.

Originally posted in the February, 2006 Practically Creative blog; edited slightly for re-publication.

[-art, alterations-]

The TIDE Series by artist, Mary Bogdan

All images copyright © 2003, Mary Bogdan; 12.125″h x 11.5″w x 6.5″d, mixed media on abandoned Tide laundry detergent box

All about this series in Mary’s own words:

TideRed -© 2003 - 2007 - Mary Bogdan - all rights reserved

TideRed (open)- copyright © 2003 - 2007 - Mary Bogdan - all rights reserved

TideYellow © 2003 - 2007 - Mary Bogdan - all rights reserved

TideYellow(open) © 2003 - 2007 - Mary Bogdan - all rights reserved

TideBlack - copyright © 2003 - 2007 - Mary Bogdan - all rights reserved

TideBlack (open) - copyright © 2003 - 2007 - Mary Bogdan - all rights reserved

Mary - painter & assemblage artist - says of herself:

I am a “glaneuse”, a gleaner… In scrap heaps of abandoned or demolished buildings, alleyways and flea markets, I find rare treasure. Garbage. Remnants of wood and metal, books, boxes, old paintings, all that have been discarded are interesting to me. My work deals with obsolescence. Each “found” object has out-lived its time and has therefore been scrapped. Dead. I rescue and assemble them with collected items from my own past. I sense the object’s energy guiding its reincarnation to a higher purpose. Art. These artifacts that have chosen me, tell stories of where they have been, where I have been, where I am and where I am going. Stories of passion and anger, strength and weakness, love, hate and fear. Revealing me to me. Mary and her husband, artist Sol Lang, were exhibited recently in New York City at the M!WAA @ NEW ART CENTER ; her images can be seen at flickr.com/photos/marybogdan/

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

[-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

[-essay, creative challenge-]

by Nancy S.M. Waldman

My grandmother, Polly Mahala Reed was a talented seamstress. When I think of the word “Alterations” I think of her.

She, like many of her generation, made most of her family’s clothes. My mother can describe in detail the colors and fabrics of the outfits she and her sister are wearing in the black and white photos from her childhood in the 1920’s and 30’s. But when I knew my grandmother, she was working as a seamstress in a smart little dress shop in San Diego. She did alterations.

Making clothes from scratch is a pretty great skill, but the idea of taking something ready-made and tailoring it to meet the needs of a particular body or taste, is even more amazing. Polly had to not only be able to envision what would work and how, but also have the technical skills to carry out those changes and have the finished product look better than new.

Altering anything can make it new again.

So here’s an Alterations Challenge!

Here are some functional items you could play with to transform into art:

* toothbrushes
* hair brushes
* broom
* pet toys
* plant pots
* old technology (be careful with the ‘innards’; many have toxic materials)
* any kind of recycling - plastic, cardboard, cans

We’re using the term “art” broadly to mean something that is fun, beautiful, wacky, decorative, playful, colorful, wonderful, unexpected, instructive, metaphorical - but NOT primarily functional.

Here’s a great example that was featured in the original PCQ:

Here’s another favourite of mine:

Clean out your make-up items that are not being used and make an assemblage out of them. Construct a shadow box or doll furniture (ok, so that’s slightly functional but we’ll count it as art) . Try playing cards, match boxes, pin cushions, ashtrays, magazines. See our Altered Books article for inspiration.

Here’s a sun-catcher I made from a used gelpen:

As for the other side of the challenge: use old, dusty, dog-eared, torn, faded, broken or “failed” art or photographs as the raw material for something beautifully useful, such as:

* jewelry
* containers (for cell phone, glasses, jewelry)
* frames
* pots
* waste baskets
* pillows
* lamps
* small furniture

Here’s a box I made out of a painting I did years ago:

This was a ready-made craft store box that I covered in old photographs and paper:

Use things you have around the house that would otherwise gather dust, or be thrown or given away.

How about broken glassware or dishes? They make great mosaics and jewelry.

Do you have old craft projects that will never get finished? Think about them in a new way. It’s great for dealing with that I-didn’t-finish-it guilt that can sap and sabotage our creative energy.

Be aware of what’s around you, what you are throwing away or what is on the shelves of your closet or in your junk drawers. Raise your level of consciousness and take the time to experiment.

remember:

Alterations can make things New Again

© 2007 all rights reserved by the artist on all images

We have a lot of fun alterations on our site. check out these other PCQ articles and examples:
Baywhale
- How to Make a Photosandwich
Maureen Shaughnessy - altered photographs
- thoughts and images
- tutorial and images
Cynthia Korzekwa
- On Colour
- Art Begins at Home: recycled and reused items made into art
Karen Hatzigeorgiou
- Altered books / Found Poetry
coming soon:
Nancy Waldman
- Found Poetry
- Article about Norman Sherfield’s, “Six Pac”: Naturally Good

Or just click on the topic: Alterations.

Originally published in the January 2006 issue of The Practically Creative Quarterly, theme: alterations
Altered slightly for re-publication in The Practically Creative Quarter